Hi folks, here are my test results. Hopefully I'll do the rally testing in the next few days, then I'll add the times and comments. All testing was done with a sixaxis controller.
Newdriver2- Silvia
Street: 1:15.9
This is a car you can throw around like a rag-doll. Long braking distances. The limiting factor in most cases is rear grip, which makes it great fun. Traction is compromised by the outside wheel spinning (even in 4th gear- yikes!) but this also increases the fun by tempting the driver to see how much throttle steering he/she dares use. Wonderfully raspy engine sound. Driver's choice 2nd.
Rally: 2:20.1
Completely lacking in traction. But thankfully, this Datto is not the sidestepping fiend like it's road-going cousin. I would not be surprised to learn that what I thought was quite short gearing is actually due to wheelspin for the whole lap! The rear wiggles slightly due to this, but it's very controllable. Considering that this is an ancient FR with the rear tyres furiously wheelspinning out of every corner, the way it handles in an incredible achievement. A great fun tune for a slow car. Drivers choice 2nd.
XDesperado67- CZ-3
Street: 1:14.4
Nice turn-in, then it settles into gentle understeer. However, if you use all of the available turn-in, the front gets overwhelmed and soon results in heavy understeer. Mid-corner front grip is inconsistent, possibly due to body movement. Not my cup of tea, but a predictable, competent and fast tune.
Rally: 2:05.0
Sorry XDes, you got the short straw of being the first rally car I tested. My only GT5 rally experience prior to testing XDes' car was the arcade mode Focus, but this CZ-3 is a million times easier to drive! My only quibble is that the super-short gearing (it will spin all 4 wheels in a straight line in 3rd gear), means that you need to coast through the hairpins in 1st (to get full rotation), but then I found myself short-shifting twice in the search for traction out of the corner. The rear end is so much better controlled than the arcade Focus, and the steering responses are much more immediate and predictable.
Trackripper123- Focus (blue), Escort
Street: 1:15.1
Extremely short gearing sees it into the redline in 6th on even Eiger's short straight. Yet the lack of traction meant I was tagging the limiter even when exiting hairpins in 3rd. Handling is gentle understeer and very vice-free.
Rally: 2:04.8
Didn't feel as fast as the CZ-3, but the proof is in the pudding. Excellent stability, especially on the tricky downhill bit leading to the first hairpin. Very strange engine note above 5800 rpm, I kept looking in the rear view mirror for a steam train! Very fluid, I really liked the handling.
Motor City Hami- STi (blue)
Street: 1:13.7
In the interests of a balanced review, I will say this: I don't like the red text used on the tachometer. Now for the good bits: everything! Overcooking the turn-in can incite oversteer, but it just feels like a yaw movement and the recovery doesn't bring with it the lurch of understeer often seen in other cars. Wonderful turn-in, excellent exit grip, great braking, perfect gears. Joyful. Driver's choice 1st.
Rally: 2:04.7
After I spend all this time trying to become a better rally driver, Hami goes and builds a car rally which handles like a track car...despite being on a gravel track! Wonderfully predictable, incredible stopping power. Missing some fireworks under the bonnet compared with the Escort, but makes up for it by pointing straight ahead more of the time. 5 laps wasn't enough to re-wire my brain to its potential, I should have gone faster in it. Drivers choice 1st.
Krenkme- Renault 5
Street: 1:16.0
Krenkme's evil grin and screenshots of Renault 5s at various yaw angles had me afraid, very afraid! One prod of the 5's throttle and this was confirmed, the outside wheelspin means you can be suddenly pointing backwards. But without this wheelspin, the balance is mild understeer. The Renault is harder to drive than the Silva, because the extra understeer means that when the rear lets go, it snaps big-time. A tune for the brave. PS Krenkme, sorry about all the mud/grass/spectators I smeared on its undercarriage...and a few of the panels are a
little bit bent...ok...all of them...
Rally: 2:25.3
Nice things to say about this car...ummm...the rear wheelarches have a nice shape...
Sorry I didn't enjoy driving this car at all. The handling is very unpredictable, often with a mind of it's own and outside wheelspin constantly tries to put you into the fence. Stopping distances are terrible, the peaky engine means you suddenly explode into wheelspin exiting slow corners. It actually has more grunt and grip than the Sylvia, but that just means you're going faster when the car whimsically decides to put you into the fence. Driving in fear of this meant a slower laptime than the Sylvia. I know Krenkme is an excellent tuner, so I shudder to think how horrible this car must be in stock form!
JTQmopar- STi (green)
Street: 1:14.7
Good power, and stability under braking means it is happy to be manhandled around before the apex. Unfortunately, it didn't suit my driving style, as it often overheated the outside front tyre and I found the body movement hurt agility. A bit much exit understeer than I would have liked. Sorry for the bad news, this tune wasn't my cup of tea.
Rally: 2:05.4
Excellent brakes (which I probably didn't take full advantage of). Felt quite similar to the Trackripper's Escort, but with stiffer suspension leading to it jiggling around and following the ruts more. Steering response felt quite dulled, I was using a lot more steering lock than in other cars. Sorry, this car also did not suit me.
DigitalBaka- Celica
Street: 1:14.9
Excellent front grip when powering out of 2nd gear corners. However, I found it slow to respond to turn-in and it ignored aggressive attempts to try to drive around this. Therefore, it lost time at the entry to some corners. The balance is a predictable flavour of gentle understeer. A very civilised tune, that doesn't want to mess around with any showboating.
Rally: 2:04.6
Excellent balance and predictability. The big weakness is the looooong braking distances. Excellent traction, and I much prefer the taller gear ratios used, compared with the manic short ratios used by many others. Of all the cars, this one felt the most "flexible" in suiting the driver's style. It could either be driven around by the nose, or indulge in massive driftu, depending on the driver's choice. Great tune.
CyKosis1973- Focus
Street: 1:14.4
Wonderful. Smooth, composed and one of few cars which didn't shudder through the downhill hairpin. If I must nitpick, I would prefer a bit more adjustability under brakes, but it's a minor comment. Most impressive is how the front tyres hold their line, even when being hassled by the engine's fury out of slow corners. Very enjoyable. Driver's choice 3rd.
Rally: 2:04.8
Very nice balance. At times, the front loses grip, possibly over bumps due to the stiff suspension. Not to take any credit away from CyKosis, but I think the quick (by my standards!) lap time is partly due to it being the last car tested, so I was better experienced in the gravel by then. The great balance and steering response made it a pleasure to drive. Drivers choice 3rd.
Good to know nonetheless though! 
. Notes and times are written down, all I need to do is type them up (which I will do by the deadline... I promise ). On to the street cars this coming week (after camping 
)
