Sony has officially announced a European release date for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. It'll be hitting shop shelves on March 28, priced at £24.99, or as part of a PS3 bundle deal at £299. The 71 car, six track taster will also be available for download from the PlayStation Store on March 27, possibly at a lower price.

But here's the interesting bit. The European release features a selection of exclusive extras. From the press release:

Drift Mode: The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.

In Depth Car Tuning: Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.

Two-player Split Screen Racing: Allows players to race head-to-head offline.

New Race Events: Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.

Also in the package, of course, is the 16 player online mode and access to Gran Turismo TV, an online channel of, 'great motoring TV programming' - i.e. downloadable episodes of Top Gear.

So which GT camp do you fall in? And does the online and splitscreen play make it more attractive to those who have found the series too exacting and pompous so far?