Forza Motorsport 5 finally adds the Nürburgring [w/video]

Well gamers, it's here. Forza Motorsport 5 has finally, finally added the track we've all been waiting for – Germany's famed and feared Nürburgring. The announcement was made by Turn 10 Studios' creative director, Dan Greenawalt, during the Microsoft press conference at today's E3 expo.

The lack of the German track has been one of FM5's greatest shortcomings, but based on what we've seen, the wait appears to be well worth it. Turn 10's track capture team laser scanned the entire Nürburgring, providing an unparalleled sense of realism.

"Building the track from the ground up for Forza Motorsport 5 required more than 30 artists from all over the world, putting in more than 13,000 man hours to complete the project," Greenawalt told Autoblog late last week. "We've modeled more than 26,000 roadside trees alone."

For the first time, the famed Nordschleife is being joined in the game by the more modern Grand Prix circuit. Gamers will be able to lap the entire, 16-plus-mile combined track, as well as each circuit individually. Like the two previous additions to FM5's track roster, Road America and the Long Beach Street Circuit, the Nürburgring will be fully integrated into the game's career mode.

Joining the 'Ring is a new, five-car booster pack of race-oriented cars. Leading the charge are the game's third and fourth Formula One cars, a 1967 Brabham BT24 and a 1939 Maserati 8C TF. Representing the sport car racers is the 1956 Lotus Eleven, while the 1989 Audi 90 IMSA-GTO covers the more modern racers. Finally, a Formula Ford EcoBoost will be made available to gamers.

Both the Nürburgring and the Booster Pack should be available now or within the next few minutes. The track will, as usual, be a freebie, although the five new cars will likely demand a small premium.

Take a look up top for a small gallery of in-game images of the Ring, then scroll down for a peek at track in action, as well as the cars of the Booster Pack.