Car of the Week | Alpine A220 Race Car '68

Let’s talk about the best value for money pick and was the cheapest Brand Central vehicle before the Ambulance came along. :P

The Racing Shifter Kart 125.

At only 10k, you’ll have very likely used it for the Firm Favourite trophy as it’ll only set you back 100k for the required 10 vehicles.

At 584pp, it offers WTC600(Not Tokyo 600 before you get your hopes up.:lol:) potential for nearly half the price of a Mazda Demio.

It’s 125cc Single Cylinder engine makes 49hp, revs to 15,000rpm and the whole Kart weighs 105kgs so it can really use all that 49hp to its fullest. ;)

With brakes at all four corners(most Karts run just rear brakes.) and a 6 speed sequential gearbox, it’s a big step up from your regular Karts.

As you’d expect, it handles most turns flat or with very late braking, but you do have to bare in mind that because you’re so low to the ground and with practically no suspension to smooth out bumps, tackling high kerbs and such is risky business as it won’t take much to unsettle it.

Of course with it being a kart, your event options are limited with it being a #Racing Car, but you can find events like the WTC600 events to run in so you’re not completely screwed on that front.

And because it’s only 10k, even an midfield finish in one of those events will pay for itself.

Overall, it’s a nice cheap way to go decently fast and tear up most tracks on most days.

Verdict: Sleeper 😉👍

And speaking of days at the tracks. :sly:

You remember back in 2021 when we drove the Audi R8 4.2 on GTS that I attended a Supercar Trackday Experience?

Well over the weekend, I got to do it again and the venue was quite a notable one.

IMG_1406.jpeg

Yep, Mallory Park. :cool:

1.3 miles long(Was shorter as the hairpin was skipped.), I had 16 laps across 3 cars to drive around and experience them with other supercars & a couple of Ariel Atoms on the track too, albeit with racing instructors too, naturally.

Now last time I did this, I drove a DB9 Volante, a 997 911 Carrera and a I8 Coupe so naturally I wanted to up the ante a bit this time around.

Just ignore the fact that before this weekend, I hadn’t driven in over a year since getting my drivers licence. :scared:

Talk about throwing myself in at the deep end am I right? :dunce:

First up after the drivers briefing was my first pick, a Gen 1 Nissan GT-R.

IIRC, it had the 2010 facelift and that put its power at around 520hp, already a step up on the DB9 from last time. ;)

It likely wasn’t in full track mode as the shifts weren’t ultra fast, but it was a perfect car to learn the track and get back into driving a car again.

I was originally meant to drive the Gen 3 Version, but it was either somewhere else or out of action, so I got the Gen 1, but with an extra lap thrown in to boot. 👍

After that, my 2nd pick got swapped around so I would be driving it last, in retrospect, this turned out to be a blessing as it would’ve likely ruined me for what my 3rd car was.

The Audi R8 V10 Plus.
IMG_1408.jpeg

And yes, you can consider this my face reveal. :D

Over 600hp from its 5.2 V10, fast shifting dual clutch and instant throttle response, it was a big step up from the GT-R in terms carrying speed through turn one and just a fast & stable beauty to drive, even through the cone chicane on the front straight.

Again I was originally booked for the regular R8 V10, but that was at another event so everyone got the V10 Plus as a free upgrade. :cheers:

But the last car was something I did book and WAS here and let’s just say that the best was saved for last. :sly:

What can top a very capable 600+hp Audi R8? :confused:

IMG_1407.jpeg

Try a McLaren 720S with well over 700hp and rear wheel drive. :eek:

All the instructors I drove with did great jobs in keeping everyone safe, but also encouraging you to lean on the cars performance a little.

The 720S’s Instructor was especially encouraging on helping me get more out of it in a safe manner, he was great with feedback too.

I came into the bus stop chicane on one lap a little too hot and was wider on the exit than he liked(still on the track mind), he told me that and next lap around I was right on the money for braking. ;)

Despite the back straight being somewhat short and coming on to it in 4th gear, hearing the 720S’s turbos spool up and slingshot us down it was quite the experience of pure acceleration. :drool:

Through the cone chicane on the front straight it felt agile and nimble, darting through it with ease.

At the end of the laps and pulling in to the infield to park up for the next vict.. I mean paying customer,:P As I was getting out and with my back turned, the Instructor saw my Mum and said, ‘He’s Very Good.’ to her. :embarrassed:

It’s the little victory’s like that put a smile on my face. 😁

IMG_1411.jpeg

Similar scores as to last time despite a big step up in the cars I drove. :cool:

Lastly we finished up with a high speed passenger ride in a BMW M140i for 2 laps.

“We? “ you may ask? :confused:

Yes, both my mum and her mum went along with me. :lol:

So yeah, that’s how I spent my weekend to close out September.

I’ll hopefully get around to a write up on the 930 911 Turbo at some point this week or next week. 🙂
 
Did a 10.56.704 on the Nords with it. YT review: "Who called the wambulance?! :D Gosh, where to start?! lol This thing is HEAVY (almost 3! tons), aaaaand...it drives like it. :P But in all honestly, considering its weight, low power and only CS tyres, it felt kinda actually pretty good haha! The time it did..hm...was to be expected I guess. :)"



Verdict: I don't want to call it a beater, as I like it, but it is somewhat a beater I think.
 
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The HiMedic. An unusual addition to the roster, but not an unprecedented one given PD's habit of including odd cars.

Model T '15, both 1886 patent wagens (the trike and the car, the latter of which I've seen a replica of IRL), the Lunar Rover, and the Nike 2022 to name a few from older entries.

An ambulance isn't too far fetched in that context. So that begs the question: Is it solely a gimmick, or is it actually decent?

First, stats. The HiMedic has 157 HP and weighs in a hair over 6300 lbs. That meager engine is mated to a six speed automatic (which, oddly enough, has H-pattern and clutch compatibility for you row-your-own folks), which in turn powers all four corners of the machine.

The HiMedic also comes with its official pre-recorded voice lines for various conditions, as well as four selectable sirens to choose from (which has a new option available under the Controller Settings if you don't have a horn button already mapped). From what I've seen, the HiMedic has unique voice lines for the following actions:
  • Signaling left or right
    1. turn left: 左に曲がります ご注意ください ("[the ambulance will] turn left, please be careful")
    2. turn right: 右に曲がります ご注意ください ("[the ambulance will] turn right, please be careful")
  • Putting on hazards
    1. 交差点に進入します、ご注意ください ("[the ambulance] is entering an intersection, please be careful.")
  • turning off hazards
    • ご協力ありがとうございます ("Thank you for your cooperation")
  • Flashing high beams
    • 救急車が通ります。進路を譲ってください ("The ambulance is passing by. Please give way.")
Going all in on performance gets you to about 490 HP, 4350 lbs curb weight, and a total PP of about 545 on Sports Soft tyres. Equipping the Wide Body and the maximum size tyres gets you tires that are so thick that the profile when looking head on at the tread is more square than rectangle. On paper, it sounds good.

Yeah.

On paper.

The biggest flaw with the HiMedic is its sheer size and height - resulting in it having to punch through the air rather than slip through it. The drag on that vehicle is nothing short of fascinating and brutal. At best, I could probably get a HiMedic to about 130 MPH in a tailwind, and that's being generous.

In stock guise, its practical top speed is under 100 MPH. This car is on par, if not slower than, the Kei cars and various old microcars on track. It's comically sad, isn't it? One of the most unique additions to any racing game, and it's just flat out underwhelming.

That said, there is one potential use case for it in a competitive scenario: Super short tracks and dirt tracks. Now, hear me out. the HiMedic has enough oomph in lower PP racing that it could - theoretically - be a somewhat viable option on short asphalt tracks. On dirt, it is remarkably good in stock guise, so there is potential there with an expert tuner.

Aside from that...

There's never been anything quite as novel as the HiMedic in this franchise. And I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

As much as I like this screwball and its inclusion, it is sadly a beater.
 
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The Toyota Alphard and Himedic are both very similar "cars" in that they're extremely off kilter additions to a racing game that are arguably included for marketing purposes between business partners PD and Toyota. That, and they serve no purpose whatsoever in the game, but that can be said for roughly 80% of the car list in GT7, so I'm not sure how valid a criticism against a car that argument is.

"But Gran Turismo games have always been about these oddball cars in the past! It's part of the series' DNA!", some of the fans of these additions might quip. That may be true, but times, and the series as a whole, has changed so much since those good old days. Back then, you had obscure, oddball cars from many of the manufacturers in the game; think your Toyota Priuses before it became mainstream. Your Autozam AZ-1 A-Specs before anyone outside of Japan knew what the heck a Kei car is, and no one in Japan knew what an Autozam was. A Renault Espace with a freaking F1 engine slammed into it. Something called a Tom's Angel. An FF rally car from Citroën I still can't pronounce to this day.

In GT7, the only oddballs that exist in real life are two pickup trucks, a military Jeep, an FF LMP1, a luxury minivan, a Sambabus, and an ambulance. Three of those aforementioned seven are Toyotas. Of course, your exact definition of an "oddball" car may vary from mine, and if you're willing to include fictional cars, that ratio would look a lot more balanced. This is just my interpretation of things.

In the past games, not every oddball car showed up in the dealerships; you had to earn them as prize cars by winning certain events, and they'd almost certainly always come as a surprise. "I didn't even know this car was in the game/existed in real life! What can I do with it?!" If you found an overlooked car and tuned it up to be surprisingly good, you found it. It was your surprise sleeper. Here in GT7, not only do the Alphard and Himedic feel like marketing stunts shoved down my throat, these oddball cars are often added in post launch updates, well after its active playerbase has long finished the insultingly short single player campaign. It'd be like receiving a landmine after the war has ended. The heck am I supposed to do with it? Not to mention, cars in earlier Gran Turismo games, oddball or not, always had some place to race, somewhere they belonged, some purpose they fit. There were a wealth of races and events to enter said cars in whatever state of tune you might happen to have it in. In GT7, I can't find a single event that would allow me to enter a bone stock Alphard or Himedic wherein they'd actually stand a sporting chance of being able to fantasise about keeping up with the rest of the pack, let alone be viable picks.

With the Gran Turismo series gravitating more and more towards hyperrealism, the game feels more and more like a simulator and a job and less like... a game. Even a feature added as recently in Gran Turismo Sport, the "Car Handicap Bonus", would've made these uncompetitive and oddball cars so much more rewarding to simply drive in an event. But, not only was that feature completely removed in GT7, we now run the risk of losing a third of the race winnings if we bump into the AI cars too hard in these suboptimal picks, or, more realistically speaking, the AI bumps too hard into these moving houses on wheels. With the vast majority of the "races" in GT7 being the god–awful "chase the rabbit" style ordeals that task the players with closing a 40 second gap within 5 laps, it only funnels the players into picking the most optimal cars with the most optimised setups, leaving less wiggle room for experimentation and fooling around. To suddenly have a luxury minivan and an ambulance added to such a game then, is such a tonal whiplash. It's like the game can't decide what it wants to be, and how it wants to be played.

Don't get me wrong; I was really excited when I saw Kaz's silhouette teasers for these cars in their respective updates. To me personally, Gran Turismo has always been about a wide variety of road cars, allowing us to sample cars that you and I realistically can, or even have experienced, in the real world. That holds especially true for me as a Singaporean, because our country hates cars, our laws strangle all car culture out of the country, and nowhere in this microscopic, densely populated island country can anyone legally go over 90km/h unless they're driving an emergency vehicle. To someone like me, driving in a simulator and driving in real life has been two completely different and wholly seperate affairs with no correlation or transferrable experiences and skills, and Gran Turismo is the much needed marriage between the two. As the series slowly began to edge away from these everyday relatable cars, seeing an Alphard and Himedic join the likes of the Honda Fit and Toyota Prius was a sight for sore eyes for me.

I haven't been in an ambulance in real life yet, but I have driven a regular HiAce in real life when I was a delivery driver. Of course, the thought of being a hero and cornering hard in it has crossed my mind more than often, but I never really did it because the thing scared me. It had ultra crashy leaf springs in the rear, no ABS, everything sqeaked and rattled, and the whole thing felt... disconcertingly light on its feet at highway speeds. There was also virtually no crumple zone between the upright windscreen and whatever you're dumb enough to smash into. There was ZERO blind spot visibility in HiAces not specced with cargo room windows. The steering column went right between the clutch and brake pedal too, so heel toe–ing was completely out of the question. My boss tells me the reason he fits expensive Michelin tyres on his vans instead of cheaper, no name Chinese brands is because he broke the rear end loose on a wet downhill when slowing for a red light. Yeah, hell no I'm not trying anything stupid in it.

But it was a NA diesel with enough torque from idle to no gas, clutch in launch it from 2nd gear. That was cool.

Unsurprisingly, none of those real life eccentricities made their way into Gran Turismo 7 with the Himedic, but what really caught me by surprise was just how... stable and no drama it was to drive, the Himedic and Alphard both. They can be broadly described as "slow as hell, rev out each gear, prepare for understeer deep into turns, the thing stops much better than it turns, watch yourself on downhill braking zones". In fact, most of the eccentricities are from just the sheer heft of the thing, especially the Himedic. With almost nothing past the windshield of the ambulance, you can drive to about having a quarter of a conventional car below the bottom of your screen in bumper cam view before you make contact. The game's radar system was never made to accomodate something of the Himedic's gargantuan size with its one–size–fits–most arrows, and so discerning how much space to give a competitor, whether they're driving a regular car or another Himedic, is something my peers and I are still yet to figure out, as evidenced by the slightly chaotic Saturday lobby races.

It should be no surprise that the ambulance is horrible for racing in stock trim. 3rd gear goes up to 101km/h, past which the whole thing crumbles into a heap. 4th is so gutless that it made me aware of inclines that are so gentle, they are never seen or felt in anything else. Did you know that the small straight leading up to the final turn of Yamagiwa is a slight uphill? Me neither, until my Himedic refused to accelerate past 101km/h in 4th gear on that stretch. This thing is so slow that it could legitimately go round the outer loop of Tokyo Central Expressway without once touching the brakes at "race" pace in stock guise, Comfort Medium tyres and all. It's nigh impossible to gain on another competitor in a race if there's a hard wall at 100km/h, especially when combined with the sheer size of the damn things. The races may look closely fought, but even with a slight overlap to a competitor, I'm realistically light years away still from being able to make a safe and fair move on them.

I was ready to say that the Himedic is yet another useless, out of place car in the game, completely uneventful and a bore to drive, until something from @Obelisk 's review caught my attention: the thing maxes out near 550PP on Sports Soft tyres...? If it has so much drag limiting its top speed, chunky tyres with a widebody, then it might, just might, shine on a slow, technical track with speed acceleration bursts making up most of its PP value. Fortunately, the best race in this game happens to be at the tortuously tight tediously technical Tsukuba... with the PP limit set at 550... limited to Sports tyres.

I HAD to give it a try!

The ambulance is not an easy car to set up right, but I actually like that in the Himedic; it's an off kilter pick, of course it's going to require more work to set up! It wouldn't be an oddball pick if it were easy! Power and mass are easy fixes, and you can even increase the body rigidity of the ambulance no problem, but what is beyond fixing is the ambulance's long wheelbase, making me wish it had rear steer. It's also obscenely front heavy, but with so much weight pressing down on the rear tyres even with the full Stage 3 mass reduction, I still have enough weight over the rear tyres to run a 20/80 torque split and the full +5 rearward brake bias. The NA 2TR-FE Inline 4 of the stock Himedic is already a peaky pick to begin with, and to get the requisite power to compete at 550PP, I had to go with the High RPM Turbo Kit, which retains the peak power spike but worsens the buildup to it. This of course requires setting up the gearbox to be ultra close in ratio to keep the drivetrain happy, and with its hopelessly draggy body limiting its top speed, ultra short as well.

I didn't spend a lot of time setting up the ambulance (hell, I probably spent twice as long writing this than setting it up), and you can see my setup in whole and the resulting performance in this video!

​


In stock guise, the Himedic is a bore to drive and impossible to have a race with, single or multiplayer. But, being able to do well in such a notoriously difficult race in an oddball pick has reignited some of that old Gran Turismo magic for me, and for that one reason alone, I can't call it a useless beater :)
 
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XSquareStickIt
The Toyota Alphard and Himedic are both very similar "cars" in that they're extremely off kilter additions to a racing game that are arguably included for marketing purposes between business partners PD and Toyota. That, and they serve no purpose whatsoever in the game, but that can be said for roughly 80% of the car list in GT7, so I'm not sure how valid a criticism against a car that argument is.

"But Gran Turismo games have always been about these oddball cars in the past! It's part of the series' DNA!", some of the fans of these additions might quip. That may be true, but times, and the series as a whole, has changed so much since those good old days. Back then, you had obscure, oddball cars from many of the manufacturers in the game; think your Toyota Priuses before it became mainstream. Your Autozam AZ-1 A-Specs before anyone outside of Japan knew what the heck a Kei car is, and no one in Japan knew what an Autozam was. A Renault Espace with a freaking F1 engine slammed into it. Something called a Tom's Angel. An FF rally car from Citroën I still can't pronounce to this day.

In GT7, the only oddballs that exist in real life are two pickup trucks, a military Jeep, an FF LMP1, a luxury minivan, a Sambabus, and an ambulance. Three of those aforementioned seven are Toyotas. Of course, your exact definition of an "oddball" car may vary from mine, and if you're willing to include fictional cars, that ratio would look a lot more balanced. This is just my interpretation of things.

In the past games, not every oddball car showed up in the dealerships; you had to earn them as prize cars by winning certain events, and they'd almost certainly always come as a surprise. "I didn't even know this car was in the game/existed in real life! What can I do with it?!" If you found an overlooked car and tuned it up to be surprisingly good, you found it. It was your surprise sleeper. Here in GT7, these oddball cars are often added in post launch updates, well after its active playerbase has long finished the insultingly short single player campaign. It'd be like receiving a landmine after the war has ended. The heck am I supposed to do with it? Not to mention, cars in earlier Gran Turismo games, oddball or not, always had some place to race, somewhere they belonged, some purpose they fit. There were a wealth of races and events to enter said cars in whatever state of tune you might happen to have it in. In GT7, I can't find a single event that would allow me to enter a bone stock Alphard or Himedic wherein they'd actually stand a sporting chance of being able to fantasise about keeping up with the rest of the pack, let alone be viable picks.

With the Gran Turismo series gravitating more and more towards hyperrealism, the game feels more and more like a simulator and a job and less like... a game. Even a feature added as recently in Gran Turismo Sport, the "Car Handicap Bonus", would've made these uncompetitive and oddball cars so much more rewarding to simply drive in an event. But, not only was that feature completely removed in GT7, we now run the risk of losing a third of the race winnings if we bump into the AI cars too hard in these suboptimal picks, or, more realistically speaking, the AI bumps too hard into these moving houses on wheels. With the vast majority of the "races" in GT7 being the god–awful "chase the rabbit" style ordeals that task the players with closing a 40 second gap within 5 laps, it only funnels the players into picking the most optimal cars with the most optimised setups, leaving less wiggle room for experimentation and fooling around. To suddenly have a luxury minivan and an ambulance added to such a game then, is such a tonal whiplash. It's like the game can't decide what it wants to be, and how it wants to be played.

Don't get me wrong; I was really excited when I saw Kaz's silhouette teasers for these cars in their respective updates. To me personally, Gran Turismo has always been about a wide variety of road cars, allowing us to sample cars that you and I realistically can, or even have experienced, in the real world. That holds especially true for me as a Singaporean, because our country hates cars, our laws strangle all car culture out of the country, and nowhere in this microscopic, densely populated island country can anyone legally go over 90km/h unless they're driving an emergency vehicle. To someone like me, driving in a simulator and driving in real life has been two completely different and wholly seperate affairs with no correlation or transferrable experiences and skills, and Gran Turismo is the much needed marriage between the two. As the series slowly began to edge away from these everyday relatable cars, seeing an Alphard and Himedic join the likes of the Honda Fit and Toyota Prius was a sight for sore eyes for me.

I haven't been in an ambulance in real life yet, but I have driven a regular HiAce in real life when I was a delivery driver. Of course, the thought of being a hero and cornering hard in it has crossed my mind more than often, but I never really did it because the thing scared me. It had ultra crashy leaf springs in the rear, no ABS, everything sqeaked and rattled, and the whole thing felt... disconcertingly light on its feet at highway speeds. There was also virtually no crumple zone between the upright windscreen and whatever you're dumb enough to smash into. There was ZERO blind spot visibility in HiAces not specced with cargo room windows. The steering column went right between the clutch and brake pedal too, so heel toe–ing was completely out of the question. My boss tells me the reason he fits expensive Michelin tyres on his vans instead of cheaper, no name Chinese brands is because he broke the rear end loose on a wet downhill when slowing for a red light. Yeah, hell no I'm not trying anything stupid in it.

But it was a NA diesel with enough torque from idle to no gas, clutch in launch it from 2nd gear. That was cool.

Unsurprisingly, none of those real life eccentricities made their way into Gran Turismo 7 with the Himedic, but what really caught me by surprise was just how... stable and no drama it was to drive, the Himedic and Alphard both. They can be broadly described as "slow as hell, rev out each gear, prepare for understeer deep into turns, the thing stops much better than it turns, watch yourself on downhill braking zones". In fact, most of the eccentricities are from just the sheer heft of the thing, especially the Himedic. With almost nothing past the windshield of the ambulance, you can drive to about having a quarter of a conventional car below the bottom of your screen in bumper cam view before you make contact. The game's radar system was never made to accomodate something of the Himedic's gargantuan size with its one–size–fits–most arrows, and so discerning how much space to give a competitor, whether they're driving a regular car or another Himedic, is something my peers and I are still yet to figure out, as evidenced by the slightly chaotic Saturday lobby races.

It should be no surprise that the ambulance is horrible for racing in stock trim. 3rd gear goes up to 101km/h, past which the whole thing crumbles into a heap. 4th is so gutless that it made me aware of inclines that are so gentle, they are never seen or felt in anything else. Did you know that the small straight leading up to the final turn of Yamagiwa is a slight uphill? Me neither, until my Himedic refused to accelerate past 101km/h in 4th gear on that stretch. This thing is so slow that it could legitimately go round the outer loop of Tokyo Central Expressway without once touching the brakes at "race" pace in stock guise, Comfort Medium tyres and all. It's nigh impossible to gain on another competitor in a race if there's a hard wall at 100km/h, especially when combined with the sheer size of the damn things. The races may look closely fought, but even with a slight overlap to a competitor, I'm realistically light years away still from being able to make a safe and fair move on them.

I was ready to say that the Himedic is yet another useless, out of place car in the game, completely uneventful and a bore to drive, until something from @Obelisk 's review caught my attention: the thing maxes out near 550PP on Sports Soft tyres...? If it has so much drag limiting its top speed, chunky tyres with a widebody, then it might, just might, shine on a slow, technical track with speed acceleration bursts making up most of its PP value. Fortunately, the best race in this game happens to be at the tortuously tight tediously technical Tsukuba... with the PP limit set at 550... limited to Sports tyres.

I HAD to give it a try!

The ambulance is not an easy car to set up right, but I actually like that in the Himedic; it's an off kilter pick, of course it's going to require more work to set up! It wouldn't be an oddball pick if it were easy! Power and mass are easy fixes, and you can even increase the body rigidity of the ambulance no problem, but what is beyond fixing is the ambulance's long wheelbase, making me wish it had rear steer. It's also obscenely front heavy, but with so much weight pressing down on the rear tyres even with the full Stage 3 mass reduction, I still have enough weight over the rear tyres to run a 20/80 torque split and the full +5 rearward brake bias. The NA 2TR-FE Inline 4 of the stock Himedic is already a peaky pick to begin with, and to get the requisite power to compete at 550PP, I had to go with the High RPM Turbo Kit, which retains the peak power spike but worsens the buildup to it. This of course requires setting up the gearbox to be ultra close in ratio to keep the drivetrain happy, and with its hopelessly draggy body limiting its top speed, ultra short as well.

I didn't spend a lot of time setting up the ambulance (hell, I probably spent twice as long writing this than setting it up), and you can see my setup in whole and the resulting performance in this video!

​


In stock guise, the Himedic is a bore to drive and impossible to have a race with, single or multiplayer. But, being able to do well in such a notoriously difficult race in an oddball pick has reignited some of that old Gran Turismo magic for me, and for that one reason alone, I can't call it a useless beater :)
Click to expand...

Just a quick FYI, you might have better launch with the low or medium turbos, they give you a wider and more usable torque/power band at the cost of some HP. Great otherwise!
 
The #20 Ambulance we got in the game is cool and all, but have you ever wanted to meet the rest of the family?

(The #20 car appears at 9:52 and 21:52)

​


...or used it as rolling blockades for an RA272?

​


Also, I've tried bringing the Alphard to 600PP and bringing it to the Tokyo grind race. No luck. Best I could do is 5th. The damn thing is thirstier than my supercharged Corvette :crazy: Anyone fancies a try at winning the race with an Alphard? And no, before you go look, Praiano doesn't have an Alphard tune :lol:

Anyone who manages to beat the event gets... oh I dunno, an extra pick of the week for this cycle? Or internet cookies and good ol' bragging rights :)
 
XSquareStickIt
The #20 Ambulance we got in the game is cool and all, but have you ever wanted to meet the rest of the family?

(The #20 car appears at 9:52 and 21:52)

​


...or used it as rolling blockades for an RA272?

​


Also, I've tried bringing the Alphard to 600PP and bringing it to the Tokyo grind race. No luck. Best I could do is 5th. The damn thing is thirstier than my supercharged Corvette :crazy: Anyone fancies a try at winning the race with an Alphard? And no, before you go look, Praiano doesn't have an Alphard tune :lol:

Anyone who manages to beat the event gets... oh I dunno, an extra pick of the week for this cycle? Or internet cookies and good ol' bragging rights :)
Click to expand...

Gimme a few hours.
 
Obelisk
Gimme a few hours.
Click to expand...
Completed this challenge. Sent a screenshot to Square as proof and will be uploading the onboard/replay here as well as the setup ASAP.

Edit: On the VR one, skip ahead to 2:50. That recording included a failed try.



Tune to come soon.
 
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You know what's the sad part about festivals? It's that they come to an end eventually.

It's been a good run for @Obelisk and his festival, the Forza Horizon 5 Car of the Week thread. After two years of FH5 COTW, Obelisk intends to step down and bring an end to the thread. With this GT7 COTW thread having started by collaborating with Obelisk to feature the FC RX-7 in both threads at the same time, I thought it seemed only appropriate to send off the FH5 COTW thread with the swansong model of the RX-7, the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02!

Tokyo Expressway - Central Clockwise_.jpeg


(That, and well, I'd really love to hear what the FH5 folk make of this car over in Mexico.)

Trust me when I say you all are in for a treat if you decide to join us for our weekly lobbies this week! They will be held with bone stock FD RX-7s with BoP enabled, so no widebodies and engine swaps! The lobbies will be held on Tuesday, 10th of October, 10 P.M. CST and Saturday, 14th of October, 4 P.M. Singapore time (convert to your time zones by clicking the times).

Feel free to share any photos, videos, stories, or thoughts with us here on this thread as well if you have any!

SPECIAL CHALLENGE​

Now, we all know that the FD can be swapped with a NA 4 Rotor straight out of the legendary 787B, but it's also one of the most expensive engine swaps out there at 1.75 million credits at GT Auto. My 4 Rotor RX-7 built to 600PP on Sports Hard tyres did a 1:52.661 around Fuji Speedway (Full Course). As a special challenge this week, you can take an RX-7 and build it to 600PP without doing an engine swap and try to beat that time! The person who beats that time in the cheapest build (not counting the cost of the car) wins an extra COTW pick they can use whenever!

I usually end these announcement posts with something like, "let's see if this thing is a beater or sleeper!", but this week, that's a pretty redundant question if you ask me :)
 
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So I've been quiet the past month? Well, once again, I'm not quite as free, right now quite busy with a rather demanding certification to pass (NEBOSH IGC). So, I'll just leave these quick initial paragraphs..

After a touch with some.. rather nasty pieces of kit, we head to the gen 3 Alphard, one for the game I guess is the AGH30: a car I see FREAKING everyday. Not necessarily its luxurious Executive Lounge Trim, but definitely its lesser variants or it's more hip sister model the Vellfire. Before I decide to look outside for maybe another 3 to point out just by my window, I suppose a quick history overlook is required..

Taking its name from the word Alpha, the Alphard's sole objective for Toyota is to be the king of the minivan, and well, it sort of did. But there's a but, and that but's that its initially only made for the Japanese market, eventually expanding for the South East Asian markets, and just as far as the Middle East. Yep, we got them. Not you, I mean.. some of us. But well.. having a few family friends owning a couple of these means I too know what it's like to be in one. Not on the driving wheel, that might not come.

But let's go to the one trim I don't think I've ever been in: the Executive Lounge. This one's got robot doors and 6 adults seating setup. The middle seats in particular are the sort that I can find in some other luxury Toyota/Lexus as it has heaters and massage functions. Well, they ain't cutting it cheap. And what's important for a luxury vehicle is a smooth engine, of which Toyota supplied with the 2GR-FKS: an engine that's related to the batch they supply for a majority of modern Lotus cars. This engine got revised to the one the game provides that has a 296 horsepower output going through an 8 speed auto carrying 2.2 tons of the good life.

So, for this week's mandatory filler.. quick call for hands: has anyone paid attention in Episode 11-11?

No?

I'm disappointed. Not really, since the designation of subchapters did start off in Episode 12. But I'm not going to force anyone to go back, as I shall quote for ye..

J.J: "The Hakosuka keeping up with our kind's quite a find.. I like what I'm seeing from you, Adachi. Perhaps you have more cars to show me?"

Isamu: "Depends.. I guess I do. Poor pink slip decision from one man means I've got my hands on an Alphard. But come to Gunma personally.. I've gathered a menagerie of blueprints and shops to send it to. I'll let you see what plans I have for it, give me some feedback."

J.J: "Exciting. You my Japanese warrior provide me a fascinating proposition. I suppose now's the time to analyze how my schedule fits.."
Click to expand...

Of course, that means this week we're going to see what's come of that. YES I PRECEDED THIS.


Story: Nirvana Kellen Presents Gran Turismo 7's COTW Throwback


It's a Polo.

Well, what do you get when you need to have a choice for any class of car for the German common man? However any angle you see, this is what Volkswagen's got you covered, no matter the scenario. Aside high performance sports and supercars, because you go to Lamborghini or Audi for that.

Taking on the compact hatch role for the company, or if you ask me, the proper modernized choice of the original Golf GTI. The Polo's actually existed solely to be the miniaturized understudy of the Golf since the 80s. So, of course that lives on to today, where the Polo is served as a side offering if you feel the Golf's too much big for you in a hot hatch.

With its 5th generation offering, coded the 6C, this revamped Polo GTI carries an Audi engineered 1.8L TFSI engine, with 190 horsepower carrying a compact 1.3 ton load. And thanks to Volkswagen knowhow of FWD machinery, the car's been hailed as an excellent selection if you want a compact hatchback with a sleight of performance on its name, proven that the Polo isn't discontinued like the Beetle is, and the fact this is the model of car that got Volkswagen to rallying fame in its era of mid 2010s WRC, though we're not getting that experience for this week's offering.

I suppose with BIG last week, it's right we go with compact this week. I should spell it like COMPACT. And also ROYAL? I told myself Candy has to get in grip with the Crown Jewels side of the Big 3, meaning I have to bring out the third member I've been holding back..


Story: From Kent With Love?


What else do I not get on Mini Mexico to play with? Sure, there's things like straight up race cars, corporate prototypes and Kei cars, but how about a Go Kart?

Surviving the exodus of the PS3 era karts, the 125 Shifter remains as the only one of this car class in the current PS4 era of Gran Turismo. So, kind of like Highlander, but there's no Mr. Krabs to hunt, kill and take your immortality. Not like any of these things have a neck to cut anyways. I should find a Queen song for this week's entry. And I'm going to promise me and you all: it's not Princes of The Universe.

But what can little 49 horsepower 125cc engined piece of welded frame get you? Something to not run over bumps, but have a whopping 589 PP, which rivals a good selection of sports cars. I mean, we have designated sports cars with less PP, a notable example within COTW being Pinky. This might probably be the best car to get a high PP for your buck, if only it was a car that's not restricted. And speaking of restricted, they really don't care about it since it hasn't gotten an event to make work of unless you do your own, and honey that's not what I want to do.

Well, with karting as this week's special activity, it looks to me it's time to bring on certain kart racing figures, that includes the ninja themed Senna tribute and a certain self insert that's known as the Asian-American Badass into this week's mumbo jumbo. For convenience's sake, since one of them has a freaking sword, and I did mention Highlander..


Story: Princes of The Universe


So it's no surprise that Porsche in the 70s has been making a killing in the racing field.. okay, enough death related puns. Anywho, that means more cars for the road to commemorate this legacy. One such car was the 930 Turbo: a car born from a need to homologate.

After they're done with Can-Am, Porshce wanted in Group 4 racing: which at the time requires the utilized aspiration used in the race car also to be present on the homologated road car. So, like the Carrera RS: this iconic classic 911 is homologated.

So what our guys in Stuttgart did was pump out their race tuned turbo used in the Can-Am 917/30, and place it on the 3 liter boxer from the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS.

This results in 256 horsepower.. not too bad, but then you see what they did to the car as the 80's came: offered it in coupe, targa or cabriolet, pumped up the valves to 3.3 liters and got it to 295 horses. Of course they had to add other things like anti roll bars, better brakes and a modified suspension to handle this.

Combined with a 1.3 ton body, the car earned its name as the Widowmaker because it's a killer of men. Specifically the men who drove this unprepared when revving it past the 3000 RPM mark..

Though, this turbo fuelled oversteer became the factor that led to the car's now iconic fascia, inclusive of the Porsche whale tail hood cover, the bulging fenders, and the wide rear wheels. And that might help, but apparently is not enough. Now, that Widowmaker name's still going strong even with these improvements to making it drivable, because it ain't. It's because turbo lag is a thing, and this car has it in the whole shebang when the flat 6 gets going.

Thankfully, nobody else's going to upscale this in a significant, non-official way, said everyone but one..

Because this framework provided is how infamous Porsche tuners RUF got it's wings thanks to a twin turbo, 463 horsepower monster bringing around a much more hollowed out 930 that's weighed at 1.1 tons, christened as the BTR, but I'm sure it's much better known as the Yellowbird.

To be fair, man killer Porsche has been the sort of cars of this marque I find attractive. Not hinting anything of my future COTW intentions that's not a Viper, that is. In terms of media, this is an incredibly iconic Porsche that's pretty much everywhere, more recently in Rocket League where as of writing is the latest Season Pass battle car to take the pitch.

Where do we continue with the fictional side of things? What's Augur? What if I told you it's an excuse for me to develop more characters due to their COTW unique presence.


Story: A Force Of Nature


Believe it or not, that first blurb in game about the car was truly food for thought. Having a good ambulance really can make the difference between life and death. So if that's the case, why haven't Lamborghini gotten into the game yet? To be honest, I feel carbon fibre built chassis with a kinetic energy derived hybrid powering the defibrillator would make wonders, and well, so far I'm proven wrong.

I, uhh.. am supposed to fill in 3 paragraphs of the ambulance, but it's really already covered in game, and what other note should I make than, umm.. how this is the third generation Himedic that's been construed in 2009 till today. I've seen it personally quite often, though not as often as one Alphard. The name's also a portmanteau, deriving from the words High and Medical. High, huh? That's a spiffy word to use.

Story? Now, as soon as I saw that the ambulance is nominated, like the Alphard, I go back to a certain week. This time it's Week 22, where we had the Throwback. Due to the fact it's yet another of his excellent tertiary car of his, half Irish madman Murph is back for another round, and perhaps break the mold and introduce a wholly new character.


Story: The Battle Rages On


The eponymous Mazda. You're a nobody in the car world if you have no idea what car this is.. or living under a rock.. jeez, what rock is that?

Anyhow, being the last of its kind, the RX-7 Spirit R Type A would be the culmination of what this name did to the brand's sports identity for the last 25 years, perhaps being the most prolific of the lot too.

Carrying over the turbocharged 13B rotary from the FC, the FD came out initially in 1991 with the codename ɛ̃fini RX-7, and the rest is history. Like really. I'm trying to find any interesting event that brought this beauty to stardom. Could it be the design of Tsutomu Matano who also penned the MX-5? Did they perfect that rotary turbo symphony? Is it because Mazda really put a lot into the car like adjustable suspension on stock and a bevy of aero kits?

Initially never reaching the 276 mark on first release, a subsequent model finally got to that agreement by 1998. But the Type A is considered the send off of all RX-7 models, which is to be suceeded by the.. maybe I can say less than competent RX-8 to put in such grand shoes. I'm sure I covered that depth quite well in the Forza thread, but after all, that car came out directly after the greatest COTW tragedy ever.

Though, the numbers of the Type A look to be 292 horsepower bringing 1280 kilos of iconic JDM beauty. How it drives, well, just ask all the enthusiasts bringing it around race tracks, tuning for the daring Japanese roads, or better yet: drifting. It's an oversteery car, and I always have this sweet spot for the FD since I was just a tiny mini SPD. This model of car's just as old as I am.

And it so happens that the FD RX-7 lands as the first ever car that hits that mythical Signature Car designation. Landing on the young lass I've declared as the Rotary Queen back all the way in 2013, it's Ayumi Tanaka's time to shine today. Though, with current events, let's see how all that genki energy of hers gets around.. oh, and any signature car means I have to bring this back.. or forwards if it hits someone not yet introduced, let's see..

An easily excitable young lady, who doubles as a young major art graduate and a master of Mazda's rotary cars, this energetic little bubble opened a small JDM tuner shop with her boyfriend to an initially mild, then great enough success, leading them to journey all over the world to expand their horizons.

Theme Song: The Bangles - Everything I Wanted
Racing Duel Music: Girlschool feat. Motorhead - Please Don't Touch
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 25
Current occupation: Tuning shop owner
Distinct features: Medium-long, curly black hair tied as a ponytail. Semi sharp oval face. Narrow, small mouth that can truly expand when she gets excited. Large, unusually green eyes for a Japan native. Average height, with slightly thin body.
Choice of clothing: Western influenced dailywear, usually in the form of a crop top and rolled up jeans. Colder climates prompt her to wear a single size winter jacket over it. Usually has a cap or beanie with the kanji Ayumi on it.
Cars: Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD), Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC)

With an origin from Kyoto, Ayumi is an only child whose upbringing mainly comes from her family's traditionalist views. She didn't mind it at all, as it would mean her life would be family oriented as she grew up. Her father: a traditional calligraphy expert, endlessly suggested his only daughter to move on to the future, but always remember the past: a statement she can't let go of, as it moved towards her leaning for a certain car with a certain engine..

What set her inspiration for her hobbies was a visit to the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, seeing the roster of Mazda's cars was a passion after the first visit, and it became an annual thing for her. She would eventually get her first Mazda from a wealthy and generous relative in the form of a classic FC RX-7 GT-X. Her peers in university would often see it shake up the track, as she learned to drive and race at the same time. Years in her freshman university days are appropriated to her winning similar class races of various scale, earning her the moniker of Rotary Queen.

With an on track name, she somehow got a bit of attention, good or other wise. Notably, she made a name when clashing with some local Kyoto racers over their heads. It went in her favor thanks to a man who stood up for her: her future boyfriend Hideki. While he didn't impress from the outside, his heart convinced her enough to connect them. Time passes, and with their art majors completed, they would head into finding work. If it weren't for a certain dark horse, who she would idolize and cement his fame in Japan through his unofficial fan club, it would never lead them to their small but eventually flourishing tuning garage based in Fuji.

While her boyfriend Hideki is quite the introvert, Ayumi is a most definitive opposite, having a booming voice, a metabolism for high speeds and gets excitable really easily. And her name as Rotary Queen starts to grow as she would try to get behind the wheel of every rotary powered car she can, eyeing on a new RX car Mazda has been conceptualizing.

Looks to me we're staying in Japan for an event I planned out all the way back in Week 1: sealing a couple in holy matrimony. I know, I really timed it well.. I need to release Week 22, there's something I have to unpack there that applies here.


Story: A Turbocharged Wedding Day
 
XSquareStickIt
SPECIAL CHALLENGE​

Now, we all know that the FD can be swapped with a NA 4 Rotor straight out of the legendary 787B, but it's also one of the most expensive engine swaps out there at 1.75 million credits at GT Auto. My 4 Rotor RX-7 built to 600PP on Sports Hard tyres did a 1:52.661 around Fuji Speedway (Full Course). As a special challenge this week, you can take an RX-7 and build it to 600PP without doing an engine swap and try to beat that time! The person who beats that time in the cheapest build (not counting the cost of the car) wins an extra COTW pick they can use whenever!
Click to expand...
‘take an RX-7’
‘the cheapest build (not counting the cost of the car)’
Click to expand...

Challenge accepted. Since the exact model of RX-7 was not specified, I took an RE-Amemiya, strapped on Sport Softs for 4500 (and a ballast that I didn’t need after all for 500), upped the rear downforce slightly and lapped a 1:50.746. :)



The Grinch GIF


I do love loopholes. :D
 
Ahhh, the RX7. Saturday is gonna be glorious. In GTSport at least, I managed a 07.59.776. YT review: "A bit faster than I thought it would be, especially speed wise. Quite a bit harder to control than the rest of the Japanese sports cars though.
Driven stock on hard sport tyres without any driving aids, except ABS. First lap in third person view, second one in cockpit view and third one in cinematic replay view. All driven laps are the same lap."



Tsukuba battles in GTSport and GT7:




GT7 drag race:



Bonus: engine sound in PGR4 @ 15:01



Verdict: very special sleeper
 
The weekly Tuesday/Wednesday lobby hosted by @Vic Reign93 (PSN: Vic_Reign93) is up now for anyone with about 1.5 to 2 hours to spare! Add them as a friend on PSN if you're looking to join, or simply search for a room titled, "Car of the Week: 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R" if you're interested in a one make, bone stock series of races!

I won't be able to make it unfortunately...

Mistah_MCA
I might've forgotten about "cheapest" build... :scared:

1:48.712

Click to expand...

Note to self: I suck at tuning, please don't ever set another challenge where I use my own setup.

Glad to have your input, MCA! Anyone here fancies a try at beating the lap time set by Mistah Weekly Guide himself?
 
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XSquareStickIt
The weekly Tuesday/Wednesday lobby hosted by @Vic Reign93 (PSN: Vic_Reign93) is up now for anyone with about 1.5 to 2 hours to spare! Add them as a friend on PSN if you're looking to join, or simply search for a room titled, "Car of the Week: 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R" if you're interested in a one make, bone stock series of races!

I won't be able to make it unfortunately...


Note to self: I suck at tuning, please don't ever set another challenge where I use my own setup.

Glad to have your input, MCA! Anyone here fancies a try at beating the lap time set by Mistah Weekly Guide himself?
Click to expand...
yeah. already got some ideas in mind. what was MCA's budget here?

As for the FD... Not a lot to say about it aside from it being really good. Seems to thrive in the vague gray zone between grip and spinning, when the tires are scrubbing a bit.
 
Alex p.
One of the races from last saturday, with commentary by me. I tried to recruit some new comers and even had a shout out to @XSquareStickIt ;)


Click to expand...

Hey, FYI. You have some weird flickering and stuttering going on in the first video. Might wanna look into that.

XSquareStickIt
SPECIAL CHALLENGE​
Now, we all know that the FD can be swapped with a NA 4 Rotor straight out of the legendary 787B, but it's also one of the most expensive engine swaps out there at 1.75 million credits at GT Auto. My 4 Rotor RX-7 built to 600PP on Sports Hard tyres did a 1:52.661 around Fuji Speedway (Full Course). As a special challenge this week, you can take an RX-7 and build it to 600PP without doing an engine swap and try to beat that time! The person who beats that time in the cheapest build (not counting the cost of the car) wins an extra COTW pick they can use whenever!
Click to expand...
XSquareStickIt
The person who beats that time in the cheapest build
Click to expand...
Total budget: 47,300 Cr.
Final time: 1:52.436
PP: 599.92
301 HP
2575 lbs

Type B rear aero - 4000
Sports Suspension - 4000
Sports Soft - 4500
Racing pads - 2000
Racing brakes - 8000
Close High - 8500
Two Way LSD - 3600
Semi Racing Clutch - 5800
Weight 1 - 4100
racing air filter - 2800

1697121619321.png

1697121633017.png





I will say, doing this further reinforces how good of a car the Spirit R is - even on a shoestring budget (by GT standards), it's plenty capable.
 
Obelisk
Hey, FYI. You have some weird flickering and stuttering going on in the first video. Might wanna look into that.



Total budget: 47,300 Cr.
Final time: 1:52.436
PP: 599.92
301 HP
2575 lbs

Type B rear aero - 4000
Sports Suspension - 4000
Sports Soft - 4500
Racing pads - 2000
Racing brakes - 8000
Close High - 8500
Two Way LSD - 3600
Semi Racing Clutch - 5800
Weight 1 - 4100
racing air filter - 2800

View attachment 1294654
View attachment 1294655




I will say, doing this further reinforces how good of a car the Spirit R is - even on a shoestring budget (by GT standards), it's plenty capable.
Click to expand...


Yep it's my graphics card. Don't wanna spend any money on a new one yet though.
 
Well, after ticking off @XSquareStickIt with my… creative interpretation of his rules, here’s my actual entry with an even faster 1:48.873 at only 44,550 credits (Sorry @Obelisk).



Build:
Racing Hard 18000
Racing Brake Kit 8000
Low Turbo 10900
Full LSD 7650

Total 44550


Also, gotta love the different ways we built our RX-7s to 600 PP

Square: Used a 4-rotor and had to detune it to fit it into 600 PP

Mistah: Completely forgets the win condition and throws everything and the kitchen sink at his build.

Obelisk: A mixture of low-cost upgrades that a enthusiast would apply to their daily driver

Me: Just whack a turbo, slicks, brakes and LSD on there, lol.
 
IMG_3733.jpeg



IMG_3734.jpeg



IMG_3735.jpeg




Not exactly a budget build. But here you go. I’ll try to build a proper “street car” later this evening
 
Congratulations to @RX8 Racer , who has won last week's special challenge of building a 600PP 2 Rotor RX-7 on a budget, setting a mind–blowing 1:48.873 on the cheap, rivalling the time set by Mistah_MCA, who was building without a budget! As such, our favourite anime Otaku has won themselves an extra COTW pick they can use at any time, though for their prank of using an Amemiya FD earlier in the week, I almost don't want to give it to them...

Oh, hey, would you look at that: It's also RX8's turn to pick for Car of the Week, too! Funny how things work, don't they?

Since it just came to LCD today, let's keep the rotary theme going with Mazda's Le Mans winning pride and joy: the Mazda 787B '91.
Click to expand...

24 Heures du Mans race track, no chicane_.jpeg


Style by Spicy_Nikorasu: 787B Post Tsunami V3
#mazdaspeed #nevergiveup #renown​

This car should need no introduction, but what it might need is a LOT of fact checking: It's commonly accepted that the Mazda 787B was so fast, it was banned from competing in subsequent years. There may be a bit more to it than that, but we'll get to see just how fast it is with our own eyes when we run the rowdy 4 Rotor bone stock under prevailing BoP in our weekly lobbies, to be held on Tuesday, 17th of October, 10 P.M. CST and Saturday, 21st of October, 4 P.M. Singapore time!

SPECIAL CHALLENGE!​

Producing "just" 690HP bone stock, the 787B is by far the least powerful car among its Group C peers. But, if you've swapped the R26B Naturally Aspirated 4 Rotor engine of the 787B into any of the many Mazdas accepting of that engine, you might know that it's one of the most magically fuel efficient engines in the game. That, and the fact that the 787B undercuts its Group C compatriots by a whole 170kg helps a lot, too. Leveraging this, Mazda's strategy for the winning #55 car in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans race was to run the car flat out for the whole race, thanks to their relative lack of pace, but superb fuel economy.

And so for this week's special challenge, I thought it'd be fun to see just how good on fuel (or just how slow!) the 787B is! I've set a lap time of 3:18.181 around la Sarthe No Chicane in a bone stock 787B under the following Custom Race conditions:

  • Race Type: Lap
  • No. of Laps: 1
  • No. of Cars: 2
  • Starting Pos.: 1
  • Start Type" Grid Start
  • BoP: Off
  • Boost: None
  • Slipstream Strength: Real
  • Mechanical Damage: None
  • Tyre Wear Rate: 1x
  • Fuel Consumption Rate: 25x
  • Grip Reduction Off Track: Real
  • Weather: Preset, S01
  • Equal Conditions: On
  • Time of Day: Afternoon
  • Rivals Selection: something that will stay behind the whole race
  • Shortcut, Wall Collision Penalties: Strong

The challenge this week is quite straightforward: Under that exact Custom Race setting, use any bone stock Gr.1 car and see if you can beat that time! Protip: You might need to do just a tad bit of fuel saving, especially if you're not in a 787B...

What does the winner get? Just bragging rights. I can't be giving free picks out every week!

If you do decide to participate this week in whatever fashion, just don't forget your earplugs :)
 
Hooo BOI, the 787B, eh?! Looking very much forward to saturday. :) Let's get the review started:

In GT7, I managed on the Nords with a stock one on its RM tyres, a 05.36.893. YT review: "Wow. Simply wow. This machine is soooo awesome! The speed in terms of acceleration, top end AND cornering speed is just NUTS! The Wankel engine screaming makes it even better of course. I also particularly like its looks! Interestingly, I did a 05.38.xxx with it in GTSport, but on RH tyres, not RM tyres like here. It is interesting, because most cars in GT7 are anywhere between 5 and 15! seconds quicker around the Nordschleife on the same set of tyres. Although that might only apply to street cars and might thus also explain, why it possibly does not apply to racing cars, or at least this very racing car right here, as it seems to be actually SLOWER in GT7...(not by much)"



On Tsukuba, it managed a 48.331sec lap time, which is great actually, as its direct rivals, the 1. Jag XJR-9 1988, 2. Sauber C9 1989 and 3. the Nissan R92CP 1992 managed lap times of: 1. 48.123, 2. 48.394 and 3. 48.891 respectively, making the 787B actually the second fastest around this track JUST in front of the Sauber and not far behing the Jag at all.

On the Nords on GT Sport on RH tyres, it interestingly was the slowest of the 4 (all other 3 also on RH tyres of course). Although that SHOULD make sense, as it is slower on the straights generally, compared to the other 3. It wasn't that far behind though...

In a 1000m drag race in GT7 it actually interestingly secured the 2nd place with a 17.597sec, right after the Jag. The Jag did a 17.400, the R92CP on 3rd place did a 17.690, which was surprisingly slow, but the biggest (negative) surprise was the C9 with a meager 18.309 in last place. It just doesn't like to get going/starting, but once it starts...hoo boi. No wonder it was the 2nd fastest of the 4 around the Nords in GT Sport.

Verdict: I recently watched a YT doc on the LeMans win of 91, and while the 787B IS impressive overall, I can't really agree with @XSquareStickIt on that it was superiour, because it wasn't. It only won, because others (far infront of it) failed. I still give it a sleeper certificate, as it's the most awesome Gr. 1 we have in the game (imo).
 
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Alex p.
Verdict: I recently watched a YT doc on the LeMans win of 91, and while the 787B IS impressive overall, I can't really agree with @XSquareStickIt on that it was superiour, because it wasn't. It only won, because others (far infront of it) failed. I still give it a sleeper certificate, as it's the most awesome Gr. 1 we have in the game (imo).
Click to expand...
Skimming Wikipedia, the Jags and Porsches got hit with 200kg ballast for using older Group C cars that left them out of contention, the Pugs didn’t even make it to nightfall before their engines gave up, the Mercs survived until a string of mechanical issues (or in #32’s case, damage from hitting debris) struck all of them with the leading #1 Merc breaking an alternator bracket, taking their water pump belt with it and cooking their engine into retirement.

Merc should have won with the #1, but you know that saying about how if you want to finish first….
 
IMG_3740.jpeg



IMG_3741.jpeg




IMG_3742.jpeg






Did a quick street build for last weeks challenge. With some more fine-tuning, I’m pretty sure I can get this car sub-1:50. Definitely a harder car to drive than my time-attack build above, but you could hustle the car through corners a lot more - doing most of the minor yaw adjustments with your pedals alone. Just goes to show you how much of a masterpiece this car was from the showroom floor.
 
Just a quick aside about the 787B before the announcement post rolls in:

This is the only car in the game where it can be slightly uncomfortable for me to listen to. I am profoundly deaf, for the record.

That alone is worthy of at least a neutral. It's a heck of a first impression to make.
 
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Yes, it's time to announce this week's Car of the Week, but there's a bit more to it than that today.

High Speed Ring Reverse_.jpeg


Obelisk has arranged yet another SRC x COTW crossover event, this time featuring the Mazda Roadster NR-A (ND) '22! In addition to our usual weekly lobbies, the oblique orchestrator has arranged for additional lobbies chock full of Spec Racing Club regulars, for a total of 4 lobbies running across the week! Feel free to attend any (number) of them!

List of Lobbies​

These lobbies are all running the same rules, so just pick a time slot that works for you! Click the hyperlinks in the date and time to convert to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make finding the lobbies via "Show only rooms with friends" easier! Here's me pinging some old regulars who haven't been able to attend lately due to IRL commitments; hopefully you'll find a new slot here that works for you! If enough people here like the new time slots, we might even consider making them permanent...

@Racer283 @RobboGTAddict @Yard_Sale @Pickle_Rick74 @Baron Blitz Red @Nismonath5


Lobby Rules and Settings​

The rules common across all 4 lobbies should sound familiar to you if you're a regular here at COTW, but just to reiterate:
  • Bring any car WITHOUT a wide body.
  • BoP will be ON, which temporarily resets the cars' settings to stock.
  • Tyres will be the car's default (Comfort Soft)
  • PP limit will be set to 428 (stock car on default tyres + 10PP). We welcome any comparison car during race day that fits under the PP and tyre restrictions.
  • Tracks will be randomly chosen by lobby participants day of
  • Each race will last roughly 10 mins, and we will do from 4–6 races each session
  • Don't be a dick

More About SRC​

Spec Racing Club (SRC) hosts one–make races with "slow" cars like the Mazda Roadster, Daihatsu Copen, and even pickup trucks! Each car will be built to spec, often requiring certain predetermined aftermarket parts to bolster their racing potential a little, though there have sometimes been cases where a driver can choose between different parts in races (low ratio gearbox vs. high ratio, for example). Just like COTW, the regulars at SRC have a wide range of skill, and there's no thrill quite like slowly seeing yourself improve relative to your peers over time!

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can check out SRC with the links below:


COTW SPECIAL CHALLENGE!​

Of the two ND Roadsters in the game, the 2015 Roadster S is lighter than the NR-A, cheaper than the NR-A by 6,000 Credits, can easily match the NR-A's on–track capabilities with said 6,000 Credits worth of tuning parts, and even has a paintable roll cage, which the NR-A lacks. The Roadster S can even fit the C7 Stingray's LT1 V8 engine in it for more power than it knows what to do with!

And so, this week's special challenge is really, really simple: Tell me why I would want the NR-A over the S.

The prize? You'll be known as the first person that has changed my mind in COTW :)
 
XSquareStickIt
Lobby Rules and Settings​
The rules common across all 4 lobbies should sound familiar to you if you're a regular here at COTW, but just to reiterate:
  • Bring any car WITHOUT a wide body.
  • BoP will be ON, which temporarily resets the cars' settings to stock.
  • Tyres will be the car's default (Comfort Soft)
  • PP limit will be set to 428 (stock car on default tyres + 10PP). We welcome any comparison car during race day that fits under the PP and tyre restrictions.
  • Tracks will be randomly chosen by lobby participants day of
  • Each race will last roughly 10 mins, and we will do from 4–6 races each session
  • Don't be a dick
Click to expand...
I wanted to make a quick addendum to this, but the SRC hosted lobbies will include a few small elements of our standard event format.

In the interest of having everyone on the same page, here's the SRC variables being introduced exclusively for the lobbies I'm hosting:

  1. Fuel depletion will be set to 5x rather than 1x.
  2. Tire wear will be at 10x rather than 1x.
  3. We will be running Slowest First for our first race, then running reverse grid for the remainder of the session. We usually do fastest first, but I wanted to change things up.
  4. Tracks aren't completely random, as they will be selected from the 12 tracks that were used in the Summer 2023 season which just concluded.
The SRC folks are very much interested so far - we have these lobbies listed as Events to gauge interest, and our upcoming Friday is already shaping up to be extremely busy with 10 interested drivers on the SRC side.

We'll see you guys on track this week and hopefully some of our fine folks have some words to share as well :)
 
Last edited:
XSquareStickIt
Yes, it's time to announce this week's Car of the Week, but there's a bit more to it than that today.

View attachment 1297394

Obelisk has arranged yet another SRC x COTW crossover event, this time featuring the Mazda Roadster NR-A (ND) '22! In addition to our usual weekly lobbies, the oblique orchestrator has arranged for additional lobbies chock full of Spec Racing Club regulars, for a total of 4 lobbies running across the week! Feel free to attend any (number) of them!

List of Lobbies​

These lobbies are all running the same rules, so just pick a time slot that works for you! Click the hyperlinks in the date and time to convert to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make finding the lobbies via "Show only rooms with friends" easier! Here's me pinging some old regulars who haven't been able to attend lately due to IRL commitments; hopefully you'll find a new slot here that works for you! If enough people here like the new time slots, we might even consider making them permanent...

@Racer283 @RobboGTAddict @Yard_Sale @Pickle_Rick74 @Baron Blitz Red @Nismonath5


Lobby Rules and Settings​

The rules common across all 4 lobbies should sound familiar to you if you're a regular here at COTW, but just to reiterate:
  • Bring any car WITHOUT a wide body.
  • BoP will be ON, which temporarily resets the cars' settings to stock.
  • Tyres will be the car's default (Comfort Soft)
  • PP limit will be set to 428 (stock car on default tyres + 10PP). We welcome any comparison car during race day that fits under the PP and tyre restrictions.
  • Tracks will be randomly chosen by lobby participants day of
  • Each race will last roughly 10 mins, and we will do from 4–6 races each session
  • Don't be a dick

More About SRC​

Spec Racing Club (SRC) hosts one–make races with "slow" cars like the Mazda Roadster, Daihatsu Copen, and even pickup trucks! Each car will be built to spec, often requiring certain predetermined aftermarket parts to bolster their racing potential a little, though there have sometimes been cases where a driver can choose between different parts in races (low ratio gearbox vs. high ratio, for example). Just like COTW, the regulars at SRC have a wide range of skill, and there's no thrill quite like slowly seeing yourself improve relative to your peers over time!

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can check out SRC with the links below:


COTW SPECIAL CHALLENGE!​

Of the two ND Roadsters in the game, the 2015 Roadster S is lighter than the NR-A, cheaper than the NR-A by 6,000 Credits, can easily match the NR-A's on–track capabilities with said 6,000 Credits worth of tuning parts, and even has a paintable roll cage, which the NR-A lacks. The Roadster S can even fit the C7 Stingray's LT1 V8 engine in it for more power than it knows what to do with!

And so, this week's special challenge is really, really simple: Tell me why I would want the NR-A over the S.

The prize? You'll be known as the first person that has changed my mind in COTW :)
Click to expand...

As much as I like lobbies and competitive racing, sadly, I can’t make any lobbies this week. Working till Wednesday, then I’ll be torturing myself this weekend racing the 24 hours of Glen Helen.

I will however, attempt to change your mind about the Miata though 👍🏼
 

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