A one-off Ferrari widely regarded as the first prototype for the legendary 250 GTO has been selected to win the Gran Turismo Trophy at the 2026 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, putting it in line for a potential future appearance in the Gran Turismo series. The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Sperimentale Pininfarina Coupe is the 18th recipient of the award, which forms part of a partnership between Pebble Beach and Gran Turismo dating back to 2008. It’s a fitting choice for this year’s event too, as the 75th running of the Concours features Ferrari as its headline marque. This car is about as on-theme as it gets. Series creator Kazunori Yamauchi usually presents the Trophy himself, but this time the honors went to Takuya Asano, director of Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo Explore Studio in Los Angeles. It’s not the first time Asano has stepped in, having presented the award when the Ferrari 330 P4 won in 2016. As always, winning the Trophy makes the car eligible for a digital recreation in the Gran Turismo series, but it’s no guarantee. Only around half of previous winners have made the jump so far, and it can take a while: the Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer waited nearly five years between its win and its in-game debut. That Mercedes is relevant for another reason. It also belongs to Bruce R. McCaw of Bellevue, Washington, who took both the Gran Turismo Trophy and the coveted Best of Show with it in 2017. The Sperimentale, which he has owned since 1999, is also a McCaw car, making this his second Gran Turismo Trophy. The 250 GTO Prototype The Sperimentale exists because of a rule change. From 1962, the international manufacturers’ championship would be fought with grand touring cars rather than sports-racing cars, and Enzo Ferrari needed a