TLD Ferrari California Poppy
(295kw) (445Nm) (1319kg) (650 PP) (Pro Physics)
Description: The Ferrari California, a car designed by Ferrari to capture the Californian lifestyle. The Lion's Den California is about capturing the Californian natural environment which is beautiful and inspiring in its own right. Named after the California's wildflower, the California Poppy, this vehicle has had reduced power to meet race regulations, but the secrets are in less weight, a TLD tuned suspension and TLD designed gear ratios for the remarkable 7spd gearbox in this car. Our engineers feel we've made this into one of the most competitve tunes out there on the tracks today.
Tuner's Notes:
Make use of lift-off oversteer, but don't lift-off too much, or you'll.........oversteer
Smooth driving is essential despite good traction on throttle application
Trail braking is handy in this one
As requested for payment, I am submitting my report on the car.
Its pretty much as you said - fast and with lift off oversteer. I used the car for my first drive on the internet, my son having recently bought the GT5 Prologue program. The car is faster than it should be - one wonders how fast it would be with the roof up, because when I drive it with a view of the car, the roof is always down. You guys must have done something special with the aero too, because its quite sprightly at high speed, even with the roof down.
Concerning handling, I drove it at the internet US Ring time trial, which has some corners in it, in Pro league, which has I think 720 level of performance, which is a bit different from what you guys delivered to me.
At first, it would spin very easily if one backed off too much, or if one used too much power. Eventually, I turned the TC onto 4, and the car was much easier to drive quickly. I fiddled with the gearing for the Ring race track time trial - I am still not sure if it is faster to rev into the red, or instead to change gear at the start of the red line.
I also raced the car at Suzuka, and found that it was quicker to drive in 4th at some of the big corners there. Perhaps with lots of practice it won't be though. In 4th, it was easier to flow through the corners, and avoid will spin. Before the straits, it was faster in a higher gear than having wheel spin and lots of revs.
In the time trial at the Ring race track, I got into the 400s in the world, and then I had another go, I turned off the TC (which I had turned down eventually to 2). I shaved off time, but never did a purely good lap - for some reason, the car behaves a little inconsistently when I am driving it. I could put in sub 1:09s time after time, but trying to get much below that is difficult.
I have to depend on throttle control, I am still not sure about the best lines there - maybe more time is needed. For instance before the main straight, I found it pays to brake a touch early, and then hand the tail out and then get the power in. Rather than run tightly near the inside of the curve. There seems to be several lines at that track.
I found some big back-offs to kick out the tale paid off. Because the car slides, I found braking early was worthwhile, and then backing off and getting the tail out, then put the power down and this saved time. My best time was 260 odd in the world, with a 1:083x (I forget exactly the decimal places). I think a high 1:07 is possible, but for my skill, not so easy. Curiously the top California time has been done with R2 tyres, which are stickier than mine. That tune must have sacrificed weight or power.
Thanks for the car, but my son was dissapointed with the color - he likes his Ferrari's yellow. Strangely the 599 which was yellow, changed its color to white - very strange ...