- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Car of the Week | Mazda Eunos Roadster (NA Special Package) '89
- Thread starter XSquareStickIt
- 1,078 comments
- 315,437 views
- 6,650
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Everything. Especially the driving experience. Fun, engaging and while wild, still very predictable.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
We learned from last week's Special Challenge that the R5 Turbo is capable of not just winning WTC600 events, but it can even hang with Gr.4 cars in WTC700 races! Well done!
@Yard_Sale has put off their opportunity to pick the Car of the Week owing to a foot injury, and while they aren't 100% yet, they've chosen an old favourite of theirs—the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 '13—to feature on Car of the Week!
Ferrari's representation in Gr.3 may now be more than a decade old and two generations out of date, but I argue that it remains the best looking and especially best sounding modern Ferrari! It's also cinched victories at events like the 12 Hours of Sepang, Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 24 Hours of Spa, just to name a few! Can BoP make it competitive in Gran Turismo 7 against much newer machines, though?
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock 458 GT3s under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (temporarily reverts cars to bone stock; WIDE BODIED AND ENGINE SWAPPED CARS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 750
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
The task is to take a bone stock 458 GT3 and set the fastest lap around a Spa Full Layout (NOT the 24h layout!) at the Rainy 13:45 preset. The twist: you're to do that lap in Drift Trial, and your lap is only valid if it meets the following conditions:
Since Drift Trials don't display lap times in the HUD, you'll have to take a screenshot of the car's dash in replay mode to see your lap time. Have the HUD on to display your drift score as well when you do this!
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
@Yard_Sale has put off their opportunity to pick the Car of the Week owing to a foot injury, and while they aren't 100% yet, they've chosen an old favourite of theirs—the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 '13—to feature on Car of the Week!
Ferrari's representation in Gr.3 may now be more than a decade old and two generations out of date, but I argue that it remains the best looking and especially best sounding modern Ferrari! It's also cinched victories at events like the 12 Hours of Sepang, Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 24 Hours of Spa, just to name a few! Can BoP make it competitive in Gran Turismo 7 against much newer machines, though?
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock 458 GT3s under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 14th May, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 18th May, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (temporarily reverts cars to bone stock; WIDE BODIED AND ENGINE SWAPPED CARS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 750
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
The 458 GT3 has always been known to be a spicy customer in the handling department. This week's ~Special Challenge!~ is to tame that tail happiness of the 458 GT3.The task is to take a bone stock 458 GT3 and set the fastest lap around a Spa Full Layout (NOT the 24h layout!) at the Rainy 13:45 preset. The twist: you're to do that lap in Drift Trial, and your lap is only valid if it meets the following conditions:
- Your drift score must be ZERO at the end of the lap
- 2 wheels must be within the white lines at all times during the lap
- The car's setup must be at its default
- Tyres: Racing Inters/Full Wets
- Brake Balance and ABS adjustments are allowed
- TCS must be zero at all times during the lap
- Replay must be saved; I might ask for it to be shared with me
Since Drift Trials don't display lap times in the HUD, you'll have to take a screenshot of the car's dash in replay mode to see your lap time. Have the HUD on to display your drift score as well when you do this!
I went and set this challenge somehow completely missing the fact that Yard had set his own special challenge... wow me, good job.
Here's Yard's original challenge for anyone interested:
As of v.1.46, the 458 GT3's High Speed BoP specs are: 488HP (364kW) and 1,325kg (2,921lbs).
Here's Yard's original challenge for anyone interested:
As of v.1.46, the 458 GT3's High Speed BoP specs are: 488HP (364kW) and 1,325kg (2,921lbs).
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
- 3,925
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
Friday:
finished writing and uploaded early my analysis and thoughts
Saturday:
"DOKE!! KONO.. KONO BAKAYAROU!!" ~ Peigi Daitoku, Week 4 "God complexes, and a complex God".
Obligatory Peigi related song
"This is Bandit 1000, slick. What we are dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law, heehee.. I always wanted to say that." ~ Ramlie Ajie, Week 15 "At Ease".
It's the Bandit, so I'll of course link it's iconic theme song.
Found 2 more cars that are just similarly as fun as the R5 Turbo with not even a 2 PP difference..
Haiyaa, I cannot believe this, mah. I'll just put off the writeups back to Sundays.
least I finally get to use the picture
finished writing and uploaded early my analysis and thoughts
Saturday:
"DOKE!! KONO.. KONO BAKAYAROU!!" ~ Peigi Daitoku, Week 4 "God complexes, and a complex God".
Obligatory Peigi related song
"This is Bandit 1000, slick. What we are dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law, heehee.. I always wanted to say that." ~ Ramlie Ajie, Week 15 "At Ease".
It's the Bandit, so I'll of course link it's iconic theme song.
Found 2 more cars that are just similarly as fun as the R5 Turbo with not even a 2 PP difference..
Haiyaa, I cannot believe this, mah. I'll just put off the writeups back to Sundays.
least I finally get to use the picture
- 508
- Singapore
‘Low risk’s just not enough for me anymore,
There’s so much left in me that I could laugh,
There’s no point in saying I’ve got nothing,
Throw your hands up and give me a Hi-Five,
It’s boring to just fall in line and follow behind someone,
“Declare your dreams and chase them!” is this town’s standard,
I lied when I said I just want to keep watching,
It’s about time, throw me the mic.
If I’m already here, then let me do something that I won’t even be able to take back,
I want to keep getting deeper into this,
Somehow, I feel like I’m in a romance,
I’ve fallen in love with this, or so I say….’
‘Then let me take you with me just like this,
Wherever you want, if that’s what you wish,
& I Wanna - I’m completely fine with just wanting more, some more,
If it’s possible, I want to know about and walk into the world beyond here….
Ready Steady’
A plain-looking hatchback with its rear arches widened to accommodate a metallic, fuel-injected, turbocharged Inline 4 rear passenger instead of the usual flesh-based ones.
That is the the Renault 5 Turbo in a nutshell.
Unlike the Renault 5 Alpine and its confusingly named Renault 5 Alpine Turbo variant, the Renault 5 Turbo is a much more radical design, ditching its parent FF drivetrain for an MR one to herald Renault’s return to rallying.
With a lean 970kg body propelled by 159 purebred French horses to the rear wheels, the R5 Turbo is born to carve through corners like a chef carving up meat. Brake, release, toss into the corner, floor it when it’s time to go straight and correct as necessary. The R5 Turbo may have a healthy portion of power, but it isn’t overwhelming, even in the rain when served with a good dose of caution and quick hand on the stick shift.
Are there cars that offer more bang for your buck? Yes, the ‘17 Alpine A110 offers 56% more power at less than half the price of an R5 Turbo (or is complimentary for skilled drivers with a full collection of Gold medals from the normal IA tests).
But for those seeking an introduction into the world of mid-engine rear wheel drive cars without recklessly throwing themselves headfirst into the deep end (or into a wall), they can’t go wrong with the R5 Turbo.
There’s so much left in me that I could laugh,
There’s no point in saying I’ve got nothing,
Throw your hands up and give me a Hi-Five,
It’s boring to just fall in line and follow behind someone,
“Declare your dreams and chase them!” is this town’s standard,
I lied when I said I just want to keep watching,
It’s about time, throw me the mic.
If I’m already here, then let me do something that I won’t even be able to take back,
I want to keep getting deeper into this,
Somehow, I feel like I’m in a romance,
I’ve fallen in love with this, or so I say….’
‘Then let me take you with me just like this,
Wherever you want, if that’s what you wish,
& I Wanna - I’m completely fine with just wanting more, some more,
If it’s possible, I want to know about and walk into the world beyond here….
Ready Steady’
A plain-looking hatchback with its rear arches widened to accommodate a metallic, fuel-injected, turbocharged Inline 4 rear passenger instead of the usual flesh-based ones.
That is the the Renault 5 Turbo in a nutshell.
Unlike the Renault 5 Alpine and its confusingly named Renault 5 Alpine Turbo variant, the Renault 5 Turbo is a much more radical design, ditching its parent FF drivetrain for an MR one to herald Renault’s return to rallying.
With a lean 970kg body propelled by 159 purebred French horses to the rear wheels, the R5 Turbo is born to carve through corners like a chef carving up meat. Brake, release, toss into the corner, floor it when it’s time to go straight and correct as necessary. The R5 Turbo may have a healthy portion of power, but it isn’t overwhelming, even in the rain when served with a good dose of caution and quick hand on the stick shift.
Are there cars that offer more bang for your buck? Yes, the ‘17 Alpine A110 offers 56% more power at less than half the price of an R5 Turbo (or is complimentary for skilled drivers with a full collection of Gold medals from the normal IA tests).
But for those seeking an introduction into the world of mid-engine rear wheel drive cars without recklessly throwing themselves headfirst into the deep end (or into a wall), they can’t go wrong with the R5 Turbo.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
POV: You're Yard_Sale in today's 458 GT3 lobby.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
We've had a few (really good) submissions in the PS Chat for "The Longest Yard" TT challenge, but we haven't had a submission for the "Slippery When Wet (or dry...)" special challenge yet!
What? Is Yard's challenge more fun? Is he more handsome than me? More cleverer?
Here's a replay of my 2:48.34x
What? Is Yard's challenge more fun? Is he more handsome than me? More cleverer?
Here's a replay of my 2:48.34x
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
One of the more common criticisms against GT7 is that some of the cars in its de facto Gr.3 category are horrendously out of date, and the 2013 458 Italia GT3 that is Ferrari's sole representation in Gr.3 is one of the more glaring examples of this, being more than a decade old and two generations out of date at the time of writing, with many crying out for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to be added into the game.
Me personally, I've never understood the point of adding new Gr.3 and Gr.4 racing cars to brands that already have representation in said categories, because the moment that happens, the old, perfectly serviceable racecar of the same manufacturer gets bopped out of contention by "Balance" of Performance to encourage players into the newer machine. We've seen it happen when the Supra Racing Concept replaced the FT-1 VGT, when the RX-Vision GT3 replaced the Atenza Gr.3, and we continue to see it with the BRZ GT300 replacing the WRX Gr.3 and the 2013 GT-R GT3 being a complete disaster to drive in comparison to the 2018 GT-R GT3, just to name a few examples. There's always an indisputable, objectively "better" car to be in among the choices offered by a manufacturer that offers more than one car in any given category, and not being in that car inadvertently has the effect of making one's racing suit look like that of a clown's.
This practice is one that utterly baffles me, because one would think that having more options ought to mean more variety to choose from. Drivers for BMW could have been made to choose between straight line speed of the M6 and the handling agility of the Z4, or deliberate between short lived speed versus steady longevity with the two M6 models, but NOPE, you will drive the M6 Endurance Model for any and all purposes if you want to drive a BMW in Gr.3, and you will like it. The sad reality is that racing games are just another arm of marketing for manufacturers, and which marketing department would okay an older, out of production car walloping a shiny, newer car whose silhouette is actually on sale?
From the players' perspective, what's the point of having Polyphony Digital spend what precious little time, effort, and resources the relatively small studio has into adding a new racecar into a game, if said racecar is going to serve the exact same purpose of a car it's going to make redundant? Just for the sake of being a little more up to date? I don't know how many have noticed, but with the insane fidelity of cars in GT7, there's seemingly a gap of 2 years at minimum between when a non–Toyota car is launched in the real world and when it gets added into GT7. In other words, a car new to GT7 is always going to be out of date by real world standards, doubly so if it's a racecar in a widely adopted and often used category.
So then, my interpretation of players clamouring for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 is not that they want the variety, but because they want something else to fix Ferrari's Gr.3 representation, because—hoo boy—does the 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 badly need fixing in this game.
This might come as a bit of a shock to those that know me well, but I'm going to start by praising a Ferrari: the 458 GT3 has the looks of Medusa, the voice of a succubus, and the purity of an angel in its 9,500rpm–capable 4.5L NA V8 powerplant. And don't think for a moment that it's all show and no go, because it has a front end so incredibly agile that it's boarderline difficult to get used to, partially because it's difficult to believe how responsive it can still be deep into a corner with the brakes held, but also because I know that getting used to this responsiveness is going to spoil me silly when it comes time to drive another Gr.3 car—it feels like a Radical SR3 in a sea of what might as well be family sedans. It's THAT ferociously sharp of a front end.
So much that the rear end simply can't keep up with it whatsoever.
While there may be other tail happy cars in Gr.3, none let go as willingly and quickly as the 458, and despite many of the automotive industry's most notorious widowmakers calming their tits down with GT7's current understeer biased physics, the 458 retains its psychotic handling undeterred and untamed across several different versions of multiple Gran Turismo games, seemingly never to find peace with any set of physics not licenced by Ferrari. The 458 GT3 in Gran Turismo 7 struggles immensely to put down power out of a turn; past 80% throttle, the rear diff locks up at the worst moment possible—when a driver is meaning to unleash all the horses as the curve straightens out—causing the entire stable to spin. It's deathly allergic to even microscopic bumps on the road, to say nothing of rumble strips and grass, making tracks that necessitate heinous offroad cuts, such as Lago Maggiore, a deeply frustrating drive, especially when the 458 squirms suddenly at the apex and earns its driver a track cut penalty. This thing is ENITRELY. INCAPABLE. of trial braking on a downhill whatever the brake bias or ABS setting. In the wet, I suspect that wheel users have it extra rough because this thing won't even need the steering wheel or the throttle pedal to break sideways: just stomp hard on the brakes going into Spa's Pouhon from the outside, and behold in amazement as the 458 GT3 so vehemently refuses to hold a straight line under braking that it would sooner learn how to tear into another dimension to leap across space and time than to simply go straight: the way it spears off under hard braking in seemingly random directions in the wet somehow makes me think my car somehow got backported to Gran Turismo 1, and this behaviour makes me leave safety margins so wide that my 16:9 flatscreen TV might as well be a 4:3 CRT.
Is it a fast car when allowed to slide? I don't know, and I don't care enough to know, because in my hands, even something long obsolete like an Atenza Gr.3 would have the same "practical speed" as a 458 GT3 across several laps, even if the Ferrari can set much faster lap times if it felt like cooperating once in a blue moon. Under v 1.47 BoP, I notice that the 458 GT3 has strong acceleration for a cornering car—if you're charitable enough to call it that given its eager front end—but wanes off in fifth gear at around 235km/h (146mph). Unless a rare Sport Mode race allows for adjustments to the suspension and differential, I would stay the hell away from the 458 GT3 and pick among the swathes of easier to drive and faster RMR Gr.3 cars, such as the 911 RSR, 650S GT3, Huracán GT3, R8 LMS Evo, or even a surprise sleeper that I'm sure SPD will tell you more about. I will have to note however, that the 458 GT3 feels bewilderingly comfortable at home around Nürburgring GP for some reason, so much that it made driving the 458 GT3 around other tracks feel like trying to force a Nürburgring GP–shaped peg into a round hole.
While the ever changing Balance of Performance can adjust a racecar's power and mass figures to make different cars competitive at different points, BoP doesn't ever change a car's default suspension, aero, diff, and weight distribution setups, which are locked most of the time in Sport Mode races, and it really shouldn't be any excuse for a more casual player to put up with the 458 GT3's nonsense. I'm with the crowd that badly wants a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 for this reason, but I'd also be lying if I said there isn't any part of me that wishes the 458 GT3 could be fixed instead of taking a chance at the completely unknown, because it is still the best looking, best sounding Ferrari in my eyes. IF a 488 or 296 GT3 ever does arrive to replace the 458, I suspect even someone who dislikes Ferrari as much as I do would feel a bit sad that the 458 GT3 will be retired. Here's hoping for the love of pasta and pizza that whatever replaces it will be set up to run on more than a single track...
Me personally, I've never understood the point of adding new Gr.3 and Gr.4 racing cars to brands that already have representation in said categories, because the moment that happens, the old, perfectly serviceable racecar of the same manufacturer gets bopped out of contention by "Balance" of Performance to encourage players into the newer machine. We've seen it happen when the Supra Racing Concept replaced the FT-1 VGT, when the RX-Vision GT3 replaced the Atenza Gr.3, and we continue to see it with the BRZ GT300 replacing the WRX Gr.3 and the 2013 GT-R GT3 being a complete disaster to drive in comparison to the 2018 GT-R GT3, just to name a few examples. There's always an indisputable, objectively "better" car to be in among the choices offered by a manufacturer that offers more than one car in any given category, and not being in that car inadvertently has the effect of making one's racing suit look like that of a clown's.
This practice is one that utterly baffles me, because one would think that having more options ought to mean more variety to choose from. Drivers for BMW could have been made to choose between straight line speed of the M6 and the handling agility of the Z4, or deliberate between short lived speed versus steady longevity with the two M6 models, but NOPE, you will drive the M6 Endurance Model for any and all purposes if you want to drive a BMW in Gr.3, and you will like it. The sad reality is that racing games are just another arm of marketing for manufacturers, and which marketing department would okay an older, out of production car walloping a shiny, newer car whose silhouette is actually on sale?
From the players' perspective, what's the point of having Polyphony Digital spend what precious little time, effort, and resources the relatively small studio has into adding a new racecar into a game, if said racecar is going to serve the exact same purpose of a car it's going to make redundant? Just for the sake of being a little more up to date? I don't know how many have noticed, but with the insane fidelity of cars in GT7, there's seemingly a gap of 2 years at minimum between when a non–Toyota car is launched in the real world and when it gets added into GT7. In other words, a car new to GT7 is always going to be out of date by real world standards, doubly so if it's a racecar in a widely adopted and often used category.
So then, my interpretation of players clamouring for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 is not that they want the variety, but because they want something else to fix Ferrari's Gr.3 representation, because—hoo boy—does the 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 badly need fixing in this game.
This might come as a bit of a shock to those that know me well, but I'm going to start by praising a Ferrari: the 458 GT3 has the looks of Medusa, the voice of a succubus, and the purity of an angel in its 9,500rpm–capable 4.5L NA V8 powerplant. And don't think for a moment that it's all show and no go, because it has a front end so incredibly agile that it's boarderline difficult to get used to, partially because it's difficult to believe how responsive it can still be deep into a corner with the brakes held, but also because I know that getting used to this responsiveness is going to spoil me silly when it comes time to drive another Gr.3 car—it feels like a Radical SR3 in a sea of what might as well be family sedans. It's THAT ferociously sharp of a front end.
So much that the rear end simply can't keep up with it whatsoever.
While there may be other tail happy cars in Gr.3, none let go as willingly and quickly as the 458, and despite many of the automotive industry's most notorious widowmakers calming their tits down with GT7's current understeer biased physics, the 458 retains its psychotic handling undeterred and untamed across several different versions of multiple Gran Turismo games, seemingly never to find peace with any set of physics not licenced by Ferrari. The 458 GT3 in Gran Turismo 7 struggles immensely to put down power out of a turn; past 80% throttle, the rear diff locks up at the worst moment possible—when a driver is meaning to unleash all the horses as the curve straightens out—causing the entire stable to spin. It's deathly allergic to even microscopic bumps on the road, to say nothing of rumble strips and grass, making tracks that necessitate heinous offroad cuts, such as Lago Maggiore, a deeply frustrating drive, especially when the 458 squirms suddenly at the apex and earns its driver a track cut penalty. This thing is ENITRELY. INCAPABLE. of trial braking on a downhill whatever the brake bias or ABS setting. In the wet, I suspect that wheel users have it extra rough because this thing won't even need the steering wheel or the throttle pedal to break sideways: just stomp hard on the brakes going into Spa's Pouhon from the outside, and behold in amazement as the 458 GT3 so vehemently refuses to hold a straight line under braking that it would sooner learn how to tear into another dimension to leap across space and time than to simply go straight: the way it spears off under hard braking in seemingly random directions in the wet somehow makes me think my car somehow got backported to Gran Turismo 1, and this behaviour makes me leave safety margins so wide that my 16:9 flatscreen TV might as well be a 4:3 CRT.
Is it a fast car when allowed to slide? I don't know, and I don't care enough to know, because in my hands, even something long obsolete like an Atenza Gr.3 would have the same "practical speed" as a 458 GT3 across several laps, even if the Ferrari can set much faster lap times if it felt like cooperating once in a blue moon. Under v 1.47 BoP, I notice that the 458 GT3 has strong acceleration for a cornering car—if you're charitable enough to call it that given its eager front end—but wanes off in fifth gear at around 235km/h (146mph). Unless a rare Sport Mode race allows for adjustments to the suspension and differential, I would stay the hell away from the 458 GT3 and pick among the swathes of easier to drive and faster RMR Gr.3 cars, such as the 911 RSR, 650S GT3, Huracán GT3, R8 LMS Evo, or even a surprise sleeper that I'm sure SPD will tell you more about. I will have to note however, that the 458 GT3 feels bewilderingly comfortable at home around Nürburgring GP for some reason, so much that it made driving the 458 GT3 around other tracks feel like trying to force a Nürburgring GP–shaped peg into a round hole.
While the ever changing Balance of Performance can adjust a racecar's power and mass figures to make different cars competitive at different points, BoP doesn't ever change a car's default suspension, aero, diff, and weight distribution setups, which are locked most of the time in Sport Mode races, and it really shouldn't be any excuse for a more casual player to put up with the 458 GT3's nonsense. I'm with the crowd that badly wants a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 for this reason, but I'd also be lying if I said there isn't any part of me that wishes the 458 GT3 could be fixed instead of taking a chance at the completely unknown, because it is still the best looking, best sounding Ferrari in my eyes. IF a 488 or 296 GT3 ever does arrive to replace the 458, I suspect even someone who dislikes Ferrari as much as I do would feel a bit sad that the 458 GT3 will be retired. Here's hoping for the love of pasta and pizza that whatever replaces it will be set up to run on more than a single track...
Obelisk
Premium
- 9,711
- United States
- RMedia_Obelisk
I’ve never been one to follow the WEC or any type of GT racing, despite enjoying the cars that are purpose-built to these regulations. So, I’m coming into this review without any real pre-established expectations of what to expect from GT3 and Gr.3 cars. To make sense of the 458 GT3, I decided to shake off my apprehension and take a bone stock 458 GT3 to a number of races in the Gr.3 series in single player.
Once I’d gotten through these test races, I found a few things I wanted to call out when it comes to the 458:
1) It lacks top end performance on both stock settings and BOP.
2) As a VR user, the shift indicator built into the car is obstructed by the large steering wheel, necessitating that I tilt my head down to look under the wheel.
3) I have tremendous difficulty trying to shift by ear, and the 458’s free-revving, smooth-sounding engine obfuscates its engine speed more than it helps. 8k and 9k RPM sound too similar to each other for me. Combine this with the unhelpfully obstructed shift lights, and I find myself slapping the rev limiter like it owes me money.
The handling, while in line with other GT3s of the era, didn’t really strike me as anything special. I found myself more engaged with the R34 GT500 and the Suzuki VGT that I tested as comparison points than I did with the Italia, especially the Suzuki.
Honestly? I really don’t like the 458. It just feels like a 458 that’s been stripped of its entire personality and forced to run on a treadmill until it keels over. It’s a car devoid of charm outside of those who fanboy over anything with a prancing horse on it. It doesn’t really engage you in driving it, simply choosing to comply with instructions like a German car would. And to add insult to injury, it doesn’t even have the necessary waft to keep up with other Gr3s under BOP. And since we’re talking about competitive GT, when was the last time Ferrari actually made it to the GT Manu Cup’s live events?
The 458 GT3, in its current state, is pretty much worthless. Drive it if you like Ferrari or signed with them, but… good luck getting anything meaningful out of it besides the noise.
Once I’d gotten through these test races, I found a few things I wanted to call out when it comes to the 458:
1) It lacks top end performance on both stock settings and BOP.
2) As a VR user, the shift indicator built into the car is obstructed by the large steering wheel, necessitating that I tilt my head down to look under the wheel.
3) I have tremendous difficulty trying to shift by ear, and the 458’s free-revving, smooth-sounding engine obfuscates its engine speed more than it helps. 8k and 9k RPM sound too similar to each other for me. Combine this with the unhelpfully obstructed shift lights, and I find myself slapping the rev limiter like it owes me money.
The handling, while in line with other GT3s of the era, didn’t really strike me as anything special. I found myself more engaged with the R34 GT500 and the Suzuki VGT that I tested as comparison points than I did with the Italia, especially the Suzuki.
Honestly? I really don’t like the 458. It just feels like a 458 that’s been stripped of its entire personality and forced to run on a treadmill until it keels over. It’s a car devoid of charm outside of those who fanboy over anything with a prancing horse on it. It doesn’t really engage you in driving it, simply choosing to comply with instructions like a German car would. And to add insult to injury, it doesn’t even have the necessary waft to keep up with other Gr3s under BOP. And since we’re talking about competitive GT, when was the last time Ferrari actually made it to the GT Manu Cup’s live events?
The 458 GT3, in its current state, is pretty much worthless. Drive it if you like Ferrari or signed with them, but… good luck getting anything meaningful out of it besides the noise.
- 3,925
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 57 - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
From the boot shaped lands of Italy, I bring you Gran Turismo Sport's most famed, rear kicking deathtrap at 160 miles per hour.
In the 2010s, Ferrari were rolling in fame and praise with the recent release of the 458 Italia: a car so well made, they say it's deserved of it being suffixed under the country of origin. While that car's a hit in many ways, it's also an electronically assisted cage that houses a mighty wild V8 with a wholly new aluminum body derived from their Formula 1 technologies.
Now to the race car. Sending it over to their usual race tune team of Michelotto Automobili that they've worked with since they construed the 288 GTO (someone nominate this car please and thank you), the car made headlines as it makes a surprise debut in the 2011 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo in Monza. From there, it took part, and won its good share of GT racing endurances and sprints for a good 5 years before being replaced by the 488 in 2016.
What's been done to the car has mostly been out of the engine, as that's literally a detuned variant of the road car. What we see is a new sequential 6 speed, replacement of nearly all parts with racing spec variants, a carbon fibre shell, the giant wing and splitter, and Motegi racing wheels. On BOP, the car runs with 489 horsepower over a 1.32 ton load (on High speed, it's 495 horsepower). This little power, and it's turning out to be a straight up handling car, if you ask me. But guess where the root of all the complaints are for this car? I'm not going to answer that.
I don't know what to say since past SPD went to say something about the need for GT racing, so WHOOPS: he be jammin'! The car did appear once in week.. umm the one with the GR010, I think? Though, after 2 weeks in a row, I feel I don't want any racing to show this week.
And another thing: this whole writeup is done on Thursday.. And let's get this out of the way: you know what I thought of the moment this car was nominated? No, not the good old days after 9-11, and I was going to say you're close.
Episode 57: Pure red hues of enlightenment
Dragon Trail International Raceway - Seaside Route
Dalmatian coast, Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia
Morning
The well known GT race venue has been a host for many events, including the upcoming Sim Gear Grand Prix.
A whole host of teams bring out their beasts as they come to conquer the famed Seaside route, inclusive of one Le Glace Pacer.
Passing through a few cars on practice, Candy then notices a sight to be afraid of..
Candy: "The dark one's on practice too?"
Pushing past an Alfa Romeo, she gives chase to the flame embroidered Mustang..
Candy: "Let's see how good is he on these popular high speed roads.."
It's not her first time, but assuming it's the Mustang's first time, she finds a reason to be awed, and also to to push further as it paces similarly to the chaser.
Closing in the gap by the Chicane of Death, the two cars pass it with no issue..
But they're not alone.
A white Italia GT3 too comes by, plowing any resistance aking to an unreal gust of speed engulfing it.
Looking back, she noted..
Candy: "That Ferrari on my tail.. seems familiar, though.."
As the track remains available for the racers, Candy, strolling along the pit area, finds it is time to take a break.
As one of the earliest comers, she then notices the garage aside her team's..
Candy: "Moto-san's here to rumble.. I know he's near."
Walking past the car, she then sees the driver of the black NSX, meditating with his racing attire on.
She crept up close, only to see his eyes open, and leaping upwards off his meditation position and on his feet..
With his usual grin and cross eyes, he greets.
Hayato: "Greetings, Candy-chan. You look well.. but it's not like you ever aren't, heehee.."
Candy: "Umm.. you too.. seen Nash anywhere?"
Arms crossed, he replies without a positive answer.
Hayato: "Yes, Jiji is here, but.. tsk, I seem to have lost track of him. Tough luck."
Candy: "I'm not looking for him, but least I know he's around."
While having a quick look around the NSX, she notices Hayato's preparedness, asking..
Candy: "Was that you in the Ferrari?"
Hayato: "No. Not this time. I know the answer, but first: Some say he would make millions writing his autobiography in exclusively Swahili. And that he's in some way directly related to Count Binface. All we know.. he's The Guts!"
Jumping from a storey above, the Guts then lands aggressively in front of them, with great hints of a superhero landing.
Instantly after, he stands back and crosses his arms like he usually would.
Candy: "It had to be you, right? I wonder, since I made you bleed that day, that you went for Ferrari to race for?"
He then shook his head, gesturing to the two of the Genesis garage a few slots ahead..
They didn't move, but Candy saw enough hints that the Genesis X is around, continuing..
Candy: "I see the X is here.. Figures. I wonder who's going to be the one driving the Ferrari on race day.."
Noticing the Guts using a phone, she curiously wondered, as Hayato then spoke with interest..
Hayato: "Tip tap tip tap. He's got a phone already? You work fast, Candy-chan!"
Candy: "Ai? I appreciate the compliment, but that's not mine.."
The two then receive a notepad writing, which Candy reads..
Candy: "No idea, shrugging emoji.."
But she had a feeling..
Candy: "You know what, this phone feels familiar! Who's it from, our supermassive phone thief?"
She asked with intent, as she grabs it for a feel.
Hayato, with a quick inspect indirectly, then deduces..
Hayato: "Is it? Heyy.. this is Rin-chan's phone!"
Candy: "My, it is.. This would be the third time he's got it.. and the second time on Dragon Trail."
Disgruntled, he turned to Candy, then asking curiously..
Hayato: "How'd you count that up?"
Candy: "I.. don't know.. my big sis has got to be the worst in phone security. Isn't she like.. in Interpol too?!"
Not wanting to get in trouble, she hands the phone back..
Candy: "Well, here you go, Guts. Perhaps you should bugger off, because if I know my big sis, she's bound to be close with something like that missing."
With questions abound, Hayato asks..
Hayato: "I was wondering.. why give it back to him?"
Candy: "What if big sis saw me with her phone? She's going to get back at me.. she might disable my electronics! And just as I was going through the first act of Baldur's Gate 3.."
Worried about what happens after her heroes escape a wrecked mind flayer ship, she then notes of a cool looking fellow walking by, realizing it's..
Candy: "Lulu's brother!"
Startled, he turns towards this small crowd, then waves..
Williem: "Guten tag! How have you been? Schweister has been mentioning you being in a bit of a mess right now."
Recalling her episode yesterday, Williem then turned to the Japanese hotshot racer..
Williem: "While she thinks, I should address you back, Moto-san."
Hayato: "Hello. Salutations. How are you? Beep beep."
He replied like an emotionless robot, much to Williem's chagrin.
Williem: "Charming like the great Moto-san would be. Wow, how fascinating!"
Hayato: "You seem to be in a good mood. We're clashing on track in a few days, again. Perhaps this.. good mood of yours will be your last until then, hehehehee [slow clapping]."
Back to the real world, Candy added..
Candy: "Don't mind him."
Williem: "I know."
Said Williem as he gestured her away calmly.
Now noticing him as missing, Hayato then explained..
Hayato: "The Guts went that way, but if you want our company instead.."
Williem: "Sure! Sure! I see he got ahold of Frau Nishimura's phone."
Candy though then wondered..
Candy: "How'd you figure that?"
Williem: "He's got that phone from the moment I arrived. Saw enough to see the screen logged in the Interpol databases and I can figure... who on the track has this kind of information at the ready.."
As he finishes, they then see The Guts making yet another episode of The Escape..
And his usual victim follows him, wiping away her sweat..
Rin: "I CANNOT BELIEVE THISS!!"
She leaves, but not without gathering mention from the nearby racers watching it unfurl..
Candy: "I'm surprised she hasn't gotten fired."
Hayato: "To know is one thing. To share is another. I doubt unless the animal is offered a large sum of credits, he won't be telling anyone of this antic of his."
Williem: "Guts? Speak out? Preposterous! Kamerad, I know nothing of his intentions with the phone. Perhaps he thinks it's fun?"
Hayato quickly rebutted, putting his thoughts of a certain alien in focus..
Hayato: "Fun's not in his vocabulary considering his on track results."
Williem: "Too true.. too true."
Candy then wondered, with the presence of these two..
Candy: "Anyone else racing among us?"
Williem: "Guts, Nash, Me, you, him, Nishimura and Ross."
With that in mind, she then decided..
Candy: "That's well accounted for.. Well, I'll like some me time. I'll see you two later?"
Williem: "Alright."
Her mind flooded with helping her big sis's current predicament, Candy wandered about the pit lane.
As she enters the Ford garage, she then notices, behind the cars..
..clearly seeing one man passing a package to the other.
Candy: "Shady.."
Before she made herself unknown to the exchange, one of the men turned his gaze towards her, as if a red hue was infront of it.
That man then spoke, displeased..
Jake Ross: "Tell me then.. my little Asian flower.. you saw.."
Candy: "N-nothing!"
She wanted to run, but not only is this man a friend in her head, but her urge to do so disappeared as he continued to declare with a fearful vibe about..
Jake Ross: "Y'sure about that? I don't tolerate liars so well, y'know?"
Candy: "I'm at that thought process where.. I saw you with someone, but it's not visible enough for me to tell if it's a good or bad thing.."
Amused in his head, he then reaches to the back of the Group 3 Mustang, revealing his signature machete laying.
After twirling it about, she then realizes, as he feels the blade with his racing gloves..
Candy: "It's.. bad. Very bad? Very very, very bad?!"
Jake Ross: "You remember this?"
He spoke sinisterly upon inspecting the fine blade, referencing back to Week 2.
Still, she spoke back, not wanting more of this..
Candy: "Hee.."
He's not showing hints of how amused he is, but it was enough for him to reveal..
Jake Ross: "Don't aim to get you to panic, but.. I guess the secret's up. That's an Augur man."
Candy: "Interesting. I mean.. not interesting! What's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "(She failed to hide that intent..) Ain't relevant. Yet. Right now, I'm famished, and need some shut eye.."
Just as he turned away, he looked to a mirror in terms of the person's physique that appears..
Jake Ross: "Guts? What're you doing here?"
Instantly he was handed a certain phone, and inspects..
Jake Ross: "Oh?"
Candy: "Big sis's phone?"
The Guts then departs, but to what form is up to the reader's imagination.
And after, Jacob remarks..
Jake Ross: "Her world is in my hands."
Candy: "You planning on returning that?"
Jake Ross: "Eventually.. but if I'm being honest, I dunno. We'll see if she finds out he's now running for the heck of it."
Candy: "Naughty."
As he scrolls left and right, an impatient little racer interrupts..
Candy: "Well.. are you going to tell me something?"
Jake Ross: "About that.."
He skims left and right, but not willing to risk it, he describes..
Jake Ross: "I feel we remain in the phone's chat room. If not me.. Keith.. Ayumi.. we got lot of work banter, but looks to me Jess's team are scattered all over the planet. She's being based back in her home place of Tochigi. With family."
Candy: "She told me about it.. actually shared a picture of her home on socials.."
Jogging her memory, she remembers that..
Candy: "So that would mean the old man Alan?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. You know he married her mom? Strangely, that makes him family."
Candy: "If we take the logic of my big sis, then it would mean the Bristol Harbinger is my step-dad? To believe that to be true is.. just real unheard of."
As more thoughts of how unreal this family tree branches out, they were joined by a mad dasher from earlier..
Rin: "Whew.. huff.. I.. should've brought my blades.."
Noticing her phone, she snatched it off without hesitation..
Rin: "Thank you very very much.. oh, looks like you're here too, little sis?"
Candy: "Hey.. so I've been meaning to ask for the past week, but how was Chamonix?"
Knowing he could answer that, Jacob takes offense and argues..
Jake Ross: "You.. chose to ask her, not me?? That hurt."
Candy: "Get over it, you big dark baby."
Rin then delved back to the white bliss of snowing the past week..
Rin: "Oh, well.. if you've been skiing on Japan one time in the past, in France it's different.. still fun."
Jake Ross: "Shame we had to cut our time hanging out with Daphne."
Recalling that name, Candy had positive vibes as she brings it up..
Candy: "Ohh.. Daphne! I'm sorry.. I'm not wearing the hat today."
Jake Ross: "She said you found her?"
Candy: "More like she found me."
Rin: "And you raced with her.. Don't keep us waiting: how was it?"
Candy: "A nice, cute little race between what was going to be a bunch of friends. Next time I'm in the US, we visit her, no excuses."
He yawned, but not meaning of boredom.
Jacob then spoke, fatigued..
Jake Ross: "Alright. Yeah, I know the place. But right now.. I need rest. I'll leave you lovelies to it."
He walks to the back, and as Candy watched him exit, she turns to her big sis, and notices the sneering grin of evil suddenly popping out..
Candy: "Soo.. w-what's new?"
Rin: "That Guts! I'm putting an arrest warrant the next time this shenanigans come about.."
Candy: "No way you have the authori-"
Interrupted with a palm to her mouth, Rin's fumes remain on full heat..
Rin: "Don't ruin the buzz, little sis! I'm going to get back at him so I can cool off a little.. hmm.."
In a swift fashion, she gripped her little sister's hand and dragged her out of the garage.
Candy: "Wh-where are we going??"
Dragged down the pit lane (gladly not by her dress collar this time), the women arrive at a sight..
Rin: "AHH HAH! This would be his car for the day.."
Candy: "The Sim Gear Ferrari? Absolutely not! I saw the Sim Gear Genesis X!"
Rin: "I don't care: I saw him out of it. That must mean he's driving it in a few days.."
Candy, not liking being around, argues in hesitation..
Candy: "Big sis, before we jump to conclusions.."
And as she readies to exit, she runs into a most divine underground racing kingpin.
Clark: "Morning."
While he's now in a professionally styled look, Candy still puts the Sim Gear host and the Messiah as the same person, and began to scream..
Candy: "UUWAAAAA! It's the patron saint of the London underground!"
As she backed away to the Ferrari, Rin joined him as he wonders..
Clark: "She's still shaky about yesterday, I wager? Come now, you had a most delectable pudding last night.. that I paid for.. three times over."
Rin: "Uhhh... no comment. Hi there, Clark-san!"
In a strange sight to her, Clark revealed a smile.
Clark: "My phoenix Rin! You never come over to say hi to the man that taught you all he knew? F[BLEEP] me, I'm.. flabbergasted."
The hostile air disspiates with that tone, which then she questioned..
Candy: "What on Earth just happened?! B-big sis?!"
As Candy exits her cover, Clark, in a much better tone, spoke..
Clark: "That's news to you?"
Candy: "What does the confused response mean to you then?"
Rin: "My little sis is learning more and more about us.."
Entertained by her befuddlement, Clark recalled..
Clark: "I told you I respect women, right, Candy? Behind Dorah, she's the prime suspect."
Rin: "As part of the Mythic Initiative, I was given to him to learn how to race, ehe."
Candy's head might be full of questions, one such question dropped as she learns..
Candy: "You mentioned none of this at all.. it explains your amazing driving!"
Rin: "Guiltyy~"
Teased Rin as she pulled her cheek in humor.
Clark, acting nicely, has an idea..
Clark: "At any case, since you still have that ounce of guilt, how about you do something for me.."
Candy: "A-alright.."
Walking to the Ferrari GT3, he then rubbed his hand over its smooth lines, then explaining.
Clark: "I've been gathering telemetry data for that Ferrari.. I'm hoping that with some input from a few more drivers, I can perhaps find the best ways to adjust it for the final race. All you have to do is drive. If you want I can make it so you can drive your f[BLEEP]ing heart out.."
Candy: "That won't be necessary! I'll get my helmet.."
She then dashes away, but this time not by force, as Clark then watches her go..
Clark: "Swell. Rin, if you would.. warm up the car for your sister?"
Rin: "We're not really sisters, but you know: we're bonded.."
And while Rin gets to asking around, Clark then frowned, trying to solve the riddle in his head regarding..
Clark: "Three puddings. Three. Three f[BLEEP]ing, sugar filled, sauce bathed, calorie dense puddings! And look at that t[BLEEP]! Just how can she be f[BLEEP]ing fit?! Her metabolism for sugar is just on a whole different level!!"
Thinking of being done for the day, Candy prepares to leave, but not before announcing it to the present Sim Gear gang.
However, just as she closes in to their set garages, groups of people stand outside instead of inside, prompting her to investigate.
And she puts out a sigh of relief seeing a man that might help out.
Candy: "Is something going on?"
Hayato: "Oh? Candy-chan?"
He looks down a little and sees her not feeling playful, as she asks.
Candy: "Something you need, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "No, not really. I know you're going to ask, because narrator-chan whispered it to my head.."
I'm going to make sure she doesn't remember that we're in cahoots, Moto-san.
Hayato: "Nyeeheehee.. where was I.. oh, it's the usual Jiji just trying to convince once again that his aniki's future is on the track, not purely on the streets. Usually it won't do anything, but it can be.. heated enough that the teams have to be put outside to prevent further misalignment.. of the bone, nyeeheehee.."
She's not so sure, but she remarks..
Candy: "I had a talk like this once.. just pure mention of his past sweetheart can help change his mind.."
Arriving as she spoke, Williem and The Guts then chimed in..
Williem: "Only that this time, Frau.. to say it will work again might not be a certainty. Isn't that so?"
He nods at a sluggish pace.
Hayato: "Nyeehh.. that's just annoying. Our dear Candy-chan only having a one trick pony.. don't you think so, Will-chan?"
Williem: "She's right here, Moto-san.."
Candy: "Despite that, he's right. I'd like to come in and say something, but I'm currently at a loss.."
Not realizing The Guts already had left, the man standing in his spot then spoke..
Jake Ross: "Loss, you say?"
While Clark and Jake usually were figures opposing each other, Candy thought them to be somewhat similar, as she looks up to him.
But instead, she asks of..
Candy: "Up and rested, are you?"
Jake Ross: "And would you believe coming in at the right time? Come with me, little lady."
Candy: "Ummm.. alright!"
As they split, Jacob turned back and requests from the German cool guy..
Jake Ross: "Keep the gates secure. Let's get the riff raff at a minimum."
Williem: "Ja, ja, you're the boss, Herr Ross."
And he then turns back again and heads in.
Candy, while following, then notices the same package from earlier on hand.
Candy: "So.. what's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "Hmm.. perhaps it's relevant now. Recognize this?"
He opens the wrapped box to unfurl a tablet, but for Candy, it's not just any regular tablet you can buy online..
Candy: "It's one of those Prophecy tablets.. and.. I.."
Jake Ross: "..Not from Murph.. but.. you will wanna see how this turns out, trust me."
As they enter, the garage might be in a less than ideal condition, while the car remains spotless.
The brothers, arguing like they usually do in regards to the reason, then notices the people entering without resistance.
Clark: "Oh, what's this, brother? The f[BLEEP]ing backup?!"
Nash: "Ross? What are you up to now, you muppet?"
He remains his composure, as he remarks with a hint of snark..
Jake Ross: "There ain't no concoctions or chemical warfare up and about from me, but I know the air here stinks.. I aim to clear it up. Here."
Tossing the tablet like a cheesy movie, Clark then catches it, recognizing..
Clark: "How.. did you get this?"
And just like any cheesy movie, it then plays a sound at the perfect time.
Nash reaffirms, asking..
Nash: "That's coming from the tablet?"
Jake Ross: "I reckon you better answer that."
Knowing his own organization's own tools, he scrolls the screen elements, responding to the mystery caller.
Clark: "Humph. Who's this?"
Not expecting anything good, the woman making the call speaks..
Cierra: "M-Mister Messiah, sir!"
Clark: "Cierra!"
Candy: "W-what?!"
The thick uneasiness then wanes as Clark looks at the tablet, seeing Cierra on the other side.
Clark: "My dear.. Chosen.. are you alright?"
Cierra: "I'm.. I'm fine! Yes.. umm.. before you worry or whatever.. th-these people are doing me a solid!"
Clark: "Good.. good to hear that."
Seeing it unfold, Nash notes to his apprentice..
Nash: "Well.. now we know your connection with those punks have some meaning."
Jake Ross: "Smuggling that around wasn't easy.. had some help from.. I'd rather not say."
Then it's Candy's turn..
Candy: "This is all Cierra's idea, isn't it?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. She's been trying to get ahold of me for weeks, not mistaking.. I deduce Luce has something to do with it."
They then watch the conversation carry on..
Cierra: "I know you want to see us. but.. me and Lulu.. we have a race.. in Road Atlanta. Same time as you guys a-are having your grand prix!"
Clark: "America's a tad far away.."
Feeling he's needed, Jacob walked in and added..
Jake Ross: "Atlanta? I know a guy racing with you.. Wilde, racing for Suzuki."
Clark, unsure how to act, then asks..
Clark: "Tell me then.. is this what you wanted? Us apart.."
He sees her nervously holding back, tears then getting involved.
His expectations of her still high, Clark pushes the limits..
Clark: "No more silence, Cierra. I don't admit to anyone I'm treating you like my own.. But now.."
She began to weep, but refused to look weak from the man that nurtured her adult life, shouting..
Cierra: "I-I-I UNDERSTAND MISTER MESSIAH SIRR!"
Candy: "Volume, Cierra.."
As she rubs away her face, she answered back..
Cierra: "I feel I belonged.. really! In The Prophecy! In here too! W-with a team, I-I.."
Clark: "That's more than enough. You're happy. I can cope with that, CANDY.."
That sudden rage fuelled name drop got her ready to escape, but she struggled to retain..
Candy: "Uhh.. (he's going to lash out on me, is he?)"
Cierra: "I'm.. umm.. sorry for leaving so sudden. I had to find Lulu. I.. never knew that without her I wouldn't be complete."
The ternion needs to come back, she thought, but Candy too chimed in on the situation..
Candy: "Cierra.. I'm.. right there with you. Just that.. I don't want any more with Augur than I already did!"
Miffed at her involvment, Clark moves her aside and speaks..
Clark: "For completeness sake.. do know you're always welcome back in The Prophecy, no matter how bleak your new career looks."
Nash: "Bleak? Brother, I doubt that's what she's getting into."
Cierra: "Roger that.. I better sign off before.. they find out. Anything else?"
Pulling her back in, Clark then spoke, softly..
Clark: "No. You're an adult now.. do what you want. Don't be shy to call me, the Count, or Gary even. And you better apologize to Candy."
Cierra: "R-right! I'm sorry! I'll take care of Lulu. For us!"
Candy: "When's the next time we tussle, Cierra? I want it with all three of us the next time!"
Cierra: "A-a-if only.. well, no promises.. byeee!"
The tablet's call ends, which Clark tosses back to Jacob..
Clark: "Well, I didn't want that. But you all know I needed it."
Jake Ross: "You're welcome."
But while it was a moment of bliss, his violent streak kicked in, frustrated for reasons still unknown.
He started tossing more things around, while aware the car's still there.
Clark: "URGHH!! Damn it all. If Gary was here, he'd get a face full of fist! If not this Fowler Boys crap with The Cinderella, I would've handle Augur like they would like to handle my precious little wonder!"
The two men then notice Candy step up..
Candy: "Well.. what are you waiting for?"
Clark: "Tch.."
Nash had to stop his brother he thought, but Jacob halted him with a swing of his arm.
Nash: "Ohh?"
Candy: "I.. thought I'd be a good punching bag for you.. so.. if you please?"
He respects women, but being as she requested this personally, he didn't abstain.
She felt a fist coming in, eyes closed, expecting a sharp pain coming in.
But as it was to come, it stopped, just by a breath's range.
Clark: "No."
Candy: "N-no?! (He pulled it THIS close?)"
He came close, and instead leaned down..
Clark: "If I landed so much as a single smudge on to your lovely little face, I'd already lose myself. Now.. no more being a scaredy cat, Miss Lam. I have been, as you'd like it too, convinced."
Upon hearing that, Candy's emotional baggage on Clark Kayne has, strangely, floated away.
Relieved, she then sees him continue..
Clark: "Should I even hit you, you find yourself an excuse to not be racing this weekend, let alone any of you. Which would be a f[BLEEP]ing pity."
The white haired legend didn't take long to figure out..
Nash: "Am I.. seeing some development?"
Clark: "Like what I saw with Cierra.. I have to move on, brother. You know that. They know that. But when I f[BLEEP]ing move on, I have to take the f[BLEEP]ing first step. It's been more than 10 years."
His rage quelled, he finds motivation flooding in..
Clark: "And I wish to take it as the true me. Not Clark Kayne, the Messiah, but as.. Maximus Davies.. host of Sim Gear, going into our first ever sponsored GT event."
Unexpectedly, Nash's mission also came to a success, as he celebrates.
Nash: "Oh, verily so.. I'm.. I'm shocked! So shocked, I could weep.. If only Alan wasn't on holiday to see this: you, me, Guts.. on the track!"
Reminded of the old man, he replies to his brother with confidence.
Clark: "Don't leave the geezer out, brother! Let's take him back in."
Nash: "Right! I suppose you're right.. He too has a want to join our cause.. I need a manufacturer.. any suggestions?"
Jacob then came close and noted..
Jake Ross: "How about Hyundai? They got me a nice V6.. nearly took their offer, and trust me: they're desperate for racers."
Remembering The Guts and his Genesis, Nash couldn't find anything against this idea by himself, asking..
Nash: "I'm afraid there isn't anyone that can testify to this?"
Candy: "Not this time."
Jake Ross: "Sophia would. But.."
Remembering the former ambassador of a certain tamed racing animal, Nash then thought..
Nash: "Sophia would.. that's dodgy.."
Clark: "We can.. try to use it as leverage should she come crawling back."
His brother's wisdom once again at play, he obliges to the logic..
Nash: "Alright. But anything out of the ordinary, and I'll have to pull it."
Clark though has had enough of the crowd..
Clark: "Well? I say we're settled. You two are dismissed."
The two outsiders start to exit, but not without some praises of their own.
Candy: "Talk about amazing! Wait till big sis hears of this!"
Jake Ross: "I wonder if they'll see hints of The Messiah's greatness finally on the legal world.. All thanks to us."
Candy: "Nonsense! It's your doing! I was in it for the ride, that's all."
Nash and Clark, brothers of a Mythic declaration, then looked outside..
Nash: "What? We let them go without thanking them?"
Clark: "Not in front of them, no. F[BLEEP] this act of grateful mercy. But you know me enough that I appreciate their efforts. I'll let Rin know. Promise."
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
With perfect weather conditions, and the qualifying sessions settled in past days, the race rumbles on.
What's not expected is the amount of action all over the grid, with a Japanese Super Formula hotshot once again butting heads with a Nurburgring track master at the mid pack.
Not much further ahead comes a pair of women etching their name strong into the sport..
And up at front..
The tamed racing animal pounces his way to the lead as usual, but not without some challenge from the man secretly known as The Messiah.
Being the man that brought the world the ego centered Sonny Meng to the racetracks, the on track revival of Maximus Davies gave him ample reason for him to show the world he's not washed up, and what better message can that come as he would make a daring overtake.
Never happier, Nash watches this change of heart personally..
Nash: "Putting to shame the champion in his debut GT race. Brother.. you planned on a strong, veritable first impression, eh?"
From the boot shaped lands of Italy, I bring you Gran Turismo Sport's most famed, rear kicking deathtrap at 160 miles per hour.
In the 2010s, Ferrari were rolling in fame and praise with the recent release of the 458 Italia: a car so well made, they say it's deserved of it being suffixed under the country of origin. While that car's a hit in many ways, it's also an electronically assisted cage that houses a mighty wild V8 with a wholly new aluminum body derived from their Formula 1 technologies.
Now to the race car. Sending it over to their usual race tune team of Michelotto Automobili that they've worked with since they construed the 288 GTO (someone nominate this car please and thank you), the car made headlines as it makes a surprise debut in the 2011 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo in Monza. From there, it took part, and won its good share of GT racing endurances and sprints for a good 5 years before being replaced by the 488 in 2016.
What's been done to the car has mostly been out of the engine, as that's literally a detuned variant of the road car. What we see is a new sequential 6 speed, replacement of nearly all parts with racing spec variants, a carbon fibre shell, the giant wing and splitter, and Motegi racing wheels. On BOP, the car runs with 489 horsepower over a 1.32 ton load (on High speed, it's 495 horsepower). This little power, and it's turning out to be a straight up handling car, if you ask me. But guess where the root of all the complaints are for this car? I'm not going to answer that.
I don't know what to say since past SPD went to say something about the need for GT racing, so WHOOPS: he be jammin'! The car did appear once in week.. umm the one with the GR010, I think? Though, after 2 weeks in a row, I feel I don't want any racing to show this week.
And another thing: this whole writeup is done on Thursday.. And let's get this out of the way: you know what I thought of the moment this car was nominated? No, not the good old days after 9-11, and I was going to say you're close.
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Episode 57: Pure red hues of enlightenment
A small eatery within Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia
Night
Being directed to a private room by the restaurant manager, a well dressed Candy struts in to an empty private dining area, prepared with a pleasant flowery scent and ambiance.
Admiring the decor, she as she looks about the warm candlelit table.
Candy: "Hmmhmmmhmmm.. Nash sure has a way with women.."
As she readied to sit, the door she came in shut.
A quick look around, and another man who's definitely not Nash Kirkham awaits her, somberly asking..
Clark: "Bitch, what gave you THAT idea?"
Candy: "Hngk-"
She turned, only for Nash to set up a meeting with his brother instead of himself, prompting a reason to panic.
Crawling into a corner, she whimpered..
Candy: "OH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I PROMISE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!"
Clark: "Hmm.. I do miss that of Cierra, surely.."
After a quick reminisce, he then went back to business, declaring sternly..
Clark: "A fuss in the middle of a public place is the last thing I want. Sit."
As if her greatest fear of being on the spotlight came to be, she couldn't stop shaking, while sitting.
He then sat too, and as soon as they both are settled on the specially prepared table, he makes his move..
Clark: "Listen, you shrimp: I aim to get to the bottom of what mess you caused.. So.. if I'm hearing right.. Cierra.. ran away at her own volition?"
Candy: "You.. don't believe that, do you?"
Clark: "At first.. no. So far, that remains a no unless I get word personally. Good luck getting THAT out of her."
A brief pause then followed, but Clark knew enough from what he saw with her nervous worried face.
He asked, roughly and politely.
Clark: "Are you not hungry?"
Candy: "My appetite's gone.."
Clark: "I know what you're thinking.. the thick air's got you all mucked up, you can't even take a nibble?"
Candy: "I.. uhh.."
He then felt his relations souring with her causing this, prompting him to declare..
Clark: "I'd say you have a hand in all this awfully awkward foolishness. I was going to have The Guts join us, but that would mean an extra... 10 to 20 Euros out of my own pocket. Not to mention that f[BLEEP]er can eat."
Candy: "Him.. eat?"
Clark: "Yes. You know.. with their mouth? I don't care what planet that t[BLEEP]t claims to be part of. To anyone he's an alien, sure, but to you and me: he's still a mortal who can f[BLEEP]ing bleed."
With that in mind, Clark then followed by pointing at one side of the restaurant..
Clark: "Look over there.."
The man he points to, joyfully munching down a meal for two, is somebody who still wears a race attire, but with a full balaclava mask on, giving Candy a curious thought..
Candy: "I've never seen a man eat with balaclava on.."
But remembering The Guts also got her wary, asking..
Candy: "Ergh.. I hope you have your phone with you.."
Clark: "Oh, that's still here. Never had an issue with that kleptomania of his. No sir."
They both go back to each other.
Clark: "I know you're thinking in what ways am I going to strip your soul from your body. Lest you forget that both Ginoa and Boniface are under my supervision in some form."
Candy: "Oh, huh? (HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THAT?!!)"
While all that happened in the mind, Clark sees that she can't hide it through her face.
Clark: "Let's get this heavy air out of the way. You think I'm here to serve you your last meal while I then eventually find a way to eke out some form of revenge, is it?"
He asked, respectfully, but Candy remained unmoved.
Clark: "I may like violence.. but I sure am not unintelligent to challenge those that.. let's say, protect you."
Candy: "Protect? Hah. If not Minori-chan, who's as we both know, quite rogue.."
Clark: "Rogue is just a nice way to put it. I mean, I might have my beef with the Guild, so what?"
She remained on edge, which was not in his schedule for what he has in mind tonight.
Flipping the pages of a well made menu, he then shared..
Clark: "But I suppose for you, since you're not hungry, I can skip straight to dessert. That's what Ginnie's been telling me. Go ahead.."
He slid over the menu, revealing various pastries and cakes flooding the pages.
However, she remained, once again, unfazed.
Candy: "Urhh, she has more reasons for me to dock her pay.."
Clark: "What, reporting to me is strange? You really believe she's loyal to you purely? Rubbish. She looks out for herself more than anything, then to us. It's how f[BLEEP]ing she operates."
Knocking herself out of this trance, she asked..
Candy: "So, what brings you here to this part of Croatia?"
Clark: "Sim Gear, if it's not obvious enough. Only that we're a man short, but the show must go on, as they say. Dragon's Trail is ours for the next few days.."
Candy: "We're racing this weekend."
Clark: "The more the reason I want less about it. But being the f[BLEEP]ing face of Sim Gear, as well as even being the main sponsor of the race means I can't crawl my way out this time."
She's reading through the booklet, but Clark hasn't an intention to keep the air feeling weighted.
Clark: "Right.. umm.. pressured, are we? How about something else to calm those waves. Ever hear on how I treat women?"
Candy: "That's not.. what I know a lot of. But Minori-chan.. every mention of you, she's got nothing but good words for you."
Clark: "It's because I treat her with f[BLEEP]ing respect, and that I get back. Never had a love for anyone who disrespects the females. To harm them is to be treated similarly to those that takes advantage of the weak.."
He spoke it out loud and clear, he followed up, still with his usual gruff tone..
Clark: "You got it, champ?"
But his expectations end up broken when she then retreated off the table, and crawled under it.
Candy: "I.. I don't!! I'm going to be the exception!! I. Am. Doomed!!"
He looked under, seeing the little racer cowering in ample fear.
Clark: "Daft c[BLEEP].. She misses the point, entirely.. Snap out of it. There's NO way you giving up Cierra to those shady bums would lead to such an outcome. Not by me, at least."
He snaps his fingers, but refused to act further.
Not in a mood to scheme something, he revealed..
Clark: "This meeting is set up by my brother, and even if I was bul[BLEEP]ting about my treatment to good women, there's no way you're coming out of it hurt. Even though you disobeyed orders.."
Candy: "La la LAAHH, I'm not having any of it!"
Sternly, he continued..
Clark: "Please.. you're probably the first person I openly talk about my old flame Dorah about. Not even my brother gets that special treatment."
As it went on, another person enters the room, with his theme song going on, and seeing the scene briefly has his thoughts collected enough..
Nash: "Oh look, my brother's a terrible socializer like he's always been."
Clark: "Sod off. Don't think it's MY fault this time."
Nash: "Well. it's SOMEONE's fault, and look how lost she's in. All we gotta do is.. clear up the discord."
Clark: "Clear up the discord.. right."
He closes the distance, and leaned down, requesting peacefully..
Nash: "Come now, Candy.. all my brother wanted to do is apologize."
Clark: "Apologize? F[BLEEP] off with that s[BLEEP]e! I'm the victim of this encounter, don't you say?"
He argued, not angrily.
Candy saw these two men together, and that enough granted her a smidge of courage, leaving the undersides of the table..
Candy: "He's right. I mean.. it happened in front of me so quick, I didn't.."
They knew what she was about to talk about, but before she went further, Nash stopped her, consoling her..
Nash: "There. It's in the past now."
Clark: "She's going to do more than just plain forgive and forget to get back my trust, brother."
Nash: "Well.. tiny steps then."
Seeing the situation change for the better, Clark then noted, cheekily..
Clark: "You hear that. I'm giving you mercy."
Candy: "Don't remind me."
She gets on her feet, now soothed of the troubles she faces from Clark by himself.
Nash, on the other hand, has other thoughts..
Nash: "As a matter of fact, I'm at the mercy of my appetite. Got something ready for me, brother."
Clark: "You know, I thought the doctors said you have to fast.."
Insulted through a man's appetite, Nash didn't hold back, even though he obviously was trying to keep his composure strong..
Nash: "How many times do I have to-you KNOW I don't need to fast when travelling, brother, how dare you!"
Night
Being directed to a private room by the restaurant manager, a well dressed Candy struts in to an empty private dining area, prepared with a pleasant flowery scent and ambiance.
Admiring the decor, she as she looks about the warm candlelit table.
Candy: "Hmmhmmmhmmm.. Nash sure has a way with women.."
As she readied to sit, the door she came in shut.
A quick look around, and another man who's definitely not Nash Kirkham awaits her, somberly asking..
Clark: "Bitch, what gave you THAT idea?"
Candy: "Hngk-"
She turned, only for Nash to set up a meeting with his brother instead of himself, prompting a reason to panic.
Crawling into a corner, she whimpered..
Candy: "OH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I PROMISE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!"
Clark: "Hmm.. I do miss that of Cierra, surely.."
After a quick reminisce, he then went back to business, declaring sternly..
Clark: "A fuss in the middle of a public place is the last thing I want. Sit."
As if her greatest fear of being on the spotlight came to be, she couldn't stop shaking, while sitting.
He then sat too, and as soon as they both are settled on the specially prepared table, he makes his move..
Clark: "Listen, you shrimp: I aim to get to the bottom of what mess you caused.. So.. if I'm hearing right.. Cierra.. ran away at her own volition?"
Candy: "You.. don't believe that, do you?"
Clark: "At first.. no. So far, that remains a no unless I get word personally. Good luck getting THAT out of her."
A brief pause then followed, but Clark knew enough from what he saw with her nervous worried face.
He asked, roughly and politely.
Clark: "Are you not hungry?"
Candy: "My appetite's gone.."
Clark: "I know what you're thinking.. the thick air's got you all mucked up, you can't even take a nibble?"
Candy: "I.. uhh.."
He then felt his relations souring with her causing this, prompting him to declare..
Clark: "I'd say you have a hand in all this awfully awkward foolishness. I was going to have The Guts join us, but that would mean an extra... 10 to 20 Euros out of my own pocket. Not to mention that f[BLEEP]er can eat."
Candy: "Him.. eat?"
Clark: "Yes. You know.. with their mouth? I don't care what planet that t[BLEEP]t claims to be part of. To anyone he's an alien, sure, but to you and me: he's still a mortal who can f[BLEEP]ing bleed."
With that in mind, Clark then followed by pointing at one side of the restaurant..
Clark: "Look over there.."
The man he points to, joyfully munching down a meal for two, is somebody who still wears a race attire, but with a full balaclava mask on, giving Candy a curious thought..
Candy: "I've never seen a man eat with balaclava on.."
But remembering The Guts also got her wary, asking..
Candy: "Ergh.. I hope you have your phone with you.."
Clark: "Oh, that's still here. Never had an issue with that kleptomania of his. No sir."
They both go back to each other.
Clark: "I know you're thinking in what ways am I going to strip your soul from your body. Lest you forget that both Ginoa and Boniface are under my supervision in some form."
Candy: "Oh, huh? (HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THAT?!!)"
While all that happened in the mind, Clark sees that she can't hide it through her face.
Clark: "Let's get this heavy air out of the way. You think I'm here to serve you your last meal while I then eventually find a way to eke out some form of revenge, is it?"
He asked, respectfully, but Candy remained unmoved.
Clark: "I may like violence.. but I sure am not unintelligent to challenge those that.. let's say, protect you."
Candy: "Protect? Hah. If not Minori-chan, who's as we both know, quite rogue.."
Clark: "Rogue is just a nice way to put it. I mean, I might have my beef with the Guild, so what?"
She remained on edge, which was not in his schedule for what he has in mind tonight.
Flipping the pages of a well made menu, he then shared..
Clark: "But I suppose for you, since you're not hungry, I can skip straight to dessert. That's what Ginnie's been telling me. Go ahead.."
He slid over the menu, revealing various pastries and cakes flooding the pages.
However, she remained, once again, unfazed.
Candy: "Urhh, she has more reasons for me to dock her pay.."
Clark: "What, reporting to me is strange? You really believe she's loyal to you purely? Rubbish. She looks out for herself more than anything, then to us. It's how f[BLEEP]ing she operates."
Knocking herself out of this trance, she asked..
Candy: "So, what brings you here to this part of Croatia?"
Clark: "Sim Gear, if it's not obvious enough. Only that we're a man short, but the show must go on, as they say. Dragon's Trail is ours for the next few days.."
Candy: "We're racing this weekend."
Clark: "The more the reason I want less about it. But being the f[BLEEP]ing face of Sim Gear, as well as even being the main sponsor of the race means I can't crawl my way out this time."
She's reading through the booklet, but Clark hasn't an intention to keep the air feeling weighted.
Clark: "Right.. umm.. pressured, are we? How about something else to calm those waves. Ever hear on how I treat women?"
Candy: "That's not.. what I know a lot of. But Minori-chan.. every mention of you, she's got nothing but good words for you."
Clark: "It's because I treat her with f[BLEEP]ing respect, and that I get back. Never had a love for anyone who disrespects the females. To harm them is to be treated similarly to those that takes advantage of the weak.."
He spoke it out loud and clear, he followed up, still with his usual gruff tone..
Clark: "You got it, champ?"
But his expectations end up broken when she then retreated off the table, and crawled under it.
Candy: "I.. I don't!! I'm going to be the exception!! I. Am. Doomed!!"
He looked under, seeing the little racer cowering in ample fear.
Clark: "Daft c[BLEEP].. She misses the point, entirely.. Snap out of it. There's NO way you giving up Cierra to those shady bums would lead to such an outcome. Not by me, at least."
He snaps his fingers, but refused to act further.
Not in a mood to scheme something, he revealed..
Clark: "This meeting is set up by my brother, and even if I was bul[BLEEP]ting about my treatment to good women, there's no way you're coming out of it hurt. Even though you disobeyed orders.."
Candy: "La la LAAHH, I'm not having any of it!"
Sternly, he continued..
Clark: "Please.. you're probably the first person I openly talk about my old flame Dorah about. Not even my brother gets that special treatment."
As it went on, another person enters the room, with his theme song going on, and seeing the scene briefly has his thoughts collected enough..
Nash: "Oh look, my brother's a terrible socializer like he's always been."
Clark: "Sod off. Don't think it's MY fault this time."
Nash: "Well. it's SOMEONE's fault, and look how lost she's in. All we gotta do is.. clear up the discord."
Clark: "Clear up the discord.. right."
He closes the distance, and leaned down, requesting peacefully..
Nash: "Come now, Candy.. all my brother wanted to do is apologize."
Clark: "Apologize? F[BLEEP] off with that s[BLEEP]e! I'm the victim of this encounter, don't you say?"
He argued, not angrily.
Candy saw these two men together, and that enough granted her a smidge of courage, leaving the undersides of the table..
Candy: "He's right. I mean.. it happened in front of me so quick, I didn't.."
They knew what she was about to talk about, but before she went further, Nash stopped her, consoling her..
Nash: "There. It's in the past now."
Clark: "She's going to do more than just plain forgive and forget to get back my trust, brother."
Nash: "Well.. tiny steps then."
Seeing the situation change for the better, Clark then noted, cheekily..
Clark: "You hear that. I'm giving you mercy."
Candy: "Don't remind me."
She gets on her feet, now soothed of the troubles she faces from Clark by himself.
Nash, on the other hand, has other thoughts..
Nash: "As a matter of fact, I'm at the mercy of my appetite. Got something ready for me, brother."
Clark: "You know, I thought the doctors said you have to fast.."
Insulted through a man's appetite, Nash didn't hold back, even though he obviously was trying to keep his composure strong..
Nash: "How many times do I have to-you KNOW I don't need to fast when travelling, brother, how dare you!"
Dragon Trail International Raceway - Seaside Route
Dalmatian coast, Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia
Morning
The well known GT race venue has been a host for many events, including the upcoming Sim Gear Grand Prix.
A whole host of teams bring out their beasts as they come to conquer the famed Seaside route, inclusive of one Le Glace Pacer.
Passing through a few cars on practice, Candy then notices a sight to be afraid of..
Candy: "The dark one's on practice too?"
Pushing past an Alfa Romeo, she gives chase to the flame embroidered Mustang..
Candy: "Let's see how good is he on these popular high speed roads.."
It's not her first time, but assuming it's the Mustang's first time, she finds a reason to be awed, and also to to push further as it paces similarly to the chaser.
Closing in the gap by the Chicane of Death, the two cars pass it with no issue..
But they're not alone.
A white Italia GT3 too comes by, plowing any resistance aking to an unreal gust of speed engulfing it.
Looking back, she noted..
Candy: "That Ferrari on my tail.. seems familiar, though.."
As the track remains available for the racers, Candy, strolling along the pit area, finds it is time to take a break.
As one of the earliest comers, she then notices the garage aside her team's..
Candy: "Moto-san's here to rumble.. I know he's near."
Walking past the car, she then sees the driver of the black NSX, meditating with his racing attire on.
She crept up close, only to see his eyes open, and leaping upwards off his meditation position and on his feet..
With his usual grin and cross eyes, he greets.
Hayato: "Greetings, Candy-chan. You look well.. but it's not like you ever aren't, heehee.."
Candy: "Umm.. you too.. seen Nash anywhere?"
Arms crossed, he replies without a positive answer.
Hayato: "Yes, Jiji is here, but.. tsk, I seem to have lost track of him. Tough luck."
Candy: "I'm not looking for him, but least I know he's around."
While having a quick look around the NSX, she notices Hayato's preparedness, asking..
Candy: "Was that you in the Ferrari?"
Hayato: "No. Not this time. I know the answer, but first: Some say he would make millions writing his autobiography in exclusively Swahili. And that he's in some way directly related to Count Binface. All we know.. he's The Guts!"
Jumping from a storey above, the Guts then lands aggressively in front of them, with great hints of a superhero landing.
Instantly after, he stands back and crosses his arms like he usually would.
Candy: "It had to be you, right? I wonder, since I made you bleed that day, that you went for Ferrari to race for?"
He then shook his head, gesturing to the two of the Genesis garage a few slots ahead..
They didn't move, but Candy saw enough hints that the Genesis X is around, continuing..
Candy: "I see the X is here.. Figures. I wonder who's going to be the one driving the Ferrari on race day.."
Noticing the Guts using a phone, she curiously wondered, as Hayato then spoke with interest..
Hayato: "Tip tap tip tap. He's got a phone already? You work fast, Candy-chan!"
Candy: "Ai? I appreciate the compliment, but that's not mine.."
The two then receive a notepad writing, which Candy reads..
Candy: "No idea, shrugging emoji.."
But she had a feeling..
Candy: "You know what, this phone feels familiar! Who's it from, our supermassive phone thief?"
She asked with intent, as she grabs it for a feel.
Hayato, with a quick inspect indirectly, then deduces..
Hayato: "Is it? Heyy.. this is Rin-chan's phone!"
Candy: "My, it is.. This would be the third time he's got it.. and the second time on Dragon Trail."
Disgruntled, he turned to Candy, then asking curiously..
Hayato: "How'd you count that up?"
Candy: "I.. don't know.. my big sis has got to be the worst in phone security. Isn't she like.. in Interpol too?!"
Not wanting to get in trouble, she hands the phone back..
Candy: "Well, here you go, Guts. Perhaps you should bugger off, because if I know my big sis, she's bound to be close with something like that missing."
With questions abound, Hayato asks..
Hayato: "I was wondering.. why give it back to him?"
Candy: "What if big sis saw me with her phone? She's going to get back at me.. she might disable my electronics! And just as I was going through the first act of Baldur's Gate 3.."
Worried about what happens after her heroes escape a wrecked mind flayer ship, she then notes of a cool looking fellow walking by, realizing it's..
Candy: "Lulu's brother!"
Startled, he turns towards this small crowd, then waves..
Williem: "Guten tag! How have you been? Schweister has been mentioning you being in a bit of a mess right now."
Recalling her episode yesterday, Williem then turned to the Japanese hotshot racer..
Williem: "While she thinks, I should address you back, Moto-san."
Hayato: "Hello. Salutations. How are you? Beep beep."
He replied like an emotionless robot, much to Williem's chagrin.
Williem: "Charming like the great Moto-san would be. Wow, how fascinating!"
Hayato: "You seem to be in a good mood. We're clashing on track in a few days, again. Perhaps this.. good mood of yours will be your last until then, hehehehee [slow clapping]."
Back to the real world, Candy added..
Candy: "Don't mind him."
Williem: "I know."
Said Williem as he gestured her away calmly.
Now noticing him as missing, Hayato then explained..
Hayato: "The Guts went that way, but if you want our company instead.."
Williem: "Sure! Sure! I see he got ahold of Frau Nishimura's phone."
Candy though then wondered..
Candy: "How'd you figure that?"
Williem: "He's got that phone from the moment I arrived. Saw enough to see the screen logged in the Interpol databases and I can figure... who on the track has this kind of information at the ready.."
As he finishes, they then see The Guts making yet another episode of The Escape..
And his usual victim follows him, wiping away her sweat..
Rin: "I CANNOT BELIEVE THISS!!"
She leaves, but not without gathering mention from the nearby racers watching it unfurl..
Candy: "I'm surprised she hasn't gotten fired."
Hayato: "To know is one thing. To share is another. I doubt unless the animal is offered a large sum of credits, he won't be telling anyone of this antic of his."
Williem: "Guts? Speak out? Preposterous! Kamerad, I know nothing of his intentions with the phone. Perhaps he thinks it's fun?"
Hayato quickly rebutted, putting his thoughts of a certain alien in focus..
Hayato: "Fun's not in his vocabulary considering his on track results."
Williem: "Too true.. too true."
Candy then wondered, with the presence of these two..
Candy: "Anyone else racing among us?"
Williem: "Guts, Nash, Me, you, him, Nishimura and Ross."
With that in mind, she then decided..
Candy: "That's well accounted for.. Well, I'll like some me time. I'll see you two later?"
Williem: "Alright."
Her mind flooded with helping her big sis's current predicament, Candy wandered about the pit lane.
As she enters the Ford garage, she then notices, behind the cars..
..clearly seeing one man passing a package to the other.
Candy: "Shady.."
Before she made herself unknown to the exchange, one of the men turned his gaze towards her, as if a red hue was infront of it.
That man then spoke, displeased..
Jake Ross: "Tell me then.. my little Asian flower.. you saw.."
Candy: "N-nothing!"
She wanted to run, but not only is this man a friend in her head, but her urge to do so disappeared as he continued to declare with a fearful vibe about..
Jake Ross: "Y'sure about that? I don't tolerate liars so well, y'know?"
Candy: "I'm at that thought process where.. I saw you with someone, but it's not visible enough for me to tell if it's a good or bad thing.."
Amused in his head, he then reaches to the back of the Group 3 Mustang, revealing his signature machete laying.
After twirling it about, she then realizes, as he feels the blade with his racing gloves..
Candy: "It's.. bad. Very bad? Very very, very bad?!"
Jake Ross: "You remember this?"
He spoke sinisterly upon inspecting the fine blade, referencing back to Week 2.
Still, she spoke back, not wanting more of this..
Candy: "Hee.."
He's not showing hints of how amused he is, but it was enough for him to reveal..
Jake Ross: "Don't aim to get you to panic, but.. I guess the secret's up. That's an Augur man."
Candy: "Interesting. I mean.. not interesting! What's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "(She failed to hide that intent..) Ain't relevant. Yet. Right now, I'm famished, and need some shut eye.."
Just as he turned away, he looked to a mirror in terms of the person's physique that appears..
Jake Ross: "Guts? What're you doing here?"
Instantly he was handed a certain phone, and inspects..
Jake Ross: "Oh?"
Candy: "Big sis's phone?"
The Guts then departs, but to what form is up to the reader's imagination.
And after, Jacob remarks..
Jake Ross: "Her world is in my hands."
Candy: "You planning on returning that?"
Jake Ross: "Eventually.. but if I'm being honest, I dunno. We'll see if she finds out he's now running for the heck of it."
Candy: "Naughty."
As he scrolls left and right, an impatient little racer interrupts..
Candy: "Well.. are you going to tell me something?"
Jake Ross: "About that.."
He skims left and right, but not willing to risk it, he describes..
Jake Ross: "I feel we remain in the phone's chat room. If not me.. Keith.. Ayumi.. we got lot of work banter, but looks to me Jess's team are scattered all over the planet. She's being based back in her home place of Tochigi. With family."
Candy: "She told me about it.. actually shared a picture of her home on socials.."
Jogging her memory, she remembers that..
Candy: "So that would mean the old man Alan?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. You know he married her mom? Strangely, that makes him family."
Candy: "If we take the logic of my big sis, then it would mean the Bristol Harbinger is my step-dad? To believe that to be true is.. just real unheard of."
As more thoughts of how unreal this family tree branches out, they were joined by a mad dasher from earlier..
Rin: "Whew.. huff.. I.. should've brought my blades.."
Noticing her phone, she snatched it off without hesitation..
Rin: "Thank you very very much.. oh, looks like you're here too, little sis?"
Candy: "Hey.. so I've been meaning to ask for the past week, but how was Chamonix?"
Knowing he could answer that, Jacob takes offense and argues..
Jake Ross: "You.. chose to ask her, not me?? That hurt."
Candy: "Get over it, you big dark baby."
Rin then delved back to the white bliss of snowing the past week..
Rin: "Oh, well.. if you've been skiing on Japan one time in the past, in France it's different.. still fun."
Jake Ross: "Shame we had to cut our time hanging out with Daphne."
Recalling that name, Candy had positive vibes as she brings it up..
Candy: "Ohh.. Daphne! I'm sorry.. I'm not wearing the hat today."
Jake Ross: "She said you found her?"
Candy: "More like she found me."
Rin: "And you raced with her.. Don't keep us waiting: how was it?"
Candy: "A nice, cute little race between what was going to be a bunch of friends. Next time I'm in the US, we visit her, no excuses."
He yawned, but not meaning of boredom.
Jacob then spoke, fatigued..
Jake Ross: "Alright. Yeah, I know the place. But right now.. I need rest. I'll leave you lovelies to it."
He walks to the back, and as Candy watched him exit, she turns to her big sis, and notices the sneering grin of evil suddenly popping out..
Candy: "Soo.. w-what's new?"
Rin: "That Guts! I'm putting an arrest warrant the next time this shenanigans come about.."
Candy: "No way you have the authori-"
Interrupted with a palm to her mouth, Rin's fumes remain on full heat..
Rin: "Don't ruin the buzz, little sis! I'm going to get back at him so I can cool off a little.. hmm.."
In a swift fashion, she gripped her little sister's hand and dragged her out of the garage.
Candy: "Wh-where are we going??"
Dragged down the pit lane (gladly not by her dress collar this time), the women arrive at a sight..
Rin: "AHH HAH! This would be his car for the day.."
Candy: "The Sim Gear Ferrari? Absolutely not! I saw the Sim Gear Genesis X!"
Rin: "I don't care: I saw him out of it. That must mean he's driving it in a few days.."
Candy, not liking being around, argues in hesitation..
Candy: "Big sis, before we jump to conclusions.."
And as she readies to exit, she runs into a most divine underground racing kingpin.
Clark: "Morning."
While he's now in a professionally styled look, Candy still puts the Sim Gear host and the Messiah as the same person, and began to scream..
Candy: "UUWAAAAA! It's the patron saint of the London underground!"
As she backed away to the Ferrari, Rin joined him as he wonders..
Clark: "She's still shaky about yesterday, I wager? Come now, you had a most delectable pudding last night.. that I paid for.. three times over."
Rin: "Uhhh... no comment. Hi there, Clark-san!"
In a strange sight to her, Clark revealed a smile.
Clark: "My phoenix Rin! You never come over to say hi to the man that taught you all he knew? F[BLEEP] me, I'm.. flabbergasted."
The hostile air disspiates with that tone, which then she questioned..
Candy: "What on Earth just happened?! B-big sis?!"
As Candy exits her cover, Clark, in a much better tone, spoke..
Clark: "That's news to you?"
Candy: "What does the confused response mean to you then?"
Rin: "My little sis is learning more and more about us.."
Entertained by her befuddlement, Clark recalled..
Clark: "I told you I respect women, right, Candy? Behind Dorah, she's the prime suspect."
Rin: "As part of the Mythic Initiative, I was given to him to learn how to race, ehe."
Candy's head might be full of questions, one such question dropped as she learns..
Candy: "You mentioned none of this at all.. it explains your amazing driving!"
Rin: "Guiltyy~"
Teased Rin as she pulled her cheek in humor.
Clark, acting nicely, has an idea..
Clark: "At any case, since you still have that ounce of guilt, how about you do something for me.."
Candy: "A-alright.."
Walking to the Ferrari GT3, he then rubbed his hand over its smooth lines, then explaining.
Clark: "I've been gathering telemetry data for that Ferrari.. I'm hoping that with some input from a few more drivers, I can perhaps find the best ways to adjust it for the final race. All you have to do is drive. If you want I can make it so you can drive your f[BLEEP]ing heart out.."
Candy: "That won't be necessary! I'll get my helmet.."
She then dashes away, but this time not by force, as Clark then watches her go..
Clark: "Swell. Rin, if you would.. warm up the car for your sister?"
Rin: "We're not really sisters, but you know: we're bonded.."
And while Rin gets to asking around, Clark then frowned, trying to solve the riddle in his head regarding..
Clark: "Three puddings. Three. Three f[BLEEP]ing, sugar filled, sauce bathed, calorie dense puddings! And look at that t[BLEEP]! Just how can she be f[BLEEP]ing fit?! Her metabolism for sugar is just on a whole different level!!"
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
To Candy she's behind the wheel of another racecar: an accurate way to describe what she initially thought.
However, laps later, she would have eyes widened and her blood pumping, akin to the days she rode in a 787B around.
Unsure of what to expect, her radio then receives..
Clark: "Come in, you little runt. Now.. give me a brief thought.."
Candy: "This thing is wild!"
He plays coy, remembering a woman similar to the one in the Ferrari..
Clark: "Is it, now? Cierra didn't think so."
Candy: "That's an insult, isn't it? That's so her to handle power like it was just a day in the office."
Clark: "How about you? Don't you have a taste of ample power levels?"
He's teasing, she thought, but she decided to just reply in a humble manner..
Candy: "Until I get in that LaFerrari of yours, what I say won't satisfy you."
Clark: "Don't play coy now, darling.. I'm sure my car pales in compare to whatever you've been exposed to in recent days.."
Candy: "Logical. The last time I was here.. I went around with a 787B."
Clark: "The real screamer.."
Although she's driving for her life in a less pressured manner, she then asks..
Candy: "Did you have plays in power before the.. you know?"
Clark: "Before? Not quite. But after.. well, I'm a f[BLEEP]ing mainstay of a once incredibly popular car program.. cars are never out of my reach for variety."
She didn't like that answer however..
Candy: "Hmmph.. lucky man. Keep it silent, please? I'm going to bring it real hard."
Clark: "This'll be good. Clark out."
Running into another traffic car, Candy though finds this one noteworthy, as she activates her communicator..
Candy: "Eh? Umm, come in, Clark?"
Clark: "Something the matter?"
Candy: "Nash is on track.. I had him driving this car in mind in the weekend, but.."
Clark: "Let me put it this way: if he's the f[BLEEP]ing brains today, my brother will gladly explain in due time. The data you gathered is splendid, by the way. Come in when you feel you're done. Out."
Candy: "He sounded glad.. I wonder how long that's going to last."
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
To Candy she's behind the wheel of another racecar: an accurate way to describe what she initially thought.
However, laps later, she would have eyes widened and her blood pumping, akin to the days she rode in a 787B around.
Unsure of what to expect, her radio then receives..
Clark: "Come in, you little runt. Now.. give me a brief thought.."
Candy: "This thing is wild!"
He plays coy, remembering a woman similar to the one in the Ferrari..
Clark: "Is it, now? Cierra didn't think so."
Candy: "That's an insult, isn't it? That's so her to handle power like it was just a day in the office."
Clark: "How about you? Don't you have a taste of ample power levels?"
He's teasing, she thought, but she decided to just reply in a humble manner..
Candy: "Until I get in that LaFerrari of yours, what I say won't satisfy you."
Clark: "Don't play coy now, darling.. I'm sure my car pales in compare to whatever you've been exposed to in recent days.."
Candy: "Logical. The last time I was here.. I went around with a 787B."
Clark: "The real screamer.."
Although she's driving for her life in a less pressured manner, she then asks..
Candy: "Did you have plays in power before the.. you know?"
Clark: "Before? Not quite. But after.. well, I'm a f[BLEEP]ing mainstay of a once incredibly popular car program.. cars are never out of my reach for variety."
She didn't like that answer however..
Candy: "Hmmph.. lucky man. Keep it silent, please? I'm going to bring it real hard."
Clark: "This'll be good. Clark out."
Do you ever have high hopes for a car waiting to bite and try to maim you, and you can't do much else of it? This be that one car in a GT racing shape and form. But.. coming with this mindset, let the masochist in this mofo SPD spoil to y'all and say I'm thoroughly disappointed.
We'll have to hop on to some of the good the car offers. While it might not be a RWD coupe that has the advantage in longer straights, the Italia has a respectable everywhere else. Good launch, check. Good sharp handling, check, and for a car without a turbo, it has an acceleration profile that's mostly consistent, meaning you're okay putting it to the redline. This apparently is the way to get the car to its best behavior, as the issues for the car mainly lie in low to mid revs, with a torque peaking right in the middle, just shy of 5000 RPM. Shift late as you can, and you avoid that. Of course, you can't quite avoid that if you're racing somewhere with tight corners, which is nearly everywhere. It won't be good for fuel on the very very long run, and even if you strictly save fuel, you're have to note that torque bump, so be wary of that when not keeping this straight.
Not to mention it's definitely a pretty pretty car. No question that Ferrari knows how to make their car look and race good. So it wins in an aesthetic perspective. No wonder people took their issues driving this car to heart.. it's like a venus flytrap.
I'm sure everyone wants to know how do you spin a Ferrari that's been racing and winning GT races for 5 years.. that's easy. If in game physics are to speak for realism, the Italia GT3 has got to be handled by badasses. But anyone from Sport would know the Ferrari's mainly infamous for this rotating of the body, even coming to agree to see it as the king (or queen, I dunno) of the Group 3 pirouettes, thus the spinning memes. Like most low slung Group 3 cars, if you play with severe cases of undulations, you're going to let loose. The Ferrari too gets this, like with the Citroen or the NSX, but also not acting nicely when weight transfer is involved, ala the Peugeot VGT and the NSX again. You can say it also has power oversteer, but in Group 3, there is no super easy choice like AWD cars in Group 4. Plus that in all BOP levels, it gets a power nerf, meaning you want to focus more on what you can do other than play with the throttle. Said throttle is pure and raw, and you're not going to get the kick certain turbocharged Group 3 cars have.
A turbo is an interesting thought. That's what the Italia doesn't have that its successors do get. Turbos on Group 3 make it an extra worry that you have to manage the turbo's behaviour in the driving, which gladly the Italia doesn't get to go through. The use of a turbo's not all bad, as there are some turbocharged midships that have great throttle stability.. the RS01 and the Alfa Romeo come to mind. Then we have the other end of the spectrum, which for my example we go to where the 2 Volkswagens live at. Stability wise, the Ferrari is.. lively, but not so lively it's going to kill you when you put down the power. You will never feel like the car's going to give understeer, because you're worried that the opposite of that is what's going to happen instead. Though, if you're nervous of taking corners, just intend on bringing this car to high speed tracks without tough corners.
I made a meme on how much I hated Bathurst last week, but I'll wait another week to see if I can take that out. I'm just begging for that indifferent loser known as future SPD to start suggesting Goodwood again and reduce the chances of ever getting down there.
Covering the racing techniques, well.. short shifting is very 50-50: you can do it, but you risk locking up and going sideways, especially mid-corner, and that's needless to say a bad thing. In fact, I would highly advise against it, as the car's reasonable, non turbocharged power oversteer is minimal. And there's definitely some loss when you short shift. If you feel you can't quite get it balanced while cornering, some practice throttle braking can be a valauble thought. No, I'm not driving this thing with traction control: it never sits with me well with these Grouped cars. In fact, if you are going to do anything funny in the turns that involve the gearbox, do it without any sudden elevation or lower grip surface involved, as that's where the bad voodoo be happening, ya?
Tuning?
Did someone say.. restraining order for adding turbos, acceleration to 5, boosted initial torque and braking sensitivity to 20 at least, stiffer anti roll bars up front, more compression up front, tighter gears after 1st, when required boost rear downforce, change height and spring rate slowly with more to the front, make sure the numbers are not ridiculously separated between front and back, put brake balance to the front with a minimum of -1, and practice, practice, PRACTICE?
Whew, I don't know why I want to say all that with one breath.
Now, it's another Grouped car, so.. anyone considering signing with Ferrari? Anyone already seeing the Group 3 car are the ones telling you against it. If you don't mind the exceptional Group 4 car it has, the Group 3 car needs you to be more precise or pleasant with your everything, or you will suffer. If you're still afraid of the Italia, alternatives include Frenchies in Citroen and RenaultSport. The former having a similar offering in a dominant midships Group 4 car, while the latter has a more balanced selection. If you're afraid of French snorting, you can also opt for fellow Italian Alfa Romeo.. if you're into lightweight small bois that are slow on the straights, but incredible driver's cars which are easy to handle. Porsche is also on the table for a go-to choice with 2 excellent cars in its classes. Honda's on this gang too, only offering a more.. Asian way of saying you hate yourself and wantnalla to sbinalla.
I'm going with a little of a high note here: this car might be, as they say, the most difficult of the bunch to make good work of, but to say that is an impossible task is.. well, an impossibility. And not to mention how good of a feeling it is to be taking this car out to challenge the likes of some other more civilized choices, and telling everyone on track that you lived. Although, after ample amounts of driving time in this, I can say there exist much more difficult Group 3 cars. The Italia is definitely 4 out of 5 stars under the influence of my greasy palms (greased with antiseptic alcohol that is, yes I'm addicted to that stuff even before COVID came about).
With the Italia GT3, all you got to do is, as my inner Sundowner would say, give war a chance. Hey, while a battle is what you're doing internally within this to get it straight, with the recent BOP changes, at least it's not weak.
Speaking of weak..
We'll have to hop on to some of the good the car offers. While it might not be a RWD coupe that has the advantage in longer straights, the Italia has a respectable everywhere else. Good launch, check. Good sharp handling, check, and for a car without a turbo, it has an acceleration profile that's mostly consistent, meaning you're okay putting it to the redline. This apparently is the way to get the car to its best behavior, as the issues for the car mainly lie in low to mid revs, with a torque peaking right in the middle, just shy of 5000 RPM. Shift late as you can, and you avoid that. Of course, you can't quite avoid that if you're racing somewhere with tight corners, which is nearly everywhere. It won't be good for fuel on the very very long run, and even if you strictly save fuel, you're have to note that torque bump, so be wary of that when not keeping this straight.
Not to mention it's definitely a pretty pretty car. No question that Ferrari knows how to make their car look and race good. So it wins in an aesthetic perspective. No wonder people took their issues driving this car to heart.. it's like a venus flytrap.
I'm sure everyone wants to know how do you spin a Ferrari that's been racing and winning GT races for 5 years.. that's easy. If in game physics are to speak for realism, the Italia GT3 has got to be handled by badasses. But anyone from Sport would know the Ferrari's mainly infamous for this rotating of the body, even coming to agree to see it as the king (or queen, I dunno) of the Group 3 pirouettes, thus the spinning memes. Like most low slung Group 3 cars, if you play with severe cases of undulations, you're going to let loose. The Ferrari too gets this, like with the Citroen or the NSX, but also not acting nicely when weight transfer is involved, ala the Peugeot VGT and the NSX again. You can say it also has power oversteer, but in Group 3, there is no super easy choice like AWD cars in Group 4. Plus that in all BOP levels, it gets a power nerf, meaning you want to focus more on what you can do other than play with the throttle. Said throttle is pure and raw, and you're not going to get the kick certain turbocharged Group 3 cars have.
A turbo is an interesting thought. That's what the Italia doesn't have that its successors do get. Turbos on Group 3 make it an extra worry that you have to manage the turbo's behaviour in the driving, which gladly the Italia doesn't get to go through. The use of a turbo's not all bad, as there are some turbocharged midships that have great throttle stability.. the RS01 and the Alfa Romeo come to mind. Then we have the other end of the spectrum, which for my example we go to where the 2 Volkswagens live at. Stability wise, the Ferrari is.. lively, but not so lively it's going to kill you when you put down the power. You will never feel like the car's going to give understeer, because you're worried that the opposite of that is what's going to happen instead. Though, if you're nervous of taking corners, just intend on bringing this car to high speed tracks without tough corners.
I made a meme on how much I hated Bathurst last week, but I'll wait another week to see if I can take that out. I'm just begging for that indifferent loser known as future SPD to start suggesting Goodwood again and reduce the chances of ever getting down there.
Covering the racing techniques, well.. short shifting is very 50-50: you can do it, but you risk locking up and going sideways, especially mid-corner, and that's needless to say a bad thing. In fact, I would highly advise against it, as the car's reasonable, non turbocharged power oversteer is minimal. And there's definitely some loss when you short shift. If you feel you can't quite get it balanced while cornering, some practice throttle braking can be a valauble thought. No, I'm not driving this thing with traction control: it never sits with me well with these Grouped cars. In fact, if you are going to do anything funny in the turns that involve the gearbox, do it without any sudden elevation or lower grip surface involved, as that's where the bad voodoo be happening, ya?
Tuning?
Did someone say.. restraining order for adding turbos, acceleration to 5, boosted initial torque and braking sensitivity to 20 at least, stiffer anti roll bars up front, more compression up front, tighter gears after 1st, when required boost rear downforce, change height and spring rate slowly with more to the front, make sure the numbers are not ridiculously separated between front and back, put brake balance to the front with a minimum of -1, and practice, practice, PRACTICE?
Whew, I don't know why I want to say all that with one breath.
Now, it's another Grouped car, so.. anyone considering signing with Ferrari? Anyone already seeing the Group 3 car are the ones telling you against it. If you don't mind the exceptional Group 4 car it has, the Group 3 car needs you to be more precise or pleasant with your everything, or you will suffer. If you're still afraid of the Italia, alternatives include Frenchies in Citroen and RenaultSport. The former having a similar offering in a dominant midships Group 4 car, while the latter has a more balanced selection. If you're afraid of French snorting, you can also opt for fellow Italian Alfa Romeo.. if you're into lightweight small bois that are slow on the straights, but incredible driver's cars which are easy to handle. Porsche is also on the table for a go-to choice with 2 excellent cars in its classes. Honda's on this gang too, only offering a more.. Asian way of saying you hate yourself and wantnalla to sbinalla.
I'm going with a little of a high note here: this car might be, as they say, the most difficult of the bunch to make good work of, but to say that is an impossible task is.. well, an impossibility. And not to mention how good of a feeling it is to be taking this car out to challenge the likes of some other more civilized choices, and telling everyone on track that you lived. Although, after ample amounts of driving time in this, I can say there exist much more difficult Group 3 cars. The Italia is definitely 4 out of 5 stars under the influence of my greasy palms (greased with antiseptic alcohol that is, yes I'm addicted to that stuff even before COVID came about).
With the Italia GT3, all you got to do is, as my inner Sundowner would say, give war a chance. Hey, while a battle is what you're doing internally within this to get it straight, with the recent BOP changes, at least it's not weak.
Speaking of weak..
Running into another traffic car, Candy though finds this one noteworthy, as she activates her communicator..
Candy: "Eh? Umm, come in, Clark?"
Clark: "Something the matter?"
Candy: "Nash is on track.. I had him driving this car in mind in the weekend, but.."
Clark: "Let me put it this way: if he's the f[BLEEP]ing brains today, my brother will gladly explain in due time. The data you gathered is splendid, by the way. Come in when you feel you're done. Out."
Candy: "He sounded glad.. I wonder how long that's going to last."
Thinking of being done for the day, Candy prepares to leave, but not before announcing it to the present Sim Gear gang.
However, just as she closes in to their set garages, groups of people stand outside instead of inside, prompting her to investigate.
And she puts out a sigh of relief seeing a man that might help out.
Candy: "Is something going on?"
Hayato: "Oh? Candy-chan?"
He looks down a little and sees her not feeling playful, as she asks.
Candy: "Something you need, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "No, not really. I know you're going to ask, because narrator-chan whispered it to my head.."
I'm going to make sure she doesn't remember that we're in cahoots, Moto-san.
Hayato: "Nyeeheehee.. where was I.. oh, it's the usual Jiji just trying to convince once again that his aniki's future is on the track, not purely on the streets. Usually it won't do anything, but it can be.. heated enough that the teams have to be put outside to prevent further misalignment.. of the bone, nyeeheehee.."
She's not so sure, but she remarks..
Candy: "I had a talk like this once.. just pure mention of his past sweetheart can help change his mind.."
Arriving as she spoke, Williem and The Guts then chimed in..
Williem: "Only that this time, Frau.. to say it will work again might not be a certainty. Isn't that so?"
He nods at a sluggish pace.
Hayato: "Nyeehh.. that's just annoying. Our dear Candy-chan only having a one trick pony.. don't you think so, Will-chan?"
Williem: "She's right here, Moto-san.."
Candy: "Despite that, he's right. I'd like to come in and say something, but I'm currently at a loss.."
Not realizing The Guts already had left, the man standing in his spot then spoke..
Jake Ross: "Loss, you say?"
While Clark and Jake usually were figures opposing each other, Candy thought them to be somewhat similar, as she looks up to him.
But instead, she asks of..
Candy: "Up and rested, are you?"
Jake Ross: "And would you believe coming in at the right time? Come with me, little lady."
Candy: "Ummm.. alright!"
As they split, Jacob turned back and requests from the German cool guy..
Jake Ross: "Keep the gates secure. Let's get the riff raff at a minimum."
Williem: "Ja, ja, you're the boss, Herr Ross."
And he then turns back again and heads in.
Candy, while following, then notices the same package from earlier on hand.
Candy: "So.. what's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "Hmm.. perhaps it's relevant now. Recognize this?"
He opens the wrapped box to unfurl a tablet, but for Candy, it's not just any regular tablet you can buy online..
Candy: "It's one of those Prophecy tablets.. and.. I.."
Jake Ross: "..Not from Murph.. but.. you will wanna see how this turns out, trust me."
As they enter, the garage might be in a less than ideal condition, while the car remains spotless.
The brothers, arguing like they usually do in regards to the reason, then notices the people entering without resistance.
Clark: "Oh, what's this, brother? The f[BLEEP]ing backup?!"
Nash: "Ross? What are you up to now, you muppet?"
He remains his composure, as he remarks with a hint of snark..
Jake Ross: "There ain't no concoctions or chemical warfare up and about from me, but I know the air here stinks.. I aim to clear it up. Here."
Tossing the tablet like a cheesy movie, Clark then catches it, recognizing..
Clark: "How.. did you get this?"
And just like any cheesy movie, it then plays a sound at the perfect time.
Nash reaffirms, asking..
Nash: "That's coming from the tablet?"
Jake Ross: "I reckon you better answer that."
Knowing his own organization's own tools, he scrolls the screen elements, responding to the mystery caller.
Clark: "Humph. Who's this?"
Not expecting anything good, the woman making the call speaks..
Cierra: "M-Mister Messiah, sir!"
Clark: "Cierra!"
Candy: "W-what?!"
The thick uneasiness then wanes as Clark looks at the tablet, seeing Cierra on the other side.
Clark: "My dear.. Chosen.. are you alright?"
Cierra: "I'm.. I'm fine! Yes.. umm.. before you worry or whatever.. th-these people are doing me a solid!"
Clark: "Good.. good to hear that."
Seeing it unfold, Nash notes to his apprentice..
Nash: "Well.. now we know your connection with those punks have some meaning."
Jake Ross: "Smuggling that around wasn't easy.. had some help from.. I'd rather not say."
Then it's Candy's turn..
Candy: "This is all Cierra's idea, isn't it?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. She's been trying to get ahold of me for weeks, not mistaking.. I deduce Luce has something to do with it."
They then watch the conversation carry on..
Cierra: "I know you want to see us. but.. me and Lulu.. we have a race.. in Road Atlanta. Same time as you guys a-are having your grand prix!"
Clark: "America's a tad far away.."
Feeling he's needed, Jacob walked in and added..
Jake Ross: "Atlanta? I know a guy racing with you.. Wilde, racing for Suzuki."
Clark, unsure how to act, then asks..
Clark: "Tell me then.. is this what you wanted? Us apart.."
He sees her nervously holding back, tears then getting involved.
His expectations of her still high, Clark pushes the limits..
Clark: "No more silence, Cierra. I don't admit to anyone I'm treating you like my own.. But now.."
She began to weep, but refused to look weak from the man that nurtured her adult life, shouting..
Cierra: "I-I-I UNDERSTAND MISTER MESSIAH SIRR!"
Candy: "Volume, Cierra.."
As she rubs away her face, she answered back..
Cierra: "I feel I belonged.. really! In The Prophecy! In here too! W-with a team, I-I.."
Clark: "That's more than enough. You're happy. I can cope with that, CANDY.."
That sudden rage fuelled name drop got her ready to escape, but she struggled to retain..
Candy: "Uhh.. (he's going to lash out on me, is he?)"
Cierra: "I'm.. umm.. sorry for leaving so sudden. I had to find Lulu. I.. never knew that without her I wouldn't be complete."
The ternion needs to come back, she thought, but Candy too chimed in on the situation..
Candy: "Cierra.. I'm.. right there with you. Just that.. I don't want any more with Augur than I already did!"
Miffed at her involvment, Clark moves her aside and speaks..
Clark: "For completeness sake.. do know you're always welcome back in The Prophecy, no matter how bleak your new career looks."
Nash: "Bleak? Brother, I doubt that's what she's getting into."
Cierra: "Roger that.. I better sign off before.. they find out. Anything else?"
Pulling her back in, Clark then spoke, softly..
Clark: "No. You're an adult now.. do what you want. Don't be shy to call me, the Count, or Gary even. And you better apologize to Candy."
Cierra: "R-right! I'm sorry! I'll take care of Lulu. For us!"
Candy: "When's the next time we tussle, Cierra? I want it with all three of us the next time!"
Cierra: "A-a-if only.. well, no promises.. byeee!"
The tablet's call ends, which Clark tosses back to Jacob..
Clark: "Well, I didn't want that. But you all know I needed it."
Jake Ross: "You're welcome."
But while it was a moment of bliss, his violent streak kicked in, frustrated for reasons still unknown.
He started tossing more things around, while aware the car's still there.
Clark: "URGHH!! Damn it all. If Gary was here, he'd get a face full of fist! If not this Fowler Boys crap with The Cinderella, I would've handle Augur like they would like to handle my precious little wonder!"
The two men then notice Candy step up..
Candy: "Well.. what are you waiting for?"
Clark: "Tch.."
Nash had to stop his brother he thought, but Jacob halted him with a swing of his arm.
Nash: "Ohh?"
Candy: "I.. thought I'd be a good punching bag for you.. so.. if you please?"
He respects women, but being as she requested this personally, he didn't abstain.
She felt a fist coming in, eyes closed, expecting a sharp pain coming in.
But as it was to come, it stopped, just by a breath's range.
Clark: "No."
Candy: "N-no?! (He pulled it THIS close?)"
He came close, and instead leaned down..
Clark: "If I landed so much as a single smudge on to your lovely little face, I'd already lose myself. Now.. no more being a scaredy cat, Miss Lam. I have been, as you'd like it too, convinced."
Upon hearing that, Candy's emotional baggage on Clark Kayne has, strangely, floated away.
Relieved, she then sees him continue..
Clark: "Should I even hit you, you find yourself an excuse to not be racing this weekend, let alone any of you. Which would be a f[BLEEP]ing pity."
The white haired legend didn't take long to figure out..
Nash: "Am I.. seeing some development?"
Clark: "Like what I saw with Cierra.. I have to move on, brother. You know that. They know that. But when I f[BLEEP]ing move on, I have to take the f[BLEEP]ing first step. It's been more than 10 years."
His rage quelled, he finds motivation flooding in..
Clark: "And I wish to take it as the true me. Not Clark Kayne, the Messiah, but as.. Maximus Davies.. host of Sim Gear, going into our first ever sponsored GT event."
Unexpectedly, Nash's mission also came to a success, as he celebrates.
Nash: "Oh, verily so.. I'm.. I'm shocked! So shocked, I could weep.. If only Alan wasn't on holiday to see this: you, me, Guts.. on the track!"
Reminded of the old man, he replies to his brother with confidence.
Clark: "Don't leave the geezer out, brother! Let's take him back in."
Nash: "Right! I suppose you're right.. He too has a want to join our cause.. I need a manufacturer.. any suggestions?"
Jacob then came close and noted..
Jake Ross: "How about Hyundai? They got me a nice V6.. nearly took their offer, and trust me: they're desperate for racers."
Remembering The Guts and his Genesis, Nash couldn't find anything against this idea by himself, asking..
Nash: "I'm afraid there isn't anyone that can testify to this?"
Candy: "Not this time."
Jake Ross: "Sophia would. But.."
Remembering the former ambassador of a certain tamed racing animal, Nash then thought..
Nash: "Sophia would.. that's dodgy.."
Clark: "We can.. try to use it as leverage should she come crawling back."
His brother's wisdom once again at play, he obliges to the logic..
Nash: "Alright. But anything out of the ordinary, and I'll have to pull it."
Clark though has had enough of the crowd..
Clark: "Well? I say we're settled. You two are dismissed."
The two outsiders start to exit, but not without some praises of their own.
Candy: "Talk about amazing! Wait till big sis hears of this!"
Jake Ross: "I wonder if they'll see hints of The Messiah's greatness finally on the legal world.. All thanks to us."
Candy: "Nonsense! It's your doing! I was in it for the ride, that's all."
Nash and Clark, brothers of a Mythic declaration, then looked outside..
Nash: "What? We let them go without thanking them?"
Clark: "Not in front of them, no. F[BLEEP] this act of grateful mercy. But you know me enough that I appreciate their efforts. I'll let Rin know. Promise."
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
With perfect weather conditions, and the qualifying sessions settled in past days, the race rumbles on.
What's not expected is the amount of action all over the grid, with a Japanese Super Formula hotshot once again butting heads with a Nurburgring track master at the mid pack.
Not much further ahead comes a pair of women etching their name strong into the sport..
And up at front..
The tamed racing animal pounces his way to the lead as usual, but not without some challenge from the man secretly known as The Messiah.
Being the man that brought the world the ego centered Sonny Meng to the racetracks, the on track revival of Maximus Davies gave him ample reason for him to show the world he's not washed up, and what better message can that come as he would make a daring overtake.
Never happier, Nash watches this change of heart personally..
Nash: "Putting to shame the champion in his debut GT race. Brother.. you planned on a strong, veritable first impression, eh?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like last week, there are members of the roster that SHOULD be here, but aren't.
I keep telling myself: SPD, you need to only develop and revolve the story around Candy, not anyone else. I'm really bad at this.
And then I'm probably starting to notice a favored bunch of the roster now.. I'll try to diversify next week. Whatever car next week is, umm.. I'm going to use a random wheel for this..
I'm going to have Ayumi bring the energy. Which intrigues me: she and her new hubby hasn't appeared since Mazda Month.
If you want to guess who I really was rooting to write with next week, I think it's more interesting if you just guess.
I keep telling myself: SPD, you need to only develop and revolve the story around Candy, not anyone else. I'm really bad at this.
And then I'm probably starting to notice a favored bunch of the roster now.. I'll try to diversify next week. Whatever car next week is, umm.. I'm going to use a random wheel for this..
I'm going to have Ayumi bring the energy. Which intrigues me: she and her new hubby hasn't appeared since Mazda Month.
If you want to guess who I really was rooting to write with next week, I think it's more interesting if you just guess.
As the main character, Candy Lam is bound to appear in every segment, be it either as the lead role, or as a small mention.
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
Tech savvy geek with a forte in extreme sports. While her chaotic nature always gets her into situations unwanted, her overall innocent and kind upbringing gets her to be responsible of being the only one capable of lighting up the complete darkness in her husband's inner struggles for a final identity.
Theme Song: Muse - Guiding Light
Racing Duel Music: Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You?
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 29
Current occupation: Interpol special operative
Distinct features: Medium, layered bob burgundy hair. Athletic, slightly wide diamond face. Brown hooded eyes, thin almond nose and a small mouth. A natural beauty with a small layer of makeup that exists only to hide her eyebags. Thin profile with an average height, and above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Always wears a bespoke pair of sporty earphones. Never with a distinct fashion style due to her clinging as a master of disguise, even though she's more of a master of imitation. Most of a time she's with a sporty crop top, denim skirt with tight sporty arm socks, leggings and sports shoes.
Cars: Lexus LFA, Lexus RC F, Daihatsu Copen
Rin started off life in Tochigi. Not even years in, she has been diagnosed with a minor mental defect which hampered her thought processes. While it didn't get in the way of her everyday living, it prompted her parents to remain her a single child. It did get her to do the occasional odd and unusual behaviour. Aspiring to be the family's model child, she didn't let her setbacks bring her down. A top grading student with impressive feats in athleticism, and to remain incredibly pretty; you can say all these good things about her, it's supposedly impossible.
With her mother, love was unconditional, but her father seems held back. Further on in her teen life, she would find out aside his day job that he's a well known, on and off street racer. The relationship would sour further, but that changed in the aftermath of when she decided it's time to see if she can do better. Acing her driver's test was one thing, but immediately sneaking out and winning a Clubman Cup event in Motegi was the next.
Rin would head to the UK instead of local institutes for higher education, but it was a guise as her father wanted to protect her from local troubles stirred by his actions. Away from home, this would be a pivotal era for her development. An old friend became her starting point in racing. She would meet certain individuals, including her husband to be. But also came a criminal group that wanted to exploit her near perfect genetics, with these events causing mental damage, and giving way to her chaotic shifts in mood.
She would make her escape in marriage, prompting her to stay in California. The paranoia didn't stop there. On the first chance she could, she started working as a police officer, even deciding to adopt identities and learn imitation. But her fears did arrive. They staged an accident, and before she got taken away, she escaped, leaving everything behind for a long 7 years. This time was used for her to anonymously hone her racing to a whole new high, protected by Interpol.
And gladly, that time is over. But a lot has changed. Most importantly: her father has died. Initially succeeding him by joining FIA GT racing, she failed to inquire an investigation on how he left a legacy behind in the form of Candy..
Theme Song: Muse - Guiding Light
Racing Duel Music: Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You?
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 29
Current occupation: Interpol special operative
Distinct features: Medium, layered bob burgundy hair. Athletic, slightly wide diamond face. Brown hooded eyes, thin almond nose and a small mouth. A natural beauty with a small layer of makeup that exists only to hide her eyebags. Thin profile with an average height, and above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Always wears a bespoke pair of sporty earphones. Never with a distinct fashion style due to her clinging as a master of disguise, even though she's more of a master of imitation. Most of a time she's with a sporty crop top, denim skirt with tight sporty arm socks, leggings and sports shoes.
Cars: Lexus LFA, Lexus RC F, Daihatsu Copen
Rin started off life in Tochigi. Not even years in, she has been diagnosed with a minor mental defect which hampered her thought processes. While it didn't get in the way of her everyday living, it prompted her parents to remain her a single child. It did get her to do the occasional odd and unusual behaviour. Aspiring to be the family's model child, she didn't let her setbacks bring her down. A top grading student with impressive feats in athleticism, and to remain incredibly pretty; you can say all these good things about her, it's supposedly impossible.
With her mother, love was unconditional, but her father seems held back. Further on in her teen life, she would find out aside his day job that he's a well known, on and off street racer. The relationship would sour further, but that changed in the aftermath of when she decided it's time to see if she can do better. Acing her driver's test was one thing, but immediately sneaking out and winning a Clubman Cup event in Motegi was the next.
Rin would head to the UK instead of local institutes for higher education, but it was a guise as her father wanted to protect her from local troubles stirred by his actions. Away from home, this would be a pivotal era for her development. An old friend became her starting point in racing. She would meet certain individuals, including her husband to be. But also came a criminal group that wanted to exploit her near perfect genetics, with these events causing mental damage, and giving way to her chaotic shifts in mood.
She would make her escape in marriage, prompting her to stay in California. The paranoia didn't stop there. On the first chance she could, she started working as a police officer, even deciding to adopt identities and learn imitation. But her fears did arrive. They staged an accident, and before she got taken away, she escaped, leaving everything behind for a long 7 years. This time was used for her to anonymously hone her racing to a whole new high, protected by Interpol.
And gladly, that time is over. But a lot has changed. Most importantly: her father has died. Initially succeeding him by joining FIA GT racing, she failed to inquire an investigation on how he left a legacy behind in the form of Candy..
They said if there was a God in the worldwide street racing scene, Jacob Ross' moniker as The Outlaw was the very thing He and anyone else in said scene would be unequivocally afraid of.
Theme Song: Metallica - Disposable Heroes (Remastered)
Racing Duel Music: Gary Numan - I Am Dust
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 33
Current occupation: Rookie racer, in guise of his top street racer moniker
Distinct features: Balding marked, medium swept up brown hair. Roughened up with a few cut scars, but smooth, thin chiseled, and somewhat attractive diamond face. Aggressive, azure down turned eyes, thick grecian nose and serious, semi-thick lips. Tall build, with a fit build carrying developed muscles. Those muscles would artificially expand further when he becomes The Outlaw.
Choice of clothing: Black is the name of the game, usually with a custom tailored suit vest under a dark long wool jacket. Never seen without a black bespoke pinch front cowboy hat, with an engraving: 'Oderint dum metuant'. As The Outlaw, he would add on a thick special bulletproof attire, and a breathing apparatus that steams out an unusual drug should he need it.
Cars: Ford GT '06, Ford Mustang Boss 429, Ford Mustang Gr. 3 Road Car (as The Outlaw)
As the firstborn of a rich Californian racing legend, racing was definitely in his blood and Jacob had that opportunity for succeeding his father, joyous and determined this is the future for him.
But in his youth, something happened to his young psyche, and to say it changed him would seriously put it mildly.
The details remain sketchy, and it remained a sensitive topic within his family even to today. It drove a wedge between him and his parents far enough that he wouldn't be the same after his teens. These events harbors the influence of him becoming a fearless, serious somber man with said fear as a weapon of his own.
Now that the weight of succession is beared to someone else, Jacob carved his own destiny. Mixing his passions of the past with his more darkened methods, he toughed through the many grueling years to become the self proclaimed, undisputed fastest street racer of the US, through being a founding member of The List, aliased as The Outlaw: a drug enhanced, nigh unbeatable driver with a penchant for deceit, destruction, disrespect and fire, usually all combined. It's said that there are unspeakable tales of terror that happens to those who oppose The Outlaw: the identity he protects dearly, so much that over time, he's developed a vengeance to those that threaten this visage and those close to him.
Eventually, he married someone: a youthful Japanese girl who would be the greatest ray of sunshine he could ever get. But even that was a marriage that wouldn't last, as both became a target from greater powers. After a long 7 years, that threat now extinguished, he resumed the bumpy, happy life, hoping to outrun the past he knew wouldn't catch up. These days, Jacob has recently registered as a rookie FIA racer, with initial plans in his head saying to take it slow. All seems dandy, until certain events including the rise of his wife's old enemies resurface, enveloping him in the darkness where he then believes is the only place he belongs.
And if his fans and followers are familiar with his talents that developed his legacy, know that his history with a clenching darkness has caught up to him. It's unsure whether his known heroic side has fallen, merged, or even co-exists with his persevering dark side.
Theme Song: Metallica - Disposable Heroes (Remastered)
Racing Duel Music: Gary Numan - I Am Dust
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 33
Current occupation: Rookie racer, in guise of his top street racer moniker
Distinct features: Balding marked, medium swept up brown hair. Roughened up with a few cut scars, but smooth, thin chiseled, and somewhat attractive diamond face. Aggressive, azure down turned eyes, thick grecian nose and serious, semi-thick lips. Tall build, with a fit build carrying developed muscles. Those muscles would artificially expand further when he becomes The Outlaw.
Choice of clothing: Black is the name of the game, usually with a custom tailored suit vest under a dark long wool jacket. Never seen without a black bespoke pinch front cowboy hat, with an engraving: 'Oderint dum metuant'. As The Outlaw, he would add on a thick special bulletproof attire, and a breathing apparatus that steams out an unusual drug should he need it.
Cars: Ford GT '06, Ford Mustang Boss 429, Ford Mustang Gr. 3 Road Car (as The Outlaw)
As the firstborn of a rich Californian racing legend, racing was definitely in his blood and Jacob had that opportunity for succeeding his father, joyous and determined this is the future for him.
But in his youth, something happened to his young psyche, and to say it changed him would seriously put it mildly.
The details remain sketchy, and it remained a sensitive topic within his family even to today. It drove a wedge between him and his parents far enough that he wouldn't be the same after his teens. These events harbors the influence of him becoming a fearless, serious somber man with said fear as a weapon of his own.
Now that the weight of succession is beared to someone else, Jacob carved his own destiny. Mixing his passions of the past with his more darkened methods, he toughed through the many grueling years to become the self proclaimed, undisputed fastest street racer of the US, through being a founding member of The List, aliased as The Outlaw: a drug enhanced, nigh unbeatable driver with a penchant for deceit, destruction, disrespect and fire, usually all combined. It's said that there are unspeakable tales of terror that happens to those who oppose The Outlaw: the identity he protects dearly, so much that over time, he's developed a vengeance to those that threaten this visage and those close to him.
Eventually, he married someone: a youthful Japanese girl who would be the greatest ray of sunshine he could ever get. But even that was a marriage that wouldn't last, as both became a target from greater powers. After a long 7 years, that threat now extinguished, he resumed the bumpy, happy life, hoping to outrun the past he knew wouldn't catch up. These days, Jacob has recently registered as a rookie FIA racer, with initial plans in his head saying to take it slow. All seems dandy, until certain events including the rise of his wife's old enemies resurface, enveloping him in the darkness where he then believes is the only place he belongs.
And if his fans and followers are familiar with his talents that developed his legacy, know that his history with a clenching darkness has caught up to him. It's unsure whether his known heroic side has fallen, merged, or even co-exists with his persevering dark side.
Some say he has an unmistakeable alternate take on the origins of shoelaces, and that he's campaigning a drive to ensure mandatory use of condoms outside of pleasure. All we know is.. he might be a parody of something more legendary, but he sure is one racing animal.
Theme Song: Finger Eleven - Gods of Speed
Racing Duel Music: Celldweller - Unshakeable (BT & SeamlessR remix)
Gender: Male.. and boy are we glad this is known
Nationality: oh crap
Age: definitely around his 20s? 30s, I guess
Current occupation: Speed
Distinct features: Has no hair, and has a mildly chiseled face of a.. unknown if it's Caucasian or Asian look and skin tone. Sharp wide brown eyes, thick grecian nose and unpronounced mouth. Hard to say under his clothing, but its speculated he has a well built body with developed muscles.
Choice of clothing: His signature racing helmet is always on him, but very rarely can be seen without it. Aside from that, he wears whatever the situation desires, usually in shades of carbon black.
Cars: Genesis G70 3.3T, Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Group 1
A mute, socially awkward man of unknown origin and information. All the people know about him is his mythical exploits on the track, being one of the fastest beings on the planet behind any type of car. Not knowing where he came from, some say he was a child of a sinister experiment gone bad. Others say he's the resurrected spirit of a legendary racing driver and brought to the world to show how it's done.
Whatever naysay is related, The Guts' unequal presence on the track is by far the single most dominant feeling of 'Nobody but him is winning this race', and with the rise of talents behind his flag, it's been a proven fact. Usually followed by an ambassador to help communicate, The Guts only speaks through body language, or occasionally with sign language. And if those don't work, he often snatches smartphones and somehow get away with it.
Now under the British car show Sim Gear, The Guts non-racing days have been all about testing cars and showing his ego. But some time ago, since the show's discontinuation, there have been rumors of The Guts being related to The List, but not even group veterans and founders aside the big boss can prove this. Although, the indirect proof of his signature Genesis G70 winning top level street races with his name on it has been circulating.
Theme Song: Finger Eleven - Gods of Speed
Racing Duel Music: Celldweller - Unshakeable (BT & SeamlessR remix)
Gender: Male.. and boy are we glad this is known
Nationality: oh crap
Age: definitely around his 20s? 30s, I guess
Current occupation: Speed
Distinct features: Has no hair, and has a mildly chiseled face of a.. unknown if it's Caucasian or Asian look and skin tone. Sharp wide brown eyes, thick grecian nose and unpronounced mouth. Hard to say under his clothing, but its speculated he has a well built body with developed muscles.
Choice of clothing: His signature racing helmet is always on him, but very rarely can be seen without it. Aside from that, he wears whatever the situation desires, usually in shades of carbon black.
Cars: Genesis G70 3.3T, Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Group 1
A mute, socially awkward man of unknown origin and information. All the people know about him is his mythical exploits on the track, being one of the fastest beings on the planet behind any type of car. Not knowing where he came from, some say he was a child of a sinister experiment gone bad. Others say he's the resurrected spirit of a legendary racing driver and brought to the world to show how it's done.
Whatever naysay is related, The Guts' unequal presence on the track is by far the single most dominant feeling of 'Nobody but him is winning this race', and with the rise of talents behind his flag, it's been a proven fact. Usually followed by an ambassador to help communicate, The Guts only speaks through body language, or occasionally with sign language. And if those don't work, he often snatches smartphones and somehow get away with it.
Now under the British car show Sim Gear, The Guts non-racing days have been all about testing cars and showing his ego. But some time ago, since the show's discontinuation, there have been rumors of The Guts being related to The List, but not even group veterans and founders aside the big boss can prove this. Although, the indirect proof of his signature Genesis G70 winning top level street races with his name on it has been circulating.
Fourth wall breaking fan favorite racer of the current Super Formula era, Hayato's achievements haze the many dilemmas and twists he's found himself in. A former Yakuza enforcer that doubles as an just as silent and swift ninja wannabe with a unfavorable young personality to back up his race track talents.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX, KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX, KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Just like a being that fell from the sky, Cierra brings herself as The Prophecy's unwanted deus ex machina that can do anything.. if her extremely timid self won't hold it back.
Theme Song: Journey - Wheel in The Sky
Racing Duel Music: Pendulum - Witchcraft (Pegboard Nerds remix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: American
Age: 25
Current occupation: Racing mechanic
Distinct features: Medium, straight brown hair. Sharp and short triangular face with a just as sharp chin. Narrow green eyes around a thin but pointy nose above a slightly thick, but narrow mouth. Small patches of oil can be seen under her brown eyes. While adult, still retains a teenage look in most of her facial features. Average height, skinny body with regular caucasian skin.
Choice of clothing: Always with her signature blue beret. Her clothes vary, but usually consists of a cropped jacket over a tight undershirt, tight skinny jeans, and leather slippers. Can also be seen wearing a mechanic's getup.
Cars: Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Coronet Super Bee
Hailing from San Francisco, Cierra's personal history has been unremarkably blank, until she picked up a spanner from a local chop shop that raised her as one of their own. The shop allowed her to get exposure to her passions as a car mechanic, also earning said staff as a family to lean towards. Slowly but surely, she would earn a reputation modifying cars to be street race ready in a short period of time. Over time, she gains an understanding on what to do if a car needs to drift, grip, drag, or just even lay low on the pavement with lamps all around.
While her social skills remain an all time low due to her timid soul, her ever growing skills in developing and maintaining top levels of performance at a young age manages her to receive scholarships for special tutoring from various manufacturers around the world. From experimental American machines, European supercars, to the domestic powerhouse in Toyota, there's very little in the car she doesn't understand.
Cierra also received the lovely perk of testing out cars from the chop shop just as soon as she reached her sweet sixteens. This skill would work out well for police evasion and warrant issues she piled up. It's unknown how she manages her way in and out of San Francisco with a warrant for her constantly present in the California area alone, but sightings of her in Toyoda would be the last anyone's heard of her in the public.
Her latest caper has her ousted from her home turf, and somehow end up in London, where she becomes another of the Chosen: The Messiah's chosen racers for him to mentor.
Theme Song: Journey - Wheel in The Sky
Racing Duel Music: Pendulum - Witchcraft (Pegboard Nerds remix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: American
Age: 25
Current occupation: Racing mechanic
Distinct features: Medium, straight brown hair. Sharp and short triangular face with a just as sharp chin. Narrow green eyes around a thin but pointy nose above a slightly thick, but narrow mouth. Small patches of oil can be seen under her brown eyes. While adult, still retains a teenage look in most of her facial features. Average height, skinny body with regular caucasian skin.
Choice of clothing: Always with her signature blue beret. Her clothes vary, but usually consists of a cropped jacket over a tight undershirt, tight skinny jeans, and leather slippers. Can also be seen wearing a mechanic's getup.
Cars: Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Coronet Super Bee
Hailing from San Francisco, Cierra's personal history has been unremarkably blank, until she picked up a spanner from a local chop shop that raised her as one of their own. The shop allowed her to get exposure to her passions as a car mechanic, also earning said staff as a family to lean towards. Slowly but surely, she would earn a reputation modifying cars to be street race ready in a short period of time. Over time, she gains an understanding on what to do if a car needs to drift, grip, drag, or just even lay low on the pavement with lamps all around.
While her social skills remain an all time low due to her timid soul, her ever growing skills in developing and maintaining top levels of performance at a young age manages her to receive scholarships for special tutoring from various manufacturers around the world. From experimental American machines, European supercars, to the domestic powerhouse in Toyota, there's very little in the car she doesn't understand.
Cierra also received the lovely perk of testing out cars from the chop shop just as soon as she reached her sweet sixteens. This skill would work out well for police evasion and warrant issues she piled up. It's unknown how she manages her way in and out of San Francisco with a warrant for her constantly present in the California area alone, but sightings of her in Toyoda would be the last anyone's heard of her in the public.
Her latest caper has her ousted from her home turf, and somehow end up in London, where she becomes another of the Chosen: The Messiah's chosen racers for him to mentor.
An intelligent man who's anger led to better things than just mental help. This figure would be the self recognized leader of the most exclusive and feared street racers within Europe: The Prophecy.
Theme Song: Avenged Sevenfold - Unbound (The Wild Ride)
Racing Duel Music: Slayer - Raining Blood
Gender: Male
Nationality: Welsh
Age: 37
Current occupation: If not a fanatically themed cult leader, a car show host
Distinct features: Short red hair over a short, rounded diamond face. Sharp green eyes, with a hint of red in the whites, as if fury's always present. Tearful eyes, thin nose and small mouth. Average build and height with bright skin, but with a more noticeable muscle built upper body.
Choice of clothing: Top of the line branded clothes and accessories, but nothing out of the quintessential British fashion, including a newsboy cap, long multi layered skin covered articles of fancy fashion, and climbing boots.
Cars: LaFerrari, Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, Ferrari F430, Volkswagen Sambabus Typ 2
Real name: Maximus Davies. Clark Kayne is merely an alias for this Cardiff born orphan. After his abusive family's demise by his hand personally, he was raised in Manchester, and thus met an important figurehead for his life onward: the sole successor of the Kirkham Foundation, who would end up being a legendary 90's era racing youth, and his beloved brother for life.
Nowadays, he's mainly known as the only, then one of the three hosts in slowly uprising car show Sim Gear. But his real portfolio would be as the sole individual that leads The Prophecy: a London based street crew that houses strict teachings and top end performance car culture, once the sole governing entity that dominates all of the UK's street racing.
While a bit of a pugilist, has a bit of a temper and enjoys violence on a minor scale, Clark possesses a great IQ level, and strategizes often for the next move. Aside writing gospels for his exclusive club, Clark finds himself credited for writing scripts and scenarios for Sim Gear, as well as carrying it initially as the sole figurehead while the studio was still getting started.
Also with a leaning towards illegally obtained Ferraris, Clark has the talent to handle whatever car he can reach forth, infamous for running the V12 Hybrid trinity LaFerrari on the roads without incident. Despite this, his racing talents shine only away from the track, due to a past incident he won't let go from that cost him his reputation and potential partner for life.
Theme Song: Avenged Sevenfold - Unbound (The Wild Ride)
Racing Duel Music: Slayer - Raining Blood
Gender: Male
Nationality: Welsh
Age: 37
Current occupation: If not a fanatically themed cult leader, a car show host
Distinct features: Short red hair over a short, rounded diamond face. Sharp green eyes, with a hint of red in the whites, as if fury's always present. Tearful eyes, thin nose and small mouth. Average build and height with bright skin, but with a more noticeable muscle built upper body.
Choice of clothing: Top of the line branded clothes and accessories, but nothing out of the quintessential British fashion, including a newsboy cap, long multi layered skin covered articles of fancy fashion, and climbing boots.
Cars: LaFerrari, Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, Ferrari F430, Volkswagen Sambabus Typ 2
Real name: Maximus Davies. Clark Kayne is merely an alias for this Cardiff born orphan. After his abusive family's demise by his hand personally, he was raised in Manchester, and thus met an important figurehead for his life onward: the sole successor of the Kirkham Foundation, who would end up being a legendary 90's era racing youth, and his beloved brother for life.
Nowadays, he's mainly known as the only, then one of the three hosts in slowly uprising car show Sim Gear. But his real portfolio would be as the sole individual that leads The Prophecy: a London based street crew that houses strict teachings and top end performance car culture, once the sole governing entity that dominates all of the UK's street racing.
While a bit of a pugilist, has a bit of a temper and enjoys violence on a minor scale, Clark possesses a great IQ level, and strategizes often for the next move. Aside writing gospels for his exclusive club, Clark finds himself credited for writing scripts and scenarios for Sim Gear, as well as carrying it initially as the sole figurehead while the studio was still getting started.
Also with a leaning towards illegally obtained Ferraris, Clark has the talent to handle whatever car he can reach forth, infamous for running the V12 Hybrid trinity LaFerrari on the roads without incident. Despite this, his racing talents shine only away from the track, due to a past incident he won't let go from that cost him his reputation and potential partner for life.
Once a youthful, late 90s racing powerhouse with family fortunes secured his good life as the strategic and composed mastermind behind the Kirkham Foundation of Medical Sciences. This Manchester native is settled for many lives worth of riches, racing world influence and overall standing in his many fields, but he requires the help of a few worthy others to achieve the goal of housing the fastest racers on the planet.
Theme Song: Coldplay - White Shadows, Coldplay - Paradise (Epic Orchestral Cover by Carl Abelgas & its_draconix)
Racing Duel Music: Electric Lights Orchestra - Prologue + Twilight
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 41
Current occupation: Corporate director
Distinct features: Medium sized, clean cut straight grey hair with white edges. Wide oblong oval face, with hints of wrinkling. Thick narrow nubian nose with often dried out mouth of average size. Slightly tall, very fit build covered by strongly pale skin.
Choice of clothing: No real preference outside of what's British. Functional is what matters. He's often with designer clothing that make him look and feel youthful, such as a puffy jacket over shirt and jeans, bright tracksuits and if anything is formal, it's brightly colored.
Cars: McLaren F1, Abarth 500
Nash was birthed in his current home turf of Manchester. A rich upper classman of Whalley Range, Nash might be born with wealth on his pocket from day 1 due to his father's role as the figurehead of long time pharmaceutical megacompany: the Kirkham Foundation. But he wasn't quite blessed in other ways. His mother passed from childbirth, and his father's not long for the world with a terminal illness. With connected family unwilling to support this dying cause, Nash was left with the family fortune from age 10. However, his father's advice never left him: he's to only trust himself, and never to let anyone give them a chance to take away the family riches.
With that advice in mind, he's left his lofty life of a giant mansion with servants on every whim to enroll himself to the best, with loyal corporate figures acting as his legal guardians, ensuring he would come up to grow as the future of the company. His trust issues would plague him until he would scuffle with a boy who would grow up to be the UK's street racing pioneer known as The Messiah. Said boy would change Nash for the better, being the first person he would open to, and declare as his brother: a role still going strong today. His bitterness towards others would end, as this period of comforting his always angry brother would give way to Nash's overall kind spiritedness coming out.
Reaching adulthood, Nash balanced out his new role as the Foundation director with the life he yearned to find, and he looked hard. Upon suggestion by his brother was track racing, and while his brother was unfortunate, Nash went on to be a GT racing icon after his debut years, meeting many others in this career. But the good times never last, as he was diagnosed by a rare form of albinism that caused his body to age quicker than usual. While his foundation went far to develop a cure, nothing fruitful arose. His undying dedication to this cure had him hit the books, so hard that it earned him great honors in medical sciences and economics. As he would take on an American protege to give his racing wisdom, he's uncertain of his fate, and adopted a successor to give down his company due to an old friend's promise.
These days, Nash's undiagnosed condition prevents him from racing in his name, despite being in peak physical form, but he's usually out and about racing various top racing fields as the Mysterious NZ. And if he's not co-hosting Sim Gear with his brother, he's scheming away his latest big dedicated project known as the Mythic Initiative. Now with six in tow, he's hoping to rid the discord caused by his own protege entering a dark chapter, hoping that the choice never has to come..
Theme Song: Coldplay - White Shadows, Coldplay - Paradise (Epic Orchestral Cover by Carl Abelgas & its_draconix)
Racing Duel Music: Electric Lights Orchestra - Prologue + Twilight
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 41
Current occupation: Corporate director
Distinct features: Medium sized, clean cut straight grey hair with white edges. Wide oblong oval face, with hints of wrinkling. Thick narrow nubian nose with often dried out mouth of average size. Slightly tall, very fit build covered by strongly pale skin.
Choice of clothing: No real preference outside of what's British. Functional is what matters. He's often with designer clothing that make him look and feel youthful, such as a puffy jacket over shirt and jeans, bright tracksuits and if anything is formal, it's brightly colored.
Cars: McLaren F1, Abarth 500
Nash was birthed in his current home turf of Manchester. A rich upper classman of Whalley Range, Nash might be born with wealth on his pocket from day 1 due to his father's role as the figurehead of long time pharmaceutical megacompany: the Kirkham Foundation. But he wasn't quite blessed in other ways. His mother passed from childbirth, and his father's not long for the world with a terminal illness. With connected family unwilling to support this dying cause, Nash was left with the family fortune from age 10. However, his father's advice never left him: he's to only trust himself, and never to let anyone give them a chance to take away the family riches.
With that advice in mind, he's left his lofty life of a giant mansion with servants on every whim to enroll himself to the best, with loyal corporate figures acting as his legal guardians, ensuring he would come up to grow as the future of the company. His trust issues would plague him until he would scuffle with a boy who would grow up to be the UK's street racing pioneer known as The Messiah. Said boy would change Nash for the better, being the first person he would open to, and declare as his brother: a role still going strong today. His bitterness towards others would end, as this period of comforting his always angry brother would give way to Nash's overall kind spiritedness coming out.
Reaching adulthood, Nash balanced out his new role as the Foundation director with the life he yearned to find, and he looked hard. Upon suggestion by his brother was track racing, and while his brother was unfortunate, Nash went on to be a GT racing icon after his debut years, meeting many others in this career. But the good times never last, as he was diagnosed by a rare form of albinism that caused his body to age quicker than usual. While his foundation went far to develop a cure, nothing fruitful arose. His undying dedication to this cure had him hit the books, so hard that it earned him great honors in medical sciences and economics. As he would take on an American protege to give his racing wisdom, he's uncertain of his fate, and adopted a successor to give down his company due to an old friend's promise.
These days, Nash's undiagnosed condition prevents him from racing in his name, despite being in peak physical form, but he's usually out and about racing various top racing fields as the Mysterious NZ. And if he's not co-hosting Sim Gear with his brother, he's scheming away his latest big dedicated project known as the Mythic Initiative. Now with six in tow, he's hoping to rid the discord caused by his own protege entering a dark chapter, hoping that the choice never has to come..
A fan favorite cool cat with a renowned row of accolades for racing street legal machinery. Now expanding his horizons as a member of infamous racing club The List, Williem hopes to bring his long running expertise of the most infamous toll road out to the more savage wilderness that is street racing.
Theme Song: R.E.M. - Talk About The Passion
Racing Duel Music: R.E.M. - Orange Crush
Gender: Male
Nationality: German
Age: 34
Current occupation: Street car racer
Distinct features: Mid-long, curled light accented blonde hair. Thick diamond shaped face with slender cheeks and a rough chin, giving a handsome flair. Narrow eyes, thin down pointed nose, and narrow mouth. Teeth show signs it's being worked on externally, and face is artificially clear of any blemishes. Average to tall height, with semi thin body frame.
Choice of clothing: Always wearing a casual motorsports getup, consisting of a turtleneck shirt under a sporty jacket, matching sports pants and shoes. 90% of the time it will be branded with Audi or the Nurburgring.
Cars: Audi R8 V10, Audi R8 4.2, Audi TTS (Type 8J)
Williem came into the world as one of the two children of a well known Nurburgring specialist family hailed from Eifel. Having exposed into the racing at an early age, Williem has his daily life mixed with both racing and education. While a struggle, this allowed Williem to take things calm, cool and methodically; a mantra he lives by to this day.
A fan of 80's rock, Williem takes greatly into their cool nature and also dabbled into music, adapting in and out from playing the bass, synth keyboard, to taking the wheel of a race worthy Porsche in the early 2000s. Giving his life into succeeding the family name in this sport, he too wants his other sibling: a rage inducing little prodigy into this field. But as he learned to consider the feelings of others, Williem would take her around with his side hustle as a Nurburgring taxi driver, realizing that this is his true calling, not racing.
Eventually befriending a hot headed Spanish superstar upon adulthood, Williem would make use of his talents to be a prime car tester around various locales, especially the Nurburgring. Once hosting their yearly street racing tournament, Williem aligned slowly, as he should, into the competitive side of driving. A fan favorite fixture of the Supercar Festival events, he's made a few well known rivals in his day he's yet to best, which are a lightweight specializing French aristocrat, and an overegotistical man known as the Asian-American Badass.
Now in a relationship with a Russian known as the Queen, Williem was then persuaded to join her sister's good friend: a dark cowboy, into the leagues of street racing, with high hopes as a sleeper newcomer to the cream of the crop of US based street crews.
Theme Song: R.E.M. - Talk About The Passion
Racing Duel Music: R.E.M. - Orange Crush
Gender: Male
Nationality: German
Age: 34
Current occupation: Street car racer
Distinct features: Mid-long, curled light accented blonde hair. Thick diamond shaped face with slender cheeks and a rough chin, giving a handsome flair. Narrow eyes, thin down pointed nose, and narrow mouth. Teeth show signs it's being worked on externally, and face is artificially clear of any blemishes. Average to tall height, with semi thin body frame.
Choice of clothing: Always wearing a casual motorsports getup, consisting of a turtleneck shirt under a sporty jacket, matching sports pants and shoes. 90% of the time it will be branded with Audi or the Nurburgring.
Cars: Audi R8 V10, Audi R8 4.2, Audi TTS (Type 8J)
Williem came into the world as one of the two children of a well known Nurburgring specialist family hailed from Eifel. Having exposed into the racing at an early age, Williem has his daily life mixed with both racing and education. While a struggle, this allowed Williem to take things calm, cool and methodically; a mantra he lives by to this day.
A fan of 80's rock, Williem takes greatly into their cool nature and also dabbled into music, adapting in and out from playing the bass, synth keyboard, to taking the wheel of a race worthy Porsche in the early 2000s. Giving his life into succeeding the family name in this sport, he too wants his other sibling: a rage inducing little prodigy into this field. But as he learned to consider the feelings of others, Williem would take her around with his side hustle as a Nurburgring taxi driver, realizing that this is his true calling, not racing.
Eventually befriending a hot headed Spanish superstar upon adulthood, Williem would make use of his talents to be a prime car tester around various locales, especially the Nurburgring. Once hosting their yearly street racing tournament, Williem aligned slowly, as he should, into the competitive side of driving. A fan favorite fixture of the Supercar Festival events, he's made a few well known rivals in his day he's yet to best, which are a lightweight specializing French aristocrat, and an overegotistical man known as the Asian-American Badass.
Now in a relationship with a Russian known as the Queen, Williem was then persuaded to join her sister's good friend: a dark cowboy, into the leagues of street racing, with high hopes as a sleeper newcomer to the cream of the crop of US based street crews.
This video made me log back into GT7 to create a similar experience using the 458 GT3.
The following car isn't a 458 GT3 as such but something very similar.
It's a 458 Challenge racing car used for the Ferrari Challenge championship and the one in the video has been converted into a road car. A very fast road car.
The following car isn't a 458 GT3 as such but something very similar.
It's a 458 Challenge racing car used for the Ferrari Challenge championship and the one in the video has been converted into a road car. A very fast road car.
- 508
- Singapore
Ok, I should point out that there are exceptions to the ‘one car beats all other peers in its Manufacturer’s lineup for a given category, period’.
The WRX was very competitive in the Manufacturer Deep Forest race last week, its power-focused approach allowing it to excel on DF where the BRZ’s downforce-focused approach would have floundered. Ford drivers heading to Bathurst would have more luck bringing an FR Mustang instead of trying to play a demented form of Twister downhill with any of the MR GTs. And anyone that cannot handle or maximise the potential of the ‘mainline’ cars can run the ‘secondary’ cars instead.
That being said, it is generally true that the newer cars (in terms of the car’s age, not when it was first added to GTS/GT7) tend to get more favourable BoPs than older cars. I have yet to find a situation where the utterly crippled F1 GTR Shorttail beats the 650S GT3 due to the F1 getting nerfed into the ground to avoid P2W accusations by virtue of being a Legends car AND being the most expensive car in Gr.3. I have also never seen anyone ever bring the RC F Prototype to a GTWS race in A or A+. And the Nissan Skyline Silhouette was DOA despite having the best power/weight ratio in Gr.3 because dethroning the F1 GTR as the oldest car in class also meant having antiquated aerodynamics and turbo lag that requires sending 2 weeks notice before accelerating out of slow corners.
And then there was the inverse situation with the Alfa 155, which was one of the 4WD triumvirate that dominated Gr.4 for the latter half of GT7’s first year, bringing an acceleration/handling approach to the WRX’s balanced and GT-R’s power based approaches. And there were exactly two Gr.4 championship races during that period where another car could match or beat the 4WD triumvirate: a Nations Deep Forest race with tyre wear severe enough to allow the Silvia TC (sacrificing 2-3 tenths per lap in exchange for being significantly easier on tyres) to fight the 155 and WRX and a Manufacturer Road Atlanta fuel saving race that revealed the Huracan to be utterly broken in fuel saving.
And the Silvia itself was another exception to the new>old convention after the GT-R and its 4WD triumvirate peers were finally nerfed, becoming the new meta Gr.4 car with only the Ferrari 458 and Jaguar F-Type being able to keep up.
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- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Here are the results of last week's Special Challenges! Yes, plural!
Damn Vic, I know I was encouraging participation all week long, but calm down!
Big congrats to you, and thanks to everyone for throwing their hat in! It was super fun trying to chase the times you guys set!
@McClarenDesign has been streaming most of the past few Tuesday lobbies to his YouTube channel, and for his amazing contribution, he's been given the choice for the next Car of the Week! The long–time F1 fanatic has chosen the oldest F1 car in the series to date, the Honda RA272 '65!
If you'd like to experience the origin and inspiration of many modern Hondas, feel free to join us in our weekly lobbies!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 640
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
Rules:
#cotw #ra272 #w58
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
"The Longest Yard" TT:
| XSquareStickIt | 2:05.971 |
| Baron Blitz Red | 2:05.575 |
| Yard_Sale | 2:04.490 |
| Vic_Reign93 | 2:04.316 |
"Do You Even Drift" TT:
| XSquareStickIt | 2:48.34x |
| Vic_Reign93 | 2:46.88x |
Damn Vic, I know I was encouraging participation all week long, but calm down!
Big congrats to you, and thanks to everyone for throwing their hat in! It was super fun trying to chase the times you guys set!@McClarenDesign has been streaming most of the past few Tuesday lobbies to his YouTube channel, and for his amazing contribution, he's been given the choice for the next Car of the Week! The long–time F1 fanatic has chosen the oldest F1 car in the series to date, the Honda RA272 '65!
1965 was the last season of F1's "1.5L era", and the upstart car company in Honda one last year to capitalise on their prized NA V12 engine built from their years of expertise manufacturing motorcycles. Weirdly, underdog Japanese manufacturers seem to suddenly pull out a Bankai and become Hokage while the One Piece drops into their laps when given one last year to run their defining engine in a high–profile race, and while far from winning the season, Richie Ginther did manage to drive his #11 RA272 to a historic win at the Mexican Grand Prix, which would become the first win ever for a Japanese car in an F1 race, setting a strong precedent for many a Honda powered machine to follow in the decades after.
If you'd like to experience the origin and inspiration of many modern Hondas, feel free to join us in our weekly lobbies!
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock RA272s under BoP conditions! Don't worry if you don't have an eligible RA272; you can join us in a comparison car to spice things up!Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 21st May, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 25th May, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 640
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
The Special Challenge for the week is to beat my lap time of 2:11.160 around Suzuka Circuit Full Course in a bone stock RA272 (+5BB). The twist? The person who does that with the smallest displacement car wins! I daresay I left a lot of time on the table in that run, so maybe you can dethrone that with a RA272 yourself?Rules:
- Use the 16:00 preset in Time Trial
- Track Cut Penalty: Weak
- Tyre Wear & Fuel Con: Off
- Cars with unknown displacement not eligible
- Wankel Engines and EVs not eligible
- Tuning: No Limit, but RA272s cannot change anything other than Brake Balance
- Save a replay of your best lap, I might ask for it to be shared with me
#cotw #ra272 #w58
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
- 508
- Singapore
NGL, I may have shut down this challenge before it even begun. I suspect only the Kei cars have lower displacement and they will be hard pressed to do a 2:11 when my one run with a Beat souped up to 136 HP (92 HP short of the RA272) and weighing 170kg more was a 2:23. Maybe Vic can pull some sort of miracle out of a Kei car, IDK.
Obelisk
Premium
- 9,711
- United States
- RMedia_Obelisk
- 508
- Singapore
Since Square didn’t specify a tie breaker, I would assume using a swapped S800 or S660 would be a tie, since they both use the RC213V engine too.
I think beating the low 2:11 with a Kei car engine would require one to absolutely nail both the tune and the driving, due to the power and weight disparity. Not impossible, but very, very difficult.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
In the event of a tie breaker, we'll go with the person with the faster lap times.
I'll admit: this special challenge was pretty poorly thought through. I came up with it in a rush after feeling ill for most of the day. I should've at least limited tyres to RH, or did my benchmark time on RS... Sorry about that.
Worth noting that there are tuning options that increase the displacement of a car, so keep that in mind.
- 6,650
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Managed a 07.02.447 with it. YT review: "Well, it was certainly interesting to have driven this 60's legendary, championship winning F1 car from Japan. All in all it was pretty well behaved I think. The one bigger off I had on the track cost me only about 0.5 seconds, so that's not too bad I guess. I really enjoyed the ride I gotta say. 
"
"
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Our lobby is live right now! Drop in and say hi if you're free for the next 90 mins or so!
(Also, all this engine swapping shenanigans is inadvertently good foreshadowing for next week's car...)
(Also, all this engine swapping shenanigans is inadvertently good foreshadowing for next week's car...)
- 3,925
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 58 - Honda RA272
Ahh, the past. Nothing like a revisit to an era where high speeds declare that either you're a badass or you're a deadass. You have to not have a brain if you have to decide which one you want to be.
This is out now, because I'm confident I'm not making Saturday.
I may be in some form a car nut, but Formula 1's always been off my mind when it comes to following a form of motorsport. In fact, I'm not really a motorsports guy myself. You're lucky we have memes: the DNA of the soul.
Soichiro Honda, obvious man with surname that hints this is the chap that founded Honda, had a dream, as quoted: "my dream was to become a champion in world automobile racing with a machine I had made myself". Being a competitive racer before establishing Honda, he racked up wins in motorcycle racing: something Honda had a good touch at up from the 40s to even today.
Then in 1962, things changed. He wants to have a taste in Formula One. Thing is.. this is the era that the Japanese would associate Formula One as a sport that Europeans prosper in. They had no idea what to do, only taking a reference from purchased Cooper T53.. the same Cooper with Aussie F1 legend Jack Brabham, the namesake of British sports brand Bruce McLaren, and the 2 to 4 wheel legend John Surtees brought on to win in 1960. It's also the same Cooper that was the namesake of a certain brand's flagship hatchback, but that's not really related to anything, right??
Just like the bloke who founded the place, Honda was into motorcycle racing, and had race engineers that mainly had experience with motorcycles. To compound this, Soichiro and crew went on to put expenses in research and development of what is going to be the first Formula 1 car branded as a Honda.
2 years later, the RA271 would enter the ranks of Formula 1, driven by one Ronnie Buckham. You might be thinking: wow random number hurr, but.. it's said that the number 270 would come as the initial goal Honda had made for the car's engine power. It was painted white with red accents, representing the nation's first foray into Formula 1. Like many first tries, they didn't quite get a solid result, finishing 9th due to retirement in its first race on the Nordschliefe. Yep, these people have balls.
Not giving up, Honda went to revise the RA271 by replacing its materials with lightweight replacements, and also hiring a second driver in Richie Ginther. Coming in 1965 with this week's RA272, this season was rough for Honda, up until they reached the final round in Mexico. The most notable detail of the track was on how it was placed 2000 meters above sea level, meaning the air was thin. Most cars on track would have trouble outputting their cars' usual power..
..except for Honda.
The man responsible: Yoshio Nakamura, oversaw this as the car's assistant in R&D, and as a former aeronautics engineer, he developed the engine to ensure it would work properly in higher altitudes. As the race began, Ginther took the lead quickly, and stayed there until the end, finishing the story for Mr. Honda's dream.
While Honda would take a break to focus on domestic on 1968 (discreetly also because their car was involved in an on track fatality the same year), the story of Honda being a major powerplant for F1 teams began in 1983, on the turbocharged era of Formula 1. And it done good. Honda powers and brings wins to the likes of various big names of the sport. Rosberg, Prost, Piquet, Senna, Mansell, and recently, you get the likes of Perez and Verstappen. All because one car did something extraordinary, thus got the top award for it. That's this car.
I'm keeping it simple this week. Lot of stuff on my plate. Also explains why you're getting this on Thursday night, but I'm not explaining further.
Episode 58: Past wounds
While the foggy mist retain, the pit lane remains uncrowded.
Sitting by a hand rail, she plays about her hands akin to riffing an electric guitar.
Listening to her personal Def Leppard mix, Candy pulls off her headset as she notices the visibly older man walk by, brimming with a renewed sense of confidence.
He came close, but she knew she has to have the first word on this episode.
Candy: "So.. what'd they think?"
The old man knew she was going to say that, but he hasn't collected his thoughts enough to gather a response, instead giving..
Alan: "That's a good question, my dear. But a certainty: they truly are desperate for drivers."
Candy: "The dark o-Jacob told me that."
Alan: "That so? I mean.. I recall when he was offered that in thanks to Sophia's connections.. which strikes me as unusual."
Candy: "In what way?"
Rubbing his stubble, he explained..
Alan: "You see.. Sophia's roles within Hyundai and Genesis race divisions, just as we began to open up the Augur caper, simply vanished."
Candy: "Like.. without a trace?"
Alan: "Correct. No other way I can elaborate further, my dear."
He's still standing, she thought, and got on her feet as she questioned..
Candy: "Back on the racing spectrum.. how are you feeling? You're a whole generation ahead, and you really still want in?"
Predicting that, he rebutted stubbornly.
Alan: "Save that retirement home nonsense out of that noggin of yours, Candy. I've.. never felt so alive. I'm in better shape than that of Nash, should you need to know."
Candy: "You're good? Better than when you drove in Le Mans Group C?"
Alan: "I suppose.. I meant to say more alive than recent days, but that era of me has.. passed."
Walking further back, Candy followed suit, only to hear the white winds intruded by his voice.
Alan: "Miss Lam. Did I ever tell you the tale of Natsuhiro Saito?"
Candy: "The legendary N.Z. himself? That's an interesting topic you pulled out."
Alan: "Is it? To you, it's just some fancy tale. To me.. it's what brought me in the game."
Reading he's about to sell a novel, she stopped him, insisting calmly..
Candy: "Look.. Alan.. much as I will relish this tale of yours over some coffee, I don't feel now we have the minutes to speak.. I'm expecting someone soon."
Expecting him to stubbornly move on, he instead paused, then commented as he showed an appreciative grin.
Alan: "Goodness, it's nice to see some courtesy, at least. Yes.."
Not expecting that, she followed with concern..
Candy: "What, is aunt Nami and my big sis not giving you enough slack?"
Alan: "Heavens, no. I get along quite fine. They aren't quite the sort that, umm.. are full of niceties. Dear Nami's a grump if I'm going to be nice about it."
Hearing of Rin's mother, Candy thought out loud..
Candy: "Nami-san hasn't changed much, huh?"
Alan: "Then at least you're ready. But if I may wonder.. do you see our old friend Shinzo in Rin to some extent?"
Candy: "Her casual playful side definitely seeps off him. You wouldn't believe the amount of times he pretended to be able to lose me by height alone."
Still with his usual calm smile, he stopped to chuckle..
Alan: "Ho ho, that's so Shinzo. Dearly, I miss him."
Candy: "If I'm not haunted by his ghosts.. I miss him too."
Spoke Candy as she too gives out a smile..
Alan then however noticed a bright red banner in the distance..
Alan: "I suppose those are your fellow mates.. the.. what's that banner say.. Kuro Uma Autohouse?"
Candy: "That's them. Come now, weird other dad."
Distraught by that, he objected..
Alan: "I.. we have to talk about what Rin defines as family."
Candy: "She's my big sis, and I must respect her wishes, end of story, now COME ON!"
The two went past a small crowd of the Kuro Uma staff, and entered a small showroom.
Inspecting their near mint condition, Candy has some words..
Candy: "Lancer Evo five, FC and a Kouki. I've worked with most of these before.."
Alan: "All this work, and I still think it's no match for the XJ220. I'm so motivated, we can have that race, today only! Care to bet on that, milady?"
Candy: "You BROUGHT the XJ220?"
Interrupted by the thought of a legendary 90's speedster, she rushed to think of what words to say..
Candy: "Well.. okay, you're not really my dad, but.."
Alan: "Don't give me that sad puppy eyed face, my child.. because until those chuffs at the COTW nominate it, you well know what answer I'm going to say.."
Candy: "Pfft, fine.."
Her mission failed, but the garage shop owners then arrived, gladly greeting as the lady owner shouts..
Ayumi: "They're here! Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!! Ohaiyou! Say hi now, Deki-san."
Hideki though kept quiet, not because of his introverted self, but..
Hideki: "Whoaa.. I know that gentleman over there.. it's Alan-san! Host of S-Sim Gear!!"
The lone British man then greeted to the youngsters..
Alan: "G'day.. if I'm not mistaken, you are the pair of Hideki and Ayumi. It's been.. should I say: years, has it? Lovely to.. finally see each other again."
Having not surprised the fact of certain cast members knowing one another for far too many times to count, Candy then headed to Ayumi, currently unsure with the event..
Candy: "Task failed successfully, Yumi-san?"
Ayumi: "URGHH.."
She hasn't any tolerance for her husband standing still in awe, and let out a quick smack to his face.
Hideki: "HEY! OWW!"
Candy though goes to the old man, inquiring..
Candy: "Looks like you know them?"
Alan: "Oh, as a friend of a friend, you can say."
Candy: "Disturbing.. I have a feeling that is exactly how you met Nami-san."
Alan: "Guilty, as charged. Now.."
Redirecting to the pair, Candy asked casually..
Candy: "You both look quite happy to be here."
Ayumi: "That's a stupid question, Candy-san! When are we not ever happy to be on the track, meeting friends new and old, and having something extra to show?! IT'S AS IF GOD IS SMILING ON US!!"
Staying back, Hideki however..
Hideki: "Umm.."
..failed to develop an argument to her words, though she knew it's coming..
Ayumi: "He's going to correct me with something menial, no biggie. Say you're happy, Deki-san."
Hideki: "You're happy.. a-and so am I! Yes!"
Alan then gave his opinion on how odd that all felt on his end.
Alan: "I'll give you points for honesty."
Candy though figured..
Candy: "So.. the FC, and this Lancer are pretty much standard fair from you two. What's got you, as you said.. extra excited to show?"
Hideki: "Ohh.. that. Look behind you."
The guests turn back to notice something more expensively developed than just garage tuned domestics.
They don't need a long look to analyze..
Candy: "Race tuned.. Old man, how did we NOT see that?"
Alan: "Speak up, darling. You do know I'm old, Candy."
He said with a hint of banter, but it didn't turn out too well, as the little lady started to heat up.
Candy: "W-WHAT?! Shut UP! How dare you insinuate me having tunnel vision!"
Alan: "Goodness, you're like Lucia.."
But unlike Lucia, he would receive a quick whip on his chest, as Candy utilized her braid ala Bianca Belair.
Alan: "AUGH! Jesus.. alright.. Lucia doesn't have the gall to beat me, y'know."
The two don't heed well to a well renowned racer attacking a once well renowned racer, as they get in the way.
Ayumi: "Stop this, Candy-san! Don't ruin the air! I sure don't want any sour thoughts on what we're excited to share..."
Hideki: "Y-yes!"
Dropping her hair, she cooled off quickly..
Candy: "Oh, alright. I can see enough to see you're racing Group 4. That's big. I'm.. umm.. happy for you!"
Unable to stop smiling, he confirmed..
Hideki: "Not to mention we got designs made for us! You can tell, Candy-kun!"
Candy: "Blue on an 86 screams you, Deki-san. But this red isn't too Yumi-san."
Eyes shut, she then snapped briefly.
Ayumi: "WHAAATT?! Is it not? I'm not really leaning to having one color define me. So I didn't mind the intense red Mazda has."
Alan: "That's well sound."
An idea then hatched..
Ayumi: "Candy-san! We should race this with your Demio one day!"
Candy: "A Mazda diesel duel! Or better yet.. I should see if Keith wouldn't mind making it the three diesels.."
Hearing Keith, he then recalled from the past a Super GT champion he got to know of, as he wandered on.
Hideki: "This Keith is.. the very same one, right? Jacob-san's little brother?"
Ayumi: "What other Keith concerns you, Deki-san?"
As the two guests further look over the Group 4 ready cars, Ayumi moved in and wondered..
Ayumi: "Soo.. why are you here, Alan-san?"
Alan: "Oh.. getting Hyundai finalized for my entry into GT racing. I know. I may be nearly 60, but I'm finding the car to suit my purposes very well."
However, Alan then mumbled, leading to..
Alan: "Group 4 is small, but within us.. it's flourishing.. oh goodness. Do tell me.. you two are in this league.. to race against Jacob?"
Those words startled pretty much anyone else in the garage, as they react.
Hideki: "Whoa.. that is a very very good guess.."
Ayumi: "YOU THINK?! HE READ US THROUGH LIKE A BOOK! AAAAAHHHHH!!"
Alan deduced, feeling good and wise as per usual..
Alan: "I heard.. on your wedding day.. Fuji Speedway finds itself packed with a bunch of young folk messing about. Including a certain yellow RX-7 chasing our good friend's Dark Horse.."
Hero Takes A Fall
The Bangles
All Over The Place
Going back to the start of Mazda Month, Ayumi, recently wedded, pushed her FD the hardest she's ever had in her whole life..
Ayumi: "I must prove to everyone I deserve! Today is MY day."
To set new a personal best that day however wasn't enough, but what she wanted eventually came, as she caught up with a certain legend that presences strong in her head.
Ayumi: "YYAATTTTAAAA!! THERE YOU AREE!!"
Jake Ross: "I bet she's screaming along with that nice ride of hers.."
Knowing that's what the Flashback is for, she looked and relishes reliving it..
Ayumi: "The thrill of being on track with him just.. bloomed like.. the sunrise as it shines throughout the land! I MUST EXPERIENCE IT AGAINN!!"
Everyone around is used to her genki personality, however, not so much for Alan as he calms her..
Alan: "Alright. Easy. You've made your point. Not much people can juggle around Group 3 and 4 racing, so the chances are slim."
Adding on, Hideki responds feeling pressured.
Hideki: "Not to mention our garage getting some publicity. Our teams are purely ran by our staff."
Alan: "I wish you the best on tackling your endeavor in a.. most grassroots manner."
However, he thought of the lack of someone's presence, as he looked to ask..
Alan: "You know what.. you've not said anything in a while, Candy. Something on your mind?"
Where she was supposed to be was left empty, giving him a wondering thought as he asks..
Alan: "Have any of you two seen Candy?"
Hideki: "Maybe if we look down a little.."
He was being a little extra coy, but his wife has none of it as she got another palm to his face in..
Hideki: "UUWAAAA!!"
Ayumi: "She's not THAT short, Deki-san."
As he notices staff laughing on that scene, Alan though acted curiously on this strange disappearing act.
Alan: "I wonder.."
Candy's reason of disappearance isn't explained, but presently she passes by her garage, noticing her car for today.
Once known as the Phantom MINI all the way back from Week 1, she took a pause as it was the same car, while it's shown not to be so.
Being one of the few people that knew this is the same MINI, she reminisced, although not purely in a positive light..
Candy: "It's you, and me, here again in Kyoto. Funny.. it wasn't the first time."
A quick glimpse outside and she saw a past ghost of her talking to Hideki and Ayumi.
Being a much more snooty character with no love for anyone else, she lived it again, hearing..
"Oh? This man's knowledgable. However, I don't think I have the mood to meet new fans~."
"This day.. might be amusing after all."
"A Sunday Cup event can't start without their guest of honour."
"This sob story isn't important."
Rolling out a tear in comparing what she was back then, Candy remarked..
Candy: "I truly was.. someone else. It shudders to think I was such a bitch.."
Shaking off this negative idea of her, she then hears her name being called out from the distance.
Candy: "Surprise, surprise.. they're looking for me. Alright, put on a good face, Candy."
Walking out, the people looking for her closes the distance, though the young man did so quicker than he should..
Hideki: "Whew.. I knew she'd be alright.."
Ayumi: "Likewise.. just.. that we want to make sure. Okay.. I guess I'm sort of a little worried.."
Following, Alan then comments.
Alan: "Not me. Unless those nobheads from Augur want to give it another go, she aught to be fine."
She thought that all being quite heartless, but he's not wrong, as she backed it up..
Candy: "What he said. I needed some nice Kyoto air, so.. it's nothing, really!"
Giving a good smile, Alan then reported..
Alan: "I suppose I'll leave you young fellows to your own. The lads at Hyundai request me. Toodle loo."
As he walks away, Ayumi then started..
Ayumi: "Candy-san, you just disappeared like out of thin air. You're not The Guts, so.. of course, something is up."
Candy: "Didn't I just say it's nothing?!"
Beginning to assure her, Candy then stopped herself, realizing..
Candy: "Actually.. let me show you.."
Leading her friends into her designated garage, Hideki noticed with intrigue.
Hideki: "Would you look at that.. it's another MINI! But.."
Candy: "Hah, no, you're wrong, Deki-san. It's the same one. I.. cleaned up all its prints, then registered it under my name now."
Ayumi: "Wow.. It really seemed like a whole different beast! You can do that?"
Candy: "Not me. Carlyle."
Hearing that name, Hideki reassured..
Hideki: "Our favorite import export dealer."
Ayumi: "Wonder why that name's slipped my mind.."
But another thing came into his mind..
Hideki: "Candy-kun.. I've been meaning to ask for.. you know."
Candy: "A rematch? You did bring the FC, didn't you?"
Looking at his wife, he then reported..
Hideki: "Uhh.. y-yes! We were going to take the 86, but.. she had a hunch."
Ayumi: "What?! It was a GOOD hunch, right! Say it with me: Ayumi-san, you are a GENIUS, EHEHE!!"
Not surprised with this outcome, she then adhered..
Candy: "Well.. alright. I think we can do that. You get to face off the Phantom MINI one more time, genius."
Hideki: "All right! You are going to see the conviction of m-my dedication level up so far ahead, I could.. I could.."
As he couldn't shield away his excitement, Ayumi too couldn't shield away her rage recalling that day.
Hideki: "H-HEEYY!!"
Ayumi: "I remember that.. you left me behind after needing to swap tires! AND YOU DIDN"T EVEN APOLOGIZE!"
Screamed Ayumi as she pulled the ear of her husband, who remembered that their marraige proposal that day covered this up..
Candy then provided some, uhh, easy advice..
Candy: "Uhh, you better do as she says."
As obvious that was, he didn't hesitate..
Hideki: "Ummm.. aa-a-AA-I'm SORRYYY!!"
She then let go, revealing..
Ayumi: "Aww! That is so you! Alright, I accept."
As he rubs his ear, the girls get together to mention..
Ayumi: "You know, Candy-san: he used that very tone when we first met!"
Candy: "Oh really? He's not exactly at fault for that, so.."
As this Asian threesome exit out, they then notice in their path something.. Honda.
Obviously, she noted..
Candy: "When did these get here?"
Ayumi: "Wow, I know I'm seeing an old 60's Formula 1 car. I wonder who's behind this."
Seeing various camera crews and Alan around, she then noticed a certain hotshot Super Formula superstar's hairdo just by him..
Candy: "I can already guess."
The three then come towards the racers, which one then greets softly..
Hayato: "Ahh.. the Candy-chan and crew come by, as expected, old man."
Alan: "You had them place the cars in the center of the lane.. why of course they'd notice."
Not expecting Moto-san today, Candy questioned..
Candy: "You're not with your father, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "I'm afraid not. Jiji has a.. urgent medical procedure that needs little elaboration. In London, so for now I'm back in Nippon, doing some Sim Gear shenanigans for him."
He then turned to the married couple, treating them better than just his usual fans.
Hayato: "Ahhh, it's the artsy race couple. Nyeeheehee.. good to see my favorite fans also being punctual. Are you two ready for some high octane practice?"
Ayumi then asked, concerned with the integrity of this practice..
Ayumi: "You mean in Group 4, right? Because this Honda RA272 isn't what I had in mind!"
Hayato: "Don't hear it from me, but Honda has refurbished this car, and it led to some heated discussion whether this can battle against their modern Group 4 NSX. I'm not at liberty to say, but what I can share is that.. it's more equal than you think."
With that in mind, he remembered something interesting as he directs his focus to Candy..
Hayato: "Oh! Nyeeheehee.. you're going to love this. The car's for you, Candy-chan."
Candy: "For me?!"
Hayato: "Not as a gift. For you to drive for the morning. Wrapped up and sent in a box by ojisan Max."
Remembering the escapades by Clark last week, Candy felt appreciative.
Candy: "Oh, that's sweet. He's trying to prove to me on his treatment to women. I admit now he's got me convinced. Though, I wonder how much does Sim Gear have to pay to rent this for the day?"
Disliking where this is going, Alan steps in..
Alan: "Let's not worry about those details. Because I have some of those that you might like to hear."
Hideki: "Ohh?"
He then began to explain with intrigue.
Alan: "Since Hyundai has the track for me this morning, I propose we have a nice friendly practice session.. while the track's still ours, I mean."
Candy: "Oh, absolutely yes! I'm in this, they have Group 4 cars! I'll get dressed up.."
Feeling discarded, he reassured with authority..
Alan: "Don't leave me out! I'll hop in my newly minted Hyundai.. don't worry, I'll keep it fair. I'll tell the lads to electronically limit the car."
Hideki: "It's so he won't outrun us, I'm sure."
Alan: "More of an excuse to grant me an influx of adrenaline as I try catching one of you lot. It's what's going to keep me going."
Energized by these events, Ayumi puts a dash to her steps on place and starts exclaiming..
Ayumi: "Wowww! I LIKE what I'm seeing! Last one on track's a rotten egg!"
As they all depart, a pair of unofficial siblings remain, as the brother asks..
Hayato: "How about that? You worried, Candy-chan?"
Candy: "Worried? Nah. I've got a hand in much more terrible machinery. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but don't say I'm unprepared, Moto-san."
Ahh, the past. Nothing like a revisit to an era where high speeds declare that either you're a badass or you're a deadass. You have to not have a brain if you have to decide which one you want to be.
This is out now, because I'm confident I'm not making Saturday.
I may be in some form a car nut, but Formula 1's always been off my mind when it comes to following a form of motorsport. In fact, I'm not really a motorsports guy myself. You're lucky we have memes: the DNA of the soul.
Soichiro Honda, obvious man with surname that hints this is the chap that founded Honda, had a dream, as quoted: "my dream was to become a champion in world automobile racing with a machine I had made myself". Being a competitive racer before establishing Honda, he racked up wins in motorcycle racing: something Honda had a good touch at up from the 40s to even today.
Then in 1962, things changed. He wants to have a taste in Formula One. Thing is.. this is the era that the Japanese would associate Formula One as a sport that Europeans prosper in. They had no idea what to do, only taking a reference from purchased Cooper T53.. the same Cooper with Aussie F1 legend Jack Brabham, the namesake of British sports brand Bruce McLaren, and the 2 to 4 wheel legend John Surtees brought on to win in 1960. It's also the same Cooper that was the namesake of a certain brand's flagship hatchback, but that's not really related to anything, right??
Just like the bloke who founded the place, Honda was into motorcycle racing, and had race engineers that mainly had experience with motorcycles. To compound this, Soichiro and crew went on to put expenses in research and development of what is going to be the first Formula 1 car branded as a Honda.
2 years later, the RA271 would enter the ranks of Formula 1, driven by one Ronnie Buckham. You might be thinking: wow random number hurr, but.. it's said that the number 270 would come as the initial goal Honda had made for the car's engine power. It was painted white with red accents, representing the nation's first foray into Formula 1. Like many first tries, they didn't quite get a solid result, finishing 9th due to retirement in its first race on the Nordschliefe. Yep, these people have balls.
Not giving up, Honda went to revise the RA271 by replacing its materials with lightweight replacements, and also hiring a second driver in Richie Ginther. Coming in 1965 with this week's RA272, this season was rough for Honda, up until they reached the final round in Mexico. The most notable detail of the track was on how it was placed 2000 meters above sea level, meaning the air was thin. Most cars on track would have trouble outputting their cars' usual power..
..except for Honda.
The man responsible: Yoshio Nakamura, oversaw this as the car's assistant in R&D, and as a former aeronautics engineer, he developed the engine to ensure it would work properly in higher altitudes. As the race began, Ginther took the lead quickly, and stayed there until the end, finishing the story for Mr. Honda's dream.
While Honda would take a break to focus on domestic on 1968 (discreetly also because their car was involved in an on track fatality the same year), the story of Honda being a major powerplant for F1 teams began in 1983, on the turbocharged era of Formula 1. And it done good. Honda powers and brings wins to the likes of various big names of the sport. Rosberg, Prost, Piquet, Senna, Mansell, and recently, you get the likes of Perez and Verstappen. All because one car did something extraordinary, thus got the top award for it. That's this car.
I'm keeping it simple this week. Lot of stuff on my plate. Also explains why you're getting this on Thursday night, but I'm not explaining further.
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Episode 58: Past wounds
Kyoto Driving Park
Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Morning
In this particular morning, thick rain clouds roll in the hilly circuit, though they remain idly by as they shadow the cars underneath.
One such car is a sports converted Group 3 race car..
Umm, not this one..
There it is!
A Hyundai Genesis: not a remarkable car by itself, but this one tuned to battle the likes of the top GT contests.
It's a battle ready car, but the man inside has yet to prove he is the one to bring the car to its glory.
Known by his past declaration as the Bristol Harbinger, the 59 year old Alan Robinson might be well past his prime, but has a blaze in him that doesn't hint of snuffing out.
Images in his head then develop, that form his push to leading his old bones into the sport.
Including the likes of his old love Janie, his current love Nami, and his first daughter Carrie, he's happy that these people would give him the strength and thoughts he wanted to hear.
Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Morning
In this particular morning, thick rain clouds roll in the hilly circuit, though they remain idly by as they shadow the cars underneath.
One such car is a sports converted Group 3 race car..
Umm, not this one..
There it is!
A Hyundai Genesis: not a remarkable car by itself, but this one tuned to battle the likes of the top GT contests.
It's a battle ready car, but the man inside has yet to prove he is the one to bring the car to its glory.
Known by his past declaration as the Bristol Harbinger, the 59 year old Alan Robinson might be well past his prime, but has a blaze in him that doesn't hint of snuffing out.
Images in his head then develop, that form his push to leading his old bones into the sport.
Including the likes of his old love Janie, his current love Nami, and his first daughter Carrie, he's happy that these people would give him the strength and thoughts he wanted to hear.
While the foggy mist retain, the pit lane remains uncrowded.
Sitting by a hand rail, she plays about her hands akin to riffing an electric guitar.
Listening to her personal Def Leppard mix, Candy pulls off her headset as she notices the visibly older man walk by, brimming with a renewed sense of confidence.
He came close, but she knew she has to have the first word on this episode.
Candy: "So.. what'd they think?"
The old man knew she was going to say that, but he hasn't collected his thoughts enough to gather a response, instead giving..
Alan: "That's a good question, my dear. But a certainty: they truly are desperate for drivers."
Candy: "The dark o-Jacob told me that."
Alan: "That so? I mean.. I recall when he was offered that in thanks to Sophia's connections.. which strikes me as unusual."
Candy: "In what way?"
Rubbing his stubble, he explained..
Alan: "You see.. Sophia's roles within Hyundai and Genesis race divisions, just as we began to open up the Augur caper, simply vanished."
Candy: "Like.. without a trace?"
Alan: "Correct. No other way I can elaborate further, my dear."
He's still standing, she thought, and got on her feet as she questioned..
Candy: "Back on the racing spectrum.. how are you feeling? You're a whole generation ahead, and you really still want in?"
Predicting that, he rebutted stubbornly.
Alan: "Save that retirement home nonsense out of that noggin of yours, Candy. I've.. never felt so alive. I'm in better shape than that of Nash, should you need to know."
Candy: "You're good? Better than when you drove in Le Mans Group C?"
Alan: "I suppose.. I meant to say more alive than recent days, but that era of me has.. passed."
Walking further back, Candy followed suit, only to hear the white winds intruded by his voice.
Alan: "Miss Lam. Did I ever tell you the tale of Natsuhiro Saito?"
Candy: "The legendary N.Z. himself? That's an interesting topic you pulled out."
Alan: "Is it? To you, it's just some fancy tale. To me.. it's what brought me in the game."
Reading he's about to sell a novel, she stopped him, insisting calmly..
Candy: "Look.. Alan.. much as I will relish this tale of yours over some coffee, I don't feel now we have the minutes to speak.. I'm expecting someone soon."
Expecting him to stubbornly move on, he instead paused, then commented as he showed an appreciative grin.
Alan: "Goodness, it's nice to see some courtesy, at least. Yes.."
Not expecting that, she followed with concern..
Candy: "What, is aunt Nami and my big sis not giving you enough slack?"
Alan: "Heavens, no. I get along quite fine. They aren't quite the sort that, umm.. are full of niceties. Dear Nami's a grump if I'm going to be nice about it."
Hearing of Rin's mother, Candy thought out loud..
Candy: "Nami-san hasn't changed much, huh?"
Alan: "Then at least you're ready. But if I may wonder.. do you see our old friend Shinzo in Rin to some extent?"
Candy: "Her casual playful side definitely seeps off him. You wouldn't believe the amount of times he pretended to be able to lose me by height alone."
Still with his usual calm smile, he stopped to chuckle..
Alan: "Ho ho, that's so Shinzo. Dearly, I miss him."
Candy: "If I'm not haunted by his ghosts.. I miss him too."
Spoke Candy as she too gives out a smile..
Alan then however noticed a bright red banner in the distance..
Alan: "I suppose those are your fellow mates.. the.. what's that banner say.. Kuro Uma Autohouse?"
Candy: "That's them. Come now, weird other dad."
Distraught by that, he objected..
Alan: "I.. we have to talk about what Rin defines as family."
Candy: "She's my big sis, and I must respect her wishes, end of story, now COME ON!"
The two went past a small crowd of the Kuro Uma staff, and entered a small showroom.
Inspecting their near mint condition, Candy has some words..
Candy: "Lancer Evo five, FC and a Kouki. I've worked with most of these before.."
Alan: "All this work, and I still think it's no match for the XJ220. I'm so motivated, we can have that race, today only! Care to bet on that, milady?"
Candy: "You BROUGHT the XJ220?"
Interrupted by the thought of a legendary 90's speedster, she rushed to think of what words to say..
Candy: "Well.. okay, you're not really my dad, but.."
Alan: "Don't give me that sad puppy eyed face, my child.. because until those chuffs at the COTW nominate it, you well know what answer I'm going to say.."
Candy: "Pfft, fine.."
Her mission failed, but the garage shop owners then arrived, gladly greeting as the lady owner shouts..
Ayumi: "They're here! Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!! Ohaiyou! Say hi now, Deki-san."
Hideki though kept quiet, not because of his introverted self, but..
Hideki: "Whoaa.. I know that gentleman over there.. it's Alan-san! Host of S-Sim Gear!!"
The lone British man then greeted to the youngsters..
Alan: "G'day.. if I'm not mistaken, you are the pair of Hideki and Ayumi. It's been.. should I say: years, has it? Lovely to.. finally see each other again."
Having not surprised the fact of certain cast members knowing one another for far too many times to count, Candy then headed to Ayumi, currently unsure with the event..
Candy: "Task failed successfully, Yumi-san?"
Ayumi: "URGHH.."
She hasn't any tolerance for her husband standing still in awe, and let out a quick smack to his face.
Hideki: "HEY! OWW!"
Candy though goes to the old man, inquiring..
Candy: "Looks like you know them?"
Alan: "Oh, as a friend of a friend, you can say."
Candy: "Disturbing.. I have a feeling that is exactly how you met Nami-san."
Alan: "Guilty, as charged. Now.."
Redirecting to the pair, Candy asked casually..
Candy: "You both look quite happy to be here."
Ayumi: "That's a stupid question, Candy-san! When are we not ever happy to be on the track, meeting friends new and old, and having something extra to show?! IT'S AS IF GOD IS SMILING ON US!!"
Staying back, Hideki however..
Hideki: "Umm.."
..failed to develop an argument to her words, though she knew it's coming..
Ayumi: "He's going to correct me with something menial, no biggie. Say you're happy, Deki-san."
Hideki: "You're happy.. a-and so am I! Yes!"
Alan then gave his opinion on how odd that all felt on his end.
Alan: "I'll give you points for honesty."
Candy though figured..
Candy: "So.. the FC, and this Lancer are pretty much standard fair from you two. What's got you, as you said.. extra excited to show?"
Hideki: "Ohh.. that. Look behind you."
The guests turn back to notice something more expensively developed than just garage tuned domestics.
They don't need a long look to analyze..
Candy: "Race tuned.. Old man, how did we NOT see that?"
Alan: "Speak up, darling. You do know I'm old, Candy."
He said with a hint of banter, but it didn't turn out too well, as the little lady started to heat up.
Candy: "W-WHAT?! Shut UP! How dare you insinuate me having tunnel vision!"
Alan: "Goodness, you're like Lucia.."
But unlike Lucia, he would receive a quick whip on his chest, as Candy utilized her braid ala Bianca Belair.
Alan: "AUGH! Jesus.. alright.. Lucia doesn't have the gall to beat me, y'know."
The two don't heed well to a well renowned racer attacking a once well renowned racer, as they get in the way.
Ayumi: "Stop this, Candy-san! Don't ruin the air! I sure don't want any sour thoughts on what we're excited to share..."
Hideki: "Y-yes!"
Dropping her hair, she cooled off quickly..
Candy: "Oh, alright. I can see enough to see you're racing Group 4. That's big. I'm.. umm.. happy for you!"
Unable to stop smiling, he confirmed..
Hideki: "Not to mention we got designs made for us! You can tell, Candy-kun!"
Candy: "Blue on an 86 screams you, Deki-san. But this red isn't too Yumi-san."
Eyes shut, she then snapped briefly.
Ayumi: "WHAAATT?! Is it not? I'm not really leaning to having one color define me. So I didn't mind the intense red Mazda has."
Alan: "That's well sound."
An idea then hatched..
Ayumi: "Candy-san! We should race this with your Demio one day!"
Candy: "A Mazda diesel duel! Or better yet.. I should see if Keith wouldn't mind making it the three diesels.."
Hearing Keith, he then recalled from the past a Super GT champion he got to know of, as he wandered on.
Hideki: "This Keith is.. the very same one, right? Jacob-san's little brother?"
Ayumi: "What other Keith concerns you, Deki-san?"
As the two guests further look over the Group 4 ready cars, Ayumi moved in and wondered..
Ayumi: "Soo.. why are you here, Alan-san?"
Alan: "Oh.. getting Hyundai finalized for my entry into GT racing. I know. I may be nearly 60, but I'm finding the car to suit my purposes very well."
However, Alan then mumbled, leading to..
Alan: "Group 4 is small, but within us.. it's flourishing.. oh goodness. Do tell me.. you two are in this league.. to race against Jacob?"
Those words startled pretty much anyone else in the garage, as they react.
Hideki: "Whoa.. that is a very very good guess.."
Ayumi: "YOU THINK?! HE READ US THROUGH LIKE A BOOK! AAAAAHHHHH!!"
Alan deduced, feeling good and wise as per usual..
Alan: "I heard.. on your wedding day.. Fuji Speedway finds itself packed with a bunch of young folk messing about. Including a certain yellow RX-7 chasing our good friend's Dark Horse.."
Hero Takes A Fall
The Bangles
All Over The Place
Going back to the start of Mazda Month, Ayumi, recently wedded, pushed her FD the hardest she's ever had in her whole life..
Ayumi: "I must prove to everyone I deserve! Today is MY day."
To set new a personal best that day however wasn't enough, but what she wanted eventually came, as she caught up with a certain legend that presences strong in her head.
Ayumi: "YYAATTTTAAAA!! THERE YOU AREE!!"
Jake Ross: "I bet she's screaming along with that nice ride of hers.."
Knowing that's what the Flashback is for, she looked and relishes reliving it..
Ayumi: "The thrill of being on track with him just.. bloomed like.. the sunrise as it shines throughout the land! I MUST EXPERIENCE IT AGAINN!!"
Everyone around is used to her genki personality, however, not so much for Alan as he calms her..
Alan: "Alright. Easy. You've made your point. Not much people can juggle around Group 3 and 4 racing, so the chances are slim."
Adding on, Hideki responds feeling pressured.
Hideki: "Not to mention our garage getting some publicity. Our teams are purely ran by our staff."
Alan: "I wish you the best on tackling your endeavor in a.. most grassroots manner."
However, he thought of the lack of someone's presence, as he looked to ask..
Alan: "You know what.. you've not said anything in a while, Candy. Something on your mind?"
Where she was supposed to be was left empty, giving him a wondering thought as he asks..
Alan: "Have any of you two seen Candy?"
Hideki: "Maybe if we look down a little.."
He was being a little extra coy, but his wife has none of it as she got another palm to his face in..
Hideki: "UUWAAAA!!"
Ayumi: "She's not THAT short, Deki-san."
As he notices staff laughing on that scene, Alan though acted curiously on this strange disappearing act.
Alan: "I wonder.."
Candy's reason of disappearance isn't explained, but presently she passes by her garage, noticing her car for today.
Once known as the Phantom MINI all the way back from Week 1, she took a pause as it was the same car, while it's shown not to be so.
Being one of the few people that knew this is the same MINI, she reminisced, although not purely in a positive light..
Candy: "It's you, and me, here again in Kyoto. Funny.. it wasn't the first time."
A quick glimpse outside and she saw a past ghost of her talking to Hideki and Ayumi.
Being a much more snooty character with no love for anyone else, she lived it again, hearing..
"Oh? This man's knowledgable. However, I don't think I have the mood to meet new fans~."
"This day.. might be amusing after all."
"A Sunday Cup event can't start without their guest of honour."
"This sob story isn't important."
Rolling out a tear in comparing what she was back then, Candy remarked..
Candy: "I truly was.. someone else. It shudders to think I was such a bitch.."
Shaking off this negative idea of her, she then hears her name being called out from the distance.
Candy: "Surprise, surprise.. they're looking for me. Alright, put on a good face, Candy."
Walking out, the people looking for her closes the distance, though the young man did so quicker than he should..
Hideki: "Whew.. I knew she'd be alright.."
Ayumi: "Likewise.. just.. that we want to make sure. Okay.. I guess I'm sort of a little worried.."
Following, Alan then comments.
Alan: "Not me. Unless those nobheads from Augur want to give it another go, she aught to be fine."
She thought that all being quite heartless, but he's not wrong, as she backed it up..
Candy: "What he said. I needed some nice Kyoto air, so.. it's nothing, really!"
Giving a good smile, Alan then reported..
Alan: "I suppose I'll leave you young fellows to your own. The lads at Hyundai request me. Toodle loo."
As he walks away, Ayumi then started..
Ayumi: "Candy-san, you just disappeared like out of thin air. You're not The Guts, so.. of course, something is up."
Candy: "Didn't I just say it's nothing?!"
Beginning to assure her, Candy then stopped herself, realizing..
Candy: "Actually.. let me show you.."
Leading her friends into her designated garage, Hideki noticed with intrigue.
Hideki: "Would you look at that.. it's another MINI! But.."
Candy: "Hah, no, you're wrong, Deki-san. It's the same one. I.. cleaned up all its prints, then registered it under my name now."
Ayumi: "Wow.. It really seemed like a whole different beast! You can do that?"
Candy: "Not me. Carlyle."
Hearing that name, Hideki reassured..
Hideki: "Our favorite import export dealer."
Ayumi: "Wonder why that name's slipped my mind.."
But another thing came into his mind..
Hideki: "Candy-kun.. I've been meaning to ask for.. you know."
Candy: "A rematch? You did bring the FC, didn't you?"
Looking at his wife, he then reported..
Hideki: "Uhh.. y-yes! We were going to take the 86, but.. she had a hunch."
Ayumi: "What?! It was a GOOD hunch, right! Say it with me: Ayumi-san, you are a GENIUS, EHEHE!!"
Not surprised with this outcome, she then adhered..
Candy: "Well.. alright. I think we can do that. You get to face off the Phantom MINI one more time, genius."
Hideki: "All right! You are going to see the conviction of m-my dedication level up so far ahead, I could.. I could.."
As he couldn't shield away his excitement, Ayumi too couldn't shield away her rage recalling that day.
Hideki: "H-HEEYY!!"
Ayumi: "I remember that.. you left me behind after needing to swap tires! AND YOU DIDN"T EVEN APOLOGIZE!"
Screamed Ayumi as she pulled the ear of her husband, who remembered that their marraige proposal that day covered this up..
Candy then provided some, uhh, easy advice..
Candy: "Uhh, you better do as she says."
As obvious that was, he didn't hesitate..
Hideki: "Ummm.. aa-a-AA-I'm SORRYYY!!"
She then let go, revealing..
Ayumi: "Aww! That is so you! Alright, I accept."
As he rubs his ear, the girls get together to mention..
Ayumi: "You know, Candy-san: he used that very tone when we first met!"
Candy: "Oh really? He's not exactly at fault for that, so.."
As this Asian threesome exit out, they then notice in their path something.. Honda.
Obviously, she noted..
Candy: "When did these get here?"
Ayumi: "Wow, I know I'm seeing an old 60's Formula 1 car. I wonder who's behind this."
Seeing various camera crews and Alan around, she then noticed a certain hotshot Super Formula superstar's hairdo just by him..
Candy: "I can already guess."
The three then come towards the racers, which one then greets softly..
Hayato: "Ahh.. the Candy-chan and crew come by, as expected, old man."
Alan: "You had them place the cars in the center of the lane.. why of course they'd notice."
Not expecting Moto-san today, Candy questioned..
Candy: "You're not with your father, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "I'm afraid not. Jiji has a.. urgent medical procedure that needs little elaboration. In London, so for now I'm back in Nippon, doing some Sim Gear shenanigans for him."
He then turned to the married couple, treating them better than just his usual fans.
Hayato: "Ahhh, it's the artsy race couple. Nyeeheehee.. good to see my favorite fans also being punctual. Are you two ready for some high octane practice?"
Ayumi then asked, concerned with the integrity of this practice..
Ayumi: "You mean in Group 4, right? Because this Honda RA272 isn't what I had in mind!"
Hayato: "Don't hear it from me, but Honda has refurbished this car, and it led to some heated discussion whether this can battle against their modern Group 4 NSX. I'm not at liberty to say, but what I can share is that.. it's more equal than you think."
With that in mind, he remembered something interesting as he directs his focus to Candy..
Hayato: "Oh! Nyeeheehee.. you're going to love this. The car's for you, Candy-chan."
Candy: "For me?!"
Hayato: "Not as a gift. For you to drive for the morning. Wrapped up and sent in a box by ojisan Max."
Remembering the escapades by Clark last week, Candy felt appreciative.
Candy: "Oh, that's sweet. He's trying to prove to me on his treatment to women. I admit now he's got me convinced. Though, I wonder how much does Sim Gear have to pay to rent this for the day?"
Disliking where this is going, Alan steps in..
Alan: "Let's not worry about those details. Because I have some of those that you might like to hear."
Hideki: "Ohh?"
He then began to explain with intrigue.
Alan: "Since Hyundai has the track for me this morning, I propose we have a nice friendly practice session.. while the track's still ours, I mean."
Candy: "Oh, absolutely yes! I'm in this, they have Group 4 cars! I'll get dressed up.."
Feeling discarded, he reassured with authority..
Alan: "Don't leave me out! I'll hop in my newly minted Hyundai.. don't worry, I'll keep it fair. I'll tell the lads to electronically limit the car."
Hideki: "It's so he won't outrun us, I'm sure."
Alan: "More of an excuse to grant me an influx of adrenaline as I try catching one of you lot. It's what's going to keep me going."
Energized by these events, Ayumi puts a dash to her steps on place and starts exclaiming..
Ayumi: "Wowww! I LIKE what I'm seeing! Last one on track's a rotten egg!"
As they all depart, a pair of unofficial siblings remain, as the brother asks..
Hayato: "How about that? You worried, Candy-chan?"
Candy: "Worried? Nah. I've got a hand in much more terrible machinery. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but don't say I'm unprepared, Moto-san."
With a mindset akin to last week, the little racer gets used to the old formula racer.
It might be, as Hayato said: akin to a Group 4 car, but Candy's adrenaline shoots up further compared to when she handled a Group 4 Suzuki, as she mumbled in her helmet..
Candy: "Whew.. my heart's racing.. again.."
Eventually joined by the convoy of Group 4 cars and a detuned Group 3 Hyundai, she finds reason to push more than when she's alone.
Ride, Ride, Ride.
Foghat
The Best of Foghat
Hayato: "That shy kid's killing it. Nyeeheehee.. it's too bad I'm not in Group 4, or I can teach him something."
Alan: "Honestly, they made it a FWD Mazda3? What blasted fools those Mazda engineers are smoking on with that?!"
Ayumi: "Whoa! I didn't think he'd end up this close so soon! He's a Group C racer, after all.."
Ayumi: "He's a whole league ahead of me.. I GIVE UP, HAHAHA! Ohh man.."
Alan: "Score one for the boys of Bristol."
Alan: "Might I show you how to race, Miss Lam?"
Candy: "Yumi-san's gone.. It's a Group 3 car, of course it's going to be faster."
Alan: "Equal? What nonsense. Look at that Formula racer go at this straight!"
Candy: "This time there's no big sis to give support to, Moto-san. Move aside!"
Hayato: "I hear you, Candy-chan.. through the power of reading those words above this sentence, that is."
Hideki: "Aik? How did-that's a Phantom Porsche if I have to say what that is.."
Alan: "Say something about my age now, Moto-san, you no good dog."
Hayato: "Dog?!"
Candy: "It's too soon to say but.. Deki-san's racecraft has really gone up a notch."
Hayato: "Look at the old man come in! I.. really want to see him against The Guts now!"
Ayumi: "Wwow! They're doing 1:44s! I'll do better next time!"
Candy: "His defense is.. for a lack of a better term.. rock solid."
Hideki: "Come on, Candy-kun. Witness the great touge leagues defense technique from the racers of Mt. Aso!"
Ayumi: "I wonder how everyone's doing.. HYAAAHH why don't we set up those communicators?! It's that RA272's fault!!"
Alan: "Swiftly in and out. Done and dusted, like a chore!"
Hayato: "Nyeeeehhh.. I'll get him next time."
Hideki: "Candy-kun really knows how to adapt with that car. She's someone else."
Candy: "He's the one in front this time.. will he repeat that result for later?"
It might be, as Hayato said: akin to a Group 4 car, but Candy's adrenaline shoots up further compared to when she handled a Group 4 Suzuki, as she mumbled in her helmet..
Candy: "Whew.. my heart's racing.. again.."
Eventually joined by the convoy of Group 4 cars and a detuned Group 3 Hyundai, she finds reason to push more than when she's alone.
Ride, Ride, Ride.
Foghat
The Best of Foghat
Sophisticated, elegant, but also unforgiving. That's Formula 1 for you. However, anyone coming in to assume this is a car with hordes of downforce and grip are going to be unpleasantly treated to a train of old classic car pain.
But since it's open top (and I'm invoking that Mini Mexico rule as I do there too), let's look at what's on the menu for your eyes. Obviously I must mention the car's mechanical animations you can see with the chassis and trasmission axle on chase cam. This is probably the reason GT doesn't get much in the open wheel segment: the animation of this is straight up sublime, and probably takes a long time to get right.
Well.. my first thought would be the pair of mirrors. To me, this is out of place. But they not only work as intended, they also don't get in the way of the big picture ahead. If you suffer from OCD, you should umm.. not read this part as I mention the wheel, while centered, isn't centered exactly. You get a little leeway on your right side for the 6 speed manual. Typical 60's racecar stuff: you also get this in the Ford racecars in this period, up until a selection of Group C cars.
Now for the dials. The direct opposite of the R4 GTL, the RA272 has instead a tacho but no speedo. I notice this as the other dials don't move at all, and you can tell I was looking for speed. So there's nothing to help out the driver for indication of things like gears and the aforementioned speed, but this is ancient technology we're racing on. It's loud, proud, and you want to shift up at just under 12000 RPM: quite high. We didn't test it, but I have a deep dark feeling this isn't going to light up at night. I'll get to this later.
Initial impressions of this 2 and a half million credits expenditure is that.. while it carries the smallest V12 I've ever seen, is the car challenging to take around at full pace? Like the Italia last week, yes but no. Or more accurately: not exactly. It does have its moments, like unsettling when rolling on any elevated curbs you see on certain venues, or even elevation. Outside of that, if you're gentle with it, you will survive, and there's no wiggling. In fact, don't be afraid to push it when you feel like it. That smooth powerband on stock is a sign of it wanting to be taken at full pace no matter the moment. Any lesser, and its less stable side comes out to play.
For a race car, the RA272 offers something Formula 1 of today don't really go through anymore. That is a handling profile that translates to good sense of understeer in a car that's light enough, the 200 horses its got even gets you a hint of power oversteer. It's a hint, but if you do reach that nasty predicament, you're not given a chance to readjust. Funny to me is that this car feels like it can drift, but the control's not there for you to counteract, meaning you're so meeting Barry R in this occasion.
So where do we begin on being cautious? How about SPD's favorite place to start off in the brakes. On weaker ABS, one can notice the car will lock up earlier than usual: a common thing for certain cars of the 60s. Your brakes game has to be on point in here, or just use regular ABS. First time drivers should treat is softly, and preferably not use them while turning if you need to play with them or you might turn on the understeer, or throw its rear where it shouldn't be. Plus: Engine braking is also a nasty endeavor. The way to play this is one at a time, like the MC20 a few weeks back.
If you're familiar with comparing the 60s Le Mans racers with Group 3 cars, this is that when compared to a Group 4 cars, which its in PP range on hard slicks. On the surface, you get better speed, and the handling is alright for speedier venues. Though you get issues handling tighter corners, meaning you will get the advantage on tracks with straights or sweeping turns. Strangely, the acceleration feels bogged in lower RPMs even though there's no aspiration messing with the power, nor is there a dip visible in powerband. You can visibly see this difference with me taking the Shelby Daytona: a car with great mid RPM but poor top end RPM on the Wednesday Suzuka race, notably when the cars clash on the back straight leading to 130R.
You want something stranger? A Lamborghini Miura with slicks on is the closest comparison I have with this car. But the Miura, despite matching a car half its weight, is one of the most dangerous cars with in the entire game, even with slicks. So while I may give you a choice, with a 95% confidence I say stick with this car, for your own sake.
It seems like it's not too destructive, but there is one time you don't want to be driving the RA272: at night, because there's no lights to help you. Plus: no brake lights mean the racing better NOT be close-knit like a train. I pushed every single button, alright?
Yes, you can tune your RA272. This isn't a VGT. Briefly now..
A turbo's the main way to get some more power, but of course it does ruin the smooth powerband. You're already on a tightrope driving this thing stock, so it's up to you if you want to see if you do have a safety harness or not. Brake balance is also available, even though I feel this is tech that hasn't existed for the car. Keeping it at the rear is a good idea, so as long as you follow the rule of not shifting down rapidly. If you're a kind of soulless coward who wants more out of the car, yes: you can put on a race transmission, but I don't want to hear any of that.
A lot of the advice I put on the Italia GT3 (with one breath as intended) sort of applies here. Just that.. this is an understeering car. So rear up high, tightened anti-roll bars, and more stiffness on the rear. The dampeners I do prefer softening them up so it can take curbs better. You don't need to touch much on the LSD here: it's fine as it is, though you're welcome to change it incrementally. If you're still struggling on stability, you can use the ballast and put some weight up front. Interestingly, this car runs okay on Sports tires, but I'm the mofo SPD who likes low grip situations, so you can ignore that.
If this was the very sort of drive Richie Ginther had when he took that win that changed Honda's race history forever onwards, well, I can relate: very nice car to drive, and obviously for the casual crowd: a popular choice for some of the big money events in the game due to it not being able to compare its weight to your mama.
But since it's open top (and I'm invoking that Mini Mexico rule as I do there too), let's look at what's on the menu for your eyes. Obviously I must mention the car's mechanical animations you can see with the chassis and trasmission axle on chase cam. This is probably the reason GT doesn't get much in the open wheel segment: the animation of this is straight up sublime, and probably takes a long time to get right.
Well.. my first thought would be the pair of mirrors. To me, this is out of place. But they not only work as intended, they also don't get in the way of the big picture ahead. If you suffer from OCD, you should umm.. not read this part as I mention the wheel, while centered, isn't centered exactly. You get a little leeway on your right side for the 6 speed manual. Typical 60's racecar stuff: you also get this in the Ford racecars in this period, up until a selection of Group C cars.
Now for the dials. The direct opposite of the R4 GTL, the RA272 has instead a tacho but no speedo. I notice this as the other dials don't move at all, and you can tell I was looking for speed. So there's nothing to help out the driver for indication of things like gears and the aforementioned speed, but this is ancient technology we're racing on. It's loud, proud, and you want to shift up at just under 12000 RPM: quite high. We didn't test it, but I have a deep dark feeling this isn't going to light up at night. I'll get to this later.
Initial impressions of this 2 and a half million credits expenditure is that.. while it carries the smallest V12 I've ever seen, is the car challenging to take around at full pace? Like the Italia last week, yes but no. Or more accurately: not exactly. It does have its moments, like unsettling when rolling on any elevated curbs you see on certain venues, or even elevation. Outside of that, if you're gentle with it, you will survive, and there's no wiggling. In fact, don't be afraid to push it when you feel like it. That smooth powerband on stock is a sign of it wanting to be taken at full pace no matter the moment. Any lesser, and its less stable side comes out to play.
For a race car, the RA272 offers something Formula 1 of today don't really go through anymore. That is a handling profile that translates to good sense of understeer in a car that's light enough, the 200 horses its got even gets you a hint of power oversteer. It's a hint, but if you do reach that nasty predicament, you're not given a chance to readjust. Funny to me is that this car feels like it can drift, but the control's not there for you to counteract, meaning you're so meeting Barry R in this occasion.
So where do we begin on being cautious? How about SPD's favorite place to start off in the brakes. On weaker ABS, one can notice the car will lock up earlier than usual: a common thing for certain cars of the 60s. Your brakes game has to be on point in here, or just use regular ABS. First time drivers should treat is softly, and preferably not use them while turning if you need to play with them or you might turn on the understeer, or throw its rear where it shouldn't be. Plus: Engine braking is also a nasty endeavor. The way to play this is one at a time, like the MC20 a few weeks back.
If you're familiar with comparing the 60s Le Mans racers with Group 3 cars, this is that when compared to a Group 4 cars, which its in PP range on hard slicks. On the surface, you get better speed, and the handling is alright for speedier venues. Though you get issues handling tighter corners, meaning you will get the advantage on tracks with straights or sweeping turns. Strangely, the acceleration feels bogged in lower RPMs even though there's no aspiration messing with the power, nor is there a dip visible in powerband. You can visibly see this difference with me taking the Shelby Daytona: a car with great mid RPM but poor top end RPM on the Wednesday Suzuka race, notably when the cars clash on the back straight leading to 130R.
You want something stranger? A Lamborghini Miura with slicks on is the closest comparison I have with this car. But the Miura, despite matching a car half its weight, is one of the most dangerous cars with in the entire game, even with slicks. So while I may give you a choice, with a 95% confidence I say stick with this car, for your own sake.
It seems like it's not too destructive, but there is one time you don't want to be driving the RA272: at night, because there's no lights to help you. Plus: no brake lights mean the racing better NOT be close-knit like a train. I pushed every single button, alright?
Yes, you can tune your RA272. This isn't a VGT. Briefly now..
A turbo's the main way to get some more power, but of course it does ruin the smooth powerband. You're already on a tightrope driving this thing stock, so it's up to you if you want to see if you do have a safety harness or not. Brake balance is also available, even though I feel this is tech that hasn't existed for the car. Keeping it at the rear is a good idea, so as long as you follow the rule of not shifting down rapidly. If you're a kind of soulless coward who wants more out of the car, yes: you can put on a race transmission, but I don't want to hear any of that.
A lot of the advice I put on the Italia GT3 (with one breath as intended) sort of applies here. Just that.. this is an understeering car. So rear up high, tightened anti-roll bars, and more stiffness on the rear. The dampeners I do prefer softening them up so it can take curbs better. You don't need to touch much on the LSD here: it's fine as it is, though you're welcome to change it incrementally. If you're still struggling on stability, you can use the ballast and put some weight up front. Interestingly, this car runs okay on Sports tires, but I'm the mofo SPD who likes low grip situations, so you can ignore that.
If this was the very sort of drive Richie Ginther had when he took that win that changed Honda's race history forever onwards, well, I can relate: very nice car to drive, and obviously for the casual crowd: a popular choice for some of the big money events in the game due to it not being able to compare its weight to your mama.
Hayato: "That shy kid's killing it. Nyeeheehee.. it's too bad I'm not in Group 4, or I can teach him something."
Alan: "Honestly, they made it a FWD Mazda3? What blasted fools those Mazda engineers are smoking on with that?!"
Ayumi: "Whoa! I didn't think he'd end up this close so soon! He's a Group C racer, after all.."
Ayumi: "He's a whole league ahead of me.. I GIVE UP, HAHAHA! Ohh man.."
Alan: "Score one for the boys of Bristol."
Alan: "Might I show you how to race, Miss Lam?"
Candy: "Yumi-san's gone.. It's a Group 3 car, of course it's going to be faster."
Alan: "Equal? What nonsense. Look at that Formula racer go at this straight!"
Candy: "This time there's no big sis to give support to, Moto-san. Move aside!"
Hayato: "I hear you, Candy-chan.. through the power of reading those words above this sentence, that is."
Hideki: "Aik? How did-that's a Phantom Porsche if I have to say what that is.."
Alan: "Say something about my age now, Moto-san, you no good dog."
Hayato: "Dog?!"
Candy: "It's too soon to say but.. Deki-san's racecraft has really gone up a notch."
Hayato: "Look at the old man come in! I.. really want to see him against The Guts now!"
Ayumi: "Wwow! They're doing 1:44s! I'll do better next time!"
Candy: "His defense is.. for a lack of a better term.. rock solid."
Hideki: "Come on, Candy-kun. Witness the great touge leagues defense technique from the racers of Mt. Aso!"
Ayumi: "I wonder how everyone's doing.. HYAAAHH why don't we set up those communicators?! It's that RA272's fault!!"
Alan: "Swiftly in and out. Done and dusted, like a chore!"
Hayato: "Nyeeeehhh.. I'll get him next time."
Hideki: "Candy-kun really knows how to adapt with that car. She's someone else."
Candy: "He's the one in front this time.. will he repeat that result for later?"
As the misty cloudy day progresses, so does one's intent for a second race.
Joined by some tuner garage staff, they oversee the race this time around to document it, and keep it fair within their own fair rules, as they were notified by the boss herself.
As the lights ready to start, the flying lap then commences after it turns green.
With the Lancer charging ahead, and the Kouki staying back, the second race with this Week 1 pair come to a start, along with the song that started it all as well..
At a car park around the Miyabi roads, the RA272 is positioned in view for a camera crew to look about its details.
Directing the whole scene is Hayato, while Alan then walks in, with his usual cardigan outfit he always has on instead.
Hayato: "Alright.. camera is ready. I say we're ready for your first words old man."
Alan: "Let's get this show going. 1-2-3-1-2-3..."
Standing in front of the car, the director works with the clapboard, and claps it down, prompting the start of the recording.
Without a script, but with his knowledge, the old man speaks..
Alan: "Now, despite my exposure to a whole menagerie of past racing machines, I hadn't fancy a go at one of these.. the Honda RA272: a.. well, style isn't what you get when racing in the 60s. But look behind with its 1.5 liter V12, and you have here what brought Honda to the start of something.. mythical. At the back sits a small, horizontally mounted V12. 230 horsepower might not seem like the kind that wins you races, but you ask Richie Ginther by the back end of 1965, he'll tell you it's the most capable 230 horses he's ever used."
Joined by some tuner garage staff, they oversee the race this time around to document it, and keep it fair within their own fair rules, as they were notified by the boss herself.
As the lights ready to start, the flying lap then commences after it turns green.
With the Lancer charging ahead, and the Kouki staying back, the second race with this Week 1 pair come to a start, along with the song that started it all as well..
At a car park around the Miyabi roads, the RA272 is positioned in view for a camera crew to look about its details.
Directing the whole scene is Hayato, while Alan then walks in, with his usual cardigan outfit he always has on instead.
Hayato: "Alright.. camera is ready. I say we're ready for your first words old man."
Alan: "Let's get this show going. 1-2-3-1-2-3..."
Standing in front of the car, the director works with the clapboard, and claps it down, prompting the start of the recording.
Without a script, but with his knowledge, the old man speaks..
Alan: "Now, despite my exposure to a whole menagerie of past racing machines, I hadn't fancy a go at one of these.. the Honda RA272: a.. well, style isn't what you get when racing in the 60s. But look behind with its 1.5 liter V12, and you have here what brought Honda to the start of something.. mythical. At the back sits a small, horizontally mounted V12. 230 horsepower might not seem like the kind that wins you races, but you ask Richie Ginther by the back end of 1965, he'll tell you it's the most capable 230 horses he's ever used."
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Yes, this is simple. Just like me explaining about Amazon's hit car show, what are you on about?
I'm making a throwback to Week 1. Where it all started about 13 months ago. That's what I get for using a random wheel after all.
I enjoy his ridiculous character traits and personality, but as of this week, I am tired of writing in Moto-san. And this week's got the car chosen to be at fault for him coming back for another run. Least it's the last of the Honda related formula cars.
If you're thinking of nominating an NSX, be advised that the NB is his Signature Car, as well as bringing the Grouped variants of said NB will bring him over. I hope that's not what we got next week.
If anyone forgets, Alan Robinson in terms of TV car show host is Tiff Needelll. When they do speak in front of a camera, Clark Kayne is essentially Grand Tour era Jeremy Clarkson, and Nash Kirkham is Chris Harris.
I'm making a throwback to Week 1. Where it all started about 13 months ago. That's what I get for using a random wheel after all.
I enjoy his ridiculous character traits and personality, but as of this week, I am tired of writing in Moto-san. And this week's got the car chosen to be at fault for him coming back for another run. Least it's the last of the Honda related formula cars.
If you're thinking of nominating an NSX, be advised that the NB is his Signature Car, as well as bringing the Grouped variants of said NB will bring him over. I hope that's not what we got next week.
If anyone forgets, Alan Robinson in terms of TV car show host is Tiff Needelll. When they do speak in front of a camera, Clark Kayne is essentially Grand Tour era Jeremy Clarkson, and Nash Kirkham is Chris Harris.
As the main character, Candy Lam is bound to appear in every segment, be it either as the lead role, or as a small mention.
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
A shy but determined prospective artist with a variety of talents thanks to his smarts and willingness to learn. Now handling a tuning shop, he's eager to keep his craft fresh by travelling around the world.
Theme Song: Gorillaz - O Green World
Racing Duel Music: Cheap Trick - Everything Works If You Let It
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 24
Current occupation: Tuning shop co-owner
Distinct features: Short spiky black hair above an oval face. Small, brown wide set eyes, thin almond nose and unpronounced mouth. Faint presence of freckles under the eyes. Always with a skin repair bandage on some part of his face due to acne. Bright skin. Average height and build.
Choice of clothing: Always with large rounded glasses, but is transitioning to contacts due to racing more often. Usually with a combo of a tight t-shirt with a buttoned up jacket/thick jacket based on the season. The lower body is always covered with sports slacks and sneakers.
Cars: Toyota 86 GRMN
Kyoto native Hideki was born into the world without much of a tale. Him and his two sisters lives has been mostly within the city, specifically nearby the cherry blossoms of the temples and shrines around. His early life come to following the footsteps of his scientist father: a man with dreams to make it big within the fields of life preservation. But a quick look concludes that he really only inherited his father's geeky and fast learning nature.
Despite that, the children were more into the arts, inspired by the natural beauty of japan. The sisters moved to being a pop star and actress respectively. Hideki took on arts and crafts, coming from his interest in doodling from a very young age, and reading manga. Strangely, his favorite manga consists of those with cars in them, especially Speed Racer. This doodling eventually gave way to his skills in precision sketching he uses today.
Coming into university with a stellar portfolio, Hideki's time on the side came to bolstering his interests. He bought a guitar and started earning on the side performing for small venues, and took on requests for sketching. And the moment he could, he earned his driver's license. While his muse and art are doing great, he gained a desperation to fill in his want to drive, not willing to save for a car. This led him to the racing community of university undergraduates, often mistaken for stalking the woman leading it: Ayumi Tanaka.
A small scuffle between local hotshots and universities wanting to show dominance in the racing groups caused the otherwise unremarkable and shy Hideki to raise his voice. A challenge was coming, and he had weeks to prepare. This is where it started with meeting and eventually bonding with future girlfriend Ayumi. In the end, he overcame it barely, and earned an inner drive to race, and respect in the local racing scene.
Over time, he graduated, and started a tuning shop with his girlfriend. Still together, and also strong on his side hustles, Hideki's main thought today stemmed from a pivotal meeting with an American in Gion, whose dark side seems to keep getting darker.
Theme Song: Gorillaz - O Green World
Racing Duel Music: Cheap Trick - Everything Works If You Let It
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 24
Current occupation: Tuning shop co-owner
Distinct features: Short spiky black hair above an oval face. Small, brown wide set eyes, thin almond nose and unpronounced mouth. Faint presence of freckles under the eyes. Always with a skin repair bandage on some part of his face due to acne. Bright skin. Average height and build.
Choice of clothing: Always with large rounded glasses, but is transitioning to contacts due to racing more often. Usually with a combo of a tight t-shirt with a buttoned up jacket/thick jacket based on the season. The lower body is always covered with sports slacks and sneakers.
Cars: Toyota 86 GRMN
Kyoto native Hideki was born into the world without much of a tale. Him and his two sisters lives has been mostly within the city, specifically nearby the cherry blossoms of the temples and shrines around. His early life come to following the footsteps of his scientist father: a man with dreams to make it big within the fields of life preservation. But a quick look concludes that he really only inherited his father's geeky and fast learning nature.
Despite that, the children were more into the arts, inspired by the natural beauty of japan. The sisters moved to being a pop star and actress respectively. Hideki took on arts and crafts, coming from his interest in doodling from a very young age, and reading manga. Strangely, his favorite manga consists of those with cars in them, especially Speed Racer. This doodling eventually gave way to his skills in precision sketching he uses today.
Coming into university with a stellar portfolio, Hideki's time on the side came to bolstering his interests. He bought a guitar and started earning on the side performing for small venues, and took on requests for sketching. And the moment he could, he earned his driver's license. While his muse and art are doing great, he gained a desperation to fill in his want to drive, not willing to save for a car. This led him to the racing community of university undergraduates, often mistaken for stalking the woman leading it: Ayumi Tanaka.
A small scuffle between local hotshots and universities wanting to show dominance in the racing groups caused the otherwise unremarkable and shy Hideki to raise his voice. A challenge was coming, and he had weeks to prepare. This is where it started with meeting and eventually bonding with future girlfriend Ayumi. In the end, he overcame it barely, and earned an inner drive to race, and respect in the local racing scene.
Over time, he graduated, and started a tuning shop with his girlfriend. Still together, and also strong on his side hustles, Hideki's main thought today stemmed from a pivotal meeting with an American in Gion, whose dark side seems to keep getting darker.
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. Large, wide green eyes, narrow aquiline nose and a small mouth that can truly expand when she gets excited. Average height, slightly underweight with average proportions.
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.
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. Large, wide green eyes, narrow aquiline nose and a small mouth that can truly expand when she gets excited. Average height, slightly underweight with average proportions.
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.
Fourth wall breaking fan favorite racer of the current Super Formula era, Hayato's achievements haze the many dilemmas and twists he's found himself in. A former Yakuza enforcer that doubles as an just as silent and swift ninja wannabe with a unfavorable young personality to back up his race track talents.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX (NB), KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX (NB), KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
A legend of the past generation. Alan's time as The Bristol Harbinger echoes on into his terrible parenting and the contrary of such when it comes to mentoring. A classy charismatic figure who craves at the chance to push hard a racing machine again.
Theme Song: Queen - You Take My Breath Away
Racing Duel Music: The Cure - Wrong Number (acoustic)
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 59
Current occupation: Retired racer
Distinct features: Short, combed back, clean greyed chestnut hair. Heart shaped face. Similarly colored goatee on top of a stubble. Thin hooded blue eyes, thick but shallow funnel nose, and thin, wide peach mouth. Average height and slightly less weight.
Choice of clothing: Strictly a cardigan over a suit vest, fine pants and just as fine slip ons and woolen gloves. Never without his specially engraved pendant, engraved AR-CR.
Cars: Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB11
Once known as the Bristol Harbinger, it's no surprise Alan's humble origins were within Bristol, specifically behind the heritage of a metalworking industry heavy family. Aspiring to make a living in one of the larger engineering factories producing ships and planes, Alan's dreams took a turn when his father: the foreman of a prominent steel milling factory, got the factory involved in producing various machinations for Jaguar. At his younger ages, he's greatly exposed to the hard works in the mills and the foundries, but never found himself in serious dedication to it, despite humbling towards its peoples.
Amassing wealth, Alan and his sole sister eventually was personally exposed to the racing world in form of their wealthy father's collection of classic cars, notably those made iconic within the gentlemen racers era. By the time they reached adulthood and are proven able to drive, they've been handed down one car of their choosing. Both went for Germans, as Alan's first car would come in the eventually rare BMW 507. Unaware of why his peers and relatives start to distance away from him, he's never been made aware that the car's value reflected to his person: something future Alan found out.
His calling for the track came when the foundry workers started organizing quick, but overall grueling rally events around the industrial areas they worked in. There, not only would this younger Alan find his calling by being the quickest in the tiny classics raced, but also found he wants to earn his glory, not be handed down them. Respect for this form of him is gained, and he would gain a catchphrase, stating that "What's once hard can be bested with self improvement, and we keep getting on with it until it's all a chore.". That all would move on to his greatest age in his career: handling Group C Jaguars.
Eventually wedded a lady and raised a daughter, the wife's sudden death by an accident put a rift between this pair, blaming one another for the cause of this separation. It was then he's made an abrupt retirement to the racing game. Wealth was never an issue then, thanks to his past and then work's role as a racing school instructor. Usually not straying further ahead open wheel racing, Alan's problems started to fade upon meeting his daughter's sweetheart: a young Scottish enthusiast. The bond they created as mentor and pupil also cast away the social barriers between him and his daughter. Now with a keenness on helping others, he didn't hesitate when a German racing family asked him personally for his services.
Age might've slowed his senses, but this current Sim Gear host's always on the lookout for fresh talent, or even a way back into the game.
Theme Song: Queen - You Take My Breath Away
Racing Duel Music: The Cure - Wrong Number (acoustic)
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 59
Current occupation: Retired racer
Distinct features: Short, combed back, clean greyed chestnut hair. Heart shaped face. Similarly colored goatee on top of a stubble. Thin hooded blue eyes, thick but shallow funnel nose, and thin, wide peach mouth. Average height and slightly less weight.
Choice of clothing: Strictly a cardigan over a suit vest, fine pants and just as fine slip ons and woolen gloves. Never without his specially engraved pendant, engraved AR-CR.
Cars: Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB11
Once known as the Bristol Harbinger, it's no surprise Alan's humble origins were within Bristol, specifically behind the heritage of a metalworking industry heavy family. Aspiring to make a living in one of the larger engineering factories producing ships and planes, Alan's dreams took a turn when his father: the foreman of a prominent steel milling factory, got the factory involved in producing various machinations for Jaguar. At his younger ages, he's greatly exposed to the hard works in the mills and the foundries, but never found himself in serious dedication to it, despite humbling towards its peoples.
Amassing wealth, Alan and his sole sister eventually was personally exposed to the racing world in form of their wealthy father's collection of classic cars, notably those made iconic within the gentlemen racers era. By the time they reached adulthood and are proven able to drive, they've been handed down one car of their choosing. Both went for Germans, as Alan's first car would come in the eventually rare BMW 507. Unaware of why his peers and relatives start to distance away from him, he's never been made aware that the car's value reflected to his person: something future Alan found out.
His calling for the track came when the foundry workers started organizing quick, but overall grueling rally events around the industrial areas they worked in. There, not only would this younger Alan find his calling by being the quickest in the tiny classics raced, but also found he wants to earn his glory, not be handed down them. Respect for this form of him is gained, and he would gain a catchphrase, stating that "What's once hard can be bested with self improvement, and we keep getting on with it until it's all a chore.". That all would move on to his greatest age in his career: handling Group C Jaguars.
Eventually wedded a lady and raised a daughter, the wife's sudden death by an accident put a rift between this pair, blaming one another for the cause of this separation. It was then he's made an abrupt retirement to the racing game. Wealth was never an issue then, thanks to his past and then work's role as a racing school instructor. Usually not straying further ahead open wheel racing, Alan's problems started to fade upon meeting his daughter's sweetheart: a young Scottish enthusiast. The bond they created as mentor and pupil also cast away the social barriers between him and his daughter. Now with a keenness on helping others, he didn't hesitate when a German racing family asked him personally for his services.
Age might've slowed his senses, but this current Sim Gear host's always on the lookout for fresh talent, or even a way back into the game.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
The #11 Honda RA272 that raced in the 1965 season of Formula 1 might just be the most historically significant racecar to ever come from the land of the rising sun, being the first Japanese car to ever win an F1 race in just Honda's second year in making four–wheeled vehicles, establishing themselves as one of Japan's top three carmakers with boundless innovation while making themselves a household name in the highest echelon of motorsports, all with just one win.
It's just too bad I can't drive it for worth a crap.
The RA272 is an old car—it was raced and retired before downforce was "invented" by Chaparral, and so driving it with modern day habits is akin to trying to operate a rotary phone by tapping it repeatedly. It doesn't mesh with my stupid millennial brain, and so instead of a review, I'm just going to share my experience and thoughts in writing, okay?
Let's start with the parts that are easier to understand: numbers. The RA272, despite its name, comes to us producing only 228HP (170kW) from a naturally aspirated 1.5L V12 engine, which goes through a rather clumsy shifting (by modern standards) 6–speed manual gearbox. Scoff at it at your own peril however, because this bathtub on wheels weighs in at a belief–defying 498kg (1,098lbs), giving it a power–to–mass ratio surpassing that of most unrestricted GT3 machines in the game!
The second most prominent number is... well, it's a set of numbers, actually. To say that this tiny NA V12 engine is peaky wouldn't even begin to remotely hint at just how high–strung this engine is: the tachometer in the car starts at 5,000rpm. We've tested cars here in COTW that can't even GET to 5k! The tach spans 10k rpm, going from 5 to 15k, and fuel cut in–game is set to 12k. The RA272 idles somewhere in the sub 4k range, but if you ever feel the need to see that represented on the tach, you might as well go back to huddling in a futon back home. Peak power can only be found just 500rpm below fuel cut: 11,500rpm, ditto for peak torque. You know how common knowledge says that the power and torque curves will always intersect at 5,252rpm? Yeah, me neither. All I know is that this engine needs its nuts revved clean off, and failing to do so bleeds both hours and valour.
So, all these numbers, both big and small, paint a rather fearsome picture of the RA272, but yet, once it hits the track, this thing with a better power–to–mass ratio than a GT3 car sets lap times slower than even an unrestricted GT4 Cayman Clubsport! While the RA272 has incredible numbers even by modern standards, the areas that aren't usually quantified by numbers can be summed up simply with "1965". It's an old car, and as such, didn't come with Anti–Lock Brakes. While ABS is enabled for every car by default in this game, it's immediately obvious that the RA272 was never set up for that black magic; brute–forcing the car to bite into an apex with aggressive trail braking will simply break out the rear end in a sloppy slide. I actually turned off ABS to learn the car first before turning it to "Weak" in our lobbies so as not to killanyone too many people. Driving this car without ABS made me realise that a full rearward brake bias of +5 still locks up the front tyres without locking the rears, and was therefore utilising more of the available grip than the default, stupidly front biased brake balance. This car does come default with a fully adjustable brake balance controller, so I don't feel bad using it. Driving the car with ABS Weak after, I realised it had to be driven exactly like it had to be driven without ABS; it just made the shaving off speed part easier and more consistent.
Even if you (for some reason...) have experience driving with ABS Off in this game, the RA272 is still not an easy drive. Once the car is adequately slowed for a corner, it comes time to turn the steering wheel, and the RA272 has all the chassis rigidity of a wet cigarette. Now, I know my whole shtick is that I'm a Chris Harris and Tsuchiya Keiichi wannabe, and I get nerdy and wordy about how a car feels to drive, but chassis rigidity is something I have no confidence in pinpointing in a video game, let alone describing in writing. It's just not a problem modern cars have anymore. I'll try to describe what it feels like, but take everything with more than the usual pinches of salt, okay?
In a modern racecar, the brake pedal is almost a potentiometer of "how much stress do I want to put on the front tyres", and it's usually pretty proportionate to how much grip the front tyres have. Press the brakes harder, the car stops quicker. Need weight over the front? Dab the brakes a slight bit. It's a very simple cause and effect. In the RA272 however, the chassis is so structurally weak that the front tyres just stop responding any further past halfway into the brake pedal travel, with any further attempts to shift weight up front henceforth being used exclusively to warp the body instead. That is to say, this thing will NOT adjust mid corner if I misjudge the entry into a corner, and using any more than half the brake pedal is just an instant lockup.
It's not just the brakes that can exert stress on the chassis, of course; so can the steering wheel, which can have equally disastrous effects on the car.
Past a certain stress threshold, there's a palpable, yet inconsistent delay between input and feeling said input register in the car, both from the steering wheel and the pedals. Putting the RA272 through the stresses of brisk driving goes something like this: I roll over a rumble strip and/or turn the front end of the car semi hard. I then send a detailed report of what, where, when, and how fast I did it via Morse code by tapping the ground and hoping those vibrations carry over to Japan. From there, I wait for the folks at Honda to hold several board room meetings to work out the physics of my manoeuvre with the sophisticated aid of abacuses and simulations done with clay models made by special Takumi craftsmen specifically for each report I send, before discussing over tea and rice crackers whether my manoeuvre besmirches upon their family honour or not. Within 11 working days of having reached a decision, they will write back to me in Japanese, sending a pigeon to my current location. The moment of truth comes when I put that letter through an OCR translation tool, and if the esteemed council at Honda finds that the rumble strip I rolled over was too pronounced or that I turned the front end of the car too hard for the rear to keep up, the punishment for my misdeed(s) is rendered instantaneously in that very moment. If I'm not seated in a car at that point, like if I were, say, in a hotel room, the whole hotel would then proceed to break sideways and oversteer into a mountain for seemingly no reason to the untrained eye of an innocent bystander.
That's how far divorced cause and effect is when driving an RA272.
Driving the RA272 safely therefore, requires one to be extremely cognisant of any and every feedback the car gives the driver. Thankfully, the car is light enough that its steering wheel could be rocked back and forth ever so gently by the seemingly mirror–smooth home straight of Suzuka, making the circuit that hosts several high–downforce races in a year feel like a beat–up rural road. While the steering wheel talking to me in a modern racecar is usually met with the automotive equivalent of, "I got it, mooooom, sheesh, I'm not a kid anymore!", the moment the steering wheel even looks at me sternly mid–corner in the RA272, I back off and say, "yes, mommy. I'll be a good boy, I'm sorry for existing"... or whatever the automotive equivalent of that is. The RA272's emphasis on the driver being cognisant of every little tell might mean that it's a car that really rewards its driver having high end sim racing hardware, such as a load cell brake pedal and a direct drive wheel. I'm unfortunately not rich enough to test that out.
If unhindered by BoP, I would take even the worst Gr.4 car in existence over the RA272 as a driving experience, because even a stripped out, barebones Gr.4 racecar feels like a luxury spaceship in direct comparison to the RA272. But it has to be said that the RA272 feels properly special, even in a game that can't sell a Jimny to a stranded fan. It is the oldest F1 car in the entire series of Gran Turismo, and the only one of its era. The Discover section for this car therefore, is filled with replicas of other F1 cars of its era, and for that reason, I imagine there'd be someone out there crazy enough to collect 20 of these bad boys to replicate an old F1 grid in Custom Race. And while its very similar in pace to slicks–shod modern day track toys like the X-Bow, it has a (mostly) central seating position and exposed wheels to give an driving perspective that is excruciatingly rare in the whole game, and I wish more cars would adopt a centre seating position, especially track toys. No modern day turbocharged econobox engine track toy however, will give you even remotely the tinge and thrill of a NA 1.5 V12 going to 12k, and it's something so rare and extraordinary that I have to get used to again and again at the start of each drive I have with it. It's just so out of this world! It's criminal that this engine isn't available to swap into other cars by now! All that is to say, while I wince at the thought of driving it hard in competition, it feels really special to drive at five tenths. It's a good Tokyo or Le Mans grind car for that reason, if you don't mind dropping 2.5 mil for one.
It's just too bad I can't drive it for worth a crap.
Style edited from Replica GP Mexico 1965 by blue-screen74
#mexico #bucknum #replica
#mexico #bucknum #replica
The RA272 is an old car—it was raced and retired before downforce was "invented" by Chaparral, and so driving it with modern day habits is akin to trying to operate a rotary phone by tapping it repeatedly. It doesn't mesh with my stupid millennial brain, and so instead of a review, I'm just going to share my experience and thoughts in writing, okay?
Let's start with the parts that are easier to understand: numbers. The RA272, despite its name, comes to us producing only 228HP (170kW) from a naturally aspirated 1.5L V12 engine, which goes through a rather clumsy shifting (by modern standards) 6–speed manual gearbox. Scoff at it at your own peril however, because this bathtub on wheels weighs in at a belief–defying 498kg (1,098lbs), giving it a power–to–mass ratio surpassing that of most unrestricted GT3 machines in the game!
The second most prominent number is... well, it's a set of numbers, actually. To say that this tiny NA V12 engine is peaky wouldn't even begin to remotely hint at just how high–strung this engine is: the tachometer in the car starts at 5,000rpm. We've tested cars here in COTW that can't even GET to 5k! The tach spans 10k rpm, going from 5 to 15k, and fuel cut in–game is set to 12k. The RA272 idles somewhere in the sub 4k range, but if you ever feel the need to see that represented on the tach, you might as well go back to huddling in a futon back home. Peak power can only be found just 500rpm below fuel cut: 11,500rpm, ditto for peak torque. You know how common knowledge says that the power and torque curves will always intersect at 5,252rpm? Yeah, me neither. All I know is that this engine needs its nuts revved clean off, and failing to do so bleeds both hours and valour.
So, all these numbers, both big and small, paint a rather fearsome picture of the RA272, but yet, once it hits the track, this thing with a better power–to–mass ratio than a GT3 car sets lap times slower than even an unrestricted GT4 Cayman Clubsport! While the RA272 has incredible numbers even by modern standards, the areas that aren't usually quantified by numbers can be summed up simply with "1965". It's an old car, and as such, didn't come with Anti–Lock Brakes. While ABS is enabled for every car by default in this game, it's immediately obvious that the RA272 was never set up for that black magic; brute–forcing the car to bite into an apex with aggressive trail braking will simply break out the rear end in a sloppy slide. I actually turned off ABS to learn the car first before turning it to "Weak" in our lobbies so as not to kill
Even if you (for some reason...) have experience driving with ABS Off in this game, the RA272 is still not an easy drive. Once the car is adequately slowed for a corner, it comes time to turn the steering wheel, and the RA272 has all the chassis rigidity of a wet cigarette. Now, I know my whole shtick is that I'm a Chris Harris and Tsuchiya Keiichi wannabe, and I get nerdy and wordy about how a car feels to drive, but chassis rigidity is something I have no confidence in pinpointing in a video game, let alone describing in writing. It's just not a problem modern cars have anymore. I'll try to describe what it feels like, but take everything with more than the usual pinches of salt, okay?
In a modern racecar, the brake pedal is almost a potentiometer of "how much stress do I want to put on the front tyres", and it's usually pretty proportionate to how much grip the front tyres have. Press the brakes harder, the car stops quicker. Need weight over the front? Dab the brakes a slight bit. It's a very simple cause and effect. In the RA272 however, the chassis is so structurally weak that the front tyres just stop responding any further past halfway into the brake pedal travel, with any further attempts to shift weight up front henceforth being used exclusively to warp the body instead. That is to say, this thing will NOT adjust mid corner if I misjudge the entry into a corner, and using any more than half the brake pedal is just an instant lockup.
It's not just the brakes that can exert stress on the chassis, of course; so can the steering wheel, which can have equally disastrous effects on the car.
Past a certain stress threshold, there's a palpable, yet inconsistent delay between input and feeling said input register in the car, both from the steering wheel and the pedals. Putting the RA272 through the stresses of brisk driving goes something like this: I roll over a rumble strip and/or turn the front end of the car semi hard. I then send a detailed report of what, where, when, and how fast I did it via Morse code by tapping the ground and hoping those vibrations carry over to Japan. From there, I wait for the folks at Honda to hold several board room meetings to work out the physics of my manoeuvre with the sophisticated aid of abacuses and simulations done with clay models made by special Takumi craftsmen specifically for each report I send, before discussing over tea and rice crackers whether my manoeuvre besmirches upon their family honour or not. Within 11 working days of having reached a decision, they will write back to me in Japanese, sending a pigeon to my current location. The moment of truth comes when I put that letter through an OCR translation tool, and if the esteemed council at Honda finds that the rumble strip I rolled over was too pronounced or that I turned the front end of the car too hard for the rear to keep up, the punishment for my misdeed(s) is rendered instantaneously in that very moment. If I'm not seated in a car at that point, like if I were, say, in a hotel room, the whole hotel would then proceed to break sideways and oversteer into a mountain for seemingly no reason to the untrained eye of an innocent bystander.
That's how far divorced cause and effect is when driving an RA272.
Driving the RA272 safely therefore, requires one to be extremely cognisant of any and every feedback the car gives the driver. Thankfully, the car is light enough that its steering wheel could be rocked back and forth ever so gently by the seemingly mirror–smooth home straight of Suzuka, making the circuit that hosts several high–downforce races in a year feel like a beat–up rural road. While the steering wheel talking to me in a modern racecar is usually met with the automotive equivalent of, "I got it, mooooom, sheesh, I'm not a kid anymore!", the moment the steering wheel even looks at me sternly mid–corner in the RA272, I back off and say, "yes, mommy. I'll be a good boy, I'm sorry for existing"... or whatever the automotive equivalent of that is. The RA272's emphasis on the driver being cognisant of every little tell might mean that it's a car that really rewards its driver having high end sim racing hardware, such as a load cell brake pedal and a direct drive wheel. I'm unfortunately not rich enough to test that out.
If unhindered by BoP, I would take even the worst Gr.4 car in existence over the RA272 as a driving experience, because even a stripped out, barebones Gr.4 racecar feels like a luxury spaceship in direct comparison to the RA272. But it has to be said that the RA272 feels properly special, even in a game that can't sell a Jimny to a stranded fan. It is the oldest F1 car in the entire series of Gran Turismo, and the only one of its era. The Discover section for this car therefore, is filled with replicas of other F1 cars of its era, and for that reason, I imagine there'd be someone out there crazy enough to collect 20 of these bad boys to replicate an old F1 grid in Custom Race. And while its very similar in pace to slicks–shod modern day track toys like the X-Bow, it has a (mostly) central seating position and exposed wheels to give an driving perspective that is excruciatingly rare in the whole game, and I wish more cars would adopt a centre seating position, especially track toys. No modern day turbocharged econobox engine track toy however, will give you even remotely the tinge and thrill of a NA 1.5 V12 going to 12k, and it's something so rare and extraordinary that I have to get used to again and again at the start of each drive I have with it. It's just so out of this world! It's criminal that this engine isn't available to swap into other cars by now! All that is to say, while I wince at the thought of driving it hard in competition, it feels really special to drive at five tenths. It's a good Tokyo or Le Mans grind car for that reason, if you don't mind dropping 2.5 mil for one.
- 2,455
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
The RA272 is good fun. It's zippy, but not thanks to any aero, just the fact that it weighs absolutely nothing. It's so light that what you had for lunch can count as ballast. This helps it to get up to speed pretty quickly with about half the power of anything else.
H-pattern gearbox also makes for additional driving fun, I actually quite like using it in the 700pp Autopolis race. All the other cars look massive in comparison, and yet you can duck and weave through traffic like it's nothing.
It's shortcomings are, of course, fast corners.
Or rather, corners that would be fast if you had any sort of aerodynamic aid. For some reason GT has a thing for making people drive this car around Watkins Glen? (It was a race in one of last year's world series live events, and then again in this year's nations cup qualifiers) This track, of course, really highlights its dependence on mechanical grip.
It's a fun car. Maybe not for everyone, but it's a good glimpse into the world before electronic aids, aerodynamics, or energy drinks branding on F1 teams.
H-pattern gearbox also makes for additional driving fun, I actually quite like using it in the 700pp Autopolis race. All the other cars look massive in comparison, and yet you can duck and weave through traffic like it's nothing.
It's shortcomings are, of course, fast corners.
Or rather, corners that would be fast if you had any sort of aerodynamic aid. For some reason GT has a thing for making people drive this car around Watkins Glen? (It was a race in one of last year's world series live events, and then again in this year's nations cup qualifiers) This track, of course, really highlights its dependence on mechanical grip.
It's a fun car. Maybe not for everyone, but it's a good glimpse into the world before electronic aids, aerodynamics, or energy drinks branding on F1 teams.
- 508
- Singapore
GT has been putting replicas of the GTWS Showdown and Finals races in its online seasons for quite some time now. There was a copy of both 2023 finals for Manufacturers (Gr.3 N24 with rain) and Nations (X2019 at Spa in the dry) in the 23/24 exhibition seasons, the aforementioned RA272 at Glen, the modified road cars at Trial Mountain (though at least that was double the actual distance) and 2023’s Manufacturers Showdown (Gr.3 Suzuka with rain) in particular has been run twice now.
Heck, back in Dec 2022 around the World Finals, PD even did entire seasons where all races were copies of their respective finals (i.e. all rounds of the TGR season was Fuji with the GR010) while the Daily Races were copies of the qualifiers.
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- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Here are the results of last week's Special Challenge, the "Size Matters" TT!
Love the participation last week! I hope you guys had fun chasing each other's lap times!
Vic wins! Again! It's almost like I should stop doing time attack special challenges! Or just think them through properly!
(nervous cold sweat)
While not a Special Challenge per se, @RX8 Racer has gotten stupidly close to guessing this week's car, just from me looking up "Nissin" in the Livery Editor!
THAT'S worthy of a special mention, right? He guessed the Escudo was going to feature, and I shudder at that thought...
We're thrown a bit of a curveball this week; @Nismonath5 has chosen the Suzuki Jimny XC '18 to feature in Week 59 of GT7 Car of the Week!
"But wait," you might be thinking at this point. "Haven't we already tested the Jimny back in Week 44?" Yes, yes we did. This time, we're testing the Jimny with its engine swap, and nothing else! No, I have no idea how this will work, or how I can enforce this! But who am I to refuse a COTW Hall of Famer, or to refuse running a Jimny again?
We will be racing Jimnys with the engine swap + sports suspension + full custom manual gearbox. We're going off an honour system and using a strict PP limit. You most likely will need to buy a fresh Jimny and swap it to participate. You're allowed GT Auto parts and liveries to customise your car, of course, but keep in mind to not use the Wide Offset when changing wheels, lest you go over the PP limit!
Our weekly lobbies are held at the below listed times. Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 361
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
But can it beat the Swift Gr.4?
Using a bone stock Swift Gr.4 (+5BB), I've set three hot laps around Mt. Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, clocking in a 2:12.202, 2:12.252, and 2:12.747 for a total combined time of 6:47.201.
Interested parties can tune their Jimny and then run any number of laps they want around Mt. Panorama Circuit with the goal of having three consecutive laps adding up to less than my 6:47.201!
Hint: my target time is SUPER easy to beat. I encourage more people to give this a try! Once you demolish my time, maybe you can bring it to Bathurst's WTC700 event for teh lulz?
Here's a replay of my full run...
...and the Best Lap Replay of that run you can load as a ghost if you like the extra motivation:
#cotw #w59 #jimny
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
| McClarenDesign | Honda RA272 (RH) | 2:15.239 |
| Baron Blitz Red | Honda RA272 (RH) | 2:12.665 |
| Molmaz | Honda 2&4 | 2:07.543 |
| RX8 Racer | Honda 2&4 | 2:03.803 |
| Vic Reign93 | Honda 2&4 | 2:03.374 |
Love the participation last week! I hope you guys had fun chasing each other's lap times!
Vic wins! Again! It's almost like I should stop doing time attack special challenges! Or just think them through properly!
(nervous cold sweat)
While not a Special Challenge per se, @RX8 Racer has gotten stupidly close to guessing this week's car, just from me looking up "Nissin" in the Livery Editor!
THAT'S worthy of a special mention, right? He guessed the Escudo was going to feature, and I shudder at that thought...We're thrown a bit of a curveball this week; @Nismonath5 has chosen the Suzuki Jimny XC '18 to feature in Week 59 of GT7 Car of the Week!
"But wait," you might be thinking at this point. "Haven't we already tested the Jimny back in Week 44?" Yes, yes we did. This time, we're testing the Jimny with its engine swap, and nothing else! No, I have no idea how this will work, or how I can enforce this! But who am I to refuse a COTW Hall of Famer, or to refuse running a Jimny again?While the Jimny in the game comes to us with a puny 658cc 3–Cylinder Turbo engine, the Sierra and export models that don't conform to Kei restrictions get a much heartier 1.5L 4–Cylinder to go along with wider fender flares and bumpers. In–game, we instead get the 1.4L Turbo 4 pot straight from the 2017 Swift Sport, so it's not exactly a replica of the Sierra, but you won't catch me complaining about the extra 37HP on tap!
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in swapped Jimnys!We will be racing Jimnys with the engine swap + sports suspension + full custom manual gearbox. We're going off an honour system and using a strict PP limit. You most likely will need to buy a fresh Jimny and swap it to participate. You're allowed GT Auto parts and liveries to customise your car, of course, but keep in mind to not use the Wide Offset when changing wheels, lest you go over the PP limit!
Our weekly lobbies are held at the below listed times. Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 28th May, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 1st June, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 361
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
You've bought a Jimny for 18,000 Credits, and swapped it for a whopping 109,180 Credits. Now you have the most expensive Jimny in the world, with the heart of a Swift whirring underneath. Throw the entire catalogue of go–fast bits at it, and you're looking at a cost closely comparable to a bona–fide Gr.4 car.But can it beat the Swift Gr.4?
Using a bone stock Swift Gr.4 (+5BB), I've set three hot laps around Mt. Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, clocking in a 2:12.202, 2:12.252, and 2:12.747 for a total combined time of 6:47.201.
Interested parties can tune their Jimny and then run any number of laps they want around Mt. Panorama Circuit with the goal of having three consecutive laps adding up to less than my 6:47.201!
Rules:
- Engine: K14C-Swift
- Tyres: Racing Hard
- Tyre Wear & Fuel Con: Off
- Track Cut & Wall Collision Penalties: Weak
- Grip Loss: Real
Hint: my target time is SUPER easy to beat. I encourage more people to give this a try! Once you demolish my time, maybe you can bring it to Bathurst's WTC700 event for teh lulz?
Here's a replay of my full run...
...and the Best Lap Replay of that run you can load as a ghost if you like the extra motivation:
#cotw #w59 #jimny
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
Last edited:
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
To fully appreciate the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992), I'm going to have to sound more like an uninformed moron than usual by going into a philosophical rant for a bit. Oh yeah, this is a long piece.
In recent times, I think the modern supercar has become something less to be driven hard for its superior performance, and more of a status symbol, something more to be worn like clothing, a tool to woo a partner, or simply as a tool to earn a profit by hanging onto a rare and expensive car before selling it for a profit. To appear impressive on the spec sheets and to impress your average buyer for these six–figure toys, the modern supercar just keeps getting more and more powerful, simply because it's the easiest to print on a headline and easiest to understand. Cars getting more powerful might sound like a good thing, but I personally view power as a necessary evil even in a sports car, simply because power cannot increase on its own without other aspects of the car keeping up. To attain more power output, the engine needs to be bigger. It needs to run higher boost pressures. The car will need more radiators and coolants to keep all that cool. The fuel tank needs to be bigger to last the same distances. The tyres need to be wider to put down that power. The springs need to be stiffer to handle all that g. The car needs more aero to keep it stable. That means lowering it further to the ground. That means it won't clear speed humps and scrape on every incline. That means it needs a lift kit for street driving. That means more mass. You get the idea. It's a never ending downward spiral, and hence why I opine that power is a necessary evil that needs to be finely balanced, instead of blindly being heaped on just because modern technology allows for it.
It's all gotten way beyond the point where the power and mass bloat of a typical modern day supercar are becoming frankly irresponsible and completely unwieldy, even for a pretend racing driver with lots of pretending experience on a pretend racetrack. In the ludicrous event that a paying customer actually wants to drive and explore the performance of the high–performance car they bought, these cars almost always have a lot of understeer baked into their suspension and tyre setups, while coming with a harem of electronic nannies that zap away over–zealousness of the drivers, often intervening well before poo hits any of the gazillion radiator fans in a modern, power–obsessed car. But, in so doing, these persistent, omnipresent nannies make these cars a frustrating drive for those that think that they know what they're doing and just want to fully explore and experience their purchase unhindered and at the limit. Even worse, some of the newest cars in the game that I've tried, like the Giulia GTAm and FL2 Civic Type R, feel like the electronics are there less to help an experienced driver and more to impress someone prancing about at maybe 6 tenths, making them utterly dangerous and unpredictable at the limit. "See how much we can help you turn? SEE? SEE?! THIS CAR TURNS SO WELL, even though you didn't ask to turn this much! You don't need to feel anything, juuuust leave all the complicated, life threatening bits to us! Oh, what's that, your years of sim racing experience has made you panic at our intervention and you tried to correct the car that needn't correction? Well, we weren't programmed to handle your stupid pig brain, sod off into the barriers!"
These feisty problems are not at all helped by the fact that tyre technology has not kept up nearly as quickly with the mass and power creep of these modern day rocket–strapped summer villas, meaning that the braking and cornering abilities of these cars, while impressive in a vacuum, have not improved proportionately to the straight line speeds that these cars can hit, resulting in the perception of modern cars not stopping well, as these cars require the driver to stomp on the brakes earlier and earlier before a corner, sometimes before the bend comes into sight, and sometimes even for slight kinks in the road that weren't even meant to be corners. Of course, this only makes sense thinking about it rationally: higher speeds = longer stopping distances. It's just that, in a video game, where all real world sensations and sensibilities are lost to the absence of our bum g sensors and the upfront fear of a very expensive death in these machines, common sense and even the sense of speed can often end up lost in the translation into the digital realm. Under these circumstances unique to a simulator, a driver's mind working faster to match the increased straight line speeds of these cars will also naturally speed up the deceleration times and cornering speeds as well, sort of like putting an onboard video on 1.5x speed, and with that unfortunate flaw in the way the human brain works comes with a subconscious expectation that the braking distances need to shrink and cornering speeds need to raise proportionately to match the increased acceleration performance for a car as well. Otherwise, these modern performance cars just feel clumsy and lethargic at best, and flat out hazardous at worst to drive. I know this isn't a logical thing to purport, but one needs only look at the recent shebang with the Genesis VGT Time Trial at Monza to find an example of this disconnect.
Add onto this unfortunate reality the fact that we Gran Turismo 7 players are spoiled silly with a swathe of easily attainable and often used racecars in the game—gutted, racing slick shod cars with focused aerodynamics that don't rely on gimmicks, yet can actually deliver on that skewed expectations of speed everywhere—and you have a playerbase that is entirely desensitised to speed they've never felt, and set up to shun road cars—especially modern, high performance monsters. And guess which category of cars tend to have more power than the other in today's climate.
The 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS however, is the cure to all of those aforementioned sicknesses and nonsense.
Right out of the box, the 992 lives up to its namesake and immediately forces me to resort to a claim that always makes me roll my eyes in a car review: "It drives like a racecar with licence plates". I dislike that cliché because no road car can ever remotely approach the capability and feel of a racecar (not unless said racecar is literally the Mazda Roadster NR-A), and this gulf in performance between these two very different worlds is something that modern sims like Gran Turismo, Assetto Corsa, and F1 have not been shy to highlight. The 992 GT3 RS in Gran Turismo 7 however, drives and feels very much like an actual GT3 racecar: it goes very much like a GT3, stops using roughly the same brake markers as GT3s, is even more stable and predictable in the bends than some turds in Gr.3 I've sampled, and shifts almost as quickly as a GT3 as well. This thing feels so close to driving an actual GT3 racecar at 0.9x speed that, despite the fact that I hadn't driven the car prior, everything just fell into place and felt so immediately familiar when behind the wheel; the car just behaves, responds, and puts itself exactly where I would expect and intuit it, so much so that this spoiled gamer and racecar junkie could really start pushing the 992 GT3 RS on a track with just two corners of getting to know the car, as opposed to the several laps I'd usually require to really come to know a road car's quirks, tendencies, and how to compensate for them to drive at their quickest.
A lot of that of course, has to do with the fact that the 992 GT3 RS doesn't chase spec sheet numbers to look impressive—the role of chasing numbers is usually relegated to the turbocharged GT2 models. Free of the usual supercar obligation of "numbers for the sake of it", the GT3 RS is thus allowed to retain the use of a naturally aspirated 4 Litre Flat 6 engine, an excruciating rarity in an era rapidly being stifled by turbocharging and silenced by electrification. Not overly concerned with producing peak torque from idle, this songstress of an engine is capable of a hair–raising 9,000rpm, and is beautifully progressive throughout its entire rev band without feeling out of breath in the mid range. Unless the aim is to save fuel, there's no on–track situation that will call for even mid range revs, thanks to the lighting quick and impeccably spaced 7–speed PDK gearbox mated to the it. While 517HP (386kW) is meek by modern supercar standards, that's around what a modern day GT3 car produces, and those are hardly slow. The trick is to let the horses carry as little load as possible, and to that end, the carbon draped, aluminium–bodied 992 GT3 RS weighs in at a mere 1,450kg (3,197lbs)—a veritable featherweight by today's standards. And the best part about that figure? It's Kerb mass, because Porsche doesn't treat its customers and fans like they're stupid.
But of course, anyone reading this in a crash helmet and flame retardant suit must have realised immediately at the mention of that 1,450kg figure that the 992 GT3 RS isn't a bespoke racecar, and further proof of that can be found in the black rubber shoeing the massive 20–21 inch optional Magnesium wheels fitted on our example of the 992 GT3 RS: grooved tyres, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in real life, and Sport Medium by default in GT7. The extra mass and lack of grip relative to a GT3 racecar means that the 992 GT3 RS will never set a comparable lap time to an actual GT3 racecar, but the real magic is in how Porsche has finely balanced every aspect of the car, from the power, mass, gearing, and mechanical grip, to give us a car that drives and feels almost exactly like watching a GT3 racecar onboard video at 0.9x speed, making what little mental adjustment we have to do as 1337 gamers on our RGB wheels a minor and entirely subconscious one. In short, it's incredible at "tricking" our brains through a screen into believing that we're in an actual GT3 racecar. The only area where that painstakingly crafted illusion shatters is at high speed, high downforce corners, such as Eau Rouge of Spa and 130R of Suzuka, where, in spite of the very palpable downforce this car generates, the road legal tyres simply don't have it in them to handle those loads at those speeds, resulting in the 992 GT3 RS needing to brake hard to shave off speed to make those corners as opposed to actual GT3 racecars that can take them more or less flat out. The 992 will also need to brake notably earlier than a GT3 racecar going from a high–speed straight into a slow corner as well, so watch out for that.
The real trickery of the 992 GT3 RS however, isn't in the lap times it produces. It isn't in the trademark PDK gearbox, the sophisticated aero, nor the big F–Off wing with DRS capabilities sat atop the engine. Those are all the obvious stuff. Rather, the real magic of the 992 GT3 RS to me is in how the car can stealthily obscure to me things that are clearly there, such as the rear steer system. It's so good at its job that I would have never guessed had been fitted to the car had I not trawled through press releases and technical deep dives to write this! In other words, the electronic gimmicks in this car serve only to help an experienced driver do what they want, and kerb behaviour that they don't want on a track. It sounds so insultingly simple in writing, but I have very rarely liked rear steer system in cars before, because if done badly, they make the rear end of the car snappy, unpredictable, and would just be a plain nuisance. To be able to understand completely how a racing driver thinks, what they would want a car to do, and how they expect a car to react to any given input in any given situation is so incredibly impressive, and to be able to make a car wherein its electronic aids are completely unnoticeable is an electronic, mechanical, and psychological art form, the likes of which only possible with decades of motorsport dominance, in tandem with a marketing department that understands that the GT3 RS is a car aimed at hardcore 911 fans with real track experience, letting the engineers simply cook as they saw fit, and I daresay Porsche is the only car make with bean counters that chill. Porsche's rich motorsports heritage is so clear in the 992 that one could see right past it and not know it was ever there, or see that the car could only have been shaped by a company like Porsche. To top it all off, this nuance of knowing when to stand on top of a hill and shout at the top of their lungs, and knowing when to just shut up, keep their heads down, and simply produce good work, is something that I find is almost completely absent in the supercar world, and proof that Porsche is the only company that gets it, and gets it right.
That all being said, the 992 GT3 RS isn't without flaws, but most of which I find are in the way its implemented into the game, and less to do with the car itself.
To start small, GT Auto's Clayton really doesn't like the 992. This car gets absolutely zero aero options in GT Auto—it can't even be de–winged—so I hope you like the car's default downforce values, because the car is stuck with them for life. I'm also shocked to find that PD didn't scan the car with its tow hook anchor point covers removed, so installing aftermarket tow hooks will result in Clayton literally DRILLING INTO THE COVERS. Look, I know this is a minor thing, but this is inexcusably stupid and you cannot change my mind; There is NO WAY they scanned a road car exclusively for GT7 five months after the game's release not knowing they needed to scan it with the covers off. A track focused car, at that!
For comparison, here are the tow hooks offered on the 1999 Honda S2000, a car added to Gran Turismo Sport some 31 months before GT7 was even released:
Want to put a licence plate on your road car? That involves putting your own grimy decals on the car, which in turn will wipe all the factory GT3 RS decals from the car. While the community has provided replica decals, user–made content won't ever be depicted with the same fidelity as the cars' original decals, and are always at risk of being deleted for gosh knows what reason. Want to paint the car? Say goodbye to all the bare carbon bits, too. Want to know what it took to create a super simple My Favourite Carrera tribute car? 3 hours and 109 layers. I know I'm not the most efficient guy with the livery editor, but god damn why is this such a problem in 2024. It throws off my fengshui and makes my chakra boil.
Onto issues that you might actually care about: The most immediate annoyance with the 992 is that its Drag Reduction System (DRS) is manually activated in the game, with no option for automatic deployment. With no rule governing when or how much DRS is allowed to be used, DRS is just a "free speed" button, and it sounds amazing all the way until realisation sets in that you have to hold down an extra button the whole race to run optimally, necessitating adjusting one's grip on the steering wheel and driving in an awkward fashion almost akin to learning to live with a new, crippling injury. In the real car, DRS can be set to full auto, and why wouldn't anyone just leave it in full auto? DRS snaps shut on braking zones and when the steering wheel is tilted past a very limited angle, anyway, so it's not like drivers can choose how much stability and understeer they want going into a corner. The speed loss of not using DRS isn't immediately apparent, but it adds up across a lap; just the Kemmel Straight of Spa alone will see a DRS driver shave off something like 0.15 of a second over a non–DRS driver.
One could argue that DRS being manually activated make sense in a video game—something that has an inherent goal of being actively interacted with by its user. If that's the case however, then GT7 really doesn't do the 992 GT3 RS justice; the real life 992 GT3 RS features adjustability to its front downforce, brake balance, suspension bound and rebound rates, and even the differential behaviour, all of which can be electronically adjusted right from the driver's seat to any individual's style and preferences if they can make any sense of it. Unfortunately, none of that is adjustable by default in GT7, meaning that aftermarket parts need to be bought for a prospective tinkerer who wants to fully explore and get to the most out of their track toy. A 20,000 Cr. Fully Customisable Suspension might not sound like a big deal to someone buying a 340,000 Cr. toy, but the real hit isn't financial, but rather, in the car's PP rating increasing even further from fitting an aftermarket adjustable part. Coming default with adjustable parts will also allow for tweaks to said parts under the often used BoP/Settings Partially Allowed conditions, which temporarily revert a car back to the parts it originally came with, thereby disallowing a 992 GT3 RS to be adjusted to its driver's liking. I like most of my cars with a rear brake bias in GT7's current understeer biased physics, and it's something I'd have loved to try in our weekly lobbies with the 992.
With the 992 GT3 RS driving and behaving very much like a racecar, it will, of course, suffer a lot of the same problems a racecar suffers from as well. The suspension setup is so stiff that the car has no perceptible pitch and roll from the inside and out, which works magic in the dry, sure, but makes the car damn near undrivable in the wet, where there's a very unfortunate chicken and egg issue where the tyres can't grip the pavement well enough to make the body lean over them, and therefore there's nothing to press the relevant tyres harder into the pavement to dig up more grip. If the skies do turn gloomy, it might necessitate a panic trip to the trackside N2O shop to buy full race spec wet tyres just to keep the 992 on the track. (Thank GOD they don't charge more than Understeer for the same parts!)
The in–game HUD for the 992 is also calibrated super weirdly. Typically, the rev bar shows around the last 2,000rpm of an engine, filling up 500rpm before the rev limit and flashing the filled bar for the last 500rpm to convey to the player, "get ready to upshift!". In the 992, the rev bar instead cuts out that last 500rpm "flash zone", and so the moment it fills up is when the car has hit its 9,000rpm rev limit and bounced off its limiter. It's extremely counterintuitive and forces me to adopt a mindset of "short shift the car", despite me literally redlining it. It's so bloody annoying that, if I didn't need the radar, I'd switch off that lying piece of crap HUD entirely. It's a small issue, sure, but something that doesn't feel right in a car that's all about the raw driving experience be like i riter no god english, or going to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant only to be served overcooked instant noodles. It's boarderline rude coming from supposed specialists in their trade, and just gives off the impression that someone just ran out of time or Fs to give. The 992 deserves better than that. The silver lining to that weird HUD is that the car can be driven pretty much optimally in Automatic shifting. I don't get auto DRS, but I get auto shifting. Yay. Cool, I guess.
And for as much as the 992 GT3 RS bucks modern trends, one area in which it unfortunately can't escape is that it... feels a bit soulless. It's a bit too well put together, a bit too safe. As it is set up by default in GT7, it hardly ever fights back against the driver; it just does everything with a scary efficiency and precision, like a professional butler holding back his personal feelings. Used to be that 911s were famed for being widowmakers, the unreasonably tough final boss fight on New Game+ demanding every morsel of what you've learnt in your journey studying and battling its kind, plus some good luck on top of all that. But now it's... a math exam taken in an air con room with a caring teacher with a bad past who believes in you overseeing the test. It's not a bad thing; far from it. It's just... not what I expect from the 911 name.
And if a modern day 911 drives like this, what hope is there out there for anything else to feel any more exciting?
The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992). Drive it if you want to be spoiled for life and hate every other supercar. Or just... you know, hang onto it as the last "pure" ICE 911 to flip it for a massive profit later. To counteract these people, I'm going to put anime girls on my 992 and take it out on dirt and snow courses. Why? Because being able to drive this track toy on dirt and snow is more important than a properly calibrated tach and auto DRS, apparently.
In recent times, I think the modern supercar has become something less to be driven hard for its superior performance, and more of a status symbol, something more to be worn like clothing, a tool to woo a partner, or simply as a tool to earn a profit by hanging onto a rare and expensive car before selling it for a profit. To appear impressive on the spec sheets and to impress your average buyer for these six–figure toys, the modern supercar just keeps getting more and more powerful, simply because it's the easiest to print on a headline and easiest to understand. Cars getting more powerful might sound like a good thing, but I personally view power as a necessary evil even in a sports car, simply because power cannot increase on its own without other aspects of the car keeping up. To attain more power output, the engine needs to be bigger. It needs to run higher boost pressures. The car will need more radiators and coolants to keep all that cool. The fuel tank needs to be bigger to last the same distances. The tyres need to be wider to put down that power. The springs need to be stiffer to handle all that g. The car needs more aero to keep it stable. That means lowering it further to the ground. That means it won't clear speed humps and scrape on every incline. That means it needs a lift kit for street driving. That means more mass. You get the idea. It's a never ending downward spiral, and hence why I opine that power is a necessary evil that needs to be finely balanced, instead of blindly being heaped on just because modern technology allows for it.
It's all gotten way beyond the point where the power and mass bloat of a typical modern day supercar are becoming frankly irresponsible and completely unwieldy, even for a pretend racing driver with lots of pretending experience on a pretend racetrack. In the ludicrous event that a paying customer actually wants to drive and explore the performance of the high–performance car they bought, these cars almost always have a lot of understeer baked into their suspension and tyre setups, while coming with a harem of electronic nannies that zap away over–zealousness of the drivers, often intervening well before poo hits any of the gazillion radiator fans in a modern, power–obsessed car. But, in so doing, these persistent, omnipresent nannies make these cars a frustrating drive for those that think that they know what they're doing and just want to fully explore and experience their purchase unhindered and at the limit. Even worse, some of the newest cars in the game that I've tried, like the Giulia GTAm and FL2 Civic Type R, feel like the electronics are there less to help an experienced driver and more to impress someone prancing about at maybe 6 tenths, making them utterly dangerous and unpredictable at the limit. "See how much we can help you turn? SEE? SEE?! THIS CAR TURNS SO WELL, even though you didn't ask to turn this much! You don't need to feel anything, juuuust leave all the complicated, life threatening bits to us! Oh, what's that, your years of sim racing experience has made you panic at our intervention and you tried to correct the car that needn't correction? Well, we weren't programmed to handle your stupid pig brain, sod off into the barriers!"
These feisty problems are not at all helped by the fact that tyre technology has not kept up nearly as quickly with the mass and power creep of these modern day rocket–strapped summer villas, meaning that the braking and cornering abilities of these cars, while impressive in a vacuum, have not improved proportionately to the straight line speeds that these cars can hit, resulting in the perception of modern cars not stopping well, as these cars require the driver to stomp on the brakes earlier and earlier before a corner, sometimes before the bend comes into sight, and sometimes even for slight kinks in the road that weren't even meant to be corners. Of course, this only makes sense thinking about it rationally: higher speeds = longer stopping distances. It's just that, in a video game, where all real world sensations and sensibilities are lost to the absence of our bum g sensors and the upfront fear of a very expensive death in these machines, common sense and even the sense of speed can often end up lost in the translation into the digital realm. Under these circumstances unique to a simulator, a driver's mind working faster to match the increased straight line speeds of these cars will also naturally speed up the deceleration times and cornering speeds as well, sort of like putting an onboard video on 1.5x speed, and with that unfortunate flaw in the way the human brain works comes with a subconscious expectation that the braking distances need to shrink and cornering speeds need to raise proportionately to match the increased acceleration performance for a car as well. Otherwise, these modern performance cars just feel clumsy and lethargic at best, and flat out hazardous at worst to drive. I know this isn't a logical thing to purport, but one needs only look at the recent shebang with the Genesis VGT Time Trial at Monza to find an example of this disconnect.
Add onto this unfortunate reality the fact that we Gran Turismo 7 players are spoiled silly with a swathe of easily attainable and often used racecars in the game—gutted, racing slick shod cars with focused aerodynamics that don't rely on gimmicks, yet can actually deliver on that skewed expectations of speed everywhere—and you have a playerbase that is entirely desensitised to speed they've never felt, and set up to shun road cars—especially modern, high performance monsters. And guess which category of cars tend to have more power than the other in today's climate.
The 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS however, is the cure to all of those aforementioned sicknesses and nonsense.
Right out of the box, the 992 lives up to its namesake and immediately forces me to resort to a claim that always makes me roll my eyes in a car review: "It drives like a racecar with licence plates". I dislike that cliché because no road car can ever remotely approach the capability and feel of a racecar (not unless said racecar is literally the Mazda Roadster NR-A), and this gulf in performance between these two very different worlds is something that modern sims like Gran Turismo, Assetto Corsa, and F1 have not been shy to highlight. The 992 GT3 RS in Gran Turismo 7 however, drives and feels very much like an actual GT3 racecar: it goes very much like a GT3, stops using roughly the same brake markers as GT3s, is even more stable and predictable in the bends than some turds in Gr.3 I've sampled, and shifts almost as quickly as a GT3 as well. This thing feels so close to driving an actual GT3 racecar at 0.9x speed that, despite the fact that I hadn't driven the car prior, everything just fell into place and felt so immediately familiar when behind the wheel; the car just behaves, responds, and puts itself exactly where I would expect and intuit it, so much so that this spoiled gamer and racecar junkie could really start pushing the 992 GT3 RS on a track with just two corners of getting to know the car, as opposed to the several laps I'd usually require to really come to know a road car's quirks, tendencies, and how to compensate for them to drive at their quickest.
A lot of that of course, has to do with the fact that the 992 GT3 RS doesn't chase spec sheet numbers to look impressive—the role of chasing numbers is usually relegated to the turbocharged GT2 models. Free of the usual supercar obligation of "numbers for the sake of it", the GT3 RS is thus allowed to retain the use of a naturally aspirated 4 Litre Flat 6 engine, an excruciating rarity in an era rapidly being stifled by turbocharging and silenced by electrification. Not overly concerned with producing peak torque from idle, this songstress of an engine is capable of a hair–raising 9,000rpm, and is beautifully progressive throughout its entire rev band without feeling out of breath in the mid range. Unless the aim is to save fuel, there's no on–track situation that will call for even mid range revs, thanks to the lighting quick and impeccably spaced 7–speed PDK gearbox mated to the it. While 517HP (386kW) is meek by modern supercar standards, that's around what a modern day GT3 car produces, and those are hardly slow. The trick is to let the horses carry as little load as possible, and to that end, the carbon draped, aluminium–bodied 992 GT3 RS weighs in at a mere 1,450kg (3,197lbs)—a veritable featherweight by today's standards. And the best part about that figure? It's Kerb mass, because Porsche doesn't treat its customers and fans like they're stupid.
But of course, anyone reading this in a crash helmet and flame retardant suit must have realised immediately at the mention of that 1,450kg figure that the 992 GT3 RS isn't a bespoke racecar, and further proof of that can be found in the black rubber shoeing the massive 20–21 inch optional Magnesium wheels fitted on our example of the 992 GT3 RS: grooved tyres, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 in real life, and Sport Medium by default in GT7. The extra mass and lack of grip relative to a GT3 racecar means that the 992 GT3 RS will never set a comparable lap time to an actual GT3 racecar, but the real magic is in how Porsche has finely balanced every aspect of the car, from the power, mass, gearing, and mechanical grip, to give us a car that drives and feels almost exactly like watching a GT3 racecar onboard video at 0.9x speed, making what little mental adjustment we have to do as 1337 gamers on our RGB wheels a minor and entirely subconscious one. In short, it's incredible at "tricking" our brains through a screen into believing that we're in an actual GT3 racecar. The only area where that painstakingly crafted illusion shatters is at high speed, high downforce corners, such as Eau Rouge of Spa and 130R of Suzuka, where, in spite of the very palpable downforce this car generates, the road legal tyres simply don't have it in them to handle those loads at those speeds, resulting in the 992 GT3 RS needing to brake hard to shave off speed to make those corners as opposed to actual GT3 racecars that can take them more or less flat out. The 992 will also need to brake notably earlier than a GT3 racecar going from a high–speed straight into a slow corner as well, so watch out for that.
The real trickery of the 992 GT3 RS however, isn't in the lap times it produces. It isn't in the trademark PDK gearbox, the sophisticated aero, nor the big F–Off wing with DRS capabilities sat atop the engine. Those are all the obvious stuff. Rather, the real magic of the 992 GT3 RS to me is in how the car can stealthily obscure to me things that are clearly there, such as the rear steer system. It's so good at its job that I would have never guessed had been fitted to the car had I not trawled through press releases and technical deep dives to write this! In other words, the electronic gimmicks in this car serve only to help an experienced driver do what they want, and kerb behaviour that they don't want on a track. It sounds so insultingly simple in writing, but I have very rarely liked rear steer system in cars before, because if done badly, they make the rear end of the car snappy, unpredictable, and would just be a plain nuisance. To be able to understand completely how a racing driver thinks, what they would want a car to do, and how they expect a car to react to any given input in any given situation is so incredibly impressive, and to be able to make a car wherein its electronic aids are completely unnoticeable is an electronic, mechanical, and psychological art form, the likes of which only possible with decades of motorsport dominance, in tandem with a marketing department that understands that the GT3 RS is a car aimed at hardcore 911 fans with real track experience, letting the engineers simply cook as they saw fit, and I daresay Porsche is the only car make with bean counters that chill. Porsche's rich motorsports heritage is so clear in the 992 that one could see right past it and not know it was ever there, or see that the car could only have been shaped by a company like Porsche. To top it all off, this nuance of knowing when to stand on top of a hill and shout at the top of their lungs, and knowing when to just shut up, keep their heads down, and simply produce good work, is something that I find is almost completely absent in the supercar world, and proof that Porsche is the only company that gets it, and gets it right.
That all being said, the 992 GT3 RS isn't without flaws, but most of which I find are in the way its implemented into the game, and less to do with the car itself.
To start small, GT Auto's Clayton really doesn't like the 992. This car gets absolutely zero aero options in GT Auto—it can't even be de–winged—so I hope you like the car's default downforce values, because the car is stuck with them for life. I'm also shocked to find that PD didn't scan the car with its tow hook anchor point covers removed, so installing aftermarket tow hooks will result in Clayton literally DRILLING INTO THE COVERS. Look, I know this is a minor thing, but this is inexcusably stupid and you cannot change my mind; There is NO WAY they scanned a road car exclusively for GT7 five months after the game's release not knowing they needed to scan it with the covers off. A track focused car, at that!
For comparison, here are the tow hooks offered on the 1999 Honda S2000, a car added to Gran Turismo Sport some 31 months before GT7 was even released:
Want to put a licence plate on your road car? That involves putting your own grimy decals on the car, which in turn will wipe all the factory GT3 RS decals from the car. While the community has provided replica decals, user–made content won't ever be depicted with the same fidelity as the cars' original decals, and are always at risk of being deleted for gosh knows what reason. Want to paint the car? Say goodbye to all the bare carbon bits, too. Want to know what it took to create a super simple My Favourite Carrera tribute car? 3 hours and 109 layers. I know I'm not the most efficient guy with the livery editor, but god damn why is this such a problem in 2024. It throws off my fengshui and makes my chakra boil.
Onto issues that you might actually care about: The most immediate annoyance with the 992 is that its Drag Reduction System (DRS) is manually activated in the game, with no option for automatic deployment. With no rule governing when or how much DRS is allowed to be used, DRS is just a "free speed" button, and it sounds amazing all the way until realisation sets in that you have to hold down an extra button the whole race to run optimally, necessitating adjusting one's grip on the steering wheel and driving in an awkward fashion almost akin to learning to live with a new, crippling injury. In the real car, DRS can be set to full auto, and why wouldn't anyone just leave it in full auto? DRS snaps shut on braking zones and when the steering wheel is tilted past a very limited angle, anyway, so it's not like drivers can choose how much stability and understeer they want going into a corner. The speed loss of not using DRS isn't immediately apparent, but it adds up across a lap; just the Kemmel Straight of Spa alone will see a DRS driver shave off something like 0.15 of a second over a non–DRS driver.
One could argue that DRS being manually activated make sense in a video game—something that has an inherent goal of being actively interacted with by its user. If that's the case however, then GT7 really doesn't do the 992 GT3 RS justice; the real life 992 GT3 RS features adjustability to its front downforce, brake balance, suspension bound and rebound rates, and even the differential behaviour, all of which can be electronically adjusted right from the driver's seat to any individual's style and preferences if they can make any sense of it. Unfortunately, none of that is adjustable by default in GT7, meaning that aftermarket parts need to be bought for a prospective tinkerer who wants to fully explore and get to the most out of their track toy. A 20,000 Cr. Fully Customisable Suspension might not sound like a big deal to someone buying a 340,000 Cr. toy, but the real hit isn't financial, but rather, in the car's PP rating increasing even further from fitting an aftermarket adjustable part. Coming default with adjustable parts will also allow for tweaks to said parts under the often used BoP/Settings Partially Allowed conditions, which temporarily revert a car back to the parts it originally came with, thereby disallowing a 992 GT3 RS to be adjusted to its driver's liking. I like most of my cars with a rear brake bias in GT7's current understeer biased physics, and it's something I'd have loved to try in our weekly lobbies with the 992.
With the 992 GT3 RS driving and behaving very much like a racecar, it will, of course, suffer a lot of the same problems a racecar suffers from as well. The suspension setup is so stiff that the car has no perceptible pitch and roll from the inside and out, which works magic in the dry, sure, but makes the car damn near undrivable in the wet, where there's a very unfortunate chicken and egg issue where the tyres can't grip the pavement well enough to make the body lean over them, and therefore there's nothing to press the relevant tyres harder into the pavement to dig up more grip. If the skies do turn gloomy, it might necessitate a panic trip to the trackside N2O shop to buy full race spec wet tyres just to keep the 992 on the track. (Thank GOD they don't charge more than Understeer for the same parts!)
The in–game HUD for the 992 is also calibrated super weirdly. Typically, the rev bar shows around the last 2,000rpm of an engine, filling up 500rpm before the rev limit and flashing the filled bar for the last 500rpm to convey to the player, "get ready to upshift!". In the 992, the rev bar instead cuts out that last 500rpm "flash zone", and so the moment it fills up is when the car has hit its 9,000rpm rev limit and bounced off its limiter. It's extremely counterintuitive and forces me to adopt a mindset of "short shift the car", despite me literally redlining it. It's so bloody annoying that, if I didn't need the radar, I'd switch off that lying piece of crap HUD entirely. It's a small issue, sure, but something that doesn't feel right in a car that's all about the raw driving experience be like i riter no god english, or going to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant only to be served overcooked instant noodles. It's boarderline rude coming from supposed specialists in their trade, and just gives off the impression that someone just ran out of time or Fs to give. The 992 deserves better than that. The silver lining to that weird HUD is that the car can be driven pretty much optimally in Automatic shifting. I don't get auto DRS, but I get auto shifting. Yay. Cool, I guess.
And for as much as the 992 GT3 RS bucks modern trends, one area in which it unfortunately can't escape is that it... feels a bit soulless. It's a bit too well put together, a bit too safe. As it is set up by default in GT7, it hardly ever fights back against the driver; it just does everything with a scary efficiency and precision, like a professional butler holding back his personal feelings. Used to be that 911s were famed for being widowmakers, the unreasonably tough final boss fight on New Game+ demanding every morsel of what you've learnt in your journey studying and battling its kind, plus some good luck on top of all that. But now it's... a math exam taken in an air con room with a caring teacher with a bad past who believes in you overseeing the test. It's not a bad thing; far from it. It's just... not what I expect from the 911 name.
And if a modern day 911 drives like this, what hope is there out there for anything else to feel any more exciting?
The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992). Drive it if you want to be spoiled for life and hate every other supercar. Or just... you know, hang onto it as the last "pure" ICE 911 to flip it for a massive profit later. To counteract these people, I'm going to put anime girls on my 992 and take it out on dirt and snow courses. Why? Because being able to drive this track toy on dirt and snow is more important than a properly calibrated tach and auto DRS, apparently.
- 3,925
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD: claims he can upload his writeup tonight.
Also SPD:
Ughh, I hate to say I jebaited y'all again.
Also SPD:
Ughh, I hate to say I jebaited y'all again.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
This past Tuesday/Wednesday lobby was a bit of a mess as everyone was showing up in modified Jimnys. A little infuriating to me as I specifically requested just a stock Jimny with the swap and nothing else, and even suggested to buy a fresh Jimny if anyone didn't have one that fit that description.
The problem is that a customisable diff and gearbox actually DROPS the PP rating of the Jimny, so enforcing a "stock" Jimny via PP, power, or mass limits is impossible. I can't rely on BoP to enforce a "stock" car either, because engine swapped cars are completely ineligible with BoP on. Also, the stock Jimny's gearbox is way too low for an engine with more than twice its original power, so...
This Saturday, we'll be running a PP limit of 361PP. I can't enforce specific mods, so you're free to do whatever you want if it fits under that limit, but we've chosen that specific figure as a Jimny with a swap + sports suspension + full custom manual gearbox is 360.32PP. We recommend anyone planning to show up on Saturday to come with that setup. You're free to run whatever settings on said customisable parts as you see fit.
tl;dr: Saturday, Jimny with ONLY these parts:
I am not going to change the restrictions during race day and will not hesitate to kick anyone who don't comply.
Safe to say I'm not doing this nonsense again.
(Very auspicious post #777)
(Also, while I'm barking orders at you, go buy a Volvo 240 from the UCD.)
The problem is that a customisable diff and gearbox actually DROPS the PP rating of the Jimny, so enforcing a "stock" Jimny via PP, power, or mass limits is impossible. I can't rely on BoP to enforce a "stock" car either, because engine swapped cars are completely ineligible with BoP on. Also, the stock Jimny's gearbox is way too low for an engine with more than twice its original power, so...
This Saturday, we'll be running a PP limit of 361PP. I can't enforce specific mods, so you're free to do whatever you want if it fits under that limit, but we've chosen that specific figure as a Jimny with a swap + sports suspension + full custom manual gearbox is 360.32PP. We recommend anyone planning to show up on Saturday to come with that setup. You're free to run whatever settings on said customisable parts as you see fit.
tl;dr: Saturday, Jimny with ONLY these parts:
- Engine Swap
- Sports Suspension
- Full Custom MANUAL Gearbox
I am not going to change the restrictions during race day and will not hesitate to kick anyone who don't comply.
Safe to say I'm not doing this nonsense again.
(Very auspicious post #777)
(Also, while I'm barking orders at you, go buy a Volvo 240 from the UCD.)
- 3,925
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 59 - Suzuki Jimny XC (with the K14C Boosterjet)
Ahh, the Jimny. Suzuki's wonder off-roading compact juggernaut from the 70s have yet to appear in any form of video game.
You can tell this is a copy paste, right? I do that a lot.
Round 2 for the Jimny that nearly killed some anime lady plastered on another Jimny? I'm up for that.
Having covered the Jimny proper in Week 44, it's essentially summed up as a kei sized off-roader that's the king of its class for above 60 years. It's also not only my favorite kei car of all time, it also got an engine swap from the.. I'm not sure which is more successful, but okay, just as successful Suzuki Swift. While swapping engines can be a hit or miss depending on car and engine alike, the Suzuki's case is one I definitely don't mind doing, due to its low cost and the fact it can take the Boosterjet Swift engine no problem.
How it will drive.. well, it sounds like it's a swap that's worth doing. But I'll let the lobbies explain that.
Speaking of which, like with the lobbies, the story's a little bit more chaotic this week.
There's a new guy and there might be a certain common swear word at play.. (UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT)
Episode 59: Three Heads of the Trinitia
Candy's house
Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Morning
It's a lovely Tokyo morning, and sounds like a good morning call's about to be announced..
Candy: "MINORI-CHANN!!"
sigh, never mind.
A cry for urgency comes from the little racer as she dashes out her room in search of the deadly assassin she has under her roof.
Quickly gazing through the kitchen and the living quarters, she mumbles, then shouts..
Candy: "Just where is that.. Minori-chan!!"
Letting silence take place of the small home's soundtrack, she then hears a conversation from the back area..
Minori: "Mmmhmm.. oh, she's fine. A bit riled up now because.. well, I guess I'll tell you later. Okay, au revoir."
Minori then puts her phone away into a pocket by the lower front of her bespoke maid's dress.
Miffed by her cool, Candy strikes..
Candy: "We're late, and you had to take a courtesy call? Annoying. Who could that be?"
Minori: "Sonny."
Candy: "Oh. You're in hiding and had a conver.. you know what: we'll talk about this later. Just so you know, I'm still paranoid you might be talking to Clark or someone in the Guild.."
Smugly, Minori takes out her usual French side and replies with sass..
Minori: "The Guild? Ohh, bebe.. I don't talk to anyone in the Guild. Remember: I'm rogue. As for Clark.. he's probably doing his Messiah thing right now.. though I know enough to hear he's in better spirits, Candy-sama."
Candy: "Must be because we know Cierra's in a good place. Subjective emphasis on 'good'."
As the women walk outside with their bags, they take a quick glance at the garage hidden from view, knowing inside carrying certain mid engined cars with a loaded price tag.
Candy then thought aloud..
Candy: "Question, Minori-chan.. aside that department store discovery, has.."
Minori: "Anyone found me? No.. not yet. Like I said, I've been taking lessons. Classes in staying low key from Izzy."
Izzy was a strange name, as Candy asked..
Candy: "Izzy? Do I know an Izzy?? You mean.. Chunhua?"
Minori: "What other Izzy is there anyways? You know she's a double agent one time?"
Despite their urgency, Candy finds herself sufficiently distracted as she continues passionately..
Candy: "Ohh? The kind of things you hear in the movies? Intriguing.. tell me more!"
Minori: "Call me on the go, Candy-sama. We're late after all!"
As they prepare to leave in their hatchbacks, they don't notice from outside the driveway that they're not the only ones interested in the scene's development.
Watching from a balcony above stands a beauty brimmed with yellow..
Miranda: "Lyle-bear's right.. that IS The Assassin.."
Confirming despite the effectiveness of Minori's disguise, she then holds herself, struggling to keep restraint..
Miranda: "Huhh.. alright.. I.. couldn't hold this.. excitement in me.. urghh.. heee.."
She knows it's a losing battle, though she's unsure why she carries on, holding her head as if she's having a mental attack.
Miranda: "Ughhh, ohh.. Crimson.. you're indeed.. interested.. dearie me!"
But by the time she gets back to her senses, her personality however..
The Crimson End: "The prey's been spotted! Ehe ehe ehe.. Now to phase 2.."
Ahh, the Jimny. Suzuki's wonder off-roading compact juggernaut from the 70s have yet to appear in any form of video game.
You can tell this is a copy paste, right? I do that a lot.
Round 2 for the Jimny that nearly killed some anime lady plastered on another Jimny? I'm up for that.
Having covered the Jimny proper in Week 44, it's essentially summed up as a kei sized off-roader that's the king of its class for above 60 years. It's also not only my favorite kei car of all time, it also got an engine swap from the.. I'm not sure which is more successful, but okay, just as successful Suzuki Swift. While swapping engines can be a hit or miss depending on car and engine alike, the Suzuki's case is one I definitely don't mind doing, due to its low cost and the fact it can take the Boosterjet Swift engine no problem.
How it will drive.. well, it sounds like it's a swap that's worth doing. But I'll let the lobbies explain that.
Speaking of which, like with the lobbies, the story's a little bit more chaotic this week.
There's a new guy and there might be a certain common swear word at play.. (UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Episode 59: Three Heads of the Trinitia
Tokyo Expressway
Inner Tokyo, Japan
Late Morning
The forces of nature act kindly to Tokyo's skies as the dry roads makes great use of a bunch of sports cars sate their hunger for adrenaline.
All domestic tuned, they also have something else in common: being handled by veterans of the scene.
The focus of this run now mainly heads to the violet Crown.
Sounding like it belongs on the race track, the car blasts through the tunnels with a lot to show for.
His experience trumps all others, for this one's known by the scene as The Dragon of Da Nang: initially scorned, but eventually grown to a respected figure.
Eventually, the car disappears, going off the expressways..
A variety of cars gather on one of the few parking spots used for these groups to meet at night, including the Crown.
The man inside busily taps through his messaging app, informing his spouse of his night activities, and then noticing something else.
That something else indicates he has to be awake in the morning later. A deep sigh follows, as he forgets of the occassion.
Reaching for his glovebox, he opens it and takes out a medicinal bottle, half filled with sleeping pills.
Inner Tokyo, Japan
Late Morning
The forces of nature act kindly to Tokyo's skies as the dry roads makes great use of a bunch of sports cars sate their hunger for adrenaline.
All domestic tuned, they also have something else in common: being handled by veterans of the scene.
The focus of this run now mainly heads to the violet Crown.
Sounding like it belongs on the race track, the car blasts through the tunnels with a lot to show for.
His experience trumps all others, for this one's known by the scene as The Dragon of Da Nang: initially scorned, but eventually grown to a respected figure.
Eventually, the car disappears, going off the expressways..
A variety of cars gather on one of the few parking spots used for these groups to meet at night, including the Crown.
The man inside busily taps through his messaging app, informing his spouse of his night activities, and then noticing something else.
That something else indicates he has to be awake in the morning later. A deep sigh follows, as he forgets of the occassion.
Reaching for his glovebox, he opens it and takes out a medicinal bottle, half filled with sleeping pills.
Candy's house
Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Morning
It's a lovely Tokyo morning, and sounds like a good morning call's about to be announced..
Candy: "MINORI-CHANN!!"
sigh, never mind.
A cry for urgency comes from the little racer as she dashes out her room in search of the deadly assassin she has under her roof.
Quickly gazing through the kitchen and the living quarters, she mumbles, then shouts..
Candy: "Just where is that.. Minori-chan!!"
Letting silence take place of the small home's soundtrack, she then hears a conversation from the back area..
Minori: "Mmmhmm.. oh, she's fine. A bit riled up now because.. well, I guess I'll tell you later. Okay, au revoir."
Minori then puts her phone away into a pocket by the lower front of her bespoke maid's dress.
Miffed by her cool, Candy strikes..
Candy: "We're late, and you had to take a courtesy call? Annoying. Who could that be?"
Minori: "Sonny."
Candy: "Oh. You're in hiding and had a conver.. you know what: we'll talk about this later. Just so you know, I'm still paranoid you might be talking to Clark or someone in the Guild.."
Smugly, Minori takes out her usual French side and replies with sass..
Minori: "The Guild? Ohh, bebe.. I don't talk to anyone in the Guild. Remember: I'm rogue. As for Clark.. he's probably doing his Messiah thing right now.. though I know enough to hear he's in better spirits, Candy-sama."
Candy: "Must be because we know Cierra's in a good place. Subjective emphasis on 'good'."
As the women walk outside with their bags, they take a quick glance at the garage hidden from view, knowing inside carrying certain mid engined cars with a loaded price tag.
Candy then thought aloud..
Candy: "Question, Minori-chan.. aside that department store discovery, has.."
Minori: "Anyone found me? No.. not yet. Like I said, I've been taking lessons. Classes in staying low key from Izzy."
Izzy was a strange name, as Candy asked..
Candy: "Izzy? Do I know an Izzy?? You mean.. Chunhua?"
Minori: "What other Izzy is there anyways? You know she's a double agent one time?"
Despite their urgency, Candy finds herself sufficiently distracted as she continues passionately..
Candy: "Ohh? The kind of things you hear in the movies? Intriguing.. tell me more!"
Minori: "Call me on the go, Candy-sama. We're late after all!"
As they prepare to leave in their hatchbacks, they don't notice from outside the driveway that they're not the only ones interested in the scene's development.
Watching from a balcony above stands a beauty brimmed with yellow..
Miranda: "Lyle-bear's right.. that IS The Assassin.."
Confirming despite the effectiveness of Minori's disguise, she then holds herself, struggling to keep restraint..
Miranda: "Huhh.. alright.. I.. couldn't hold this.. excitement in me.. urghh.. heee.."
She knows it's a losing battle, though she's unsure why she carries on, holding her head as if she's having a mental attack.
Miranda: "Ughhh, ohh.. Crimson.. you're indeed.. interested.. dearie me!"
But by the time she gets back to her senses, her personality however..
The Crimson End: "The prey's been spotted! Ehe ehe ehe.. Now to phase 2.."
Tokyo Expressway
Inner Tokyo, Japan
Late Morning
Sunny and not hinting any signs of rain ready to wash away the anger, on track personnel surround the roads that surface around various segments of the highway, including a portion reserved as a container shipping site.
Parked by the cool breezy sidelines, Minori walks towards the car, more accurately by Candy downing an energy drink as she sits in her car.
Minori: "Here you go, Candy-sama. Us ready to go in a few hours."
Given a ticket to indicate she's racing later, she smiles upon readying a reply..
Candy: "Nice work, Minori-chan."
Minori: "Now, I request your permission to practice. I can't wait to bring out the R4 to this whole new level.."
She might be under her service, but Candy knows right now she doesn't need this servitude, objectively responding..
Candy: "Why would I deny that?! Go on! You're going to be racing ME later after all.."
Minori: "Hehe.. I will need to reconnect with the track. Adieu!"
Just as the R4 takes it's leave, Candy then mumbles..
Candy: "Alone at last.. I should relax and find something to do to pass the time.. hmm?"
Knowing her love interest's variation of Sunday Cup carries a restriction, she finds it odd to hear a V8 roar in the moment, prompting a peek.
Distracting her was a violet Toyota Crown, indicated earlier that the Dragon of Da Nang intends to be here.
She doesn't know who's car this is, but the large Magnum PI sticker by the back leads to a hunch..
Candy: "Da Nang? Vietnamese. If I don't know any better, it has to be.."
Her prediction comes to a result, as the man exiting the Crown was a familiar face in Do Truong Manh.
Growing nervous slowly, Candy recalls her final moments with him years ago, and mentally tries to connect it to today.
Candy: "Alright, Candy.. Manh's not cruel, evil, villainous or anything.. Interesting to see a new car, but.. whew more interesting to see this familiar face arrive. I wonder if he's still got the same codename.."
The mercenary stands out and sweeps the area, but before completion finds a clearing of the throat for him.
Candy: "Er-hem!"
Rudeboy: "Eh? Who's there?"
He looks around and couldn't find anything that could cause this noise that rivalled a baby's cough.
Displeased, the little racer reaffirmed..
Candy: "Down here, Manh!"
There was no way that was the wind, he thought, as he adhered and found someone, exclaiming joyfully..
Rudeboy: "Oik? Do my eyes deceive me? Of course not! Mother f[BLEEP]ing A! Candy!"
Candy: "I, emm.. yes, who else could I be to you, Rudeboy? You still go with that, or.."
Standing tall, he declares..
Rudeboy: "What the mother f[BLEEP]ing s[BLEEP] is that supposed to mean? I am, I was, and I always will be.. Rudeboy."
Instantly after that moment of unconcealed patriotism, he leaned down and immediately went to work..
Rudeboy: "Ban khoe khong? How you been? How long's it been since you went pro, Candy? Are you sure you're even the same Candy with all those words coming out??"
Candy: "Ugh.. I don't know. You know I abhor small talk."
Rudeboy: "I know you don't like talk like at mother f[BLEEP]ing all! Like, this moment alone, I count, and think you got like.. 10 words in. That's really an exponential growth of speech!"
Disturbed, she relented..
Candy: "Alright. Fine. I changed. Being pro has its benefits for my social life, okay? Are you.. counting?"
Rudeboy: "15.. 16.. 17!! Mother f[BLEEP]er! Ohhh hohoHOOOH! You really blew up!"
Yelled joyfully the Vietnamese mercenary as he finished his finger count.
Unamused and her air crowded with a thick vibe, she murmured..
Candy: "Oh, shut your trap.. you here alone?"
Rudeboy: "Not exactly."
Candy: "Yeah? Where's Santana?"
Rudeboy: "I... about f[BLEEP]ing that.. we come to my lounge, ok?"
Gesturing for her to enter the rear, he opens the door of his car.
Inner Tokyo, Japan
Late Morning
Sunny and not hinting any signs of rain ready to wash away the anger, on track personnel surround the roads that surface around various segments of the highway, including a portion reserved as a container shipping site.
Parked by the cool breezy sidelines, Minori walks towards the car, more accurately by Candy downing an energy drink as she sits in her car.
Minori: "Here you go, Candy-sama. Us ready to go in a few hours."
Given a ticket to indicate she's racing later, she smiles upon readying a reply..
Candy: "Nice work, Minori-chan."
Minori: "Now, I request your permission to practice. I can't wait to bring out the R4 to this whole new level.."
She might be under her service, but Candy knows right now she doesn't need this servitude, objectively responding..
Candy: "Why would I deny that?! Go on! You're going to be racing ME later after all.."
Minori: "Hehe.. I will need to reconnect with the track. Adieu!"
Just as the R4 takes it's leave, Candy then mumbles..
Candy: "Alone at last.. I should relax and find something to do to pass the time.. hmm?"
Knowing her love interest's variation of Sunday Cup carries a restriction, she finds it odd to hear a V8 roar in the moment, prompting a peek.
Distracting her was a violet Toyota Crown, indicated earlier that the Dragon of Da Nang intends to be here.
She doesn't know who's car this is, but the large Magnum PI sticker by the back leads to a hunch..
Candy: "Da Nang? Vietnamese. If I don't know any better, it has to be.."
Her prediction comes to a result, as the man exiting the Crown was a familiar face in Do Truong Manh.
Growing nervous slowly, Candy recalls her final moments with him years ago, and mentally tries to connect it to today.
Candy: "Alright, Candy.. Manh's not cruel, evil, villainous or anything.. Interesting to see a new car, but.. whew more interesting to see this familiar face arrive. I wonder if he's still got the same codename.."
The mercenary stands out and sweeps the area, but before completion finds a clearing of the throat for him.
Candy: "Er-hem!"
Rudeboy: "Eh? Who's there?"
He looks around and couldn't find anything that could cause this noise that rivalled a baby's cough.
Displeased, the little racer reaffirmed..
Candy: "Down here, Manh!"
There was no way that was the wind, he thought, as he adhered and found someone, exclaiming joyfully..
Rudeboy: "Oik? Do my eyes deceive me? Of course not! Mother f[BLEEP]ing A! Candy!"
Candy: "I, emm.. yes, who else could I be to you, Rudeboy? You still go with that, or.."
Standing tall, he declares..
Rudeboy: "What the mother f[BLEEP]ing s[BLEEP] is that supposed to mean? I am, I was, and I always will be.. Rudeboy."
Instantly after that moment of unconcealed patriotism, he leaned down and immediately went to work..
Rudeboy: "Ban khoe khong? How you been? How long's it been since you went pro, Candy? Are you sure you're even the same Candy with all those words coming out??"
Candy: "Ugh.. I don't know. You know I abhor small talk."
Rudeboy: "I know you don't like talk like at mother f[BLEEP]ing all! Like, this moment alone, I count, and think you got like.. 10 words in. That's really an exponential growth of speech!"
Disturbed, she relented..
Candy: "Alright. Fine. I changed. Being pro has its benefits for my social life, okay? Are you.. counting?"
Rudeboy: "15.. 16.. 17!! Mother f[BLEEP]er! Ohhh hohoHOOOH! You really blew up!"
Yelled joyfully the Vietnamese mercenary as he finished his finger count.
Unamused and her air crowded with a thick vibe, she murmured..
Candy: "Oh, shut your trap.. you here alone?"
Rudeboy: "Not exactly."
Candy: "Yeah? Where's Santana?"
Rudeboy: "I... about f[BLEEP]ing that.. we come to my lounge, ok?"
Gesturing for her to enter the rear, he opens the door of his car.
The Crown then made its way into the track's designated pit area: a parking garage.
Driving the little lady, Rudeboy asks, as if he was a premium driver for hire. His tone was more than cordial, however.
Rudeboy: "Feeling nice? You relax like the realest of all the mother f[BLEEP]ers while I find a nice spot out of the sun.."
Candy: "From you.. well.. why's the rear seats still around?"
With an enthusiastic grin, he responded..
Rudeboy: "Parents. I take them around the expressways, I give them the mother f[BLEEP]ing 5 star treatment. They take good night nap, and I blast the Crown at 200 miles per hour! Everyone wins!"
Candy: "This is a racer? You still have your WRX?"
Rudeboy: "Yes, mommy! That one I use for bet races. That car much better for when I need the daring self out."
As he continued to cruise, he asked..
Rudeboy: "Wondering though, Candy.. you racing in Sunday Cup?"
Candy: "What do you think? It's personal, but I am.. You probably see my Demio, so.. wait, you can't be seriously thinking.."
Rudeboy: "Bringing the Crown to rumble? No, no. Not today. The sponsor of race says this car too much ooomph. Like nitroglycerin! Maybe I bring the Volvo.. but.. after reading the rules, sadly it's too late."
Figuring of his disappointment, she saw through and realized..
Candy: "How enthusiastic! Sounds like someone's got a racer's license?"
Rudeboy: "Last week I got officiated for FIA events! I take the card out.."
As he puts the car to a stop, he hands the lady a small card.
Seeing his picture on a B license, Candy commented, charmed..
Candy: "So handsome, but so much more stiff. You can't hide that inner soldier of yours."
Rudeboy: "Soldier, mercenary, security pro.. I don't care: the military vibe is within me."
It was a while after the revelation, but Rudeboy couldn't hold his thought about this new Candy until then, venting..
Rudeboy: "AWWW! Why is talkative you like so much more mother f[BLEEP]ing fun to be around?! Santana should be find out about this one!"
Candy: "About that.."
Rudeboy: "I feel we talk in different time about Santana, okay okay? He's not my companion for today. We outside now?"
Realizing the car's on an appropriate parking spot, she steps out, with Rudeboy walking out as he locks the car remotely.
Catching up, she wonders..
Candy: "If you're not with Santana.. then who?"
Rudeboy: "You say it's one of my latest customers."
Candy: "Customers? What, you sell bombs? Like pies?"
Rudeboy: "Oh of course no no! They find me sell my babies, I not only fired, but done for life! You hear, mother f[BLEEP]er?!"
He argues back aggressively, leading to the little lady withdrawing..
Candy: "Haha! Okay. What's your new side hustle now?"
Rudeboy: "Come to front."
She heads to the front of the car, and after Rudeboy opens the hood from a lever inside the car, she sees the secret of this car's potency.
Candy: "Wait, that's a 3UZ-FE. I heard a V8 alright. Though.. Manh, what's a Lexus V8 doing here? You do engine swaps?"
Rudeboy: "Mother f[BLEEP]ing A, Candy! Or if you need specifics: I supply engines. Wife's idea."
Candy: "Supply?"
Rudeboy: "Yes yes, what else you thinking? I give birth to engines? Of course no! I sell at okay prices, also have a few boys in GT Auto handle the swap work. They work like lightning: it's like they just grab old fella out, and throw the new one in, no hassle!"
A quick look at the still hot engine, Candy didn't hesitate to wonder..
Candy: "Let me guess.. your supply are from other racers?"
Rudeboy: "That's one source. Also check used cars. And I also like get from some guy who use the 3D printer. Like his work very very legit, makes me go what the f[BLEEP]?!"
Despite that, she can't find any hint of this 3UZ-FE being 3D printed, then commented after..
Candy: "Printed or the real deal, I can see enough.. this ought to pump out some serious numbers.."
Rudeboy: "Serious enough to reach supercar pace, with or without passengers."
Upon mention of passengers, Candy then recalled..
Candy: "You mentioned a customer.."
Rudeboy: "Yes yes! I say she's been expecting you."
Candy: "She's expecting me?"
Silence fills the area, but not for even a while as a stack of used tires at the side then start flying about all over the area.
From the core of this explosion comes a ginger haired musclehead woman.
Realizing there's only one person that can do this, Candy knows this certain tennis player, as she screamed with all her might.
Quinlan: "SURPRISE, DIPS[BLEEP]S!!"
Candy: "W-watch out! Q-Quinn!"
Slapping her shoulder as it rolls, Quinlan walks, closing in to check on her chums as she greets..
Quinlan: "G'day, Candy! I see you got along with Mr. Da over 'ere."
Candy: "Got along? Bitch, no.. I know Rudeboy from a past era. So, what's gotten you interested in him? If not bombs.."
Quinlan: "I think he can tell you that."
She passed the torch of talking to him as he began to describe..
Rudeboy: "She wants more out of her Jimny. I heard a Swift's Boosterjet can bring out the monster in it. Or make it a ticking time bomb.."
Eyes raised in surprise, she exclaimed..
Candy: "You managed to fit a Boosterjet in a Jimny?!"
Rudeboy: "What, is that so hard to believe? Candy, you a mother f[BLEEP]er."
Quinlan: "Blimey, you know sheilas like us don't f[BLEEP]?"
Rudeboy: "You know I don't mean it."
Quinlan: "Anyways, you want to see the magic at work, let's get our inner joeys out and bounce over to my spot."
She leads the way further in the garage, but her followers aren't instantly walking along, as Candy wonders..
Candy: "How peculiar.."
Rudeboy: "Why you like that?"
Candy: "Your latest client's a Wimbledon tennis player turned rookie racer?"
Rudeboy: "Well? I like it. Quick background check, and the Rudeboy sees mother f[BLEEP]ing easy money, Candy."
Candy: "Why not come to me for money, Manh? I might want a swap, I mean.. not being rude or anything, but how dare you not look me up."
As they quieten down, they move on and find..
Standing by, the owner gladly presents..
Quinlan: "Remember her, darling?"
Candy: "Oh, this I drove once on a.. not so romantic Valentine's.. The hood, can I?"
Quinlan didn't relent as she reached out for the lever under the dashboard, then announcing.
Quinlan: "Knock yourself out."
The hood up, her guests take a gander, with Rudeboy showing an impressed look.
Rudeboy: "Whoo! Those GT Auto guys really make it work! Top notch."
Candy: "That's a big big turbo for this tiny box. If I know a Boosterjet.. this is.. about double the horsepower boost."
Quinlan joined in, happily stating as she flexes downwards.
Quinlan: "Put aside the nerd talk, and you know it's going to be much more of a monster to handle. Though, with these muscles, it's no wucking forries from my end."
Candy: "You still remember what I taught you, right?"
Not taking long to recall, she replies.
Quinlan: "Oh bloody yes! And plus: got them height adjustable suspension so I can muck about for sports or off-road settings! This excitement's getting me hyped for some practice in a moment! Wanna join?"
Before she could answer, the rude boy then chimes in and..
Rudeboy: "Actually.. Candy?"
Candy: "Need something, Rudeboy?"
Rudeboy: "You said you're in this, right? I'm interested in your Demio. You having something like that reminds me of Shinzo's Bulldog."
Candy: "I know where this is going: you want a ride?"
Not what he wanted, he reiterated..
Rudeboy: "I want.. a, umm.. no sexy ideas, a feel."
Candy: "Hah. A feel? I'll allow it, but your wife doesn't have to find out."
He knows she's being cheeky, but strangely he knew the words despite this more opened variant of the little racer being a new thing to process.
Rudeboy: "F[BLEEP]er, you drive a hard bargain when you can speak more than 3 words at one time."
Driving the little lady, Rudeboy asks, as if he was a premium driver for hire. His tone was more than cordial, however.
Rudeboy: "Feeling nice? You relax like the realest of all the mother f[BLEEP]ers while I find a nice spot out of the sun.."
Candy: "From you.. well.. why's the rear seats still around?"
With an enthusiastic grin, he responded..
Rudeboy: "Parents. I take them around the expressways, I give them the mother f[BLEEP]ing 5 star treatment. They take good night nap, and I blast the Crown at 200 miles per hour! Everyone wins!"
Candy: "This is a racer? You still have your WRX?"
Rudeboy: "Yes, mommy! That one I use for bet races. That car much better for when I need the daring self out."
As he continued to cruise, he asked..
Rudeboy: "Wondering though, Candy.. you racing in Sunday Cup?"
Candy: "What do you think? It's personal, but I am.. You probably see my Demio, so.. wait, you can't be seriously thinking.."
Rudeboy: "Bringing the Crown to rumble? No, no. Not today. The sponsor of race says this car too much ooomph. Like nitroglycerin! Maybe I bring the Volvo.. but.. after reading the rules, sadly it's too late."
Figuring of his disappointment, she saw through and realized..
Candy: "How enthusiastic! Sounds like someone's got a racer's license?"
Rudeboy: "Last week I got officiated for FIA events! I take the card out.."
As he puts the car to a stop, he hands the lady a small card.
Seeing his picture on a B license, Candy commented, charmed..
Candy: "So handsome, but so much more stiff. You can't hide that inner soldier of yours."
Rudeboy: "Soldier, mercenary, security pro.. I don't care: the military vibe is within me."
It was a while after the revelation, but Rudeboy couldn't hold his thought about this new Candy until then, venting..
Rudeboy: "AWWW! Why is talkative you like so much more mother f[BLEEP]ing fun to be around?! Santana should be find out about this one!"
Candy: "About that.."
Rudeboy: "I feel we talk in different time about Santana, okay okay? He's not my companion for today. We outside now?"
Realizing the car's on an appropriate parking spot, she steps out, with Rudeboy walking out as he locks the car remotely.
Catching up, she wonders..
Candy: "If you're not with Santana.. then who?"
Rudeboy: "You say it's one of my latest customers."
Candy: "Customers? What, you sell bombs? Like pies?"
Rudeboy: "Oh of course no no! They find me sell my babies, I not only fired, but done for life! You hear, mother f[BLEEP]er?!"
He argues back aggressively, leading to the little lady withdrawing..
Candy: "Haha! Okay. What's your new side hustle now?"
Rudeboy: "Come to front."
She heads to the front of the car, and after Rudeboy opens the hood from a lever inside the car, she sees the secret of this car's potency.
Candy: "Wait, that's a 3UZ-FE. I heard a V8 alright. Though.. Manh, what's a Lexus V8 doing here? You do engine swaps?"
Rudeboy: "Mother f[BLEEP]ing A, Candy! Or if you need specifics: I supply engines. Wife's idea."
Candy: "Supply?"
Rudeboy: "Yes yes, what else you thinking? I give birth to engines? Of course no! I sell at okay prices, also have a few boys in GT Auto handle the swap work. They work like lightning: it's like they just grab old fella out, and throw the new one in, no hassle!"
A quick look at the still hot engine, Candy didn't hesitate to wonder..
Candy: "Let me guess.. your supply are from other racers?"
Rudeboy: "That's one source. Also check used cars. And I also like get from some guy who use the 3D printer. Like his work very very legit, makes me go what the f[BLEEP]?!"
Despite that, she can't find any hint of this 3UZ-FE being 3D printed, then commented after..
Candy: "Printed or the real deal, I can see enough.. this ought to pump out some serious numbers.."
Rudeboy: "Serious enough to reach supercar pace, with or without passengers."
Upon mention of passengers, Candy then recalled..
Candy: "You mentioned a customer.."
Rudeboy: "Yes yes! I say she's been expecting you."
Candy: "She's expecting me?"
Silence fills the area, but not for even a while as a stack of used tires at the side then start flying about all over the area.
From the core of this explosion comes a ginger haired musclehead woman.
Realizing there's only one person that can do this, Candy knows this certain tennis player, as she screamed with all her might.
Quinlan: "SURPRISE, DIPS[BLEEP]S!!"
Candy: "W-watch out! Q-Quinn!"
Slapping her shoulder as it rolls, Quinlan walks, closing in to check on her chums as she greets..
Quinlan: "G'day, Candy! I see you got along with Mr. Da over 'ere."
Candy: "Got along? Bitch, no.. I know Rudeboy from a past era. So, what's gotten you interested in him? If not bombs.."
Quinlan: "I think he can tell you that."
She passed the torch of talking to him as he began to describe..
Rudeboy: "She wants more out of her Jimny. I heard a Swift's Boosterjet can bring out the monster in it. Or make it a ticking time bomb.."
Eyes raised in surprise, she exclaimed..
Candy: "You managed to fit a Boosterjet in a Jimny?!"
Rudeboy: "What, is that so hard to believe? Candy, you a mother f[BLEEP]er."
Quinlan: "Blimey, you know sheilas like us don't f[BLEEP]?"
Rudeboy: "You know I don't mean it."
Quinlan: "Anyways, you want to see the magic at work, let's get our inner joeys out and bounce over to my spot."
She leads the way further in the garage, but her followers aren't instantly walking along, as Candy wonders..
Candy: "How peculiar.."
Rudeboy: "Why you like that?"
Candy: "Your latest client's a Wimbledon tennis player turned rookie racer?"
Rudeboy: "Well? I like it. Quick background check, and the Rudeboy sees mother f[BLEEP]ing easy money, Candy."
Candy: "Why not come to me for money, Manh? I might want a swap, I mean.. not being rude or anything, but how dare you not look me up."
As they quieten down, they move on and find..
Standing by, the owner gladly presents..
Quinlan: "Remember her, darling?"
Candy: "Oh, this I drove once on a.. not so romantic Valentine's.. The hood, can I?"
Quinlan didn't relent as she reached out for the lever under the dashboard, then announcing.
Quinlan: "Knock yourself out."
The hood up, her guests take a gander, with Rudeboy showing an impressed look.
Rudeboy: "Whoo! Those GT Auto guys really make it work! Top notch."
Candy: "That's a big big turbo for this tiny box. If I know a Boosterjet.. this is.. about double the horsepower boost."
Quinlan joined in, happily stating as she flexes downwards.
Quinlan: "Put aside the nerd talk, and you know it's going to be much more of a monster to handle. Though, with these muscles, it's no wucking forries from my end."
Candy: "You still remember what I taught you, right?"
Not taking long to recall, she replies.
Quinlan: "Oh bloody yes! And plus: got them height adjustable suspension so I can muck about for sports or off-road settings! This excitement's getting me hyped for some practice in a moment! Wanna join?"
Before she could answer, the rude boy then chimes in and..
Rudeboy: "Actually.. Candy?"
Candy: "Need something, Rudeboy?"
Rudeboy: "You said you're in this, right? I'm interested in your Demio. You having something like that reminds me of Shinzo's Bulldog."
Candy: "I know where this is going: you want a ride?"
Not what he wanted, he reiterated..
Rudeboy: "I want.. a, umm.. no sexy ideas, a feel."
Candy: "Hah. A feel? I'll allow it, but your wife doesn't have to find out."
He knows she's being cheeky, but strangely he knew the words despite this more opened variant of the little racer being a new thing to process.
Rudeboy: "F[BLEEP]er, you drive a hard bargain when you can speak more than 3 words at one time."
As the two cars do make work of the closed expressway roads..
Candy, still alone, instead makes use of her phone to keep her company, as she sits by the exit of the parking garage.
Sliding through various memes and other quick videos on her feed, the cool Tokyo air kept her feeling fine.
That feeling however didn't last, as she couldn't shake off this sudden bloody feel.
Candy: "Eh? This vibe.. I don't like it one bit."
Putting her phone back into her handbag, she gets off her seat and wanders in.
The uneasy vibe continues, as she suspects..
Candy: "It feels like somebody.. WANTS TO SELL ME SOMETHING!"
She turns and points to however: nothing.
Candy: "W-why of course not. Only Rudeboy's got a sales pitch I'm interested in.. not bombs, not bombs."
As she turns back to her intended direction, she does crash into something.
Candy: "UWAAAH!"
Landing on her rear, she notices it wasn't a something, but a someone.
Both: "Ohmigosh, sorry! I am SO clumsy.."
She had 'wait a minute' planted in her head as she mumbled..
Candy: "That perfect sync..."
Going around the boxes and the small amounts of packed racing souvenirs on the floor, she sees the person she ran into, noting..
Candy: "Yellow on yellow.. it's the sweet soul sister."
Up on her feet, she comes around and lends a hand out..
Candy: "Miranda.. I, umm.. was careless. Need a hand?"
Miranda: "Aww.. my little lollipop! You remembered! I was going to say how cute this whole encounter is, but.. sweetie, I remember your hatred for that. So Miranda Summers tongue be zip, eh?"
Candy: "Ughh, not one more word, and I appreciate it already."
Noticing the lack of Graham and Carlyle, she then asks..
Candy: "You here alone? That's not like you.."
Miranda: "It isn't, eh?"
She clears her dress of any dust, as Candy then notes..
Candy: "I never see you alone without Lyle or Graham.. but I bet there's more to running into you. Come on.."
Finger on her lip, she answers back sheepishly.
Miranda: "Well, maybe... I heard rumor Sonny Meng might be around.. Got any hint of that?"
Candy: "N-no. Umm.. I have ample reason to believe he's still in Los Angeles. What rumor mill did you get that from?"
Her eyes now winced, she expressed her disappointment..
Miranda: "An untrustworthy one from his official fan club! No matter. I guess I came here to strut my stuff! You know.. race!"
Noting the racing souvenirs being filled with Sonny Meng branded merch, Candy then came back to the yellow lady on focus, and replied with wonder..
Candy: "I don't think your AMG's able to come on."
Miranda: "Sweetie, don't worry. I read the rules. I think you might want to come with so I can show you.."
It's a nagging thought, so Candy then finally lets it out..
Candy: "Where's the rest of your posse?"
Miranda: "Mmmm.. you mean my usual buds? Graham's at home base. Lyle?? My guess is as good as yours for him sometimes."
Candy: "You sure he's not shooting a movie or doing some more off-radar work?"
Miranda: "No and no. He needs me more than you think, trust me. Not to mention we still haven't gotten a permit to shoot adult movies here in Japan."
Remembering this conversation on a night train, Candy pouted.
Candy: "Like anyone here wants any of that.."
Miranda: "You saw my full package, and what kept you away, hmm?"
A sudden thought of the woman infront of her naked was not in her agenda, as she blushes out an objection..
Candy: "Nggg.. that's besides the p-point!"
Miranda: "Aha! Don't hide it now, you nasty little rascal, you."
Her taunts are getting her to a worse place, she thought, as the little racer immediately thought of better pastures..
Candy: "(Okay, Candy.. no more jealousy..) I, umm.. don't like to talk about it, is all.."
Miranda: "Just because I tricked that tiny little brain of yours? Speaking of that day.."
Heading through to a nearby back area outdoors, the women come to..
The red Abarth however agitated the one not driving it.
Candy: "Hold on! Isn't this the car we borrowed that day?"
Miranda: "I guess it is! Aha!"
Considering the presence of Rudeboy, Candy then immediately peeked under the open hood, and sighed a relief seeing..
Candy: "No Civic engine in tow.. that's a good sign."
Miranda: "Why mention that? Civic engine? Like a Honda Civic?"
Candy: "Umm.. an old friend is here. He's into sourcing engines, and I just wondered if.."
Miranda: "Engines? No. You saw it. It's still an Abarth in heart."
Miranda has no reason to lie, she thought, as she figured..
Candy: "Guess he's just with Quinn today.."
Miranda: "Umm.. dearie.. you mean Quinlan Bradley the tennis player?"
But she couldn't figure out how those words came to be, as she asks..
Candy: "(Odd, that's a really good guess..) The very one. What's on your mind?"
Miranda: "Oh, no. Lyle-bear's once worked with her.. I think.. umm.. I should go and get ready to race."
She leaves, but not without leaving Candy with an ounce of doubt regarding her intentions.
Candy: "Sudden, but justified: it's an hour before race time.. I hope Rudeboy's done with my car."
Candy, still alone, instead makes use of her phone to keep her company, as she sits by the exit of the parking garage.
Sliding through various memes and other quick videos on her feed, the cool Tokyo air kept her feeling fine.
That feeling however didn't last, as she couldn't shake off this sudden bloody feel.
Candy: "Eh? This vibe.. I don't like it one bit."
Putting her phone back into her handbag, she gets off her seat and wanders in.
The uneasy vibe continues, as she suspects..
Candy: "It feels like somebody.. WANTS TO SELL ME SOMETHING!"
She turns and points to however: nothing.
Candy: "W-why of course not. Only Rudeboy's got a sales pitch I'm interested in.. not bombs, not bombs."
As she turns back to her intended direction, she does crash into something.
Candy: "UWAAAH!"
Landing on her rear, she notices it wasn't a something, but a someone.
Both: "Ohmigosh, sorry! I am SO clumsy.."
She had 'wait a minute' planted in her head as she mumbled..
Candy: "That perfect sync..."
Going around the boxes and the small amounts of packed racing souvenirs on the floor, she sees the person she ran into, noting..
Candy: "Yellow on yellow.. it's the sweet soul sister."
Up on her feet, she comes around and lends a hand out..
Candy: "Miranda.. I, umm.. was careless. Need a hand?"
Miranda: "Aww.. my little lollipop! You remembered! I was going to say how cute this whole encounter is, but.. sweetie, I remember your hatred for that. So Miranda Summers tongue be zip, eh?"
Candy: "Ughh, not one more word, and I appreciate it already."
Noticing the lack of Graham and Carlyle, she then asks..
Candy: "You here alone? That's not like you.."
Miranda: "It isn't, eh?"
She clears her dress of any dust, as Candy then notes..
Candy: "I never see you alone without Lyle or Graham.. but I bet there's more to running into you. Come on.."
Finger on her lip, she answers back sheepishly.
Miranda: "Well, maybe... I heard rumor Sonny Meng might be around.. Got any hint of that?"
Candy: "N-no. Umm.. I have ample reason to believe he's still in Los Angeles. What rumor mill did you get that from?"
Her eyes now winced, she expressed her disappointment..
Miranda: "An untrustworthy one from his official fan club! No matter. I guess I came here to strut my stuff! You know.. race!"
Noting the racing souvenirs being filled with Sonny Meng branded merch, Candy then came back to the yellow lady on focus, and replied with wonder..
Candy: "I don't think your AMG's able to come on."
Miranda: "Sweetie, don't worry. I read the rules. I think you might want to come with so I can show you.."
It's a nagging thought, so Candy then finally lets it out..
Candy: "Where's the rest of your posse?"
Miranda: "Mmmm.. you mean my usual buds? Graham's at home base. Lyle?? My guess is as good as yours for him sometimes."
Candy: "You sure he's not shooting a movie or doing some more off-radar work?"
Miranda: "No and no. He needs me more than you think, trust me. Not to mention we still haven't gotten a permit to shoot adult movies here in Japan."
Remembering this conversation on a night train, Candy pouted.
Candy: "Like anyone here wants any of that.."
Miranda: "You saw my full package, and what kept you away, hmm?"
A sudden thought of the woman infront of her naked was not in her agenda, as she blushes out an objection..
Candy: "Nggg.. that's besides the p-point!"
Miranda: "Aha! Don't hide it now, you nasty little rascal, you."
Her taunts are getting her to a worse place, she thought, as the little racer immediately thought of better pastures..
Candy: "(Okay, Candy.. no more jealousy..) I, umm.. don't like to talk about it, is all.."
Miranda: "Just because I tricked that tiny little brain of yours? Speaking of that day.."
Heading through to a nearby back area outdoors, the women come to..
The red Abarth however agitated the one not driving it.
Candy: "Hold on! Isn't this the car we borrowed that day?"
Miranda: "I guess it is! Aha!"
Considering the presence of Rudeboy, Candy then immediately peeked under the open hood, and sighed a relief seeing..
Candy: "No Civic engine in tow.. that's a good sign."
Miranda: "Why mention that? Civic engine? Like a Honda Civic?"
Candy: "Umm.. an old friend is here. He's into sourcing engines, and I just wondered if.."
Miranda: "Engines? No. You saw it. It's still an Abarth in heart."
Miranda has no reason to lie, she thought, as she figured..
Candy: "Guess he's just with Quinn today.."
Miranda: "Umm.. dearie.. you mean Quinlan Bradley the tennis player?"
But she couldn't figure out how those words came to be, as she asks..
Candy: "(Odd, that's a really good guess..) The very one. What's on your mind?"
Miranda: "Oh, no. Lyle-bear's once worked with her.. I think.. umm.. I should go and get ready to race."
She leaves, but not without leaving Candy with an ounce of doubt regarding her intentions.
Candy: "Sudden, but justified: it's an hour before race time.. I hope Rudeboy's done with my car."
Eventually, a regulated race gets going.
Tower of Strength
The Mission
Children
While the venue remains not crowded as a race in somewhere like Tsukuba, the use of digital hardware and drones allow the race to be livestreamed.
Watching this race with extra interest today is Rudeboy, as he peeks notably at the yellow Demio rolling through the line.
Rudeboy: "Mother f[BLEEP]ing A, this is already going to be good!"
Rudeboy: "Amazing! So mother f[BLEEP]ing clean. Why don't we ever get that on the expressways?"
Miranda: "It's like CANDY! Candy.. You're so dandy! Dandy.."
Candy: "That ancient relic's going wide.. no more nerves, Candy.."
Miranda: "Ohh? What's going on up there?"
Minori: "PUTAIN DU MERDE!"
Quinlan: "OI! F[BLEEP]ing shove off, ya dingbat!"
Candy: "Oh ho.. this defending.. it's amusing to see if it's the case, whether it likes it or not."
Rudeboy: "Sunday Cup my ass, these guys are good."
Miranda: "Eh? J-Jesus Murphy! I'm.. losing power?!"
Candy: "Where is everyone?! We can't let an electric car beat old fashioned combustion!"
Minori: "Ohh, Candy.. taking the lead in style. She's famous for a reason."
Quinlan: "I've had it with these drongos taking things way too close! GET. OFF!!"
Miranda: "Aww.. I'm out. Better check out what's what in the parkade."
Candy: "I should focus, but I feel it's time to find a Def Leppard hit to cruise with.."
Quinlan: "Final lap.. Now, that Roadster's going wild."
Rudeboy: "Speedtraps at 180 by the underpass.. So slow, but still.. so EXCITING."
Minori: "That is distracting.."
Quinlan: "Wonder what that orange Roadster's messing with now? That classic Renault?"
Minori: "Shoo! Shoo! I don't need any more pressure!"
Rudeboy: "What a cursed car, but okay, I guess we all admit it is a fast i3."
Candy: "Winner? Please, I have a reputation to rebuild."
Candy: "Minori did alright too.. I wonder where those other two ladies wandered off to?"
Tower of Strength
The Mission
Children
While the venue remains not crowded as a race in somewhere like Tsukuba, the use of digital hardware and drones allow the race to be livestreamed.
Watching this race with extra interest today is Rudeboy, as he peeks notably at the yellow Demio rolling through the line.
Rudeboy: "Mother f[BLEEP]ing A, this is already going to be good!"
I already covered the Jimny, so this take on a swapped car as the focus is new. I've decided for a swapped analysis segment, the main things I have to cover are as follows:
What changed?
How different is the drive?
And of course: a closed test of similar PP with certain limitations I will detail.
Putting in the Swift's Boosterjet into the Jimny will give the car a drastic boost in power, from 63 to 137. More than double is drastic even though it's still under 200. It also gives a boost in front weight at a small way. Y'know, small enough that it doesn't effect in any ways in terms of the car's weight balance. But since this is such a light little ice cube, I better get my greasy palms on it and get to breaking this down myself. Any more? The displacement basically doubled, so it's actually not counted as a kei car anymore. I'm running out of things to say, because I don't know a game where you can tell if an engine's swapped by looking at the car as is. Let's go on the second question.
Now to how the drive differs.. oh yes, it differs alright. You see, when you upgrade a car, you are expected to put in sportier parts to counteract the addition of power so you can at least have a ride that's just as manageable when the car came out of the factory. Or you know: make it more suitable to your needs. As is the case with this statement, the Jimny with a Boosterjet as is will become the worst case of a drivable little kei darling.
The first thing I pointed out with the Jimny is its off-roading soft spring setup that needs to be harder.. when you're travelling with the Boosterjet, this point is brought home so much more, you'd wish it was your sword you're cutting up the nanomachine engulfed senator, not this ridiculous charged up red one. You'll experience this phenomenon when you launch it, where the rear just lowers. Any more powerful an engine, and you might get it to wheelie, but oops: all kei car sized. And with this soft stuff, it means it will roll.. roll you to the nearest wall, that is! A need for a new suspension has gone up, unlike with an OEM Jimny. Maybe also wide rims and a widebody?
Another notable new trait is the acceleration. The Jimny is no slouch with this with the original engine, but in the Boosterjet fuelled one, it's just amplified. You can also see this in the powerband, where even with similar shapes, the Boosterjet's peak torque is reached earlier, and from a higher point so it has less to climb. Not to mention.. dangg, this torque! At stock, the Boosterjet carries 170 foot-lb of torque. There's more torque per hp here than with the Jimny's original, and by a big whole bunch. I'm taking on my nerd glasses, and here are your numbers. The OEM Jimny packs 1.127 ft-lb per HP, while the Boosterjet blows that away with 1.241 ft-lb per HP. This does mean we're not going to stall climbing.. umm.. Alsace Test Course, though considering the stock car's short gears, you might want to take a taller or fully custom gearbox to handle this. How good it is on the long run? Well.. I remember running into a shared video of the Nissan GT-R NISMO drag race with the Jimny winning it by a hair. That good, but that's par for the course of swapped engines.
One of my favorite things with the Jimny is the use of engine braking to get the perfect turning angle... the Boosterjet takes that up to eleven. No, not in a good way like you're racing in a SEGA arcade racer. Instead of straight up giving you angle, it sends you to the nearest Barry R consultation session. Yes, this means don't do it. Be gentle with it like with the cars we had the past weeks now. I know, my Jimny's headed into the danger zone and joining Night Moves in that way, I'm so happy even though I think I can see my blood spilled from a few meters away.
Rally? Why, no thanks. It's already a hoot on the tarmac. Do let me know if it's any good on Rally Champions, cheers.
Here's what everyone's been waiting for, I'm sure: what if you don't like the engine swap and want to reach this limit with the original heart. Now I'm going to preface this all by saying this is the most one sided battle ever. I'm not going to detail every little pebble on the road, but I'll give an overall view of it.
Of course: restrictions: these cars carry only stock weight, and the OEM car gets a power boost to reach matching PP levels. If that's not possible, then it's nerfing the swap. I'm not sure what to do if we have to nominate.. say.. the Sambabus swap, because I don't know how far I can bring down a Mezger flat six.
Furthermore, both cars get the same parts. They also get a customizable transmission, and set with the same top speed. And I've made 3 tests.. One in Kyoto Yamagiwa+Miyabi for general pace, the second on Tsukuba for handling, and the last is a straight line rumble on Route X.
Now, in all these tests, with the help of the in game AI.. Despite the same relative PP, on start, the Boosterjet Jimny rocketed ahead of the OEM one, rolling or standing start, and nothing changed from then onwards. The Boosterjet Jimny might be harder to handle, but on the whole is a direct upgrade. Especially on the turns, as its acceleration is way better. The only thing I didn't test was fuel economy, but you know.. bigger displacement and more power on a fuel tank made to carry the amount for a much more humble engine might clue you to where that's headed.
On Tsukuba, the Boosterjet Jimny's advantage is around 1-ish seconds ahead per lap. That acceleration is something else. That's what this is. If there's some words I can think of with this jacked up bunch of squares.. this is essentially Squidward on the final scenes of Idiot Box: just having a blast pretending he's a racecar driver.
Engine swaps are not only broken, but they're broken fun. I sort of get the idea for roaming around with literal sleepers.. and also the idea of why this was locked out of a luck based mechanic. Like in Forza Motorsport/Horizon, it's too good competitive wise.
What changed?
How different is the drive?
And of course: a closed test of similar PP with certain limitations I will detail.
Putting in the Swift's Boosterjet into the Jimny will give the car a drastic boost in power, from 63 to 137. More than double is drastic even though it's still under 200. It also gives a boost in front weight at a small way. Y'know, small enough that it doesn't effect in any ways in terms of the car's weight balance. But since this is such a light little ice cube, I better get my greasy palms on it and get to breaking this down myself. Any more? The displacement basically doubled, so it's actually not counted as a kei car anymore. I'm running out of things to say, because I don't know a game where you can tell if an engine's swapped by looking at the car as is. Let's go on the second question.
Now to how the drive differs.. oh yes, it differs alright. You see, when you upgrade a car, you are expected to put in sportier parts to counteract the addition of power so you can at least have a ride that's just as manageable when the car came out of the factory. Or you know: make it more suitable to your needs. As is the case with this statement, the Jimny with a Boosterjet as is will become the worst case of a drivable little kei darling.
The first thing I pointed out with the Jimny is its off-roading soft spring setup that needs to be harder.. when you're travelling with the Boosterjet, this point is brought home so much more, you'd wish it was your sword you're cutting up the nanomachine engulfed senator, not this ridiculous charged up red one. You'll experience this phenomenon when you launch it, where the rear just lowers. Any more powerful an engine, and you might get it to wheelie, but oops: all kei car sized. And with this soft stuff, it means it will roll.. roll you to the nearest wall, that is! A need for a new suspension has gone up, unlike with an OEM Jimny. Maybe also wide rims and a widebody?
Another notable new trait is the acceleration. The Jimny is no slouch with this with the original engine, but in the Boosterjet fuelled one, it's just amplified. You can also see this in the powerband, where even with similar shapes, the Boosterjet's peak torque is reached earlier, and from a higher point so it has less to climb. Not to mention.. dangg, this torque! At stock, the Boosterjet carries 170 foot-lb of torque. There's more torque per hp here than with the Jimny's original, and by a big whole bunch. I'm taking on my nerd glasses, and here are your numbers. The OEM Jimny packs 1.127 ft-lb per HP, while the Boosterjet blows that away with 1.241 ft-lb per HP. This does mean we're not going to stall climbing.. umm.. Alsace Test Course, though considering the stock car's short gears, you might want to take a taller or fully custom gearbox to handle this. How good it is on the long run? Well.. I remember running into a shared video of the Nissan GT-R NISMO drag race with the Jimny winning it by a hair. That good, but that's par for the course of swapped engines.
One of my favorite things with the Jimny is the use of engine braking to get the perfect turning angle... the Boosterjet takes that up to eleven. No, not in a good way like you're racing in a SEGA arcade racer. Instead of straight up giving you angle, it sends you to the nearest Barry R consultation session. Yes, this means don't do it. Be gentle with it like with the cars we had the past weeks now. I know, my Jimny's headed into the danger zone and joining Night Moves in that way, I'm so happy even though I think I can see my blood spilled from a few meters away.
Rally? Why, no thanks. It's already a hoot on the tarmac. Do let me know if it's any good on Rally Champions, cheers.
Here's what everyone's been waiting for, I'm sure: what if you don't like the engine swap and want to reach this limit with the original heart. Now I'm going to preface this all by saying this is the most one sided battle ever. I'm not going to detail every little pebble on the road, but I'll give an overall view of it.
Of course: restrictions: these cars carry only stock weight, and the OEM car gets a power boost to reach matching PP levels. If that's not possible, then it's nerfing the swap. I'm not sure what to do if we have to nominate.. say.. the Sambabus swap, because I don't know how far I can bring down a Mezger flat six.
Furthermore, both cars get the same parts. They also get a customizable transmission, and set with the same top speed. And I've made 3 tests.. One in Kyoto Yamagiwa+Miyabi for general pace, the second on Tsukuba for handling, and the last is a straight line rumble on Route X.
Now, in all these tests, with the help of the in game AI.. Despite the same relative PP, on start, the Boosterjet Jimny rocketed ahead of the OEM one, rolling or standing start, and nothing changed from then onwards. The Boosterjet Jimny might be harder to handle, but on the whole is a direct upgrade. Especially on the turns, as its acceleration is way better. The only thing I didn't test was fuel economy, but you know.. bigger displacement and more power on a fuel tank made to carry the amount for a much more humble engine might clue you to where that's headed.
On Tsukuba, the Boosterjet Jimny's advantage is around 1-ish seconds ahead per lap. That acceleration is something else. That's what this is. If there's some words I can think of with this jacked up bunch of squares.. this is essentially Squidward on the final scenes of Idiot Box: just having a blast pretending he's a racecar driver.
Engine swaps are not only broken, but they're broken fun. I sort of get the idea for roaming around with literal sleepers.. and also the idea of why this was locked out of a luck based mechanic. Like in Forza Motorsport/Horizon, it's too good competitive wise.
Rudeboy: "Amazing! So mother f[BLEEP]ing clean. Why don't we ever get that on the expressways?"
Miranda: "It's like CANDY! Candy.. You're so dandy! Dandy.."
Candy: "That ancient relic's going wide.. no more nerves, Candy.."
Miranda: "Ohh? What's going on up there?"
Minori: "PUTAIN DU MERDE!"
Quinlan: "OI! F[BLEEP]ing shove off, ya dingbat!"
Candy: "Oh ho.. this defending.. it's amusing to see if it's the case, whether it likes it or not."
Rudeboy: "Sunday Cup my ass, these guys are good."
Miranda: "Eh? J-Jesus Murphy! I'm.. losing power?!"
Candy: "Where is everyone?! We can't let an electric car beat old fashioned combustion!"
Minori: "Ohh, Candy.. taking the lead in style. She's famous for a reason."
Quinlan: "I've had it with these drongos taking things way too close! GET. OFF!!"
Miranda: "Aww.. I'm out. Better check out what's what in the parkade."
Candy: "I should focus, but I feel it's time to find a Def Leppard hit to cruise with.."
Quinlan: "Final lap.. Now, that Roadster's going wild."
Rudeboy: "Speedtraps at 180 by the underpass.. So slow, but still.. so EXCITING."
Minori: "That is distracting.."
Quinlan: "Wonder what that orange Roadster's messing with now? That classic Renault?"
Minori: "Shoo! Shoo! I don't need any more pressure!"
Rudeboy: "What a cursed car, but okay, I guess we all admit it is a fast i3."
Candy: "Winner? Please, I have a reputation to rebuild."
Candy: "Minori did alright too.. I wonder where those other two ladies wandered off to?"
Candy's house
Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Midnight
Now dressed with a night gown, Candy shouts from her room..
Candy: "Lights off, Minori-chan!"
Usually getting a reply, Candy heads out, wondering..
Candy: "Minori-chan?"
Walking towards the lounging area Minori usually resides for the night, she notices the lack of her usual sleeping setup.
Candy: "Annoying. Where can she be?"
Noticing, then ignoring her bronze medal and an opened envelope, she headed back out to the main hall, and jokingly decided to ask..
Candy: "Jet Jaguar, have you seen Minori-chan?"
She knows there's no answer, thus leading her to step her way to the outside window, noticing..
Candy: "All the cars are at home.. if not home, she must've wandered off somewhere near.."
Even more puzzled, she then turned around, and as she thought to wander in the kitchen..
Candy: "That popping turbocharged boxer can only mean one thing.. ooohhhh, at THIS time of night, this better be good.."
A certain Vietnamese demolition man came over.
Candy thought: what reason does he have to come over this night, and really didn't have a mood to deal with this.
Instantly, she dashed straight for her front door, sliding her special slot for peeking, and instantly bellowed out..
Candy: "No, bad. Go. Shoo! Please come back tomorrow. For crying out loud, Manh!"
He's not budging, she thought as fury started to build.
Rudeboy however, greets suavely.
Rudeboy: "That's not mail slot, oh? You still live around here, it seems."
Candy: "I don't think moving is healthy for my budget. Is that a.. bomb?"
Tossing up and down repeatedly what looks to be a C4 plastic explosive,
Rudeboy then answered..
Rudeboy: "This? Plastic case with disabled fuse and no explosive agent. A training tool for bomb disposal units for spotting and knowing what wire to cut. I like having it around. Helps me find a topic to talk about.. wires, bombs, explosions, bombs, gunpowder.. I said mother f[BLEEP]ing bombs, right?"
Hearing that answer, she opened the door, regretting it initially.
He's dressed for some mercenary work, but Candy didn't quite dress to impress as she nervously explains.
Candy: "D-don't mind my attire. I'm not a night expressway runner anymore, Rudeboy, and I.. uhh.. wasn't expecting you or anyone."
Rudeboy: "No worries, mofo Candy. We both dress for the moment. I got work in an hour, and.. I figure now is okay time for quick reconnect sesh."
Candy: "You'll be brief?"
Rudeboy: "Not super brief. Oh, and this is the wife's idea, so.."
Candy: "Fine. Come in."
She let him in, and gladly sees the rude boy take his boots off.
Rudeboy: "Your neatness also change, ehh?"
Candy: "I've a maid around, though she seems to be.. out and about."
Directing him to the usual lounging area, she then mentioned..
Candy: "Usually you sit here while I brew some coffee.."
Rudeboy: "No thanks, but thanks for being a good mother f[BLEEP]ing home keeper. Sit together, yes?"
And after they settled..
Rudeboy: "I know you're wondering how the crew's been doing."
Candy: "You held off at talking about boss Santana twice, so.. yes."
Rudeboy: "Talkative you is still so jarring."
Candy: "Get used to it.."
He stretches his legs a little, then began to get telling..
Rudeboy: "It's not that I'm trying to avoid the Santana, it's that.. I cannot talk about Santana now."
Curious, she wondered..
Candy: "Ooh? He not around?"
Rudeboy: "It's worse. He go to jail, like that's normal, right?"
Candy: "His thing to find new recruits and keep the heat off his crew. It's how he found me."
Rudeboy: "Usual stuff, yeah? But this time he go in jail, he not out in the next month."
Estranged by this unusual behaviour, she leaned back and thought..
Candy: "That's not usual."
Rudeboy: "I check for this mother f[BLEEP]er. This was around a year ago, and our keisatsu friend says he.. umm.. never existed."
Candy: "Suspicious. You followed up on that?"
Rudeboy: "I'm a mofo mercenary, Candy. I can threaten them so mother f[BLEEP]ing hard, they won't resist telling when they hiding something. This time, I chose not to pursue because it seemed shady."
Candy: "And the crew?"
Rudeboy: "I.. umm.. said I become leader when he gone. Reaction like bomb open wall: some people they go, but most still stay loyal. Back then, we were still the only non-Japanese crew."
Candy: "Honest, I say Santana has always been.. kind of a looney the more I think about him."
Rudeboy: "Rudeboy has always been his second mother f[BLEEP]er in command, and I have trouble with following his ideas and thoughts at times."
There's a hint he's holding back, getting her to follow..
Candy: "Like.. well? You can go ahead."
Rudeboy: "When we clashed against Nishimura Shinzo.. your mentor."
Her eyes look away, as he expected, but he's too far down this hole to stop.
Rudeboy: "This mofo knows you don't want to hear of it."
Candy: "It's why I want away from that scene. They did Nishimura-Sensei dirty, and you know it.. you might be a rude boy, but.."
Rudeboy: "Rudeboy is my name, but it's not so simple to mean I'm, umm bad man, at least.. heh. This clashing.. who knew it was their last. The expressway runners lost a great man that day, Candy."
Leaving a moment to keep their somber views in check, Rudeboy then asked..
Rudeboy: "Question: you still use your street name?"
Candy: "What? You're asking, because I still remember you and Nishimura-Sensei gave me that name. It's funny you ask, because it's still one of my designated nicknames out there."
Rudeboy: "Maybe I ask for royalties?"
Candy: "I'm not getting paid for them using it, so we aren't."
Rudeboy: "We should market it. Le Glace Pacer.. on shirts, hats, maybe I can tattoo it."
Candy: "Forget tattoos.. isn't that star on your head enough?"
Rudeboy: "Don't look at me.. think of the money.."
Laid back, she goes to think..
Candy: "Hmm.."
Rudeboy: "Is that money thoughts?"
Candy: "No.. NO! ENOUGH with money!"
..and then lays out on the Vietnamese tease with a quick leap.
Rudeboy: "Ehh! When did Candy get so mother f[BLEEP]ing feisty? Jeez, calm down."
Going back to her seat, she then explains..
Candy: "Umm.. not money. It's that.. I've been thinking of.. well.. have I ever told you about the Ternion? Toyota's Tenacious Ternion?"
Rudeboy: "Ternion?"
Candy: "It means.. a group of three. I'm one of them."
Rudeboy: "This is the first.."
Candy: "It's what I'm currently occupied with these days. If you're the same Rudeboy that ran the expressways, then I want you on board. I want you to know what's up. You have a moment?"
He didn't mean to stay long, but he can't hold his excitement on what was going to unfold, as he commented loudly.
Rudeboy: "Ehh.. what the f[BLEEP]? Let's hear you talk. Santana's going to be so mother f[BLEEP]ing pissed he isn't here for this! F[BLEEP]!!"
Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
Midnight
Now dressed with a night gown, Candy shouts from her room..
Candy: "Lights off, Minori-chan!"
Usually getting a reply, Candy heads out, wondering..
Candy: "Minori-chan?"
Walking towards the lounging area Minori usually resides for the night, she notices the lack of her usual sleeping setup.
Candy: "Annoying. Where can she be?"
Noticing, then ignoring her bronze medal and an opened envelope, she headed back out to the main hall, and jokingly decided to ask..
Candy: "Jet Jaguar, have you seen Minori-chan?"
She knows there's no answer, thus leading her to step her way to the outside window, noticing..
Candy: "All the cars are at home.. if not home, she must've wandered off somewhere near.."
Even more puzzled, she then turned around, and as she thought to wander in the kitchen..
Candy: "That popping turbocharged boxer can only mean one thing.. ooohhhh, at THIS time of night, this better be good.."
A certain Vietnamese demolition man came over.
Candy thought: what reason does he have to come over this night, and really didn't have a mood to deal with this.
Instantly, she dashed straight for her front door, sliding her special slot for peeking, and instantly bellowed out..
Candy: "No, bad. Go. Shoo! Please come back tomorrow. For crying out loud, Manh!"
He's not budging, she thought as fury started to build.
Rudeboy however, greets suavely.
Rudeboy: "That's not mail slot, oh? You still live around here, it seems."
Candy: "I don't think moving is healthy for my budget. Is that a.. bomb?"
Tossing up and down repeatedly what looks to be a C4 plastic explosive,
Rudeboy then answered..
Rudeboy: "This? Plastic case with disabled fuse and no explosive agent. A training tool for bomb disposal units for spotting and knowing what wire to cut. I like having it around. Helps me find a topic to talk about.. wires, bombs, explosions, bombs, gunpowder.. I said mother f[BLEEP]ing bombs, right?"
Hearing that answer, she opened the door, regretting it initially.
He's dressed for some mercenary work, but Candy didn't quite dress to impress as she nervously explains.
Candy: "D-don't mind my attire. I'm not a night expressway runner anymore, Rudeboy, and I.. uhh.. wasn't expecting you or anyone."
Rudeboy: "No worries, mofo Candy. We both dress for the moment. I got work in an hour, and.. I figure now is okay time for quick reconnect sesh."
Candy: "You'll be brief?"
Rudeboy: "Not super brief. Oh, and this is the wife's idea, so.."
Candy: "Fine. Come in."
She let him in, and gladly sees the rude boy take his boots off.
Rudeboy: "Your neatness also change, ehh?"
Candy: "I've a maid around, though she seems to be.. out and about."
Directing him to the usual lounging area, she then mentioned..
Candy: "Usually you sit here while I brew some coffee.."
Rudeboy: "No thanks, but thanks for being a good mother f[BLEEP]ing home keeper. Sit together, yes?"
And after they settled..
Rudeboy: "I know you're wondering how the crew's been doing."
Candy: "You held off at talking about boss Santana twice, so.. yes."
Rudeboy: "Talkative you is still so jarring."
Candy: "Get used to it.."
He stretches his legs a little, then began to get telling..
Rudeboy: "It's not that I'm trying to avoid the Santana, it's that.. I cannot talk about Santana now."
Curious, she wondered..
Candy: "Ooh? He not around?"
Rudeboy: "It's worse. He go to jail, like that's normal, right?"
Candy: "His thing to find new recruits and keep the heat off his crew. It's how he found me."
Rudeboy: "Usual stuff, yeah? But this time he go in jail, he not out in the next month."
Estranged by this unusual behaviour, she leaned back and thought..
Candy: "That's not usual."
Rudeboy: "I check for this mother f[BLEEP]er. This was around a year ago, and our keisatsu friend says he.. umm.. never existed."
Candy: "Suspicious. You followed up on that?"
Rudeboy: "I'm a mofo mercenary, Candy. I can threaten them so mother f[BLEEP]ing hard, they won't resist telling when they hiding something. This time, I chose not to pursue because it seemed shady."
Candy: "And the crew?"
Rudeboy: "I.. umm.. said I become leader when he gone. Reaction like bomb open wall: some people they go, but most still stay loyal. Back then, we were still the only non-Japanese crew."
Candy: "Honest, I say Santana has always been.. kind of a looney the more I think about him."
Rudeboy: "Rudeboy has always been his second mother f[BLEEP]er in command, and I have trouble with following his ideas and thoughts at times."
There's a hint he's holding back, getting her to follow..
Candy: "Like.. well? You can go ahead."
Rudeboy: "When we clashed against Nishimura Shinzo.. your mentor."
Her eyes look away, as he expected, but he's too far down this hole to stop.
Rudeboy: "This mofo knows you don't want to hear of it."
Candy: "It's why I want away from that scene. They did Nishimura-Sensei dirty, and you know it.. you might be a rude boy, but.."
Rudeboy: "Rudeboy is my name, but it's not so simple to mean I'm, umm bad man, at least.. heh. This clashing.. who knew it was their last. The expressway runners lost a great man that day, Candy."
Leaving a moment to keep their somber views in check, Rudeboy then asked..
Rudeboy: "Question: you still use your street name?"
Candy: "What? You're asking, because I still remember you and Nishimura-Sensei gave me that name. It's funny you ask, because it's still one of my designated nicknames out there."
Rudeboy: "Maybe I ask for royalties?"
Candy: "I'm not getting paid for them using it, so we aren't."
Rudeboy: "We should market it. Le Glace Pacer.. on shirts, hats, maybe I can tattoo it."
Candy: "Forget tattoos.. isn't that star on your head enough?"
Rudeboy: "Don't look at me.. think of the money.."
Laid back, she goes to think..
Candy: "Hmm.."
Rudeboy: "Is that money thoughts?"
Candy: "No.. NO! ENOUGH with money!"
..and then lays out on the Vietnamese tease with a quick leap.
Rudeboy: "Ehh! When did Candy get so mother f[BLEEP]ing feisty? Jeez, calm down."
Going back to her seat, she then explains..
Candy: "Umm.. not money. It's that.. I've been thinking of.. well.. have I ever told you about the Ternion? Toyota's Tenacious Ternion?"
Rudeboy: "Ternion?"
Candy: "It means.. a group of three. I'm one of them."
Rudeboy: "This is the first.."
Candy: "It's what I'm currently occupied with these days. If you're the same Rudeboy that ran the expressways, then I want you on board. I want you to know what's up. You have a moment?"
He didn't mean to stay long, but he can't hold his excitement on what was going to unfold, as he commented loudly.
Rudeboy: "Ehh.. what the f[BLEEP]? Let's hear you talk. Santana's going to be so mother f[BLEEP]ing pissed he isn't here for this! F[BLEEP]!!"
However, the story of the missing maid has to come to an end.
Walking towards an underpass, Minori usually finds homeless persons around.
However, the place remains emptied, as Minori walks around, seeking..
Minori: "You think threatening Candy-sama is going to get you far?"
Holding a letter that describes a threat to her current employer, she reiterates her threat loudly.
Minori: "Whoever you are, you're making a huge mistake on threatening my darling bebe!"
As she passes by a stack of metal barrels, she realized..
..that a large winded up fist smashes through it, though this time, she was ready for it and flies back with a graceful flip.
Minori: "Merde.. let's see you do that punch a third time."
Quinlan: "That you, Gin? Crikey, that's the worst disguise so far."
Cracking her knuckles, Quinlan puts out a devious 'ready for war' smile as she declares..
Quinlan: "Ready for some slap you silly?! I'm a grill you like pork ribs on the barbie!"
Ginoa: "You! I cannot believe this.. To think you've got nerve.. for making a daring threat on Candy."
Quinlan though then paused, realizing what was said was definitely untrue to her.
Quinlan: "Hold up? Me?"
Quinlan though thought this was a ruse, and returned fire..
Quinlan: "They said it was YOU who want a piece of that apple pie! What the devil's going on here?!"
Ginoa: "Chelou.. if not you, then.."
At that moment, they notice a spillage of blood from above..
They look upwards, noticing a row of fresh corpses being hung from above.
The person responsible for this all, watching from there, starts to chuckle in an eerie manner.
The Crimson End: "Ehe ehe ehe.."
Like they talked of in an earlier moment, the other women's worst fears finally come to be, as she drops down with a cloak that slows her fall.
Ginoa: "That chuckle.."
Quinlan: "Ahh f[BLEEP] me dead!"
They could run if they wanted, but they feel an escape's not wanted. The Crimson one then monologued behind her masque..
The Crimson End: "Well.. it seems we're all here. Full attendance! I so adore this! All of us.. here.. it's no fun if it's not a full house."
Ginoa: "Awww. Madames. You got it all wrong. I'm not in danger; you two are the ones in danger. From these sabres."
Quinlan: "The blokes don't call me Tungsten for nothing, ya drongos! You both ain't got a chance of me blood spilling!"
The Crimson End: "Gosh.. what am I going to do with these newly developed high voltage diamond tipped needles?! There's a blood bank that.. DESPERATELY needs donations!"
Taking of the cloak, they then see her usual combat attire of doom, as she laughs maniacally.
The Crimson End: "AhahaHAAAHH! Show me your gumption, eh?"
Ginoa: "So.. no truce this time, Quin?"
Quinlan: "Truce? I'm down if the terms are: you're decomissioned, she's exorcised, and I'm still kickin' with my tungsten bod intact!"
The three watch each other off, rounding around a focal point, akin to a three way standoff.
A moment passes, until blades exit their cybernetic arms, bloody needles are ready to fire, and an iron body barges through to the apex of this all.
Ginoa: "ALLE!"
The Crimson End: "Blood blood BLOOOODD!!"
Quinlan: "YEAH! It's clobbering time!"
Walking towards an underpass, Minori usually finds homeless persons around.
However, the place remains emptied, as Minori walks around, seeking..
Minori: "You think threatening Candy-sama is going to get you far?"
Holding a letter that describes a threat to her current employer, she reiterates her threat loudly.
Minori: "Whoever you are, you're making a huge mistake on threatening my darling bebe!"
As she passes by a stack of metal barrels, she realized..
..that a large winded up fist smashes through it, though this time, she was ready for it and flies back with a graceful flip.
Minori: "Merde.. let's see you do that punch a third time."
Quinlan: "That you, Gin? Crikey, that's the worst disguise so far."
Cracking her knuckles, Quinlan puts out a devious 'ready for war' smile as she declares..
Quinlan: "Ready for some slap you silly?! I'm a grill you like pork ribs on the barbie!"
Ginoa: "You! I cannot believe this.. To think you've got nerve.. for making a daring threat on Candy."
Quinlan though then paused, realizing what was said was definitely untrue to her.
Quinlan: "Hold up? Me?"
Quinlan though thought this was a ruse, and returned fire..
Quinlan: "They said it was YOU who want a piece of that apple pie! What the devil's going on here?!"
Ginoa: "Chelou.. if not you, then.."
At that moment, they notice a spillage of blood from above..
They look upwards, noticing a row of fresh corpses being hung from above.
The person responsible for this all, watching from there, starts to chuckle in an eerie manner.
The Crimson End: "Ehe ehe ehe.."
Like they talked of in an earlier moment, the other women's worst fears finally come to be, as she drops down with a cloak that slows her fall.
Ginoa: "That chuckle.."
Quinlan: "Ahh f[BLEEP] me dead!"
They could run if they wanted, but they feel an escape's not wanted. The Crimson one then monologued behind her masque..
The Crimson End: "Well.. it seems we're all here. Full attendance! I so adore this! All of us.. here.. it's no fun if it's not a full house."
Ginoa: "Awww. Madames. You got it all wrong. I'm not in danger; you two are the ones in danger. From these sabres."
Quinlan: "The blokes don't call me Tungsten for nothing, ya drongos! You both ain't got a chance of me blood spilling!"
The Crimson End: "Gosh.. what am I going to do with these newly developed high voltage diamond tipped needles?! There's a blood bank that.. DESPERATELY needs donations!"
Taking of the cloak, they then see her usual combat attire of doom, as she laughs maniacally.
The Crimson End: "AhahaHAAAHH! Show me your gumption, eh?"
Ginoa: "So.. no truce this time, Quin?"
Quinlan: "Truce? I'm down if the terms are: you're decomissioned, she's exorcised, and I'm still kickin' with my tungsten bod intact!"
The three watch each other off, rounding around a focal point, akin to a three way standoff.
A moment passes, until blades exit their cybernetic arms, bloody needles are ready to fire, and an iron body barges through to the apex of this all.
Ginoa: "ALLE!"
The Crimson End: "Blood blood BLOOOODD!!"
Quinlan: "YEAH! It's clobbering time!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the first episode where the Trinitia would meet on the whole: hostile to each other as I've intended, despite their good disposition towards the main character.
One thing I like to pride is that when I write a story, the roster is INTERNATIONAL. And coming from Vietnam.. yes, that's another brand spanking new character, isn't it?
I'm going to eventually get into Candy's past on how she started being Le Glace Pacer with her origins. What better to start with another out of place Japanese person due to his/her nation of origin.
Expect Rudeboy to appear when you hear mention of an engine swap episode, expressway racing in Japan, or if the Crown is nominated, which I have a hunch won't take too long. Plus: the repeated use of the word mother f[BLEEP]er.. his internal codename is "F-Bomb". This is going to not only hurt me in post edit when he's around, it also gave me wonder if there's some way to do better what Rockstar did to KDJ/Moodymann in GTA Online, which is where that inspiration came from. This is another case of literally me getting crap past the radar as best I can.. have I done this before? Well, Peigi liking to show her naked upper body is one I can think of.
With Vietnamese out, other non-usual nationalities I've got cooking include Indonesian, mainland Chinese, Native American, Finnish, South Korean, South American, South African.. South something.
Umm.. as Naked Snake would say to Para-Medic's fangirlism on monster movies (and let's be real, it's y'all to the story but the Analysis), this isn't interesting.
One thing I like to pride is that when I write a story, the roster is INTERNATIONAL. And coming from Vietnam.. yes, that's another brand spanking new character, isn't it?
I'm going to eventually get into Candy's past on how she started being Le Glace Pacer with her origins. What better to start with another out of place Japanese person due to his/her nation of origin.
Expect Rudeboy to appear when you hear mention of an engine swap episode, expressway racing in Japan, or if the Crown is nominated, which I have a hunch won't take too long. Plus: the repeated use of the word mother f[BLEEP]er.. his internal codename is "F-Bomb". This is going to not only hurt me in post edit when he's around, it also gave me wonder if there's some way to do better what Rockstar did to KDJ/Moodymann in GTA Online, which is where that inspiration came from. This is another case of literally me getting crap past the radar as best I can.. have I done this before? Well, Peigi liking to show her naked upper body is one I can think of.
With Vietnamese out, other non-usual nationalities I've got cooking include Indonesian, mainland Chinese, Native American, Finnish, South Korean, South American, South African.. South something.
Umm.. as Naked Snake would say to Para-Medic's fangirlism on monster movies (and let's be real, it's y'all to the story but the Analysis), this isn't interesting.
As the main character, Candy Lam is bound to appear in every segment, be it either as the lead role, or as a small mention.
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
Bound by yellow, this Canadian sweet talking, sexy sensual stunt actress may be a sweet little rose, but behind all that posterior, many find out that roses have thorns. In Miranda's case, they might as well be dual layers of barbed wire.
Theme Song: Nazareth - May The Sunshine
Racing Duel Music: The Cult - Spiritwalker
Gender: Female
Nationality: Canadian
Age: 29
Current occupation: Stunt actress
Distinct features: Thick yellow (not blonde) medium curly hair. Heart shaped face. Long and narrow, heavily lashed brown eyes. Thin nose and narrow lips. Yellowish hinted makeup with peach lipstick. Average height, petite muscular build, with above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Rise and shine, it's all yellow here. Usually in her home turf, she's found with a form fitting sun dress, stockings and yellow pumps, along with gold bangles and jewelleries. Changes to shorter skirted dresses on higher heat, or thick fur coats with boots on colder. Importantly there's some yellow on it.
Cars: Mercedes-AMG C 63 S
The only child of a rural family hailing from a small lakeside community within Alberta, Canada. Miranda's early days usually has her time spent around the meadows, prairies and lakes of her hometown. She's unconditionally loved her parents: her fisherman father, and also her artist mother. Naturally, she's picked up small hints of their talent: namely physical prowess and the artist's keenness, all behind a face that's constantly calm, gentle and smiling.
However, the simple happy life finds a bump when the father's diagnosed and passes away from leukemia. His final words etched onto the small family's mind: find and keep chasing the light. Unsure, Miranda leaves the small village and ventures on to the city to find a chance at life for her teenage self. She's reached various lows, and times would come where an aggressive self has to emerge so she can stand out. There were many chances, but the light she eventually settled in was in the school of theatre arts.
Eventually transitioning into being stars for low budget shows and films, Miranda breaks it big over time and finds herself in the humble beginnings of top tier Hollywood, part of the small but well grounded Aurea Signum Studios. The hard worked efforts of the small family pays off as they're able to live comfortably within this lofty side of America.
Nowadays, she makes up a trio that's inclusive of her ex-boyfriend: a fellow stunt actor guised as a chubby ravishing Dutchman and her steward: a hard thinking British biker slash psychologist. An obvious team mom, sweet soul sister and always keeping face, Miranda usually finds herself short of cash due to her spending habits, and finds herself doing odd jobs, usually either as a fledgling street racer, or being involved in whatever her ex-boyfriend comes up with in his car smuggling business.
Theme Song: Nazareth - May The Sunshine
Racing Duel Music: The Cult - Spiritwalker
Gender: Female
Nationality: Canadian
Age: 29
Current occupation: Stunt actress
Distinct features: Thick yellow (not blonde) medium curly hair. Heart shaped face. Long and narrow, heavily lashed brown eyes. Thin nose and narrow lips. Yellowish hinted makeup with peach lipstick. Average height, petite muscular build, with above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Rise and shine, it's all yellow here. Usually in her home turf, she's found with a form fitting sun dress, stockings and yellow pumps, along with gold bangles and jewelleries. Changes to shorter skirted dresses on higher heat, or thick fur coats with boots on colder. Importantly there's some yellow on it.
Cars: Mercedes-AMG C 63 S
The only child of a rural family hailing from a small lakeside community within Alberta, Canada. Miranda's early days usually has her time spent around the meadows, prairies and lakes of her hometown. She's unconditionally loved her parents: her fisherman father, and also her artist mother. Naturally, she's picked up small hints of their talent: namely physical prowess and the artist's keenness, all behind a face that's constantly calm, gentle and smiling.
However, the simple happy life finds a bump when the father's diagnosed and passes away from leukemia. His final words etched onto the small family's mind: find and keep chasing the light. Unsure, Miranda leaves the small village and ventures on to the city to find a chance at life for her teenage self. She's reached various lows, and times would come where an aggressive self has to emerge so she can stand out. There were many chances, but the light she eventually settled in was in the school of theatre arts.
Eventually transitioning into being stars for low budget shows and films, Miranda breaks it big over time and finds herself in the humble beginnings of top tier Hollywood, part of the small but well grounded Aurea Signum Studios. The hard worked efforts of the small family pays off as they're able to live comfortably within this lofty side of America.
Nowadays, she makes up a trio that's inclusive of her ex-boyfriend: a fellow stunt actor guised as a chubby ravishing Dutchman and her steward: a hard thinking British biker slash psychologist. An obvious team mom, sweet soul sister and always keeping face, Miranda usually finds herself short of cash due to her spending habits, and finds herself doing odd jobs, usually either as a fledgling street racer, or being involved in whatever her ex-boyfriend comes up with in his car smuggling business.
A technological marvel with a sharp finesse in her life ending work that got her the moniker of the Killer of Killers. Formerly the most sought out assassin for hire, she now lives in refuge under a guise, hoping nobody would find her unless you have a problem and no one else can help..
Theme Song: KMFDM - Professional Killer
Racing Duel Music: KMFDM - Virus (Pestilence Mix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: French
Age: 30
Current occupation: Maid? (obviously in disguise, she's actually the self proclaimed greatest assassin in the world)
Distinct features: Black, medium well combed right side bob, aggressively blonde when portraying her maid Minori personality. Smooth triangular face. Thin green almond eyes, thin tall nose with wide tip, and narrow mouth. Slight perky, blemished cheeks. Shiny white teeth that seem unnatural (actually bombs). Bright caucasian skin, with average height, weight and proportions. Small creases over arms and legs (actually hidden blades).
Choice of clothing: Your usual frilly maid outfit (definitely not intended). Outside, she's usually wearing a dark colored halterneck blouse/tank top, with black jeans and comfort slippers. Wears a red butterfly clip (actually a hidden knife), a golden set of bangles on her left hand (actually a hidden taser), and a large banded watch on her right (hiding the barrel of a hidden gun in her arm)
Cars: Ferrari F40, Renault R4 GTL
Perhaps the most well known member of the Assassin's Guild that serves as the example to not follow for any prospective killer due to her actions of infamy. Taking on a rural upbringing just out in the hillsides of the Pyrenees, this killer to be had a name, and being the only child of a family. Taken by an unknown sickness, her father left the family, forcing her to migrate with her mother to find better pastures. While they found refuge within a millionaire's estate, the man was a predator by the definition, taking his mother to satisfy his pleasures while the lone child would run away finding that truth out with intents to exploit it. Being on the lam by child police and this richman's associates, she learned to not only hate men, but also to hide and survive.
She would then meet one of the very few men she can respect: a Catholic priest who took her in. Informing him of her farmland origins, the christened Gino would come through living on and off the sanctified church grounds, using this time to hone her athletic and martial skills. However, as she came to adulthood, the men in pursuit of her finally caught up, and further her hatred of these people by not only destroying anything she comes to contact with, but also using their influence and wealth to frame her for that act. To get back at these people, Gino would conduct the perfect crime: one she's been planning ever since her arrival. To get this near impossible task done is to help kindle her inner perfectionist, but put her on the most wanted list in the country.
Her escape all the way to the southernmost side of the country got the attention of the Richelieu family, who would massively profit of these crimes indirectly, and thus led to their favor for her. Befriending the profit minded alpha and her wine loving little brother, the once again renamed Ginoa had revenge in her heart, now striking anyone who would exploit the poor, declaring herself a self serving assassin based by the Richelieu's turf. Her most pivotal moment in this career came when she was to bring to the end of an experimental surgeon: the man who would grant her artificial augmentations of her body who apparently was a high ranking member of the Assassin's Guild. This eventual clashing would lead to her joining, as well as the birth of the Trinitia L'Assassina that stemmed from their efficient, effective service.
Within this organization and thanks to the jealousy of the Richelieu matriarch, Ginoa finds herself travelling all over the world, even mastering a roster of languages, but these days finds herself hiding away in the center of Los Angeles, unwilling to step out of this shadow for the amounts of deathly gazes awaiting to end her. She did however learn two more important life lessons thanks to a few close friends, inclusive of The Black Flash, her short gang leader lover and an angry fellow known as The Messiah: vengeance is a strong motivator, and similarly so is love.
Theme Song: KMFDM - Professional Killer
Racing Duel Music: KMFDM - Virus (Pestilence Mix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: French
Age: 30
Current occupation: Maid? (obviously in disguise, she's actually the self proclaimed greatest assassin in the world)
Distinct features: Black, medium well combed right side bob, aggressively blonde when portraying her maid Minori personality. Smooth triangular face. Thin green almond eyes, thin tall nose with wide tip, and narrow mouth. Slight perky, blemished cheeks. Shiny white teeth that seem unnatural (actually bombs). Bright caucasian skin, with average height, weight and proportions. Small creases over arms and legs (actually hidden blades).
Choice of clothing: Your usual frilly maid outfit (definitely not intended). Outside, she's usually wearing a dark colored halterneck blouse/tank top, with black jeans and comfort slippers. Wears a red butterfly clip (actually a hidden knife), a golden set of bangles on her left hand (actually a hidden taser), and a large banded watch on her right (hiding the barrel of a hidden gun in her arm)
Cars: Ferrari F40, Renault R4 GTL
Perhaps the most well known member of the Assassin's Guild that serves as the example to not follow for any prospective killer due to her actions of infamy. Taking on a rural upbringing just out in the hillsides of the Pyrenees, this killer to be had a name, and being the only child of a family. Taken by an unknown sickness, her father left the family, forcing her to migrate with her mother to find better pastures. While they found refuge within a millionaire's estate, the man was a predator by the definition, taking his mother to satisfy his pleasures while the lone child would run away finding that truth out with intents to exploit it. Being on the lam by child police and this richman's associates, she learned to not only hate men, but also to hide and survive.
She would then meet one of the very few men she can respect: a Catholic priest who took her in. Informing him of her farmland origins, the christened Gino would come through living on and off the sanctified church grounds, using this time to hone her athletic and martial skills. However, as she came to adulthood, the men in pursuit of her finally caught up, and further her hatred of these people by not only destroying anything she comes to contact with, but also using their influence and wealth to frame her for that act. To get back at these people, Gino would conduct the perfect crime: one she's been planning ever since her arrival. To get this near impossible task done is to help kindle her inner perfectionist, but put her on the most wanted list in the country.
Her escape all the way to the southernmost side of the country got the attention of the Richelieu family, who would massively profit of these crimes indirectly, and thus led to their favor for her. Befriending the profit minded alpha and her wine loving little brother, the once again renamed Ginoa had revenge in her heart, now striking anyone who would exploit the poor, declaring herself a self serving assassin based by the Richelieu's turf. Her most pivotal moment in this career came when she was to bring to the end of an experimental surgeon: the man who would grant her artificial augmentations of her body who apparently was a high ranking member of the Assassin's Guild. This eventual clashing would lead to her joining, as well as the birth of the Trinitia L'Assassina that stemmed from their efficient, effective service.
Within this organization and thanks to the jealousy of the Richelieu matriarch, Ginoa finds herself travelling all over the world, even mastering a roster of languages, but these days finds herself hiding away in the center of Los Angeles, unwilling to step out of this shadow for the amounts of deathly gazes awaiting to end her. She did however learn two more important life lessons thanks to a few close friends, inclusive of The Black Flash, her short gang leader lover and an angry fellow known as The Messiah: vengeance is a strong motivator, and similarly so is love.
Hailed as the Sports Diva from Down Under, Quinlan's a bona fide master in the physical contest of contests. A recent graduate of the world racing league's B License, her great muscles isn't the only secret of hers she's keeping tabs on.
Theme Song: Judas Priest - Hard As Iron
Racing Duel Music: Toyah - Thunder In The Mountains
Gender: Female
Nationality: Australian
Age: 33
Current occupation: Sports personality, prominently as a tennis player
Distinct features: Long bright orange hair, often tied in a pair of split braids. Wide almond shaped pale blue eyes, thin but thick skinned slab nose and small mouth. Her caucasian skin's always shiny. Semi-tall and has a defined muscular, built body.
Choice of clothing: 'A show of her greatly honed skin when she can' is her motto on this, usually wearing a sporty tank top with tight sports shorts, with a jacket either worn or wrapped around her waist. There are sporty shoes and sports sunglasses to complement.
Cars: Lamborghini Urus, Renault Sport Mégane R.S. Trophy, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Suzuki Jimny XC
Gold Coast born Quinlan was the second of a whole horde of children. She never had an issue getting past the ropes of life with her siblings, who frequent the beaches there. Thanks to her father's role as a pro surfer, and her mother being a lifeguard of one of the many beaches there, Quinlan had no issue with meeting people and also getting to know the active lifestyle she gets frequent exposure from. Reaching puberty, she however gained one other interest due to her body somehow developing muscular. Compounded by how ridiculed she was in school of her size, she knew this was the calling she needed to stand out and shield her ego: through strength.
Without a remarkable education, Quinlan went straight into sports, getting scholarships for various sports academies and fields. However the result, her jolly character seems to be a perseverant one where she never has a notion to give up in any slight. Though, behind all this muscle was still this psychologically inept woman, who would be taken advantage of by certain criminal elements in Australia. It didn't take long for her to think enough is enough, leading to a mental snap and a new aggression began from there. To the public, it gave them a positive role model to follow, and for the underworld a new killer threat thanks to her behind the scenes actions towards.
In one clash, she was put in a bind, but was saved and proceeded to clean up a large sports corruption scandal thanks to the Assassin's Guild, specifically from a feminist cool cyborg, with another sadistic blood knight. Joining in as an athletic powerful giant, these women would end up being known as the Trinitia: a triple threat of women that would be deemed unstoppable should they come together, though in their heads and ideals that's not quite the case, enough to cause a hostile rift.
Jumping from sport to sport, she recently gotten her hands into racing cars. Though, her growth seemed to be drastically larger than your run of the mill racer. Rumors report that she seems to have contact with the infamous Outlaw, though no direct reasoning has been confirmed.
Theme Song: Judas Priest - Hard As Iron
Racing Duel Music: Toyah - Thunder In The Mountains
Gender: Female
Nationality: Australian
Age: 33
Current occupation: Sports personality, prominently as a tennis player
Distinct features: Long bright orange hair, often tied in a pair of split braids. Wide almond shaped pale blue eyes, thin but thick skinned slab nose and small mouth. Her caucasian skin's always shiny. Semi-tall and has a defined muscular, built body.
Choice of clothing: 'A show of her greatly honed skin when she can' is her motto on this, usually wearing a sporty tank top with tight sports shorts, with a jacket either worn or wrapped around her waist. There are sporty shoes and sports sunglasses to complement.
Cars: Lamborghini Urus, Renault Sport Mégane R.S. Trophy, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Suzuki Jimny XC
Gold Coast born Quinlan was the second of a whole horde of children. She never had an issue getting past the ropes of life with her siblings, who frequent the beaches there. Thanks to her father's role as a pro surfer, and her mother being a lifeguard of one of the many beaches there, Quinlan had no issue with meeting people and also getting to know the active lifestyle she gets frequent exposure from. Reaching puberty, she however gained one other interest due to her body somehow developing muscular. Compounded by how ridiculed she was in school of her size, she knew this was the calling she needed to stand out and shield her ego: through strength.
Without a remarkable education, Quinlan went straight into sports, getting scholarships for various sports academies and fields. However the result, her jolly character seems to be a perseverant one where she never has a notion to give up in any slight. Though, behind all this muscle was still this psychologically inept woman, who would be taken advantage of by certain criminal elements in Australia. It didn't take long for her to think enough is enough, leading to a mental snap and a new aggression began from there. To the public, it gave them a positive role model to follow, and for the underworld a new killer threat thanks to her behind the scenes actions towards.
In one clash, she was put in a bind, but was saved and proceeded to clean up a large sports corruption scandal thanks to the Assassin's Guild, specifically from a feminist cool cyborg, with another sadistic blood knight. Joining in as an athletic powerful giant, these women would end up being known as the Trinitia: a triple threat of women that would be deemed unstoppable should they come together, though in their heads and ideals that's not quite the case, enough to cause a hostile rift.
Jumping from sport to sport, she recently gotten her hands into racing cars. Though, her growth seemed to be drastically larger than your run of the mill racer. Rumors report that she seems to have contact with the infamous Outlaw, though no direct reasoning has been confirmed.
A top tier expressway bandit defines the Rudeboy's racing talent, but this excitable Vietnamese security agent defines himself as the man who put Tokyo Expressway on the watch list for FIA events, and that's just one thing.
Theme Song: Slash, Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators - World On Fire
Racing Duel Music: The Mowex - War (feat. Marcus Klavan and Matt Litwin)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Vietnamese
Age: 32
Current occupation: Security advisor
Distinct features: Medium dark brown braids tied to a ponytail. Tall, sharp diamond face. Brown, sharp asian eyes. Wide hawk shaped nose, and average downward mouth. Muscular wrinkling on his thin cheeks. Narrow, thin handlebar mustache and tied up goatee. Reddened patches of skin over face. Average height, but with a slim build, while muscular underneath. Has a tattoo of a red Vietnamese star on his forehead.
Choice of clothing: His clothes are always tight fit flexible. It's always a standard issue security outfit that he usually goes to work with, that includes a long sleeved buttoned up shirt, slacks, combat gloves, boots and a combat vest. Various jewelleries are similarly present, such as an amethyst nose ring, his platinum wedding ring, and ruby studs on his ears. In some form carries grenades on him, be it a sole one in his pockets, or laid out his combat vest.
Cars: Toyota Crown Athlete 'G', Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STi (GD), Volvo 240 SE Estate
As an only son, Manh was born out in the villages just a few clicks away of the great beaches of Da Nang. Life for him wasn't hard, however, as his parents were both army veterans that survived and got honours for serving during the Vietnam War. Never usually with any of his parents, or any close family as he grew to a teenager, Manh lived his life simply, helping with errands with tourists on the beaches. His hard work, despite not getting schooled properly, ended up helping him get extra funding for his own purposes, as well as maintaining his family's sole non-scooter: a Volvo 240 Estate.
Growing up, he got main exposure to the many criminal groups that reside around Da Nang. During this time, he not only learned essential survival skills, but somehow had a penchant to use the word 'mother f[BLEEP]er' very frequently. This ended up not only getting him favors from the local crims as a known figure that brings excitement, he also was granted the Rudeboy name he still clings on to today. The Rudeboy name however began to circulate as a feared name as soon as he found another interest in making makeshift bombs, stemming from him training dogs to detect mines in the army. This however turned for him as a moment to think, as he wonders if his parents are heroes, why are they risking their own to pursue the good life.
To avoid further criminal infamy, the wealthy parents decided to send Manh to Japan, but he knew that's not his future. Standing with failing grades aside phys ed, he was to return, but enjoyed life in Japan so much, he had to find an excuse to stay. Searching hard, he got a spot working for a small security firm providing both mercenary work and manpower for safety. It's do or die for Manh, but his influence in the gangs and the military paid off, giving him commendations and he rose up the ranks. Bringing his family after their retirement, he would proceed to marry a young lady he worked with.
However, his adventure in cars began when his wife would introduce him to the expressway racing in the night. How he got into this league was like when he learned how to make bombs: unrelenting. Entering the field of racers wasn't easy, but to him: he's never bothered with an easy life. Also rising these ranks, he would become the second in command of a crew that carries purely only non-Japanese racers, to give them a safe space to be aside the locals. One such person he took interest during this time was a short Hong Kongese lady with great fame on the circuit.
Eventually, time passes, and as the leader of this crew he's in for years, he wonders if he can reach further.
Theme Song: Slash, Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators - World On Fire
Racing Duel Music: The Mowex - War (feat. Marcus Klavan and Matt Litwin)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Vietnamese
Age: 32
Current occupation: Security advisor
Distinct features: Medium dark brown braids tied to a ponytail. Tall, sharp diamond face. Brown, sharp asian eyes. Wide hawk shaped nose, and average downward mouth. Muscular wrinkling on his thin cheeks. Narrow, thin handlebar mustache and tied up goatee. Reddened patches of skin over face. Average height, but with a slim build, while muscular underneath. Has a tattoo of a red Vietnamese star on his forehead.
Choice of clothing: His clothes are always tight fit flexible. It's always a standard issue security outfit that he usually goes to work with, that includes a long sleeved buttoned up shirt, slacks, combat gloves, boots and a combat vest. Various jewelleries are similarly present, such as an amethyst nose ring, his platinum wedding ring, and ruby studs on his ears. In some form carries grenades on him, be it a sole one in his pockets, or laid out his combat vest.
Cars: Toyota Crown Athlete 'G', Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STi (GD), Volvo 240 SE Estate
As an only son, Manh was born out in the villages just a few clicks away of the great beaches of Da Nang. Life for him wasn't hard, however, as his parents were both army veterans that survived and got honours for serving during the Vietnam War. Never usually with any of his parents, or any close family as he grew to a teenager, Manh lived his life simply, helping with errands with tourists on the beaches. His hard work, despite not getting schooled properly, ended up helping him get extra funding for his own purposes, as well as maintaining his family's sole non-scooter: a Volvo 240 Estate.
Growing up, he got main exposure to the many criminal groups that reside around Da Nang. During this time, he not only learned essential survival skills, but somehow had a penchant to use the word 'mother f[BLEEP]er' very frequently. This ended up not only getting him favors from the local crims as a known figure that brings excitement, he also was granted the Rudeboy name he still clings on to today. The Rudeboy name however began to circulate as a feared name as soon as he found another interest in making makeshift bombs, stemming from him training dogs to detect mines in the army. This however turned for him as a moment to think, as he wonders if his parents are heroes, why are they risking their own to pursue the good life.
To avoid further criminal infamy, the wealthy parents decided to send Manh to Japan, but he knew that's not his future. Standing with failing grades aside phys ed, he was to return, but enjoyed life in Japan so much, he had to find an excuse to stay. Searching hard, he got a spot working for a small security firm providing both mercenary work and manpower for safety. It's do or die for Manh, but his influence in the gangs and the military paid off, giving him commendations and he rose up the ranks. Bringing his family after their retirement, he would proceed to marry a young lady he worked with.
However, his adventure in cars began when his wife would introduce him to the expressway racing in the night. How he got into this league was like when he learned how to make bombs: unrelenting. Entering the field of racers wasn't easy, but to him: he's never bothered with an easy life. Also rising these ranks, he would become the second in command of a crew that carries purely only non-Japanese racers, to give them a safe space to be aside the locals. One such person he took interest during this time was a short Hong Kongese lady with great fame on the circuit.
Eventually, time passes, and as the leader of this crew he's in for years, he wonders if he can reach further.
- 1,715
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
The results of last week's Special Challenge is in the Kei–sized boot!
Congrats to Vic yet again for another big win in a small car!
Us, Car of the Week, testing a car within a month of its release? It's happening so much that I can't make jokes about us being culturally irrelevant anymore. Chosen by @Obelisk , we're featuring the Volvo 240 SE Estate '93 for Week 60 of COTW!
Volvo nowadays may be known for their semi–premium luxury cars and industrial vehicles, but back in the 80s, they were properly mad. Following in the 930 911's footsteps and turbocharging their production car, the seemingly unassuming Volvo took the European Touring Car championship and Deutsche Touringwagen Meisterschaft by storm, earning itself the nickname, "The Flying Brick"! And who can forget its exploits in Group A?
We'll see just how much of that is present in the non–homologation model of the 240!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 329PP
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
Mute the game (or turn it down to where it's barely audible), then turn off the in–game HUD.
Equip a Volvo 240 with engine parts that increase the redline well past 6,500 rpm, namely:
With this, attempt a lap at racing pace on the Nordschleife. No upshifting below 6,500rpm at all times, and try to avoid hitting the rev limit!
No winners or losers with this one, it's just a fun experience trying to drive without audio and experiencing for oneself what it feels like to be deaf in a car.
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
| Obelisk | Vic Reign93 | |
| Lap 1 | 2:10.910 | 2:09.503 |
| Lap 2 | 2:11.345 | 2:08.829 |
| Lap 3 | 2:10.912 | 2:08.965 |
| Total | 6:33.167 | 6:27.297 |
Congrats to Vic yet again for another big win in a small car!
Us, Car of the Week, testing a car within a month of its release? It's happening so much that I can't make jokes about us being culturally irrelevant anymore. Chosen by @Obelisk , we're featuring the Volvo 240 SE Estate '93 for Week 60 of COTW!
Volvo nowadays may be known for their semi–premium luxury cars and industrial vehicles, but back in the 80s, they were properly mad. Following in the 930 911's footsteps and turbocharging their production car, the seemingly unassuming Volvo took the European Touring Car championship and Deutsche Touringwagen Meisterschaft by storm, earning itself the nickname, "The Flying Brick"! And who can forget its exploits in Group A?
We'll see just how much of that is present in the non–homologation model of the 240!
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock 240s under BoP conditions!Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 4th June, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 8th June, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 329PP
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
This week, we find out what it must be like to drive deaf.Mute the game (or turn it down to where it's barely audible), then turn off the in–game HUD.
Equip a Volvo 240 with engine parts that increase the redline well past 6,500 rpm, namely:
- Full Control Computer
- High Lift Camshaft
- Racing Air Filter
- Racing Exhaust Manifold
- Racing Muffler/Silencer
- Other parts optional
With this, attempt a lap at racing pace on the Nordschleife. No upshifting below 6,500rpm at all times, and try to avoid hitting the rev limit!
No winners or losers with this one, it's just a fun experience trying to drive without audio and experiencing for oneself what it feels like to be deaf in a car.
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
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