Polyphony Digital has announced the first Manufacturers Cup Exhibition Season of 2026, getting underway this weekend ahead of the official championship later in the year. At six rounds and running through to June 7, it’s a substantially longer event than the short four-round sprints that became the norm through much of 2025, matching the length of last year’s third Exhibition Season. Gr.4 cars appear in two of the six rounds, which has real consequences for which manufacturers are worth picking. The Schedule The full six-round calendar is as follows: - Round 1 – April 25/26 – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya GP (No Chicane)/Gr.3 – 18 laps - Round 2 – May 2/3 – Fuji International Speedway (Short)/Gr.4 – 10 laps - Round 3 – May 9/10 – Dragon Trail – Gardens/Gr.3 – 20 laps - Round 4 – May 16/17 – Sardegna – Road Track A/Gr.3 – 15 laps - Round 5 – May 30/31 – Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit/Gr.4 – 13 laps - Round 6 – June 6/7 – Nürburgring Endurance/Gr.3 – 5 laps Rounds 1 through 4 follow the alternating Friday/Saturday format at roughly weekly intervals, before a two-week gap opens up ahead of Round 5. The finale at the Nürburgring follows a week later. What to Watch The two Gr.4 rounds are the headline consideration for manufacturer selection. Round 2 at Fuji Short is a straightforward Gr.4 sprint, with no mandatory tire or pit requirement. Round 5 at Mount Panorama is a Gr.4 race with a mandatory pit stop and a 4x tire wear rate in qualifying, requiring a pit stop strategy on top of car selection. Round 3 at Dragon Trail – Gardens and Round 4 at Sardegna both carry elevated tire wear, at 5x and 4x respectively in both qualifying and the race. Round 4