Kazunori Yamauchi has announced Gran Turismo 5‘s next software update and new downloadable content will be coming on December 20, 2011. Via Twitter:

[Japanese tweet, translated:] GT5 next update, DLC, Christmas is one week later. On December 20. Tomorrow is going to be a press release.

[English tweet:] The release of the next GT5 update, DLC, and Christmas present is coming next week.

Polyphony Digital has already posted an online service maintenance notice for the date, between the hours of 03:00-04:00 GMT, so the new material should become available at that specific time.

UPDATE: Sony has jumped the gun a bit, posting all the information about the new content on their blog. Here’s a complete listing of all the new changes coming in GT5 2.02:

• Users can now change wheels on Standard cars
• The settings sheets will include a new ‘copy’ feature
• In GT Auto, players will be able to see how the oil changes, aerodynamic parts, engine overhauls, and racing modifications will affect performance points and engine power, before and after their application
• Free coupons have been added that allow you to wash cars, change oil, overhaul your engine, or refresh the car body in GT Auto (10 coupons will be distributed for free to each of those who have downloaded the 2.02 update)
• Pressing the Square button in the car coupon selection screen of the Car Delivery will now allow you to exchange all car coupons at once, rather than doing one at a time
• In screens where the [Garage] and [Driver List] buttons are displayed in the A/B Spec events, Special Events, and Seasonal Events, pressing the Square button will now show the [Garage], and pressing the Triangle button will bring up the drivers list
• In My Lounge, the room settings will feature a new ‘Max. number of participants’ setting
• In the event selection screen of seasonal events, there are now ☆(star) marks that show the number of Gold Trophies attained in each event
• Improved racing sound effects
• Elements of the steering assist controls (used when using certain controllers on Racing Karts) have been tweaked.

These new cars will also be available as DLC for $3.99:

• 2011 Mini Cooper S
• 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI R
• 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R
• 2012 Nissan GT-R Black edition R35.

The blog post also confirms the Toyota 86 will be available for free in the 2.02 update, and the previous batch of DLC will now be available on all the user accounts of a PlayStation 3 console (they can be purchased from their respective dealers within the game).

Finally, anyone who purchased the first batch of DLC will receive a free “Gran Turismo Racing Kart 125 SP” along with five free “New Car Refresh” cards that reset any car in the game back to as-new condition, without losing any modifications that have been performed to it.