Sony confirmed that the next instalment in real life driving simulator, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, will be racing to a North American release on April 17.

Just remember that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a demo designed to satiate hardcore series fans until the release of a full sequel later this year.  Prologue features 60 cars, 5 elaborate tracks, and 16 player online competitive races in full 1080p HD running at 60 frames-per-second; all for a reatil price (in store and online) of $40. 

Other features include rumble support for the new DualShock 3 controller (also due in the spring) and GT TV - a download delivery system for video on all things motor related (yes, we mean cars), a welcome addition that also features the wildy popular show, Top Gear.

Although news of GT5 Prologue release date is great, Sony has not commented if it will be recieving the short demo (yes, a demo of a demo) Japan recieved way back in November.