April Car of the Month - The Little Engine That Could (No Fooling)

[Bowtie-muscle]

I like the direction CotM has been going very much. This freelance style is great. 👍
Ideas and creativity are what keep things interesting.

I will update the tunes post as soon as I can.

Gave the Demio's both 1.18 updates, including a transmission, which the street version already had(but now it has the "tranny trick" so to speak)

Mazda Demio GL-X '99
179/999/400/CH-SH (Street)
Mazda Demio GL-X '99
179/1000/400/D-S (Rally)

Fixed the links, added your Nissan Silvia.

I believe I have every tune and review listed, if I am missing one, would someone please let me know.

Thanks guys

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

@DolHaus Mazda Autozam AZ-1 Review:

I have yet to try this fiesty little bugger in GT6, but did have one in GT5. What better time then the present?

I needed a track to test on and thought, Streets of Willow. A fun track for low powered cars, tricky turns and some hills. Between the Miata FITT Challenge and the Time Trial for the Cappuccino, I found it rather fun. So I set the time to noon, and hit the track. I was quickly reminded of your Diablo in that keeping just a slight amount of throttle helped keep the momentum up and the car straight. Even with little power, it was easy to oversteer and break the rear wheels loose. Steering with the left stick made this easier as did using the triggers for gas/brake. With such low weight, it was also easy to break using minimal braking force and most of the time I would just lift to get the car to plant and turn.

It has been quite a while since I have been on this track and forgot some of the better lines but they started to come back to me. Turn 1 is very important, early braking and throttle through the apex. Uphill section got a BIT TRICKY, needing to stay off the curbs, but when right would give a good run to the fish bowl. No problems until the final set of chicanes, easy braking to keep the momentum up and just a bit of throttle control and flew through. Final corner is where I always seem to mess up here until I run enough laps to get right, but was effortless and easily set up the next lap. But, my best lap was also ruined here.

In all, this is quite the fun little car, just enough slip to keep it fun and fast, enough power to get the job done so long as you don't over think it and go to to big of a track. On a scale of 1-10 (FITT Style), I would rate it a 9.0.
Thanks for another enjoyable tune.

Best lap time - 1:27.506.

 

[DolHaus]

@DolHaus Mazda Autozam AZ-1 Review:

I have yet to try this fiesty little bugger in GT6, but did have one in GT5. What better time then the present?

I needed a track to test on and thought, Streets of Willow. A fun track for low powered cars, tricky turns and some hills. Between the Miata FITT Challenge and the Time Trial for the Cappuccino, I found it rather fun. So I set the time to noon, and hit the track. I was quickly reminded of your Diablo in that keeping just a slight amount of throttle helped keep the momentum up and the car straight. Even with little power, it was easy to oversteer and break the rear wheels loose. Steering with the left stick made this easier as did using the triggers for gas/brake. With such low weight, it was also easy to break using minimal braking force and most of the time I would just lift to get the car to plant and turn.

It has been quite a while since I have been on this track and forgot some of the better lines but they started to come back to me. Turn 1 is very important, early braking and throttle through the apex. Uphill section got a BIT TRICKY, needing to stay off the curbs, but when right would give a good run to the fish bowl. No problems until the final set of chicanes, easy braking to keep the momentum up and just a bit of throttle control and flew through. Final corner is where I always seem to mess up here until I run enough laps to get right, but was effortless and easily set up the next lap. But, my best lap was also ruined here.

In all, this is quite the fun little car, just enough slip to keep it fun and fast, enough power to get the job done so long as you don't over think it and go to to big of a track. On a scale of 1-10 (FITT Style), I would rate it a 9.0.
Thanks for another enjoyable tune.

Best lap time - 1:27.506.

Thank you very much for reviewing the car and I'm glad you enjoyed it

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

@Ridox2JZGTE Mazda Autozam AZ-1 review:

This was an easy choice to test since I had already done Dolhaus'. I just simply made some changes and hit the track, again, Streets of Willow. Time adjusted to noon.

After the first lap, I noticed more of a chance to overdrive the turn and get some understeer, not bad but noticeable. I also found the rear harder to keep in check at higher speed turns and braking. But I managed to tame it some what, the lap times however, were slower. On about lap 3 I realized I had not set the grip to real.........exit and set the grip after lap 5. Back to the track, more of the same only I was not able to best my lap time, even chasing the ghost. Was better into turn 1 consistently, but the uphill section would fall behind. could stay with the ghost until the final section or final turn. Best lap was 1:30.128.

Then I had a thought, the gearing is better for high speed, @DolHaus gearing was better for lower top speed(in my opinion). So I exited once again and tossed some better rubber on the car to see what would happen, Sports Hard, the same as the previous AZ-1.

The results were amazing, much much more grip and the rear was now stable to where I could throw it around more and not slide from the apex to exit. The little bit of understeer, likely the CS tires and stiff springs was pretty much gone. The higher gearing really was noticeable on the long back straight after the fish bowl and the lap times dropped consistently. I even managed to tackle the dreaded final corner without issue. Best Lap - 1:26.813.

Conclusion:
Comparing the 2 tunes, I would take @DolHaus' if on a shorter track, like London, Autumn Ring Mini; but for a track with a longer straight where it's legs needed to be stretched, I would choose this one. So long as they were both on SH tires. If this one was on CS, I would take Dolhaus'.
On CS tires, I would give it a 7.5ish, But a 9.0 or maybe higher on SH. Very nicely done. 👍

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

@Ridox2JZGTE Mazda Autozam AZ-1 review:

This was an easy choice to test since I had already done Dolhaus'. I just simply made some changes and hit the track, again, Streets of Willow. Time adjusted to noon.

After the first lap, I noticed more of a chance to overdrive the turn and get some understeer, not bad but noticeable. I also found the rear harder to keep in check at higher speed turns and braking. But I managed to tame it some what, the lap times however, were slower. On about lap 3 I realized I had not set the grip to real.........exit and set the grip after lap 5. Back to the track, more of the same only I was not able to best my lap time, even chasing the ghost. Was better into turn 1 consistently, but the uphill section would fall behind. could stay with the ghost until the final section or final turn. Best lap was 1:30.128.

Then I had a thought, the gearing is better for high speed, @DolHaus gearing was better for lower top speed(in my opinion). So I exited once again and tossed some better rubber on the car to see what would happen, Sports Hard, the same as the previous AZ-1.

The results were amazing, much much more grip and the rear was now stable to where I could throw it around more and not slide from the apex to exit. The little bit of understeer, likely the CS tires and stiff springs was pretty much gone. The higher gearing really was noticeable on the long back straight after the fish bowl and the lap times dropped consistently. I even managed to tackle the dreaded final corner without issue. Best Lap - 1:26.813.

Conclusion:
Comparing the 2 tunes, I would take @DolHaus' if on a shorter track, like London, Autumn Ring Mini; but for a track with a longer straight where it's legs needed to be stretched, I would choose this one. So long as they were both on SH tires. If this one was on CS, I would take Dolhaus'.
On CS tires, I would give it a 7.5ish, But a 9.0 or maybe higher on SH. Very nicely done. 👍

I'm happy already that you can drive it and complete a lap I made it to be hysterical on the limit and with nervous rear end. There's one thing I can't make though, it needs stiffer springs like the real car and much stiffer damper so it will bounce like on pogo stick Any driver should scream and yelling with profanity the car is about to spin any time like Taniguchi did Great review 👍

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

I'm happy already that you can drive it and complete a lap I made it to be hysterical on the limit and with nervous rear end. There's one thing I can't make though, it needs stiffer springs like the real car and much stiffer damper so it will bounce like on pogo stick Any driver should scream and yelling with profanity the car is about to spin any time like Taniguchi did Great review 👍

Was one of your easier replicas to enjoy, on SH, but track choice may have had something to do with it. London on CS might cause some screaming profanity. Kind of like the Countach, fun on Midfield forward, not as much on Reverse.

 

[CSLACR]

AutoZam AZ-1 '92

I had this laying around and it looked cooler than the coffeecino car.

 

[XS]

Daihatsu SIRION X4 (J) '00 - Rally Edition

As a break from updating the directory I wanted to build a low PP 4WD car that was great on dirt. I kinda failed at the low PP part. This build is in tribute to the DCCS team Sirion 1.5 Turbo Rally Car:


I wanted to build a replica but unfortunately I could not find suspension settings for the car anywhere, so I started from scratch. The top speed and HP are fairly close to the DCCS Sirion Rally Car.

Eiger Nordwand - K Trail: best time - 4:01.317

PP: 540
HP: 343/8000 rpm
Torque: 232 ft-lb/6500 rpm
Weight: 732 kg

ABS 1, all other driver aids off/0

GT Auto:
Oil Change
Stock Paint White
Stock Wheels
Body Rigidity None

Parts Installed:
Fully Customizable Suspension
Racing Brakes
Fully Customizable Dog-Clutch Transmission
Fully Customizable LSD
Triple-Plate Clutch
Torque-Distributing Center Differential
Engine Tuning Stage 3
Sports Computer
Racing Exhaust
Isometric Exhaust Manifold
Sports Catalytic Converter
Intake Tuning
High RPM Turbo
Dirt Tires


Suspension Settings:
Ride Height: 105 | 105
Spring Rate: 4.18 | 3.49
Dampers (Comp): 3 | 3
Dampers (Ext): 5 | 5
Anti-roll Bars: 2 | 2
Camber Angle: 0.0 | 0.0
Toe Angle: -0.11 | 0.10
Brake Balance: 6 | 6

Transmission:
Set to default
Set max speed 249 mph (all the way to the right)
Set final gear 6.500
Set max speed 99 mph
Set final to 3.500
Set gear ratios:
1st: 2.613
2nd: 1.951
3rd: 1.555
4th: 1.299
5th: 1.109
6th: 0.964

Drivetrain:
Initial Torque: 10 | 15
Accel: 20 | 27
Decel: 5 | 5
Torque Split: 45 | 55

Body:
No ballast: 50 | 50

In the right hands I believe this car can do sub 4 minute times on Eiger Nordwand, but I couldn't seem to shave that 1.317 seconds off. The Sirion X4 is still a massive blast off-road, a surprise to say the least!
In the spirit of the this month's thread I am working on 400pp and 450pp street tunes for this car.

 

[TurnLeft]

Daihatsu SIRION X4 (J) '00 - Rally Edition

As a break from updating the directory I wanted to build a low PP 4WD car that was great on dirt. I kinda failed at the low PP part. This build is in tribute to the DCCS team Sirion 1.5 Turbo Rally Car:


I wanted to build a replica but unfortunately I could not find suspension settings for the car anywhere, so I started from scratch. The top speed and HP are fairly close to the DCCS Sirion Rally Car.

Eiger Nordwand - K Trail: best time - 4:01.317

PP: 540
HP: 343/8000 rpm
Torque: 232 ft-lb/6500 rpm
Weight: 732 kg

ABS 1, all other driver aids off/0

GT Auto:
Oil Change
Stock Paint White
Stock Wheels
Body Rigidity None

Parts Installed:
Fully Customizable Suspension
Racing Brakes
Fully Customizable Dog-Clutch Transmission
Fully Customizable LSD
Triple-Plate Clutch
Torque-Distributing Center Differential
Engine Tuning Stage 3
Sports Computer
Racing Exhaust
Isometric Exhaust Manifold
Sports Catalytic Converter
Intake Tuning
High RPM Turbo
Dirt Tires


Suspension Settings:
Ride Height: 105 | 105
Spring Rate: 4.18 | 3.49
Dampers (Comp): 3 | 3
Dampers (Ext): 5 | 5
Anti-roll Bars: 2 | 2
Camber Angle: 0.0 | 0.0
Toe Angle: -0.11 | 0.10
Brake Balance: 6 | 6

Transmission:
Set to default
Set max speed 249 mph (all the way to the right)
Set final gear 6.500
Set max speed 99 mph
Set final to 3.500
Set gear ratios:
1st: 2.613
2nd: 1.951
3rd: 1.555
4th: 1.299
5th: 1.109
6th: 0.964

Drivetrain:
Initial Torque: 10 | 15
Accel: 20 | 27
Decel: 5 | 5
Torque Split: 45 | 55

Body:
No ballast: 50 | 50

In the right hands I believe this car can do sub 4 minute times on Eiger Nordwand, but I couldn't seem to shave that 1.317 seconds off. The Sirion X4 is still a massive blast off-road, a surprise to say the least!
In the spirit of the this month's thread I am working on 400pp and 450pp street tunes for this car.

After more than 1 year of knowing you I finally get to try one of your creations , I don't know if I have missed others you put out, so if you have then I'm to blame for not trying them before.

I love rally cars and races 👍, I just haven't had the time to start exploring these properly.

Eiger Nordwand - K Trail: best time - 4:01.317 , piece of cake I said to myself but as I crossed the finish line after what I had thought was a pretty good clean lap (no penalties) I was totally demoralized by how far I was, 4:15.900 , tried 3 more laps but instead of getting better I seemed to regress and kept hitting the barriers and getting penalties after penalties , almost thought I was playing a hockey game. I took a break and went for a final lap, 4:10.715 , like the Nurb. you really have to get to know this track well, and the turning technique is something that is completely alien to me just like drifting. The car handles very well 👍 and once you're in 6000 rpm it kicks asses (< are we allowed to say that? ), there 2 places on the track where the car really jumps, the train tracks , wow, did you know you could fly with this ? Very amusing but to get it under the 4 minute mark you may want to resort to finding a proper rally pilot , alas that I am not.

I wanted to see how it would do on pavement, so I took it to the
National A- Gornergrat League : Matterhorn Rotendoben - 600PP Limit / SS or less
I went with SS but I think it would be better with SH to at least get a bit of a challenge . Very smooth and flawless, for a 4WD that is, almost feels like you have aero parts on, turn ins are precise and acceleration out of curves perfect.

Was great to finally try one of yours, take care buddy and have some good times on the roads this summer and don't forget your camera , I'll be having some good times down the rivers before getting my finger tied in a band of gold at the end of summer.

 

[krenkme]

Sorry I missed out on the fun . Not much of April left. I will try and revisit this thread, when I can and contribute to the April (krenkme can't read a calendar ) tunes

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

Add as you can and as you wish. Thread is in the archives so maybe someone may visit.

 

[XS]

After more than 1 year of knowing you I finally get to try one of your creations , I don't know if I have missed others you put out, so if you have then I'm to blame for not trying them before.

I love rally cars and races 👍, I just haven't had the time to start exploring these properly.

Eiger Nordwand - K Trail: best time - 4:01.317 , piece of cake I said to myself but as I crossed the finish line after what I had thought was a pretty good clean lap (no penalties) I was totally demoralized by how far I was, 4:15.900 , tried 3 more laps but instead of getting better I seemed to regress and kept hitting the barriers and getting penalties after penalties , almost thought I was playing a hockey game. I took a break and went for a final lap, 4:10.715 , like the Nurb. you really have to get to know this track well, and the turning technique is something that is completely alien to me just like drifting. The car handles very well 👍 and once you're in 6000 rpm it kicks asses (< are we allowed to say that? ), there 2 places on the track where the car really jumps, the train tracks , wow, did you know you could fly with this ? Very amusing but to get it under the 4 minute mark you may want to resort to finding a proper rally pilot , alas that I am not.

I wanted to see how it would do on pavement, so I took it to the
National A- Gornergrat League : Matterhorn Rotendoben - 600PP Limit / SS or less
I went with SS but I think it would be better with SH to at least get a bit of a challenge . Very smooth and flawless, for a 4WD that is, almost feels like you have aero parts on, turn ins are precise and acceleration out of curves perfect.

Was great to finally try one of yours, take care buddy and have some good times on the roads this summer and don't forget your camera , I'll be having some good times down the rivers before getting my finger tied in a band of gold at the end of summer.

Thanks for taking my Sirion out, it means alot! Don't feel bad, Eiger is one of my favorites and, also, I'm afraid I have to admit something...... I've had this rally setup for a long time lol. I've put about 1800km on the Sirion X4 rallying it, so I had a head start I guess you could say. I did update it for the thread to squeez some more oomph out of it. Also, my average time is approximately 4:05.xxx with a clean lap. I think the key is to set the car up in turns 2 and 3 before those slight inclines, that can reduce almost two seconds right there, then hit the rail road tracks at a slight 80° angle to the tracks and it puts the back of the car right where you want it to launch up the 3rd incline.
I'm glad you enjoyed it on tarmac as well. I didn't include a tarmac option in my post because I wanted to refine the tune for tarmac first. This is exactly what your LSD data was helping me with! I think the car is a blast on the 'Ring but low speed corners it is still not as fast as it could be.

Well congrats on the ring sir! I feel like I should have known already hahaha. But certainly best fortunes to your future!
I also will be hitting the rivers, but I dare say the motorcycle will come first..... Especially since I bought a new one as a gift to myself for my 30th birthday (my birthday year is wrong on my profile, due to clumsy fingers and I feel like I may have missed the window for profile changes during the last GTP update or something. I should just ask a mod).

Anyway, thanks again for taking the Sirion out!!!

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

@CSLACR Autozam AZ-1 Review:

Having tested the other two Autozams, I felt compelled to have a long at this one as well. Since I tested the others at Streets of Willow on both CS and SH, the plan was set.

Built the car to specs and headed to Arcade Mode, set grip to Real and time to noon. Immediately noticed that the gears were set longer than the other two, not a bad thing. Also noticed the need for steering and throttle control. Keeping it straight was key, braking early (and in a straight line) then coasting into the corner also was the fastest for me. After I learned how to use the slide to my advantage, not that it did too much, I was rewarded. Watch out though, back end can light them up for a little low powered car, and be careful of your steering inputs. Best lap on CS - 1:27.778.

Now to slap on some SH tires and see how it reacts. Nice, more grip and less slip. Still can get the rear out of shape and smoke the tires through the twisty section, but not as much wheel sawing (or left stick for me). Able to brake later and not lose the rear as quick, when it did get out of shape, it was much easier to catch. Not sure if I ever hit 5th gear though, but the gearing, made this one the fastest of those tested. Best lap time 1:24.344. And that is a significant jump compared to the other two, very nicely done.

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

I handed out a challenge this month and several tuners took part. Now it was my turn for the torture. I decided to test the 3 2CVs listed and the Subaru 360.

So here is a quick review of:
@sinof1337
@TurnLeft
@Motor City Hami
@Woodski_427

So the plan was to test each, but with such low power it's hard to really nip-pick. Instead, I will just review them all together. Up first was @sinof1337 and his 2CV, no oil change and lowest power made the choice for me. Built to specs and headed over to Stowe in Arcade Mode, grip set to Real and time of day noon. Hard to really say too much about the handling, gearing, or feel since I almost wanted to push the car myself to see if it would help. But that's the 2CV and why it was used for the Platinum Trophy Challenge. The car did what was expected, slow and steady but with a tendency to understeer mid-corner in turn 2 and the final. The brakes were hardly used as lifting did most of the work, but when they were used, they did the job. Best lap - 1:08.339. Being the lowest powered and going first automatically means the others will be faster, sorry.

Now off to GT auto for an oil change and some +2 inch rims. Might as well change the paint while I'm there. Built to @TurnLeft specs and back to Stowe and repeat the track settings. Quickly noticed the extra power, yeah right, not much but it did make a difference. The +2 inch rims must also help as the car still "wobbled" but turned better. Either that or my line got better through the 2 tight turns. Managed to get through the first turn a slight bit better, and quicker also, again though, more laps in never hurt. The feeling was not too much different other than that, but the lap time was quicker. Best lap - 1:07.349.

And once again back to GT Auto for a repaint, rigidity improvement and a different set of rims (still +2 inch). Built to @Motor City Hami specs and headed back to Stowe. Again, grip real in Arcade at noon. NOw this one actually felt different and rotated even better. Hit 82mph down the long straight as well. The trans setup, trans "bug" setup that is may have been the only part lacking as it did not quite have the acceleration out of the corner, even though it was faster at the end of the straight. Turning was crisp, or as best it can be for this little baby and was the most enjoyable of the three. Only issue, was orange and not Spirited Green. Best lap - 1:06.938!

All three were listed on differing tire compounds, so I chose to use CS for all. Not really easy to find fault in any of them as they all were difficult to make up or gain time but easy to lose time. I commend you three for the effort!

And now for something completely different .

Off to Subaru to buy a 360, and build to @Woodski_427 specs. Then a short trip over to Stowe and repeat the test.
Rear engine makes turning too easy and this is definitely the wilder child of the bunch. Lowest amount of power, lowest weight and what would seem, better weight placement. But that did not help as power wins, there is no replacement for displacement. Once I got the hang of it after driving the other tame ones, I expected a better lap than what I got but this could all be in the trans. The gearing was a little long for this course and top speed was a bit lower as was acceleration. Still a nicely done tune and not too far off. I applaud you for being the only one who attempted to tune this little bubble. Best lap time - 1:08.773.

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

Reserved - because my computer has an attitude.

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

Another month has just about come and gone, this month I went in a different direction and was unsure of how it would turn out. Taking the suggestions of @TurnLeft and @Motor City Hami , I listed all cars list in the dealer at under 100hp. The results was more than I could have asked for with the largest number of tunes to date for series. And even got a mention as the Tune of the Week. For that I say thank you to:

@DolHaus
@shaunm80
@DaBomm4
@Motor City Hami
@TurnLeft
@Ridox2JZGTE
@sinof1337
@CSLACR
@Otaliema
@OdeFinn
@Brewguy44
@Woodski_427
@XS
@cbarbosa
@danbojte
@ItGivesYouWings

Thank you all for participating and for allowing me to continue with this series. I will be posting the "May Car of the Month" soon. And it is a suggested "car" and will be keeping with the theme of the latest FITT Challenge. So stay "tuned".

Once again, time has limited how many tunes I was able to review this month, but every tuner got atleast one car reviewed thanks in most part to @TurnLeft . I again will try and do more next month, Lord willing and time permitting.

 

[TurnLeft]

I handed out a challenge this month and several tuners took part. Now it was my turn for the torture. I decided to test the 3 2CVs listed and the Subaru 360.

Now that was mighty fair of you , crazy and quite brave . On an other subject...

Reserved - because my computer has an attitude.

Twice.

I hope you never fix that computer of yours, every time this happens I just

, no offense buddy, it's just it's become a such a classic .

Now off to GT auto for an oil change and some +2 inch rims. Might as well change the paint while I'm there. Built to @TurnLeft specs and back to Stowe and repeat the track settings. Quickly noticed the extra power, yeah right, not much but it did make a difference. The +2 inch rims must also help as the car still "wobbled" but turned better. Either that or my line got better through the 2 tight turns. Managed to get through the first turn a slight bit better, and quicker also, again though, more laps in never hurt. The feeling was not too much different other than that, but the lap time was quicker. Best lap - 1:07.349.

Thank you very much you very brave man 👍, it takes mucho grande balls to do what you have done and I appreciate more than any words could ever say , alas I have failed with this tune, watch the video until the end and you'll understand why.... just couldn't get it to do that.

I do truly love these little cars, they were part of my childhood films that made me laugh so much and I really appreciate that PD has kept them in. & thank you for taking your time to review these forgotten treasures of the automobile industry.

 

[Woodski_427]

And now for something completely different .

Off to Subaru to buy a 360, and build to @Woodski_427 specs. Then a short trip over to Stowe and repeat the test.
Rear engine makes turning too easy and this is definitely the wilder child of the bunch. Lowest amount of power, lowest weight and what would seem, better weight placement. But that did not help as power wins, there is no replacement for displacement. Once I got the hang of it after driving the other tame ones, I expected a better lap than what I got but this could all be in the trans. The gearing was a little long for this course and top speed was a bit lower as was acceleration. Still a nicely done tune and not too far off. I applaud you for being the only one who attempted to tune this little bubble. Best lap time - 1:08.773.

Thanks for trying out the mighty Scooby. I first used this car in a Kei seasonal in GT5, and accidently learned how to drift , and it became my go-to drift car for a while.

It can be bit like torture, but I think it's a fun car to take on modern sports car driven by the dopey AI. Acceleration is certainly not it's strong point and the gearing I posted was probably set up for the Hangar Straight at Silverstone GP so a bit long for Stowe. Glad you enjoyed/endured it though.

Great COTM for me - these are the types of cars I use a lot and it is good to see some tunes for them 👍. I have driven a few more, so hopefully will post the write-ups in the next day or so. I might even post another classic Kei tune for the any lost souls that wander across the thread.

 

[CSLACR]

@CSLACR Autozam AZ-1 Review:

Having tested the other two Autozams, I felt compelled to have a long at this one as well. Since I tested the others at Streets of Willow on both CS and SH, the plan was set.

Built the car to specs and headed to Arcade Mode, set grip to Real and time to noon. Immediately noticed that the gears were set longer than the other two, not a bad thing. Also noticed the need for steering and throttle control. Keeping it straight was key, braking early (and in a straight line) then coasting into the corner also was the fastest for me. After I learned how to use the slide to my advantage, not that it did too much, I was rewarded. Watch out though, back end can light them up for a little low powered car, and be careful of your steering inputs. Best lap on CS - 1:27.778.

Now to slap on some SH tires and see how it reacts. Nice, more grip and less slip. Still can get the rear out of shape and smoke the tires through the twisty section, but not as much wheel sawing (or left stick for me). Able to brake later and not lose the rear as quick, when it did get out of shape, it was much easier to catch. Not sure if I ever hit 5th gear though, but the gearing, made this one the fastest of those tested. Best lap time 1:24.344. And that is a significant jump compared to the other two, very nicely done.

Thanks for taking the time for this

I hope you had some fun, I didn't want to tame the wild AZ-1 too much, and it sounds like I didn't

"The Challenge"



Just for fun I present to you the hardest and most difficult challenge ever in a Gran Turismo game.

"The Are we there yet" Platinum Trophy Challenge. The rules are simple, the task is hard. Are you up to it?
Simply go to the Citroen Dealer and buy a 2CV, you may paint it if you wish but...
No OIL CHANGE, no rim upgrade, ABSOLUTELY NO UPGRADES AT ALL. Head straight to Route x and set the time of day to Midnight. You must complete two laps without pausing or falling asleep. Then post your best time here, if you succeed, I will post your trophy in your garage or present it to you in this thread if no garage is available.

Good luck and be careful out there!


Those Brave men who have accepted and succeeded:

@Brewguy44
@ItGivesYouWings
@DaBomm4
@cbarbosa
@TurnLeft
@Otaliema
​

"5 more minutes"
I have a job where I travel with people in a van (yes I'm a driver ) , we travel from 2 to 6 hours every day, and in doing so develop a pitiful sense of humor about everything. "Are we there yet"? is a constant, ongoing, not funny-but funny joke for us, and the answer is always "5 more minutes". Always.

 

[TurnLeft]

I have a job where I travel with people in a van (yes I'm a driver ) , we travel from 2 to 6 hours every day, and in doing so develop a pitiful sense of humor about everything.

So that would explain everything .

 

[Bowtie-muscle]

Thanks for taking the time for this

I hope you had some fun, I didn't want to tame the wild AZ-1 too much, and it sounds like I didn't

"5 more minutes"
I have a job where I travel with people in a van (yes I'm a driver ) , we travel from 2 to 6 hours every day, and in doing so develop a pitiful sense of humor about everything. "Are we there yet"? is a constant, ongoing, not funny-but funny joke for us, and the answer is always "5 more minutes". Always.

You tamed it pretty good, I am not a big fan of comfort tires. And it handled better than I anticipated, and really improved with SH tires. Check the other reviews and there times at the same track and under that same conditions. Yours was quite a bit quicker.

 

[Woodski_427]

Okay, so we are now in May already , so as promised:

The current 400pp seasonal (April 2015) at Grand Valley East Reverse is ideal for testing these cars; it's a great, nicely flowing track, not too long and some crazy AI moves to test the cars' responses.

First up

Nissan Silvia '65 @CSLACR

[pic to follow]

I think this is a great looking car, but I'd not driven one in GT6 before, so I had to go to the Datsun dealership to get one - in the only (nameless) colour on offer and built it to spec.

A note with the build - I could not get the gear ratios without doing the tranny trick (not mentioned in tune). However I did notice that the photo accompanying the tune has wheels that I think are only available in +2 inch, again no mention of wheels in the tune and I wondered if this has something to do with it. Unless I missed something .

As this beauty comes with more than enough power to destroy 400pp AI, I left on the stock CM tyres.

Firstly, it's nice to have a bit of decent poke after some of the REALLY small engines; gearing is nice and stirs the car beyond 120mph without faltering. This is sweet, really sweet; on the line tracks nicely, and running wide to take the AI (or evading their brake checks) it is nicely compliant on the comfort tyres. There is a bit of B/LOR to point the nose or a prod of the throttle to bring the back end round, so if you find yourself out of shape there is no problem sorting it out.

I loved this drive, it is definitely something I will dig out again and again and it can only get better the more you use it. Great work 👍

After running the other cars, I went back to this with CS tyres for a fairer comparison. Although I got the fastest laptime, the race time suffered due to an AI brake check that caught me out and me being unable to resist drifting round the outside of the AI couple of times! . This tune is fantastic on CS - really composed, nice.


Next was @DolHaus Autozam AZ-1

Again I haven't used this car since GT5 - it was a tricky little devil so I was hoping that dolhaus had calmed it down a little.

First off I tried CS tyres as I had planned on running my tests on comforts. I lasted one lap with this - it was a constant battle to keep it in line, as I was always trying to catch the breaking rear.

On to the suggested SH tyres then . Actually much better, the extra grip does keep the back end in check somewhat. However I found myself running into the back of a couple of AI cars as I was too scared to make quick moves to avoid them as they stamped on the brakes on the apex of a corner.

This race was on the verge of being fun as I got used to the car - the handling is pretty sharp but when you can tame it, you get that mid-engine cornering that is hard to beat. There is great grip as you point for the exit - to be superbly exploited out of the big hairpin on to the S/F straight.

A bit mixed for me this one - I think a decent tune for a tricky car but it needs practice to make the most of it (and maybe no other cars on the track ). If you can get over the noise, that is...it's a pretty grating noise that 3 laps was enough of for me.



Final tune for this session was the Honda S500 from @Otaliema (sort of).

Actually I used the setup on an S600 as I already had one in my garage, and fancied a little bit more power for this race. I ran on Comfort Soft and set my own gears of course, but used the FD ratio from the tune.

The drive was a little safe, as expected, but still great fun. It tracks the line beautifully, and allows you to weave in and out of the AI easily enough. The car will adopt a nice old-school four wheel drift when provoked, and there is enough power and balance to steer with the throttle, or break traction for a bit of fun.

It is quite addictive to rev the little engine well into the red at almost 11000 rpm before changing gear, and the S600 achieved around 115mph on the straight meaning the AI didn't get away.

I remember reading an article about a Morris Minor in a classic car magazine once where they suggested that it would teach anyone how a car loaded up in a corner. This tune just made me think along the same lines and any beginner of the game could learn a lot from driving this car.

It just felt like I could drive around in this all day, loved it.



Race times at GVE reverse 400pp seasonal April 15 (plus two of my own cars for comparison)


Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CM 4:38.698 bl 1:24.28X vs Clio RS
Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CS 4:36.955 bl 1:21.9
AZ1 400pp 104bhp 640kg -- SH 4:51.374 bl 1:29.7xx vs Merc Sl??
S600 374pp 96bhp 635kg -- CS 4:46.717 bl 1:27.11x vs Clio RS

Marcos 400pp 115bhp 709Kg - CS 4:42.211 bl 1:26.38x vs Altezza
'79 Civic 400pp 143bhp 815kg- CS 4:31.645 bl 1:22.76x vs Berlinette

 

[DolHaus]

Okay, so we are now in May already , so as promised:

The current 400pp seasonal (April 2015) at Grand Valley East Reverse is ideal for testing these cars; it's a great, nicely flowing track, not too long and some crazy AI moves to test the cars' responses.

First up

Nissan Silvia '65 @CSLACR

[pic to follow]

I think this is a great looking car, but I'd not driven one in GT6 before, so I had to go to the Datsun dealership to get one - in the only (nameless) colour on offer and built it to spec.

A note with the build - I could not get the gear ratios without doing the tranny trick (not mentioned in tune). However I did notice that the photo accompanying the tune has wheels that I think are only available in +2 inch, again no mention of wheels in the tune and I wondered if this has something to do with it. Unless I missed something .

As this beauty comes with more than enough power to destroy 400pp AI, I left on the stock CM tyres.

Firstly, it's nice to have a bit of decent poke after some of the REALLY small engines; gearing is nice and stirs the car beyond 120mph without faltering. This is sweet, really sweet; on the line tracks nicely, and running wide to take the AI (or evading their brake checks) it is nicely compliant on the comfort tyres. There is a bit of B/LOR to point the nose or a prod of the throttle to bring the back end round, so if you find yourself out of shape there is no problem sorting it out.

I loved this drive, it is definitely something I will dig out again and again and it can only get better the more you use it. Great work 👍

After running the other cars, I went back to this with CS tyres for a fairer comparison. Although I got the fastest laptime, the race time suffered due to an AI brake check that caught me out and me being unable to resist drifting round the outside of the AI couple of times! . This tune is fantastic on CS - really composed, nice.


Next was @DolHaus Autozam AZ-1

View attachment 357598

Again I haven't used this car since GT5 - it was a tricky little devil so I was hoping that dolhaus had calmed it down a little.

First off I tried CS tyres as I had planned on running my tests on comforts. I lasted one lap with this - it was a constant battle to keep it in line, as I was always trying to catch the breaking rear.

On to the suggested SH tyres then . Actually much better, the extra grip does keep the back end in check somewhat. However I found myself running into the back of a couple of AI cars as I was too scared to make quick moves to avoid them as they stamped on the brakes on the apex of a corner.

This race was on the verge of being fun as I got used to the car - the handling is pretty sharp but when you can tame it, you get that mid-engine cornering that is hard to beat. There is great grip as you point for the exit - to be superbly exploited out of the big hairpin on to the S/F straight.

A bit mixed for me this one - I think a decent tune for a tricky car but it needs practice to make the most of it (and maybe no other cars on the track ). If you can get over the noise, that is...it's a pretty grating noise that 3 laps was enough of for me.



Final tune for this session was the Honda S500 from @Otaliema (sort of).

View attachment 357601

Actually I used the setup on an S600 as I already had one in my garage, and fancied a little bit more power for this race. I ran on Comfort Soft and set my own gears of course, but used the FD ratio from the tune.

The drive was a little safe, as expected, but still great fun. It tracks the line beautifully, and allows you to weave in and out of the AI easily enough. The car will adopt a nice old-school four wheel drift when provoked, and there is enough power and balance to steer with the throttle, or break traction for a bit of fun.

It is quite addictive to rev the little engine well into the red at almost 11000 rpm before changing gear, and the S600 achieved around 115mph on the straight meaning the AI didn't get away.

I remember reading an article about a Morris Minor in a classic car magazine once where they suggested that it would teach anyone how a car loaded up in a corner. This tune just made me think along the same lines and any beginner of the game could learn a lot from driving this car.

It just felt like I could drive around in this all day, loved it.



Race times at GVE reverse 400pp seasonal April 15 (plus two of my own cars for comparison)


Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CM 4:38.698 bl 1:24.28X vs Clio RS
Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CS 4:36.955 bl 1:21.9
AZ1 400pp 104bhp 640kg -- SH 4:51.374 bl 1:29.7xx vs Merc Sl??
S600 374pp 96bhp 635kg -- CS 4:46.717 bl 1:27.11x vs Clio RS

Marcos 400pp 115bhp 709Kg - CS 4:42.211 bl 1:26.38x vs Altezza
'79 Civic 400pp 143bhp 815kg- CS 4:31.645 bl 1:22.76x vs Berlinette

View attachment 357606

Thank you for the review 👍
The thing with the Autozam is that you can't really get rid of the oversteer without killing the car, it wants to spin the tyres up and hang its arse out at any given opportunity and to get the most out of it you have to let it. Trying to drive it conventionally will give very little joy, instead try letting it slide, I promise it won't bite

 

[CSLACR]

Okay, so we are now in May already , so as promised:

The current 400pp seasonal (April 2015) at Grand Valley East Reverse is ideal for testing these cars; it's a great, nicely flowing track, not too long and some crazy AI moves to test the cars' responses.

First up

Nissan Silvia '65 @CSLACR

[pic to follow]

I think this is a great looking car, but I'd not driven one in GT6 before, so I had to go to the Datsun dealership to get one - in the only (nameless) colour on offer and built it to spec.

A note with the build - I could not get the gear ratios without doing the tranny trick (not mentioned in tune). However I did notice that the photo accompanying the tune has wheels that I think are only available in +2 inch, again no mention of wheels in the tune and I wondered if this has something to do with it. Unless I missed something .

As this beauty comes with more than enough power to destroy 400pp AI, I left on the stock CM tyres.

Firstly, it's nice to have a bit of decent poke after some of the REALLY small engines; gearing is nice and stirs the car beyond 120mph without faltering. This is sweet, really sweet; on the line tracks nicely, and running wide to take the AI (or evading their brake checks) it is nicely compliant on the comfort tyres. There is a bit of B/LOR to point the nose or a prod of the throttle to bring the back end round, so if you find yourself out of shape there is no problem sorting it out.

I loved this drive, it is definitely something I will dig out again and again and it can only get better the more you use it. Great work 👍

After running the other cars, I went back to this with CS tyres for a fairer comparison. Although I got the fastest laptime,
the race time suffered due to an AI brake check that caught me out and me being unable to resist drifting round the outside of the AI couple of times! . This tune is fantastic on CS - really composed, nice.

Thanks for taking the time. Glad you enjoyed it too.
I added the wheels to the tune post, (it was only in the comments n a review asking the same question) 👍

Special Instructions:
Set TS first, then gears, then adjust final as desired.

But this was already there.

 

[Woodski_427]

Thank you for the review 👍
The thing with the Autozam is that you can't really get rid of the oversteer without killing the car, it wants to spin the tyres up and hang its arse out at any given opportunity and to get the most out of it you have to let it. Trying to drive it conventionally will give very little joy, instead try letting it slide, I promise it won't bite

Yes, I'll give it another go - it's quite a hard car to get the measure of in 3 short laps and mid engine has never been my strong point. I do like the idea of the thing, so it's not a car easily ignored .

Thanks for taking the time. Glad you enjoyed it too.
I added the wheels to the tune post, (it was only in the comments n a review asking the same question) 👍
But this was already there.

As I remember I set the speed as stated, but couldn't get all the ratios without 'flipping' the FD all the way to the right right first; I wondered if it was because I had standard size rims and you had used +2 . Or I was being stupid .

 

[DolHaus]

Yes, I'll give it another go - it's quite a hard car to get the measure of in 3 short laps and mid engine has never been my strong point. I do like the idea of the thing, so it's not a car easily ignored .




As I remember I set the speed as stated, but couldn't get all the ratios without 'flipping' the FD all the way to the right right first; I wondered if it was because I had standard size rims and you had used +2 . Or I was being stupid .

Yeah 3 laps isn't really enough unless you're very confident with oversteer so I completely understand your impression of the car, if you've got the time and the desire to give it another go then its a fun car to learn a more aggressive driving style in 👍

 

[Woodski_427]

Tune

Also as threatened, another classic Kei tune (if a little late).

Honda Z ACT '70

Tyres: CS/SH

387pp, 69 BHP
459kg 58/42

This was another car I used a lot in GT5 when you could use race tyres against the AI - the Z's finest moment was beating the Dome Zero in a Classic car seasonal race at Tsukuba.

This is a 'full' tune (no oil change though), that still doesn't reach 400pp but I think it's good fun..

Wheels: +2 inch Wires

Power
Sports ECU
Engine Stage 3
Racing Exhaust
Manifold
Sports Cat
Intake

Limiter 100

Full custom suspension
RH: 98 90
Spring Rate: 2.23 2.50
Damper Comp: 3 4
Damper Ext: 4 5
ARB: 2 5
Camber 0.0 0.5
Toe: -0.03 0.08

Racing Brakes 5 6


Full custom Diff'
Initial: 9
Accel: 17
Brake: 7

Triple plate clutch

Full custom Trans:

FD to the right
Max speed 93 mph
1st 3.900
2nd 2.755
3rd 2.015
4th 1.600
5th 1.330

Final 3.710

Weight reduction:
Stage 3, Bonnet, Windows
Ballast 0 @ 0


At the 400pp seasonal at GVE reverse, on CS I ran a total time of 4:50.211, only managing 2nd behind an FTO GPX.

Top speed at GVE reverse with this gearing was 100mph and 107mph with draft.

 

[CSLACR]

As I remember I set the speed as stated, but couldn't get all the ratios without 'flipping' the FD all the way to the right right first; I wondered if it was because I had standard size rims and you had used +2 . Or I was being stupid .

Meh, I probably did something stupid, though I "never" move the final right before setting anything. That's the rookie method.

 

[Woodski_427]

Meh, I probably did something stupid, though I "never" move the final right before setting anything. That's the rookie method.

Actually I should have said, I got the ratios by doing the FD move first. Not that it was the only way, because I didn't try anything else! Arggh I'm confusing myself now

 

[Otaliema]

Okay, so we are now in May already , so as promised:

The current 400pp seasonal (April 2015) at Grand Valley East Reverse is ideal for testing these cars; it's a great, nicely flowing track, not too long and some crazy AI moves to test the cars' responses.

First up

Nissan Silvia '65 @CSLACR

[pic to follow]

I think this is a great looking car, but I'd not driven one in GT6 before, so I had to go to the Datsun dealership to get one - in the only (nameless) colour on offer and built it to spec.

A note with the build - I could not get the gear ratios without doing the tranny trick (not mentioned in tune). However I did notice that the photo accompanying the tune has wheels that I think are only available in +2 inch, again no mention of wheels in the tune and I wondered if this has something to do with it. Unless I missed something .

As this beauty comes with more than enough power to destroy 400pp AI, I left on the stock CM tyres.

Firstly, it's nice to have a bit of decent poke after some of the REALLY small engines; gearing is nice and stirs the car beyond 120mph without faltering. This is sweet, really sweet; on the line tracks nicely, and running wide to take the AI (or evading their brake checks) it is nicely compliant on the comfort tyres. There is a bit of B/LOR to point the nose or a prod of the throttle to bring the back end round, so if you find yourself out of shape there is no problem sorting it out.

I loved this drive, it is definitely something I will dig out again and again and it can only get better the more you use it. Great work 👍

After running the other cars, I went back to this with CS tyres for a fairer comparison. Although I got the fastest laptime, the race time suffered due to an AI brake check that caught me out and me being unable to resist drifting round the outside of the AI couple of times! . This tune is fantastic on CS - really composed, nice.


Next was @DolHaus Autozam AZ-1

View attachment 357598

Again I haven't used this car since GT5 - it was a tricky little devil so I was hoping that dolhaus had calmed it down a little.

First off I tried CS tyres as I had planned on running my tests on comforts. I lasted one lap with this - it was a constant battle to keep it in line, as I was always trying to catch the breaking rear.

On to the suggested SH tyres then . Actually much better, the extra grip does keep the back end in check somewhat. However I found myself running into the back of a couple of AI cars as I was too scared to make quick moves to avoid them as they stamped on the brakes on the apex of a corner.

This race was on the verge of being fun as I got used to the car - the handling is pretty sharp but when you can tame it, you get that mid-engine cornering that is hard to beat. There is great grip as you point for the exit - to be superbly exploited out of the big hairpin on to the S/F straight.

A bit mixed for me this one - I think a decent tune for a tricky car but it needs practice to make the most of it (and maybe no other cars on the track ). If you can get over the noise, that is...it's a pretty grating noise that 3 laps was enough of for me.



Final tune for this session was the Honda S500 from @Otaliema (sort of).

View attachment 357601

Actually I used the setup on an S600 as I already had one in my garage, and fancied a little bit more power for this race. I ran on Comfort Soft and set my own gears of course, but used the FD ratio from the tune.

The drive was a little safe, as expected, but still great fun. It tracks the line beautifully, and allows you to weave in and out of the AI easily enough. The car will adopt a nice old-school four wheel drift when provoked, and there is enough power and balance to steer with the throttle, or break traction for a bit of fun.

It is quite addictive to rev the little engine well into the red at almost 11000 rpm before changing gear, and the S600 achieved around 115mph on the straight meaning the AI didn't get away.

I remember reading an article about a Morris Minor in a classic car magazine once where they suggested that it would teach anyone how a car loaded up in a corner. This tune just made me think along the same lines and any beginner of the game could learn a lot from driving this car.

It just felt like I could drive around in this all day, loved it.



Race times at GVE reverse 400pp seasonal April 15 (plus two of my own cars for comparison)


Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CM 4:38.698 bl 1:24.28X vs Clio RS
Silvia 400PP 176hp 965kG - CS 4:36.955 bl 1:21.9
AZ1 400pp 104bhp 640kg -- SH 4:51.374 bl 1:29.7xx vs Merc Sl??
S600 374pp 96bhp 635kg -- CS 4:46.717 bl 1:27.11x vs Clio RS

Marcos 400pp 115bhp 709Kg - CS 4:42.211 bl 1:26.38x vs Altezza
'79 Civic 400pp 143bhp 815kg- CS 4:31.645 bl 1:22.76x vs Berlinette

View attachment 357606

Thank you for the review looks like it can hang with the young'ns just fine and it did what I ment it to do be a teacher car.