Nitro...

  • Thread starter superjim
  • 88 comments
  • 5,625 views
S

superjim

16
My first experience with nitro was with, surprise surprise, Need For Speed. The rational part of my mind explained to me that a magic button that makes your car go super-fast (with blue flames coming out the exhaust and the view going all blurry - as if you were travelling at warp speed or something) was probably Electronic Arts using a bit of creative license. This "nitro" business was a bit farfetched, granted, but it was fun.

Then I saw a documentary detailing the down-to-earth realities of motor racing (I believe it was called "The Fast and the Furious") and my initial suspicions were allayed. "Wooooow..." I drooled to myself, "So nitros really do exist!"

(Alas, not in the Honda Civic that I was driving at the time - although I did look everywhere for a nitro button, and like the proverbial cloud and its silver lining, found a way to squirt windscreen fluid onto the windscreens without activating the wiper. Not nitro. But close.)

So imagine my delight when I noticed that GT4 had a nitro option. I got ready for blurry screens, blue flames, and mysteriously raising drawbridges.

Nothing could be further from the truth - the spoilsports who made GT4 obviously decided to downplay the potential coolness of the nitro, and make it "realistic". Just like there are no girls in bikinis at the start line, nor wheels with retractable spikes to puncture the tyres of opponents next to you, the makers of GT4 decided to leave out the blue flames.

Nonetheless, the nitro does make the car go a bit faster. The key question is when to use it.

"At the beginning of a long straight" comes the predictable answer - well, fair enough. More acceleration means more time at higher speeds, which means faster lap times. Doing this raises the question, however, of how to ratio your gears (if you red-line at top speed after nitro-ing does that figure in one's calculations? Tricky one...). It is also boring.

Plus, should one burn up a lot of nitro all the same time on one straight? Should it all be used in a blaze of non-blue-flame glory in one lap? Or should one carefully ration it, using short bursts on straights here and there?

Should it be saved for "special occasions", like overtaking someone or bashing a computer-car into a sandpit somewhere? Or going over a jump, like in Seattle?

Fine, it would be an act of downright folly to apply the nitro while ASM or TCS is working, but there are (surely) lots of other moments in which the nitro could come in handy. My favourite is just off the starting grid, I drive worse when there are other cars in front of me - I prefer to get ahead as quickly as possible. I suppose that if one is DrIfTiNg (or SkIdDiNg, or MoViNg LaTeRaLlY, or whatever) then the nitro could be used to further enhance the cool visual effect. Also, the feeling of "pit-stop blues" (when you just leave the pit-stop and are feeling down because you lost precious seconds there, and that f:censored:g Lancer overtook you again) can be allayed by applying the nitro as soon as you leave.

I also imagine that handsome 720 degree skids (such as those caused by handbrake turns going over the finish line - when you are clearly in the lead, of course) might be enhanced by a bit of nitro action.

In any case, I am but a baby in your arms, GT forum nerds...

Tell me, what is the nitro useful for?
 
With nitro, you can push multiple cars beyond 300mph. there are few cars that can do it without throttle in the bottle though, such as Chaparrals. But with nitro, you can make horribly boxy japanese ricer-coupe past 300mph as well, such as R32 GT-R, R33 GT-R and R34 GT-R. In case that 300mph doesn't satisfy you, you can always aim for GTP Land Speed Record, that is currently around 372mph in a GT-One racecar.

And since sideways action seems to interest you, nitrous can be used for that too, to overload the rear tyres in case that everything else fails.

but rest assured, soon you'll get bored of throttle in the bottle and start chasing 200 A-Spec point races in a stock '62 Lotus Elan.
 
superjim
Tell me, what is the nitro useful for?
Click to expand...
I actual like to use nitro for those short 2-3 lap races that are not part of a championship series, such that you can't qualify for a higher placing on the grid. This way I can select a car that performs around the same level as the "rabbit" car(s), and then by using the nitro at the start I can get closer to them. After a short while I turn off the nitro and hopefully before the halfway point of the race I'm enjoying a nice challenging race to the end. 👍
 
whenever i am in a car with some N2O i like to even it out, not using it too much on one particular lap. I also like to save a little of that nitro if i happen to take a bad turn or two.
 
Let me make a quick clarification. It's nitrous in this application - nitrous oxide, laughing gas. The N2O provides A) cooling to the intake charge, condensing the air/fuel mixture and getting more into the cylinders, and B) additional oxygen molecules to combust with additional fuel sprayed into the cylinders when on the funny gas.

Nitro is nitromethane, a liquid fuel burned by dragsters and other extreme high-output engines instead of gasoline.

All that being said, I have never used nitrous. It's really only at home in certain heads-up dragracing classes, and while I don't think it's cheating, it's not exactly my cup of tea.
 
It is usefull when you are trying to beat speed records and your are going to assecurate yourselves in a race. it is very nice but some cars are dissapointing me with nitro.
 
Duke
Let me make a quick clarification. It's nitrous in this application - nitrous oxide, laughing gas. The N2O provides A) cooling to the intake charge, condensing the air/fuel mixture and getting more into the cylinders, and B) additional oxygen molecules to combust with additional fuel sprayed into the cylinders when on the funny gas.

Nitro is nitromethane, a liquid fuel burned by dragsters and other extreme high-output engines instead of gasoline.

All that being said, I have never used nitrous. It's really only at home in certain heads-up dragracing classes, and while I don't think it's cheating, it's not exactly my cup of tea.
Click to expand...

+rep
 
Agreed, good info Duke! 👍

Also have to agree with you on not using the nitrous ever! :yuck:
I've hit 100% complete, had some staggeringly good races, driven over 400 different cars in GT4 and won races in all of them (except the ones you can't actually race, e.g. Auto Union, Nike One, Chrysler Prowler) and not a single molecule of induced nitrous has passed their intake valves or fuel injectors. :yuck:
To my mind Nitrous & Nitro belong to the dragstrip, and there they may stay! ;)
 
superjim
My first experience with nitro was with, surprise surprise, Need For Speed. The rational part of my mind explained to me that a magic button that makes your car go super-fast (with blue flames coming out the exhaust and the view going all blurry - as if you were travelling at warp speed or something) was probably Electronic Arts using a bit of creative license. This "nitro" business was a bit farfetched, granted, but it was fun.

Then I saw a documentary detailing the down-to-earth realities of motor racing (I believe it was called "The Fast and the Furious") and my initial suspicions were allayed. "Wooooow..." I drooled to myself, "So nitros really do exist!"

(Alas, not in the Honda Civic that I was driving at the time - although I did look everywhere for a nitro button, and like the proverbial cloud and its silver lining, found a way to squirt windscreen fluid onto the windscreens without activating the wiper. Not nitro. But close.)

So imagine my delight when I noticed that GT4 had a nitro option. I got ready for blurry screens, blue flames, and mysteriously raising drawbridges.

Nothing could be further from the truth - the spoilsports who made GT4 obviously decided to downplay the potential coolness of the nitro, and make it "realistic". Just like there are no girls in bikinis at the start line, nor wheels with retractable spikes to puncture the tyres of opponents next to you, the makers of GT4 decided to leave out the blue flames.
Click to expand...

You should just take GT4 out and play Need for Speed, then.

Nonetheless, the nitro does make the car go a bit faster. The key question is when to use it.

"At the beginning of a long straight" comes the predictable answer - well, fair enough. More acceleration means more time at higher speeds, which means faster lap times. Doing this raises the question, however, of how to ratio your gears (if you red-line at top speed after nitro-ing does that figure in one's calculations? Tricky one...). It is also boring.

Plus, should one burn up a lot of nitro all the same time on one straight? Should it all be used in a blaze of non-blue-flame glory in one lap? Or should one carefully ration it, using short bursts on straights here and there?

Should it be saved for "special occasions", like overtaking someone or bashing a computer-car into a sandpit somewhere? Or going over a jump, like in Seattle?

Fine, it would be an act of downright folly to apply the nitro while ASM or TCS is working, but there are (surely) lots of other moments in which the nitro could come in handy. My favourite is just off the starting grid, I drive worse when there are other cars in front of me - I prefer to get ahead as quickly as possible. I suppose that if one is DrIfTiNg (or SkIdDiNg, or MoViNg LaTeRaLlY, or whatever) then the nitro could be used to further enhance the cool visual effect. Also, the feeling of "pit-stop blues" (when you just leave the pit-stop and are feeling down because you lost precious seconds there, and that f:censored:g Lancer overtook you again) can be allayed by applying the nitro as soon as you leave.

I also imagine that handsome 720 degree skids (such as those caused by handbrake turns going over the finish line - when you are clearly in the lead, of course) might be enhanced by a bit of nitro action.

In any case, I am but a baby in your arms, GT forum nerds...

Tell me, what is the nitro useful for?
Click to expand...

It's useful for cheating. That's it in a nutshell. Now I'll admit I've used it here and there when I've been in a race and a "jackrabbit" car gets far ahead of the rest of the Ai, but this has been a very very small minority of my driving! :) Most cars, I don't even buy it...I've lost more races than I'd care to admit, but to me that's better (and more realistic) than just relying on nitrous oxide, becoming a lazy driver, and missing out on that rush I feel as I'm wrestling with my Chevelle, trying to get it thru some twisty corners, and then squeaking by the stubborn black Viper!

...basically, I'd rather get my cornering and car set-up correct than go.."oh, hell, let me just press this button!" Whatever though. It's your game! :) Welcome to GT planet, sorry if I sound grumpy. :grumpy:
 
Last edited:
superjim
I suppose that if one is DrIfTiNg (or SkIdDiNg, or MoViNg LaTeRaLlY, or whatever) then the nitro could be used to further enhance the cool visual effect.
Click to expand...
:lol:
That was a funny and well written post, almost more along the lines of a race report (which used to be referred to in a more general way as a "write up"). Nice write up! +rep

... and as to your question, nitrous is mostly for assisting you to get good a-spec points while using an underpowered car - which may lead you to ask "what are a-spec points for?". That topic has been covered before though, so it is taboo and I don't recommend bringing it up!
 
I use nitrous quite a bit, but i ALWAYS have the setting set to the most power and least endurance, so i can easily catch up on small straights, but i dont use nitrous alot. :)
 
What is this NO2 you speak of in the thread :lol:?

Duke and Smallhorses said it most succinctly for me ... except that I do think it's use in GT racing is cheating.

I can see why people would want to use it to balance out the iniquities of the A-Spec system at times tho' - in some cases I've spent days trying to 200 A-Spec a single race and have had to admit that without NO2 it's not going to happen (in which case it doesn't happen :embarrassed:). Of course I have the extra handicap that I will try almost anything first before I use Nippon-siki-PD-loves-us Nihon-mobile in a race (double-blush).
 
Duke
Let me make a quick clarification. It's nitrous in this application - nitrous oxide, laughing gas. The N2O provides A) cooling to the intake charge, condensing the air/fuel mixture and getting more into the cylinders, and B) additional oxygen molecules to combust with additional fuel sprayed into the cylinders when on the funny gas.

Nitro is nitromethane, a liquid fuel burned by dragsters and other extreme high-output engines instead of gasoline.

All that being said, I have never used nitrous. It's really only at home in certain heads-up dragracing classes, and while I don't think it's cheating, it's not exactly my cup of tea.
Click to expand...




Yes thats from the official guide... :odd:
 
Not one but TWO major mistakes in that one heading! "NOS" is a trademarked brand name of a company called Nitrous Oxide Systems. They are far from being the only manufacturer of nitrous boost equipment, which is generically called (or was until the plague of F&F was uneashed on the world) N2O or just plain nitrous.
 
Duke
Not one but TWO major mistakes in that one heading! "NOS" is a trademarked brand name of a company called Nitrous Oxide Systems. They are far from being the only manufacturer of nitrous boost equipment, which is generically called (or was until the plague of F&F was uneashed on the world) N2O or just plain nitrous.
Click to expand...

inner-esting
 
Duke
Not one but TWO major mistakes in that one heading! "NOS" is a trademarked brand name of a company called Nitrous Oxide Systems. They are far from being the only manufacturer of nitrous boost equipment, which is generically called (or was until the plague of F&F was uneashed on the world) N2O or just plain nitrous.
Click to expand...

Though to be fair, the game calls it "NOS" too.

Edit: The Japanese version of the game manual says "Nitro (N2O)"
 
Duke
All that being said, I have never used nitrous. It's really only at home in certain heads-up dragracing classes,
Click to expand...
Smallhorses
To my mind Nitrous & Nitro belong to the dragstrip, and there they may stay! ;)
Click to expand...
You guys must not watch Champ Car. Champ Car uses the Push to Pass system, which I don't think is any form of nitrous or nitro, but it does allow each driver a 50 hp boost for up to a total of 60 seconds per race. It is designed so that in a race where all cars are mechanically equal (unless you get the fuel pumping problems) you can make a pass.

I commonly see it used a lot during restarts near the end of the race. That said, the best drivers usually end their race with a full 60 seconds still on the timer. That is how I look at nitrous in GT4, it is there if I need it, but my goal is to not use it.

When I first used it I used it as a recovery for spins and going off the track, but I noticed my driving got sloppier because it covered my mistakes. My goal was to be a good driver, not win every race. I would rather lose a hard fought race than slide around and boost myself back to the lead. So, now it is a nose to nose into the turn and this stoopid AI will just run me off the road if I don't gain some ground utility. As it is rare to find yourself nose to nose with an AI car for more than a second it rarely is used.

My brother was playing on vacation and asked me for tips because he was having troubles. I saw he had his nitrous all the way up and used it on nearly every straight, which he then over shot his brake zone, so I picked up his control, turned off his TCS and ASM, and removed his nitrous and told him to learn to win like that and he won't have any problems in an evenly matched race. He refused to believe me so I set up a 105 point A-Spec race to show him. Even watching it he couldn't believe I did that with no assists.


EDIT: Here's a story about Push to Pass.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2004/03/09/184214.html
 
Nitrous is also used in one or two types of road racing - I believe a particular touring car class. I still don't like it.

I think CHAMP's 'push to pass' system simply changes the engine management parameters for a short period of time to allow for additional power output.
 
The push to pass thing isn't nitrous, it turns up the boost from the turbo.

For the most part NOx is illegal in racing, including all road racing sanctioning bodies (to my knowlege), and if caught using it the penalty is instant disqualification at the very least. Accordingly, I don't use the stuff myself.

Now, to each his own when playing GT4, but I have a lot more respect for drivers who don't use it.

Having said that, though, it's necessary to use it if your aim is 100,000 A-spec points (and I'm waiting to see if Smallhorses proves me wrong on that). It's also necessary to get much above 300 mph, however, one can break 300 without it.
 
FoolKiller
You guys must not watch Champ Car. Champ Car uses the Push to Pass system, which I don't think is any form of nitrous or nitro, but it does allow each driver a 50 hp boost for up to a total of 60 seconds per race. It is designed so that in a race where all cars are mechanically equal (unless you get the fuel pumping problems) you can make a pass.

I commonly see it used a lot during restarts near the end of the race. That said, the best drivers usually end their race with a full 60 seconds still on the timer. That is how I look at nitrous in GT4, it is there if I need it, but my goal is to not use it.

When I first used it I used it as a recovery for spins and going off the track, but I noticed my driving got sloppier because it covered my mistakes. My goal was to be a good driver, not win every race. I would rather lose a hard fought race than slide around and boost myself back to the lead. So, now it is a nose to nose into the turn and this stoopid AI will just run me off the road if I don't gain some ground utility. As it is rare to find yourself nose to nose with an AI car for more than a second it rarely is used.

My brother was playing on vacation and asked me for tips because he was having troubles. I saw he had his nitrous all the way up and used it on nearly every straight, which he then over shot his brake zone, so I picked up his control, turned off his TCS and ASM, and removed his nitrous and told him to learn to win like that and he won't have any problems in an evenly matched race. He refused to believe me so I set up a 105 point A-Spec race to show him. Even watching it he couldn't believe I did that with no assists.


EDIT: Here's a story about Push to Pass.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2004/03/09/184214.html
Click to expand...

Another reason Nitrous should be shunned by us is this: we have the option of buying and using it; the Ai does not. See, and the Ai should be able to use it like we do. Then I'd consider it a fair trade.

a Trico Pro
i only use Nitrous in grip racing when i need to catch up. Nothing else. :)
Click to expand...

That's the whole point of cheating, is it not? some races are meant to be lost in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
Parnelli Bone
some races are meant to be lost in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I think you'll find I agree with that whole heartedly, as mentioned in the Fair Play thread:

Digital-Nitrate
Another excellent post. 👍

Problem #1... too many stimulants... and one that can/will kill you. :boggled:


While I personally prefer a close competitive race, I also am grateful that by not making the majority of races very restrictive it gives far more options to each player, thus allowing most people to enjoy what ever type of racing they enjoy the most at any given time.

While I would never admit it in open court, I have been known on occasions to use a far better car than the AI in a race just to see how many times I can lap the field before the end, or to have fun passing and bumping them, then slow down, let them pass, then speed up and torment them some more. :D

Although, while some consider a 75%-100% win ratio to be praise worthy, personally, I am most proud of the fact that my win ratio for most of my game saves is around 50% because when you primarily focus on "creating" close races, you are going to quickly discover that winning most races is just not a realistic goal. :)

The point is that by not being so restrictive the game does allow a wide variety of playing styles, and allows each player to experiment with a wide selection of cars and set-ups for any given race. 👍

On the other hand, this also means that the players who do want close competitive racing MUST also learn restraint, have a real understanding of what the AI cars in a specific race and specific grid are capable of, and perhaps most importantly, knowing what you are capable of doing in a specific car & set-up; like one with or without specific mods, specific tuning, tires, etc.

Much of this has to be done with trial and error, as everyone has different capabilities, styles, techniques, and preferences, but in time you'll find that it is not as hard as it might seem to select a car, set-up, race, and field of AI cars that will result in a very close competitive race.

However, this is also where things get challenging, and exposes some of the problems with GT4. :guilty:

For instance, you'll find that trying to get specific data on exactly what the AI cars are equipped with is in some cases impossible to know for sure. Also, PD did not allow us to select each AI car in a race, but at least they allow us to change the field until we see one we like, but this takes time, and frankly is a tad annoying.

The other BIG problem I have with GT4, and what often keeps me from ever re-racing in the short, non-championship series races is that they do not allow you to qualify for non-championship races. This means for those races you always have to start from the back, and if the race is short, it means you have no choice but to select a car/set-up that is better than the best AI car in the race so that you at least have a chance at winning a race. There are some acceptations, but for the most part this is the case with those short non-championship races. 👎


Here is the GREAT news.... You'll find a tremendous amount of very helpful information on GTP from countless numbers of members that have gone out of their way to make it far easier for their fellow GT users to enjoy different types of challenges and races. 👍

An excellent place to start your search is the sticky threads always listed at the top of the GT4 board. I would especially suggest browsing through the two FAQ threads:
I would also strongly suggest checking out the GT4 Sub-Forum boards located at the very top of this board. I'd especially recommend looking through the GT4 Race Report board, for a great deal of helpful insight into various types of racing situations, strategies, techniques, and results data. I also would recommend browseing through the GT4 Car Tuning & Settings, also located in the GT4 sub-forum area.

These boards may really help you get the most enjoyment from GT4, whether you just want to dominate a race, be seriously challenged by the AI, or try and achieve personal bests with specific cars and on specific tracks. 👍👍


Once again, welcome to GTP! Like you, I first joined in due to an interest I have in GT4 and a question I had about the Merc CLK-GTR/LM race car... (seems like it was years ago, but was only about a year ago now). While I'm not a long standing member, I have very quickly found myself drawn to this online community, and found that GTP allowed me to express, share, and develop my interests in many other subjects far beyond just Gran Turismo, and so I would also encourage you and anyone else new to GTP to begin exploring the other parts of this vast forum. You'll quickly discover that the members here are as diverse and knowledgeable as you'll find just about any where else, and in many cases, far more so. 👍👍
Click to expand...





However, as I mentioned in post #3 in this thread, there are several races and race scenarios in GT4 where the only way to have a close competitive race using similarly performing cars is to use the Nitro at the start, and please do not confuse "close competitive race" with "needing to win". They are entirely different!

Considering those races do not allow for a qualifying round where by you would not have found yourself at the back of the grid in a short 2 lap race with a rabbit car up front... so no, in those cases I certainly would not consider the use of Nitro at the start "cheating", and instead it does a decent job of making up for PD's dumb decision to drop the option of qualifying for all races, as was available in GT3.

So as in life, there are always exceptions, and for me at least, I have found an exception where there are in fact times where the use of Nitro is not “cheating” and instead makes up for one of PD’s errors in GT4, but more importantly, it allows players to use cars/set-ups that are equal to that of the AI rabbit in the line-up, for those ridiculously short non-championship races in order to enjoy an equally matched race. 👍
 
Well I've found that if you include jackrabbit Ai cars in the line-up, the best way to do it is to have them sitting downfield. Case in point, you can start the game at the lowly Sunday Cup.

As we all know, if you have an MGF sitting on pole position at the start, it'll immediately jackrabbit to the point that we need more power to catch it. However, if you re-set the race till the MGF (or Eagle Talon or Miata) is sitting in 3rd or 4th place, things get a lot more interesting because by the time you've climbed from 6th place and are about to attack the leader, the MGF, Talon or Miata has also climbed...therefore I often find myself doing some close 3 or even 4-way battling in many GT4 events!

....and who says GT4 is boring?..... :grumpy:

I was initially upset by the lack of qualifying runs in GT4, but in a way it's better not to have them all the time. The prob with qualifying runs is you wind up putting yourself (ideally) in first place if you can. And then you'll wind up battling usually with just that 2nd place car. 👎 So I like having qual-runs in some races and not in others that way you get the best of both worlds.
 
Last edited:
Parnelli Bone
I was initially upset by the lack of qualifying runs in gT4, but in a way it's better not to have them all the time. THe prob with qualifying runs is you wind up putting yourself (ideally) in first place if you can. And then you'll wind up battling usually with just that 2nd place car. 👎 So i like having qual-runs in some races and not in others that way you get the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Sure, for longer races, but there in lies the problem, nearly every long race where you don;t need to qualify, the game allows you to. For nearly all the short races, where qualifying would allow you to not have a better performing car than the front running rabbit you can't qualify. In my opinion PD got it entirely backwards... but frankly the easy solution would have been to allow the qualifying option for all races, as in GT3.

That said, the point still remains that there are exceptions and that Nitro can be used to even the playing field for those short races with rabbits, and allow for a great close competive race, and I for one wouldn't call that cheating in the least.
 
Digital-Nitrate
Sure, for longer races, but there in lies the problem, nearly every long race where you don;t need to qualify, the game allows you to. For nearly all the short races, where qualifying would allow you to not have a better performing car than the front running rabbit you can't qualify. In my opinion PD got it entirely backwards...
Click to expand...
100% agreed. It also annoys me to now end that there is no RETRY option in Series races - where you actually need it, in order to allow for repeated tries at a difficult mid-series race in a marginal car. Yet there IS a retry option in single races, where you can simply exit and re-enter at will. Exactly backwards. Bu that's even farther off-topic.
 
Digital-Nitrate
So as in life, there are always exceptions, and for me at least, I have found an exception where there are in fact times where the use of Nitro is not “cheating” and instead makes up for one of PD’s errors in GT4, but more importantly, it allows players to use cars/set-ups that are equal to that of the AI rabbit in the line-up, for those ridiculously short non-championship races in order to enjoy an equally matched race. 👍
Click to expand...
I like this concept of using it when the AI cheats and uses a car you aren't allowed to or can't get access to until after you beat the current race. It evens the uneven AI style.

Parnelli Bone
THe prob with qualifying runs is you wind up putting yourself (ideally) in first place if you can. And then you'll wind up battling usually with just that 2nd place car. 👎
Click to expand...
So, kind of like real life? I've seen plenty of small races where this is the case. For example: I went to Mid-Ohio and the first race I caught while there was the GT3 Cup race. It was 45 minutes. No need for fuel/tire stops, so short of damage or other mechanical issues there were no pit stops. The entire race had a small group of cars in the front battling, and eventually became two until one went into the pits with engine problems. Everyone else was jockying for points. What you described above is how smaller race series work.
 

Similar threads

FreezyIDN
Fastest car in gt4,maybe?
Replies
0
Views
425
FreezyIDN
FreezyIDN
RacingFan1
Nitro/NOS = 0 PP increase
Replies
14
Views
4K
B80
B80
Nomadpt1
Last drag mission advice please?
Replies
3
Views
9K
TFSI400
TFSI400
X
S7 licence bug ! ! !
2
Replies
41
Views
15K
DenzoF
D
T
I need a wheel/pedals that can fit in a suitcase. Suggestions?
Replies
3
Views
682
Veinz
Veinz

Latest Posts

Back