Porsche launches Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific virtual racing

Sim racers now get the chance to battle in a new eSports challenge as Porsche Japan, Asia-Pacific, Korea, and Taiwan launch the Porsche Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific.

Battling in the virtual racetracks of the Porsche Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific series are sim racers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Brunei.

Racers will be pitted against each other across an initial five qualifying rounds. Each of these rounds will be comprised of two competition slots. The five top-scoring entrants from each market will make it through to the next stage, with the ultimate winner receiving an all-expenses paid weekend in Tokyo. The trip will include a visit to the Porsche Experience Centre Tokyo and many more Porsche moments.

The qualifying races will be held at digital versions of the world’s most iconic circuits, including Le Mans, Fuji Speedway, Mount Panorama Circuit of the Bathurst 24 Hour race, and Goodwood Motor Circuit. Because the cars to be featured in the series will range from the Porsche 919 Hybrid, to the 962 C and the 356 A, participants will need a wide range of skills to progress through each step of the challenge. Round 1 of Porsche Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific is scheduled on September 5.

To participate in the online qualifying races, select Sport Mode in Gran Turismo and choose the Porsche Gran Turismo Cup Asia Pacific 2021 event. Reception begins 15 minutes before the entry deadline. The top five players will be selected from each market according to their scores. Participants must be aged 18 years or older.

As virtual motorsports accelerate, Porsche’s eSports racing scene has emerged as one of the biggest in the industry. Besides the brand’s single-make Sports Supercup virtual racing championship and the SimRacing Trophy, the German auto marque has held digital competitions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and celebrated professional sim racing with the Porsche eSports Days at IAA 2019.

In Japan, the Porsche eSports Racing Japan series has been running alongside the Carrera Cup Japan and Sprint Challenge Japan since 2019.

Photos from Porsche, Fuji International Speedway

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