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There are a lot of unusual and interesting race cars and race mods in Gran Turismo 2. I've been busy researching each of them and looking at their history and that will be what this thread is about. The format will be similar to how @Furinkazen did the "Le Mans Bible" in Gran Turismo 5. I will note the name of the car, class, origin, etc., with a more in-depth history of the car.
Let's begin (click the pic for a video)!
Also of note: With the advent of new tools to edit car nameplates and textures, all cars in this list have an edited nameplate to better match their real life counterpart and series. In some cases, especially for RMs, the car texture itself may also be modifed to better suit the car it was intended to be all along.
Acura Integra Type R (DC Sports Honda Team/Speedvision World Challenge/#8) 1998
History: Many will rave about the Integra being one of the greatest and finest front-wheel drive cars ever built. That notion translated well for the DC Sports Honda Team and their Integra, entered in the Speedvision World Challenge. The Integra was one of the most dominant cars in the series, winning 11 races in a row at one point and becoming synonymous with the more ubiquitous "RealTime Racing" group, who posted dominant results one after the other. Their rival, BMW 328s, were simply not good enough as even with the imposed weight penalty and imposed intake restriction, the Integras were forces to be reckoned with. With 215 horsepower and a curb weight of 2500 pounds, the Integras were fast and furious. These Integras are the same ones that are seen in "The Making of Gran Turismo 2." This particular Integra was driven by Lance Stewart for the 1998 SWC season, earning himself a win as well as an overall 3rd place in the standings, behind the RealTime Racing team's own pair of Type Rs.
Acquisition: Unfortunately there is no way to acquire this car within the game's normal measures; an Integra GS-R does indeed have a racing modification similar to this one, but is slightly inaccurate. However, it is the only Integra (within the NTSC copies at least) capable of a racing modification. Somewhat bizarrely, neither Type R Integras have a racing modification and the proper racing modification is affixed to the '98 LS! Therefore, to get the car as seen here, a hacking/cheating device is a must.
Accuracy: If you decide to get the LS version of the scheme, it's practically spot on in almost every regard, complete with the red badges, Acura roof logo, and Type R banner. Every other version of the scheme on the Acuras are slightly inaccurate with generic banners and no red badges. Hondas, while somewhat accurate in terms of scheme, are inaccurate in that Honda Integras with the rectangular headlights were not raced in Speedvision.
Audi A4 (Audi Sport UK/BTCC/#7 & 12) 1998
History: Entering the 1997 British Touring Car Championship, Audi and defending champ Frank Biela had a lot to live up to. Deservingly so, as the A4 was one of the more dominant touring cars, climaxing with a championship in 1996. Due to Audi's early dominance (thanks to quattro 4WD), weight penalties were imposed to "level out" the playing field and slow the A4. These crippled the A4's competitiveness early on and once the penalty was halved, it was too late for a comeback. Sadly, the 1998 season wouldn't fare much better; Biela left and Audi wound up pulling the plug on BTCC at the end of the season. They would return in 2011 with, amusingly, the A4.
Acquisition: Simple. Purchase an Audi A4 from North City, perform the mods necessary, and you're solid. Be aware that the S4 also sports a similar livery with slightly different logos.
Accuracy: Aside from many smaller logos absent, as well as the number, the race car is fairly accurate to it's real life equivalent. Only issues really are the lack of racing number, "Auto Trader" logos present on a couple of other BTCC machines and the default rims. The default rims are of split-spoke variety; purchase OZ ones to stay authentic.
In the case of this particular instance however, the Audi in game is based off a 2.8L V6 model instead of the 1.8L I4 model that was used for BTCC. For accuracy sake, consider Gamesharking the Audi A3's engine into the A4 BTCC.
Audi R8R (Audi Sport Team Joest/Le Mans Prototype/#8) 1999 [FANTASY]
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (Morrison Motorsports/IMSA GTS-1/#96) 1995
History: The 4th generation Corvette was a dominant car in the late-80s. However, come the 90s and the new ZR-1s were struggling to keep up, especially during its campaign in IMSA where it was fielded by Morrison Motorsports. Curiously, the #96 machine that was fielded in the 1995 IMSA season was built in 1992/1993 so it was already outdated by the time the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona came about. Still, these ZR1s were strengthened and outfitted with Morrison Snakeskinner body works for an aggressive stance for better aerodynamics and handling. It competed in the GTS-1 class, although in reality it only ran one race. Surprisingly it managed to qualify 29th out of 74 cars. Come race day and drivers John Heinricy, Stu Hayner, Don Knowles, and Andy Pilgrim drove the ZR-1 to a result of 10th overall, 3rd in the GTS-1 class. Impressive to say the least.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a C4 Corvette of your choice (ZR-1 for authenticity) and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The only major things lacking are the Mobil 1 logos replaced by Chevrolet ones. Although a red scheme exists, I couldn't find any Corvettes that made use of it. Also the stock wheels it comes with are inaccurate; you'll want to buy a set of five-spokes for accuracy.
As it stands, I couldn't find any specs regarding this car specifically, but I did use general specs from the era's "Snakeskinner" Corvettes. I also learned that these specifically did use the same 5.7L V8 as the Lotus Elise GT1, and therefore, most likely at 580 hp (which compares neatly between the 300ZX's 650, and the Le Mans C4's 500 hp).
Chrysler Viper GTS-R (Canaska Southwind/Le Mans GT1/#48) 1996
History: Prior to the introduction of the GTS-R, modified RT/10s were used by privateers, and did well enough, given the strong V10, but suffered due to the lack of rigidity. With the push to globalize the Viper and test out it's true performance, the Viper GTS was R converted to tackle the tracks across the globe. In 1996, it's maiden year, Canaska Southwind was one of Dodge's factory teams (alongside Oreca). Oreca was in charge of engineering the new GTS-R, but since it's 8 liter engine was barely within limits, efficiency across the board was heavily stressed. Canaska Southwind was mainly in charge of races within the U.S. of A, competing in the IMSA. It was only in 1996 did efforts across the globe join in to race together in GT1 class at the 24 Heures du Mans, with the drivers of Price Cobb, Mark Dismore, Shawn Hendricks of Canaska Southwind taking home a very solid 10th overall.
Acquisition: In order to acquire this car, you must win the Apricot Hill endurance, with a 50% chance of getting the GTS-R upon victory. However, since the GTS-R comes in both Green and Blue, your chances are more so around 33%.
Dodge Viper GTS-R (Team Taisan Advan/JGTC GT500/#55) 1999
Dodge Viper RT/10 (Rent-a-Car Racing Team/Le Mans GT1/#40) 1994
History: When the Viper was introduced in 1992 as a pure track machine, it was only logical to race it and see if the track inspiration can come to reality. However, the folks at Chrysler went ahead and made the RT/10's first race the biggest one in the world; the 24 Heures du Mans, in 1994. True to it's road performance, the only significant modifications to the car involve a large rear spoiler and a lighter weight, with the massive, 8.0 liter V10 receiving 625 horspepower. During the legendary endurance race, the #40 machine driven by René Arnoux, Justin Bell, Bertrand Balas finished in an extremely respectable 12th overall, 3rd in the GT1 class. After 1994, the RT/10s instantly lost competitiveness, leading to the GTS-R in 1996.
Acquisition: Purchase an RT/10 and race modify it.
Accuracy: Apart from the obvious lack of actual "Rent-a-Car" logos, the rest of the car is practically spot on.
Ford Mondeo (Ford Mondeo Racing/BTCC/#32, 33 & 55) 1998
History: The Mondeo's involvement within BTCC started in 1993, with cars prepared by former series champ Andy Rouse. Interestingly, even though driver Paul Radisich started the season late, he gained enough points to finish 3rd in the final standings. The Mondeo would be developed until 1995 when development was taken over by West Surrey Racing (WSR). Losing competitiveness from then on (including no podiums for 1996 as well as limited success from Nigel Mansell's run at BTCC in 1998), WSR gave the team to Prodrive for 1999. Ford then used the 1999 season to prepare for 2000, including spending an estimated 12 million and expanding to three cars by recruiting 1998 champion Rickard Rydell. Patience paid off as Ford where able to finish with a 1-2-3 in the Driver's championship and winning the Constructor's championship.
Acquisition: Simply go the Ford dealership, buy a Mondeo, and race modify it.
Accuracy: Very detailed an accurate sans the racing number (even the rims are good!). Only real problem is the excess weight and that the in-game car uses a 2.5L V6 whereas the Touring Cars used 2.0L V6s. I had to drop in an engine from a Mitsubishi FTO to give it that 2.0L V6.
Ford GT40 Mk.I(John Wyer Racing/Le Mans Group 4/#6) 1968-69
Ford GT90 (Ford Racing/Concept Cars) 1995
History: The GT90 stands in time as one of the most violent displays of performance to never hit the road. Showcasing Ford's then, "New Edge," design language, it did much more than just that, it's cutting edge, sleek and raked back design having aerodynamic purpose. Even though some components of the car were shared from the Jaguar XJ220 (as Ford held ownership of Jaguar at the time), the concept car was inherently unique. The engine, for example, was a simply two of Ford's Modular V8's chopped and spliced together, fed with an amazing four turbochargers for maximum power. The chassis was constructed of honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque, the body making extensive use of carbon fiber to keep weight at a premium. Total output from the V12 weighed in at an incredible 720 horsepower, more than enough to propel the relatively heavy chassis of 1450 kilos.
Acquisition: 50% of earning it after winning the Seattle Circuit 100 Miles
Ford Taurus SHO (Roush Racing/NASCAR Winston Cup/#6) 1999
History: After the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup season had concluded, Ford was looking for a new car to compete with since they had discontinued their Thunderbird the same year. Ford lacked any "eligible" production cars so they decided to enter their Taurus for the 1998 season, becoming the first sedan to be approved for racing in NASCAR (A trend other car makers would follow). The NASCAR Taurus was significantly shorter height-wise to the street version, to comply with NASCAR regulations. It was otherwise very similar to last year's Thunderbird, as the only changes from last year was the body; the chassis now dressed in Taurus colors as opposed to Thunderbird colors. During it's debut season, Roush Racing's Mark Martin was the top Ford driver, earning 7 victories and finishing 2nd in the 1998 championship standings for the 3rd time in his career. In 1999, he and fellow Ford driver Dale Jarrett would combine to earn Ford a manufacturer's champion, as well as a championship for Dale Jarrett.
Acquisition: Mark Martin's NASCAR Ford Taurus Race Car can only be acquired in v1.0 NTSC, J, and PAL copies of Gran Turismo 2. A generic, but still NASCAR-inspired body, exists as the Racing Modification in newer versions. You must perform a Race Modification on the Ford Taurus SHO '99. If you want NASCAR performance, you'll have to Gameshark for it.
Accuracy: From the looks of it, the race car is quite accurately represented model-wise. Most of the original logos are there aside from the ones towards the rear of the car. Performance wise, it's not even close; it's front-wheel drive, uses an incorrect engine with an incorrect transmission and weight, etc.
Honda Accord (Team Honda Sport/BTCC/#5 & 50) 1998
History: When it came to Honda at BTCC, they began their assault in 1995 to mixed results but continued to develop their Accord to fit in with the season. In 1997, Honda teamed up with Prodrive to further develop the Accord. This resulted in a 3rd place in the final Manufacturer's championship for Honda and an impressive 5th and 6th place Driver's championship finish for James Thompson and Gabriele Tarquini. After 1997, however, results became inconsistent; Honda never threatened for either championships afterwards and would leave BTCC as a constructor in 2000 and recently returned with their Civic instead, posting impressive results they never managed to achieve in the BTCC's hayday.
Acquisition: Purchase the NEW Accord from the Honda dealership and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: This is an interesting case actually. The car in-game has the racing modification based off the Japanese 6th generation Accord instead of the actual, European-spec 5th generation one (The car in-game is bigger and has a more pronounced slant down the rear windshield). Additionally, it includes number banners from BTCC as well as from STW; BTCC templates with vague "Auto Trader" logos on the doors and an STW one slanted on the hood. The default wheels are also slightly incorrect as they have shades of Mugen in them. Purchase OZ ones to match the ones found on the real life ones. Performance wise is another story as the Accord is the closest out of the BTCC machines to match it's real life equivalent.
Honda NSX (Team Kunimitsu Honda/Le Mans GT2/#84) 1995
History: The 1995 24 Heures du Mans featured the Japanese big three: Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. The three factory-backed teams took the battle to the GT1 class with their respective halo cars, but one thing stood out from the rest; a lone Honda NSX in the GT2 class fielded by Team Kunimitsu Honda. Much more production based than it's GT1 equivalents, the GT2 NSX was nevertheless equally as impressive, capable of holding its own in a class filled with Porsches. Powered by a 380 horsepower, 3.0 liter, V6 and weighing in at a mere 2315 pounds, this GT2 NSX rivaled some of the Japanese GT1 entries. Appropriately so, as Team Kunimitsu's drivers Keiichi Tsuchiya, Akira Iida, and Kunimitsu Takahashi successfully piloted the reliable NSX to a class win and overall result of 8th place. It amazingly managed to beat out every other Japanese entry, all of whom were GT1 classified.
Acquisition: Unfortunately, the only way to get this car would be to Gameshark. The body was originally planned to be the Racing Modification for the Acura NSX '93 but was scrapped. It is not available for NTSC-J copies unfortunately.
Accuracy: Aside from the Acura logos, the car is actually almost spot-on.
Jaguar Sport XJR-15 (Jaguar Sport/Jaguarsport Intercontinental Challenge/#1-16) 1991
History: After their win at Le Mans in 1988, Jaguar decided to celebrate. How so? How about taking their winning XJR-9 and re-sleeving it into a production car chassis? The XJR-15 was practically mechanically identical to said XJR-9, and one could think of it as a modernized (for the era) XJR-9 for the streets, sharing a similar profile and cockpit. Under the hood lies the Group C's aggressive six liter V12, detuned for street use, mounted midship. It's gated to a six-speed manual TWR transmission inside a carbon-fiber monocoque, weighing in at a fabulous 1050 kilos. Ultimately, the "road-going race car" did have racing credentials, in the form of Jaguar Sport's Intercontinental Challenge, a three-race, F1-accommodating (Monaco, Silverstone, Spa-Franchorchamps) series, of which the races averaged 75 kilometers each. Amazingly, the final million dollar race did not have a set number of laps to finish, resulting in aggressive driving due to the fact that the checkered flag could fly at any time. The series only lasted a year, with Armin Hahne winning the lucrative million dollar jackpot.
Acquisition: Available for 1,000,000 Cr. from the Jaguar special dealership.
Accuracy: I wonder why the in-game car doesn't have any sort of stickers, at least a blank circle would've been nice. Either way, performance is absolutely spot-on.
Lister Storm GT (Lister Storm Racing/FIA GT2/#25) 1999
History: The original Lister brand originated back in 1954, producing various race and sports cars before ending racing in 1959. Lister returned in 1986, modifying existing Jaguar chassis before finally returning to the racing scene with an original design dubbed the "Storm." Lister originally debuted the Storm (as the Storm GTS) at the 1995 24 Heures du Mans in the GT1 class, where it would fail due to gearbox problems. Even when it evolved into the GTL the Storm was not specialized enough to compete competitively in the GT1 class. It would ultimately end up as a GT2 machine, dubbed the Storm GT, and contend in the FIA GT Championship instead. It had a strong showing in 1999 and would win the title in 2000 under the command of Lister Storm Racing's Julian Bailey and Jamie Campbell-Walter.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Lister Storm and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Only real thing missing is the number but other than that, the car is quite well done. The car was mostly sponsored by Lister after all. Only problem is weight; the Storm is too heavy.
Lotus Elise GT1 (GT1 Lotus Racing/Le Mans GT1/#?) 1997
History: Before the Elise GT1, Lotus raced the Esprit GT1 with moderate success. The history of the Esprit GT1 is a handful but, long story short, the Esprit GT1 was not specialized enough to compete for victory. Therefore the Elise GT1 was born. The Elise GT1 was built very similarly to many other then-GT1 machines; shared nothing with the production variant aside from a few aesthetic touches. Powered by either a 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo or 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8, and weighing in at a very light 2320 pounds, the Elise GT1 looked very promising. However, as it turned out, the Elise GT1 was more of a failure than anything else. Plagued by reliability issues or outright low speeds, the works cars only ran during the 1997 FIA GT Championship before being cancelled the year after.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Lotus Elise GT1 and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The livery is based off the GT1 Lotus Racing's race cars and it's almost spot on. The only omission is the number but I assume it's due to the various works GT1s. Performance wise is another story. Not only is it way too light but also too powerful and inaccurate. The car in game is powered by the 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo. Since the livery is based off a works one, it should be powered by the 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8. Only privateers opted to use the 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo.
Mazda 787B (Mazdaspeed/Le Mans Group C2/#55) 1991 [FANTASY]
Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM2000 (Mercedes-Benz AG/DTM/#11) 1999
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V (Team Mitsubishi Ralliart/WRC Group A/#1) 1998
Nissan 300ZX (Clayton Cunningham Racing/IMSA GTS/#75) 1994
Nissan NISMO GT-R (Nissan Motorsport #22/Le Mans GT1/#22) 1995
History: Nissan's presence at the 1995 24 Heures du Mans was a relatively successful one. Nissan decided to enter to market their current R33 Skyline to a bigger audience. The race and road cars were never actually called a Skyline but rather a "NISMO GT-R", being fielded by the same team and since regulations requires at least one road-going variant of GT1 race cars. The two GT1 NISMOs were actually different on specifications but powered by the same Turbocharged 2.6 liter I6 that generated ~450 horsepower. The #22 being slightly heavier, at 1370kg, but more reliable thanks to a proven gearbox. Due to this extra reliability the red and blue #22 was able to finish a solid 5th in the GT1 class, the first of the non-McLarens that had dominated the race, and 10th overall. Drivers were Hideo Fukuyama, Masahiko Kondo, and Shunji Kasunya.
Acquisition: NISMO's GT-R GT1 racer can only be acquired on NTSC and PAL versions, not available in NTSC-J versions I'm afraid (The NISMO GT-R is not available on NTSC-J). Buy a regular NISMO GT-R and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The only things lacking are the number and "Keep the Dream Alive" logos. Most logos are either too small to read or replaced with a logo related to Nissan (such as the number). The three-spoke wheels pre-installed are accurate enough but the real race car did not use them in the actual race and used Volk-styled five-spokes instead. Performance wise, the power is capable of exacting 450 hp but is a bit too light to meet the 1,370kg or 3,020lbs.
History: The Primera Touring Car has had a history of competing in the BTCC. Nissan had previously competed back in 1991 to 1994 with poor results, left at the end of 1994, and returned in 1996 with their new Primera. It was apparent after their poor 1996 season that Nissan had to put more development into the Primera in order to compete with more specialized teams. Therefore, Nissan turned to Ray Mallock Limited (RML) to further develop the Primera for the upcoming BTCC seasons. RML gave the Primera a 2.0 liter, 320hp SR20DE engine and reworked suspension and six-speed transmission. It showed good pace during the 1997 season and, following more development, became dominant during the 1998 season. The Primera won a total of nine races under drivers Anthony Reid (7 wins) and David Leslie (2 wins) and gave Nissan the Manufacturer and Team championships.
Acquisition: Purchase the NEW Infiniti G20 (or Primera depending on version) and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Practically spot on. Only issues are the lack of names and certain logos. Also it's best to use a blue banner as the real Primera had two variations: a red on front and blue on rear or blue for both windshields. Power is basically spot on but it's too heavy.
Nissan R390 GT1 (Nissan Motorsport/Le Mans GT1/#32) 1998
History: After NISMO's initial Le Mans run in 1997 with the R390, for 1998 it was decided that the R390 would return again with upgrades over its predecessor. While the 1997 results were arguably solid, Nissan decided to skip the FIA GT1 championship so as to put in maximum time, effort, and resources into the R390 for the 1998 24 Heures du Mans. Upgrades included a longer tail to generate more downforce and a new wing and diffuser combo in order to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Nissan brought a total of four cars in the race's most competitive year to date. Nissan might not have had the most stellar qualifying performance, with the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche favorites claiming the top spots, but Nissan proved the R390's worth in the actual race when all four cars finished the full 24 hours. An incredible achievement on their own, R390s claimed the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 10th spots, with the #32 machine driven by Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiko Kageyama, and Aguri Suzuki claiming the last podium position after the dominant Porsche 911 GT1s.
Acquisition: You can win the 1998 R390 GT1 Race Car by completing the Gran Turismo World League. Sadly though, you only have a 25% chance of winning the car.
Peugeot 406 (Esso Ultron Team Peugeot/BTCC/#9 & 12) 1998
History: In 1996, Peugeot decided to replace it's 405 BTCC racer with it's new 406 for the upcoming BTCC seasons. Driven by Tim Harvey and Patrick Watts, 1996 proved unsuccessful; the red, Total-sponsored 406's failing to produce any significant results. 1997 would be much better in comparison. Harvey would finish the season with a 9th but Peugeot still ended up at the lower end in the Manufacturer's championship. 1998 would be a repeat result of poor results, with the competition becoming the most difficult it's ever been, causing Peugeot to withdraw from BTCC at the end of the season. Curiously though, in Germany's Super Touring series, the 406 was dominant, which begs the question as to why the BTCC effort was so lackluster. Apparently, it comes down to politics in regards to sharing secrets and competitiveness.
Acquisition: Simply go to the Peugeot dealership, purchase the 406, and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Two different 406 variants exist. A variant with the "Esso" sponsorship, and most accurate, appears in PAL and NTSC-J copies. NTSC gets the variant with the "Exxon" sponsorship due to licensing. Either way, you can get the "Esso" or "Exxon" version via Gameshark for the respective systems. Accuracy-wise, the car is almost exact aside from missing smaller logos. The "406" logo is also white instead of blue and the 406 is lacking an additional "Esso" logo on the C-Pillar. Also a little too heavy for BTCC performance.
Renault Espace (Renault-Matra-Williams Collab./"Formula 1") 1994
History: The Espace F1 is the definition of information you didn't know you needed... because how else would you celebrate 10 years of a minivan and your F1 program? Combine them both and produce something that no one asked for, but yet no one is gonna complain about. Thought up by the folks at Matra in 1994, the Espace F1's philosophy sounded simple on paper, but proved to be difficult to work with the standard Espace. Therefore a custom carbon fiber chassis and tub was designed to accommodate the legendary V10 from the 1993-winning FW15C. Outside of the engine, mounted midship, more work was done to the suspension, brakes, wheels, and bodywork to give the usually pedestrian Espace some control over it's new 16,000 redline heart. It started to share more in common with the F1 car than with the car it was supposed to resemble. Madly thrashed on several occasions, the car now rests in Renault's museum as a display of the wildest addition problem possible.
Acquisition: Purchasable for 2,000,000 Cr. from Renault in West City
Renault Laguna ST(Williams-Renault Dealer Racing/BTCC/#1 & 37) 1997
(car texture modified)
History: Renault's tenure into the British Touring Car Championship began in 1994 to a strong debut season, to which they began 1995 partnered with Formula One's Williams; their team labelled as the Williams Touring Car Engineering (WTCE). This partnership helped the Laguna monumentally, equipped with MacPherson suspension and a 2.0L, 310hp straight four supplied by Renault and prepared by the minds at Sodemo. WTCE made a monster out of the Laguna, to which in 1995 scored a total of 10 wins, including 5 in a row, earning Renault the manufacturer's championship but neither Alain Menu or Will Hoy secured the Driver's Championship, with Menu finishing second in '95 and '96. However, in 1997, the Laguna absolutely destroyed the competition with 14 races won out of 24, with Menu winning 12 of them, earning him and Renault their respective championships.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Renault Laguna and perform the racing modification.
Accuracy: Quite possibly the least accurate BTCC Race Car alongside the Accord, the Laguna is alright in term of general accuracy. However, it is missing quite a bit of logos, such as the iconic Nestle logo. Even worse, the car suffers from a graphical glitch causing the front bumper texture to be misaligned with the actual bumper. Additionally it's engine is not only incorrect in the sense that it's a "V6," but is 3.0L instead of 2.0L
Suzuki Cultus (Monster Sport/Pikes Peak Hill Climb/#6) 1993
History: The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is an event unlike any other. The 12.5 mile stretch of highway just outside of Colorado Springs is a proving ground for man and machine, especially since the race up the mountain is primarily dirt and gravel, with long drops and imposing cliffs daring those with a thirst for speed. Such an event, then, was perfect for Nobuhiro Tajima, better known by his alias; "Monster." Tajima was very much an important figure in the famous Hill Climb, with the Cultus being his first, self-made project. Grounded in the Unlimited Class, this Cultus shared little with the production version. Such a claim is backed up with the car being propelled by two 1.6L turbocharged Suzuki four-cylinders wrapped in an extreme case of huge wings, spoilers, canards, ground effects, you name it. With an altitude that climbed 10,000 feet, grabbing all the air you could was a must. This particular Cultus earned a class win in 1992 and 1993, with an amazing 2nd overall as well in 1993. The Cultus was Tajima's stepping stone into the untapped world of power and aerodynamics, ideas that would be continued and evolved with the Escudo in 1995.
Acquisition: Simply purchase one from the Suzuki Special Dealership for a cool 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Since Pikes Peak, Monster Sport, and PD have a very good relationship, its reasonable to take the specs at face value because the Cultus specs are impossible to find online. However, it wouldn't be hard to assume that the figures are accurate seeing as how Pikes Peak cars are always grounded in insanity. Still, it is missing the number and official Pikes Peak 1993 logos. Additionally, it has the (J) tag, even though the car itself was built entirely in the United States; this is probably because the Cultus itself is a JDM vehicle.
Suzuki Escudo Grand Vitara (Monster Sport/Pikes Peak International Hill Climb/#6) 1998
History: This car is one of the most iconic cars in the entire Gran Turismo franchise, and its introduction came in Gran Turismo 2. Born in 1994, the Escudo was Tajima's evolution of the Cultus, with a bigger emphasis on power and aerodynamics. Instead of the Cultus' four-cylinder, the Escudo uses two of its very own 2.5-liter V6; the H25A. Essentially a 5-liter V12, the engines combined make an astonishing 1,000 horsepower and nearly 700 lb-ft of torque; almost enough to tackle the 5,000+ foot climb up the famous Pikes Peak dirt trial. Couple the engine with a space frame chassis and a crazier offering of wings and planes, the Escudo was right at home competing in the time attack. Although this particular Escudo variant never quite conquered Pikes Peak (best result of 2nd in 1998), the Escudo did destroy the Queensland Hill Climb four years in a row (1998-2001).
Acquisition: Go to the Suzuki Special Dealership, pay up 2,000,000 Cr., and away you go.
Accuracy: Almost the same deal as the Cultus, although this particular Pikes Peak machine does have its official Pikes Peak '98 logo. Also has the same (J) affixiation, but I'm guessing that's because Escudos were not sold in North America.
Toyota GT-One (Toyota Motorsport/Le Mans GT1/#27) 1998
History: Toyota's participation in Le Mans was a bit of a mess, since after the death of Group C, Toyota attempted the endurance race with modified Supras and purpose built SARD MC8-Rs. However, even they knew of the big guns that had invaded the GT1 class, and so took 1997 off to focus on the development of the GT-One for 1998. Inspired by the GT1 racers of 1997, and exploiting the rule book to it's absolute max (the famous example being an empty fuel tank, theoretically speaking, worked as a trunk/boot), the GT-One, developed by Toyota Team Europe and employing a custom Dallara chassis, was ready for action. It showed incredible pace, with a 2nd place qualifying effort at Le Mans in 1998. The race wouldn't turn out so incredible, with the #28 and #29 efforts falling victim to mechanical issues, lending the #27 driven by the Japanese Keiichi Tsuchiya, Ukyou Katayama, Toshio Suzuki to a 9th place, 25 laps behind the winning 911 GT1.
Acquisition: The 1998 version of the GT-One can be won randomly after the Gran Turismo World League. However, NTSC versions have 'Exxon' sponsorship and the rest of the world has 'Esso' sponsorship; the real life vehicle contained Esso sponsorship, which can be gamesharked to an NTSC version.
One of the extremely race instances where PD got the weight right! But sadly of course, they OP'd the power output by 72 hp.
Toyota GT-One (Toyota Motorsport/Le Mans GTP/#3) 1999
Coming in a future Update!
History: After a couple of years of manufacturers rudely abusing the GT1 rulebook/category, the FIA stepped in and banned the GT1 category all together, inviting those affected to join the GT/S or LM categories. The Toyota GT-One was one of the most radical GT1 cars at the time, so transitioning to LMGTP (for closed cockpit LMP machines) seemed fitting. Toyota was desperately after the crown, but felt confident in their updated and refined machine as it was already aggressive in 1998. Their experience from last year looked promising on paper, with the pole position for the 1999 race sealed alongside second and eight place for the #1-3 TS020's. However, a fatal design error causing explosive tire blowouts was revealed, sending the #1 and #2 machines out of the race with damage beyond repair. The #3 Esso entry, fielded by the Japanese gentlemen of Keiichi Tsuchiya, Ukyou Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, fought with BMW for the lead before the same issue afflicted them. The damage was survivable, but the race was lost; too much time was spent getting the car back and in the pits with the damage, leading Toyota to have to settle for 2nd. The same machine also ran in the Le Mans 1000km of Fuji, but, again, the TS020 would settle for second behind the Nissan R391. Toyota would not return to Le Mans after 1999 until 2012, and would not win the famed race until 2018 with the TS050, nearly 40 years since their initial run.
Acquisition: Can be earned by getting gold in all S-License tests.
Accuracy: This car has an interesting error in the fact that it is labelled as #1 instead of #3. I can only assume they were trying to also "include" its appearance in the 1000km of Fuji, but the car's info screen only talks about its Le Mans entries (which, incorrectly, talk about 1997 and 1998)
TVR Speed 12 (TVR Engineering/FIA GT1/#12) 1998
History: TVR's have always had a reputation of being unorthodox and outrageous vehicles. Therefore when the Speed 12 was unveiled in 1996, it wasn't anything too out of TVR's ordinary. The Speed 12 was designed to be the most powerful road car back when it was unveiled, with a gigantic 7.7-liter, 48-valve, 830-hp V12 (Race version was limited to a mere 750-hp). An unorthodox car among a field of finely tuned knives, special features include a fixed seat and movable pedals to accommodate all drivers. Unfortunately, with the ever changing GT rules, the Speed 12 only ever competed in the 1998 British Privilege Insurance GT Championship season, with mixed results. It then evolved into the Cerbera Speed 12 after 1998 to more mixed results.
Acquisition: To first acquire the Speed 12, you must win the Gran Turismo All Stars event race at Red Rock Valley Speedway. Simply perform a racing modification in white (no known yellow version was ever raced, let alone one bearing the #12).
Accuracy: Scheme-wise, the race modded version does well in this regard. It actually has a number (#12), and the paint scheme is virtually identical bar a few added/removed logos here and there. Performance-wise, we can assume that race-trim cars were ~750-hp, but the TVR starts out at 803-hp; fine for the road car, not fine for the race car. Weight is not so much an issue as is the fact that I couldn't find any weight values.
Vauxhall Vectra B (Vauxhall Sport/BTCC/#??) 1998
History: Vauxhall's running in the BTCC was pretty impressive under the direction of Ray Mallock Limited (RML). They had won the series crown in 1995, but transitioning to the then new Vectra proved to be pretty difficult. Triple Eight Race Engineering then entered the picture as a brand new team who had to take on the responsibility of becoming Vauxhall's factory team (under the Vauxhall Sport banner), all while RML took over for Nissan's factory team in 1997. Triple Eight was basically a works team for Vauxhall from the very beginning, a move proposed by General Motors. In 1997, the team was horribly off pace due to a poor aerodynamic package lifted straight from the Opel Vectra Super Touring Car, resulting in poor speeds on the BTCC's schedule. For 1998 however, the FIA allowed the Vauxhall team to create an aerodynamic package different from Opel's, resulting in several wins that year by John Cleland and Derek Warwick. The team performed very solid, but only managed to claim 5th in the manufacturer's championship, with Cleland and Warwick finishing 8th and 9th in points.
Acquisition: Vauxhalls are region based cars and therefore I believe you must have a PAL version of the game in order to have legit access to Vauxhalls. You can still get the identical car, labelled as an Opel, in any other region of the game, but of course such isn't very accurate.
Accuracy: As always with region-based cars, outside of the subtle differences, the Vauxhall version has additional "MasterFit" logos as compared to the Opel and its usual generic ones. Otherwise the car is very close exterior wise. As far as internally, of course the engine is incorrect at a 2.6L V6, as well as the usual weight problem.
History: What happens when one of the most unproven supercar manufacturers of all time decides to fight against a juggernaut like Porsche and BMW (and on the race track too)? During 1998, Vector decided that, in an attempt to increase brand image and "compensate for the lack of heritage," as their then President would put it, the M12 would be raced against the likes of Porsche and BMW within the IMSA GTS-2 class on domestic soil. Powered by the potent 5.7 liter Lamborghini Diablo V12, and fitted with an even more aerodynamic package than stock, it looked promising enough entering it's first event in Las Vegas. However, an abysmal qualifying run of 19th out of 21 cars, and an eventual last place DNF due to overheating, the short-lived M12R was shelved, never to be run again in its original form.
Acquisition: Simply purchase the M12 LM Edition from the Vector Dealership in South City for 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Livery-wise, the car in-game does a decent enough job. It doesn't quite have the AmeriSuites sponsorship (or livery for that matter), but the Vector logos in place do a great job in comparison. The default rims are inaccurate however since they come straight from the stock M12; purchase a set of OZ's 2 piece rims to stay authentic.
As it stands, outside of the in-game stats, there are no mentions of the race car's specs anywhere on the web.
Let's begin (click the pic for a video)!
Also of note: With the advent of new tools to edit car nameplates and textures, all cars in this list have an edited nameplate to better match their real life counterpart and series. In some cases, especially for RMs, the car texture itself may also be modifed to better suit the car it was intended to be all along.
Acura Integra Type R (DC Sports Honda Team/Speedvision World Challenge/#8) 1998
History: Many will rave about the Integra being one of the greatest and finest front-wheel drive cars ever built. That notion translated well for the DC Sports Honda Team and their Integra, entered in the Speedvision World Challenge. The Integra was one of the most dominant cars in the series, winning 11 races in a row at one point and becoming synonymous with the more ubiquitous "RealTime Racing" group, who posted dominant results one after the other. Their rival, BMW 328s, were simply not good enough as even with the imposed weight penalty and imposed intake restriction, the Integras were forces to be reckoned with. With 215 horsepower and a curb weight of 2500 pounds, the Integras were fast and furious. These Integras are the same ones that are seen in "The Making of Gran Turismo 2." This particular Integra was driven by Lance Stewart for the 1998 SWC season, earning himself a win as well as an overall 3rd place in the standings, behind the RealTime Racing team's own pair of Type Rs.
Acquisition: Unfortunately there is no way to acquire this car within the game's normal measures; an Integra GS-R does indeed have a racing modification similar to this one, but is slightly inaccurate. However, it is the only Integra (within the NTSC copies at least) capable of a racing modification. Somewhat bizarrely, neither Type R Integras have a racing modification and the proper racing modification is affixed to the '98 LS! Therefore, to get the car as seen here, a hacking/cheating device is a must.
Accuracy: If you decide to get the LS version of the scheme, it's practically spot on in almost every regard, complete with the red badges, Acura roof logo, and Type R banner. Every other version of the scheme on the Acuras are slightly inaccurate with generic banners and no red badges. Hondas, while somewhat accurate in terms of scheme, are inaccurate in that Honda Integras with the rectangular headlights were not raced in Speedvision.
Real Specs: 1.8L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 215 hp & 1134 kg
GT2 Specs: 1.8L NA DOHC I4 FF @N/A hp & 1140 kg
Practically spot-on. The real life example is not radically modified either but it's fitting that the race mod basically gives it the correct weight.GT2 Specs: 1.8L NA DOHC I4 FF @N/A hp & 1140 kg
Audi A4 (Audi Sport UK/BTCC/#7 & 12) 1998
History: Entering the 1997 British Touring Car Championship, Audi and defending champ Frank Biela had a lot to live up to. Deservingly so, as the A4 was one of the more dominant touring cars, climaxing with a championship in 1996. Due to Audi's early dominance (thanks to quattro 4WD), weight penalties were imposed to "level out" the playing field and slow the A4. These crippled the A4's competitiveness early on and once the penalty was halved, it was too late for a comeback. Sadly, the 1998 season wouldn't fare much better; Biela left and Audi wound up pulling the plug on BTCC at the end of the season. They would return in 2011 with, amusingly, the A4.
Acquisition: Simple. Purchase an Audi A4 from North City, perform the mods necessary, and you're solid. Be aware that the S4 also sports a similar livery with slightly different logos.
Accuracy: Aside from many smaller logos absent, as well as the number, the race car is fairly accurate to it's real life equivalent. Only issues really are the lack of racing number, "Auto Trader" logos present on a couple of other BTCC machines and the default rims. The default rims are of split-spoke variety; purchase OZ ones to stay authentic.
Real Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 305 hp & 1040 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.8L NA DOHC V6 4WD @ N/A hp & 1221 kg
The biggest problem with the BTCC RM cars is that they're all much too heavy for the cars they're made to resemble. Power comes in close depending on how you get there in terms of modifications but weight makes these cars impossible to accurately replicate without Gamesharking.GT2 Specs: 2.8L NA DOHC V6 4WD @ N/A hp & 1221 kg
In the case of this particular instance however, the Audi in game is based off a 2.8L V6 model instead of the 1.8L I4 model that was used for BTCC. For accuracy sake, consider Gamesharking the Audi A3's engine into the A4 BTCC.
Audi R8R (Audi Sport Team Joest/Le Mans Prototype/#8) 1999 [FANTASY]
History: Audi's involvement in the prestigious 24 hour race begins in 1997. Audi, despite being a part of the Volkswagen Auto Group that included Porsche, was on it's own as far as developing a new race car, one that would find more endurance racing outside of Le Mans. Development on the R8R and R8C race cars began in 1997, with both cars taking a unique approach; one was open and the other was a closed-cockpit machine. This is partly to maximize the potential success of the program in general, although, at the end of the day, the R8R had much more development by the time the 1999 race had arrived. Setting a decent pace in qualifying, the development of the R8R shined amongst its competitors, with the #8 entry driven by Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, and Didier Theys finishing in an impressive 3rd, hereby killing the R8C project and providing the test bed for the new millenium's R8.
Acquisition: Since the car in question is the TT LM Edition, go the Audi dealership and purchase it
Acquisition: Since the car in question is the TT LM Edition, go the Audi dealership and purchase it
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (Morrison Motorsports/IMSA GTS-1/#96) 1995
History: The 4th generation Corvette was a dominant car in the late-80s. However, come the 90s and the new ZR-1s were struggling to keep up, especially during its campaign in IMSA where it was fielded by Morrison Motorsports. Curiously, the #96 machine that was fielded in the 1995 IMSA season was built in 1992/1993 so it was already outdated by the time the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona came about. Still, these ZR1s were strengthened and outfitted with Morrison Snakeskinner body works for an aggressive stance for better aerodynamics and handling. It competed in the GTS-1 class, although in reality it only ran one race. Surprisingly it managed to qualify 29th out of 74 cars. Come race day and drivers John Heinricy, Stu Hayner, Don Knowles, and Andy Pilgrim drove the ZR-1 to a result of 10th overall, 3rd in the GTS-1 class. Impressive to say the least.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a C4 Corvette of your choice (ZR-1 for authenticity) and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The only major things lacking are the Mobil 1 logos replaced by Chevrolet ones. Although a red scheme exists, I couldn't find any Corvettes that made use of it. Also the stock wheels it comes with are inaccurate; you'll want to buy a set of five-spokes for accuracy.
As it stands, I couldn't find any specs regarding this car specifically, but I did use general specs from the era's "Snakeskinner" Corvettes. I also learned that these specifically did use the same 5.7L V8 as the Lotus Elise GT1, and therefore, most likely at 580 hp (which compares neatly between the 300ZX's 650, and the Le Mans C4's 500 hp).
Real Specs: 5.7L NA DOHC V8 FR @ 580 hp & ??? kg (est. 1300 kg)
GT2 Specs: 5.7L NA DOHC V8 FR @ 642 hp & 1360 kg
GT2 Specs: 5.7L NA DOHC V8 FR @ 642 hp & 1360 kg
Chrysler Viper GTS-R (Canaska Southwind/Le Mans GT1/#48) 1996
History: Prior to the introduction of the GTS-R, modified RT/10s were used by privateers, and did well enough, given the strong V10, but suffered due to the lack of rigidity. With the push to globalize the Viper and test out it's true performance, the Viper GTS was R converted to tackle the tracks across the globe. In 1996, it's maiden year, Canaska Southwind was one of Dodge's factory teams (alongside Oreca). Oreca was in charge of engineering the new GTS-R, but since it's 8 liter engine was barely within limits, efficiency across the board was heavily stressed. Canaska Southwind was mainly in charge of races within the U.S. of A, competing in the IMSA. It was only in 1996 did efforts across the globe join in to race together in GT1 class at the 24 Heures du Mans, with the drivers of Price Cobb, Mark Dismore, Shawn Hendricks of Canaska Southwind taking home a very solid 10th overall.
Acquisition: In order to acquire this car, you must win the Apricot Hill endurance, with a 50% chance of getting the GTS-R upon victory. However, since the GTS-R comes in both Green and Blue, your chances are more so around 33%.
Real Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ 620 hp & 1150 kg
GT2 Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ 690 hp & 1246 kg
Once again, weight is the issue here, although it is slightly off-put by the 70 hp increase. However, a 100 kg difference is way too big to overlook.GT2 Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ 690 hp & 1246 kg
Dodge Viper GTS-R (Team Taisan Advan/JGTC GT500/#55) 1999
History: Sometimes it seems as if there's no racing series the Viper hasn't raced in. With appearances in endurance, GT, and even drifting competition, the Viper remains one of history's most versatile race car. And as such, it's not too out of place when a Viper appeared to challenge the Japanese domestics in 1997, fielded by none other than the JGTC/Super GT veterans at Team Taisan. They were most comfortable with foreign makes at the time, fielding BMWs, Ferraris, and, of course, Dodge. The Viper was a proven chassis, but as was the case for many foreign makes sans McLaren, they simply didn't do well compared to the Nissans and Toyotas of the era, seeing as how the Japanese were fighting on their own turf. Team Taisan's Viper in this 1999 configuration only managed a best of 9th place during the Suzuka 300km, driven by ideshi Matsuda (J) and Eiichi Tajima (J), settling for an abysmal 23rd place points finish. However, once it was reclassified to a GT300 racer, it managed a class win at Fuji in 2003; perhaps a fitting conclusion for a car that was on the brink of retirement.
Acquisition: 25% chance of obtaining it after winning the GT500 championship.
Accuracy: Seeing as how PD was/is very closely associated with the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship at the time, the specs of this car are about in line with what the real car was outputting back in 1999. However, as is the case with a majority of the JGTC cars in game, the Viper is too overpowered to be equivalent to its real life counterpart.
Acquisition: 25% chance of obtaining it after winning the GT500 championship.
Accuracy: Seeing as how PD was/is very closely associated with the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship at the time, the specs of this car are about in line with what the real car was outputting back in 1999. However, as is the case with a majority of the JGTC cars in game, the Viper is too overpowered to be equivalent to its real life counterpart.
Dodge Viper RT/10 (Rent-a-Car Racing Team/Le Mans GT1/#40) 1994
History: When the Viper was introduced in 1992 as a pure track machine, it was only logical to race it and see if the track inspiration can come to reality. However, the folks at Chrysler went ahead and made the RT/10's first race the biggest one in the world; the 24 Heures du Mans, in 1994. True to it's road performance, the only significant modifications to the car involve a large rear spoiler and a lighter weight, with the massive, 8.0 liter V10 receiving 625 horspepower. During the legendary endurance race, the #40 machine driven by René Arnoux, Justin Bell, Bertrand Balas finished in an extremely respectable 12th overall, 3rd in the GT1 class. After 1994, the RT/10s instantly lost competitiveness, leading to the GTS-R in 1996.
Acquisition: Purchase an RT/10 and race modify it.
Accuracy: Apart from the obvious lack of actual "Rent-a-Car" logos, the rest of the car is practically spot on.
Real Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ 625 hp & ??? kg (est. 1200-1250kg?)
GT2 Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ N/A hp & 1280 kg
I couldn't find an official reading on the car's weight. I guestimated it to be around the 1200 kg range with extra lightening.GT2 Specs: 8.0L NA OHV V10 FR @ N/A hp & 1280 kg
Ford Mondeo (Ford Mondeo Racing/BTCC/#32, 33 & 55) 1998
History: The Mondeo's involvement within BTCC started in 1993, with cars prepared by former series champ Andy Rouse. Interestingly, even though driver Paul Radisich started the season late, he gained enough points to finish 3rd in the final standings. The Mondeo would be developed until 1995 when development was taken over by West Surrey Racing (WSR). Losing competitiveness from then on (including no podiums for 1996 as well as limited success from Nigel Mansell's run at BTCC in 1998), WSR gave the team to Prodrive for 1999. Ford then used the 1999 season to prepare for 2000, including spending an estimated 12 million and expanding to three cars by recruiting 1998 champion Rickard Rydell. Patience paid off as Ford where able to finish with a 1-2-3 in the Driver's championship and winning the Constructor's championship.
Acquisition: Simply go the Ford dealership, buy a Mondeo, and race modify it.
Accuracy: Very detailed an accurate sans the racing number (even the rims are good!). Only real problem is the excess weight and that the in-game car uses a 2.5L V6 whereas the Touring Cars used 2.0L V6s. I had to drop in an engine from a Mitsubishi FTO to give it that 2.0L V6.
Real Spec: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 305 hp & 975 kg
GT2 Spec: 2.5L NA DOHC V6 FF @ 297 hp & 1194 kg
GT2 Spec: 2.5L NA DOHC V6 FF @ 297 hp & 1194 kg
Although it gets close, it's far too heavy and uses a larger, 2.5L V6.
Ford GT40 Mk.I(John Wyer Racing/Le Mans Group 4/#6) 1968-69
History: This is a race car that needs no introduction; I'm almost certain anyone who knows anything about Le Mans knows about this particular GT40. To this day, it is one of only four cars to win Le Mans more than once. And no, I'm not talking about the models themselves the way the GT40 won Le Mans 4 times overall. No, I meant the exact car that won in 1968 also won in 1969. While one can attribute the victories to sheer luck (limited ~300 cu. in. engines in '68 compared to the Mk. I's 299 cu. in., or the poor quality of Porsche's 917 in '69), there's no denying that for a car to win is impressive on its own, but doing it twice requires a new level of engineering. Chassis 1075, as it's more famously known, was fielded by John Wyer Automotive Engineering, popular for the famous Gulf liveries. In 1968, the GT40 was still relatively competitive; the power from it's V8 proving more than enough for the long Mulsanne straights, allowing it to comfortably win with the likes of Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi taking the victory. 1969 proved more difficult; the new 917s were deadly quick but proved remarkable unreliable, especially with the gearboxes failing to seal oil. It was only after the 21st hour that the GT40 found itself in the lead at the hands of Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver, and finished only a few hundred or so yards ahead of a Porsche 908.
Acquisition
Acquisition
Ford GT90 (Ford Racing/Concept Cars) 1995
History: The GT90 stands in time as one of the most violent displays of performance to never hit the road. Showcasing Ford's then, "New Edge," design language, it did much more than just that, it's cutting edge, sleek and raked back design having aerodynamic purpose. Even though some components of the car were shared from the Jaguar XJ220 (as Ford held ownership of Jaguar at the time), the concept car was inherently unique. The engine, for example, was a simply two of Ford's Modular V8's chopped and spliced together, fed with an amazing four turbochargers for maximum power. The chassis was constructed of honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque, the body making extensive use of carbon fiber to keep weight at a premium. Total output from the V12 weighed in at an incredible 720 horsepower, more than enough to propel the relatively heavy chassis of 1450 kilos.
Acquisition: 50% of earning it after winning the Seattle Circuit 100 Miles
Real Specs: 6.0L QT (quad) DOHC V12 MR @ 720 hp & 1450 kg
GT2 Specs: 6.0L QT (quad) DOHC V12 MR @ 716 hp & 1450 kg
GT2 Specs: 6.0L QT (quad) DOHC V12 MR @ 716 hp & 1450 kg
Ford Taurus SHO (Roush Racing/NASCAR Winston Cup/#6) 1999
History: After the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup season had concluded, Ford was looking for a new car to compete with since they had discontinued their Thunderbird the same year. Ford lacked any "eligible" production cars so they decided to enter their Taurus for the 1998 season, becoming the first sedan to be approved for racing in NASCAR (A trend other car makers would follow). The NASCAR Taurus was significantly shorter height-wise to the street version, to comply with NASCAR regulations. It was otherwise very similar to last year's Thunderbird, as the only changes from last year was the body; the chassis now dressed in Taurus colors as opposed to Thunderbird colors. During it's debut season, Roush Racing's Mark Martin was the top Ford driver, earning 7 victories and finishing 2nd in the 1998 championship standings for the 3rd time in his career. In 1999, he and fellow Ford driver Dale Jarrett would combine to earn Ford a manufacturer's champion, as well as a championship for Dale Jarrett.
Acquisition: Mark Martin's NASCAR Ford Taurus Race Car can only be acquired in v1.0 NTSC, J, and PAL copies of Gran Turismo 2. A generic, but still NASCAR-inspired body, exists as the Racing Modification in newer versions. You must perform a Race Modification on the Ford Taurus SHO '99. If you want NASCAR performance, you'll have to Gameshark for it.
Accuracy: From the looks of it, the race car is quite accurately represented model-wise. Most of the original logos are there aside from the ones towards the rear of the car. Performance wise, it's not even close; it's front-wheel drive, uses an incorrect engine with an incorrect transmission and weight, etc.
Real Specs: 5.8L NA OHV V8 FR @ ~750 hp & 1550 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.4L NA DOHC V8 FF @ 364hp & 1290 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.4L NA DOHC V8 FF @ 364hp & 1290 kg
It's not even close so I'm not even going to bother...
Honda Accord (Team Honda Sport/BTCC/#5 & 50) 1998
History: When it came to Honda at BTCC, they began their assault in 1995 to mixed results but continued to develop their Accord to fit in with the season. In 1997, Honda teamed up with Prodrive to further develop the Accord. This resulted in a 3rd place in the final Manufacturer's championship for Honda and an impressive 5th and 6th place Driver's championship finish for James Thompson and Gabriele Tarquini. After 1997, however, results became inconsistent; Honda never threatened for either championships afterwards and would leave BTCC as a constructor in 2000 and recently returned with their Civic instead, posting impressive results they never managed to achieve in the BTCC's hayday.
Acquisition: Purchase the NEW Accord from the Honda dealership and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: This is an interesting case actually. The car in-game has the racing modification based off the Japanese 6th generation Accord instead of the actual, European-spec 5th generation one (The car in-game is bigger and has a more pronounced slant down the rear windshield). Additionally, it includes number banners from BTCC as well as from STW; BTCC templates with vague "Auto Trader" logos on the doors and an STW one slanted on the hood. The default wheels are also slightly incorrect as they have shades of Mugen in them. Purchase OZ ones to match the ones found on the real life ones. Performance wise is another story as the Accord is the closest out of the BTCC machines to match it's real life equivalent.
Real Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 320 hp & 1050 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 308 hp & 1107 kg
Heavy as always, but otherwise very similar to what it should be!GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 308 hp & 1107 kg
Honda NSX (Team Kunimitsu Honda/Le Mans GT2/#84) 1995
History: The 1995 24 Heures du Mans featured the Japanese big three: Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. The three factory-backed teams took the battle to the GT1 class with their respective halo cars, but one thing stood out from the rest; a lone Honda NSX in the GT2 class fielded by Team Kunimitsu Honda. Much more production based than it's GT1 equivalents, the GT2 NSX was nevertheless equally as impressive, capable of holding its own in a class filled with Porsches. Powered by a 380 horsepower, 3.0 liter, V6 and weighing in at a mere 2315 pounds, this GT2 NSX rivaled some of the Japanese GT1 entries. Appropriately so, as Team Kunimitsu's drivers Keiichi Tsuchiya, Akira Iida, and Kunimitsu Takahashi successfully piloted the reliable NSX to a class win and overall result of 8th place. It amazingly managed to beat out every other Japanese entry, all of whom were GT1 classified.
Acquisition: Unfortunately, the only way to get this car would be to Gameshark. The body was originally planned to be the Racing Modification for the Acura NSX '93 but was scrapped. It is not available for NTSC-J copies unfortunately.
Accuracy: Aside from the Acura logos, the car is actually almost spot-on.
Real Specs: 3.0L NA DOHC V6 MR @ 390 hp & 1043 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.0L NA DOHC V6 MR @ 395 hp & 1204 kg
Regardless of power, the car won't reach its optimal performance unless it shaves off 150 kg.GT2 Specs: 3.0L NA DOHC V6 MR @ 395 hp & 1204 kg
Jaguar Sport XJR-15 (Jaguar Sport/Jaguarsport Intercontinental Challenge/#1-16) 1991
History: After their win at Le Mans in 1988, Jaguar decided to celebrate. How so? How about taking their winning XJR-9 and re-sleeving it into a production car chassis? The XJR-15 was practically mechanically identical to said XJR-9, and one could think of it as a modernized (for the era) XJR-9 for the streets, sharing a similar profile and cockpit. Under the hood lies the Group C's aggressive six liter V12, detuned for street use, mounted midship. It's gated to a six-speed manual TWR transmission inside a carbon-fiber monocoque, weighing in at a fabulous 1050 kilos. Ultimately, the "road-going race car" did have racing credentials, in the form of Jaguar Sport's Intercontinental Challenge, a three-race, F1-accommodating (Monaco, Silverstone, Spa-Franchorchamps) series, of which the races averaged 75 kilometers each. Amazingly, the final million dollar race did not have a set number of laps to finish, resulting in aggressive driving due to the fact that the checkered flag could fly at any time. The series only lasted a year, with Armin Hahne winning the lucrative million dollar jackpot.
Acquisition: Available for 1,000,000 Cr. from the Jaguar special dealership.
Accuracy: I wonder why the in-game car doesn't have any sort of stickers, at least a blank circle would've been nice. Either way, performance is absolutely spot-on.
Real Specs: 6.0L NA SOHC V12 MR @ 450 hp & 1050 kg
GT2 Specs: 6.0L NA SOHC V12 MR @ 470 hp & 1050 kg
GT2 Specs: 6.0L NA SOHC V12 MR @ 470 hp & 1050 kg
Lister Storm GT (Lister Storm Racing/FIA GT2/#25) 1999
History: The original Lister brand originated back in 1954, producing various race and sports cars before ending racing in 1959. Lister returned in 1986, modifying existing Jaguar chassis before finally returning to the racing scene with an original design dubbed the "Storm." Lister originally debuted the Storm (as the Storm GTS) at the 1995 24 Heures du Mans in the GT1 class, where it would fail due to gearbox problems. Even when it evolved into the GTL the Storm was not specialized enough to compete competitively in the GT1 class. It would ultimately end up as a GT2 machine, dubbed the Storm GT, and contend in the FIA GT Championship instead. It had a strong showing in 1999 and would win the title in 2000 under the command of Lister Storm Racing's Julian Bailey and Jamie Campbell-Walter.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Lister Storm and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Only real thing missing is the number but other than that, the car is quite well done. The car was mostly sponsored by Lister after all. Only problem is weight; the Storm is too heavy.
Real Specs: 7.0L NA SOHC V12 FR @ 610 hp & 1100 kg
Lotus 72 (Gold Leaf Team Lotus/F1/#?) 1970 [FANTASY]
Coming in a future update!
History: I was looking at @RandomCarGuy17's Racing Modification videos and saw a comment on the North City one, pointing out how the Elan '71 has a paint scheme that looked similar to the Golden Leaf Lotuses of the past. Looking at it, it was quite close. This was a perfect excuse for me to go out and try something crazy.
So, where do we begin? The Lotus 49 was nearing the end of it's run towards the end of the 60s and picked up sponsorship from Gold Leaf which gave the Lotuses the iconic Red, Silver, and Gold look. Lotus was planning on replacing the aging 49 with the 72, a more aerodynamic-efficient vehicle. It was to be introduced early in 1970 but problems received during its maiden race caused the 72 to wait until it was more developed. When it returned the same year with Jochen Rindt at the wheel, Rindt managed to win the next four races in a row. Sadly, Rindt suffered a fatal accident while at Monza but had earned enough of a points lead that he was crowned World Champion posthumously, the only driver to have done so. The 72 would win another championship in 1972 under the direction of Emerson Fittipaldi.
Acquisition: The Elan Sprint S4 '71 can be race nodded to look like the paint scheme used on early Gold Leaf Lotuses. You must Gameshark in order to get F1 performance.
Accuracy: Ignoring the fact that it's an Élan and not a 72, the overall look of the car is alright actually. The colors are accurate enough (aside from the stripe that never existed on the 72) and the rims are basically perfect replicas. It doesn't come with any form of sponsorship or number however. Of course, performance isn't even close but that's not PD's fault.
History: I was looking at @RandomCarGuy17's Racing Modification videos and saw a comment on the North City one, pointing out how the Elan '71 has a paint scheme that looked similar to the Golden Leaf Lotuses of the past. Looking at it, it was quite close. This was a perfect excuse for me to go out and try something crazy.
So, where do we begin? The Lotus 49 was nearing the end of it's run towards the end of the 60s and picked up sponsorship from Gold Leaf which gave the Lotuses the iconic Red, Silver, and Gold look. Lotus was planning on replacing the aging 49 with the 72, a more aerodynamic-efficient vehicle. It was to be introduced early in 1970 but problems received during its maiden race caused the 72 to wait until it was more developed. When it returned the same year with Jochen Rindt at the wheel, Rindt managed to win the next four races in a row. Sadly, Rindt suffered a fatal accident while at Monza but had earned enough of a points lead that he was crowned World Champion posthumously, the only driver to have done so. The 72 would win another championship in 1972 under the direction of Emerson Fittipaldi.
Acquisition: The Elan Sprint S4 '71 can be race nodded to look like the paint scheme used on early Gold Leaf Lotuses. You must Gameshark in order to get F1 performance.
Accuracy: Ignoring the fact that it's an Élan and not a 72, the overall look of the car is alright actually. The colors are accurate enough (aside from the stripe that never existed on the 72) and the rims are basically perfect replicas. It doesn't come with any form of sponsorship or number however. Of course, performance isn't even close but that's not PD's fault.
Real Specs: 440hp/1170lbs
GT2 Specs: N/A
HYB Specs: 440hp/1119lbs
GT2 Specs: N/A
HYB Specs: 440hp/1119lbs
Lotus Elise GT1 (GT1 Lotus Racing/Le Mans GT1/#?) 1997
History: Before the Elise GT1, Lotus raced the Esprit GT1 with moderate success. The history of the Esprit GT1 is a handful but, long story short, the Esprit GT1 was not specialized enough to compete for victory. Therefore the Elise GT1 was born. The Elise GT1 was built very similarly to many other then-GT1 machines; shared nothing with the production variant aside from a few aesthetic touches. Powered by either a 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo or 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8, and weighing in at a very light 2320 pounds, the Elise GT1 looked very promising. However, as it turned out, the Elise GT1 was more of a failure than anything else. Plagued by reliability issues or outright low speeds, the works cars only ran during the 1997 FIA GT Championship before being cancelled the year after.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Lotus Elise GT1 and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The livery is based off the GT1 Lotus Racing's race cars and it's almost spot on. The only omission is the number but I assume it's due to the various works GT1s. Performance wise is another story. Not only is it way too light but also too powerful and inaccurate. The car in game is powered by the 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo. Since the livery is based off a works one, it should be powered by the 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8. Only privateers opted to use the 3.5 liter Lotus Turbo.
Real Specs: 5.7L NA DOHC V8 MR @ 580 hp & 1052 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.5L T DOHC V8 MR @ 613 hp & 800 kg
The NSX GT2 should shave off that extra 150 kg and donate it here because the car is criminally light for its intended purpose. Also of note is the incorrect engine; you'll want to swap in the 5.7 V8 from the ZR1 for authenticity's sake.GT2 Specs: 3.5L T DOHC V8 MR @ 613 hp & 800 kg
Mazda 787B (Mazdaspeed/Le Mans Group C2/#55) 1991 [FANTASY]
Coming in a future update!
History: Well here's another car that takes a racing livery from a car that isn't in the game, this time being based on the 1991 Renown Mazda 787B. Well, when it came to race cars from Japan, Mazda has had some considerable success. It's racing program consisted mainly of rotary powered cars. While Mazda proved successful in the states with their GTO programs, for outright victory the rotary engines proved incapable of matching the competition. Therefore enter the 1990 24 Heures du Mans where Mazda showcased the 787. It was a capable machine but suffered reliability problems which led to the new B version in 1991. The new 787B was much more of an advancement on the 787 but wasn't as fast as Peugeots or Jaguars come the 1991 24 Heures du Mans. This was right around the time the rules for Le Mans were changing to standardize a 3.5L requirement. Mazda's 787B wound up in the "C2" class, a category for those cars that did not meet the regulations.. It would be the 787B's reliability that allowed it to win the event with drivers Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert, and Bertrand Gachot in the Renown #55. The 4-rotor performed so admirably that professionals suggested the car could run for another 24 hours, with the only real damages from the 24 hour stint being a blown headlight and rear wheel bearing issue.
Acquisition: A couple of options arise. The actual 787B isn't in the game but four RX-7s carry the livery. The '91 Type R is the most date-accurate but least accurate livery wise, the '96 Touring X and RB which are slightly more inaccurate, and the '96 RZ which is the most accurate livery-wise due to it having a colored spoiler compared to the other three's black spoilers.
Accuracy: As stated, the '91 Type R is the most date accurate but has a black spoiler, the '96 Touring X and RB are both date inaccurate and have the same errors as the Type R, and the '96 RZ, while being date inaccurate, has the most accurate livery with a colored rear spoiler. Otherwise, the Renown logos are replaced with Castrol ones and the default three-spoke wheels inaccurate. Purchase the set of five-spokes from OZ Racing's last page for best results. I'll ignore performance since it isn't the 787B.
History: Well here's another car that takes a racing livery from a car that isn't in the game, this time being based on the 1991 Renown Mazda 787B. Well, when it came to race cars from Japan, Mazda has had some considerable success. It's racing program consisted mainly of rotary powered cars. While Mazda proved successful in the states with their GTO programs, for outright victory the rotary engines proved incapable of matching the competition. Therefore enter the 1990 24 Heures du Mans where Mazda showcased the 787. It was a capable machine but suffered reliability problems which led to the new B version in 1991. The new 787B was much more of an advancement on the 787 but wasn't as fast as Peugeots or Jaguars come the 1991 24 Heures du Mans. This was right around the time the rules for Le Mans were changing to standardize a 3.5L requirement. Mazda's 787B wound up in the "C2" class, a category for those cars that did not meet the regulations.. It would be the 787B's reliability that allowed it to win the event with drivers Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert, and Bertrand Gachot in the Renown #55. The 4-rotor performed so admirably that professionals suggested the car could run for another 24 hours, with the only real damages from the 24 hour stint being a blown headlight and rear wheel bearing issue.
Acquisition: A couple of options arise. The actual 787B isn't in the game but four RX-7s carry the livery. The '91 Type R is the most date-accurate but least accurate livery wise, the '96 Touring X and RB which are slightly more inaccurate, and the '96 RZ which is the most accurate livery-wise due to it having a colored spoiler compared to the other three's black spoilers.
Accuracy: As stated, the '91 Type R is the most date accurate but has a black spoiler, the '96 Touring X and RB are both date inaccurate and have the same errors as the Type R, and the '96 RZ, while being date inaccurate, has the most accurate livery with a colored rear spoiler. Otherwise, the Renown logos are replaced with Castrol ones and the default three-spoke wheels inaccurate. Purchase the set of five-spokes from OZ Racing's last page for best results. I'll ignore performance since it isn't the 787B.
Real Specs: 650-700hp/1830lbs
GT2 Specs: N/A
HYB Specs: 702hp/1825lbs
GT2 Specs: N/A
HYB Specs: 702hp/1825lbs
Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM2000 (Mercedes-Benz AG/DTM/#11) 1999
History: Mercedes-Benz at the end of the 1990s was on a roll. It's recent return to sports car racing with its GT1 CLKs proved immensely successful. Up until the CLR, it was tough being in anything but a Mercedes CLK. With the disaster that the CLR proved to be, Mercedes, instead, turned its attention to something more local; the German DTM series. After 1996, the DTM series had collapsed and was due for a complete overhaul, with changes in almost every aspect; cost control, developments, and TV rights to name a few. With the DTM set to return in 2000, and with new regulations to boot, Mercedes introduced this: The CLK-DTM2000. This 1999 prototype was a culmination of what was to come for the series, where now, instead of four door saloons, two door coupes would become the norm, allowing unorthodox cars like Audi's TT to compete. The 1999 Mercedes concept was just that, a concept. For 2000, a new set of overflares and a unique rear wing were amongst the many subtle changes that would occur.
Acquisition: The infamous hidden car of Gran Turismo 2 can only be acquired with outside means.
Accuracy: The car in game, popular to contrary belief, is not a PD-designed creation; it is 100% based on Mercedes' 1999 concept. As a result, the only things missing from the real steel version would be the various stickers.
Acquisition: The infamous hidden car of Gran Turismo 2 can only be acquired with outside means.
Accuracy: The car in game, popular to contrary belief, is not a PD-designed creation; it is 100% based on Mercedes' 1999 concept. As a result, the only things missing from the real steel version would be the various stickers.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V (Team Mitsubishi Ralliart/WRC Group A/#1) 1998
History: For 1998, Mitsubishi was still pretty upset about not winning a manufacturer's championship, having come behind both Ford and Subaru in the title run. Therefore, upgrades from the Evolution IV in 1998 included larger brakes, larger injectors, and, perhaps most significantly, fender flares allowing the use of larger wheels and tires. Another upgrade from 1997 was the employment of Richard Burns full-time in the #2 machine. Together with Tommi Makinen in the #1, the duo recorded an amazing 7 victories in 13 races, scoring Mitsubishi's first (and only) title, as well as the third consecutive championship for Tommi Makinen. As an aside, the Winfield livery in game is based off of their cars in the 1998 Austria Rally.
Acquisition: Purchase from the Mitsubishi Special dealership. The hidden Winfield livery is not obtainable in normal gameplay, but is useable if one uses a cheat.
Acquisition: Purchase from the Mitsubishi Special dealership. The hidden Winfield livery is not obtainable in normal gameplay, but is useable if one uses a cheat.
Nissan 300ZX (Clayton Cunningham Racing/IMSA GTS/#75) 1994
Coming in a future update!
History: The 300ZX's debut in the IMSA starred in 1989, fielded primarily by Clayton Cunningham Racing and driven most notably by Steve Millen. The 300ZX was powered by a twin turbocharged, 3-liter, V6 Nissan engine that generated anywhere between 650 to 750hp. This power helped the Z32 racer go up against other IMSA rivals such as the RX-7, Cougar, Mustang, and 90 quattro GTO. Up until 1994, Steve Millen and the 300ZX always came up a bit short. In 1994 however, the 300ZX went on an all out motorsports assault; this included winning the IMSA driver's and manufacturer championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and achieving an overall 5th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It completely destroyed the IMSA competition that year that IMSA banned the twin-turbo engine. This effectively ended the racing career of the 300ZX.
Acquisition: Purchase a 300ZX that isn't a 1998 version and perform the necessary modifications
Accuracy: Although not as wide or menacing as the IMSA version, it's comes in close on the horsepower rating. It also, unusually, is incorrect in terms of livery as the right side of the car is just moved over to the left without any mirroring.
History: The 300ZX's debut in the IMSA starred in 1989, fielded primarily by Clayton Cunningham Racing and driven most notably by Steve Millen. The 300ZX was powered by a twin turbocharged, 3-liter, V6 Nissan engine that generated anywhere between 650 to 750hp. This power helped the Z32 racer go up against other IMSA rivals such as the RX-7, Cougar, Mustang, and 90 quattro GTO. Up until 1994, Steve Millen and the 300ZX always came up a bit short. In 1994 however, the 300ZX went on an all out motorsports assault; this included winning the IMSA driver's and manufacturer championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and achieving an overall 5th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It completely destroyed the IMSA competition that year that IMSA banned the twin-turbo engine. This effectively ended the racing career of the 300ZX.
Acquisition: Purchase a 300ZX that isn't a 1998 version and perform the necessary modifications
Accuracy: Although not as wide or menacing as the IMSA version, it's comes in close on the horsepower rating. It also, unusually, is incorrect in terms of livery as the right side of the car is just moved over to the left without any mirroring.
Real Specs: 650-750hp/2650lbs
GT2 Specs: 634hp/2879lbs
GT2 Specs: 634hp/2879lbs
Nissan NISMO GT-R (Nissan Motorsport #22/Le Mans GT1/#22) 1995
History: Nissan's presence at the 1995 24 Heures du Mans was a relatively successful one. Nissan decided to enter to market their current R33 Skyline to a bigger audience. The race and road cars were never actually called a Skyline but rather a "NISMO GT-R", being fielded by the same team and since regulations requires at least one road-going variant of GT1 race cars. The two GT1 NISMOs were actually different on specifications but powered by the same Turbocharged 2.6 liter I6 that generated ~450 horsepower. The #22 being slightly heavier, at 1370kg, but more reliable thanks to a proven gearbox. Due to this extra reliability the red and blue #22 was able to finish a solid 5th in the GT1 class, the first of the non-McLarens that had dominated the race, and 10th overall. Drivers were Hideo Fukuyama, Masahiko Kondo, and Shunji Kasunya.
Acquisition: NISMO's GT-R GT1 racer can only be acquired on NTSC and PAL versions, not available in NTSC-J versions I'm afraid (The NISMO GT-R is not available on NTSC-J). Buy a regular NISMO GT-R and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: The only things lacking are the number and "Keep the Dream Alive" logos. Most logos are either too small to read or replaced with a logo related to Nissan (such as the number). The three-spoke wheels pre-installed are accurate enough but the real race car did not use them in the actual race and used Volk-styled five-spokes instead. Performance wise, the power is capable of exacting 450 hp but is a bit too light to meet the 1,370kg or 3,020lbs.
Real Specs: ~450hp/3020lbs
GT2 Specs: 447hp/2974lbs
Nissan Primera GT (Vodafone Nissan Racing/BTCC/#8, 23 & 24) 1998GT2 Specs: 447hp/2974lbs
History: The Primera Touring Car has had a history of competing in the BTCC. Nissan had previously competed back in 1991 to 1994 with poor results, left at the end of 1994, and returned in 1996 with their new Primera. It was apparent after their poor 1996 season that Nissan had to put more development into the Primera in order to compete with more specialized teams. Therefore, Nissan turned to Ray Mallock Limited (RML) to further develop the Primera for the upcoming BTCC seasons. RML gave the Primera a 2.0 liter, 320hp SR20DE engine and reworked suspension and six-speed transmission. It showed good pace during the 1997 season and, following more development, became dominant during the 1998 season. The Primera won a total of nine races under drivers Anthony Reid (7 wins) and David Leslie (2 wins) and gave Nissan the Manufacturer and Team championships.
Acquisition: Purchase the NEW Infiniti G20 (or Primera depending on version) and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Practically spot on. Only issues are the lack of names and certain logos. Also it's best to use a blue banner as the real Primera had two variations: a red on front and blue on rear or blue for both windshields. Power is basically spot on but it's too heavy.
Real Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 320 hp & 975 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ N/A hp & 1100 kg
Weight is the issue here, like most BTCC machines.GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ N/A hp & 1100 kg
Nissan R390 GT1 (Nissan Motorsport/Le Mans GT1/#23) 1997Coming in a future update!
History: After 1995, Nissan faced a problem with the ever changing face of endurance racing. Although their R33 GT-R did respectable enough for what it faced, the cars became more and more specialized, forcing Nissan to follow suit. For 1997 (as there was no time to prepare a machine for 1996) they turned to Tom Walkinshaw Racing for help in designing their new, purpose-built GT1 machine. Taking inspiration and design cues from Jaguar Sport's XJR-15, and replacing the outdated RB26 with a more purposeful VRH35 from the R89C, the Jaguar-esque machine looked right at home alongside the CLK-GTR, 911 GT1, and F1 GTR Longtail. The R390, named after the old Nissan-Prince R380s from the 60s, arrived for the 1997 race and showed incredible pace, qualifying right behind the dominant Porsche and performing fabulously. However, reliability claimed yet another victim, as all three R390's faced issues during the race, knocking out the #21 and #22 machines. The #23 machine, going through two gearbox changes amazingly, was the lone ranger as pilots Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiko Kageyama, and Érik Comas survived to a 12th place finish.
Acquisition: Can be earned as a prize car from the Grand Valley 300km Endurance Race (50% chance).
History: After 1995, Nissan faced a problem with the ever changing face of endurance racing. Although their R33 GT-R did respectable enough for what it faced, the cars became more and more specialized, forcing Nissan to follow suit. For 1997 (as there was no time to prepare a machine for 1996) they turned to Tom Walkinshaw Racing for help in designing their new, purpose-built GT1 machine. Taking inspiration and design cues from Jaguar Sport's XJR-15, and replacing the outdated RB26 with a more purposeful VRH35 from the R89C, the Jaguar-esque machine looked right at home alongside the CLK-GTR, 911 GT1, and F1 GTR Longtail. The R390, named after the old Nissan-Prince R380s from the 60s, arrived for the 1997 race and showed incredible pace, qualifying right behind the dominant Porsche and performing fabulously. However, reliability claimed yet another victim, as all three R390's faced issues during the race, knocking out the #21 and #22 machines. The #23 machine, going through two gearbox changes amazingly, was the lone ranger as pilots Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiko Kageyama, and Érik Comas survived to a 12th place finish.
Acquisition: Can be earned as a prize car from the Grand Valley 300km Endurance Race (50% chance).
Real Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 650 hp & 1100 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 663 hp & 1180 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 663 hp & 1180 kg
Nissan R390 GT1 (Nissan Motorsport/Le Mans GT1/#32) 1998
History: After NISMO's initial Le Mans run in 1997 with the R390, for 1998 it was decided that the R390 would return again with upgrades over its predecessor. While the 1997 results were arguably solid, Nissan decided to skip the FIA GT1 championship so as to put in maximum time, effort, and resources into the R390 for the 1998 24 Heures du Mans. Upgrades included a longer tail to generate more downforce and a new wing and diffuser combo in order to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Nissan brought a total of four cars in the race's most competitive year to date. Nissan might not have had the most stellar qualifying performance, with the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche favorites claiming the top spots, but Nissan proved the R390's worth in the actual race when all four cars finished the full 24 hours. An incredible achievement on their own, R390s claimed the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 10th spots, with the #32 machine driven by Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiko Kageyama, and Aguri Suzuki claiming the last podium position after the dominant Porsche 911 GT1s.
Acquisition: You can win the 1998 R390 GT1 Race Car by completing the Gran Turismo World League. Sadly though, you only have a 25% chance of winning the car.
Real Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 650 hp & 1100 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 663 hp & 1180 kg
The in-game car is slightly more powerful but somewhat significantly heavier than it's real life counterpart.GT2 Specs: 3.5L TT DOHC V8, MR @ 663 hp & 1180 kg
Peugeot 406 (Esso Ultron Team Peugeot/BTCC/#9 & 12) 1998
History: In 1996, Peugeot decided to replace it's 405 BTCC racer with it's new 406 for the upcoming BTCC seasons. Driven by Tim Harvey and Patrick Watts, 1996 proved unsuccessful; the red, Total-sponsored 406's failing to produce any significant results. 1997 would be much better in comparison. Harvey would finish the season with a 9th but Peugeot still ended up at the lower end in the Manufacturer's championship. 1998 would be a repeat result of poor results, with the competition becoming the most difficult it's ever been, causing Peugeot to withdraw from BTCC at the end of the season. Curiously though, in Germany's Super Touring series, the 406 was dominant, which begs the question as to why the BTCC effort was so lackluster. Apparently, it comes down to politics in regards to sharing secrets and competitiveness.
Acquisition: Simply go to the Peugeot dealership, purchase the 406, and perform the necessary modifications.
Accuracy: Two different 406 variants exist. A variant with the "Esso" sponsorship, and most accurate, appears in PAL and NTSC-J copies. NTSC gets the variant with the "Exxon" sponsorship due to licensing. Either way, you can get the "Esso" or "Exxon" version via Gameshark for the respective systems. Accuracy-wise, the car is almost exact aside from missing smaller logos. The "406" logo is also white instead of blue and the 406 is lacking an additional "Esso" logo on the C-Pillar. Also a little too heavy for BTCC performance.
Real Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 300hp & 1050 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 306hp & 1186 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 306hp & 1186 kg
I actually think this might be the closest BTCC machine in terms of specs. Still too heavy though...
Renault Espace (Renault-Matra-Williams Collab./"Formula 1") 1994
History: The Espace F1 is the definition of information you didn't know you needed... because how else would you celebrate 10 years of a minivan and your F1 program? Combine them both and produce something that no one asked for, but yet no one is gonna complain about. Thought up by the folks at Matra in 1994, the Espace F1's philosophy sounded simple on paper, but proved to be difficult to work with the standard Espace. Therefore a custom carbon fiber chassis and tub was designed to accommodate the legendary V10 from the 1993-winning FW15C. Outside of the engine, mounted midship, more work was done to the suspension, brakes, wheels, and bodywork to give the usually pedestrian Espace some control over it's new 16,000 redline heart. It started to share more in common with the F1 car than with the car it was supposed to resemble. Madly thrashed on several occasions, the car now rests in Renault's museum as a display of the wildest addition problem possible.
Acquisition: Purchasable for 2,000,000 Cr. from Renault in West City
Real Specs: 3.5L NA DOHC V10 MR @ 800 hp & 1300 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.5L NA DOHC V10 MR @ 818 hp & 1300 kg
I think PD said it best; "Seeing this mad machine on a circuit was like watching a sped-up movie."GT2 Specs: 3.5L NA DOHC V10 MR @ 818 hp & 1300 kg
Renault Laguna ST(Williams-Renault Dealer Racing/BTCC/#1 & 37) 1997
(car texture modified)
History: Renault's tenure into the British Touring Car Championship began in 1994 to a strong debut season, to which they began 1995 partnered with Formula One's Williams; their team labelled as the Williams Touring Car Engineering (WTCE). This partnership helped the Laguna monumentally, equipped with MacPherson suspension and a 2.0L, 310hp straight four supplied by Renault and prepared by the minds at Sodemo. WTCE made a monster out of the Laguna, to which in 1995 scored a total of 10 wins, including 5 in a row, earning Renault the manufacturer's championship but neither Alain Menu or Will Hoy secured the Driver's Championship, with Menu finishing second in '95 and '96. However, in 1997, the Laguna absolutely destroyed the competition with 14 races won out of 24, with Menu winning 12 of them, earning him and Renault their respective championships.
Acquisition: Simply purchase a Renault Laguna and perform the racing modification.
Accuracy: Quite possibly the least accurate BTCC Race Car alongside the Accord, the Laguna is alright in term of general accuracy. However, it is missing quite a bit of logos, such as the iconic Nestle logo. Even worse, the car suffers from a graphical glitch causing the front bumper texture to be misaligned with the actual bumper. Additionally it's engine is not only incorrect in the sense that it's a "V6," but is 3.0L instead of 2.0L
Suzuki Cultus (Monster Sport/Pikes Peak Hill Climb/#6) 1993
History: The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is an event unlike any other. The 12.5 mile stretch of highway just outside of Colorado Springs is a proving ground for man and machine, especially since the race up the mountain is primarily dirt and gravel, with long drops and imposing cliffs daring those with a thirst for speed. Such an event, then, was perfect for Nobuhiro Tajima, better known by his alias; "Monster." Tajima was very much an important figure in the famous Hill Climb, with the Cultus being his first, self-made project. Grounded in the Unlimited Class, this Cultus shared little with the production version. Such a claim is backed up with the car being propelled by two 1.6L turbocharged Suzuki four-cylinders wrapped in an extreme case of huge wings, spoilers, canards, ground effects, you name it. With an altitude that climbed 10,000 feet, grabbing all the air you could was a must. This particular Cultus earned a class win in 1992 and 1993, with an amazing 2nd overall as well in 1993. The Cultus was Tajima's stepping stone into the untapped world of power and aerodynamics, ideas that would be continued and evolved with the Escudo in 1995.
Acquisition: Simply purchase one from the Suzuki Special Dealership for a cool 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Since Pikes Peak, Monster Sport, and PD have a very good relationship, its reasonable to take the specs at face value because the Cultus specs are impossible to find online. However, it wouldn't be hard to assume that the figures are accurate seeing as how Pikes Peak cars are always grounded in insanity. Still, it is missing the number and official Pikes Peak 1993 logos. Additionally, it has the (J) tag, even though the car itself was built entirely in the United States; this is probably because the Cultus itself is a JDM vehicle.
Real Specs: 1.6L TT DOHC I4 x 2 4WD @ 788 hp & 873 kg
GT2 Specs: 1.6L TT DOHC I4 x 2 4WD @ 788 & 873 kg
GT2 Specs: 1.6L TT DOHC I4 x 2 4WD @ 788 & 873 kg
Suzuki Escudo Grand Vitara (Monster Sport/Pikes Peak International Hill Climb/#6) 1998
History: This car is one of the most iconic cars in the entire Gran Turismo franchise, and its introduction came in Gran Turismo 2. Born in 1994, the Escudo was Tajima's evolution of the Cultus, with a bigger emphasis on power and aerodynamics. Instead of the Cultus' four-cylinder, the Escudo uses two of its very own 2.5-liter V6; the H25A. Essentially a 5-liter V12, the engines combined make an astonishing 1,000 horsepower and nearly 700 lb-ft of torque; almost enough to tackle the 5,000+ foot climb up the famous Pikes Peak dirt trial. Couple the engine with a space frame chassis and a crazier offering of wings and planes, the Escudo was right at home competing in the time attack. Although this particular Escudo variant never quite conquered Pikes Peak (best result of 2nd in 1998), the Escudo did destroy the Queensland Hill Climb four years in a row (1998-2001).
Acquisition: Go to the Suzuki Special Dealership, pay up 2,000,000 Cr., and away you go.
Accuracy: Almost the same deal as the Cultus, although this particular Pikes Peak machine does have its official Pikes Peak '98 logo. Also has the same (J) affixiation, but I'm guessing that's because Escudos were not sold in North America.
Real Specs: 2.5L TT DOHC V6 x 2 4WD @ 981 hp & 800 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.5L TT DOHC x 2 4WD @ 981 hp & 800 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.5L TT DOHC x 2 4WD @ 981 hp & 800 kg
Toyota GT-One (Toyota Motorsport/Le Mans GT1/#27) 1998
History: Toyota's participation in Le Mans was a bit of a mess, since after the death of Group C, Toyota attempted the endurance race with modified Supras and purpose built SARD MC8-Rs. However, even they knew of the big guns that had invaded the GT1 class, and so took 1997 off to focus on the development of the GT-One for 1998. Inspired by the GT1 racers of 1997, and exploiting the rule book to it's absolute max (the famous example being an empty fuel tank, theoretically speaking, worked as a trunk/boot), the GT-One, developed by Toyota Team Europe and employing a custom Dallara chassis, was ready for action. It showed incredible pace, with a 2nd place qualifying effort at Le Mans in 1998. The race wouldn't turn out so incredible, with the #28 and #29 efforts falling victim to mechanical issues, lending the #27 driven by the Japanese Keiichi Tsuchiya, Ukyou Katayama, Toshio Suzuki to a 9th place, 25 laps behind the winning 911 GT1.
Acquisition: The 1998 version of the GT-One can be won randomly after the Gran Turismo World League. However, NTSC versions have 'Exxon' sponsorship and the rest of the world has 'Esso' sponsorship; the real life vehicle contained Esso sponsorship, which can be gamesharked to an NTSC version.
Real Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 600 hp & 900 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 672 hp & 900 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 672 hp & 900 kg
One of the extremely race instances where PD got the weight right! But sadly of course, they OP'd the power output by 72 hp.
Toyota GT-One (Toyota Motorsport/Le Mans GTP/#3) 1999
Coming in a future Update!
History: After a couple of years of manufacturers rudely abusing the GT1 rulebook/category, the FIA stepped in and banned the GT1 category all together, inviting those affected to join the GT/S or LM categories. The Toyota GT-One was one of the most radical GT1 cars at the time, so transitioning to LMGTP (for closed cockpit LMP machines) seemed fitting. Toyota was desperately after the crown, but felt confident in their updated and refined machine as it was already aggressive in 1998. Their experience from last year looked promising on paper, with the pole position for the 1999 race sealed alongside second and eight place for the #1-3 TS020's. However, a fatal design error causing explosive tire blowouts was revealed, sending the #1 and #2 machines out of the race with damage beyond repair. The #3 Esso entry, fielded by the Japanese gentlemen of Keiichi Tsuchiya, Ukyou Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, fought with BMW for the lead before the same issue afflicted them. The damage was survivable, but the race was lost; too much time was spent getting the car back and in the pits with the damage, leading Toyota to have to settle for 2nd. The same machine also ran in the Le Mans 1000km of Fuji, but, again, the TS020 would settle for second behind the Nissan R391. Toyota would not return to Le Mans after 1999 until 2012, and would not win the famed race until 2018 with the TS050, nearly 40 years since their initial run.
Acquisition: Can be earned by getting gold in all S-License tests.
Accuracy: This car has an interesting error in the fact that it is labelled as #1 instead of #3. I can only assume they were trying to also "include" its appearance in the 1000km of Fuji, but the car's info screen only talks about its Le Mans entries (which, incorrectly, talk about 1997 and 1998)
Real Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 600 hp & 900 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 672 hp & 900 kg
GT2 Specs: 3.6L TT DOHC V8 MR @ 672 hp & 900 kg
TVR Speed 12 (TVR Engineering/FIA GT1/#12) 1998
History: TVR's have always had a reputation of being unorthodox and outrageous vehicles. Therefore when the Speed 12 was unveiled in 1996, it wasn't anything too out of TVR's ordinary. The Speed 12 was designed to be the most powerful road car back when it was unveiled, with a gigantic 7.7-liter, 48-valve, 830-hp V12 (Race version was limited to a mere 750-hp). An unorthodox car among a field of finely tuned knives, special features include a fixed seat and movable pedals to accommodate all drivers. Unfortunately, with the ever changing GT rules, the Speed 12 only ever competed in the 1998 British Privilege Insurance GT Championship season, with mixed results. It then evolved into the Cerbera Speed 12 after 1998 to more mixed results.
Acquisition: To first acquire the Speed 12, you must win the Gran Turismo All Stars event race at Red Rock Valley Speedway. Simply perform a racing modification in white (no known yellow version was ever raced, let alone one bearing the #12).
Accuracy: Scheme-wise, the race modded version does well in this regard. It actually has a number (#12), and the paint scheme is virtually identical bar a few added/removed logos here and there. Performance-wise, we can assume that race-trim cars were ~750-hp, but the TVR starts out at 803-hp; fine for the road car, not fine for the race car. Weight is not so much an issue as is the fact that I couldn't find any weight values.
Real Specs: 7.7L NA DOHC V12 FR @ 750 hp & ??? kg
GT2 Specs: 7.7L NA DOHC V12 FR @ 803 hp & 850 kg
GT2 Specs: 7.7L NA DOHC V12 FR @ 803 hp & 850 kg
Vauxhall Vectra B (Vauxhall Sport/BTCC/#??) 1998
History: Vauxhall's running in the BTCC was pretty impressive under the direction of Ray Mallock Limited (RML). They had won the series crown in 1995, but transitioning to the then new Vectra proved to be pretty difficult. Triple Eight Race Engineering then entered the picture as a brand new team who had to take on the responsibility of becoming Vauxhall's factory team (under the Vauxhall Sport banner), all while RML took over for Nissan's factory team in 1997. Triple Eight was basically a works team for Vauxhall from the very beginning, a move proposed by General Motors. In 1997, the team was horribly off pace due to a poor aerodynamic package lifted straight from the Opel Vectra Super Touring Car, resulting in poor speeds on the BTCC's schedule. For 1998 however, the FIA allowed the Vauxhall team to create an aerodynamic package different from Opel's, resulting in several wins that year by John Cleland and Derek Warwick. The team performed very solid, but only managed to claim 5th in the manufacturer's championship, with Cleland and Warwick finishing 8th and 9th in points.
Acquisition: Vauxhalls are region based cars and therefore I believe you must have a PAL version of the game in order to have legit access to Vauxhalls. You can still get the identical car, labelled as an Opel, in any other region of the game, but of course such isn't very accurate.
Accuracy: As always with region-based cars, outside of the subtle differences, the Vauxhall version has additional "MasterFit" logos as compared to the Opel and its usual generic ones. Otherwise the car is very close exterior wise. As far as internally, of course the engine is incorrect at a 2.6L V6, as well as the usual weight problem.
Real Specs: 2.0L NA DOHC I4 FF @ 295 hp & 1000 kg
GT2 Specs: 2.5L NA DOHC I4 FF @ N/A hp & 1175 kg
Vector M12 (American Spirit Racing/IMSA GT2/#15) 1998GT2 Specs: 2.5L NA DOHC I4 FF @ N/A hp & 1175 kg
History: What happens when one of the most unproven supercar manufacturers of all time decides to fight against a juggernaut like Porsche and BMW (and on the race track too)? During 1998, Vector decided that, in an attempt to increase brand image and "compensate for the lack of heritage," as their then President would put it, the M12 would be raced against the likes of Porsche and BMW within the IMSA GTS-2 class on domestic soil. Powered by the potent 5.7 liter Lamborghini Diablo V12, and fitted with an even more aerodynamic package than stock, it looked promising enough entering it's first event in Las Vegas. However, an abysmal qualifying run of 19th out of 21 cars, and an eventual last place DNF due to overheating, the short-lived M12R was shelved, never to be run again in its original form.
Acquisition: Simply purchase the M12 LM Edition from the Vector Dealership in South City for 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Livery-wise, the car in-game does a decent enough job. It doesn't quite have the AmeriSuites sponsorship (or livery for that matter), but the Vector logos in place do a great job in comparison. The default rims are inaccurate however since they come straight from the stock M12; purchase a set of OZ's 2 piece rims to stay authentic.
As it stands, outside of the in-game stats, there are no mentions of the race car's specs anywhere on the web.
Venturi Atlantique 600 SLM (Société Venturi S.A./Le Mans GT1/#44) 1995
Coming in a future update!
Coming in a future update!
History: Venturi is an unknown brand to most outside of those who've played Gran Turismo 2. Like Lister Cars, Venturi was deeply rooted in racing and planned to enter their premier sports car, the 400 GT, at Le Mans. Competing since 1993, the 500LM had mixed results; they finished the race but seldom challenged. The next evolution then was the 600 LM and SLM (the "S" referred to the fixed headlights). Still based on the production 400 GT, the 600 Le Mans racers were equipped with three liter Renault Turbocharged V6s and weight was kept low at around 960 kilos. Although praised as a road car, the competition version struggled to find great results on the big stage, with the car managing an unfortunate NC 21st in its 1995 run by the works of the the French (Jean-Marc Gounon, Paul Belmondo, & Arnaud Trevisiol). This would signal the end of the Venturi Factory Racing Program as the car started to become phased out.
Acquisition: The car can be purchased at the Venturi dealership in West City for a cool 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Extremely well done representation. The only issue is the power. Being such a rare car, accurate figures are hard to find. The weight stat proved relatively easy to conclude, but the only power rating I found referred to the 1993's LM's 600 HP. Whether the SLM really had ~700 HP is a mystery. It's entirely possible, but I can't conclude for sure.
Acquisition: The car can be purchased at the Venturi dealership in West City for a cool 2,000,000 Cr.
Accuracy: Extremely well done representation. The only issue is the power. Being such a rare car, accurate figures are hard to find. The weight stat proved relatively easy to conclude, but the only power rating I found referred to the 1993's LM's 600 HP. Whether the SLM really had ~700 HP is a mystery. It's entirely possible, but I can't conclude for sure.
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That's why I put tildes on some because the info can be all over the place.
Again, sorry for such an abscence. Hopefully it won't happen again (or at least too often).
). Maybe I'll take a look at it closer these days.
