Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

[JackRyanWMU]

Toyota Prius: The Official Car of That Guy Who Goes Ballistic When You Point Out Al Gore Has a Carbon Footprint 10 Times Bigger than the Average American.


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In a perfect world, I would've tried to balance out this car's obvious left-wing political statement by painting it in camouflage, as well as adding a gun rack and a "Mitt Romney For President" bumper sticker. With that not possible with GT6's customization options, I decided instead on the above, "Pee-us" theme. But onto the review proper and....



Well, there's no sugarcoating this week, this car is absolutely, completely, utterly horrible. The styling's horrid, the understeer is abhorrent, and the battery wears out so swiftly under race driving that you'll quickly find yourself at a massive power disadvantage against comparable conventional engine cars. Oh, and then there's the low rolling-resistance tires that sacrifice things that would make the car safer for normal people to drive such as lateral grip and braking distance at the altar of the MPG.



In a lot of ways, the Prius is a mirror of the Sambabus from last week. Even now, as the Audi R18 and Porsche 919 battle for wins at Le Mans and the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari battle for poster space on the walls of teenagers, as they prove that hybrid cars don't have to be dull and lame, there's still the Prius. There's still the car that tells everyone the owner's political beliefs before he can even begin to lecture them on the virtues of food that's "organic" and "gluten-free."

This car's not just a Beater, it's the one car I would rather drop a piano on than sell to someone else if I was given one for free.

 

[McClarenDesign]

Due to illness I must postpone my 24 hour attempt.

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[McClarenDesign]

Sorry about the delay, I've been battling illness. I should be able to attempt the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend.

Oversights happen here a lot, so I'd like to take a moment to apologize to my co-pilot/right-hand man @Baron Blitz Red for missing him up till now. For all the help he's given, he's earned this and more.

Congratulations Baron Blitz Red!

Damn, @Vic Reign93 , I've seen black holes in space that were a lighter shade of black than your car!

Apparently he's also a bit racist.

Well as I've been waiting all year for this, I have a few picks in mind. So I'll ask for your help to finalise the decision.

You'll get no help from me.

Hope you're feeling better than you were this afternoon bud!

Not a lot, but I'm not completely dead yet so there must be plenty of suffering left in me. Apparently it's Ebola.

This week's car is...

...the 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS!

I'm not sure which is worse, living with the sickness of a cold for a few days, or managing the disease of a Chevy for an entire week.

Can we get a Mulligan?

@Vic Reign93 is under investigation for illegal equipment during his 1:59.115 attempt at last week's Time Trial, besting my time by a hair over a second. I imagine track limits were violated more than a drunken co-ed in Florida on Spring Break. This week's Playing With TTs! is at the Oschersleben, courtesy of ImTheConan.

 

[RacingOtaku86]

You mean 1:59.115, right @McClarenDesign?
I should know, I'm a few tenths behind him with a 1:59.4xx (with no SRF*).

Spoiler

*- didn't need it AT ALL. Heresy, I know.

 

[Obelisk]

Obelisk's half-arsed review #2: '70 Nova SS

A muscle car, huh? Makes me think of grease, overweight people, and absurdly soft suspension.*
*I'm American, don't blast me

So I actually got my wi-fi to cooperate on this TT event. I bought a gold metallic Nova (because gold) and let her rip. It did have a very soft suspension, but it actually held on really well on the track. The only weak link I found in it was the live axle that resides in the back of the car. If you don't manage your throttle well, that thing will bite you harder than a peeved-off dog. Anyways, I managed a lap time of 1:47.223.

My verdict: Sleeper

This car has potential. It has a lot of good things going for it and some bad. However, any competent driver (AKA everyone who isn't @McClarenDesign) can take this car to its limit and do moderately well against more modern cars.

 

[Vic Reign93]

You mean 1:59.115, right @McClarenDesign?
I should know, I'm a few tenths behind him with a 1:59.4xx (with no SRF*).

Spoiler

*- didn't need it AT ALL. Heresy, I know.

If I did a 1:19 around that track, I wouldn't have kept that time up there.

I think he's not 100% due to the cold AND the fact he's not Chevys biggest fan and we're driving the Nova for the week.

An illness induced oversight is understandable.

 

[McClarenDesign]

An illness induced oversight is understandable.

If I must suffer...

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[Obelisk]

^Holy crap, that is one screwed up paint chip.

(looks at lap time)
FFFFFFFF-

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

I think he's not 100% due to the cold AND the fact he's not Chevys biggest fan and we're driving the Nova for the week.

It could be that he'll have this tune playing for the week too...



MUAHAHAHA!!!

Cheers

 

[McClarenDesign]

(looks at lap time)
FFFFFFFF-

Best Lap- 1:45.055​

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Looks like Vic's speed is rubbing off other drivers in here... And you claim ilness, Mr. Brad? From what I see, your "Chevy pain" is either a very good lie or some sort of strange side-effect that turns your hatred into passion and the ability of driving quickly... I call hax with all due respect, dear sire.

If you want it, however, I can always provide you with one of the t-shirts made famous by The Simpsons episode "Once again, natura-diddly". You should know the one, it was a killer t-shirt. In more ways that one...

 

[McClarenDesign]

Blame @Obelisk .

However, any competent driver (AKA everyone who isn't @McClarenDesign) can take this car to its limit and do moderately well against more modern cars.

 

[Obelisk]

Blame @Obelisk .

Don't pin everything on me! It was just a smart aleck comment.

 

[McClarenDesign]

Don't pin everything on me! It was just a smart aleck comment.

Ask @Vic Reign93 , don't poke the bear.

Plus, it's already been beaten by Rob and Baron.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Blame @Obelisk .

Very well then, I shall pin the proverbial tail on Obelisk's donkey. Make of that what you wil, just don't turn it into an innuendo that wil lead to... uncomfortable situations, if you catch my drift.

Remember kids, getting smart with McClaren is treading across a very dangerous irony minefield...

 

[Obelisk]

B-but getting smart with people is my way of being affectionate.

 

[Cowboy]

So now I get to review one of my favorite muscle cars of GT6? Yay .

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Well for #GranTurismoTuesday, I thought I'd do an update for the "Playing with TT's" event so far...


BaronBlitzRed: 1:43.777

Rob_on_Drums: 1:44.363

racer2833: 1:44.738

McClarenDesign: 1:45.055

JackRyanWMU: 1:46.152

RMedia_Obelisk: 1:47.223

basswerks1: 1:47.526

Irish_Tiger11: 1:47.708


Cheers

 

[Vic Reign93]

I can imagine it's just a coincidence that MC will use a black Nova for this weeks battles when I know for a fact that there's a well known Nova from his home state of Oklahoma that's also black.

It looks a little like this...

Yep, it's the one and only MurderNova.

Currently the #1 car on the 405's top ten list, but for how long?

As for me? I might just find another well known modified Nova to take some design inspiration from.

 

[eran0004]

Yay, a pony car!



^ That's a lot of happy ponies right there. And the Nova is certainly one of them! It throws itself into the corners, slides through with a squealing neigh and then charges on towards the next corner!

It's a bit like driving the Bullitt car chase.

I took the car to my Death Valley test track and gave it some comfort soft tyres to feed on:



Not the sharpest or fastest, but one of the happiest rides!

Verdict? 4/5 Lanciaphants.

Edit: It's a blast to drive on dirt! Try it at Toscana

 

[McClarenDesign]

Yep, it's the one and only MurderNova.

Currently the #1 car on the 405's top ten list, but for how long?

As for me? I might just find another well known modified Nova to take some design inspiration from.

I used to cruise with those guys years ago.

 

[Obelisk]

I used to cruise with those guys years ago.

You being honest?

 

[McClarenDesign]

You being honest?

Yeah, this was about the time they made a name for themselves by winning several times on the show "Pinks".

 

[Obelisk]

Yeah, this was about the time they made a name for themselves by winning several times on the show "Pinks".

That's awesome.

Time for my own cool claim, I guess.
I know the guy who currently owns Paul Walker's 1999 Ferrari 360.

 

[Vic Reign93]

Yeah, this was about the time they made a name for themselves by winning several times on the show "Pinks".

I think there's a vid on YouTube that showed them taking on a Nos assisted, stripped out Civic at "Pinks" and they were running a Nos assisted Foxbody Mustang which "was" a 13 second car ( not even close to ran all out ) and won the first 2 heats.

3rd heat and the Civic team were getting rather ticked off because they knew they were getting sandbagged so they started a couple car lengths out and that's when the sticky tyres, plus the track being sticker further out from the start overstressed the drive axle and broke it.

Easy win and pink slip.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

I've also seen them mentioned on Discovery...

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/street-outlaws/under-the-hood-murder-nova/

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/street-outlaws/bios/murder-nova/

Cheers

 

[Thomas2012]

The Chevrolet Nova SS! One of the great murderous muscle cars to come out of America! Early on in the game I saw one and thought I had to have one (Mainly because of the quality but still. haha) For a muscle car I was surprised at how well it could actually manoeuvre its way round a corner without feeling like a boat or forcing the rear tires to yell surrender in a high pitch squeal. Definitely a nice car to own and a great choice for this week! 👍 Since I don't much to save I decided to put two pictures in.

More shots, unedited though

Spoiler

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...llenge-2015-2016-starts-december-24th.339975/

 

[CaddyKOP]

ZZzzzzzzzzz...

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Ahhhh...muscle cars. There's just something so right about their rip-snorting brawniness that makes you want to stand up and shout, "GOD BLESS THE USA," order another chili dog, and offer your cousin another one-night stand. Okay, all stereotypes aside, they're not the best road carvers, but you have to have a certain feeling of adoration for the American steel from the 1960s and 1970s, and when I saw that the car of choice this week was a Nova, I squealed with joy.

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A little backstory. The Nova was spawned from Chevy's smallest sedan in the lineup of the early 1960s: the Chevy II. The II, like its brothers, the mid-sized Malibu and full-sized Impala, received all sorts of muscle-y goodies when the race for the big blocks and power kicked off, and like the Malibu, which became the Chevelle, the souped up II became the Nova...a name that sticks in familiarity with any Chevy fan and overall muscle car fan anywhere.

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With a 350 horsepower 396 V8 in what was once considered a small car...the driving experience should be interesting to see. But is it any good? Let's find out.

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Upon letting this cranberry red masterpiece out on a track, you immediately know what makes muscle cars so fun as you speed down a straightaway. Big block V8 blaring, scenery blurring, rock and roll hitting every high on the few speakers that miraculously work after 40+ years of existence. It's an exhilarating experience, and as you shift into fourth, the Nova sings, giving you the feeling that it belongs here. Then you approach a corner, where you expect it all to go wrong...

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But it doesn't...at least, not completely. The Nova dips and rolls but it gets you around the corner with very little strain. Perhaps it's the size in comparison to the rest of the muscle cars from the era that makes it so different, similar to how a Mustang, Camaro, or Barracuda can competently corner decently. This is no Ferrari, but it's also no Cadillac either. It just hits a little south of a Goldilocks car.

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In fact, if I could come up with one complaint about turning in this car, it's the flat bottomed seats and the pitiful excuse for a steering wheel making you literally hold on for dear life. The squealing of that passenger side rear tire also didn't help, but hey...what can you expect?

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As I kept on going through the corners with little stress, something poked up in the back of my head. Scary thoughts that told me, "These are wide turns, of course it does well here...it's reminiscent of NASCAR. Once you get to the harsh twisties, it'll all go wrong." So, I attempted to back off, but the V8 kept on begging for more, so I went back on to see just what would happen, and as I approached the twisties, I attacked them like any other car. Seeing as I'm here today to tell the tale, I didn't die...and actually, the Nova did better than expected. Dipping and bowing whenever it needed to, powering out of the corner with a surprising prowess. Well done, Nova.

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I'm actually really happy to have been given the opportunity to drive this car...I'm definitely keeping this one for later use down the line.

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The Verdict

This car is a huge surprise. You go in expecting it to wallow and slide and then watch as the suspension gives up to go on vacation. But it just doesn't. It doesn't drive like it wants to win a race, it just drives like it accepts the fact that it's on a course, and I can appreciate that. That's why I'm giving it a sleeper rating for sure. It could be very much worse...at least it isn't a Charger.

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It's cars like this that make me wish Chevy would put some SS love into cars like the new Cruze or Malibu.

 

[Cowboy]

The Review
by CowboyAce57

The Nova SS and Gran Turismo

The Chevrolet Nova first appeared in, well, GT6. It is a premium car and resides with the rest of the '70s muscle cars in the game.

The Looks

The Nova has a look that says "Race me, I dare you". It has a nice stance and has a powerful look, especially with that license plate on front. The wheels are my favorite part on this one because they are the same color as the body. It has some nice aero options as well.

The Specs

The Nova deals out 374 HP @ 5,500 rpm and 415 ft-lb of torque @ 3,500 rpm. This comes from a naturally aspirated, 6,590 cc engine. The car weighs an understandable 1,590 kg.

Acceleration Test

0-60: 4.867 sec
0-100: 11.433 sec
400m: 13.033 sec
1,000m: 23.850 sec
Top Speed: 138 mph

The Nova flys off the start with the usual squealing of the tires. It has a pleasing exhaust note, which sounds great at all rpms. This I one of the faster top speed muscle cars as well, topping out at 138 mph.

Road Test

Where should a test a good old American muscle car? Why, Laguna Seca of course! So, how does this thing corner? Well its a toss up. When going into a corner, understeer becomes present, but if you hit the gas, it will drift. Pretty much the case with any muscle car. You have to work the throttle in order to get the most out of this, and once you do, it becomes a joy to drive. After a couple laps, I mustered in a 1:43.793.

Pros and Cons
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Pros

• Nice exhaust note
• Great color selection and aero selection
• Screams 'Merica!

Cons

• Takes some time to get used to
• Probably shouldn't be raced stock

The Verdict

Sleeper. That's my rating for this beauty. I own one of these and have somewhat of a race tune for it, and it proves to be a good racer. Or if you just want some fun, joyride excitement, this is a nice option to try without breaking your bank.​

 

[McClarenDesign]

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