RKM Motorsport - Tuned Tuners - May '13

Onboy123

Golf R32 vs Golf GTI RM

Golf R32
401hp
1216kg
laptime: 1.16.635

Thoughts: After getting out of the GTI RM and into this, it feels like all the feel and contact has been taken away. It's just a fast golf now, nothing special. It goes like the GTI, looks like a GTI, and has the same, if not more, grip as the GTI. But it isn't a GTI. And that makes a difference. It doesn't have the same sense of eagerness that the GTI had. I now know what Jeremy Clarkson meant by VW ruining the GTI as the generations came and went, because what was originally a hyper fast, hyper fun, supercar slaughtering hatchback has now become something rather common, rather dull. You see what I mean about the GTI RM ruining other cars now?

Golf GTI RM
318hp
980kg
laptime:1:16.094

Thoughts: Well, this time isn't too surprising to see an underpowered car winning, is it? The GTI RM is much lighter than the R32, and isn't that down on power comparatively. But that laptime took 2 laps of solid concentration to pull off, and if we remember, the C4 VTS when pushed, did a 1:16.194, just 0.1 of a second off. So really, despite the GTI beating the R32 and making the other cars feel inferior, it's actually just ahead of a wild, uncontrolled, mental french box with a wing nicked from a rally car and an engine with a HUGE turbo stuck to the back. I have to say, I was expecting more from it this time, but still a win is a win. So the King of the Golf's, the GTI RM. Which means it's the best Golf, which means it's probably the best and most all-round FF car there ever was.

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Again why I wish the GTI had more power from tuning. It's 70bhp down from the VTS and 80+ down from the R32 yet goes faster than both. Imagine it with the R32's power.

Onboy123

If you look at the tuner comments for the GTI RM, near the end, Roj makes some claims I found hard to believe. He claims that this little golf, built to go to the shops and to carry furniture everywhere could beat an Audi R8 and an M5 around a track. Obviously, this I had to see.
(tested on TGTT)
Audi R8 vs GTI RM

Audi R8
414hp
1560kg
laptime:1:17.023

Thoughts:This feels quick, until you look at the laptimes. It's a very deceptive car, this. It feels much quicker than it really is, but it's actually quite fun to drive. Compliant, fun, doesn't bite unless you want it to and feels faster than it is. I have no doubt the GTI RM will walk pass this like it's standing still. Anyways, bring on the GTI!

Golf GTI RM
318hp
980kg
laptime: 1:16.585

Thoughts: First off, can I just aplogise for that rather moody shootout earlier. I had a headache which blinded me from anything good and compounded issues to make them unbearable (I ran into the kitchen door while getting some water and couldn't open it until I remembered to turn the door handle first, what was said after that can not be typed out as it will definitely need to be censored). Anyways, as expected, it crushed the Audi. The fact that the GTI is down 100hp doesn't matter here, because it's light enough to compensate and corners quickly enough to leave the R8 in the dust. I would hate to see the face of the R8 driver when he notices his flash new supercar shake off a Golf. And I would really feel sorry for the poor guy when the GTI soars pass him at the next stretch of road. 149,000 or so wasted on a car that could be passed by a run-of-the-mill hatchback. Shows you the power of a well sorted car tuned by people who knows what they are doing.

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I feel your pain with the kitchen door. I can imagine how many 🤬 emoticons would need to be used. But yeah, silly R8, you cant mess with a Golf.

I've decided on the review I'm doing...I'm going to be doing a review covering all of the Mitsubishi's you two have posted. Although there's only 3. And they're all Evos. But do I care? Of course not.

I may also cover the car I requested (Hint to other readers: it's a Mitsu) but keeping its identity well and truly hidden.

And also, I don't have plans to tune the GranTurismo. I'll just have a nice new GranTurismo MC Stradale in the real world, thank you very much!



The front bumper just looks so epic. Plus it's got 10 bhp more than the standard S version. Good, is it not? Also 0-60 is 4.6 compared to 5 in the S version.

And I just went off topic there. Sorry.

Well, if the Golf GTI RM has so much potential, how about try doing that with its sucessor, the MKV Golf GTI?
Anyways, the R8 has one chance to redeem itself. You see, you guys said that the R8 V10, which is essentially a mid-engined Audi TT with more power, could beat Ferrari's flagship, the Enzo. Now, I've reviewed the Enzo already, so I'm gonna make the R8's job much harder by pitting it against that one. The 900+hp bucking Italian stallion vs a 800hp raging bull in a businessman's suit. Which is fastest?

Ferrari Enzo GT:
900hp
1044kg
laptimes:1:07.898

Thoughts: Not a car to get ambitious with, the Enzo. I forgot that, and it had me straight off the track by the first corner. The golf's laptime was a full second quicker, and the V8 R8 was faster as well. Frankly, this Enzo is the perfect example of 'power is nothing without control' and the R8 V10 will just eat this.


Audi R8 V10
783hp
1313kg
laptime: 1:05.450

Before: Well, Audi's made their name in the mental days of group B rallying with their Quattro. To get the most out of this, the R8 V10, you also need to drive like a lunatic, frantically sawing at the steering to keep it pointing straight. This car is scary, but it doesn't need to be. Just be slightly less aggressive with it and it'll flow from bend to bend. But to get the most out of it, you really need to push it. Hard. And on that front, you really can't trust it with everything. It rolls it way through corners, the weight sloshing from one side to another. It wallowed pass the line in 1:06.711. Respectable, but not great.

After+thoughts: When I first saw the settings, I thought 'Oh dear, was Roj trying to kill his customer? Giving him a R8 that had less downforce, more roll and 783hp seemed like a huge recipe for disaster. And sure enough, by the first corner I had understeered onto the wrong side of the track. But it won't take you long to find a route around the problem. What you do is go into a corner at less than light speed, and then tap the throttle, nurse the car to the exit, then pin it wide open. The car will react when you get it right, but will not forgive when you piss it off. And word of warning, when braking, be sure to have all 4 wheels on the tarmac or the car will start twitching. But when it isn't trying to make you crap your pants, it's properly quick. It did a 1:05.450. Now that really is quick.

btw, has any work begun on the 3 classics yet? (if you forgot, it was my xj13, and somebody else's miura and ford MKIV)

C-ZETA

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Looking forward to the Mitsubishi shoot... out... Sorry, being distracted by car porn.

Onboy123

Well, if the Golf GTI RM has so much potential, how about try doing that with its sucessor, the MKV Golf GTI?
Anyways, the R8 has one chance to redeem itself. You see, you guys said that the R8 V10, which is essentially a mid-engined Audi TT with more power, could beat Ferrari's flagship, the Enzo. Now, I've reviewed the Enzo already, so I'm gonna make the R8's job much harder by pitting it against that one. The 900+hp bucking Italian stallion vs a 800hp raging bull in a businessman's suit. Which is fastest?

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The Golf V has no aero or racing modification, so it wont be anywhere near the capabilities of the IV. As for the R8 vs Enzo, yep. The R8 is just a crazy car designed to bring out the Lambo within. The brakes do need adjusting but eh, it's actually more exciting as it is. The Enzo has many things wrong with it that is unfortunately out of our hands.

Onboy123

btw, has any work begun on the 3 classics yet? (if you forgot, it was my xj13, and somebody else's miura and ford MKIV)

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Nope. The problem is no one has send a friend request with a Miura or MKIV for share. Or if they have, I've not been informed that they're available. So that's put a halt on that idea. The XJ13 I can do though, just need to find the time to, since it's an old racing car that no doubt requires a certain level of driving skill to bring the best out of it.

Nice. I've been looking for a tune for this for quite a while. Looking forward to trying it out. I just wish you could paint it.

REVIEW: MX-5 SC

Super cute fun fun? Fluffy little bunny? Hmm...yeah, I would say that about sums up the perception of the MX-5/Miata/Eunos pretty succinctly. The MX-5 has a reputation here in the States as something of a "chick car". A little rolling jelly bean for woman drivers. Among those who know, however, the MX-5 is a true driver's car. A machine that, despite it's outward appearance, can hang on the track with more than its fair share of rivals.

I would wager that most who play GT5 have this car in some form. Not only is it the lowest tier prize for the license tests but it is also one of the few cars that can be bought with what you get for starting credits. And it is not a bad choice either. In stock form it performs admirably. Fast in terms of pure numbers it is not but it is a well matched car. The power fits the size and the chassis handles it well. So well, in fact, that is can be a pretty boring drive. The car is so easy to use you need not worry about anything is it doing and can devote your full attention to attacking the course. On GVS, with its significant HP disadvantage, I ran a 2'37.459".

Adding on the necessary parts brings up the potential of the car quite a ways. The speed is the biggest difference to note. With the added power and higher limit on the trans the acceleration difference is significant. The stability remains but twice the HP will let the tail slide on power out of a slower corner. I did find that the steering retains the stock feel though. This is not necessarily bad but it does feel a bit lazy and slow. With the changes the lap dropped a good chunk of time to 2'11.866".

With settings applied that numb feeling is gone and replaced with excitement and enthusiasm. The low speed sliding has been tamed and the overall feel is definitely on par with the "Super Cute Fun Fun" moniker. Will this keep up with your Zonda? No, certainly not. But you will have more fun maxing the car's potential with a minimum of stress, just as in the stock version. I had to cut short my test so the 2".11.700" lap time is not necessarily indicative of the true potential of the tune.

With a car as effortlessly easy to drive as the stock roaster it can be difficult to keep that character and add potential. However that is what has been done here. The feel is different but the character of the car is intact. Lap this for a while and it may teach you a thing or two about how to drive that Zonda better as well.

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Ooooooo! The Amemiya tune! A rival for the NSX-R you say? Should be fun! 👍

Ooh, an Amemiya tune! Kyle will be one happy Junkie when he can get round to testing it. If he does bother, but I'm sure he will try it out.

Also, I have decided to do another review soon (I already know what it is, but I ain't giving you no clues this time ) It will probably be after the opening of my tuning garage, but I've decided to reshuffle some of my cars' tuning styles and with no access to the PS3 till Monday comes, I fear I might not be able to open it on Tuesday like I would have planned.

DigitalBaka

REVIEW: MX-5 SC

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Ooooooo! The Amemiya tune! A rival for the NSX-R you say? Should be fun! 👍

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Thanks for the review! The MX-5 SC was one of my early tunes so I'm happy it can still impress to this day. :tup:

And yes, the Amemiya is that good. I dont mind tooting my own horn in this situation.

Normally, I have a list of cars that I need to review for a certain day to help me keep track of everything. But today, I'm ignoring it, for this. The RE Amemiya RX7. The supposed rival for the NSX-R, one of my favorite cars from you guys. I was so eager to try it out when I saw the tune, I set my alarm clock to wake me up 2 hour earlier to give me more time with the 2.
So, the RE RX7, is it worth it for me to ditch 2 hour of sleep? Yes, hell yes. This car drives like the R8 V10, only without the 4WD, and not as much grip, and more fun. Good. You can actually turn into a corner using the throttle a steering aid. But me being half asleep, I went over the top with it the first time round and promptly spun off. This car is edgy. Really edgy. But really try to concentrate, because it will reward you if you do, with a laptime of 1:15.033 around the TGTT.

After the setup change, it's still as tail happy as before. This car really loves to drift. You turn the nose of the car into a turn, and the back end will break free. But if you use this slide to help you get out of the corners quicker, which you can, this thing will fly. It did a lap of 1:14.284, 0.8 of a seconds improvement. Not bad, for what is a quick tune up. But is it good enough for the NSX-R, by far my favourite car from the 400-500 hp range. Well, we'll find out later. Now, I'm going to get some coffee to wake me up.

Laptime:
1:15.033(before)
1:14.284(after)

NSX-R vs RE Amemiya RX7

NSX-R
403hp
1051kg
Laptime:1:13.259

Thoughts: Hopping out of hot hatches like the Golf GTI and C4 and back into this is like returning to your home after a holiday. There's a sense of belonging, like this car is where you always should be at. But because I just got out from driving FF's, I'm not used to the loose rear end of the NSX. Still, it's remarkably easy to drive, first lap was a 1:13.259, which is a second faster than the RX7's laptime when I did the review. Ok, benchmark set, bring it on, RX7.

RE Amemiya RX7
464hp
1240kg
laptime: 1:14.093

Thoughts: Close, but not quite there yet. This car is just too like a caterham, the throttle is too responsive and couple that to the already quick steering, and you have a car that can corner very quickly, but does it at the cost of the tyres and your ego. There is not real safety net with this car, you can overstep the mark by miles and you wouldn't have a clue until you span.

So, the NSX wins yet again. You know, this is starting to become like Initial D, where the car (the 86 in Initial D, the NSX in GT5) just wins endlessly, regardless of its opponents advantages. Well, since I don't see the NSX's winning streak ending soon, I may as well throw this against all of your 400-500hp cars. But that's later.

Maserati GT review:
(Tested on TGTT)
Before:
Well, I love this car. It may not be the fastest, nor the prettiest Italian car (those awards go the the Ferrari 599 and the Alfa 8C respectively), but I don't care. It sounds unbelievable, especially if you switch to the normal exhaust and head to the long tunnel at Trail mountain. It can dance through turns as competently as a 599 could, and compared to the 599, a lot prettier. Still, not perfect. Despite the weight loss, it still weighs 1337kg, and it can't hide the fact that it can't quite cope with the power. There is a fair amount of understeer, but mostly it's just high-angle oversteers that you have to worry about. It's still a GT car though, GT as in Grand Tourer. So you can't expect it to handle like a lotus when it also has to be dignified and comfortable at the same time. It's not too bad, it did a 1:17.021 around the TGTT.

After: With the setup applied, it's more composed through the corners, but probably at the cost of driver comfort. But really, who gives damn that the ride will break you back? Because what this setup does to the car is add some bite to back up its amazing bark. It's more agile, more fun, less like driving a car that's drunk. It can cope with the power, but don't push it. You push it too hard, too fast, and it'll kill you. But overall, I love it even more than before, purely because I can actually use it in races without embarrassing myself. It did a 1:14.225, 3 seconds faster, than before and 2 seconds faster than Loeb's now wingless C4. See, great car.

Laptime:
1:17.021(before)
1:14.225(after)
I just hope it's good enough to beat the DB9, I'll find out later.

Onboy123

nor the prettiest Italian car (those awards go the the Ferrari 599 and the Alfa 8C respectively)

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But the Maserati is sexier than the two.

Well, better than the 599 but not as good as the 8C if we're talking about looks. But there's a GT in the carpark of my flat, and it's just about the best looking car in the whole place.

DB9 vs Maserati GT
(Tested on TGTT)

DB9
643hp
1387kg
Laptime: 1:14.023

Thoughts: Now I know that the DB9 could have gone faster, and in my review for this car, pages and pages back, it was. But two things stopped it from as quick as before. 1) the tune required racing softs, but to level the playing field, both cars were put on sport softs. 2) Each car was given 1 lap only to save time and also to see which is the easiest to drive without any practice. Still, this isn't a bad time. It was relatively easy to drive and didn't bite for the entire way round. The brakes are better than stock, it stops quicker and without much fuss and twitching. Think of this as the bridge between a DB9 and a DBR9, a sort of road legal racer with class.

Maserati GT
662hp
1337kg
Laptime: 1:12.657

Thoughts: Take a comfy grand tourer, throw away most of it, put a screaming Italian V8 under the hood and then leave the suspension and diff to people who know what they are doing. That's the recipe for this Maserati 'GT'. But I have to say, I'm surprised. I knew it was good, but I honestly thought this would be left in the dust when compared to the DB9, what with the DB9's big wings and all. But I was wrong.

But despite the stats being roughly the same, these two cars aren't the same at all, so can't really be compared. One is a composed, calm, downgraded version of a race car while the other is a beefed up, harsher, more powerful version of a comfy GT. And because of that, the GT is completely different to drive. Where the DB9 grips and glides the GT drifts and slides. The setup for the GT tickles out more of the Ferrari thoroughbred blood in its DNA while the DB9 shrouds its capabilities behind its rather subtle body.


So, which would I take? Well, on a bad day, when all I want to do is to scream and destroy tyres, I'd take the GT. On a normal day though, I'd be struggling to find a reason not to take the DB9. It delivers all the fun and games of the GT, but without the hectic madness. But because I like things that are just slightly bonkers, I'd have the GT. It's loud, it's fast, it pretty and it has HUGE power. What more do you want?

Ok I don't have as much time as I thought so it's a mini F1 review.

With the added lightweightness (oxymoron?) the car obviously oversteers after applying throttle. This can either be good or bad, depending on how it's handled. Trail braking and late braking go hand in hand and the car won't really understeer unless some sort of extreme condition is met. Oh, and first gear is not recommended for low-speed corners, as tempting as it may be. And second is too high. But I wanted to drive without TC. Lapping the Nurburgring doesn't feel mundane as it can be with the most controllable of cars, which is great. With a rear end that's alive and well, the car will be a handful to drive at race pace and really won't disappoint if it's handled with tender, brutal care.

Sub 6 minute laps? Not a problem here.

Finally, I took it for some drifting around Tsukuba. It was mandatory. These fire-breathing horses had to play too. Case in point, I'm not satisfied with the F1. I love it.

Oh, Roj need a car? Any car that's tradeable is at your disposal.

Any plans to run a baby BMW tune? I'm looking for a 135i tune around the 350bhp mark

Onboy123

Normally, I have a list of cars that I need to review for a certain day to help me keep track of everything. But today, I'm ignoring it, for this. The RE Amemiya RX7. The supposed rival for the NSX-R, one of my favorite cars from you guys. I was so eager to try it out when I saw the tune, I set my alarm clock to wake me up 2 hour earlier to give me more time with the 2.
So, the RE RX7, is it worth it for me to ditch 2 hour of sleep? Yes, hell yes. This car drives like the R8 V10, only without the 4WD, and not as much grip, and more fun. Good. You can actually turn into a corner using the throttle a steering aid. But me being half asleep, I went over the top with it the first time round and promptly spun off. This car is edgy. Really edgy. But really try to concentrate, because it will reward you if you do, with a laptime of 1:15.033 around the TGTT.

After the setup change, it's still as tail happy as before. This car really loves to drift. You turn the nose of the car into a turn, and the back end will break free. But if you use this slide to help you get out of the corners quicker, which you can, this thing will fly. It did a lap of 1:14.284, 0.8 of a seconds improvement. Not bad, for what is a quick tune up. But is it good enough for the NSX-R, by far my favourite car from the 400-500 hp range. Well, we'll find out later. Now, I'm going to get some coffee to wake me up.

Laptime:
1:15.033(before)
1:14.284(after)

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Oh yes, it's not a tame car in the slightest. It's an angry Rotary Rocket. But that anger gives it such pace that puts it very high in our street tune roster. RE Amemiya made such a great car, it's quite difficult to improve upon it in terms of pace, so we just made the power more accessible.

Onboy123

NSX-R vs RE Amemiya RX7

NSX-R
403hp
1051kg
Laptime:1:13.259

Thoughts: Hopping out of hot hatches like the Golf GTI and C4 and back into this is like returning to your home after a holiday. There's a sense of belonging, like this car is where you always should be at. But because I just got out from driving FF's, I'm not used to the loose rear end of the NSX. Still, it's remarkably easy to drive, first lap was a 1:13.259, which is a second faster than the RX7's laptime when I did the review. Ok, benchmark set, bring it on, RX7.

RE Amemiya RX7
464hp
1240kg
laptime: 1:14.093

Thoughts: Close, but not quite there yet. This car is just too like a caterham, the throttle is too responsive and couple that to the already quick steering, and you have a car that can corner very quickly, but does it at the cost of the tyres and your ego. There is not real safety net with this car, you can overstep the mark by miles and you wouldn't have a clue until you span.

So, the NSX wins yet again. You know, this is starting to become like Initial D, where the car (the 86 in Initial D, the NSX in GT5) just wins endlessly, regardless of its opponents advantages. Well, since I don't see the NSX's winning streak ending soon, I may as well throw this against all of your 400-500hp cars. But that's later.

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It seems the RE Amemiya has been stopped in it's tracks by the NSX-R. Our garage is saved! 0.8 seconds is still very close though. It's obvious the NSX still has straight line speed over the RX-7 despite being 61bhp down. Perhaps another track would bring different results, but anyway thanks for the review and the shootout!

Onboy123

Maserati GT review:
(Tested on TGTT)
Before:
Well, I love this car. It may not be the fastest, nor the prettiest Italian car (those awards go the the Ferrari 599 and the Alfa 8C respectively), but I don't care. It sounds unbelievable, especially if you switch to the normal exhaust and head to the long tunnel at Trail mountain. It can dance through turns as competently as a 599 could, and compared to the 599, a lot prettier. Still, not perfect. Despite the weight loss, it still weighs 1337kg, and it can't hide the fact that it can't quite cope with the power. There is a fair amount of understeer, but mostly it's just high-angle oversteers that you have to worry about. It's still a GT car though, GT as in Grand Tourer. So you can't expect it to handle like a lotus when it also has to be dignified and comfortable at the same time. It's not too bad, it did a 1:17.021 around the TGTT.

After: With the setup applied, it's more composed through the corners, but probably at the cost of driver comfort. But really, who gives damn that the ride will break you back? Because what this setup does to the car is add some bite to back up its amazing bark. It's more agile, more fun, less like driving a car that's drunk. It can cope with the power, but don't push it. You push it too hard, too fast, and it'll kill you. But overall, I love it even more than before, purely because I can actually use it in races without embarrassing myself. It did a 1:14.225, 3 seconds faster, than before and 2 seconds faster than Loeb's now wingless C4. See, great car.

Laptime:
1:17.021(before)
1:14.225(after)
I just hope it's good enough to beat the DB9, I'll find out later.

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I just had to do my favourite Italian car some justice, you know? I just wish we had the MC Stradale to play with too. It needs a more composed, relaxed driving style compared to the "hoon it like Ken Block" driving style that most of my cars love. But yeah, it's got the punch to back up it's looks now, so I'm happy with it. Thanks for the review!

uMadson?

But the Maserati is sexier than the two.

Click to expand...

Onboy123

Well, better than the 599 but not as good as the 8C if we're talking about looks. But there's a GT in the carpark of my flat, and it's just about the best looking car in the whole place.

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I'll have to disagree with you and say no, the GT looks better than the 8C. Steal the GT for me, please.

Onboy123

DB9 vs Maserati GT
(Tested on TGTT)

DB9
643hp
1387kg
Laptime: 1:14.023

Thoughts: Now I know that the DB9 could have gone faster, and in my review for this car, pages and pages back, it was. But two things stopped it from as quick as before. 1) the tune required racing softs, but to level the playing field, both cars were put on sport softs. 2) Each car was given 1 lap only to save time and also to see which is the easiest to drive without any practice. Still, this isn't a bad time. It was relatively easy to drive and didn't bite for the entire way round. The brakes are better than stock, it stops quicker and without much fuss and twitching. Think of this as the bridge between a DB9 and a DBR9, a sort of road legal racer with class.

Maserati GT
662hp
1337kg
Laptime: 1:12.657

Thoughts: Take a comfy grand tourer, throw away most of it, put a screaming Italian V8 under the hood and then leave the suspension and diff to people who know what they are doing. That's the recipe for this Maserati 'GT'. But I have to say, I'm surprised. I knew it was good, but I honestly thought this would be left in the dust when compared to the DB9, what with the DB9's big wings and all. But I was wrong.

But despite the stats being roughly the same, these two cars aren't the same at all, so can't really be compared. One is a composed, calm, downgraded version of a race car while the other is a beefed up, harsher, more powerful version of a comfy GT. And because of that, the GT is completely different to drive. Where the DB9 grips and glides the GT drifts and slides. The setup for the GT tickles out more of the Ferrari thoroughbred blood in its DNA while the DB9 shrouds its capabilities behind its rather subtle body.


So, which would I take? Well, on a bad day, when all I want to do is to scream and destroy tyres, I'd take the GT. On a normal day though, I'd be struggling to find a reason not to take the DB9. It delivers all the fun and games of the GT, but without the hectic madness. But because I like things that are just slightly bonkers, I'd have the GT. It's loud, it's fast, it pretty and it has HUGE power. What more do you want?

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Thanks for the shootout! It's very suprising how similar the cars are on paper, yet when it comes to driving them, the GT is nearly 2 seconds faster. I'd put this down to the fact the DB9 was set up for racing tyres and therefore isnt as optimised for sports tyres, but honestly I dont think it would change the results that much.

ImprezaAddict

Ok I don't have as much time as I thought so it's a mini F1 review.

With the added lightweightness (oxymoron?) the car obviously oversteers after applying throttle. This can either be good or bad, depending on how it's handled. Trail braking and late braking go hand in hand and the car won't really understeer unless some sort of extreme condition is met. Oh, and first gear is not recommended for low-speed corners, as tempting as it may be. And second is too high. But I wanted to drive without TC. Lapping the Nurburgring doesn't feel mundane as it can be with the most controllable of cars, which is great. With a rear end that's alive and well, the car will be a handful to drive at race pace and really won't disappoint if it's handled with tender, brutal care.

Sub 6 minute laps? Not a problem here.

Finally, I took it for some drifting around Tsukuba. It was mandatory. These fire-breathing horses had to play too. Case in point, I'm not satisfied with the F1. I love it.

Oh, Roj need a car? Any car that's tradeable is at your disposal.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the review and for sending the F1 in the first place! Very happy to hear that you love it, since the tune was basically for you anyway. I loved driving the F1 during tuning, it's so rewarding when you get it right.

priesty_lfc

Any plans to run a baby BMW tune? I'm looking for a 135i tune around the 350bhp mark

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Maybe. I'm not too fond of how the 1-series looks, although I wouldnt mind tuning the tii version at some point. The settings should transfer.

I really dislike the gearing for the DB9, it can only reach barely 280, on the nurburgring gpf. I need it to be a track car, and be able to reach 280 on the straight, short gear ratio's, but everything i've tried doesn't seem to be able to do it. Anyone have any suggestions?

Night of the the Living Hatchbacks
There's just so many of them!

Twelve hatchbacks, ten tunes, one track. All twelve cars are modified, tuned, and ready to race, as yours truely doesn't have the willpower to run this many stock hatchbacks around a track.
The Kusabi is the hatchback of the future, and is tuned for pure evil. To make it fair, I'll run it on the race tires as intended, and sport softs as the Quasi-Evil C to match the field. The Swift twins are running the same tune, but at two years apart it's unclear if they'll be identical. The Civic VTi-R I've reviewed before, one of my first cars, and it's getting a fair second chance in this super-shootout.
RJ is a little outnumbered here by Roj's cars (11-1), but that R32 looks to be a mean competitor.
I apologize for this absoultely huge post

Let's meet the competitors, shall we? All the numbers below are immediately after tune, with no driving miles by me, except the VTi-R, and with an oil change whether specified by the tune or not.

Civic VTi-R
FF Drivetrain, 276 HP, 888 kg, 463 PP, Sports Soft Tires

Civic Type R
FF Drivetrain, 319 HP, 845 kg, 513 PP, Sports Soft Tires


Roj's Golf
FF Drivetrain, 314 HP, 980 kg, 502 PP, Sports Soft Tires


Kusabi Evil C
FF Drivetrain, 269 HP, 800 kg, 512 PP, Racing Soft Tires


R32 Golf-R
4WD Drivetrain, 398 HP, 1216 kg, 511 PP, Sports Soft Tires


March Super Turbo
FF Drivetrain, 232 HP, 849 kg, 467 PP, Sports Soft Tires


Swiftly Done (2005 version)
FF Drivetrain, 306 HP, 896 kg, 494 PP, Sports Soft Tires


Swiftly Done (2007 version)
FF Drivetrain, 313 HP, 896 kg, 492 PP, Sports Soft Tires


Yari Yari
FF Drivetrain, 224 HP, 910 kg, 442 PP, Sports Soft Tires


C4 VTS
FF Drivetrain, 404 HP, 1102 kg, 531 PP, Sports Soft Tires


147 RS
FF Drivetrain, 240 HP, 1060 kg, 438 PP, Sports Soft Tires



Day One: 60-100 Acceleration
*On a track, starting at 0 mph should only happen once, so 60-100 seems a better indicator to me of these car's racing acceleration

1: 4.6s ~ C4 VTS
2: 4.7s ~ Civic Type R
3: 5.0s ~ Roj's Golf
3: 5.0s ~ Kusabi Evil C (Race Soft)
3: 5.0s ~ R32 Golf-R
6: 5.1s ~ Kusabi Quasi-Evil C (Sport Soft)
7: 5.7s ~ Swiftly Done '07
8: 6.0s ~ Swiftly Done '05
9: 6.4s ~ Civic VTi-R
10: 6.9s ~ Yari Yari
11: 7.1s ~ 147 RS 31.2 38.3 42
12: 8.1s ~ March Super Turbo

Day Two: 100-0 Braking

1: 3.0s ~ Kusabi Evil C
2: 3.3s ~ C4 VTS
2: 3.3s ~ Kusabi Quasi-Evil C
4: 3.4s ~ Civic Type R
4: 3.4s ~ Roj's Golf
4: 3.4s ~ R32 Golf-R
4: 3.4s ~ March Super Turbo
4: 3.4s ~ Swiftly Done '05
9: 3.6s ~ Civic VTi-R
10: 3.7s ~ Swiftly Done '07
10: 3.7s ~ Yari Yari
10: 3.7s ~ 147 RS

Day Three: Practice - 5 laps around Trial Mountain, best lap

1: 1:34.889 ~ R32 Golf-R
2: 1:35.130 ~ Kusabi Quasi-Evil C
3: 1:35.532 ~ Civic Type R
4: 1:35.658 ~ C4 VTS
5: 1:36.025 ~ Roj's Golf
6: 1:36.466 ~ Swiftly Done '05
7: 1:36.882 ~ Swiftly Done '07
8: 1:38.989 ~ Civic VTi-R
9: 1:39.046 ~ March Super Turbo
10: 1:39.506 ~ 147 RS
11: 1:40.559 ~ Yari Yari
DQ: 1:29.772 ~ Kusabi Evil C

Day Four: Track day - 10 laps around Trial Mountain

Best Lap

1: 1:33.437 ~ R32 Golf-R
2: 1:33.973 ~ C4 VTS
3: 1:34.525 ~ Civic Type R
4: 1:34.564 ~ Kusabi Quasi-Evil C
5: 1:35.025 ~ Roj's Golf
6: 1:35.356 ~ Swiftly Done '05
7: 1:37.887 ~ Swiftly Done '07
8: 1:38.142 ~ March Super Turbo
9: 1:38.165 ~ Civic VTi-R
10: 1:38.748 ~ 147 RS
11: 1:39.605 ~ Yari Yari
DQ: 1:28.837 ~ Kusabi Evil C

Day Five: Evaluation (Final HP after testing)
Trap speeds as given are for the checkpoint on the back straight, followed by the Start/Finish line

Yari Yari (195 HP) The little Toyota was pretty much outclassed from top to bottom here. It posted the slowest trap times on the straights (118 at the back checkpoint, 111 at finish) and ran about average in the turns. A steady car, with fairly neutral steering and braking, it just didn't have the juice to feel like it belonged on a track.

147 RS (241 HP) The Alfa is probably the best looking of the hatchbacks, but that doesn't help it go fast. It posted average times in the slow and fast turns, and below average trap times (124, 118). It was a very comfortable drive, smooth and predictable.

Civic VTi-R (278 HP) On my second go 'round with the street Civic, I knocked about 2 tenths off of my previous time, which isn't much. This car posted the worst times in the high speed corner, as it felt like the car had a bit of under-steer powering through the long sweepers. It posted slightly below-average traps (126, 119), and average speed through the tight corners. The only worry was the traction on the front tires, as hard throttle seemed to light 'em up a bit and push the car wide.

March Super Turbo (233 HP) Nissan's entry didn't have the power to compete, so it made up for it with tremendous handling. The March posted the best speeds for me in both slow and fast corners, as the car was beautifully balanced from entrance to exit. The low trap times (119,115) were expected, but helped somewhat by very nice exit speed on the corners. A tremendous low-PP car and tune.

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Swiftly Done '07 (316 HP), Swiftly Done '05 (307 HP) The Swift twins gave me a bit of a surprise, with the lower HP Swift pulling better lap times on the Mountain. The '07 lost a lot of exit speed tearing up the tires on the throttle, and had some nasty under-steer on exits due to the extra HP, while the weaker Swift pulled out of any turn comfortably and surely. It looks to me like we found the break-point on this tune, that little lull where the performance dips from having too much HP for the tires until it has enough to make up for it on the straights. Trap times were close between the '07 (128, 118) and the '05 (127, 120), but the '05 clearly had the better car for cornering, but mid-turn and exit speeds were up.

=======================

Roj's Golf (315 HP) The Golf was a very steady ride, compared to this top group of cars, was very close in terms of cornering speed, but it was down in the speed department, posting trap speeds of 131 and 123. With a little less track, the gap between the top group would have narrowed, but I'm not sure if the Golf has the cornering to catch the rest.

Kusabi Quasi-Evil C (271 HP) Without race tires, the Quasi-Evil C was still a very nice handling car; nimble in the corners, steady on brakes and throttle, and a lot of fun. The best of the top group in both low-speed and high-speed corners, it didn't have the HP to keep the lap time's up in the straights, posting traps of 131 and 123 (yep, same trap speeds as Roj's Golf)

Civic Type R (321 HP) The race Civic felt very similar to the Golf in handling, being very stable and comfortable, with opposite results within this top group. It was the slowest in the top group in cornering speed, both in the sweepers and 2nd gear turns, but made up for it with straight-line speed, posting the top trap speeds of 134 and 127.

C4 VTS (406 HP) The Citroen with the ugly fin has a lot of power, and it showed. The car loved to toast the front tires on exit, leading to some under-steer, but it had the accelleration to make up for it on the over-all lap time. Running average speeds (for this top group) in the corners and straights, it showed no major strength, but no weakness either, unless tire wear becomes a concern. Trap times of 132 and 126 were competitive and consistant, and were only hurt by poor exit speeds due to tire spin.

R32 Golf-R R32, king of hatchbacks. (398 HP) Maybe it's just me, but the pull of a 4WD car out of a corner is awesome, even on a hatchback. The car tended to slide while on the brakes going into corners, whch can lead to good speed and great fun, but horrible if tire wear is a concern. The poor braking control is my only complaint about the R32, as it posted some of my best speeds in the corners, and falling a blink shy of the Civic in the traps (134, 126) while being predicatable and fun. I'm not sure if I'd look at fixing the brakes, as the slide can greatly assist with pulling a very nice mid-corner speed while pointing the nose the right direction. Sorry, Roj, but Rotary Junkie built the king.

=======================

Kusabi Evil C Disqualified from the shootout until a tire change, the Evil C still had a chance to show off, and it made the most of it. This car absolutely rails in corners, feeling more like a Lotus Elise than a hatchback, and still has the HP/Wt to get the speed up in the straights. This car, on this track, doesn't really show any weakness. It's very easy to control, and get consistant fast lap times. Seriously, this hatchback of the future ran a lap time competitive with my Gallardo, Scuderia, and F1 times... while being easier to control than any of them. Impressive! (yeah, I'm ignoring the race tire vs sport tire part... but, I mean, it's a hatchback that can run with supercars!)

Note: I know my review is a bit condensed, but my fingers hurt from pushing all these hatchback around the mountain I'd be happy to expand on the write-up later.

Hmmm... C4 "should" have been fastest. It wasn't.

PP is dinked. Honestly once I get a working PS3 again the Golf is getting gearing and a power bump to bring it as close as possible to 535PP... Should be a bit quicker at that point, performance (mainly in straight lines) is a bit lacking; I managed mid-58s in it at Tsukuba online which isn't half bad but a properly prepared and driven NSX can do very low 57s and high 56s ALL DAY; breaking into the 57s would make me happy though.

Are you guys interested in tuning an old bull, a.k.a. Countach? If you guys don't really like this car then I'll just keep it and review other cars as well.

Rotary Junkie

Hmmm... C4 "should" have been fastest. It wasn't.

PP is dinked. Honestly once I get a working PS3 again the Golf is getting gearing and a power bump to bring it as close as possible to 535PP... Should be a bit quicker at that point, performance (mainly in straight lines) is a bit lacking; I managed mid-58s in it at Tsukuba online which isn't half bad but a properly prepared and driven NSX can do very low 57s and high 56s ALL DAY; breaking into the 57s would make me happy though.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was just getting great corner speeds out of the R32, while the tire spin on the C4 slowed it's exits, at least for me... I think a wheel would make a big difference on a couple of those that had the spin issues, as they don't have a wide enough power band to short-shift and still get good launch.

REVIEW: Gallardo LP710 Superleggera

I feel I must preface this one with a disclaimer. The review process I used on this car is different from normal. First, since I already had used the car climbing up through A-Spec it had modifications already done to it making it obviously impossible to test stock. Second, my modification went all the way to stage 3 weight reduction so it differs again from the tune. Third, I did not test on Grand Valley as normal but through the Lamborghini seasonal events. Those that have seen these know that the cars are limited to 600PP, which the car exceeded handily. The power limiter was employed to get into the races (and had to be adjusted after each one due to break-in HP increase); I believe the actual HP number was down to 602HP. So, take this review with those lumps of crystalline seasoning substance.

As this was tested in the seasonal there were five different tracks that saw action: Cape Ring Perimiter, Madrid, Trial Mountain, Nurburgring GP/F (?), and Toscana Tarmac. I will not discuss times, as frankly I did not record them and they would not be relevant anyway, but rather feel of the car, which at least should be close. And I have to say, once I got used to it's breakout character it was a blast to drive!

As I've said before I am not much of a drifter. I prefer something that will corner like it is on rails to something that will slide. But once again the RKM boys have made it easy on this poor ol' DS3 user and tuned a car that if/when it slides can be easily controlled. The First race through Cape Ring was pretty dull if I am honest. The perimeter course doesn't present much of a challenge to me, though it is still fun to drive. The jump is a bit hairy as the downforce will drop the rear pretty hard but nothing that can't be compensated for easily. The speed and controlability through the namesake ring is excellent even detuned or maybe because of it.

Madrid was easy enough. The corners are pretty slow and I was never real hard on the breaks into them. And with the big straights it was easy to pass and separate myself without having to worry about second place being anywhere close. Nothing very notable here either other than that the speed is definitely unmatched by anything the AI can throw at me here.

Getting through Trial Mountain was a bit scarier. With several corners that require high speed braking I was definitely in for some sliding. The braking is stable enough but my first time through the tunnel and into the big left hander was not a pretty or well-executed event (check the review link in my sig, the pic posted with the review shows how well it went ). By the end of the run here I was beginning to get a handle on when and how the rear would break and how much I had to counter.

Nurburgring could not end soon enough for me. I'm not a huge fan of the GP tracks to begin with and something as tail-happy and this bull didn't help matters in the slightest. I felt I was pretty slow here in comparison to the other tracks as I was definitely babying the throttle through the exits, waiting on many until I was out to apply any decent amount. I ended up winning but it was definitely ugly and not really worth mentioning.

Toscana was by far the most fun on this trip. Through most of the tracks so far I had taken first position on the fourth lap, usually about mid-lap, excepting Madrid which really wasn't much of a race. At Toscana I was out in front early on lap 2 so I had plenty of time to play around. For grins, I tried my old style of driving: break enough to enter and just mash the throttle through the corner. This worked far better than I had thought it might. Since I was already somewhat used to handling the slide I found it was easy to catch and control, especially through some of the banked corners on this course. Of course, all this playing around didn't lead to a huge margin of victory, but even when I didn't quite get it right there was plenty of potential on straights and higher speed corners that the car could easily make up time. Driving it at night was that much more exciting.

With as much fun as this was I am eager to get it out and do a proper full potential run. I used this car as little as possible before as it displayed some pretty bad understeer with the lack of front downforce and it was really a terrible drive. Now that it has some tricks to show me I am interested. I may use this as a learning tool to see if I can teach myself a bit better slide control with the DS3 and maybe get a handle on some other cars that are getting the better of me with their wild ways.

FOLLOW UP: F430 Stradista

I have finally taken a run on GVS with this stallion and I must admit that I am quite impressed. There was something about SSR5 that wasn't quite right, most likely that I have far less experience there than at GVS. A fun track but as they say, knowledge is power. So I brought it to what could be a home course for me and had a go.

On the same asphalt it could be likened to...a less tame NSX-R. The speed is fantastic, sliding easily controlled but it lacks the otherworldly grip of the NSX. I'm sure the extra ~250HP might have a thing or two to do with that. Still, it is fast. Much more so than it seemed during my run. This and the NSX are still the only two tuned cars I've run under the 2' mark on this track. The NSX edges out by just a few tenths but kudos to the Stradista for posting up a time a good couple seconds faster than I thought it pulled, officially marked at 1'59.465".

As I've no doubt said before, or at least alluded to, the drift character of the RKM tunes is incredible. Both RJ and Roj claim to make powerful cars more accessible and there is truth in that claim.

To echo my initial review, another job well done! 👍

Suzuki Cappuccino review:
Before: It's fun, it looks good and it's not too fast, the Cappuccino is the sort of car that can deliver supercar fun without supercar drawbacks. Actually, you know what, that's BS. But still, it's more fun than a Ferrari, handles as good, if not better, than a Lotus and is the perfect starting car for people new to the game. I know that's a fact because it's the first car I bought, and its been in my garage to this day.

It isn't faultless though, the chassis could handle more power, I mean with a measly 64hp, it barely has enough power to kick its tail around. But buy a turbo, upgrade the engine and you'll get pass the 100hp mark eventually. Now, because I did this review in the seasonal event, the car is limited to a mere 102hp, so I can't say much about the straight line speed. Why do the review in a seasonal? Because it has a Go-kart track which suits this road legal Go-kart, and also because I blew all my money on yesterday's reviews. Still, it got passed its opponents with ease and did a lap of 1:05.658.

After: Well, although I can't say what the setup has done to the straight line speed, the handling hasn't had much visible improvement. Think of this as just fine tuning the car's chassis. It turns in quickly, but not too quickly that it beats the rear tyre's grip. It's still easy to drive as well, it doesn't bite at all and is soft and forgiving enough for my dad to drive it. I know that's fact as he did half the driving for this review. But really, this setup just gives the Cappuccino more punch, and more fun while retaining its drivable nature. It did a lap of 1:03.762. A full review on the TGTT with the 125hp will come soon. And I have a sneaking suspicion that it will crush the car I pit it against.

Take a guess what car it'll be. Hint: It's is Japanese, and has 200hp.

Suzuki Cappuccino review 2:
As I said in my earlier review, the Cappuccino is a small, easy to drive pocket rocket that's quite fun, even with its rather weak engine. This is just so much fun to drive. It's a Go-kart that won't ever bite and has great handling. You can charge into corners at any speed and however quick you're going, you'll still make it around the corner without any trouble at all with a huge smile on your face and a trail of smoke behind. Bear in mind though, because of this car's low power output, only 137hp, if it slides, you'll lose a lot of speed as the engine can't keep the slide going. But when it does, it's a lot of fun. But, when you get serious and really thrash it, it can shame cars that cost a lot more than it that have more power. To prove my point, I've lined it up against another car (c'mon, you don't think I'll let you know what it is just yet do you? I'll reveal it when someone gets the answer), and I'm going to do 1 lap in each, the fastest lap wins.

Suzuki Cappuccino
137hp
619kg
Laptime:1:24.061

----- ------- ---- - (guess the name )
210hp
1180kg
Laptime:1:28.203

So, point proven? This car is a giant killer, one of the most popular Japanese FF cars (another hint) beaten by a kei car with a big turbo. If I had to choose a car to keep from each hp range, I would keep the Ford XR8 for the 600hp range, the Castrol Tom's supra for the 500hp range, the NSX (obviously) for 400hp cars, the S2000 (which will be reviewed later) for the 300hp and this, the Suzuki Cappuccino for the 200hp to 100hp range. This car can slaughter any car with more power on a tight and twisty track, while keeping the driving fun.

Onboy123

----- ------- ---- - (guess the name )

Click to expand...

Integra Type R. Has to be. Either that or a Civic.

Getting back home tomorrow, will have a lot to prepare over the coming week(s). Including those two reviews.

onboy123

----- ------- ---- - (guess the name )
210hp
1180kg
laptime:1:28.203

Click to expand...

All in, all mah chips on the Mazda Autozam AZ-1.

EDIT: Oops, didn't see the hint. GG to C-ZETA (I think...)