What’s the point of having a beautifully rendered, high-definition game that feigns reality without some of reality’s uglier aspects?

The highly regarded “Gran Turismo 5 Prologue,” exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation 3 and due for sale in America on April 17, is a feast for the eyes, with detail unlike any racing game made before it. So much detail that “GT5 Prologue” is one of those games that doesn’t look much like a game — it looks like a video.

Trouble is, crash one of the game’s 76 luscious rides and they appear to have the resilience of kevlar. We can only wish that truly was the case in the real world.

Wel, trade journal IGN is reporting that in its interview with GT5 creator Kazunori Yamauchi he says a downloadable update for the game may become available this fall that adds crash damage to cars and property. This is significant because Yamauchi and Co. have been reluctant to include crash damage in previous “Gran Turismo” editions.

And when you see the beauty of the game’s cars, you’ll know why.