Car of the Week | Alpine A220 Race Car '68
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I'm going to leave for the good portion of Christmas time in a couple hours, so I suppose it's time to get my awards going. JEEZ I HOPE NEXT WEEK'S CAR ISN'T SOMETHING AMAZING OR WHAT.
Best Looking Car Award
Best looking? We didn't nominate a Ferrari yet, or a known car that's delegated as pretty as is, so this is already going to be tough. What comes to mind??
I had a look and saw a few notable cars, but to me, the one stand out would be the Porsche 911 Turbo (930) from Week 25. I am going to pick a classic for every time this comes around, okay.
Worst Looking Car Award
We actually have a roster of these, from the Chaparral 2J, the Himedic, to the Autobianchi. Though, none really can square up to the Toyota Prius G from Week 6 in this department, and it needs no describing why I hope.
Most American Car Award
This one's easy: the Jeep Willys MB from Week 4. Nothing says patriotism like making the machine that won the war for the Allies.
It also debuted Nirvana in my story writing..
Freaking Nirvana..
There was going to be some trivia why I swapped around the Viper and the Diablo on the Viper lobbies, and if I didn't hint it enough..
Beater of the Year
No contest, this goes to the Daihatsu Copen RJ Vision Gran Turismo from Week 21. It should've been Rambo Lambo, but we take what we got, alright? I even tried to stray away from it by writing in the F40 just to make me feel better.
Car of the Year
I suppose I'll need to round up the Top Sleepers in my book, and some notable Sleepers, and that includes..
Nissan Silvia S15 of Week 11, for that performant sports offering at its price
Volkswagen Polo GTI of Week 23, being an excellent FWD handling car that harkens me back to the Corrado VR6 that we had in Forza Horizon 5
BMW M3 Sport Evolution of Week 33, for similar reasons of the Silvia, but in a boxy, yet attractive German package.
MINI Cooper S of Week 34, because I said so... or honestly breaking the mold of boring FF cars by being low key exciting thanks to its handling and supercharger.
Dodge Viper GTS (VX) of Week 36, because blending perfect the two things I like about high powered muscle, and for proving my hypothesis sound.
I take my own biases and preferences out of the equation, and bring forwards a fresh one. This results in me saying that BMW M3 Sport Evolution from Week 33 to be the right choice.
Honourable Mentions from GTS
I'm too new for this section, so, as my Mythic Verse agent of chaos Rin would say: Guiltyy~
Plus?
Something story related? Perhaps just a moment in each episode that I find memorable on my part?
Next week's episode will be the Christmas Episode, and so far in conceptual staging.. it's straight up hilarity ensues.
Best Looking Car Award
Best looking? We didn't nominate a Ferrari yet, or a known car that's delegated as pretty as is, so this is already going to be tough. What comes to mind??
I had a look and saw a few notable cars, but to me, the one stand out would be the Porsche 911 Turbo (930) from Week 25. I am going to pick a classic for every time this comes around, okay.
Worst Looking Car Award
We actually have a roster of these, from the Chaparral 2J, the Himedic, to the Autobianchi. Though, none really can square up to the Toyota Prius G from Week 6 in this department, and it needs no describing why I hope.
Most American Car Award
This one's easy: the Jeep Willys MB from Week 4. Nothing says patriotism like making the machine that won the war for the Allies.
It also debuted Nirvana in my story writing..
Freaking Nirvana..
There was going to be some trivia why I swapped around the Viper and the Diablo on the Viper lobbies, and if I didn't hint it enough..
Beater of the Year
No contest, this goes to the Daihatsu Copen RJ Vision Gran Turismo from Week 21. It should've been Rambo Lambo, but we take what we got, alright? I even tried to stray away from it by writing in the F40 just to make me feel better.
Car of the Year
I suppose I'll need to round up the Top Sleepers in my book, and some notable Sleepers, and that includes..
Nissan Silvia S15 of Week 11, for that performant sports offering at its price
Volkswagen Polo GTI of Week 23, being an excellent FWD handling car that harkens me back to the Corrado VR6 that we had in Forza Horizon 5
BMW M3 Sport Evolution of Week 33, for similar reasons of the Silvia, but in a boxy, yet attractive German package.
MINI Cooper S of Week 34, because I said so... or honestly breaking the mold of boring FF cars by being low key exciting thanks to its handling and supercharger.
Dodge Viper GTS (VX) of Week 36, because blending perfect the two things I like about high powered muscle, and for proving my hypothesis sound.
I take my own biases and preferences out of the equation, and bring forwards a fresh one. This results in me saying that BMW M3 Sport Evolution from Week 33 to be the right choice.
Honourable Mentions from GTS
I'm too new for this section, so, as my Mythic Verse agent of chaos Rin would say: Guiltyy~
Plus?
Something story related? Perhaps just a moment in each episode that I find memorable on my part?
Next week's episode will be the Christmas Episode, and so far in conceptual staging.. it's straight up hilarity ensues.
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How awfully thematic!
See how not getting my nomination means so much for me to say screw you, Nirvana!
Obelisk
Premium
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Best Looking:
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R (FD)
need i say more
Worst Looking:
Mini Clubman Vision GT
Most American Car:
Dodge Demon. I mean, come on. You can't look at that thing for more than 5 minutes without smelling deep-fried foods with an undercurrent of burnt metal and gunpowder, and a sudden urge to scream "MURICA" at the top of your lungs. It is hugely impractical, hugely blocky, and hugely loud (and vaguely illegal under NHRA rules in stock guise).
BOTY:
Toyota HiMedic.
Great car, don't get me wrong. Great addition to the game as well. However, it cannot be put up against other cars in Custom races, and its drag is just hideously bad. Also kind of a screwball even by GT screwball standards.
COTY:
Let's be real here. This car changed several people's opinions (notably Baron) on it since it last appeared in GT6, and it also left our very own GT maestro torn down the middle on what to think about it (to the point that it took him until today to try a tune for it that rectified most of the issues).
I'm nominating the Chaparral 2J as COTY, because it only needs about 5 minutes of suspension work to be truly unstoppable.
Will not mention GTS as I did not contribute much in that time frame.
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@Obelisk , if the COTY awards were based on how well argued each nomination was, I think you'd have convinced me on all of the categories you voted for. This certainly doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you opened up by flat out saying the FD RX-7 is best looking car, no siree!
Unfortunately, this is somewhat a democracy, so I'll wait for everyone else to submit their nominations.
Unfortunately, this is somewhat a democracy, so I'll wait for everyone else to submit their nominations.
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Vipers have always been nostalgia capsules on wheels, and the last of its kind, debuting in 2013, is no different. Except, instead of unwieldy death traps of the 60s, the 5th generation, "VX" Viper reminds me of some of my favourite sports cars of the fabled 90s era, like the RX-7 and S2000.
Quite an unexpected comparison I'm making here, isn't it? After all, Vipers, regardless of generation or trim, have always been characterised by being utterly horrifying to drive at the limit, and in spite of the begrudging inclusion of basic electronic nannies like ABS, TCS, and ASC, the 5th and final Viper will still require a set of carbon fibre balls the size of its enormous clamshell bonnet to properly tango with, owing to it being the lightest and most powerful base Viper yet: a bowtie ripping 640HP shoving around a mere 3,430lbs of venom (477kW, 1,553kg) in GTS trim without the SRT Track Pack, easily making it the quickest base Viper, which means the driver has to be even quicker to dodge any potential bite backs the car might fancy.
Of course, by 2013, technology has enabled the power wars of automakers to go well beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, and even the improved numbers of the VX Viper aren't especially outstanding in an era of 638HP Corvettes and 900HP hybrid hypercars. Instead, the Viper preserves its terrifying tendencies by being entirely traditional and mechanical in its suspension setup: the VX Viper doesn't have racecar–stiff springs nor the downforce to crush it into powder, instead letting the car lean in naturally on its gargantuan 295–355 tyres to get grip. The problem with this traditional approach, of course, is that it puts the idiotic, fleshy bit somewhere aft the middle of the car in control, and if mistreated, the Viper isn't shy about snap oversteering completely and going after its own tail like a nostalgic game of Snake. This is especially problematic because there's something about the Viper's Pirelli P Zero Sport Hard tyres that make the rear end let go rather arbitrarily with little warning on power, leading to a near–unrecoverable fishtailing session thanks to the soft suspension. The brakes are insultingly and dangerously weak for a car of its power and mass, too, taking a good 30 to 50% longer to stop than would be intuitive, while barely activating ABS in the process. A freaking 2 tonne Challenger Demon would comfortably out–brake this Viper into a corner! Despite the spec sheet claiming that the VX Viper has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, the Viper feels laboriously front heavy when trail braking into corners, requiring braking and turning to be almost entirely separate affairs. All told, there's probably a very good reason why other cars with the Viper's power aren't set up like the Viper, and it's only things with half to a third of the Viper's power and mass that let the driver have full control over the car.
And so, at this point, you might be thinking as you read this, "so, Viper terrible car, then? Why do you compare it to some of the best handling cars in this industry?" Yes, the Viper GTS is a terrible car for outright pace, but what it offers in exchange is a blast from the past in the form of an extremely raw, mechanical, involving, and engaging drive. There is almost no such thing as a casual drive in a Viper; the driver has to be awake, cognisant, and deliberate in everything that they ask of a Viper GTS, and can't rely on computer wizardry or crippling understeer to bail them out of trouble. I never get the impression driving a Viper that its makers were setting up the car to protect themselves against lawsuits from inexperienced punks. Its makers know that the Viper is a car whose reputation precedes it, and no one would go into it not knowing what to expect, and they made us a car that LETS responsible adults be kids again, and that I think is an ailing niche in a vilified industry. The reason why I say that the VX Viper reminds me of some of the best handling sports cars in history like the RX-7 and S2000 is precisely because those revered handling benchmarks were never easy to drive, either; they all had minimal electronic aids, lacked any downforce, emphasised cognisant and skilful weight shifting with soft suspension setups, demanded the driver to intuit mechanical feedback to be driven to their full potential, and made sure to have their drivers' full attention, unhesitating to snap off on inexperienced drivers. All that results in an intensely intimate and raw driving experience, just like the Viper. And for as much as the soft springs of the Viper let it move around that much more under cornering loads, they still somehow feel proportionate to the car's power and mass. Sudden tail happiness on power aside, it never once felt unfair or unpredictable, and the naturally aspirated 8.4L V10 finally feels like a proper sports car engine, wanting to be revved high in spite of its abundant mid range torque, shedding that lazy feeling that had defined Viper V10s up to this point. And it only comes with a 6–speed manual gearbox! Aren't those descriptions apt for some of the best drivers' cars out there? Why shouldn't the Viper be considered a great drivers' car, if it fits all those descriptions?
The VX Viper GTS then, feels almost like a comical exaggeration, the logical evolution, the next step, or the "hard mode" of raw, pure drivers' cars of the 90s, and at the 640HP range, I daresay it is entirely unique in being able to offer that combination of power and raw handling that comprise said "hard mode". Almost like a ridiculously difficult exam, you don't go into a VX Viper expecting to learn from the experience; you go into it putting yourself to the test to see if you have learned from past experiences, and any gratification that can be gained from doing well in it is entirely personal; no one but you is going to know what a big deal it is.
As such, even someone who loves Vipers as fervently as I do finds it extremely difficult to recommend it to others, even in a virtual setting. Just as I'm sure nobody flaunts their exam grades at a bar to pick up a partner, it's extremely difficult to say, "it's a good exam car" to recommend picking it over the swathes of other faster and easier cars to drive at this performance level, some of which include the R35 GT-R, a 458 Italia, and even the sonorous LFA. And while SPD may cite a Top Gear saying as the thing that stuck out to him the most about the VX Viper, what stuck with me the most was a different automotive media outlet with a much more sour opinion of the Viper's venom...
...and that would be Motor Trend's Head 2 Head Episode 24, pitting the (then) new VX Viper GTS against an outgoing C6 generation Corvette ZR1. In spite of both cars sharing very similar specs on paper, racing driver Randy Pobst not only set the faster time in the older Corvette, but he also said it was the better handling car. Quite a way to introduce the world to a brand new car, isn't it? Granted, it was a test that pit a "base" Viper GTS against the top–of–the–line ZR1 Corvette, but still.
In the game, this difference in performance is duly represented; the C6 ZR1 is some 10PP above the Viper's performance rating in spite of their extremely similar stats, and even Vic on a Hail Mary run struggled to close the gap to my Blue Devil around Suzuka. The ZR1 felt a lot more balanced, slightly more nimble, and didn't waddle around in the twisty bits as the Viper. As for whether the C6 ZR1 is more fun than the Viper to drive, though? That's... up for debate
I recognise that there isn't a lot going for the Viper in this game, but as a Viper fanboy, I still had a lot of fun with it, even with the limited seat time I've had with the car, and I really enjoyed the challenge it brought to the table of taming it, rarely ever feeling uncooperative or unfair. I think it's exceedingly rare nowadays for a car to be so self–assured in its identity, and it comes off as refreshingly honest to me. But its playful nature and the resultant loss in pace just highlights the sore omission of an ACR trim Viper in this game. I would've loved to see what Dodge did to fully extract the potential from this capable base of a car, and what it can stand up to in a much more focused trim. But for now, the VX Viper is, sadly, a beater.
But it is a beater I very badly need in my life.
Quite an unexpected comparison I'm making here, isn't it? After all, Vipers, regardless of generation or trim, have always been characterised by being utterly horrifying to drive at the limit, and in spite of the begrudging inclusion of basic electronic nannies like ABS, TCS, and ASC, the 5th and final Viper will still require a set of carbon fibre balls the size of its enormous clamshell bonnet to properly tango with, owing to it being the lightest and most powerful base Viper yet: a bowtie ripping 640HP shoving around a mere 3,430lbs of venom (477kW, 1,553kg) in GTS trim without the SRT Track Pack, easily making it the quickest base Viper, which means the driver has to be even quicker to dodge any potential bite backs the car might fancy.
Of course, by 2013, technology has enabled the power wars of automakers to go well beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, and even the improved numbers of the VX Viper aren't especially outstanding in an era of 638HP Corvettes and 900HP hybrid hypercars. Instead, the Viper preserves its terrifying tendencies by being entirely traditional and mechanical in its suspension setup: the VX Viper doesn't have racecar–stiff springs nor the downforce to crush it into powder, instead letting the car lean in naturally on its gargantuan 295–355 tyres to get grip. The problem with this traditional approach, of course, is that it puts the idiotic, fleshy bit somewhere aft the middle of the car in control, and if mistreated, the Viper isn't shy about snap oversteering completely and going after its own tail like a nostalgic game of Snake. This is especially problematic because there's something about the Viper's Pirelli P Zero Sport Hard tyres that make the rear end let go rather arbitrarily with little warning on power, leading to a near–unrecoverable fishtailing session thanks to the soft suspension. The brakes are insultingly and dangerously weak for a car of its power and mass, too, taking a good 30 to 50% longer to stop than would be intuitive, while barely activating ABS in the process. A freaking 2 tonne Challenger Demon would comfortably out–brake this Viper into a corner! Despite the spec sheet claiming that the VX Viper has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, the Viper feels laboriously front heavy when trail braking into corners, requiring braking and turning to be almost entirely separate affairs. All told, there's probably a very good reason why other cars with the Viper's power aren't set up like the Viper, and it's only things with half to a third of the Viper's power and mass that let the driver have full control over the car.
And so, at this point, you might be thinking as you read this, "so, Viper terrible car, then? Why do you compare it to some of the best handling cars in this industry?" Yes, the Viper GTS is a terrible car for outright pace, but what it offers in exchange is a blast from the past in the form of an extremely raw, mechanical, involving, and engaging drive. There is almost no such thing as a casual drive in a Viper; the driver has to be awake, cognisant, and deliberate in everything that they ask of a Viper GTS, and can't rely on computer wizardry or crippling understeer to bail them out of trouble. I never get the impression driving a Viper that its makers were setting up the car to protect themselves against lawsuits from inexperienced punks. Its makers know that the Viper is a car whose reputation precedes it, and no one would go into it not knowing what to expect, and they made us a car that LETS responsible adults be kids again, and that I think is an ailing niche in a vilified industry. The reason why I say that the VX Viper reminds me of some of the best handling sports cars in history like the RX-7 and S2000 is precisely because those revered handling benchmarks were never easy to drive, either; they all had minimal electronic aids, lacked any downforce, emphasised cognisant and skilful weight shifting with soft suspension setups, demanded the driver to intuit mechanical feedback to be driven to their full potential, and made sure to have their drivers' full attention, unhesitating to snap off on inexperienced drivers. All that results in an intensely intimate and raw driving experience, just like the Viper. And for as much as the soft springs of the Viper let it move around that much more under cornering loads, they still somehow feel proportionate to the car's power and mass. Sudden tail happiness on power aside, it never once felt unfair or unpredictable, and the naturally aspirated 8.4L V10 finally feels like a proper sports car engine, wanting to be revved high in spite of its abundant mid range torque, shedding that lazy feeling that had defined Viper V10s up to this point. And it only comes with a 6–speed manual gearbox! Aren't those descriptions apt for some of the best drivers' cars out there? Why shouldn't the Viper be considered a great drivers' car, if it fits all those descriptions?
The VX Viper GTS then, feels almost like a comical exaggeration, the logical evolution, the next step, or the "hard mode" of raw, pure drivers' cars of the 90s, and at the 640HP range, I daresay it is entirely unique in being able to offer that combination of power and raw handling that comprise said "hard mode". Almost like a ridiculously difficult exam, you don't go into a VX Viper expecting to learn from the experience; you go into it putting yourself to the test to see if you have learned from past experiences, and any gratification that can be gained from doing well in it is entirely personal; no one but you is going to know what a big deal it is.
As such, even someone who loves Vipers as fervently as I do finds it extremely difficult to recommend it to others, even in a virtual setting. Just as I'm sure nobody flaunts their exam grades at a bar to pick up a partner, it's extremely difficult to say, "it's a good exam car" to recommend picking it over the swathes of other faster and easier cars to drive at this performance level, some of which include the R35 GT-R, a 458 Italia, and even the sonorous LFA. And while SPD may cite a Top Gear saying as the thing that stuck out to him the most about the VX Viper, what stuck with me the most was a different automotive media outlet with a much more sour opinion of the Viper's venom...
...and that would be Motor Trend's Head 2 Head Episode 24, pitting the (then) new VX Viper GTS against an outgoing C6 generation Corvette ZR1. In spite of both cars sharing very similar specs on paper, racing driver Randy Pobst not only set the faster time in the older Corvette, but he also said it was the better handling car. Quite a way to introduce the world to a brand new car, isn't it? Granted, it was a test that pit a "base" Viper GTS against the top–of–the–line ZR1 Corvette, but still.
In the game, this difference in performance is duly represented; the C6 ZR1 is some 10PP above the Viper's performance rating in spite of their extremely similar stats, and even Vic on a Hail Mary run struggled to close the gap to my Blue Devil around Suzuka. The ZR1 felt a lot more balanced, slightly more nimble, and didn't waddle around in the twisty bits as the Viper. As for whether the C6 ZR1 is more fun than the Viper to drive, though? That's... up for debate
I recognise that there isn't a lot going for the Viper in this game, but as a Viper fanboy, I still had a lot of fun with it, even with the limited seat time I've had with the car, and I really enjoyed the challenge it brought to the table of taming it, rarely ever feeling uncooperative or unfair. I think it's exceedingly rare nowadays for a car to be so self–assured in its identity, and it comes off as refreshingly honest to me. But its playful nature and the resultant loss in pace just highlights the sore omission of an ACR trim Viper in this game. I would've loved to see what Dodge did to fully extract the potential from this capable base of a car, and what it can stand up to in a much more focused trim. But for now, the VX Viper is, sadly, a beater.
But it is a beater I very badly need in my life.
- 2,418
- The failed experiment entitled “California”.
Best looking car of the year:
- for me, it’s a no-brainer. The 81’ Porsche 911 looks incredible in either stock trim, or modified to Silouhette specs. Not to mention, PD beautifully modeled its interior.
Worst looking car:
- I hate to say this, but for how revolutionary and outside of the box the Chaparral was, it was also one of the least stylish. If Urkle, Pointdexter and myself got together when we were 5, and sketched out what a race car should look like, I think we would still be able to come up with something better than this. The only car that comes to mind that is even more hideous - is the Tesla Cybertruck. And that’s saying a lot.
Beater of the year:
- it’s not even close, honestly. There are two things that are universally recognized to be soulless…
Freckle-faced gingers. And Prius’s.
Car of the Year:
- it’s exactly like a Miata cup car, but more focused and better in every way. And it very well might be one of the funnest cars to drive in VR. The Radical SR3
** Honorable COTY mention **
- Chaparral 2J. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the science on how this car works the way it does. If you guys recall, I was ranting and RANTING in our PSN chat, surmising on why it is so good at rotating into corners at the very last second when the speed is decreased to the point where it should be losing grip, not gaining it. It’s beautiful to drive in VR. The semi-automatic 3 speed tranny is just a trip to drive with. And if it didn’t have a power curve and RPM ceiling that resembled more that of a sump pump as opposed to an American V8, it might have earned COTY honors. And the fact that the exhaust note sounds like a WWI bi-plane pisses me off for some reason too
Most American Car:
The Dodge Viper we just tested. Even though that it’s the least “super car-y” of all the super cars in the world. It’s probably the most focused, no frills, all balls, no puss**s allowed car - since the F40. And the fact that it is a true-to-life production car from one of the Big 3 in America, just brings a smile to my face. The generations of Dodge Vipers IMO are just a more modern version of the Buick Grand National. A totally unapologetic, impractical piece of machinery that was designed to be as bad as hell…sales numbers and revenue margins be damned. The Dodge Viper is the American Classic that will never be. And I for one think that’s admirable
- for me, it’s a no-brainer. The 81’ Porsche 911 looks incredible in either stock trim, or modified to Silouhette specs. Not to mention, PD beautifully modeled its interior.
Worst looking car:
- I hate to say this, but for how revolutionary and outside of the box the Chaparral was, it was also one of the least stylish. If Urkle, Pointdexter and myself got together when we were 5, and sketched out what a race car should look like, I think we would still be able to come up with something better than this. The only car that comes to mind that is even more hideous - is the Tesla Cybertruck. And that’s saying a lot.
Beater of the year:
- it’s not even close, honestly. There are two things that are universally recognized to be soulless…
Freckle-faced gingers. And Prius’s.
Car of the Year:
- it’s exactly like a Miata cup car, but more focused and better in every way. And it very well might be one of the funnest cars to drive in VR. The Radical SR3
** Honorable COTY mention **
- Chaparral 2J. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the science on how this car works the way it does. If you guys recall, I was ranting and RANTING in our PSN chat, surmising on why it is so good at rotating into corners at the very last second when the speed is decreased to the point where it should be losing grip, not gaining it. It’s beautiful to drive in VR. The semi-automatic 3 speed tranny is just a trip to drive with. And if it didn’t have a power curve and RPM ceiling that resembled more that of a sump pump as opposed to an American V8, it might have earned COTY honors. And the fact that the exhaust note sounds like a WWI bi-plane pisses me off for some reason too
Most American Car:
The Dodge Viper we just tested. Even though that it’s the least “super car-y” of all the super cars in the world. It’s probably the most focused, no frills, all balls, no puss**s allowed car - since the F40. And the fact that it is a true-to-life production car from one of the Big 3 in America, just brings a smile to my face. The generations of Dodge Vipers IMO are just a more modern version of the Buick Grand National. A totally unapologetic, impractical piece of machinery that was designed to be as bad as hell…sales numbers and revenue margins be damned. The Dodge Viper is the American Classic that will never be. And I for one think that’s admirable
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- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Best Looking:
Toyota FT1 VGT Gr3
Worst Looking:
DMC DeLorean S2
Most American Car:
Willys Jeep... like c'mon.
BOTY:
Toyota HiMedic. You will die before you get there... SCRATCH THAT
I'm officially changing my vote. It belongs to the 1969 de Tomasso Mangusta.
COTY:
For me, besides the shock and horror of actually liking the 2J
, my personal rocker of the year was the Polo GTi. Liking the 2J and an FF car in the same year... I need help.
Cheers
Toyota FT1 VGT Gr3
Worst Looking:
DMC DeLorean S2
Most American Car:
Willys Jeep... like c'mon.
BOTY:
Toyota HiMedic. You will die before you get there... SCRATCH THAT
I'm officially changing my vote. It belongs to the 1969 de Tomasso Mangusta.
COTY:
For me, besides the shock and horror of actually liking the 2J
, my personal rocker of the year was the Polo GTi. Liking the 2J and an FF car in the same year... I need help.Cheers
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Me waiting for someone to realise I was only joking about the Diablo being the car next week, because I don't do spoilers and I just want to make SPD angry.
The sky was a lovely shade of red during the last race of this week's Saturday lobby. I wonder if RX8 still remembers the time of day from that race?
And this also marks the last time I'm ever touching this POS again. Stupid thing under and oversteers at random, and takes flight when it feels like it.
Also, I meant to include this shot in my Viper review, but I completely forgot to because I'm dumb. I've spent a bit too long on this shot to not share:
Is this another foreshadowing post?
The sky was a lovely shade of red during the last race of this week's Saturday lobby. I wonder if RX8 still remembers the time of day from that race?
And this also marks the last time I'm ever touching this POS again. Stupid thing under and oversteers at random, and takes flight when it feels like it.
Also, I meant to include this shot in my Viper review, but I completely forgot to because I'm dumb. I've spent a bit too long on this shot to not share:
Is this another foreshadowing post?
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I set the time of day to sunrise IIRC.
As for the Interlagos challenge, here’s the video of my run to show that I did get a CRB while pipping SPD by about 4 tenths:
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Me waiting for someone to realise I was only joking about the Diablo being the car next week, because I don't do spoilers and I just want to make SPD angry.
The sky was a lovely shade of red during the last race of this week's Saturday lobby. I wonder if RX8 still remembers the time of day from that race?
And this also marks the last time I'm ever touching this POS again. Stupid thing under and oversteers at random, and takes flight when it feels like it.
Also, I meant to include this shot in my Viper review, but I completely forgot to because I'm dumb. I've spent a bit too long on this shot to not share:
Is this another foreshadowing post?
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- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Huge props to @RX8 Racer for smashing yet another Special Challenge last week, with a dizzying 8:33.175 clean race time with an A45 AMG around Interlagos! Just 4 tenths of a second behind them is SPD in his... Alphard?!
So, yeah, in conclusion, the Giulia GTAm is hardly the fastest 4 door sedan in the game, even when cheekily tuned against the rules!
I really should've given him the pick last week, seeing that it was Week 37, but you know what they say, "better late than never", right? Our last car of 2023 would very much like you to have that attitude in mind, because @Nismonath5 has selected a car that wants to make a strong case for itself as a last minute contender for our Best Looking Car Award, the De Tomaso Mangusta '69!
"Oi, where's the picture of the car?!", you might be asking. Hush, you! "Better late than never", remember?
See, the head honcho of Hooncorp himself has also set the ~Special Challenge~ this week, and in his own words...
And so, we here at Car of the Week will need to steal a cue from the Livery Editor Competitions. Take a Mangusta, any Mangusta, De Tomaso or Dior, and dress it up and kit it out if you want to. The goal this week is simply to take the most liked photo of a Mangusta! In your entry submission, make sure your entry post contains ONLY 1 photo and the phrase, "FINAL ENTRY", in all caps, bold, and in red! Something like this:
It can be a Scapes photo or a Race photo, but the photo CANNOT be edited outside of the game! I may ask for the photo to be shared in–game if it comes to that.
For those who are yet to have a Mangusta in their garage, fret not: the Dior version is currently on sale in the Legends Car Dealer for... half a million credits. Hey, who said cars and photography were cheap hobbies?
For those who are more old fashioned (
) and would rather drive the car hard, no worries! Our weekly lobbies are still ongoing, held on Tuesday, 26th December, 10 P.M. CST (Host: Vic_Reign93) and Saturday, 30th December, 4 P.M. Singapore time (Host: RX8Racer556), where we will race either version of the Mangusta with BoP on with their default Comfort Medium tyres (no widebodies or engine swaps) and a PP cap of 10 above the stock car's value. Will the classic car make us think "better late than never", or "better never than ever"? In the words of Nismo himself:
So, yeah, in conclusion, the Giulia GTAm is hardly the fastest 4 door sedan in the game, even when cheekily tuned against the rules!
I really should've given him the pick last week, seeing that it was Week 37, but you know what they say, "better late than never", right? Our last car of 2023 would very much like you to have that attitude in mind, because @Nismonath5 has selected a car that wants to make a strong case for itself as a last minute contender for our Best Looking Car Award, the De Tomaso Mangusta '69!
......
"Oi, where's the picture of the car?!", you might be asking. Hush, you! "Better late than never", remember?
See, the head honcho of Hooncorp himself has also set the ~Special Challenge~ this week, and in his own words...
And so, we here at Car of the Week will need to steal a cue from the Livery Editor Competitions. Take a Mangusta, any Mangusta, De Tomaso or Dior, and dress it up and kit it out if you want to. The goal this week is simply to take the most liked photo of a Mangusta! In your entry submission, make sure your entry post contains ONLY 1 photo and the phrase, "FINAL ENTRY", in all caps, bold, and in red! Something like this:
FINAL ENTRY
It can be a Scapes photo or a Race photo, but the photo CANNOT be edited outside of the game! I may ask for the photo to be shared in–game if it comes to that.
For those who are yet to have a Mangusta in their garage, fret not: the Dior version is currently on sale in the Legends Car Dealer for... half a million credits. Hey, who said cars and photography were cheap hobbies?
For those who are more old fashioned (
) and would rather drive the car hard, no worries! Our weekly lobbies are still ongoing, held on Tuesday, 26th December, 10 P.M. CST (Host: Vic_Reign93) and Saturday, 30th December, 4 P.M. Singapore time (Host: RX8Racer556), where we will race either version of the Mangusta with BoP on with their default Comfort Medium tyres (no widebodies or engine swaps) and a PP cap of 10 above the stock car's value. Will the classic car make us think "better late than never", or "better never than ever"? In the words of Nismo himself:
- 508
- Singapore
The Dior Mangusta will be going out of stock at Wed 27 Dec 00:00 GMT. For anyone that does not have the Mangusta yet, make your purchase soon.
- 6,653
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
The effing Mangusta for the last car of the year? LMAO
Anyway. Here are my nominees:
Best Looking Car Award
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR '98; second place I rank the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02 and third place the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm '20. Very close between these three in my head.
Worst Looking Car Award
Daihatsu Copen RJ Vision Gran Turismo; CLOSE second would be the Radical SR3 SL '13; third place the Chaparral 2J '70
Most American Car Award
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon '18; CLOSE second the Dodge Viper GTS '13, third the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray '20 (C8)
Beater of the Year
Toyota Ambulance Himedic '21;out of all we tested, it has to be this. I mean it's kinda fun, but not truely fun to race; second would be the Jeep Willys MB '45 - similar to the Himedic; third would be the RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7; yeah it sucks to drive. Hey @XSquareStickIt: After giving the RX7 '02 the second place for looks and COTW and now this...are we still friends?
Car of the Year
It's the BMW M3 Sport Evolution '89. It's simply really nice to drive. Close second place would be the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02 and again close third the Nissan SILVIA spec-R Aero (S15) '02. ALL 3 are EXCELLENT driver's machines, maybe it's my German bias that the M3 landed on 1?
Anyway. Here are my nominees:
Best Looking Car Award
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR '98; second place I rank the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02 and third place the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm '20. Very close between these three in my head.
Worst Looking Car Award
Daihatsu Copen RJ Vision Gran Turismo; CLOSE second would be the Radical SR3 SL '13; third place the Chaparral 2J '70
Most American Car Award
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon '18; CLOSE second the Dodge Viper GTS '13, third the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray '20 (C8)
Beater of the Year
Toyota Ambulance Himedic '21;out of all we tested, it has to be this. I mean it's kinda fun, but not truely fun to race; second would be the Jeep Willys MB '45 - similar to the Himedic; third would be the RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7; yeah it sucks to drive. Hey @XSquareStickIt: After giving the RX7 '02 the second place for looks and COTW and now this...are we still friends?
Car of the Year
It's the BMW M3 Sport Evolution '89. It's simply really nice to drive. Close second place would be the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02 and again close third the Nissan SILVIA spec-R Aero (S15) '02. ALL 3 are EXCELLENT driver's machines, maybe it's my German bias that the M3 landed on 1?
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- 2,418
- The failed experiment entitled “California”.
I’m corn-fused on the picture challenge Square.
Are we talking most likes IG from sharing? Or most likes in thread from posting? Either way, I’m not above putting my thumb on the scale and bribing my way to victory!
Really creative challenge Nismo!
Are we talking most likes IG from sharing? Or most likes in thread from posting? Either way, I’m not above putting my thumb on the scale and bribing my way to victory!
Really creative challenge Nismo!
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- 1,719
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
- 2,418
- The failed experiment entitled “California”.
From the thread. I don't know how you could bold and make red your letters in–game. I also say that the photo cannot be edited outside of the game, and that I may ask for the photo to be shared in–game "if it comes to that".
Copy. My wheels are already turning on locations and themes
- 6,653
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
EDIT:
Mangusta review: Managed an 08.04.502 stock on the Nords with it.
YT review: "With the physics updates and LOTS more driven hot laps, the Mangusta feels pretty manageable (still very difficult to push mind you!) compared to the standard version I tested way back (exact same car though). Driven stock on its stock CM tyres without any driving aids, except ABS."
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- 2,229
- Canada
- BaronBlitzRed
Hey hey people... I'm officially changing my Beater of the Year car to the Mangusta.
Just to bring this into perspective... We are racing right now in race #2.
Like 🤕😳
Just to bring this into perspective... We are racing right now in race #2.
Like 🤕😳
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- 1,719
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
- 6,653
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Both. And I don't like waking up before 9am on a Saturday.Real life commitments? Or did you just not want to drive the Mangusta?
- 1,719
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Man, the Mangusta is getting dog–piled pretty hard, and we're barely even halfway into the week!
@Vic Reign93 , how does your 550PP Mangusta drive, and how long did you spend on its setup? Mind sharing it here for the rest of us to try?
@Vic Reign93 , how does your 550PP Mangusta drive, and how long did you spend on its setup? Mind sharing it here for the rest of us to try?
- 2,455
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
One of the best things about Gran Turismo is that it's great at pointing the spotlight on brands that you'd never hear of otherwise. The global profile of Subaru was massively boosted in the 90's from relatively obscure to global household name, thanks to both GT and Colin McRae.
Since then, for me personally, it's introduced me to many other brands. Pagani, KTM, Caterham, to name but a few. I'm still hanging out for Koenigsegg to join the party, but one can only hope...
One such brand I never knew about was DeTomaso.
What's this? It's an Italian sports car, but there's no V12 to be found here. It's an American V8!
Turns out, DeTomaso's first offering, the Vallelunga, was recieved well by critics, but the 1.5 4 cylinder was deemed to be lacking a bit. So what did DeTomaso do? They threw away the 4 banger and dropped in a Windsor V8, the same flavour as the GT40. I'd imagine that certainly shut up the customers wanting more zoom zoom.
It looks elegant and chiseled, yet it packs a brutal soundtrack. It's certainly an interesting combo, the best of Italian styling and handling, matched with the very best in American power at the time.
...That's not to say it drives great. It's pretty standard classic car / muscle car fare, great in a straight line but absolutley floaty in the corners. Try to throw one around Goodwood in factory trim, see how that goes for you.
And for some reason, DIOR decided to customize one?
Art is weird. You're telling me that a world famous fashion firm (Which, ironically, I'd never heard of prior) paints a car, puts a stripe on it, and that's supposed to be a collaboration? It looks alright, but it's not exactly very brave, is it? We're not quite reinventing everything we know about livery design, even within the casual designer's minds.
Granted, the DIOR boots and gloves they made for the drivers in Barcelona a few weeks back (One of the drivers being one of my own esports team) are pretty epic, and certainly rare given you literally can't buy them. The car, however... Not their most memorable work.
Beater, but at least it's a pretty beater.
Since then, for me personally, it's introduced me to many other brands. Pagani, KTM, Caterham, to name but a few. I'm still hanging out for Koenigsegg to join the party, but one can only hope...
One such brand I never knew about was DeTomaso.
What's this? It's an Italian sports car, but there's no V12 to be found here. It's an American V8!
Turns out, DeTomaso's first offering, the Vallelunga, was recieved well by critics, but the 1.5 4 cylinder was deemed to be lacking a bit. So what did DeTomaso do? They threw away the 4 banger and dropped in a Windsor V8, the same flavour as the GT40. I'd imagine that certainly shut up the customers wanting more zoom zoom.
It looks elegant and chiseled, yet it packs a brutal soundtrack. It's certainly an interesting combo, the best of Italian styling and handling, matched with the very best in American power at the time.
...That's not to say it drives great. It's pretty standard classic car / muscle car fare, great in a straight line but absolutley floaty in the corners. Try to throw one around Goodwood in factory trim, see how that goes for you.
And for some reason, DIOR decided to customize one?
Art is weird. You're telling me that a world famous fashion firm (Which, ironically, I'd never heard of prior) paints a car, puts a stripe on it, and that's supposed to be a collaboration? It looks alright, but it's not exactly very brave, is it? We're not quite reinventing everything we know about livery design, even within the casual designer's minds.
Granted, the DIOR boots and gloves they made for the drivers in Barcelona a few weeks back (One of the drivers being one of my own esports team) are pretty epic, and certainly rare given you literally can't buy them. The car, however... Not their most memorable work.
Beater, but at least it's a pretty beater.
- 2,833
- Lincoln
- Victory_Reign93
- Linthium Reign
On how it drives? Well I could actually go around a turn without it killing me by taking away my steering input.
But to be serious, it handles much more predictably, still rear heavy so it’ll understeer, but you saw how good it could stop and turn at Daytona.
As for the tune, I first thought it was a Praiano tune that I had forgotten about, but it appears to not be as his Mangusta tune is for 600pp, not 550pp.
It’s very likely I just hybridised a tune here and a tune there just to get it to that 550pp level and not be a death trap to drive and then forgot all about it.
As for the Mangusta in stock form, clearly it hates DS4 users compared to wheel users as it would stop me from inputting steering lock when under weight transfer to the front.
No other car actively Stopped me from turning the wheel in stock form, which combined with its 32/68 weight split, meant that when the back did step out, it wouldn’t let me input steering lock to catch the slide.
Quite simply, it’s my BOTY pick. 👎
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