Conspicuously absent from the Sony press conference, Polyphony Digital"s Gran Turismo 5 appeared on the show floor in a specially prepared demo build that showcased the game"s damage model for the first time.

The demo itself gives you an HD version of an old track – Toyko R246 – and a Subaru Impreza WRC rally car to drive, and initial impressions are that the core technology that powers GT5 hasn"t been that much improved over what we"ve seen in the Prologue. It"s still 60FPS, with a 30FPS replay mode, and the level of tearing is again approximate with what Digital Foundry is used to in the existing GT5 preview.

The damage model itself is an obviously welcome addition, but somewhat limited. There is no actual deformation of the cars taking place – body panels remain totally pristine. Instead the Subaru is outfitted with a number of removable parts: front and rear bumpers, doors, the bonnet – these are the elements of the vehicle that work loose then fly away leaving just the barebones of the car. In this sense it is somewhat "last gen", very similar to Burnout 3 if you"re looking for a direct comparison.