"Gran Turismo 5" has been in development for over five years. Its moving target release date tortured fans eager to get a full-fledged new entry in what many describe as the definitive video game racing series. The wait is finally over -- we think. "Gran Turismo 5" should be in stores on Nov. 24. Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, an associate producer on "Gran Turismo 5," shared some development war stories with Asylum, so let us us regale you with 10 weird and interesting facts about the long-desired fifth installment in the venerable franchise (and the series, in general).

1) "Gran Turismo 5" Has a Lot of Cars
OK, "a lot" is an understatement. It has more than 1,000 cars. In contrast, the last major console title in the series, "Gran Turismo 4," for the PlayStation 2, offered more than 700 cars. Meanwhile, "Forza Motorsport 3" -- the Xbox 360's exclusive top-shelf racer and closest competitor -- featured 400-plus cars when it launched last year.

2) It Takes a Long Time to Build a Single Car
It's easy to forget how much time and energy actually goes into making a video game. The folks at "Gran Turismo" developer Polyphony Digital never forget. According to Hinojosa-Miranda, if a single in-game car was built by one person, it would take that person six months. That might sound excessive, but it includes work outside of actual coding: gathering technical data from car manufacturers, photo shoots and digital scanning of the actual cars and headlight and brake-light testing. Even nailing down the proper timing of windshield wipers is important, according to Hinojosa-Miranda.

3) It Features the Future of F1 Racing
The "Gran Turismo" series prides itself on realism, but that doesn't mean the developers can't get a little crazy. "One car that really shines is the X1 series," says Hinojosa-Miranda. "It's a complete fantasy car developed by lead producer Kazunori Yamauchi and Red Bull. It's next-gen F1." It still has wheels, so don't worry too much about "Gran Turismo 5" veering off into "F-Zero" territory.

4) The Fan-Named Song
 What happens when the latest trailer for a highly anticipated game makes waves among fans, thanks in part to a catchy, yet untitled song? You give gamers the chance to name the song and be featured in the game's credits, of course. This happened over the summer after Sony released an E3 2010 trailer for "Gran Turismo 5." The lucky winner was Argentinian fan MajanoX, whose suggestion "5OUL ON D!SPLAY" hit the right balance between Internet speak and anime title.

5) It's a Huge Seller
The video game business expanded exponentially in the past decade, setting sales records year after year. The "Gran Turismo" series has its own bragging rights: It's the best-selling Sony PlayStation exclusive franchise ever, with over 56 million units sold to date. "Being a racing sim, people are always surprised by that number," says Hinojosa-Miranda. "But it's definitely a game played by all demographics." Unfortunately, we have yet to see that experience or skill transfer into the real world: driving on the Garden State Parkway is as dangerous as ever.

6) You Can Drive a Car from the 19th Century
Just because the series specializes in the fancy and new doesn't mean it's afraid to represent the iconic old. "Gran Turismo 4" lets players drive the 1886 Mercedes Benz Patent Motor Wagon. As you can see, it's not thrilling -- at all. But if you love old cars and the inherent irony of being told, "Get ready to drive," right before you hit the circuit at a whopping 5 mph, it doesn't get much better.

7) Gran Turismo Goes Green
The idea of green racing may draw disdain from some, but outmaneuvering folks in muscle cars with a hybrid may get them to think twice before calling you a treehugger. "Gran Turismo 5" will feature the Tesla Roadster. But it isn't the first green car to be included in the series. The Toyota Prius was featured in "Gran Turismo 4." Those who enjoyed pretending they were Larry David on the track will be glad to know the Prius makes a return in "GT5."

8) Kart Racing for Grown-Ups
Typically a racing game aims to either be a hardcore simulation, which mimics real driving as closely as possible, or a fun and crazy arcade experience featuring go-karts, power-ups and last-minute comebacks. "Gran Turismo 5" is the first game in the series to do kart racing. After joking about the inclusion of a missile power-up, Hinojosa-Miranda described the new inclusion as "sim-kart mode: karts done in a realistic way."

9) Gran Turismo Is Prolific
Despite the lengthy time between main entries, the series has managed to remain relevant thanks to several smaller releases. Since the original title launched on the PlayStation in 1997, seven secondary games have been released -- more than the primary "Gran Turismo" titles. If history is any indication, by the time "Gran Turismo 6" comes out (we're guessing 2017), this fact will still hold true.

10) You Can Smash Up Fancy Cars
A sticking point for gamers who love destroying pretty things, cosmetic car damage has been at the top of the "most wanted in a GT title" list for years. It's actually right beneath "not having to wait so long for a new game." Their prayers (and nasty emails) have been answered: "Gran Turismo 5" features cosmetic damage -- to a point. Cars in GT5 are divided into standard and premium. Expect to see car damage appear on the premium vehicles.