Toyota offering free Gran Turismo 4 demo disc

Over the past several days, Gran Turismo 4 forums have been filled with posts about an American preview disc of the PlayStation 2 racing sequel. But rather than Gran Turismo 4: Prologue Edition, the stripped-down version of the game being sold in Europe and Japan for around $30, this demo is allegedly free.

Sound too good to be true? That's because it is--sort of. There is a free Gran Turismo 4 disc being offered in the US, but only as part of a promotional campaign by Toyota. Those interested in receiving the disc should log on to Toyota.com, select "Vehicles," then "Brochures," and then "Request A Brochure." Requestors will then be prompted to fill out a form with a valid address and pick two Toyota models they want information on, one of which should be the Prius hybrid.

Once the address is verified, a screen will appear that lists the items being sent to the brochure requestor. It reads:

"ITEMS ORDERED STATUS
2004 Prius Brochure Valid to Fulfill
2004 RAV4 Brochure Valid to Fulfill
Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Valid to Fulfill
2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Valid to Fulfill
2004 RAV4 Accessory Brochure Valid to Fulfill
College Graduate Rebate Flyer Valid to Fulfill"

But what exactly is the "Gran Tourismo 4 DVD" mentioned? Although misspelled, it is a "playable demo" of Gran Turismo 4, according to Toyota representatives contacted by GameSpot. However, the Toyota reps could not confirm what was on the disc or when it would arrive. For their part, Sony reps passed along inquires about the disc to other Sony reps, who had not commented by press time.

However, several sources indicate that the "Gran Tourismo 4 DVD" (sic) in question is an Americanized version of the Gran Turismo 4 Prius Trial Version that was offered at Japanese Toyota dealers late last year and handed out at the New York Auto Show. According to unconfirmed reports, the disc features two cars, the Prius and the Toyota MTRC Concept, and two tracks, the Fuji Speedway and Grand Canyon. However, reports indicate the demo is time limited to 2 minutes, and the Prius can only be driven on the Fuji track.

GameSpot will have more on the Toyota Gran Turismo 4 DVD when (if?) it turns up in our mailbox.