Extreme and Special Conditions Events

Discuss 200 point races in the Extreme and Special Conditions Events here

Each specific thread is put together to help members to achieve the goal of reaching the maximum A-spec points obtainable in GT4 by grouping the information in a more orderly fashion. Please feel free to contribute your findings too.

Rules
Obtain as many points as you can for each race and see if you can make it to 100.000 or max 111.813 or anything in between those two values. Race as cleanly as possible. We don’t frown on blocking, wallriding or corner cutting; that, unfortunately, is needed in some races. Devices other than your PS2/3, a wheel or controller, and a GT4 disc are not allowed.
These rules do not apply to hispeed's Stock Car Race Comparison/Challenge thread.

Stock or tuned?
If you would rather test your skills with stock cars then please visit hispeed’s [thread=62070]Stock car race comparison/challenge[/thread].
There’s some good information to be found there too.

Is there something special about A-spec points?
Yes and no, you don’t get a prize for 100.000 points nor do you get anything when you reach the maximum of 111.813 points. What you do get is a 👍 from other ‘200 point A spec nutters’ and the satisfaction of reaching 100.000 points or more. You also have the honour of adding your ‘home screen’ in the [thread=66549]100.000 Club[/thread]

Is it difficult to reach maximum?
To get to 100.000 is an achievement in itself, it’s the remaining 11.813 that are the real challenge. It’s just another way of having fun (and frustration) with GT4.

To get A-spec points you need to complete the whole race yourself. Handing over to Bob will not earn you any A-spec points. To achieve the maximum available A-spec points you’ll sometimes have to resort to dirty tactics, use a ‘gem’ car and or wear out the engine on certain cars.

Not all races will yield 200 points. If you are going to join the ranks of A-spec nutters please remember that Missions (34 x 250 points) and Family Cup (1x 200 points) should not be forgotten. Arcade points do not count towards the 111.813 goal.

Feel free to discuss (on occasion dirty) tactics, cars used and what settings were applied within the Series listed below.
A lot of races are fairly straightforward.
Some races can be quite a challenge and if you are new to this part of the game all I can say is ‘hang in there’, you will eventually succeed.

The notorious Ram for instance is a well known 200 point gatherer. There are other cars that are good to use in several series and as you read through these threads you’ll find them mentioned. If you can’t find them there check out [thread=87608]General Discussion[/thread].

Things to consider when trying to go for max points.
Choice of lineup, weight added, tyre choice (on front set of wheels), power add ons and wing settings all have an impact on points.
More details can be found in Famine’s thread on this subject [thread=56502] Notes on Maximising A-Spec Points [/thread].

Wearing out your ride
It pays to run several (long) races with worn out cars. As you race you lose horsepower. Better to start a race with a car that wont do that anymore. Take hp loss out of the equation.
[post=2458971]List of cars[/post] and how to [post=2458971]wear[/post] out the car.

Tranny trick
If needed apply the following:

1. Set the gears back to default.
2. Set final all the way to the right (5.500 or so).
3. After that move auto all the way to the right (e.g. 25) and then back to 1.
4. Then adjust final to what you want (e.g. 3.200).

Do not touch the Auto slider again.

What else?

1. Various [thread=83319]worthwhile lists[/thread] by D-N
2. References to race reports for inspiration: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=139 (review the stickies)
3. List of members with [post=2474747]100K points[/post].

* If you find any of the information useful, be sure to let the author know by giving them some +REP by clicking on the

I would also suggest you start keeping records on your achievements NOW!. It will pay huge dividends later on as you get closer to your goal. You’ll want to know where you have not yet reached max points. Having trawl through 500+ races to find out is no fun!
Fizio has an Excel spreadsheet that’s available for download. See [thread=87600]Beginners & Professional Events[/thread].

This post will also be used to capture useful information. Wiki editors are welcome to use the information.
Good luck!

AMG.

If you are contributing to this thread then mentioning the following details could very well help others.
Race Series, track name, Lineup used (list the cars 1-5) *
car used / tyres / power add ons / non power add ons + settings / aids / Weight etc. Tactics used to win the race.

* PAL =/= PAL. Line-ups in PAL games seem to differ. Whether this applies in all races is unknown. An example can be found [post=2669199]here[/post].

Extreme Events
1. Granturismo All Stars 2000
2. Dream Car Championship 2000
3. Polyphony Digital Cup 2000
4. Like the Wind 200
5. Formula GT 3000
6. Real Circuit Tours 1600
7. Premium Sports Lounge 1000
Total A-spec points achievable in this series 11800.

Special Conditions
1. Umbria Rally
2. Umbria Rally (reverse)
3. Capri Rally
4. Capri Rally (reverse)
5. Grand Canyon Rally
6. Grand Canyon Rally (reverse)
7. Whistler Ice Race
8. Whistler Ice Race (reverse)
9. Chamonix Rally
10. Chamonix Rally (reverse)
11. George V Rally
12. George V Rally (reverse)
13. Swiss Alps Rally
14. Swiss Alps Rally (reverse)
15. Tour of Tahiti
16. Tour of Tahiti (reverse)
17. Tsukuba Wet Race
18. Yosemite Rally I
19. Yosemite Rally I (reverse)
20. Yosemite Rally II
21. Yosemite Rally II (reverse)

Difficulty: Easy, Normal and Hard (63 races).
Total A-spec points achievable in this series 12600.

Extreme
Granturismo All Stars
High Speed Ring
BMW McLaren F1 GTR, R3
Fuji
Chaparral 2J Race Car, R3
Laguna Seca
Chaparral 2J Race Car, R2
Autumn Ring
Fairlady Z Concept LMRace car, R2R3, ballast
Test Course
BMW McLaren F1 GTR, R3, NOS
Grand Valley
Chaparral 2J Race Car, R3
Suzuka
Chaparral 2J Race Car, R3
Infineon
Chaparral 2J Race Car, R3
Sarthe
Fairlady Z Concept LMRace car, R4, ballast, NOS
Nürburgring
Fairlady Z Concept LMRace car, R2R3, ballast, NOS Lineup BMW McLarenF1 97, Minolta, CamaroLM, RX7LM, Sauber

Dream Car Championship
Suzuki GSX R4, R3, chip, T2, NOS, RC exhaust, port polish, eng bal, on occasion a Wing, for all races
Opera - Deep Forest
Viper Concept 556 hp w/stage 1, medium slicks, custom LSD all remaining stock
Beginner course
Altezza Touring car, 100% stock 301 hp
El Cap - d'Azur
Viper Concept 506 hp stock, custom LSD, R3

BMW M3 GTR Race Car, R2, [7 of 10; need all LM car in field]
AMG Mercedes 190 Evo Touring Car [No LM Zonda]
ASL Arta Garaiya (JGTC) T4 ,143 ballast

Polyphony Digital Cup
Dodge RAM
Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R (KPGC110) '73 (see #10)
Nissan Skyline Sport Coupe BLRA (see #30)

Like The Wind
Corvette Sting Ray Race Car '63, R1, Turbo4.
Gilet Vertigo, R1, Set gears to 18
Cerbera Speed 12, R1, T4
Supra RZ '97, max hp
Suzuki GSX R4 see #39

Formula GT
All 15 races can be done in the FGT car by adding ballast and lowering downforce.
Other qualifiers are Audi R8 and the Mazda 787B and Chap 2J
See posts 124, 15, 26, 29, 37, 43, 44, 49.

Real Circuit Tours
Chaparral 2J, R2-R4 depending on race (not Nürb)
Nissan R390 GT1, R1

Nürburgring
Fairlady Z Concept, R3, NOS Lineup Camaro LM, Gillet Vertigo, Jag XKR, MB CLK GTR Nissan 390

Premium Sports Lounge
BMW M3 GTR, S3, chip, NOS, Lineup Saleen, AM Vanquish; AM V8 Vantage, ZondaC12S, TVR Speed 12

Special Conditions
Tip:
If you find it difficult to manage 200 points in the harder races consider the following tip (from Famine).
E.g. Run Umbria Normal; difficulty: Easy - Normal - Hard, then repeat for Umbria Reverse. Progress to next race. This approach works and gets you in to the groove easier.

Easy-Normal-Hard
Suzuki GSX R4 and Dodge Ram are useful for all races.
Mitsubishi Pajero.

Tsukuba Wet Race
Mazda 787B, used oil,R3, max downforce, chassis refresh
& various other cars

Note: None of the entrants have been verified. Information is added on face value.

Tsukuba Wet Race (Hard): Link Repost.

...black Mazda 787B (used oil, no power mods, R3 tires front and rear, max downforce, chassis refresh). My opponent was the Minolta Toyota 88C-V, and it was a not-too-difficult 200 points.

I also haven't tinkered with the settings on this car, except setting the Driving Aids to 0/0/1. Handles great right out of the box, in my opinion (I'm also no settings guru, so I make very few suspension changes).

Tactics were to drive clean, brake early, and watch where the Minolta runs slightly wide (I passed him on the third lap final hairpin before the last long bend). Since it was 5 laps, I played the waiting game for two laps, and passed the "camera car" on the next lap. I think I won by 9-10 seconds.

Lately, I've been working my way through the Extreme Hall. I've had a lot of fun with some of the Formula GT races in the Mazda 787B with oil as black as the paint and a brand new Audi R8 in red. The Real Circuit Tours is complete, but the real challenge, IMHO is the All Stars. There are a lot of similarities, both in location and opponents between the Real Circuits and All Stars, but the former is less of a challenge than the latter, mainly due to pit stops.

I've recorded the first fifteen fields (NTSC), following a reset as detailed below. I've found that they are the same for the AMG CLK GTR and for the Motul Pitwork Z. Included with the fields are the Aspec points offered for the Motul with R2's, full DF and a Stage 3 Turbo @721 HP and a PWR (I know... it's really WPR) of 1.498. The Motul is pretty successful for 200 points with the ninth field, but the added AI strength of the 12th field allows R3's on the front and the car becomes much more fun to whip up on those LMP's. The Sauber starting first makes the 14th lineup really difficult. Damn rabbits!! One could probably use this as a guide to setting up other cars for the series. Slightly lower PWR can be accounted for with some ballast, or less downforce, etc. Higher PWR gets better tires! You decide what works best for you.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has found good races in this series with other cars.
The 'Ring was particularly enjoyable against the ninth field with the Z.
The 12th field was good for 200 pts with the AMG on R1's at LeSarthe.
Race reports pending.

Here's the data;

Extreme Hall, GT All Stars (NTSC)
Nissan Motul Pitwork Z
721 HP, PWR=1.498
R2/R2, Full DF

Field #1 (174 Aspec)
1.)Nissan R92CP
2.)Bentley Speed 8
3.)Ford GT LM Spec II
4.)Toyota 7
5.)Mazda 787B

Field #2 (97 Aspec)
1.)Mercedes CLK-GTR
2.)Sauber C9
3.)Ford GT LM
4.)Nissan R390
5.)Chevrolet Camaro LM

Field #3 (153 Aspec)
1.)McLaren F1 GTR
2.)Nissan R92CP
3.)Ford GT LM Spec II
4.)Jaguar XJR-9 LM
5.)Audi R8

Field #4 (152 Aspec)
1.)Nissan R89CP
2.)Nissan R390
3.)Audi R8
4.)Mercedes CLK-GTR
5.)Ford GT LM Spec II

Field #5 (127 Aspec)
1.)Toyota GT One
2.)BMW V12 LMR
3.)Jaguar XJR-9 LM
4.)Chevrolet Camaro LM
5.)McLaren F1 GTR

Field #6 (150 Aspec)
1.)Nissan R92CP
2.)Mazda 787B
3.)McLaren F1 GTR
4.)Ford GT LM Spec II
5.)Jaguar XJR-9

Field #7 (74 Aspec)
1.)Jaguar XJR-9
2.)Ford GT LM
3.)Nissan GTR Concept
4.)Sauber C9
5.)Mazda RX7 LM

Field #8 (81 Aspec)
1.)Toyota GT One
2.)Nissan GTR Concept
3.)Pagani Zonda LM
4.)Ford GT LM Spec II
5.)Nissan R89CP

Field #9 (200 Aspec)
1.)Nissan R92CP
2.)BMW V12 LMR
3.)Toyota GT One
4.)Nissan R390
5.)Toyota 7
184 Aspec w/ R3, 200 w/ R3's +55 Kg

Field #10 (116 Aspec)
1.)Toyota GT One
2.)Sauber C9
3.)Chaparral 2D
4.)Pescarolo C60
5.)Nissan GTR Concept

Field #11 (167 Aspec)
1.)Nissan R390
2.)Bentley Speed 8
3.)Ford GT LM
4.)Nissan R89CP
5.)Pescarolo C60

Field #12 (200 Aspec)
1.)Gillet Vertigo
2.)Jaguar XJR-9
3.)Nissan R89CP
4.)Nissan R390
5.)Nissan R92CP
200 Aspec w/ R3's

Field #13 (134 Aspec)
1.)Toyota 7
2.)Minolta 88C-V
3.)Chaparral 2J
4.)Audi R8
5.)Chevrolet Camaro LM

Field #14 (200 Aspec)
1.)Sauber C9
2.)Toyota 7
3.)Jaguar XJR-9
4.)Minolta 88C-V
5.)Nissan R92CP
200 Aspec w/ R3's (very tough)

Field #15 (92 Aspec)
1.)Bentley Speed 8
2.)Ford GT LM
3.)Jaguar XJR-9
4.)Mercedes CLK GTR
5.)Chaparral 2J

Regards,
Johnny A

Extreme hall: Real Circuit Tours Race 5 - Infineon
Car: Nissan GT-R Concept LM Race Car ‘02 (R3 tires) / FR / ?HP (626HP on garage screen) / 1100kg / ?kg/HP (1.8kg/HP using garage value) / 200 A-spec points!

Stock car submission, run with no changes to tyres or oil, just some adjustments to tranny, driving aids and suspension settings vs. 1st lineup after reset. Was able to win by 3s from Nissan R92CP, due to the fact that all the AI pit in this race. Won 100% cleanly too, have saved replay, might make a race report from it!

johnnya1306

All Stars,
I would be interested to hear if anyone has found good races in this series with other cars.

Click to expand...

Hispeed ring & Test Course
stock BMW Mclaren F1 GTR on R3s.

Autumn Ring, Sarthe & Nurb
Fairlady Z Concept LMRace car with ballast here and there.
Used the Fairlady on AR just to watch all the 'big guns' spin out, they're not made for that track

All other races The Chap 2J.


Nice going SH 👍
AMG.

Premium Sports Lounge
BMW M3 GTR '03

Two good line up's for 200 points without the Cerbera Speed 12. With this speed merchant in the line up there was no way I could win.

Line up at Hong Kong - Mercedes SLR Mclaren '03, Cizeta VI6T '98, Pagani Zonda C12 '00, Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '03, Aston Martin Vantage '99.

Used SH tyres and 200 ballast. MOV- 6 secs.

Line up at New York.
Much harder this one as I had to go down to N2/N3 tyres + 80 ballast to get 200 points :

Cizeta VI6T '98, Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '03,Aston Martin Vantage '99,Pagani Zonda C12 '00, Mercedes SL600 '04.

MOV - 2.xxx secs.

Hope that helps.

nige

What cars other than the ram get you high points in PD Cup? I'm currently racing an NSX in it, and my main competitor is a Z. I've been winning easily, and even lapped several cars the whole championship. I was thinking another Z, but that still wouldn't give me high points. I'm really just looking for an inexpensive (preferably used) car, that gives me about 80-120 A-spec points, besides the Ram. Thanks.

MINICOOPER120

What cars other than the ram get you high points in PD Cup? I'm currently racing an NSX in it, and my main competitor is a Z. I've been winning easily, and even lapped several cars the whole championship. I was thinking another Z, but that still wouldn't give me high points. I'm really just looking for an inexpensive (preferably used) car, that gives me about 80-120 A-spec points, besides the Ram. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Minicooper, thx for asking but I think you need to have a look at the stock challenge thread in this forum for something that may fit. We're in to 200 point races so don't really care much for cars that will (only) net 80-120 points. Be warned though the stock thread is also looking for max points possible.
Try the search option in the GT4 forum. It may yield some answers or check out the preview on a race in the PD cup to see what you'd be up against and then select a car based on that info.


AMG.

MINICOOPER120, have a look at this:- Polyphony Digital Cup useful A-spec information!

and this:- Polyphony Digital Cup, 100% clean, in a stock '73 Skyline!

Finding points at this event is mega-hard without resorting to that abomination known as the Dodge Ram!

We welcome any submissions at the stock thread, but prefer them to be as high as possible, and it's well known that the Ram is good for 200 points at many of the races, but isn't listed.

Like the Wind (Yeah, another submission for this race):
Pescarolo C60/Judd '04, stock, 25,000KM on the clock, new oil, min-downforce, R1s, Wide gearing, against the following lineup: Minolta v-88, Sauber C9, Nissan R92CP, Nissan R89C, Jaguar XJR-9. Probably the most powerfull lineup in there, but it was mighty easy - a bit of drafting (still, 750HP Vs. 900+HP), and while the Minolta and Sauber battled for 2nd, the draft from them shot me past the R92CP (which spun out later on), and I started to increase the lead pretty quickly. Everyone pitted, so my MOV was pretty huge.

Another one for Real Circuit Tours which took a little research.....

Extreme hall: Real Circuit Tours Race 4 - Laguna Seca
Car: Ford GT LM Race Car Spec II '04 (R3 Front R2 Rear tyres, oil changed) / MR / ?HP (646HP on garage screen) / 1130kg / ?kg/HP (1.7kg/HP using garage value) / 200 A-spec points!

vs. 10th lineup after reset. The first lineup where all the AI pit, and the Group C car starts in 5th place, and hence is held up enough that you can pass him in the pits. Won by 1.7s after the Nissan R92CP took a whopping 6s off me in the final lap! I have the replay saved, which is almost 100% clean, I think the Audi just catches my back end under braking in 1 corner, but other than that, flawless! Might be a race report soon!

Car was run stock, other than oil change and changing rear tyres to R2. Requires 10 clean laps in the 1'19 - 1'20 arena. A much harder challenge than doing this the easy way in the Chaparral 2J '70!

I don't recall ever seeing anything about this vehicle being used for the special condition races. For some of you having problems on any of the dirt/snow tracks, give her a whirl. It's the '85(is that the right year) Mitsubishi Pajero Rally Raid Car, or SUV, looks like an SUV to me. But this is what I used for the hard special condition races on the dirt/snow tracks. This vehicle did require some modifying, can't remember for sure, NA 2 upgrade I think, probably a couple of other things too, so it might not be the vehicle for some. And I don't remember these races being too hard either, and I T-totally suck at rally racing on this game. Just thought I'd share.

bttlefed

It's the '85(is that the right year) Mitsubishi Pajero Rally Raid Car, or SUV, looks like an SUV to me.

Click to expand...

This car was around before the name SUV was used. It's not Sport, it's simply Utility Vehicle. It's a car that was designed when people still used those cars off road - and this is the race-version of it.

Formula GT- Suzuka using Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91

200 points with MOV 15 secs. Used Stage 4 Turbo with RH/RSH tyres and NOS! Pitted every 12 laps. MOV would have been larger if it had not been for a number of excursions into the sand!
I don't know if it makes any difference but it was against line up 1.

Formula GT - Fuji Speedway 2005 using Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91
200 points with MOV 1 min 06 secs. Used Stage 4 Turbo with RH/RSH tyres with no ballast. Pitted every 13 laps. Tranny set at 15. Line up 1.
Best lap : 1:25:540

nige

Mazda RX-8 LM edition race car (the green-orange one)
200pts against a Sauber C9.
quite hard but cerntainly managable.
The sauber has a lack of grip when going on full throtlle whereas the RX-8 has pretty much grip when accelarating in 2nd gear

thaleppes

Mazda RX-8 LM edition race car (the green-orange one)
200pts against a Sauber C9.
quite hard but cerntainly managable.
The sauber has a lack of grip when going on full throtlle whereas the RX-8 has pretty much grip when accelarating in 2nd gear

Click to expand...

What race exactly?

I suspect Tsukuba Wet, Hard. I remember winning this one for 200 points in a heavily modified Opel Speedster!

owh yeah sorry, it was the Tsukuba wet race, hard
Just a stock rx-8 lm edition race car with stock settings and just fresh oil.
5 laps battling with a Sauber, what could be asked more

I'm looking for some general Rally advice beyond the particulars in the Stock Car thread.

From what I can tell, there are a few good rides (other than the ram of course) for the hard events: Evo Rally Car, Pajero Rally (either one), but I can't find the sweet spot for the easy or normal events. I've run a few of the hard events with a WRX STi and won easily for 140-160 points, so I would think I can get those worked out with a bit of experimenting. For the easier events though I haven't been able to drum up much of anything. Have most of you guys just sucked it up and used the Ram, or am I missing something?

I haven't really tried to figure out the pattern of how/when the AI decides I need a different opponent, or how much point variance I can win in the process. If you stick with one car, will it follow a lineup-from-reset pattern like the standard races? There seems to be a sort of step function where it drops you to a lower class opponent if you go with a slower car... is it possible to use removal upgrades to make it think you need a better opponent then take them off from the tuning pre-race? Would it result in remotely winnable races even if it did?

nualum

I'm looking for some general Rally advice beyond the particulars in the Stock Car thread.

From what I can tell, there are a few good rides (other than the ram of course) for the hard events: Evo Rally Car, Pajero Rally (either one), but I can't find the sweet spot for the easy or normal events. I've run a few of the hard events with a WRX STi and won easily for 140-160 points, so I would think I can get those worked out with a bit of experimenting. For the easier events though I haven't been able to drum up much of anything. Have most of you guys just sucked it up and used the Ram, or am I missing something?

I haven't really tried to figure out the pattern of how/when the AI decides I need a different opponent, or how much point variance I can win in the process. If you stick with one car, will it follow a lineup-from-reset pattern like the standard races? There seems to be a sort of step function where it drops you to a lower class opponent if you go with a slower car... is it possible to use removal upgrades to make it think you need a better opponent then take them off from the tuning pre-race? Would it result in remotely winnable races even if it did?

Click to expand...

hmm, our major goal is to get 200 points so whatever makes that the easiest we will use. Except if you're more of a purist (no disrespect!) as the guys in Stock car thread who go for max/200.

Lesser 'gods' like me will use the RAM. Better drivers will most likely succeed in different cars alltogether. Me I'm just glad I never have to do a rally again, except if I'm ever to gold all licences.
Phat chance, I loathe the slaloms.

AMG.

nualum

I'm looking for some general Rally advice beyond the particulars in the Stock Car thread.

Click to expand...

I don't think you will find any better info than that in the stock car thread. There are a lot of cars listed for the easy/normal events (most with low points and none? with 200). This shows that it is extremely difficult to get 200 in any car - some of those listed could do a lot better modified but there is a long way to go for most. Good luck with it (I used the RAM ).

Appreciate the feedback guys, probably could have clarified my goals a bit. At the moment I don't have the skill or patience to get too ambitious, just trying to keep things competitive while working within the point system as it stands. There are several criticisms that can be made about how it deals with particular cars, race series, tunes, etc... but on the whole I think it balances out and gives a very good benchmark. The last time I played through GT4 I think I hit about 75% completion and I doubt I had 20,000 points... I'm having a much better overall experience this time around (so far).

Back on topic, RAM'd my way through easy Alps and Yosemite this morning, nothing but time stopping me from running through the rest. What kind of tuning/parts did you have for the hard races (most particularly grand canyon)?

nualum

What kind of tuning/parts did you have for the hard races (most particularly grand canyon)?

Click to expand...

Check out the last couple of pages in the locked thread (the one with a million posts). Someone (Sirberra? FLK?) mentioned dialling in lots of camber.

I tried everything but was not able to appreciate the difference. Felt like a shopping trolley with wheels going in 4 different directions on ice.

AMG.

Finally finished 200s for all the off-road adventures last night. Took a few races tweaking the setup, but once I got rolling I used the same tune for all the dirt & ice rallys:

Dodge RAM 1500 - NA Stage 2, Racing Exhaust (523 HP), Nitrous @ 30, FC Tranny - Auto 1- Final 4.000.

The transmission tuning doesn't work terribly well on road courses - it sputters a bit in the lower gears pulling out of slow corners - but it does the trick nicely on dirt. I typically go with a much tighter gearing, but I found it didn't help my acceleration on dirt at all because of the increased wheel spin. I'm not sure I used anything higher than 4th gear.

As a difficulty metric, I'm a fairly mediocre driver, and won the easy races by 20-25 seconds each, normal by 15-20 seconds, and hard by 10-12 seconds. There were a few races where I botched taking the lead a few times, but once I would get ahead I generally pulled away without any trouble.

Minor Edit: Now I need to reclaim some semblance of road skills. I was braking far too late and missing apexes like crazy this morning. May have to work on gold medals for a bit to get back into rhythm.

Minor Edit 2: Was re-reading the thread and noticed this one... I had more failures just trying to silver the slalom tests than to get every other license trophy I have... when I finally got silver on the first, and gleefully selected 'Next Test' I could have killed somebody when I realized I had to do it again.

AMG

Phat chance, I loathe the slaloms.

Click to expand...

Extreme Events - Formula GT

Raced as a championship using the Polyphony FGT.
Qualified to improve starting position in all races.

Used 190 Ballast weight, 45 front downforce, and 84 rear downforce for 200 A-spec points.

TCS 6, ASM 0/0, Brake Balance 6/5, Camber 2.0/1.2, Toe 0/1 used as a basis, with slight adjustments from race to race. Other settings varied significatly depending on the track.

Edit: All 15 now completed for 200 points each.

1. Tokyo R246 - 60 Laps
AI pits every 9 laps.
I pit every 10 laps.
Some wallriding.
Total Time ~1:24:xx, Fastest Lap 1:17.818, MOV ~40s.
NOTE:- Master the quick right/left at half distance before you enter the race as much time can be lost if you spin here.

2. Super Speedway - 127 Laps
AI pits every 11 laps.
I pit every 16 laps.
Wallriding at the sharper turn only.
Total Time ~1:03:xx, Fastest Lap 0:27.085, MOV 3 laps (~90s).
NOTE:- Ensure your setup allows you to take the smoother turn at full throttle without drifting onto the outer wall. For me this meant +4 front downforce, and a corresponding -4 rear downforce.

3. New York - 74 Laps
AI pits every 10 laps.
I pit every 8 laps (with two stints of 9 laps towards the end).
Mostly clean racing - only accidental touches.
Total Time ~1:41:xx, Fastest Lap 1:17.539, MOV ~1.66 laps (~105s).
NOTE:- Take care of your rear tyres. No amount of tuning can get you even tyre wear without compromising lap times.

4. High Speed Ring - 77 Laps
AI pits every 9 or 10 laps.
I also pit every 9 or 10 laps.
Mostly clean racing - only accidental touches.
Total Time ~1:16:xx, Fastest Lap 0:54.166, MOV 2 laps (~110s).
NOTE:- Easiest race so far. Keep your speed up, but be kind to your front tyres. Most of the AI pitted right at the end of the race just as I was approaching the last corner.

5. Grand Valley Speedway - 62 Laps
AI pits every 8 laps.
I pit every 6 laps (with two stints of 7 laps).
Very dirty racing - deliberately pushing opponents into sandtraps.
Total Time ~1:43:xx, Fastest Lap 1:32.282, MOV 7.4s!
NOTE:- For some reason I just couldn't get into the groove with this race. The car seemed to be lacking grip and eating tyres, and I had trouble finding the right line through many corners. Guess I just didn't spend enough time setting the car up for this one.

6. Circuit de la Sarthe I - 23 Laps
AI pits every 3 laps.
I pit every 6 laps (although the tyres were only really good for 5).
Very clean racing - NO contact with walls or AI. Two wheels on tarmac at all times.
Total Time ~1:18:xx, Fastest Lap 3:16.647, MOV 135s.
NOTE:- This time I aimed to drive as well as possible, and achieved a near perfect race. The lack of perfection comes from cutting some of the kerbs too deep - so deep that although I was still on tarmac, I had completely crossed over the rumble strips. If you have done the 24 hour races, this one will be a walk in the park.

7. Cote d'Azur - 78 Laps
AI pits every 9 laps.
I pit every 6 or 7 laps.
Wallriding at the top of the hill only.
Total Time ~1:49:xx, Fastest Lap 1:18.164, MOV ~1.33 laps (~105s).
NOTE:- Rear tyres are a real issue here. Driving style will dictate your pit strategy - the smoother you are the more laps you will do between pitstops, but don't push your tyres too far. A pitstop doesn't take too long at this track, but a lap on red's will cost you dear.

8. Seoul Central - 113 Laps
AI pits every 16 or 17 laps.
I pit every 19 laps.
Mostly clean racing - only accidental touches.
Total Time ~1:31:xx, Fastest Lap 0:45.772, MOV 2 laps (~100s).
NOTE:- Nothing interesting happened here. Just keep the car pointed in the right direction and your foot on the gas and everything's sorted.

9. Infineon - 76 Laps
AI pits every 8 laps.
I pit every 7 or 8 laps.
Wallriding at last hairpin only.
Total Time ~1:40:xx, Fastest Lap 1:13.446, MOV 1.5 laps (~110s).
NOTE:- Beware of the 180 degree left hander - take it too fast and you are going off. Also, keep off the grass - it can be very slippery and just one wheel in the grass can put you in a spin.

10. Laguna Seca - 85 Laps
AI pits every 10 or 11 laps.
I pit every 8 or 9 laps.
Mostly clean racing - only accidental touches.
Total Time ~1:47:xx, Fastest Lap 1:10.311, MOV ~1.25 laps (~90s).
NOTE:- The AI is very inconsistent at this track, so a bad start is not the disaster it might first appear. Most, if not all the AI cars span off the track between the corkscrew and pit entrance during the race. I personally encountered someone in trouble along this short section on no less than 7 occasions.

11. Twin Ring Motegi (Road Course) - 64 Laps
AI pits every 8 laps.
I pit every 7 laps, with one session of 8 laps.
Shortcut across the grass at last corner only.
Total Time ~1:42:xx, Fastest Lap 1:29.206, MOV ~1.16 laps (~105s).
NOTE:- Know your braking points. This track really is a join-the-dots style where missing your braking point can put you deep into the sand. Braking too soon is also easily done here.

12. Nurburgring - 15 Laps
AI pits every 2 laps.
I also pit every 2 laps.
Very rough race - even though I tried to keep it clean.
Total Time ~1:33:xx, Fastest Lap 5:53.553, MOV ~45s.
NOTE:- Don't worry about qualifying on pole. A laptime of 5:58.9 only got me third on the grid, and I then spent the first lap and a half being rammed by the AI every time I slowed for a corner. A better tactic might be to practise until you can run low 6:0x's whilst maintaining your tyres for the full two laps, start from the back of the grid and follow the pack waiting for them to destroy their tyres before overtaking.

13. El Capitan - 64 Laps
AI pits every 7 laps.
I pit every 8 laps.
Very rough race, wallriding at first 180 corner.
Total Time ~1:35:xx, Fastest Lap 1:22.467, MOV 1 lap.
NOTE:- If you know the track well, there's nothing to this race - I didn't even have to alter the car from the 'ring setup. However, I must say Don't drive when tired. I was passing the AI by lap 40 when I paused the game. When I returned a couple of hours later I spent so much time in the sand/bouncing off walls that I was unable to increase my lead in the remaining 24 laps!

14. Fuji Speedway 2005 - 67 Laps
AI pits every 9 laps.
I pit every 8 or 9 laps.
Somewhat clean racing - occasional offs.
Total Time ~1:38:xx, Fastest Lap 1:22.870, MOV ~1.16 laps (~95s).
NOTE:- Watch your speed in the tight and twisty section or you will miss all of the apexes. Make up time by ignoring the road markings and speeding straight into the pits.

15. Suzuka - 53 Laps
AI pits every 7 laps.
I pit every 6 laps.
Mostly clean racing - occasional offs.
Total Time ~1:32:xx, Fastest Lap 1:37.185, MOV ~65s.
NOTE:- Setting your car up well makes all the difference between a satisfying race and a frustrating one. The right setup and the right line can really add up on this long and complex track. I put in around 30 practise laps before I was sure that I had it right.

I'm really surprised by your # of pits on e.g. NY & GVS. You actually pit more often. I was always working out AI pit strategy and then calculated my pitstops so I would not end up with e.g. 1 stint of 4 laps or so. I never tried doing more stops. Hope you get around to writing up 9-15 soon!

AMG.

With my driving style - button bashing the DS2, tyre wear can be a real issue and force extra pitstops. This was particularly bad at New York and Cote d'Azur where I used a lot of TCS and very soft rear suspension settings to reduce the wear somewhat. A smoother driving style or DFP/G25 should help preserve the tyres more and even reduce the required stops.

However as noted at New York, too much TCS/suspension tuning can reduce your lap times so much as to be counter productive. It really is a matter of putting in the qualifying laps until you are confident with your setup.

Extreme Events: Formula GT @ Tokyo using Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 for 200 points

Having previously used the Audi R8 I thought I would give this a go.

Car: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 with Old Oil. 817 bhp on settings screen.
Racing Exhaust, RH/RSH tyres, Stage 4 Turbo.

Settings as follows:
Brake Controller - 3/3
Driving Aids: 10/10/5
Downforce : 63/88
LSD : 10/40/20
Ballast : 0 ( -10 to the front )

Suspension:
15.8/14.8
85/85
8/8
8/8
2.0/1.0
0/0
6/6

Gears : Default - Auto to 13

Pit Strategy : Lap 15,30,45
The AI cars pit every 9 laps - 9,18,27,36,45,54

The margin of victory was over 1 lap with the best lap 1:19:558.

No NOS was used in this race at all.

You will see that I didn't play around with the suspension or gears at all .

This one was really quite easy.

Extreme Events: Formula GT @ El Kapitan using Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 for 200 points

Car: Black Mazda 787B Race Car '91 with Old Oil. 817 bhp on settings screen.
Racing Exhaust, RH/RSH tyres, Stage 4 Turbo.

Settings as follows:
Brake Controller - 3/3
Driving Aids: 10/10/5
Downforce : 63/88
LSD : 10/40/20
Ballast : 0 ( -10 to the front )

Suspension:
8.6/8.6
85/85
8/8
8/8
2.0/1.0
0/0
6/6

Gears : Default - Auto to 13

Pit Strategy : Lap 13,26,39,52
The AI cars pit every 7 laps - 7,14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63

Best lap - 1:25:195

MOV - 1 lap


I used a softer suspension setting to cope with the infamous section after the tunnel but mostly kept settings same as Tokyo.

Happy racing,

nige

How many of you do the Polyphony Digital Cup for 200 points using the Dodge Ram!? Well, here's an alternative. Much harder but more fun.

PD Cup for 200 points using the Nissan Skyline Sport Coupe ( BLRA -3) '62

Against line up 2 - Audi S3, Peugeot 206, Honda Integra Type R, Mazda RX-7 GT, Honda CR-X SiR '90

Car Stats : 139 bhp, Racing Exhaust, Stage 2 NA, N1/N3 tyres, NOS @100. ballast @ 184 ( 50 to the rear)

All 10 races done for 200 :

Race 1 - Motegi: Qualified in 1st which makes it moderately easy. Used NOS to get to front then used sparingly. Take grass shorcuts and one at pits. MOV - 6 secs.

Race 2 - Seattle. Much harder this one. Qualified in 1st. You will need to seriously block the Audi and the Integra. Only use NOS on straights and if the other cars get by you.
MOV - 1.5 secs.

Race 3 - Infineon Stock Car Course. The Integra is the main threat here. Use grass shortcuts and wallride "U" bend before start/finish. Again, save the NOS in case you need it.
MOV - 7.7 secs.

Race 4 - Tokyo R246 Reverse. Qualify in 1st. By far the hardest so far on account of having to block down the long straight. Wallride where possible. The Mazda comes alive here!
MOV - 1.907 secs.

Race 5 - Fuji Speedway 2005. Quality in 1st. Cut corners and block well in the long straight.
MOV - 4 secs.

Race 6 - Motorland . Qualify in 1st. Keep to the inside line all the time, The Audi is the main threat although he does pit. Use NOS sparingly.
MOV - 1.7 secs.

Race 7 - Sarthe. Qualify in 1st place. Major blocking required down the Mulsanne Straight. Conserve NOS. Take shortcuts where possible.
MOV - 7.054 secs.

Race 8 - El Kapitan Reverse. Qualify in 1st place. Key here is to block effectively and use NOS sparingly. Wallride ythe "U" bend before the Start line.
MOV - 2.523 secs.

Race 9 - Suzuka. Again, qualify in 1st. Block the faster cars. Take grass shortcut after start line and cut chicane before start/finish line.
MOV- 3.918 secs

Race 10 - Nurburgring. This was one of the toughest. Qualfying 1st is extremely important here. Block where necessary and save the NOS for the long hill before Karossel. Take shortcuts where necessary.
MOV- 2.861 secs


So that's it. All 10 races done for 200 points each. It was very hard work but really good fun. Three things arise from doing this series with the BLRA :
1) You will need to do a lot of blocking
2) It is really important to save the NOS and use it only where necessary.
3) Make use of all the shortcuts.

So if you don't want an easy ride in the Dodge Ram but you want to earn those 200 points per race, give this one a go.


Happy racing,

nige