Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

pretend racer
Yep, I did forget about the racing aspect, and I admit I forgot to take that into consideration, as I haven't been able to make any of the races. The tracks I picked are better suited for TT's than for racing. I'm still looking forward to tonight's race though.

Um, what driver aids am I allowed to use because with just abs1 its looks like I'm a bit off the pace... Surely, practise can't really help that much (that's sarcasm btw)....
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We run any assists we like so pick and choose, but we all run SRF on race night as to lower the skill barrier for newcomers and also keep the racing fun for all, we do factor out the SRF in our reviews mind you.

Also we have a few ground rules in place.

No honking the horns during the races.
Contact is expected, but any contact with malicious intent is not okay which will be subject to review by a jury of your peers. :sly:

Basically those two rules can be summed up in one sentence, Don't be a Dick. :P

Another rule we have is the 'Any Given Sunday' rule, when active the race winner has to drop down a tyre compound so SH tyres to CS tyres and if they win again, they drop to CM's and so on. :)

In the event a AGS race is won on CH tyres, other means of handicapping will be enforced, like no SRF, ABS or if possible, a PP handicap by power limiting.

But aside from those basic rules, it's all good fun and racing. 👍

Oil changes aren't mandatory, but are highly recommended.

Visual upgrades like paint and wheels and race numbers aren't considered tuning by PD so they are allowed, but wings,flat floors and body kits will need to be removed to clear the regulations.

My advice? If possible, buy a fresh car to remove all concerns of tuning and work up from there. ;)

And here's a not so secret tip, Brake Balance CAN be adjusted without violating the no tuning regulation. :lol:
 
RacingOtaku86
Great, we have another boycotter here. I think McC knows what to do...

PLEASE don't take offence to this. I was only joking.
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Indeed, I do.


​

@Vic Reign93 thanks for giving the run down. Very appreciated.

Cowboy
I might be able to join you guys tonight after my dad's softball game.
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The fix is in.









​
 
Alteza Gita: A ton (and a half) of spirited grocery getting fun!

I've watched several of the replays from Tues night, and as usual the competition was tight! The Gita is very well balanced, with a bit of understeer, but still able to do all the things that reasonably good handling cars do: a touch of oversteer when turning under light braking, the rear sticks fairly well when accelerating out of a turn, easy to control the attitude of the car mid corner.

So beater or sleeper? BEATER! This is the type of car you use to get groceries, while at the same time eroding your memory recall capability: you get rewarded for forgetting grocery items - "darn I forgot to get a lemon, I gotta do another spirited grocery run!"

Overall, I gotta say it is the COTW members that make the races so fun, no matter what we are driving. Thanks all for another great Tues night race!

There are many videos I'd like to post, I'll have to consider getting an hdmi capture device!
 
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Ok so there was a race? I joined the club lobby and did a qualifier? with 3 other people, then I got disconnected (blocked?) and everyone disappeared....
 
pretend racer
Ok so there was a race? I joined the club lobby and did a qualifier? with 3 other people, then I got disconnected (blocked?) and everyone disappeared....
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I think that was a time trial you were doing, I was watching it on twitch. Disconnects are common in the time trials as well as the weekly race lobby.

And yes, this is a beater. I tried to like it, I really did. :guilty:
 
I'm surprised at all the beater statuses, I like the car myself. As @todally_lit might have seen, I use it's non-wagon/saloon brother frequently in another room (as the wagon version maxes out at 500PP when the room is set >510PP).

In it's PP range it has a great power to weight ratio, the car/tyres don't provide a lot of grip so it suffers in corners and corner exits, but it is a rocket compared to other cars at the same PP on all of the straights.

Despite it's lack of grip compared to other cars, I enjoy it's balance and can always get it to rotate in corner entries and exits the way I want it to. It's a sleeper for me.
 
I am with Lewis on this one. Even though I have very few miles on it, the Altezza has just the right amount of power to be quick in a strait line, and manageable in technical turns. In fact, on the exit of every corner I could feel it saying: Come on, we can take that one a little faster next time around... It stuck to the track like it had much better tyres than CS, and if you treated it well, the 300 used its own weight and momentum to rotate very nicely.

The design is very plain, without being boring. The only defining feature in its design are the white brake light surrounds, which I do not find too flashy or distracting.


Battle for 2nd against @Vic Reign93
​
Verdict: Sleeper
 
Toyota Altezza Gita AS300 '01
3.0L
215 hp / 6,000 rpm
217 ft-lb / 4,000 rpm
1,470 kg (3,241 lbs)
405 pp

This car could use a turbo, and a diet.



123 mph on the front straight.

Cars within 0.500 seconds:

1:29.237 - 405 - Volkswagen Golf V GTI '05
1:29.247 - 429 - Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C2) '63
1:29.296 - 412 - Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution Rally Raid Car '03
1:29.315 - 378 - Toyota MR2 Spyder (6MT) '02
1:29.335 - 417 - Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon 3.0R '03
1:29.337 - 415 - Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX (Z31) '83
1:29.363 - 399 - Renault Sport Clio R.S. 2.0 16V '02
1:29.371 - 402 - Honda Prelude SiR S Spec '98
1:29.371 - 388 - Lotus Elise '11
1:29.379 - 419 - Acura CL 3.2 Type-S '03
1:29.426 - 399 - Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor '98
1:29.437 - 396 - Honda Prelude SiR '96
1:29.459 - 406 - Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR Rally Car '74
1:29.496 - 411 - Toyota Supra SZ-R '97
1:29.517 - 397 - Honda Accord Euro-R '02
1:29.577 - 425 - Toyota Caldina GT-Four '02
1:29.655 - 406 - Audi S3 '02
1:29.688 - 409 - Fiat Coupe Turbo Plus '00
1:29.697 - 405 - Honda Prelude Type S '96
1:29.715 - 405 - Toyota Altezza Gita AS300 '01
1:29.736 - 418 - Acura CL 3.2 Type-S '01
1:29.794 - 400 - Nissan Skyline HT 2000 RS-X Turbo C (R30) '84
1:29.799 - 390 - Honda Civic Type R (EK) '97
1:29.893 - 400 - Nissan Skyline GTS-R (R31) '87
1:29.908 - 415 - Pontiac Firebird Trans Am '78
1:29.914 - 387 - Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg ZR '97
1:29.914 - 388 - Renault R5 Turbo '80
1:29.918 - 420 - Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4 Type V '98
1:29.924 - 401 - Honda Prelude Si VTEC '91
1:29.937 - 403 - Seat Ibiza Cupra '04
1:29.942 - 432 - Land Rover Range Stormer '04
1:29.954 - 406 - Honda Accord Euro-R '00
1:29.973 - 376 - Toyota MR2 Spyder '99
1:29.995 - 407 - Peugeot RCZ '10
1:30.048 - 415 - Volvo C30 R-Design '09
1:30.076 - 389 - Mitsubishi FTO GR '97
1:30.126 - 403 - Mini Cooper S '11
1:30.170 - 407 - Audi TT Coupe 1.8T Quattro '00
1:30.175 - 394 - Peugeot 206 RC '03

Unless you absolutely need the extra cargo space and RWD, there are better options, like the VW Golf GTI. In the USA, the wagon version didn't come with a manual transmission option (the regular IS300 did though) so I'd call it a beater for that injustice alone.
 
Can I give my opinion and share a few pics, even though I missed the meet?

This thread title update inspired me to try both.
 
VXR
Can I give my opinion and share a few pics, even though I missed the meet?

This thread title update inspired me to try both.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong against that, those two things are just some of the objectives of this thread. Even if you did not race Tuesday (or Saturday if you already know you won't be attending that one), you are more than welcome to share your thoughts here. This isn't just an online racing thread, even though we do race quite a lot from time to time... ;)
 
VXR
Can I give my opinion and share a few pics, even though I missed the meet?

This thread title update inspired me to try both.
Click to expand...
Anyone's welcome to drive this week's car, thrash it around some tracks, then let us know about your experiences! :sly:
The online races just help in deciding your verdict cos you get to see what the car's like against real life competition.
 
School Runnings - Toyota Altezza Gita and Lexus IS300 Sport Cross

The BMW E36 Touring wasn't particularly attractive, but it did have the virtue of being a 3-series, so when Toyota benchmarked this generation BMW for their Altezza/IS line, it followed that a wagon version saw release. With a 3.0 inline six, there was performance on tap, but what the Gita and Sport Cross had over the BMW rival was pleasant styling. Driving both the JDM and USDM versions shows some similarities and differences and I'm finding it hard to choose which I prefer.

Starting with the Gita, I find the exhaust note too obnoxious for the type of car. It doesn't have the cultured six sound I like from a BMW six, for instance and sounds more like it has a factory fart can. On standard road oriented tyres, it seems a little bit skittish in power oversteer, but will settle into a nice neutral to oversteer balance. Overall, it's a nice enough package, but I don't feel I warmed to it.

27496503612_21a6ff317a_z.jpg
26987026163_a3b65fa2ff_z.jpg


Maybe the US car has a softer suspension tune, maybe it was the heat of Laguna Seca... It must be said, I enjoyed the IS300 Sport Cross more than its Japanese cousin. The exhaust sounded more refined and in keeping with an inline six, and the car settled into a more relaxed routine of rolling over into gentle lift-off oversteer, which works so nicely on a track if you aren't chasing lap times. When you wanted to, more committed oversteer was much more natural in feel than the Gita. So, a win for this version.

26985570104_08befa82e4_z.jpg
27496504722_ce97bd655e_z.jpg


Could I honestly say the IS300 SC is a sleeper? In some ways it feels like one, but the metrics likely state that it isn't particularly quick on any given lap, just that it feels fun in doing so. To me it's a sleeper, as I was really surprised that it felt nicer than the Altezza version, which is a straight beater.
 
McClarenDesign
The races are in public lobbies. As previously mentioned, that was a weekly time trial event.
​
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Well that might have been handy for me to know, you should update your 1st post to include that little bit of info...
Or did I just miss the memo with the room info?

After the time trial on tues I waited around for 15 min waiting for people to come back to the club and no one did,which is why I thought I got blocked, so I gave up and watched Netflix. It was a ****** movie too.
 
pretend racer
Well that might have been handy for me to know, you should update your 1st post to include that little bit of info...
Or did I just miss the memo with the room info?

After the time trial on tues I waited around for 15 min waiting for people to come back to the club and no one did,which is why I thought I got blocked, so I gave up and watched Netflix. It was a ****** movie too.
Click to expand...

We're also racing today at about 4pm EST, so look for @McClarenDesign in the Open lobbies if you're interested.

Cheers
 


It was something of surprise that this car even made it to American shores under the Lexus badge. In 2001 the SUV craze was still at its zenith and Chrysler minivans were as ubiquitous and commonplace as.....well, as they still are today. Launching this car during the waning days of the station wagon in the public eye would seem akin to making a Donna Summers collaboration with the Bee Gees during the death of Disco music.



While the Lexus IS300 Sportcross has styling that's as bland and ho-hum as a designer could possibly achieve, the car is relatively light compared to other people-carriers, and then gives you the traditional "engine in front, power to the back" that most sports cars use rather than tasking the front tires with both power and steering. Combine this with a low center of gravity that both gives you better handling and allows the guy in the sports sedan behind you to see the road ahead through your windows ("Looking at you a**holes in your 20 foot tall Heavy Duty Pickups that you use to haul groceries once a week!") and you have to wonder why people would eschew a station wagon like the Lexus for a minivan, SUV, or crossover.



The Lexus IS300 Sportcross deserves a Sleeper designation. Sure, it's not an WRX, but it delivered far better handling and driving enjoyment than I was expecting from a Toyota station wagon. I wish soccer moms everywhere could experience how fun driving something like this could be, and then just let them try to go back to driving their Town & Country/Voyager/Grand Caravan minivan.
 
It's time for another episode of...

NISMO'S COTW REVIEW!!!!
(Now suitable for vegetraians! Warning: May contain information.)

This week: The Toyota Altezza Gita.
Other alias: Lexus IS300 Sport Cross.
Ronda_1.jpg
Two sides of the same coin?

First of all, I'm finally looking for a personal racing suit! The racing gear has never bothered me, hence why I always used the 15th anniv. kit. However, now I've decided to try and find something a bit more unique, so that's why my racing gear may change a bit in the coming weeks, till I find a combo I love!

"Noone cares Nismo, make with the review already!!!!"

FINE....

Ronda_2.jpg

Here we go, another Toyota... :grumpy:

I picked the Altezza to use, because it's JDM and because I prefer right hand drive. It has good pickup, off the line it's not exactly a slouch, but it won't win any drag races either. Compared to the IS300, it sounds like a tractor, no smooth i6 grumble here! What we get instead is.... very much worse. :odd:
Performance wise it is alright for a family wagon, concealing a 2JZ under the hood, it produces 227bhp, which is enough to avoid being painfully slow, but it's still no Super GT car.

It could use a bit of weight loss. It's a wagon, so it's always going to be a bit heavier than the alternatives, but it tips the scales at nearly 1500kgs, and the handling suffers as a result. This goes for both the Lexus and Toyota, as they both have the same weight, power and PP.
The Altezza felt really hard to navigate tight complexes, or high speed sweepers. I blame this on the weight combined with the comfort soft tyres. And obviously, the standard suspension which is far too soft to competitively race on. The Lexus actually felt better, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Admittedly, I had an excellent run in the Altezza at Monza on Tuesday. I managed to break away with Lewis from the pack, and it was when I overshot one of the chicanes that the rest of the drivers caught up. However that was merely a fluke, the rest of my experiences with the Altezza were pretty crappy. :yuck:

Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit.jpg

Guess who's treating Mount Panorama like Mount Akina? Who other than our resident drifter, Vic!!!

Ronda.jpg
And now onto the "not Toyota"...

As mentioned before, the Lexus and Toyota are identical in terms of weight, PP and power. The only differences are the handling, and the side the steering wheel's on. I bought this Lexus after Tuesday's disappointment, and was actually surprised at how much nicer to drive the IS300 was :eek:. It didn't fishtail nearly as much as the Altezza, which is something I thought would have been the opposite. And the sound, oh, the Lexus sounds so much better than that croaky old tractor! :sly:
Mid-Field Raceway.jpg

Baron's rear looks a bit low, he must have the groceries in the back!

Of course, the Lexus would still slide around if you were too angry with it. But that's just something you have to take into account when driving it, it needs that little extra care around corners, and delicate throttle control upon exit. However the below average power and generous weight still means it's not an ideal racecar.
Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit_1.jpg

The run onto Conrod Straight

So where does that leave us?
They're both beaters. The Altezza definately so, because it's basically a glorified tractor on ice skates. And the IS300 because it's only a little better, not really all that signifigantly. As much as I enjoyed the racing in the Lexus, there are other, more fun vehicles in the PP range I'd rather drive, like the Nissan Primera, Honda Civic and Toyota MR2. Besides, there's an alternative to these two I'd much rather drive...

Syracuse.jpg

The Altezza RS200! (Aka Lexus IS200)

That's right, the sedan! More manouverable, better balanced, and a lot better looking in my opinion! No school runs, alcohol emergencies or wagon-related handling issues here! One of the best FR JDM sportscars on the market, the Altezza RS200 totally deserves to be detailed, c'mon Polyphony!!!

Now please, for crying out loud, can we lay off the Toyotas (Or even the Japanese cars) for a while?! I think it's high time we reviewed a Ferrari! Or a Lamborghini. Or an RUF. Something with plenty of guts, but not as bonkers as the TZ3! :P


Also, quick shoutout to @Niku Driver HC for teaching me about the Miatas' secret! I bought all 14 specified models, and ended up choosing this one because of the undoubtedly unique design! Cheers mate! :cheers:
Gemasolar_1.jpg
 
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Lewis_Hamilton_
Despite it's lack of grip compared to other cars, I enjoy it's balance and can always get it to rotate in corner entries and exits the way I want it to. It's a sleeper for me.
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Congratulations Lewis_Hamilton_, both on your win today in Canada and on earning this week's selection!

Lewis_Hamilton_
Thank you.

Well it's not Japanese, it's not front wheel drive, but it is a diesel...
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bmw_wheels_3.jpg

It's the 2004 BMW 120d!!!

So the Merc-man wants the "d"... I'm not sure Nikki Lauda or Paddy Lowe would approve, but then again they have no sway here.

Well, at least not Paddy.

To celebrate the Deutsch dilemma, this week's "Playing With TTs!" event will be at The Green Hell. Although drivers are allowed multiple attempts, you'll only have 1 lap on each attempt so make it count!

Still no announcement of this week's Gran Turismo Angel-Is-A-Centerfold winner, so I'll go with @Nismonath5 and this:

ronda_2-jpg.557424

​
...because it's almost like an automotive upskirt pic.
 

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