Take on Top Gear's Stig with Gran Turismo 5

Gamers will soon have the chance to challenge The Stig – the Top Gear test track is coming to a PlayStation near you.

The hotly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 – scheduled for a release in December 2008 – will feature the Dunsfold test track used by Clarkson, May and Hammond in Top Gear.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We are always looking at innovative new ways to use our content, and Top Gear has a huge global audience.

“It was a logical step for the Top Gear content to be used in this format.”

The fifth instalment of one of the most successful driving simulations will also allow gamers to rekindle Clarkson and co’s past glories – mullet included – offering up ‘classic’ episodes of Top Gear as a download.

Gran Turismo is one of the world’s most famous driving games, largely due to its realistic driving atmosphere and a huge number of real cars available to buy or win.

It is also attributed by many as increasing demand for ‘grey imports’ – specialist and unique cars only offered in the Japanese domestic market such as the Mitsubishi FTO.

The upcoming GT 5 is rumoured to feature a multitude of the world’s fastest and most famous racetracks and more than 900 cars – including the storming twin-turbo 480bhp new Nissan GT-R.

And Gran Turismo producer Kazunori Yamauchi is also said to have helped in the development of the new GT-R.

This isn’t the first time Top Gear and Gran Turismo have come together.

Clarkson took a Honda NSX supercar around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and set a lap time – on the PlayStation.

The infamous presenter then ventured out for real in the now out-of-production NSX and took to the real track – and found it a lot more demanding.

Expect to see Gran Turismo 5 on UK shelves in December 2008.