Sony has confirmed that a demo version of its upcoming Gran Turismo 6 racing simulator will be available for download from the PlayStation Store from July 2 onwards. The demo is completely free and will be downloadable up until August 31 for PS3 users.  

It will include a range of Nissan cars, including the Leaf, 370Z and GT-R, and will allow players to drive at the Silverstone circuit. The full version will be available for purchase in the fourth quarter of the year and include 33 tracks and 1,200 cars to choose from.

There is additional significance surrounding the availability of the new demo. As previously reported, contestants in 2013’s Nissan GT Academy will be competing against one another via the demo for their chance to win a seat in a real-life Nissan race car.

The 2013 Nissan GT Academy, which is open to contestants from a record 19 countries, will also commence on July 2 and end on July 28 at 3:59 p.m. PST.  

The demo will allow contestants to set and submit qualifying times in the first round of the competition. Like previous years, contestants will start with slower cars like the Leaf and Juke, and then make their way up to the 370Z and GT-R.

The U.S., Russia and Germany will each have their own standalone qualifying competitions while the remaining countries will be grouped in a single competition.

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