- 186
- GordiniWorld!
- whatsuphomeslice
Sleeper!
Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread
- Thread starter McClarenDesign
- 6,930 comments
- 1,128,793 views
- 830
- Michigan
- JackRyanWMU
- SpeedyDB55
An Evo in disguise, the Airtrek is not. Styling is ho-hum, power's not that great, and it handles about as well as you'd expect for an oversized hatchback. It all adds up to make the car a Beater in my eyes.
That said, it did get me my first win the actual, bona-fide car of the week at Grand Valley. So it does have that going for it at least.
As for the Karmann Ghia, if you're looking for a car that will allow you to not win a race in the Sunday Cup, look no further. Quickest I've ever reached a Beater verdict for any car.
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
I'll tag you on the Google+ post.
Not really related but just couple minutes ago, I turned on my ps3 and saw @McClarenDesign online playing GT6 along with another GTP member also playing GT6. I immediately thought it was the Wednesday COTW online races so I just rushed into playing GT6 and asking him if he's still doing the COTW. Bought the car, oil changed it and resprayed it and then when I went to the open lobby's and checked the Friend's rooms only, nothing appeared....
So I tried and tried again with refreshing it...etc until I realised it's Tuesday...
Sorry @McClarenDesign...
Meanwhile i'm gonna do some road tests with it.
So I tried and tried again with refreshing it...etc until I realised it's Tuesday...
Sorry @McClarenDesign...
Meanwhile i'm gonna do some road tests with it.
- 214
- Kuala Lumpur
- CODEDestro
Before I left for college yesterday, I had time to drive the car for a bit. It's so slow I feel like I'm actually moving backwards, but although it is a beater in stock form, this car does actually feel like a hidden sleeper once it got more than 100hp. It sounds a little violent too while tuned to the max. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get any pictures before I leave.
I like it, though. Not as a performance car obviously, but as something I can just sit back and drive relaxingly.
I like it, though. Not as a performance car obviously, but as something I can just sit back and drive relaxingly.
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!
Hey hey people...
As per discussions about our time zonally challenged friends here on your favourite COTW thread, I will be hosting an event this weekend. This of course will include the blazingly fast Karmann Ghia coupe. Switching to the SRT g-force suit will be recommended but not mandatory.
So for those of you who can't join us on Tuesday night, this will be held on Saturday afternoon (here in NA) at 4pm EST or if I have it correct, 9pm BST. I'll be opening a lobby in our brand new community club page, so be sure to join our community club first! I should be there at around 3:30 pm to let people practice, and of course chat before the racing starts.
Now, if by some reason this is inconvenient, let me know here so I can re-adjust if possible.
EDIT: Our Community Club is called Car of the Week - GTPlanet.net with the Club ID #1048593
Cheers
Last edited:
- 172
- England
- aceferrarifan1
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!
Hey hey people...
As per discussions about our time zonally challenged friends here on your favourite COTW thread, I will be hosting an event this weekend. This of course will include the blazingly fast Karmann Ghia coupe. Switching to the SRT g-force suit will be recommended but not mandatory.
So for those of you who can't join us on Tuesday night, this will be held on Saturday afternoon (here in NA) at 4pm EST or if I have it correct, 9pm BST. I'll be opening a lobby in our brand new community club page, so be sure to join our community club first! I should be there at around 3:30 pm to let people practice, and of course chat before the racing starts.
Now, if by some reason this is inconvenient, let me know here so I can re-adjust if possible.
EDIT: Our Community Club is called Car of the Week - GTPlanet.net with the Club ID #1048593
Cheers
For people in the UK, this is 8PM GMT.
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!
Hey hey people...
As per discussions about our time zonally challenged friends here on your favourite COTW thread, I will be hosting an event this weekend. This of course will include the blazingly fast Karmann Ghia coupe. Switching to the SRT g-force suit will be recommended but not mandatory.
So for those of you who can't join us on Tuesday night, this will be held on Saturday afternoon (here in NA) at 4pm EST or if I have it correct, 9pm BST. I'll be opening a lobby in our brand new community club page, so be sure to join our community club first! I should be there at around 3:30 pm to let people practice, and of course chat before the racing starts.
Now, if by some reason this is inconvenient, let me know here so I can re-adjust if possible.
EDIT: Our Community Club is called Car of the Week - GTPlanet.net with the Club ID #1048593
Cheers
And for how long would this little room be open for? Asking out of curiousity, as Raymond pointed out this room will start at 9PM (GMT+1 here in Portugal, not just GMT rules)...
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
From my experience, COTW events usually last around 2 or 2 1/2 hours depending on disconnections or how much fun is being had. That seems to be the average. That's why I asked for opinions...
Cheers
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
Fair enough, I see what you mean. For me, that time schedule is fine, as it is a time that comes after dinner and it is not too late in the night for me to use the PS3. And as far I can tell for now, I do not have anything scheduled for Saturday, so it's a yes from me. If for some reason I won't be able to attend the race, I'll let you know.
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Cool...
Like I said before, if there any concerns please let me know as I'm fairly flexible. THIS GOES FOR ANYONE!!! Since this is a new version, this will be a trial run... If it's a popular time for people, it will continue. I will try to accommodate as much as possible.
Cheers
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
Ok, I'll keep that in mind.
Personally for me, the time is just right, but if people have dinner at those times, therefore making it difficult for them to join early, then it might be wiser to add 30 minutes or 1 hour to the original starting time. But for now, keep it at 4:00PM EST and see how it works for a few nights (if this cool venture can go for more than one, that is). What are your five cents on this?
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Well one of the benefits of having a Community Club is that ANYONE that is a member can open a lobby at ANY time. So if one is so inclined, there is a potential for multiple events on a weekly basis.
That being said, I wouldn't presume that any of those events would be "official" without the approval of the highest of authorities and voted upon by congressional bodies. Please consult your local voting office for more details.
Cheers
That being said, I wouldn't presume that any of those events would be "official" without the approval of the highest of authorities and voted upon by congressional bodies. Please consult your local voting office for more details.
Cheers
Last edited:
- 2,428
- England
- Lewis_Hamilton_
How about setting up some time trial events in the COTW club's events section? Would give people something to compete with all week long and the winner could receive a priceless grand prize, like a smiley emote and "Congrats, well aren't you a special person" tag.
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
I like the idea, as I used to do the GTP club events when they were being produced. However, as far as I know, only authorised people can make those. Right now, that would be @McClarenDesign .
Cheers
Cheers
- 2,428
- England
- Lewis_Hamilton_
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
I still laugh like a fool watching that stuff...
Cheers
Cheers
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
We are forming a committee to discuss this matter.
We are forming a committee to discuss this matter.
We are forming a committee to discuss this matter.
We are not amused.Mc? You mean this guy?
That would explain a lot.
@Lewis_Hamilton_ is under investigation for bringing the sport into ill repute
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
I am not sure about the certanity of this, but I believe that McclarenDesign is forming a committee to discuss this matter. It may just be a hunch of mine, however...
Also, Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for making a South Park joke. After what happened with the Queen, I guess that Lewis is still having some trouble with higher authorities.
Also, Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for making a South Park joke. After what happened with the Queen, I guess that Lewis is still having some trouble with higher authorities.
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
We are forming a committee to discuss this matter.
As I've mentioned here before, and those that are on Google+ are aware, we've been growing more and more every week. Although not everyone can make the races or has the time to create a review, they still find time during the week to see what we're up to and have a little fun themselves.
Some of you may know Jerrad Campbell on Google+. Although he doesn't often join us for races, he and his son still find a way to enjoy what we've created.
- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
I'll have the rest up before the weekend.
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
Hey, check this bad boy out!
Welcome back to the madness, for another edition of Niku’s COTW reviews. After yet another Japanese car, the LanEvo-esque (but not really faster than the LanEvo itself) Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo-R, the boss and leader of Car of the Week, Mr. Brad Mcclaren, decided that it was time to reward his missing of a deadline for this week’s car by handpicking said car himself. Yes, it is a questionably strange idea, but we shall not allow that to distract our attention. After all, the focus in these reviews is always directed at the cars themselves (and any weird shenanigans that I might bring up to review said cars).
So, our car today… Coming to us straight from Germany, the land of sausages, the Green Hell and Cobra 11, this vehicle represents a rather large legacy while also slowly reminding us of said legacy. And I am afraid that the use of the word “slowly” is rather blunt and literal;
Here it is; the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe Type-1, one of the (many) brothers to the legendary car that is the VW Beetle. Obviously, I should not need to tell you the whole story, but I can give you the abridged version; German dictator wants to build car for the people and enlists the help of a man named Ferdinand (who would go on to build a sports car legacy that spans decades to this day, much to the delight of car journalists everywhere), but then said dictator actually never sells said the car to its designed target audience. German dictator then dies in a massive war, while the Volkswagen factory is destroyed by consecutive bombing runs. The leftovers of the flailing Beetle infant are then offered to any interested party, but all turn the car down claiming that it is nothing more than a heap of junk and will never succeed in life. Volkswagen, bleeding from its mouth but with an evil grin on their face, picks up the scraps themselves and builds a legacy that would eventually outgrow any other cheap European city car in history, only coming to a tearful end in Mexico in the year of 2003, even despite Volkswagen already long created a new Beetle to fill the gap of the old hat.
And there you have it; the Karmann Ghia does not live in a simple, poor family, it lives in the light of one of Europe’s (heck, the whole world, in fact) most influential city cars. But why does it exist, exactly? Well, the answer is simple; because Volkswagen did not want to be known as “those guys who made the Beetle and only the Beetle”. After many years of hinging on the small, air-cooled wonder to boost the brand’s sales, VW had grown to a point where they could, and did, raise their stock by injecting fresh new blood into their range of cars. Needless to say, the Karmann was one of the first ideas that appeared in VW’s head. In 1950, the Karmann Ghia Coupe was born, alongside the purpose to refresh Volkswagen’s image while offering a whole new take on the Beetle concept. A sporty take, if you prefer, as the Coupe was not just a simple city car, it was more akin to a city slicker. The process of making one was equally complex for its time; VW gave the orders to German manufacturer Karmann to create and manufacture the car, which was then followed up by Karmann themselves asking Italian design studio Ghia to give a shape for said project. Many years before the Cadillac Allante, the Karman Ghia already proved that people were not above sending parts to Italy to be redesigned, for said parts to then come back to their country of origin and be put together. In this case, Ghia laid their designed body over a “bed” of Beetle 1200 parts, sending those parts back to Karmann in Germany for production. A far cry from the “Transatlantic puzzle” idea that the Allante would employ, but I digress, so allow me to take this girl to the track for more design and performance talk.
Isn’t she a beauty? Yes, design-wise, the Karmann Ghia is not a badly-aged design disaster; slender curvy lines, a fine rear, and not a single horrendous rubber bumper in sight. The excessive chroming and/or oversized fins do not find a place in the Ghia’s body, providing the car with a sense of simplicity that confirms its ties to the Beetle with very little hassle. The thought process is classic “1960’s Italy Design”, but that does not detract from how elegant the Kar-Ghia is. And yes, the standard graphical status of the car does drag down the beauty of the detailing a bit, unlike the Ghia’s brothers, which does cause some issues when it comes to the classic standard car problems (no detailed interior and/or additional exterior customizing parts). However, when it comes to problems, the lack of graphical detail is by far the least of the owner’s concerns; the greatest foe of all for the Kar-Ghia is none other than the track…
Perhaps this might be expected, if you are aware of the Karmann’s story; despite having more sporty tendencies than the sluggish Beetle, the entire project had no intention of creating VW’s own 300SL Gullwing. For the brand, the Karmann was better suited for nice long journeys, keeping all its four passengers in pure comfort and smothering them in a happy atmosphere during that journey to Monte-Carlo. Unfortunately, the not-so-cheerful serious track driver may find himself angered at the Kar-Ghia’s blissful and happy-go-lucky ignorance when attempting to use the car for racing purposes. The weight and its distribution do not give this story a sour character right from the get-go; at 46:54, the weight is decently distributed for a car which has everything at the back (rear-mounted engine, and power which is primarily sent to the rear wheels), But if your eyes look further down at the list of specs, the power-to-weight ratio provides you with a reaction fitting of an Evil Dead movie/videogame;
19.53 kg/BHP.
Yes, you are not seeing things, unless the shock has caused you to faint. It is not a typo, it is not a mistake on PD’s part; the Kar-Ghia is viciously slow, and it shows. The 1.3 litre engine, taken directly from the Beetle, is the greatest culprit, followed closely by the transmission. If God is happy with you, you might be able to find and use the elusive fifth gear, and even that might require more patience than it is necessary (or humanly possible for its driver, if you prefer). The expression “excruciatingly slow” was created for a car like this; the torque may come early, but with so very little torque to begin with, the Ghia body will not move at the rapid pace one might expect from a coupe. And with only 43 hp (oil change not performed in this car’s case) to work with, the Kar-Ghia becomes a true test of patience like no other car, unless you have driven a 1200 Beetle and/or any of its brethren as well.
Not even Stowe Circuit’s average-sized straight is enough to prevent the driver from becoming furious with boredom. The Kar-Ghia’s gearbox, moving at a snail’s pace, will not allow the car to move any faster thanks to gear ratios which give out too much space between them, which in turn causes a severe drop in power as you shift, since the car goes back way too far in the rev range to keep the power flowing at the right rate. The handling does work all that badly, but with such a gutless engine, it is given too little to work with when it comes to make the driving process exciting. Somehow, despite the lack of power, the car’s tail is surprisingly lively; in fact you can will the car into kicking said tail out sideways, if you force the steering with some good old-fashioned wrestler tugs. Mind you, that behaviour may be tied more to the ancient suspension and the heavier rear than it is to a proper sporty suspension/LSD setting. And god forbid you forcing the tail to drift, because then the engine gives out a hearty “f-you” to the driver and dips back into Lack Of Power Land, making the process of getting back into gear a hair-tearing venture to say the very least. That 150 km/h (93 mph) top speed is simply not worth the tedious effort that it demands, and might forever remain a utopia for most Kar-Ghia owners. I am sorry, but while I admire the friendly personality of the VW, it is simply not suitable for proper Gran Turismo racing use. Not even the easiest of Beginner-level races is an easy objective to clear with the Karmann; I lost an Amateur race in Brands Hatch, and only achieved third place in said race due to the eternally stupid “Zombie A.I.” that (sadly) defines GT6 racing so well.
And to top all this off, the price, rated at 21,200 credits, puts the Kar-Ghia in a far too uncomfortable position against far better (not to mention cheaper) competition. One of these competitors is a little fox from Germany, who is ironically a family member;
The VW Lupo 1.4. Yes, it is far younger than the Kar-Ghia, but VW’s nimble little city car can do things that are far too difficult for the Karmann to do. Things like being somewhat useful in a track, for example. in my three-lap test around Stowe, the Lupo was easily faster than the Kar-Ghia, while still wearing the same type of stock tires (Comfort Mediums) and not having a single modification done to it. And why would you? The Lupo already offers a far safer FF drivetrain, alongside an actually peppy engine in form of a 1.4, 16-valve engine belting out 96 horsepower. In addition, the Lupo only weighs 93 kg more than the Kar-Ghia, but the real deal clincher comes in form of the price tag; the Lupo will only set you back 15,490 credits, setting a gap of 5,700 credits between it and the Ghia. Credits which in turn can be used to sharpen up the Lupo even more with your own choice of parts (i.e. more power, or less weight, or better suspension/brakes/LSD). Of course, you are allowed to shout out “But Niku, brah, what about the Lupo GTI?” Indeed, the GTI offers even more fun in a small package (do not forget who chose the Lupo as one of GT6’s COTW entries last year, gentlemen) as one of the best mini hot-hatches in the game, but I tried to be a bit fairer to the Kar-Ghia, by hand-picking a slightly less powerful version. Still, it only serves to show you how meaningless the Kar-Ghia is as track car in stock form, when you can purchase far better bases by less of a cost. Can you tune it in order to transform it into a decent track car? Yes, you can, but you will be spending more with a worst car when you can drop less money on a Lupo 1.4 and tune it from its stock guise standpoint.
Sorry, Karmie, but in the words of that blue hedgehog that is incredibly famous and should not need any sort of edgy clue, “you’re too slow”. It’s not you; it’s your gutless excuse of an engine and your far better siblings. I have heard once that “you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family”, and sadly in your case, your family has far outgrown your development. The legacy and the beauty are great, but the slug-like behavior is not. Some cannot afford to live life slowly, you know?
Pros:
A big legacy, but a small heart: Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Type-1
Time for another edition of COTW reviews; where jokes get overused, cars are abused and I celebrate the day when of Japan's most popular RPG franchises celebrates the birth of a new "baby". Be sure to play great songs like this on a loop, to mark the release of another game where robots from all over Japan's rich history beat each other into scrap much to the delight of fans all across the world;
Time for another edition of COTW reviews; where jokes get overused, cars are abused and I celebrate the day when of Japan's most popular RPG franchises celebrates the birth of a new "baby". Be sure to play great songs like this on a loop, to mark the release of another game where robots from all over Japan's rich history beat each other into scrap much to the delight of fans all across the world;
Welcome back to the madness, for another edition of Niku’s COTW reviews. After yet another Japanese car, the LanEvo-esque (but not really faster than the LanEvo itself) Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo-R, the boss and leader of Car of the Week, Mr. Brad Mcclaren, decided that it was time to reward his missing of a deadline for this week’s car by handpicking said car himself. Yes, it is a questionably strange idea, but we shall not allow that to distract our attention. After all, the focus in these reviews is always directed at the cars themselves (and any weird shenanigans that I might bring up to review said cars).
So, our car today… Coming to us straight from Germany, the land of sausages, the Green Hell and Cobra 11, this vehicle represents a rather large legacy while also slowly reminding us of said legacy. And I am afraid that the use of the word “slowly” is rather blunt and literal;
1968 Vokswagen Karmann-Ghia Coupe Type-1. Codename: Snow White Head
Here it is; the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Coupe Type-1, one of the (many) brothers to the legendary car that is the VW Beetle. Obviously, I should not need to tell you the whole story, but I can give you the abridged version; German dictator wants to build car for the people and enlists the help of a man named Ferdinand (who would go on to build a sports car legacy that spans decades to this day, much to the delight of car journalists everywhere), but then said dictator actually never sells said the car to its designed target audience. German dictator then dies in a massive war, while the Volkswagen factory is destroyed by consecutive bombing runs. The leftovers of the flailing Beetle infant are then offered to any interested party, but all turn the car down claiming that it is nothing more than a heap of junk and will never succeed in life. Volkswagen, bleeding from its mouth but with an evil grin on their face, picks up the scraps themselves and builds a legacy that would eventually outgrow any other cheap European city car in history, only coming to a tearful end in Mexico in the year of 2003, even despite Volkswagen already long created a new Beetle to fill the gap of the old hat.
And there you have it; the Karmann Ghia does not live in a simple, poor family, it lives in the light of one of Europe’s (heck, the whole world, in fact) most influential city cars. But why does it exist, exactly? Well, the answer is simple; because Volkswagen did not want to be known as “those guys who made the Beetle and only the Beetle”. After many years of hinging on the small, air-cooled wonder to boost the brand’s sales, VW had grown to a point where they could, and did, raise their stock by injecting fresh new blood into their range of cars. Needless to say, the Karmann was one of the first ideas that appeared in VW’s head. In 1950, the Karmann Ghia Coupe was born, alongside the purpose to refresh Volkswagen’s image while offering a whole new take on the Beetle concept. A sporty take, if you prefer, as the Coupe was not just a simple city car, it was more akin to a city slicker. The process of making one was equally complex for its time; VW gave the orders to German manufacturer Karmann to create and manufacture the car, which was then followed up by Karmann themselves asking Italian design studio Ghia to give a shape for said project. Many years before the Cadillac Allante, the Karman Ghia already proved that people were not above sending parts to Italy to be redesigned, for said parts to then come back to their country of origin and be put together. In this case, Ghia laid their designed body over a “bed” of Beetle 1200 parts, sending those parts back to Karmann in Germany for production. A far cry from the “Transatlantic puzzle” idea that the Allante would employ, but I digress, so allow me to take this girl to the track for more design and performance talk.
Isn’t she a beauty? Yes, design-wise, the Karmann Ghia is not a badly-aged design disaster; slender curvy lines, a fine rear, and not a single horrendous rubber bumper in sight. The excessive chroming and/or oversized fins do not find a place in the Ghia’s body, providing the car with a sense of simplicity that confirms its ties to the Beetle with very little hassle. The thought process is classic “1960’s Italy Design”, but that does not detract from how elegant the Kar-Ghia is. And yes, the standard graphical status of the car does drag down the beauty of the detailing a bit, unlike the Ghia’s brothers, which does cause some issues when it comes to the classic standard car problems (no detailed interior and/or additional exterior customizing parts). However, when it comes to problems, the lack of graphical detail is by far the least of the owner’s concerns; the greatest foe of all for the Kar-Ghia is none other than the track…
Perhaps this might be expected, if you are aware of the Karmann’s story; despite having more sporty tendencies than the sluggish Beetle, the entire project had no intention of creating VW’s own 300SL Gullwing. For the brand, the Karmann was better suited for nice long journeys, keeping all its four passengers in pure comfort and smothering them in a happy atmosphere during that journey to Monte-Carlo. Unfortunately, the not-so-cheerful serious track driver may find himself angered at the Kar-Ghia’s blissful and happy-go-lucky ignorance when attempting to use the car for racing purposes. The weight and its distribution do not give this story a sour character right from the get-go; at 46:54, the weight is decently distributed for a car which has everything at the back (rear-mounted engine, and power which is primarily sent to the rear wheels), But if your eyes look further down at the list of specs, the power-to-weight ratio provides you with a reaction fitting of an Evil Dead movie/videogame;
19.53 kg/BHP.
Yes, you are not seeing things, unless the shock has caused you to faint. It is not a typo, it is not a mistake on PD’s part; the Kar-Ghia is viciously slow, and it shows. The 1.3 litre engine, taken directly from the Beetle, is the greatest culprit, followed closely by the transmission. If God is happy with you, you might be able to find and use the elusive fifth gear, and even that might require more patience than it is necessary (or humanly possible for its driver, if you prefer). The expression “excruciatingly slow” was created for a car like this; the torque may come early, but with so very little torque to begin with, the Ghia body will not move at the rapid pace one might expect from a coupe. And with only 43 hp (oil change not performed in this car’s case) to work with, the Kar-Ghia becomes a true test of patience like no other car, unless you have driven a 1200 Beetle and/or any of its brethren as well.
Not even Stowe Circuit’s average-sized straight is enough to prevent the driver from becoming furious with boredom. The Kar-Ghia’s gearbox, moving at a snail’s pace, will not allow the car to move any faster thanks to gear ratios which give out too much space between them, which in turn causes a severe drop in power as you shift, since the car goes back way too far in the rev range to keep the power flowing at the right rate. The handling does work all that badly, but with such a gutless engine, it is given too little to work with when it comes to make the driving process exciting. Somehow, despite the lack of power, the car’s tail is surprisingly lively; in fact you can will the car into kicking said tail out sideways, if you force the steering with some good old-fashioned wrestler tugs. Mind you, that behaviour may be tied more to the ancient suspension and the heavier rear than it is to a proper sporty suspension/LSD setting. And god forbid you forcing the tail to drift, because then the engine gives out a hearty “f-you” to the driver and dips back into Lack Of Power Land, making the process of getting back into gear a hair-tearing venture to say the very least. That 150 km/h (93 mph) top speed is simply not worth the tedious effort that it demands, and might forever remain a utopia for most Kar-Ghia owners. I am sorry, but while I admire the friendly personality of the VW, it is simply not suitable for proper Gran Turismo racing use. Not even the easiest of Beginner-level races is an easy objective to clear with the Karmann; I lost an Amateur race in Brands Hatch, and only achieved third place in said race due to the eternally stupid “Zombie A.I.” that (sadly) defines GT6 racing so well.
And to top all this off, the price, rated at 21,200 credits, puts the Kar-Ghia in a far too uncomfortable position against far better (not to mention cheaper) competition. One of these competitors is a little fox from Germany, who is ironically a family member;
2002 Volkswagen Lupo 1.4. Codename: Junior Wolf
The VW Lupo 1.4. Yes, it is far younger than the Kar-Ghia, but VW’s nimble little city car can do things that are far too difficult for the Karmann to do. Things like being somewhat useful in a track, for example. in my three-lap test around Stowe, the Lupo was easily faster than the Kar-Ghia, while still wearing the same type of stock tires (Comfort Mediums) and not having a single modification done to it. And why would you? The Lupo already offers a far safer FF drivetrain, alongside an actually peppy engine in form of a 1.4, 16-valve engine belting out 96 horsepower. In addition, the Lupo only weighs 93 kg more than the Kar-Ghia, but the real deal clincher comes in form of the price tag; the Lupo will only set you back 15,490 credits, setting a gap of 5,700 credits between it and the Ghia. Credits which in turn can be used to sharpen up the Lupo even more with your own choice of parts (i.e. more power, or less weight, or better suspension/brakes/LSD). Of course, you are allowed to shout out “But Niku, brah, what about the Lupo GTI?” Indeed, the GTI offers even more fun in a small package (do not forget who chose the Lupo as one of GT6’s COTW entries last year, gentlemen) as one of the best mini hot-hatches in the game, but I tried to be a bit fairer to the Kar-Ghia, by hand-picking a slightly less powerful version. Still, it only serves to show you how meaningless the Kar-Ghia is as track car in stock form, when you can purchase far better bases by less of a cost. Can you tune it in order to transform it into a decent track car? Yes, you can, but you will be spending more with a worst car when you can drop less money on a Lupo 1.4 and tune it from its stock guise standpoint.
Sorry, Karmie, but in the words of that blue hedgehog that is incredibly famous and should not need any sort of edgy clue, “you’re too slow”. It’s not you; it’s your gutless excuse of an engine and your far better siblings. I have heard once that “you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family”, and sadly in your case, your family has far outgrown your development. The legacy and the beauty are great, but the slug-like behavior is not. Some cannot afford to live life slowly, you know?
Pros:
- Wonderfully designed;
- Easy to drive at a slow pace;
- Faster than a Beetle...
- ...which doesn't mean it's all that impressive on the track, unfortunately;
- Lack of customization compared to other classic, better detailed VW cars;
- Price tag puts it in a place where many rivals can outrun and outprice it with ease.
- 172
- England
- aceferrarifan1
The best use for this car is for paint chips, but at 20k for each paint and the fact that one of the paints can't be obtained (due to it being a dual-colour), I doubt it's worth even that, unless you're that desperate for a colour.
- 3,417
- NJ
- Rave2Grave
This sums it up perfectly:
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
Still, there are better paintchips that you can find in slightly more expensive cars. The VW's aren't the most colorful paintchips, especially when the Kar-Ghia is a standard quality car...
Hey, I've seen that somewhere! Maybe around here, perhaps?
But yes, truly a more-than-fitting description and video for the car. Economical? Yes.
Fast and exciting? ...um, WWE wrestler Dean Ambrose, could you answer that question for all the kids watching at home?
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- 5,785
- Norman, OK
- McClarenDesign
False. It makes an excellent storage locker for my beer.
False. Cobra II, not 11.
I'm unable to take advice from someone who's destiny is decided by tshirt sales and shotty writers. He'd feel right at home in the next Twilight film.
I'm pleased to announce that starting on Sunday, we'll be adding (CLASSIFIED), and on Tuesday we're going to do something completely ill-advised, and attempt (CLASSIFIED). I'm pretty sure both will go smoothly.
Mostly kinda sorta sure.... a bit.
Also, an update regarding Project "Twitch This #itch!"
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- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
That sounds like an odd remake of the original Ford Mustang Cobra. But if you say so...
Not that said "someone" was giving out advice (it was more of a comedy retort), but would you prefer him or the man who is often seen with a baseball cap and cargo shorts, that has 400 catchphrases decided by shoddy writers and an annoying Internet trend which consists on playing his theme song at obnoxiously high volumes?
I think I've made my point. Also, Dean can't really do Twilight, as he is far too sleazy for the sparkling Bella to provide people with a proper "love story".
Interesting, a new element for COTW? I wonder... Maybe our wacky antics will finally be broacasted live to all those who are aware of Twitch's existence. Or then again, perhaps it's something completely different.
- 2,833
- Lincoln
- Victory_Reign93
- Linthium Reign
I'm pretty sure it was Cobra 11 or to give its full name 'Alarm fur Cobra 11. 
You spend enough time watching movie/T.V crashes and you'll eventually bump into a crash montage from the show.
From my viewings, here's a few moments that stood out more in both how and what they destroyed,
Of course there was one instance where a major chase ended without a crash that I know of, but thats because the bad guys car and the good guys car were a BMW M1 Procar and a Gulf Oil Porsche 917.
Heck even one episode had a guest appearance from the Maybach Excelero, a 700hp Twin turbo V12 one-off built for Fulda tires ( The German division for Goodyear) to test a new generation of wide tyres.
They also made a few games as well which didn't have the best voice acting, but had a surprisingly good physics engine for driving. 👍
You spend enough time watching movie/T.V crashes and you'll eventually bump into a crash montage from the show.
From my viewings, here's a few moments that stood out more in both how and what they destroyed,
- Porsche 928 crashed into a helicopter on the ground.
- Mercedes Slk getting air time, almost hitting a low flying helicopter and then landing on top of a big pile up.
- Alfa spider crushed by a car falling from a multi-storey car park.
- Alfa 156 launched from a skateboard half pipe and landing back first on a billboard.
- German police car hit by a lowered sea anchor from a bridge, tearing the roof off and sending the rest of the car into a barrel roll.
Of course there was one instance where a major chase ended without a crash that I know of, but thats because the bad guys car and the good guys car were a BMW M1 Procar and a Gulf Oil Porsche 917.
Heck even one episode had a guest appearance from the Maybach Excelero, a 700hp Twin turbo V12 one-off built for Fulda tires ( The German division for Goodyear) to test a new generation of wide tyres.
They also made a few games as well which didn't have the best voice acting, but had a surprisingly good physics engine for driving. 👍
- 9,232
- Valongo
- Hcclipper
I'm pretty sure it was Cobra 11 or to give its full name 'Alarm fur Cobra 11.
You spend enough time watching movie/T.V crashes and you'll eventually bump into a crash montage from the show.
From my viewings, here's a few moments that stood out more in both how and what they destroyed,
Although I've barely scratched the surface, it's safe to say the show doesn't mess around when it comes to automotive destruction.
- Porsche 928 crashed into a helicopter on the ground.
- Mercedes Slk getting air time, almost hitting a low flying helicopter and then landing on top of a big pile up.
- Alfa spider crushed by a car falling from a multi-storey car park.
- Alfa 156 launched from a skateboard half pipe and landing back first on a billboard.
- German police car hit by a lowered sea anchor from a bridge, tearing the roof off and sending the rest of the car into a barrel roll.
Of course there was one instance where a major chase ended without a crash that I know of, but thats because the bad guys car and the good guys car were a BMW M1 Procar and a Gulf Oil Porsche 917.
Heck even one episode had a guest appearance from the Maybach Excelero, a 700hp Twin turbo V12 one-off built for Fulda tires ( The German division for Goodyear) to test a new generation of wide tyres.
They also made a few games as well which didn't have the best voice acting, but had a surprisingly good physics engine for driving. 👍
Thank you for clarifying that for us, Vic, as always a true gentleman. 👍
Indeed, I do remember one thing from Cobra 11; crashing. Lots and lots of crashing. Sure enough, German car brands were a key focus in the chase scenes, and I do believe that one of them had a deal with the show in order to provide it with cars for said chase scenes (BMW or Mercedes, I don't really know which one it was). Many other cars met their end at the hands of the abusurd amount of destruction which came with the show, whether by crashing or exploding, or even both!
And the games may feel a bit cheap compared to the elite of racing videogames, but they do provide plenty of fun and stunts for those who play it. I vividly remember one stunt, which involved a BMW 3-Series copycat hitting a wall during cornering, at a angle that caused the car to flip as it was moving foward. And yes, I landed it nearly perfectly, much to my amazement...
- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
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