GTR > Gran Turismo Reviews > Scion FR-S

Onboy123

So…I take it someone's in love? But I'm sorry, but by saying the E60 resembles your crush…so you're telling me your crush weighs 2 tonnes and as a massive arse?

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No.

If I were to choose a car that resembles my crush by looks alone, then I'm better off with a 575 Maranello

uMadson?

No.

If I were to choose a car that resembles my crush by looks alone, then I'm better off with a 575 Maranello

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So…not the best looking, not exactly a godly voice and is average at best? If I had to choose a car which resembles mine…Ford GT. Why? I'll explain soon enough.

Onboy123

So…not the best looking, not exactly a godly voice and is average at best? If I had to choose a car which resembles mine…Ford GT. Why? I'll explain soon enough.

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575's look better than you think. And I said by looks alone. lrn2readboi

Sounds a lot like an award winning review. Beautifully written. You express everything about this car and that's how I feel about the M5 - which is why I love the M5. Finally someone who understands my feeling towards this car.

Thanks for this great review mate!

Nice Rebecca Black joke about the A/C unit at the rear too!

InvincibleM5

Sounds a lot like an award winning review. Beautifully written. You express everything about this car and that's how I feel about the M5 - which is why I love the M5. Finally someone who understands my feeling towards this car.

Thanks for this great review mate!

Nice Rebecca Black joke about the A/C unit at the rear too!

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Hehe, thanks. I can't help it on that joke either

I'm still a tad apprehensive on it though…I want a go, screw our rules, I'm having a drive.

What joke?

Onboy123

What joke?

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It's on the picture's caption, bro.

uMadson?

It's on the picture's caption, bro.

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I know, but I don't get it. You know I don't listen to your stuff.

Onboy123

I know, but I don't get it. You know I don't listen in general.

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Fixed

Bravo, bravo!

That was a great review on the E60. How you wrote it make me want to go and buy a real one right now(though I will be broke and crying) but how you describe the M5 is why I love the newer BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes designs, but much more love towards the older ones though.

They look so unique and even sexy like a hot girl(not on the full emphasis of a hot girl part) and i'm not afraid to say it.

ReincarnationB

OK i think one joke was enough.. but personifying any further will just become sad

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Each to their own, though what doing it twice makes me is entirely subjective, it may make you think it's sad, it may make others think it's justified.

Oh, and one off topic thing, drop the attitude in your posts. It's ok if you're familiar with me or the person you're addressing, but I don't know you. The message would every bit as clear without the "", with it, it just makes you look like an obnoxious git.

VspecZR1GT2RS89

Bravo, bravo!

That was a great review on the E60. How you wrote it make me want to go and buy a real one right now(though I will be broke and crying) but how you describe the M5 is why I love the newer BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes designs, but much more love towards the older ones though.

They look so unique and even sexy like a hot girl(not on the full emphasis of a hot girl part) and i'm not afraid to say it.

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Danke, my friend. Yeah I agree on that - newer Mercs and BMW's look good but they're starting to stray away from the idea of a luxury vehicle as "executive" as a private jet in terms of exterior design...

Seeing Red- A Small Tribute
HKS CT230R & RKM CT230RR​

Today, March 13th 2012, marks my first full year of GTPlanet membership. And it’s a special date for me for two reasons:
-It’s a 1st Anniversary and I’m the kind of person who cares.
-Had it not been for this one first, confident decision of my life as of now, I wouldn’t be here in the first place. ​

Yes, joining GTPlanet was, and I kid you not, my first, properly confident decision I’ve made for 14 years (as of typing). And I wouldn’t have done it had it not been for one thing.


The HKS CT230R. Or, for this review, My CT230R. It’s my pride, my joy, my everything. It’s more than just a car to me. It’s…what’s the word…perfection. I may say that the NSX is my all time favourite car of the 90s, and the Murcielago SV my favourite supercar ever, but this trumps them all. This is my favourite car in GT5, bar none. This is the sole reason I took the leap into GTPlanet and its hostile tuning sides of the GT5 forum. But fairly quickly, we became more than that. I soon got hooked into this world of typing up stuff and reviewing, it evolved into a monster. Don’t think of this as a review of a CT230R, think of this as a recap of what it has become over this year.

First though, let’s remind ourselves what the CT230R was like as it was out of the box, more than a year ago.

I was first introduced to this car in a one make race on Suzuka. I remember how brutally this Crimson/Chrome monster accelerated, how it just blitzed the straight and how it cornered with so much grip and stability. It was, simply put, love at first sight. Which is odd, really, as the Evo it was based on is undoubtedly one of my most hated cars in GT5. But this was just so much more pure, so much louder, so much faster and just so bloody much…better. I knew this was the car I just had to have.


And driving it a year later, I’m left thinking “What the hell kind of drug was I using?” This thing seemed stubborn, unwilling to turn, heavy and understeery. It isn’t as nice to drive as I remember, may be the lack of the racing slicks, may be the result of recent updates, but it ‘s just…a bit of a disappointment to drive.

Until, of course, I learned its ways. To get this to drive, and drive well, requires some skill in the form of keeping some throttle on as you corner. Do so, and it will suddenly change its attitude. No more stubbornness. Not much of understeer. Sharper responses. Doing as it requires you to is like pushing the “Sport” button. Everything is sharper, better.

And with the handling now back to its former glory, allow me to shut up, and just bask in the epicness of the noise in this thing. It’s a harsh, rough bark, growing in noise and pitch as revs rise. It sounds a bit like a ricer sometimes, a bit weak and thin, but most the time, it’s an epic sound. And anyways, more often than not, by the time the opposition has had enough of mocking its exhaust note, it would have disappeared into the horizon already.

This combination of acceleration, noise, handling, grip and just sheer rarity made the CT230R my car of choice, if you like. I adored it. But one day, a thought hit me. What good is it as it is now? Yes, 1000hp Vipers are things to be dusted off its shoulders in an online race, but am I really, honestly satisfied with a flawed racer like this? Of course, the answer was no. And the answer to the next question of what is to be done about it? That came in the form of RKM co-owner, GT tuning veteran Rotary Junkie. And what he produced for me was, quite simply, beyond words.


It still is beyond words. It was dubbed the CT230RR and quite honestly, words cannot express how truly wonderful it is to drive. In RR form, everything is a blur. The track is a smear of twisting gray on which this car dances, the speedo doesn’t ever stop climbing, the acceleration even more brutal, even more amazing. Top speed has been taken up from 170 to nearly 200mph thanks to a new gearbox, but as the power has been upped past 600hp, it will get there faster. So fast that it won’t stop pulling hard until every last drop of its 618hp has been used. It is shocking.

Even more shocking, however, is the new handling. And when I say new, I do mean new. It’s not tweaked, it’s not improved, it’s a complete overhaul of handling. And then some. It grips harder, turns sharper, reacts faster and is an entirely different beast. Yes, it understeers a tad, but drive it right, drive it harder, push harder and then you’ll see why I adore this thing so much. It just feels so together, so…stunning, so perfect. I’m sorry, I know I raving, I know I’m just banging on about it, but this is just…perfect. Even in Spec II, even after over 3,000 miles in it, it has no trouble at all in bringing a smile to my face.

However, it’s a car for a selected few to enjoy, I feel. Not everyone gets its handling. But those who do, those who can drive it right will know just how damn good it is. It's a fast, 600+PP monster that doesn't kill, but thrill. It will wipe the floor with the likes of R34s and the godawful R35 and hang with the more expensive Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo with ease.

You can tell I like this car, quite a lot, eh?

dat CT230R cray... ain't it Jay?
(ball so hard) what she order... fish fillet

Hopefully you won't get as biased as C-ZETA when it comes to CT230R's... Anyway good job.

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> G.T.R staff notice <

I, uMadson? will be on a temporary leave. I will not write reviews for the meantime since I got projects to do and exams to answer. I will be back in action in a week or two. For now, I'm leaving the operations to my partner, Onboy123.

uMadson?

dat CT230R cray... ain't it Jay?
(ball so hard) what she order... fish fillet

Hopefully you won't get as biased as C-ZETA when it comes to CT230R's...

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Errr…you do know you're talking to me, right? And when it comes to tuned cars, this is the one thing me and C-ZETA agree on. HKS CT230R = best.

Onboy123

Errr…you do know you're talking to me, right? And when it comes to tuned cars, this is the one thing me and C-ZETA agree on. HKS CT230R = best.

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What I mean is that your love for CT230R's won't reach C-ZETA level.

Whatever, the hillclimb Evo I showed you way back is better.

uMadson?

What I mean is that your love for CT230R's won't reach C-ZETA level.

Whatever, the hillclimb Evo I showed you way back is better.

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Wrong. Yet again. I loved it more than he does even before he knew about it.

*coughnotinGT5cough*

I loved your review on RE FD RX7 in Green Hell! Well done mate. What a beauty that vehicle is by the way!

Rotorist

I loved your review on RE FD RX7 in Green Hell! Well done mate. What a beauty that vehicle is by the way!

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lol thanks bro. Yeah it's beast, and it's made even better when it was "retuned" by the guys at RKM.

No Replacement for Displacement…Really?​

Ah yes. This is up there, along with the Evo vs Impreza battles, these two have been pitted against one another time and again in recent years. Quite why, though, I don’t know. If I’m honest. It’s not as if the two have much in common, if anything at all. But the argument sort of goes like this. Would you still take the fairly pricey Corvette, with its barn door engineering and massive V8 thunder and drama over the refined, technical, precise Nissan. Well, split up in a few categories, we're about to find out.

Appearance and Aesthetics…​

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​

We all know what I think of the R35. Vile. Boring. It looks like it was first sketched out by a 5 year old as a “design” for a family saloon then had the wing plonked on its arse. Look at that front end. It looks like a badger’s face with that grill. I know they tried to emulate the look of the previous GTR’s front end here but it really, really doesn’t work.


The Corvette, however…that’s a different story altogether. Yes, it looks simple. In fact, it’s not even that special to look at from some angles. But two things that win it for me. 1, it doesn’t look like it was hit in the face with a spade and 2, this simple, graceful design that has slowly evolved of the Corvette’s 50 year life span is just a very, very pretty thing to behold. It might be simple, but it works.


The same that was said for its looks can be said for that noisy lump of prime US steak up front in the Corvette. It always has been a trademark for Corvettes, Ford GTs, Vipers and the like, and it’s no different here. GT5 might make cars sound like vacuum cleaners, but this seems unaffected by it. Deep, heavy like thunder. NASCAR comes to mind when you hear it, especially with the race exhaust.

By contrast, the R35 sounds…like a tractor, really. Incredibly dull noise to go with the lackluster looks. It has an unrefined harshness in its engine note, and it isn't a nice one either. Sounds like they were trying to imitate the American V8 sound, and like the visuals, it hasn't really gone well.


The 7.0 litre powerhouse in the 'Vette also generates 500hp and 456lb-ft of torque along with the music from the pipes. Or rather, it would do if our car was a broken in one. But as it isn’t, power sits at 488hp for this test. Still a lot though. Still sounds like a lot as well. And what that means is that when you try to get it off the line, it does this.


Yes, it leaves the start line in the only way a Corvette can. In a cloud of tyre smoke, painting a massive eleven on the ground. A bit showy, but what can you do with so much power and grunt? Well, I suppose you could do what Nissan has done and go for shock and awe in a different way.

The Nissan has 473hp, the best part of 15hp down on the ‘Vette. So to compensate for that, it sports the latest version of a GTR’s crowning glory, the 4WD system. And as expected, it delivers an epic punch off the line. No wheelspin, no bogging down, it explodes up the gears immensely quickly. Until you realise that you’re hitting the limiter for 1st already. At 40mph. Now, as a part time drag racer, I can tell you that what that is isn’t unbelievable acceleration. It’s just cheating. You think it’s accelerating quickly because the 1st runs out of puff the moment you put your foot down. Anyway, enough drag talk. You get my point. Gears aren't set well.


Well, contrary to common belief, the Corvette handles very, very well. It’s extremely fun and sideways when you want to hoon, and when you want it to grip and go, it does just that. It’s like a puppy, good fun and will keep you entertained, but when enough’s enough, it will obey and behave. Though most the time, you’d be all too happy with turning tyre to smoke for you to really care about lap times.


As for the R35? There are many, many words to describe its handling. And none of them, are good. Dull, there’s one. Numb as well. Lackluster, puts me to sleep, too much of something is never good comes to mind, far too easy, would rather be in a library, etc. You get the idea. It’s dull. I find no joy in driving this at all. Yes, it grips till the end of the world, but when you get past it, you’ll find…nothing. The computers have packed up, gone home and there’s nothing left. This grips, but doesn’t handle.


Ok, so far, the Corvette has won in the looks, the noise as well as the handling. And to be honest, I’d be perfectly happy to shove the R35 out the door, over a cliff and focus all your attention on the ‘vette. But that would be irresponsible, as the main argument of this USA vs Japan sports car war is……

…Lap times………​

This is where the R35 should redeem itself, as the Godzilla of the track.​

​

​

And it does. A very, very convincing victory for the R35 in this section by over 3 seconds in a hot lap around Indianapolis Road Course. So, well done R35 then, winning something with me doing the writing and driving is a feat in itself. But let’s be honest, this was always going to happen. Rear wheel drive, immense power and no downforce was never really going to match the technology packed in the Nissan.

And let's be honest, the R35 has no hope in hell of rivaling the Corvette in terms of fun. In fact, everywhere other than lap times, this car is no real match for the Corvette. I mean, the 'Vette needs skill, proper driving skill and accuracy to get it doing laps without killing you, less so here than in the ZR1, but still edgy enough to catch you out. Most the time though, the Z06 doesn't kill, just thrill. Endlessly. Flick it into corner to get it sideways, foot down for smoke and adjust steering for slide. It's so easy to enjoy this car.

So, to conclude. Yes, if you want a good looking, fun RWD car which makes a nice noise and is under 100,000 cr, there is no replacement for displacement. The Corvette is your best bet of the two here if that's your criteria for a sports car.


If you do want speed above all else, buy the R35. But bear in mind that when you've reached the limits of the computers in that thing, one of these will blow straight past you as you fly into a wall, understeering moments before ragequitting.

no offense bro, but R35 hate is getting cliche.

uMadson?

no offense bro, but R35 hate is getting cliche.

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Nope, I was being fair to it. It didn't and couldn't match the 'Vette in terms of noise, fun and all the rest of it. And I did give it credit where it was due, it did win the lap time segment by a very sizable margin. But that was about as much as it could really do for me.

That was a great write up there onboy. :tup;

But as a fan of the Skyline/GTRs, I have to say that you can make the R35 GTR into a pure monster without the use of all of the computers that can scare the C6 Z06. It takes some time with the tuning, but it can be done.

And besides, these two are legends of the Pacific region. Skyline/GTR of Japan and Corvette of the US. These cars should always be respected and acknowledged by every enthuiast from their history to their performance.

These are what you call.... Icons.

But still, a great write up.

VspecZR1GT2RS89

That was a great write up there onboy. 👍

But as a fan of the Skyline/GTRs, I have to say that you can make the R35 GTR into a pure monster without the use of all of the computers that can scare the C6 Z06. It takes some time with the tuning, but it can be done.

And besides, these two are legends of the Pacific region. Skyline/GTR of Japan and Corvette of the US. These cars should always be respected and acknowledged by every enthuiast from their history to their performance.

These are what you call.... Icons.

But still, a great write up.

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Thanks.

Yea, I know the potential of a R35 when tuned, but reviews are meant to be done with stock cars. But the grey R35 was used for a tune review, and it was the only R35 I actually liked, hence the brown one I used this time.

Both are icons regardless, but it's just that with this generation of GTR, they've dropped the ball a bit in search for the fastest lap times.

Onboy123

Thanks.

Yea, I know the potential of a R35 when tuned, but reviews are meant to be done with stock cars. But the grey R35 was used for a tune review, and it was the only R35 I actually liked, hence the brown one I used this time.

Both are icons regardless, but it's just that with this generation of GTR, they've dropped the ball a bit in search for the fastest lap times.

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Yeah, I see what you mean. Sometimes the GTR has a little bit or no soul when compared to the Flags, Godzilla R32 and even a AWD Porsche 911 combined. So it looks like Nissan wanted to put full priority on the handling and performance from the ECUs that control the car, instead like they did with the R34 and older models, half computer, half monster. In which made the Skylines a great thrill rush.

Heck, if someone gave a choice between a R34 or the R35, I'll take the R34 first before I take the CBA. Because older Skylines are hard to find in the US. Second, they are true monsters to reckon with. And third, the R34 has a character that you can feel when driving or racing that gives you a big grin everytime.

I wonder what they will have in store for the CBA/BNR R36 GTR. I can't wait.

VspecZR1GT2RS89

Yeah, I see what you mean. Sometimes the GTR has no soul when compared to the Flags, Godzilla R32 and even a AWD Porsche 911 combined. So it looks like Nissan wanted to put full priority on the grip and performance from the ECUs that control the car, instead like they did with the R34 and older models, half computer, half monster. In which made the Skylines a great thrill rush.

Heck, if someone gave a choice between a R34 or the R35, I'll take the R34 first before I take the CBA. Because older Skylines are hard to find in the US. Second, they are true monsters to reckon with. And third, the R34 has a character that you can feel when driving or racing that gives you a big grin everytime.

I wonder what they will have in store for the CBA/BNR R36 GTR. I can't wait.

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Small corrections made to your post to speak the truth.

Yeah, the R32-R34 were undoubtedly the greatest and best Skylines of all time. My second car as well as my first performance car in GT5 was a R32 as well…quite odd that that's the only one of the trio I haven't done, actually.

I personally think that as long as Nissan aren't going down the same route with the R35 and back to the R34's route, things should be looking up.

No doubting the R35's performance, even though a Z06 had faster lap times at Laguna Seca during either motor trend or car and driver's fastest lap competition. It did have sticker tires though.

In any event, respect where it is due and the R35 is a fast car. Still, for me i'd take the Vette any time. Looks, sound and tunability, plus I like getting it right in a really fast rwd car. It's a lot more fun with more neutral handling characteristics at the limit IMO

Hello. I'm Niku Driver HC, but you can call me HC. I'm mostly 'round the Outlaws garage, but now I'm trying my hand at car reviews. So, away we go!


Meet the best Corvette ever made, the Corvette ZR1. After years of improving, the Corvette still wasn't respected by everyone in the car world. Chevrolet, tired of getting disrespected, put all the bullets in the best gun possible and shoot the competition with this monster. Nicknamed the "Blue Lighting", the car was GM's best sport car in decades. So, how did it go when I drove it?


First of all, it looks super agressive. The basic lines are the same you find on a normal ZO6, but now it also has plenty of steroids, with huge rims that almost replace the tires, ZR1 badging and 4 tailpipes that tell you what you should expect from this car. The magnificent blue you see in the pics is the best colour possible, unless you're going for the badman look, in that case go for black to scare people still.

The interior isn't much different from all the other C6 'Vettes, aside from the ZR1 that appears on the speedo. And you get a G-force and speed screen on the windshield, which helps when you don't know how fast you're going and you don't want to look to the gauges. Or it could be a big distraction. Either way, don't expect a lot of luxury on the inside of the car.


But the one thing that shocked me was the driving. No longer this car is the joker of the pack. When the tires are warm and the driver is on point, this Corvette is the best American car to drive. Ever. With handling honed on the most dangerous corners in Germany, this car can please European man like me, because it can grip in corners and it can go fast while doing it.

The massive V8 engine is nothing fancy, but it packs one hell of a punch. And one hell of a soundtrack,too. The biggest engine ever produced by GM, this 7 liter produces almost 700 hp of fire and brimstone. When you push the pedal, this thing will burn the rear tires and produce a massive tire mark that would piss off every eco-defender in the world. It has enough go juice to keep up with R8's and the like. I just don't get why they call it a "small block". The only thing small about this engine is the name.


Oh, and here is another funny detail. Apparently, Chevy tried to imitate Ferrari by putting a little window to show you the engine that powers this monster. A good idea, but it has one little flaw. Ferrari can make engines look good enough to show them off. The Chevy engine can not. But you will be too addicted to drive this to notice anything.

Chevy pulled something special with this thing. This 'Vette is not only fun, but it is also fast. However, it has flaws. The rear can still kill you if you act like a dummy, so easy on the throttle or you're biting the dust and the wall. And don't even think of driving this in the rain, or... let's just say you might need a extra pair of pants after you're done trying to avoid death. And there are faster cars, of course. This thing is not as refined as a F430 or a SLS, but what you lose in fancy is compensated by the fun you can have with this.

So, if you want a race tool, don't buy this. If, on the other hand, you want fun, games, and the best American car ever made, buy this without thinking.

Next time, notify me before posting that.

That's a decent review for a starter, and I'll leave you to Onboy123 so that you can write better than an automotive magazine editor. 👍