Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

[McClarenDesign]

was a lot of fun last night
cant wait to see mc's vids

More tonight. I'm uploading a lot, and they're still uploading. Here's the first taste, at Spa.

Didn't get Stowe again for some reason, so next week we'll start there. I don't know if I missed saving the replay, glitch, or if my system's full.

 

[un4givn85]

we didnt race at stowe last night did we?
unless you guys did after i left.

 

[Sander 001]

A Volvo Wagon powered by a supercharged 400bhp Ford 302 V8 that was ordered by Paul Newman was featured in the Letterman episode of Jerry Seinfeld's show.

http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/david-letterman-i-like-kettlecorn

 

[McClarenDesign]

we didnt race at stowe last night did we?
unless you guys did after i left.

The last race after Fuji. I was so exhausted that I may have forgot to save it. We'll there next week.

 

[Lewis_Hamilton_]

The last race after Fuji. I was so exhausted that I may have forgot to save it. We'll there next week.

I can't view any of the replays I saved from last night. Trying to view them causes my screen to turn black and the entire console to become unresponsive, requiring a forced shutdown. Don't have this problem with any other replays; I think the car may be cursed.

 

[McClarenDesign]

I can't view any of the replays I saved from last night. Trying to view them causes my screen to turn black and the entire console to become unresponsive, requiring a forced shutdown. Don't have this problem with any other replays; I think the car may be cursed.

That's not promising....

 

[un4givn85]

The last race after Fuji. I was so exhausted that I may have forgot to save it. We'll there next week.

that was after i left
i left right before fuji

 

[McClarenDesign]

Race 1 at Laguna Seca will be up in an hour or so, but I'm not gonna post it here just yet.

Also, I hereby trademark the phrase "McGLT". We begin on-board with @Lewis_Hamilton_ in his Vodafone McLaren Volvo... The McGLT.

​

Wetter the better at Spa...

​

Tuned and toasty at Willow Springs...

​

And we end at Fuji. Don't ask about Stowe... I don't know.

​

As usual, my review should be completed by Saturday morning, and I'll also be updating the OP with guidelines for our weekly CotW online meetings, which I'll also share with my G+ audience. Big thanks to everyone that participated, and we'll do this again next #GranTurismoTuesday at 10p CST. If you don't share the videos, how are your friends going to know you kicked my (expletive)?

 

[Greycap]

I've heard several times now people complaining about the Volvo Estate in GT, weighing more than their Volvo Estate in real life. And usually it is people in Scandanavia or the UK who bring this up.

Is it that Scanadanavians don't tend to get their cars "fully loaded"?

And what percentage of people had power windows & power seats in the 80s anyhow?
I mean that's what we're talking about, right, that supposedly would bring the car up to the GT weight?
Or what is it that puts up the weight so much?

Probably only the people in Scandinavia and the UK have actually driven these things enough to know better. And no, "fully loaded" doesn't mean loaded with equipment but loaded with cargo, pretty much from the floor to the roof to get the weight PD used.

I've had a '92 240 estate for nearly six years now myself and the car's registration document says 1340 kg kerb weight, 1930 kg maximum allowed. We're effectively driving it in game with 550 kg of cement/bricks/*pick your own heavy thing* in the back. Only that the weight isn't placed in the back but over the front axle - why, absolutely no idea. Interestingly enough the 65/35 weight distribution means that there's 661,5 kg over the rear axle which is nothing more than spot on for the real thing which, as mentioned earlier, indeed has a weight distribution of 50/50 or even slightly rear heavy with a lightweight driver and a full tank.

Not that it would be quick by any means even with the correct specs, certainly not, but it would still be nice to get remotely true to life performance out of it. This thing is far more fun on a winding road that anyone could ever guess by just looking at it.

 

[JackRyanWMU]

Well, talk about good timing on an article...

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/10-reasons-why-volvo-is-great-2013-01-08

 

[iainn]

Part II then with extra horsepower.

First a pic of the two Volvos in a nice middle class setting where most of them were seen in the 80s.


I took an untuned one round what's one of my favourite new tracks, Brands Hatch Indy in 1:10.5, not that quick, but I like the precision of the steering and if you're careful on the brakes what with the weight you can get a nice sharp turn in.


Then it was off to the garage for a load of parts;
Racing brakes
Full custom suspension
Full custom trans
Triple clutch
Carbon prop shaft
Sports ECU
Stage 1 engine tune
Intake tune
Cat convertor
Sports exhaust
Mid range turbo, and finally
Stage 1 weight reduction.

Ending up with 229bhp and 400PP

A nice coat of blue metallic paint and some Motegi Racing Touge +1 inch wheels with sports hard tyres rounded it off.

A bit too low here for realism perhaps

Off round Brands again this time in 59.634 and again in 59.034 once I stiffened the springs a bit.


As a comparison it 2:09.246 to get round the Cote d'Azur track.


Glad to see lots of love for the Volvo as it was my choice!

EDIT: Hyperlink is the same as posted a second before me by JackRyan above!

Cheers

 

[MidFieldMaven]

I finally got around to doing the Red Bull kart races, so I took the gift kart to Suzuka, and just thought I'd share this comparison. You would need 23.5 go-karts to equal the weight of the Volvo. Rounded to 24, with each having 29 hp, the super go-kart would have 696 horsepower lol vs. the Volvo's paltry 127

2:56.489 - Gran Turismo Red Bull Racing Kart 125 - 29 hp @ 12000, 15 ft-lbs @ 9500, 80 kg, 506 pp.
3:01.465 - 1988 Volvo 240 GLT Estate - 127 hp @ 6000, 140 ft-lbs @ 3000, 1890 kg, 314 pp.

 

[Woodski_427]

Good to see CotW back chaps and with plenty of interest - well done @MaclarenDesign for resurrecting the beast 👍.

Sadly I don't have the time to play so much or do the write-ups, but I hope to drop by every now and then (merely a two-word review, perhaps? ).

I had some fun in the Volvo in GT5, but not yet tried it 6 💡.

Keep up the good work

 

[McClarenDesign]

1. My Week 2 review is up and ready. (click if you're too lazy to find it here)

2. The OP has been updated to reflect Tuesday nights. (click here if you're too lazy to go back)

3.
Congratulations to JackRyanWMU!

Then again, if you're just looking for a car to drive while blasting this song on the radio....this pretty much is the car to do it with...

Jack's choice for this week sees us grabbing a giant club and whacking our new mate upon the skull. A return to rubbing sticks for fire, painting on walls for literature, and using dinosaurs for construction. His choice:

The '87 Buick Regal GNX!

(Image courtesy of His Royal Highness King Kakapo)​

There's been a lot of demand for this one, so I expect lots of feedback! DRIVERS: START YOUR ENGINES!

​

 

[MidFieldMaven]

From the Garage after purchase from dealership:

1987 Buick GNX - 3.8T, 276 hp @ 4400 rpm, 360 ft-lbs @ 3000 rpm, 1600 kg (3,527 lbs,) 427 pp.

My best lap at Suzuka with the nearest competition:

2:31.547 - 2004 Acura RSX Type-S
2:31.810 - 1987 Buick GNX
2:31.911 - 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT

 

[Vic Reign93]

Ahh the GNX, faster than the corvettes of the time yet it blends in perfectly with everyday traffic. My GNX makes some pretty serious power despite the stock exhaust, suspension and transmission.

 

[Grayfox]

And what percentage of people had power windows & power seats in the 80s anyhow?

My first car was a 1987 Honda Accord Si.
It had Power windows for front and rear, Powered Sunroof, Power Mirrors, Power Steering, Power Assisted Brakes.

But then again The Si(Sports Inspired) Is a very high grade for honda and was the highest grade for the accord.

Ah that A20A4 engine took the abuse I gave it and kept on ticking, which is why I now love hondas.

 

[MustangManiac]

Yes, this one I know is going to be fun 👍

 

[watermelon punch]

My first car was a 1987 Honda Accord Si.
It had Power windows for front and rear, Powered Sunroof, Power Mirrors, Power Steering, Power Assisted Brakes.

But then again The Si(Sports Inspired) Is a very high grade for honda and was the highest grade for the accord.

Ah that A20A4 engine took the abuse I gave it and kept on ticking, which is why I now love hondas.

Did you purchase it in the 80s?

 

[Grayfox]

Did you purchase it in the 80s?

No, but was made in the 80's

 

[watermelon punch]

No, but was made in the 80's

Well, the better & more glitzed up a car is, the more likely it is to be resold & kept on the road I would think.
Like a higher end with more stuff... if that makes sense.

 

[XDesperado67]

@watermelonpunch my first car was a 1970 Plymouth Duster. I bought it for $700 in 1983 from the widow of its original owner. Being in her eighties she had difficulty driving the car since it had no power options. However because they had liked it so much when they first bought the car, they had purchased a 1971 that was nearly identical including the baby blue paint. However since the '71 had been intended as her car they got all the luxury options which included power steering and windows.

While things like power windows and steering may not have been standard features on most cars in the early '80s, they were readily available on just about every car you could buy. By the late '80s it was only the cheapest cars that weren't coming equiped with such things as standard features.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Ah, the GNX, "Darth Vader's car". I do remember comparing it to the Delorean DMC-12 a while ago on GT5, for one of my own reviews. For a '80's muscle car, it's a impressive ride, but the chassis (much like the old days of the muscle car) can really use some mods before you throw it at the Nurb', if you're crazy like that... Looks menacing, I wouldn't like having one of these in my rearview mirror, it would scare the bejaysus out of me.

 

[watermelon punch]

@XDesperado67 My interest in the question wasn't about whether these things were available. I know they were available long before they were common. I just don't know that power everything was universally common as a standard in the 80s. Particularly among the average citizen masses.
And probably very different if compared from nation to nation, or even region to region.

 

[iainn]

Ace! Am going to keep this one in stock condition and just try some gripper tyres.

Can you paint it?

 

[Vic Reign93]

Ace! Am going to keep this one in stock condition and just try some gripper tyres.

Can you paint it?

Yes you can. 👍

 

[iainn]

Hmmmm... matte black or none more black?

 

[Vic Reign93]

Hmmmm... matte black or none more black?

Might I recommend Nero Nemesis? It's basically Dark Matte Black. You'll find it on the Aventador.

 

[NixxxoN]

Ah, the Buick GNX is an awesome looking car, love it!
Sadly the handling is not on par at all.

 

[XDesperado67]

In real life the stock Black paintjob was the only one available and changing that paintjob would be considered a crime by most.

That said I'm thinking of giving mine a Red paintjob to make it stand out more from the crowd.