GTR > Gran Turismo Reviews > Scion FR-S

Welcome to GTR - Gran Turismo Reviews. I, uMadson?, a good friend of mine, Onboy123, and a few others are here to give you reviews on certain cars featured in GT5. I hope you'll enjoy our witty articles that are made by us five. We also take requests, though each of us have different request policies. Look to our reviewer profiles (coming soon) to see how each of us take requests.

Reviews by uMadson?
The Godfather of Bulls: RKM Countach LP400 - RKM one-off!
Rotary Reborn: RKM RE Amemiya FD3S
The Aluminum Gentleman: BMW M5 '08

Reviews by Onboy123
The Last Hurrah: Avid Racing Factory Clio V6
The Monster in a Black Tux: Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
The Spirit of Tuning 1: Red Valley Racing GT-R R35
GTFO GTR: Nissan GT-R R35 '07 warning - excessive hate and ranting
Bull Fighting: MadFinn Countach 560SV
The Spirit of Tuning 2: Karelian MotorWorks RX-7 FD3S
Power, Beauty & Soul: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Killer Blue: Cone Killer Racing Impreza 22B
Maroon Missile of Akina: RKM IT350R
Meet the Legends 1: XJR-9 & 88C-V
90's JDM shootout: GTO, JZA80, R34, FD3S, NSX
Toyota FT-86 vs. Toyota GT86
ZedTunes RGT-02
Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider
Seeing Red: HKS CT230R & RKM CT230RR

Reviews by Niku Driver HC
The Blue Lightning: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6)
Eco-nonsense: Toyota Prius G '09 warning - excessive ranting and hate
Smooth Moves: Nissan Skyline Sedan (V36)
The Cheapest Way to Have a Gullwing: Mazda AZ-1
Personality Twist: RKM Gran Turismo S

Reviews by Apokalipse
BMW 2002 Turbo '73
Toyota Celica GT-R (ST183, 4WS) '91
Honda NSX RM '91

Reviews by DC9990
RX-7 FD3S tuner shootout

Reviews by ZacharySim
Mazda RX-8 Type S '07

Specials:
> Supercar Eras
Part 1: 70's supercars - by Onboy123
Part 2: 80's rally specials - by Onboy123
Part 3: 90's JDM - by Onboy123
Part 4: GTbyCitroen - by Onboy123
> Lamborghini Special
Part 1: Murcielago LP670-SV - by Onboy123
Part 2: Aventadoor LP700-4 - by Apokalipse
Part 3: Team Shmo Murcielago LP640 - by uMadson?
Part 4: Miura Bertone Prototype - by Onboy123

Archived reviews (selected reviews done long ago):
RKM Celica GT-Four WRC (ST205) - by Onboy123
Road trip with the RKM GT-R R34 Black Edition - by Onboy123
The Game Changer: JG's Toyota Supra RZ (JZA80) - by Onboy123
Unnatural: RKM Lancer Evolution X (CZ4A) - by uMadson?
Mass Annihilation: RKM TT-R Touring Car - by uMadson?
Murcielago's distant cousin: RKM R8 5.2 FSI Quattro - by uMadson?
Comforts are (not) for commies: RKM Integra Type R "Crimson R" (DC5) - by uMadson?
Dreaming in the Sky': RKM Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur (BNR34) - by uMadson?

Editors in Chief - uMadson? & Onboy123
Editors:
Apokalipse
Niku Driver HC
DC9990 - currently inactive
ZacharySim - currently inactive

Affiliates:
C-ZETA's car reviews
Federation of International Tuners and Test-Drivers

This was the last car to be tuned by Vett’e. It’s his pride and joy, this. This. Very. Car. Côte d’Azur was one of his more favoured tracks. So, one of his favourite cars, on one of his favourite tracks. This is also the car that has had a fearsome win streak. When it was used online, it won every single race it participated in, and it has put well tuned NSXs, GTRs, and Lotus Evoras to shame. I’ve always wanted to drive it, and now, after ages of nagging and begging, I can. Shall we start? (hint: yes)

As I prod the throttle, giggling and shaking like a schoolboy would when he sees a Diablo, I can feel the car shimmying with excitement, like a happy dog would tug at its leash, urging to go. Well...seeing as he did leave it to me as a taster of his planned update and was looking for feedback...It would be rude not to!

It slingshot forwards, scrabbling for grip. The revs spike up, the engine sings, and just like that, I’m braking from 115mph for the first turn, Sainte Devote. It might not sound a lot, but from where I’m sitting, it feels like its going a million! Braking for the first turn, the car rapidly sheds its speed without trouble, staying planted to the road. Turning in, the steering feels sharp, the nose just darts in with the puppy-dog enthusiasm which makes this such a joy to drive. It’s a joy you’d never tire of. It feels alive, sharp, playful. I’m already in love. I love this car. Love it.

Charging up towards Massenet, the little Clio rips through the gears quickly and efficiently, using all 410hp to claw its way up the hill. This is so quick for its size, hitting 130+mph as I brake. The Clio stays planted to the road, that massive rollover hoop of a wing doing its job keeping it on the ground.

As the nose darts into the apex of the turn, barely rubbing the guardrails, the rear tyres grip to the road like glue, preventing it from going any further. Pointing that carbon fibre nose at exactly the right place for the perfect entry into Casino, the feel of the car is still so sharp, so exciting. This feeling is fantastic! There’s no understeer, no oversteer, just grip. Pure, mechanical, grip. And it’s this grip that gives it the ability to devour any corner ahead. I have driven a lot of cars in my short time here, and I have never driven anything, not a NSX, not a racing car, that feels so sharp yet so forgiving! The car responds...instantly. It points its nose where you point the steering. There is no waiting around, it just does it. It feels so eager to go, you’re caught out sometimes. But it’s so easy to drive that even me, with my noobish DS3 skills, can catch, and hold, it at the limit without so much as breaking a sweat.
Into Mirabeau Haute, the first of the hairpins, the Clio starts squirming under braking, the brakes are a bit too snatchy for normal usage. It was set up for online racing, when every millisecond of time on the throttle can be vital and stronger brakes are needed to bring it to a halt. Couple the powerful brakes to the overexcitable and rev-happy engine, short wheelbase and low weight, and you’d get a car which, more often than not, will very happily step out of line, sideways.

Through the famous tunnel, hitting over 120mph, it stays locked to the ground, no understeer, just the tail gently, gracefully drifting out. This feels so different, all the other short wheelbased MR cars I’ve driven, the 5 Turbo, the Stratos, the Elise, all of them were a nightmare to control on high speed corners. They’ve all had a habit of either running wide or spinning (the latter happened more with the Renault and the Stratos, a lot more), and yet this feels planted. It doesn’t feel twitchy, snappy, or particularly lairy. It just feels confident. Sure footed.

Braking hard into the Nouvelle chicane and turning in, the enthusiasm of the steering makes it a joy here. It changes direction immediately, instant responses from the steering. Oh god. This is wonderful. It’s every bit as good as I imagined it to be! I’ve raced against this very car for a long time, and I would always be left in the dust in turns. Now I know why. The millimeter precise steering, the feeling, all those things means you have the confidence in taking this car to the very limit. And on occasion, beyond those limits as well. And what would happen? Nothing. This Clio would just shrug it off. It’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Through Tabac, the Clio flies through with not even a hint of understeer, and proceeds to blitz the poolside section. No understeer, no oversteer, just staying on the racing line throughout this section.

Into La Rascasse, the Clio nearly clips the barrier, I gun it far too early, the backend lashes out, but it stays composed and collected. Last turn, Anthony Noghe, the outside rear tyre screams for mercy. The Clio starts getting twitchy but it stays straight and true…and across the line!

I pulled over at the side of the track, letting the engine cool off after my run. What a car. Words fail me to describe how special, how thrilling, how good this car is. I’ve always (quietly) maintained that your (Avid Racing) cars felt, and drove, differently. Regardless who has tuned it, your version always feels...different. For better or worse, this has always been the case with yours, more so than anyone else. And this can’t be a better example. This has a sparkle that none of the other tuner’s cars I’ve driven have. I always come out of a drive thinking ‘one more run, then I’ll go to (fill in blank with things to do)’. This is something even the great RKM NSX couldn’t do. What this car does, is make you feel...happy. This car is, to vett’e, what people consider the F40 is to Enzo Ferrari (the man). His greatest achievement. My only regret is that this is very probably the last car from Avid Racing, and though doubtless others will have come up with great tunes for this Clio, they will only be a shadow of this car. His last tune, could also be regarded as his greatest. What a swan song. It is, quite simply, astonishing. Shame you lot can’t have it, but the tune posted for this car is good enough to keep you happy for a long time.
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Car: Renault Clio V6 ’00
Tuned by: Avid Racing Factory
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Specs:
Power: 415hp+
Weight: 1106kg
PP: 523+
Tyres: Sport soft/Racing hard/Racing soft
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Link to tune: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=4734285

Those pics actually look real.

You have uMadson to thank for that, he's very good with Photoshop.

I feel proud that I worked for avid racing. Even though I posted 1 review, I tested almost his cars.

I also made the banner.

Either way, vett'e is a great tuner and this review was a great to express his skill.

Rayzor

I feel proud that I worked for avid racing. Even though I posted 1 review, I tested almost his cars.

I also made the banner.

Either way, vett'e is a great tuner and this review was a great to express his skill.

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You should be proud, I think of him as the Ayrton Senna of GTP users from Hong Kong. This Clio was going to be one of the tunes he'd use for the 'revival' of Avid. I'm gonna miss racing him. Badly. (C'mon November!!!!! Come here now!!!!)

What's with the troll face in the banner? O.O

ZacharySim

What's with the troll face in the banner? O.O

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uMadson?

ZacharySim

What's with the troll face in the banner? O.O

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Lol, you know, if you read through our conversation in our profile, you can pretty much guess what's next, the reasoning behind the banner, all that. We could have taken it to PMs, but we ain't premium, so chatting will be…restricted.

The Monster In the Black Tux
Mercedes SL65AMG

100mph...

120mph…

135…
…140mph and it’s still accelerating!

150mph now, 151, 152 and it’s time to brake!!!

This isn’t a car, it’s 2 tons of Semtex with a steering wheel....Actually, what it is, is the flagship of Mercedes’ SL range. The AMG tuned, 6.0 litre, 616+hp, V12 bi-turbo leviathan known as the SL65. From the distance, you’d be hard pressed to tell it apart from a normal SL500/600. Look harder though, and you’ll spot the AMG blood in its veins. Those massive 5 spoke alloys. The slashes on the bonnet and those side vents in the front bumper. Think of this, then, as a street brawler in a suit. A proper wolf in sheep’s clothing.

To demonstrate my point, I’ve lined it up with a Chevrolet Camaro ’10. The SS version. It’s what I’d call a ‘fast car’. And what we’re going to do now, is have a drag race to see which is faster. And don’t think I’m going to cheat with using a stock Camaro, either. This one has a supercharger, bring power up to a nice round 500hp. Should be close, but which will win?

Off the line, the SL’s massive torque and power overwhelms its tyres, but stays level with the Camaro.

As the speed builds, however, the AMG starts to pull ahead.

With every gear change, the Chevy is gradually becoming a mere speck in the SL’s mirror. By the time the SL braked, Camaro managed a top speed of 126mph, whereas the big Benz managed 145mph! And had I not chickened out, it could have gone even faster!

But my point is clear, I think. This...I don’t know if you can classify something as powerful as this as a ‘car’, but this...beast, this monster, this 2 ton colossus is faster than a 500hp muscle car. This is a proper sleeper in a straight...

Unfortunately, there is one tinyyyy little problem. This. Car. Cannot. Go. Round. Corners. The 750 torques just can’t get to the road without ripping the tyres to shreds, and with its soft, wallowing suspension, it corners on its door handles! Even at 50mph, this thing rolls and flops about like a blob of jelly. When you have an engine that wouldn’t be out of place powering a battleship, you’d think the engineers would have thought ‘Ahh yes, we have got the power, now to get that power around turns’. So why have they fitted old sofas instead of coiled springs for the suspension and fitted brakes made from bits of tissue? I’m not exaggerating here, it is as bad as I describe it. Aside from the NASCAR ovals and HSR, there is no corner that this car can take without going sideways. Of course, you might think ‘What is this idiot on about? It’s fun to drift!’. And I agree. But drifting here is more like ‘slithering into the guy in front of you’. You don’t drive this car, you point it vaguely in the direction you want it to go, close your eyes and pray that the lord of physics is kind to you. This car is as bad in the turns as it is good at tearing up the straights that got it there.

In terms of handling then, this car is a nightmare. It just cannot cope with that nuclear power station under the bonnet without some serious tuning. Here then, is a 2 ton monument to the phrase ‘Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.’

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Car: Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG ’04
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Specs:
Power: 616+hp
Weight: 2028kg
PP: 550+
Tyres: Sport hard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Onboy123

Lol, you know, if you read through our conversation in our profile, you can pretty much guess what's next, the reasoning behind the banner, all that. We could have taken it to PMs, but we ain't premium, so chatting will be…restricted.

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You have the option of Skype, MSN, AIM, Facebook chat, Yahoo Chat, Google talk and ICQ your chatting is not restricted! Branch out a bit onboy...

Dylans1o

You have the option of Skype, MSN, AIM, Facebook chat, Yahoo Chat, Google talk and ICQ your chatting is not restricted! Branch out a bit onboy...

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Lol nope, cuz I have AIM and facebook, just that he doesn't

So yea, uMadson! Branch out a bit!

Onboy123

Lol nope, cuz I have AIM and facebook, just that he doesn't

So yea, uMadson! Branch out a bit!

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My Facebook is even in my sig mate. Don't have AIM though, only YM and Skype for IM's.

And one more thing, we now have a 3rd journalist. Kindly welcome DC9990.

Lol, more like second, as you've not posted one review while I have……let's count…4 lined up

Onboy123

Lol, more like second, as you've not posted one review while I have……let's count…4 lined up

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Hey hey I made contributions too, dummy

Lol ok, you played as a stunt driver and typed up the OP, and that's it

Onboy123

Lol ok, you played as a stunt driver and typed up the OP, and that's it

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Photoshop, dammit

uMadson?

Photoshop, dammit

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Very little of it though

Onboy123

Very little of it though

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uMadson?

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Lol fine, if you can prove it, then post at least one review up by the time I return to HK (tuesday), and if you do, I'll…oh I don't know…I'll put something in my user title…

Anyways, pictures. Now.

*that something might be along the lines of what I told you on GT5 ages ago

Onboy123

Lol fine, if you can prove it, then post at least one review up by the time I return to HK (tuesday), and if you do, I'll…oh I don't know…I'll put something in my user title…

Anyways, pictures. Now.

*that something might be along the lines of what I told you on GT5 ages ago

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Projects are holding me back. And homeworks.

uMadson?

Projects are holding me back. And homeworks.

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B.S. I had homework, tons of it, and I still managed to do one review a day when I first joined. Ok, I admit, those reviews were the best part of half a paragraph long (maybe not even that), but just split it apart. I wrote the RKM R34 review (I don't know if you remember it, but the one about taking it on a 'roadtrip' through SSR7, SSR5, Fuji Speedway, then ending at Eiger) in a week, at a time when exams were getting close…and I have the attention span of like…… |--| <---this much

Hmm, I just tried the Clio tune. I iz not impressed. Understeers like o.O I tried adpadting my driving style and all, but how did you get it to be that fantastic?

GfxJG

Hmm, I just tried the Clio tune. I iz not impressed. Understeers like o.O I tried adpadting my driving style and all, but how did you get it to be that fantastic?

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*GASP* IT IZ NOT DA CAR, IT IZ YOU! Nah, it's fantastic because it's his car I'll put it on share so you can try it if you want. He has made some changes to the tune, so of course it drives better. Smart.

And keep in mind, he drives with a wheel, so that could also be a reason. Buutttt mostly it's cuz you suck

GfxJG

Hmm, I just tried the Clio tune. I iz not impressed. Understeers like o.O I tried adpadting my driving style and all, but how did you get it to be that fantastic?

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He uses MASSIVE amounts of happiness to review and if it doesn't kick in he declares the car to be disliked.

But can I just ask...how do you get an MR to UNDERSTEER?!! My Clio V6 is based off the Clio Trophy and it works like a charm (see my fanfic for more info). Although to be fair mine's on RH so meh

C-ZETA

He uses MASSIVE amounts of happiness to review and if it doesn't kick in he declares the car to be disliked.

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Lol nope. I write my reviews based on my feelings. So if I'm feeling happy, I write happy reviews where I just go 'yes it's a bit **** here and a bit crap there but I like it'. If I'm feeling depressed, I'd just say stuff like 'it may do this and that very well, but I still think it's too ____'. Fill in the blank. Which is why I have to write a review very quickly, or else I'd start contradicting myself halfway through a review.

FYI, on the day I wrote that (at 2:00AM), I was feeling……well, put it this way. I was just racing him an hour earlier and then he tells me that he's leaving the very next day while we had our 5 minute goodbyes, then he quits. And when I quit, I find, in my gift box, the car I was racing against a moment ago. So maybe the word to use here is…sentimental.

I think I should make it very clear that I dislike the new R35. I claimed that it&#8217;s too soulless, too remote, too lacking in feel. Most of all though, I thought that this&#8230;noob&#8217;s cult car was too easy to drive. The people who drove it, more often than not, didn&#8217;t have half a clue how to drive anything else. Which is why it makes me wonder all the more &#8216;why the hell am I driving this one? What&#8217;ll make it any different?&#8217;

Well, on the face of it, not much. It still has a hint of understeer, it still feels remote and I still hate it. To compound these issues, the rear end is now very loose in an attempt to make it exciting (which it is, if your idea of exciting is playing with fire or being shot at), the brakes feel utterly useless and the back now twitches when you do finally slow down enough. See? Waste of time trying to make me like this car, even if you do try to make it exciting and fun.

Or rather, it was a waste of time, until I changed my style. Throughout that little paragraph, I was driving it like a noob would. Very aggressive, very harsh, throwing it into corners without much care. What you need to do, is drive it with more care. You still need some aggression to get it pointing in the right direction, but that&#8217;s about it. It&#8217;s now about driving it with more finesse, gently on the throttle, using the brakes and the power to adjust your line into the corners. It requires an extraordinary driving style which blends aggression with fine steering and throttle control. It&#8217;s tricky to get the style right. But try hard, get it as close to that style as possible, and then this R35 will start to come alive. It starts being *Jeremy Clarkson style pause* a GTR. The steering is sharper, it doesn&#8217;t feel as numb as before. The brakes work, the loose rear end is now there as an aid to get it around corners better as opposed to it being a liability. All these changes turn this into something completely different to drive. Something worthy of wearing the GTR badge. Oh, and the small matter of 650+hp does help it feel GTR-like. But there&#8217;s just one more thing left. Lap times. The only thing that should matter to a GTR. If it can&#8217;t get this right, it&#8217;s not worthy of the badge, regardless how good it is to drive. Well, no worries here, a lap time of 1:10.192 means that the R34 needn&#8217;t worry, the successor to its throne is capable of protecting the GTR name.

You know what? I think that this is an exception to the rule. I think, and this high praise, and I&#8217;ll only ever say this once, I think I like it...and I think this will allow me to do something I&#8217;d never thought I&#8217;d do. I once said that if I were to make a list of &#8216;signature&#8217; cars from the tuners I&#8217;ve tested for, it would be as follows:

RKM - NSX
MFT - Spirra V8
Avid Racing - Clio V6
KMW - RX7
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Well, I think I can safely say that with this car, I&#8217;ll be able to add:

RVR - R35 GTR
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Yes, it is that good. I don&#8217;t love it, but it&#8217;s certainly good enough to belong on that list.
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Car: Nissan GTR '07 (R35)
Tuned By: Red Valley Racing (known as RVR)
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Specs:
Power: 661hp
Weight: 1411kg
PP: 598
Tyres: Sports soft
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Dylans1o

Onboy I always drive with finesse throughout the corners throttle control is what you should do in both the GT-R tunes... Are you saying I am n00bish because you drove the car like that

Yay the only tuner who actually really likes the GT-R

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Hey! At least you've got me to say I liked it! I hate the normal ones, as I said…

Onboy123

Hey! At least you've got me to say I liked it! I hate the normal ones, as I said…

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Hey onboy everytime I load the internet this comes up: (Its my theme)