Gran Turismo: Unveiling the Reality Behind the Movie

The Gran Turismo movie tells the extraordinary journey of Jann Mardenborough, transitioning from gamer to racer. But how truthful is the movie's portrayal?

Promising to be a faithful retelling of an improbable dream, the film does not disappoint. The story begins with Jann, portrayed by Archie Madekwe, honing his skills in the lower ranks of his bedroom, using his earnings from a part-time job to invest in high-end steering peripherals, determined to excel in the virtual racing world.

With the help of Danny Moore (played by Orlando Bloom), Nissan and PlayStation seize the chance to launch a thrilling new project called the GT Academy. The primary goal of this venture is to discover and challenge the most talented virtual racing drivers worldwide by putting them up against real racecar professionals.

Although it primarily serves as an exhilarating advertisement for the game (read our review here), the underlying story is quite remarkable. That being said, you might be curious if it is based on true events. To answer that question, here's everything you should be aware of. Be aware, spoilers lie ahead...

Gran Turismo true story explained

Jack Salter isn’t a real person

In the following analysis of the Gran Turismo movie, we carefully examined and verified various scenes and characters. Although certain elements are accurate, it is important to note that there are significant fictionalized additions and alterations to the timeline that have sparked heated debates.

Playing the character Jack Salter, David Harbour portrays a rugged, unsuccessful racer who is recruited by Danny Moore to oversee the GT Academy. Remarkably, Jack Salter is not based on a real individual; instead, he is a fictional invention.

Mardenborough met Gavin Gough, an NLP and sports hypnosis practitioner, at the academy. This encounter seemed to have a significant impact on Mardenborough's performance during day 5 of GTAcademy at Silverstone. According to Mardenborough himself, the conversation with Gough "flicked a switch" within him and led to a drastic improvement in his performance.

Harbour, the movie's director, is not concerned about the accuracy of the film. He believes that their narrative has its own unique storyline, style, and underlying themes that depict the actions and identity of the protagonist. In his opinion, speaking to real individuals does not generate as compelling a storyline as what they have created.

"Our lives often defy logic, unlike the neatly constructed lives of fictional characters. They can sometimes be tragic in their unpredictable absurdity rather than possessing a beautiful poetic quality. Personally, I find my own experiences more valuable than formal research."

According to our interview with Darren Cox, Salter is a composite character, drawing inspiration from several individuals. One of them is Ricardo Davila, a legendary car designer and engineer. Another influence is Bob Neville, the team manager. Additionally, there are aspects of my rebellious nature infused into the character. Finally, there are echoes of various coaches, including a mental, physical, and driving coach."

Danny Moore isn’t a real person

Orlando Bloom's character, Danny Moore, is not based on a real person, but is strongly influenced by Darren Cox, the creator of the GT Academy. In the film, we are introduced to Bloom's character as a Nissan marketing executive who presents the GT Academy concept to the board. The board approves the idea quickly, giving the impression that it will recruit racers within a week. However, in actuality, Cox presented the concept in 2006 and it took two years for it to be put into action.

Cox mentioned that the character in the film is more corporate than him and portrays a corporate persona. However, the scenes where he appears as a corporate figure did not accurately reflect his involvement in taking risks for the project. Cox expressed his discomfort with the parts of the film where his character questions whether Jann should be victorious or the other person. In reality, he would not have approached the situation in that manner.

Cox acknowledged that certain aspects of Hollywood necessitated these changes, but his true character is not solely focused on preserving the moment. He explained that Danny is somewhat of an approximation of him but lacks the rebellious and anti-establishment qualities that both he and the program had in the past.

Jann Mardenborough wasn’t the first winner of the GT Academy

Contrary to popular belief, Gran Turismo falsely claims that Jann Mardenborough was the inaugural winner of the GT Academy. However, it was actually Lucas Ordóñez who achieved this feat when the competition was established in 2008. The event took a brief hiatus before resuming in 2010, when Jordan Tresson emerged as the victor. It was only in 2011 that Mardenborough entered and claimed the title.

Qualifying for the GT Academy

Jann Mardenborough discovered that he met the criteria to participate in the initial qualifying stage for the GT Academy based on his track times. However, the actual process was slightly different. Over the course of eight years, the process consisted of four phases. Initially, anyone could qualify by downloading a free update and attempting to achieve the fastest lap time in four consecutive rounds in Gran Turismo 6 (or Gran Turismo 5 in earlier years) on the PS3. Additionally, Nissan and PlayStation organized live events for the qualifying rounds, allowing participants to compete at gaming cafes and motorsport conventions. The winners of these events were granted a spot in the finals.

Next, competitors who advanced to the national finals participated in time trials on Gran Turismo 6, along with various evaluations of their driving skills, personality traits, physical fitness, and overall well-being. The victors from this stage were chosen for the race camp, resembling those depicted in the movie. At the camp, their performance on and off the track was assessed, leading to the selection of a smaller group. Finally, these remaining participants faced off in a decisive race to determine the ultimate winner.

Only the winner will advance to the fourth phase, known as Nissan's Driver Development Programme. During this phase, participants will undergo 2-4 months of rigorous training and compete in multiple races to qualify for an international racing license.

Jann Mardenborough did come third at Le Mans

The movie closes with Jann Mardenborough and his sim-racing team placing third at Le Mans – and this actually happened… well, mostly.

In 2013, Mardenborough joined forces with early GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez and German professional racer Michael Krumm to compete in Le Mans. It is important to note that Krumm is not associated with the GT Academy. Additionally, they were not racing for Team Nissan, but instead were representing Greaves Motorsport.

Jann Mardenborough’s Nürburgring crash

The Gran Turismo features Mardenborough's harrowing crash at the Nürburgring, resulting in a tragic fatality. However, it is important to note that this incident occurred at a different point in time. In the movie, Mardenborough competes in a race at the infamous German circuit while striving to obtain his license. During the race, his car becomes airborne at the Flugplatz section, where the front-ends of cars are prone to lift off the track. Upon regaining consciousness in the hospital, Mardenborough learns that the "freak accident" caused the untimely death of a spectator.

Jack Salter brings him back to the crash site, forcing him to confront his guilt and regain confidence in his ability to race. This incident, which occurred at the Nürburgring in 2015, two years after his third-place finish at Le Mans, has faced criticism for its manipulation of the timeline. Critics accuse the filmmakers of exploiting the tragedy to enhance the movie's narrative impact.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mardenborough, the real-life individual, discussed the incorporation of the crash in the film. He stated that not showing the crash would have been unfair to the audience. "I ensured that all those involved in the production, including the producers and Jason the scriptwriter, understood the importance of presenting it accurately. It was necessary to be true to the reality as someone lost their life in this accident. The movie portrays this aspect excellently," he emphasized.

"It also portrays the darkest moments of my life when I was alone in the hospital. It sheds light on the mental aspects of such an event, both in that specific situation and in life in general. It explores what can occur, how one can overcome it, and how one can rise above and achieve something substantial as a result. Therefore, it was essential to include it."

During our interview, Cox addressed the controversy by stating, "If you watch the original source video, you'll see that the action depicted is very similar to what actually transpired, and unfortunately, I experienced it myself. While there may be some artistic liberties taken in terms of the timing, it's akin to my character not being perfect for me and having some flaws... it's just one of those things."

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