Car of the Week | Our 2024 Car of the Year!
- Thread starter XSquareStickIt
- 1,149 comments
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- 6
- singapore
- K31thc0m
- K31thc0m
Single-Player Challenge
Road Atlanta: 1:33.348
Lake Louise Short: 1:04.765
Colorado Springs: 1:31.592
Total time: 4:09.705
if you beat me at colorado springs, good for you. the bumps made the experience terrible unlike the other two circuits, which i found more enjoyable.
Road Atlanta: 1:33.348
Lake Louise Short: 1:04.765
Colorado Springs: 1:31.592
Total time: 4:09.705
if you beat me at colorado springs, good for you. the bumps made the experience terrible unlike the other two circuits, which i found more enjoyable.
- 1,745
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
The original NSXes, the NA1 and NA2, are cars that I've sort of feared being featured on COTW, because they're my childhood heroes, and I love them immensely. Hell, I have a section of my display cabinet almost entirely dedicated to the NSXes. They're legendary cars that others have covered much better than I could, and even on a subjective front, I don't think I could ever do the cars justice.
In GT7, the NA1-R makes a very strong argument for itself as the perfect sports car. Its achingly beautiful looks hasn't aged a day, and anyone who says a V6 can't sound good hasn't been near an NSX. Its NA engine is rather gutless unless it's screaming for its life, and yet, having to shift up almost feels like a tragic event with the 5 speed manual. The car is soft by modern standards, yet so naturally responsive with its overall light weight of 1,230kg (2,712lbs) and its low, unladen front end. On both corner entries and exits, it's so playful, yet so gradual in its playfulness, really letting drivers choose how much slip angle they want into and out of corners. And I especially love how, from the outside, the only visible changes of the Zenki NSX-R from the base NSX are the Enkei wheels and stripped out interior; none of that nonsensical boy–racer garbage that later Type Rs seem obligated to have, and there will always be a part of me that wishes the Type R ethos had stayed unchanged from the Zenki NSX.
I don't think I can retell the story of the NSX better than others already have, so I'll just dump here the excellent videos that the YouTube algorithm has bestowed upon me, and I hope you'll find the same value in these that I did.
savagegeese has an hour–long documentary on the original NSX, even scoring interviews with the car's original engineers, and Uehara Shigeru himself!
Kurosawa Motoharu, a.k.a. Gan–san, trashes the NSX-R around the Nordschleife in 1992.
In GT7, the NA1-R makes a very strong argument for itself as the perfect sports car. Its achingly beautiful looks hasn't aged a day, and anyone who says a V6 can't sound good hasn't been near an NSX. Its NA engine is rather gutless unless it's screaming for its life, and yet, having to shift up almost feels like a tragic event with the 5 speed manual. The car is soft by modern standards, yet so naturally responsive with its overall light weight of 1,230kg (2,712lbs) and its low, unladen front end. On both corner entries and exits, it's so playful, yet so gradual in its playfulness, really letting drivers choose how much slip angle they want into and out of corners. And I especially love how, from the outside, the only visible changes of the Zenki NSX-R from the base NSX are the Enkei wheels and stripped out interior; none of that nonsensical boy–racer garbage that later Type Rs seem obligated to have, and there will always be a part of me that wishes the Type R ethos had stayed unchanged from the Zenki NSX.
I don't think I can retell the story of the NSX better than others already have, so I'll just dump here the excellent videos that the YouTube algorithm has bestowed upon me, and I hope you'll find the same value in these that I did.
savagegeese has an hour–long documentary on the original NSX, even scoring interviews with the car's original engineers, and Uehara Shigeru himself!
Kurosawa Motoharu, a.k.a. Gan–san, trashes the NSX-R around the Nordschleife in 1992.
- 6
- singapore
- K31thc0m
- K31thc0m
looks like someone REALLY loves the nsx 😳😳😳
- 16,334
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
I didn't know you were into model cars. That's a great selection you have there.The original NSXes, the NA1 and NA2, are cars that I've sort of feared being featured on COTW, because they're my childhood heroes, and I love them immensely. Hell, I have a section of my display cabinet almost entirely dedicated to the NSXes. They're legendary cars that others have covered much better than I could, and even on a subjective front, I don't think I could ever do the cars justice.
- 1,745
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Ever since the 3rd generation, "FD3S" RX-7 ended production in 2002, rumours, fan renders, and outright clickbait articles purporting a grand return of a Mazda rotary sports car have swarmed the niche fan community incessantly. While the four door, four seat, and criminally underrated RX-8 did succeed the RX-7 in name and driving feel, it never had the laser focus, bleeding edge performance, stunning svelte looks, or cultural significance that the FD was so beloved for, leaving some to believe that the legendary 7 had no true successor. In 2015, Mazda took a look at that that storm of speculation and discourse and thought, "Y'know what? Ima have a piece of that action, show 'em how it's done for poops and giggles", and revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show, a "Rotary Sports Concept" known as the RX-Vision.
Of course, in the 13 years since the FD bowed out of the Japanese market, cars, and the world at large, had changed almost beyond recognition. Cars had arguably gotten so fast to a point that high tech computer wizardry had become a requirement to not only keep them on the road, but to get the most out of them on the track. Thus, pure, lightweight, simple, and affordable sports cars à la the RX-7 have been edged out of the market by technological juggernauts, with many companies even beginning to experiment with hybridisation to prepare for an eventual transition into a carbon neutral future, resulting in an influx of bloated, heavy, and isolating computers on wheels. The RX-Vision then, shocked TAS2015 attendees upon its unveiling both with its beauty and what said beauty seemed to promise; it was low, it was wide, it was svelte, and it hadn't a single screen in the spartan cockpit, seemingly promising the return of a pure sports car just like the FD RX-7 used to be. One could even argue that the RX-Vision looked less like its own thing and more like an FD RX-7 pulled out of a time machine and adapted for the climate of 2015: the goggles–shaped rear light cluster sheathing four round brake lights is the most obvious shared design element, but even the RX-Vision's headlights, while required by modern laws to be static, have running lights in the shape of panel gaps suggestive of the sorely missed pop–up headlights of the RX-7. Heck, the analogue gauges in the RX-Vision would almost look nicked straight from a Zenki FD in the early nineties if the tach didn't read up to an eyebrow–raising 10,000rpm! It really did seem like Mazda were dead serious about bringing something in the spirit of the FD RX-7 into the modern era; something that would be focused on just the driving thrills while actively purging from it any frills, and such a notion was proper cause for celebration both for rotary sports car fans and driving enthusiasts in general.
However, despite all the direct callbacks to my childhood hero and dream sports car, the RX-Vision has always looked a little... off, to me. The part that sticks out to me the most—quite literally—is the stupidly long bonnet of the RX-Vision. One of the main selling points of a Wankel Rotary engine is that they're very compact for their power output, so why the heck does the bonnet of the RX-Vision look long enough to swallow a V12 longitudinally? What's under there, what's that space used for? Designer Maeda Ikuo has proudly stated in GT Café that this long hood, short deck style was an intentional design decision, giving the car great proportions and putting more load on the rear tyres, but I respectfully disagree with him. If load on the rear was really so important, I'd really rather they just made a rear mid–engined car instead, fully acknowledging that Mazda seems oddly adverse to producing RMR cars for some reason. One of the things that made the RX-7 so beloved was that it was a very "pure" and "honest" sports car—there was nothing on it that didn't serve a purpose, and the cars had a very simplistic, yet organic beauty to them because of that. The RX-Vision by contrast, was not only a hollow styling exercise, but one that looked like a fat, disproportionate person wearing a designer dress to me. Yes, the dress itself is achingly beautiful, but the thing underneath contorting, stretching, and giving it shape, I just can't for the life of me find attractive in the slightest, and the whole package just seems a waste.
Now, this is a personal pet peeve of mine, but I really wish the RX-Vision had a third brake light in the middle, even if it'd mostly be blocked by the rear spoiler in its lowered position (and I highly doubt this is legal anywhere). The spoiler bisecting and obscuring the rear lights may at first appear to be just a styling item, but in a blink–and–you'll–miss–it moment during the car's reveal, a video package did show the spoiler raising up and out of the way of the lights, and designer Maeda Ikuo has stated in an interview that the spoiler deploys automatically. It's a bit of a shame that the spoiler is completely static in GT7 in its lowered and obstructive position. I've genuinely never understood why spoilers and wings nowadays need to pop up and down. It's just unnecessary mass and complication. I'll deal with the drag penalty at legal speeds and save on the mass, thank you very much. Rear wings are cool, I want to see them, and anyone who thinks they're uncool are pots calling kettles black. Also, remember how I praised the RX-Vision earlier for not having a single screen in the cockpit? Yeah, that might be a bit of a problem, considering the fact that the thin stalks protruding from the doors hold nothing but cameras. They might want to look into that before putting the car into production, and while they're at it, maybe they can also add in door handles and a fuel inlet.
In 2022, seven years after the RX-Vision was initially revealed, Toyota unveiled a good looking, long hood, short deck FR GT3 racer called the GR GT3 Concept, and the folks at Japanese Nostalgic Car quickly connected the dots, similar roof and door cut lines, and proportions to the RX-Vision GT3 Concept that was added to Gran Turismo Sport in 2020. Now, I don't even want to fantasise about knowing what goes on behind closed doors of car design at a corporate level, but this lines up a bit too well with my gut feeling of "The RX-Vision is very unlike the Mazda I know", making me believe that the RX-Vision was never born specifically to be a Mazda to begin with, but rather as a shared platform. I know the auto industry is in a bad place right now, and the clock is ticking on the internal combustion engine, but as a Mazda fan, I don't know if I want a rotary sports car that has to compromise and share platforms with something it was never meant to be. To be clear, I'm not against platform sharing at all; I just think that the rotary sports car is too ingrained into Mazda's identity to share with and be compromised for some other make, even if Toyota and Mazda (along with Subaru) seem to be buddy–buddy in real life.
I don't give praise to Polyphony Digital often, but they've done an absolutely fantastic job in capturing the essence of the RX-Vision in GT7. Designer Maeda Ikuo has stated both in interviews and in the GT Café that he designed the surfaces in such a way that light dynamically dances across the car as the viewer moves around it to make the car appear more as though a living creature and not just a machine, and while a good approximation of this can be experienced without ray tracing, this dynamic light dance absolutely comes alive in GT7 with ray tracing enabled. It genuinely tickles my inner child taking the RX-Visions to Scapes with spectacular lighting, such as the Tokyo National Art Center, and just... moving the car around, much like a child would a toy car in his hands.
While the wheels and plastic trim pieces look black most of the time, at certain angles, they give of a slight candy apple reddish tint, and even that has been captured and replicated faithfully in GT7. It's not very noticable with the original body colour of Soul Red because they pair so well with said paint, but that reddish tint starts to really stick out and look awkward when the car is repainted in anything other than red, or when one messes around with colours and temperatures in photo mode to get the car looking a certain way.
On the technical side of things, Mazda are cautiously tight–lipped about any specs of the RX-Vision, refusing to spare us fans even morsels of information. We only know that the SkyActiv-R engine is the "main power unit", and that it's an FR. Despite Mazda's deliberate wording that leaves open the possibility of hybridisation, the RX-Vision's only power source in GT7 is its screamer of a Rotary Engine, interpreted by Polyphony Digital to be a naturally aspirated 4–Rotor that revs to 9,500rpm, producing a peak of 517HP (386kW) at 8,800rpm and 489.2N⋅m (360.8lbf⋅ft) at 7,500rpm. If you think PD were super generous with those power figures, wait till you see how little the RX-Vision weighs according to them: a mere 1,290kg (2,844lbs); 60 kilos (132lbs) lighter than the RX-8 Spirit R and just 20 kilos (44lbs) heavier than the RX-7 Spirit R Type A. These figures put the RX-Vision's performance somewhere around those of the C6 Corvette ZR1, Ferrari 458, and the NC1 NSX; all of which familiar names and flagships the FD RX-7 could go toe–to–toe with in the early nineties.
While the SkyActiv-R engine's power curves and noise do make it extremely similar to the R26B 4–Rotor of the 787B, a very pleasant surprise greeted me when I got into the car from the garage: it made actual 787B noises! This is a big deal to me because I've complained about PD not having a real 787B to scan and record back when I reviewed the 787B in GT Sport, resulting in the digital 787B—and anything else derivative and accepting of its 4–rotor—sounding decidedly unlike the real 787B, including the RX-Vision GT3 Concept. In other words, the "base" RX-Vision sounds more like a racecar than even literal racecars on startup! Despite this, the sound of the base RX-Vision has been notably muffled from its GT3 counterpart during actual gameplay, itself already slightly muffled from the sound of the faux 787B. Some have expressed that the piercing wail of the 787B's 4–Rotor is grating to listen to, and even I have to concur with that sentiment. The RX-Vision's sound, having gone through so much muffling, is perfectly fine to listen to even for long periods of time, all while still sounding highly distinct. It has struck the perfect balance in my opinion, especially if one can suspend their disbelief and not question how something with this much character and volume can ever hope to make production in today's car climate.
The benefits of not having to exist in the cruel and spiteful world are readily apparent from the right bucket seat of the RX-Vision, as the A–pillars are impossibly thin by stringent modern standards, allowing for an incredible view out front. The RX-Vision also doesn't have to print 0–100km/h times nor pass noise and emissions regulations, so the car can be geared naturally for its power curves and mass. Driving it is such a breath of fresh air and a stark reminder of just how ludicrously compromised modern cars are. 2nd and 3rd gear in the RX-V's sequential gearbox are very close to each other to keep the rev happy Rotary unabashedly screaming unhindered by noise regs, and the car will continue to pull all the way in 6th gear, topping out at redline around 320km/h (199mph) in clean air without even a hint of wanting to function as an overdrive highway cruising gear. Just like the 787B, the RX-Vision has ample mid–range punch normally uncharacteristic of NA Rotary Engines, and when mated to such close gear ratios, the RX-Vision is never left without an answer for any complex of corners. I do however concur with Obelisk and RX8 in saying that the RX-Vision has a bit too short of a final drive ratio for the speeds it feels otherwise capable of. It's not a big deal most of the time, but it does feel like squandered potential in the highly specific scenario of a top speed slipstream battle against other cars, or even copies of itself.
Of course, with performance numbers far surpassing that of the FD RX-7, the suspension setup of the RX-Vision has accordingly been tightened up to be less playful and more immediate. The RX-Vision shows no perceptible pitch and roll on its default Sports Hard tyres from the inside and out, and it's almost racecar immediate in its response to driver inputs. Its stiff suspension, incredibly lightweight body, and meagre downforce values combine to result in a car that reacts to every minute crease and crevice of the road surface, transmitting them all to its driver with such clarity that it even comes across visually in bumper cam, making the RX-V feel extremely raw and constantly on the edge, easily upset by an imperfect public road, beating up its driver visually in lieu of physically through the digital divide. It really does remind me of tuner cars from the 90s with how on edge and unrefined it feels in its pursuit of performance, no doubt worsened by the very modern 20–inch steamroller wheels. That stiff suspension setup can also be problematic even on an obsessively smoothed over racetrack: with a staggered 245–285 tyre setup and a rear weight bias from the long hood, short deck body style, the RX-Vision can struggle to put weight over the front tyres to get the long nose to bite into an apex, which is a problem only highlighted more by the fact that whoever is in charge of setting up fictional cars at PD just loves giving them stupidly tight differential setups, meaning that the laden, grippier rear end of the RX-Vision is always trying to keep the featherweight front end from turning and biting into a corner. On trail braking, there's a very prominent moment wherein the car awkwardly stops wanting to turn, the steering wheel judders, and the front tyres scrub with no leadup nor warning whatsoever, and it's a similar story on corner exits as well, where the rear end will suddenly break loose without warning on power, despite the malleable and predictable nature of the NA engine. What this translates to in practice is a very unpredictable and counter–intuitive car to drive; I find myself braking early for corners just to avoid having enough brake input to lock up the LSD when it comes time to pitch the car into the turn, and on corner exits, I'm always tiptoeing on the accelerator pedal, waiting, anticipating the stupid diff to bust the rear end loose. I keep TCS on at 1/5 when driving the RX-Vision not only because I appreciate the safety net, but also because the TCS light coming on out of a corner as I roll on the accelerator pedal is the only warning I'd get for the RX-Vision wanting to re–enact the last downhill run of Takahashi Keisuke versus God Foot.
Despite the "Vision" in its name, the RX-Vision is, in fact, not a Vision Gran Turismo car, meaning the car can be upgraded and adjusted. One might think then, that the car's rather glaring faults can be fixed, but I'm sad to report that, aside from the gearing, none of the RX-V's prominent faults can be tuned out. While a "fully" customisable suspension kit can be bought for the RX-Vision, the springs can't go soft enough to give clear, stable Vision on Sports Hard tyres, with minimum natural frequencies of 2.30/2.50Hz F/R. For some context, a C6 ZR1's stock values are 1.8/2.0Hz F/R, and that's hardly a soft car to begin with. There are no aero parts for the RX-Vision at all in GT Auto, meaning that the car is just stuck with its default downforce values for life. While the car does produce meaningful downforce as–is according to its spec sheets, it doesn't feel enough to counteract the lift the body naturally generates, as the car feels vague, floaty, and even snappy at high speeds, making some high speed corners and kinks either extremely precarious to take at speed, or just flat out impossible to negotiate without slowing to an extent where that becomes dangerous in itself. It's impossible to brake on the high line for the aggressively banked T1 of High Speed Ring Reverse without introducing the rear quarter panel to some armco, and it WILL snap loose without fail, controller or wheel alike, on the final left kink on Deep Forest's home straight. I'm merely speculating when I say this, but I really think the long hood, short deck body style is to blame for all this lift, as the air along the roofline of the car has to dip sharply to meet the boot lid of the car, creating a region of low pressure where the rear window is. It's why so many Le Mans racer have "long tail" versions, right? To feed higher pressure, less turbulent air to their rear wings for high–speed stability? Maybe this wouldn't be such an issue if we could put a towering rear wing on the RX-Vision to match its roofline à la the GT3 Concept, but despite the racecar already being in GT Sport prior to the release of GT7, none of that trickled down to the base car at all for some unfathomable reason.
For a million credits, I would certainly hope for more customisation options and a much better drive. The C6 ZR1 and any of the AMG GTs are just better cars in every regard, and good luck trying to convince your average petrolhead to not buy a Ferrari 458 and instead shell out more than thrice the Credits for a Mazda. Heck, I'd rather spend more on swapping in a racing 4–Rotor to an RX-7 or RX-8, and end up with cars that boast much more customisability visually and mechanically, to say nothing of the unreal fuel efficiency that racing engines have in this game.
The RX-Vision struck me as odd when I first laid eyes on it, and PD's interpretation of it only solidified those doubts into pure disdain. I'm just glad that Mazda has seemingly moved on from the pure styling exercises and made something much more balanced looking and no less beautiful in the Iconic SP.
The RX-VISION is a car in which I placed my car designer life on the line.
I worked on it from the standpoint of really making the dream sports car I have in my mind.
And one of the most important things for a sports car is its fundamental structure.
Historic cars that are still popular and beautiful to look at today all have exceptionally great proportions.
So the first thing we worked on for the RX-VISION was also the structure.
A textbook FR (Front Engine Rear Drive) with a long nose, and the ability to place proper load on the rear wheels.
In the final stages, we extended the front nose about 150mm from the structure we had originally designed,
the part from the front doors up to the front wheel center.
In the very end we made it a slightly unbalanced proportion...
But at that moment we got a lot of traction on the rear wheels, and thought "This will work!"
That slight unbalance is the hook. It's the secret to making someone go "Hmm".
The other secret is the reflection of light.
If you look at the RX-VISION as you circle it, I think you'll notice that the light's reflection moves around like a creature.
Cars are like family or friends to those who are into them.
And it's a very rare industrial product that runs around on its own.
That makes cars have the same type of existence as animals running around in the wild, or an athlete running on a field.
And when you think of it that way, I also want cars to be something that looks beautiful and truly alive in nature.
And for that you need a "sense of life."
So when thinking about what is the sense of life, that will put cars at one with nature,
we tried to express life in the car with the light's reflections and their beauty on tje car's body.
And those are the type of shapes that are instilled in the RX-VISION.
Sarah:
Thank you for that great story, Maeda-san!
Maeda Ikuo:
The pleasure was all mine. If we meet again, I hope we can talk more about cars and design.
When producing the RX-VISION, I had a long running desire to make the RX-VISION a GT3 car and compete in the Le Mans.
I'm a car designer, but I have a soft spot for motorsports.
The first movie that I spent my own allowance on to go see in a theater, during elementary school, was about the 24 hours of Le Mans.
I still remember being really excited to see the fantastic battles between cars like the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512S.
It made me want to race at the Le Mans in the future, and it also was what got me to strive for a job involving cars.
Mazda won the Le Mans,
and that event naturally connected to that scene of the Le Mans that I dreamed of as a child.
But I want to have everyone take interest in todays motorsports scene, not just events of the past like the 787B.
I strongly hope to add a new page to Mazda's motorsports.
In that respect the GT3 version of the RX-VISION was a car that I really wanted to make happen,
and I was able to do that first in Gran Turismo virtually.
This is something I created with the strong conviction, "that this will be a real car in the future."
And I personally want to drive the Sarthe circuit in this car.
Sarah:
Thank you for that great story, Maeda-san!
Maeda Ikuo:
The pleasure was all mine. If we meet again, I hope we can talk more about cars and design.
Of course, in the 13 years since the FD bowed out of the Japanese market, cars, and the world at large, had changed almost beyond recognition. Cars had arguably gotten so fast to a point that high tech computer wizardry had become a requirement to not only keep them on the road, but to get the most out of them on the track. Thus, pure, lightweight, simple, and affordable sports cars à la the RX-7 have been edged out of the market by technological juggernauts, with many companies even beginning to experiment with hybridisation to prepare for an eventual transition into a carbon neutral future, resulting in an influx of bloated, heavy, and isolating computers on wheels. The RX-Vision then, shocked TAS2015 attendees upon its unveiling both with its beauty and what said beauty seemed to promise; it was low, it was wide, it was svelte, and it hadn't a single screen in the spartan cockpit, seemingly promising the return of a pure sports car just like the FD RX-7 used to be. One could even argue that the RX-Vision looked less like its own thing and more like an FD RX-7 pulled out of a time machine and adapted for the climate of 2015: the goggles–shaped rear light cluster sheathing four round brake lights is the most obvious shared design element, but even the RX-Vision's headlights, while required by modern laws to be static, have running lights in the shape of panel gaps suggestive of the sorely missed pop–up headlights of the RX-7. Heck, the analogue gauges in the RX-Vision would almost look nicked straight from a Zenki FD in the early nineties if the tach didn't read up to an eyebrow–raising 10,000rpm! It really did seem like Mazda were dead serious about bringing something in the spirit of the FD RX-7 into the modern era; something that would be focused on just the driving thrills while actively purging from it any frills, and such a notion was proper cause for celebration both for rotary sports car fans and driving enthusiasts in general.
However, despite all the direct callbacks to my childhood hero and dream sports car, the RX-Vision has always looked a little... off, to me. The part that sticks out to me the most—quite literally—is the stupidly long bonnet of the RX-Vision. One of the main selling points of a Wankel Rotary engine is that they're very compact for their power output, so why the heck does the bonnet of the RX-Vision look long enough to swallow a V12 longitudinally? What's under there, what's that space used for? Designer Maeda Ikuo has proudly stated in GT Café that this long hood, short deck style was an intentional design decision, giving the car great proportions and putting more load on the rear tyres, but I respectfully disagree with him. If load on the rear was really so important, I'd really rather they just made a rear mid–engined car instead, fully acknowledging that Mazda seems oddly adverse to producing RMR cars for some reason. One of the things that made the RX-7 so beloved was that it was a very "pure" and "honest" sports car—there was nothing on it that didn't serve a purpose, and the cars had a very simplistic, yet organic beauty to them because of that. The RX-Vision by contrast, was not only a hollow styling exercise, but one that looked like a fat, disproportionate person wearing a designer dress to me. Yes, the dress itself is achingly beautiful, but the thing underneath contorting, stretching, and giving it shape, I just can't for the life of me find attractive in the slightest, and the whole package just seems a waste.
Now, this is a personal pet peeve of mine, but I really wish the RX-Vision had a third brake light in the middle, even if it'd mostly be blocked by the rear spoiler in its lowered position (and I highly doubt this is legal anywhere). The spoiler bisecting and obscuring the rear lights may at first appear to be just a styling item, but in a blink–and–you'll–miss–it moment during the car's reveal, a video package did show the spoiler raising up and out of the way of the lights, and designer Maeda Ikuo has stated in an interview that the spoiler deploys automatically. It's a bit of a shame that the spoiler is completely static in GT7 in its lowered and obstructive position. I've genuinely never understood why spoilers and wings nowadays need to pop up and down. It's just unnecessary mass and complication. I'll deal with the drag penalty at legal speeds and save on the mass, thank you very much. Rear wings are cool, I want to see them, and anyone who thinks they're uncool are pots calling kettles black. Also, remember how I praised the RX-Vision earlier for not having a single screen in the cockpit? Yeah, that might be a bit of a problem, considering the fact that the thin stalks protruding from the doors hold nothing but cameras. They might want to look into that before putting the car into production, and while they're at it, maybe they can also add in door handles and a fuel inlet.
In 2022, seven years after the RX-Vision was initially revealed, Toyota unveiled a good looking, long hood, short deck FR GT3 racer called the GR GT3 Concept, and the folks at Japanese Nostalgic Car quickly connected the dots, similar roof and door cut lines, and proportions to the RX-Vision GT3 Concept that was added to Gran Turismo Sport in 2020. Now, I don't even want to fantasise about knowing what goes on behind closed doors of car design at a corporate level, but this lines up a bit too well with my gut feeling of "The RX-Vision is very unlike the Mazda I know", making me believe that the RX-Vision was never born specifically to be a Mazda to begin with, but rather as a shared platform. I know the auto industry is in a bad place right now, and the clock is ticking on the internal combustion engine, but as a Mazda fan, I don't know if I want a rotary sports car that has to compromise and share platforms with something it was never meant to be. To be clear, I'm not against platform sharing at all; I just think that the rotary sports car is too ingrained into Mazda's identity to share with and be compromised for some other make, even if Toyota and Mazda (along with Subaru) seem to be buddy–buddy in real life.
I don't give praise to Polyphony Digital often, but they've done an absolutely fantastic job in capturing the essence of the RX-Vision in GT7. Designer Maeda Ikuo has stated both in interviews and in the GT Café that he designed the surfaces in such a way that light dynamically dances across the car as the viewer moves around it to make the car appear more as though a living creature and not just a machine, and while a good approximation of this can be experienced without ray tracing, this dynamic light dance absolutely comes alive in GT7 with ray tracing enabled. It genuinely tickles my inner child taking the RX-Visions to Scapes with spectacular lighting, such as the Tokyo National Art Center, and just... moving the car around, much like a child would a toy car in his hands.
While the wheels and plastic trim pieces look black most of the time, at certain angles, they give of a slight candy apple reddish tint, and even that has been captured and replicated faithfully in GT7. It's not very noticable with the original body colour of Soul Red because they pair so well with said paint, but that reddish tint starts to really stick out and look awkward when the car is repainted in anything other than red, or when one messes around with colours and temperatures in photo mode to get the car looking a certain way.
On the technical side of things, Mazda are cautiously tight–lipped about any specs of the RX-Vision, refusing to spare us fans even morsels of information. We only know that the SkyActiv-R engine is the "main power unit", and that it's an FR. Despite Mazda's deliberate wording that leaves open the possibility of hybridisation, the RX-Vision's only power source in GT7 is its screamer of a Rotary Engine, interpreted by Polyphony Digital to be a naturally aspirated 4–Rotor that revs to 9,500rpm, producing a peak of 517HP (386kW) at 8,800rpm and 489.2N⋅m (360.8lbf⋅ft) at 7,500rpm. If you think PD were super generous with those power figures, wait till you see how little the RX-Vision weighs according to them: a mere 1,290kg (2,844lbs); 60 kilos (132lbs) lighter than the RX-8 Spirit R and just 20 kilos (44lbs) heavier than the RX-7 Spirit R Type A. These figures put the RX-Vision's performance somewhere around those of the C6 Corvette ZR1, Ferrari 458, and the NC1 NSX; all of which familiar names and flagships the FD RX-7 could go toe–to–toe with in the early nineties.
While the SkyActiv-R engine's power curves and noise do make it extremely similar to the R26B 4–Rotor of the 787B, a very pleasant surprise greeted me when I got into the car from the garage: it made actual 787B noises! This is a big deal to me because I've complained about PD not having a real 787B to scan and record back when I reviewed the 787B in GT Sport, resulting in the digital 787B—and anything else derivative and accepting of its 4–rotor—sounding decidedly unlike the real 787B, including the RX-Vision GT3 Concept. In other words, the "base" RX-Vision sounds more like a racecar than even literal racecars on startup! Despite this, the sound of the base RX-Vision has been notably muffled from its GT3 counterpart during actual gameplay, itself already slightly muffled from the sound of the faux 787B. Some have expressed that the piercing wail of the 787B's 4–Rotor is grating to listen to, and even I have to concur with that sentiment. The RX-Vision's sound, having gone through so much muffling, is perfectly fine to listen to even for long periods of time, all while still sounding highly distinct. It has struck the perfect balance in my opinion, especially if one can suspend their disbelief and not question how something with this much character and volume can ever hope to make production in today's car climate.
The benefits of not having to exist in the cruel and spiteful world are readily apparent from the right bucket seat of the RX-Vision, as the A–pillars are impossibly thin by stringent modern standards, allowing for an incredible view out front. The RX-Vision also doesn't have to print 0–100km/h times nor pass noise and emissions regulations, so the car can be geared naturally for its power curves and mass. Driving it is such a breath of fresh air and a stark reminder of just how ludicrously compromised modern cars are. 2nd and 3rd gear in the RX-V's sequential gearbox are very close to each other to keep the rev happy Rotary unabashedly screaming unhindered by noise regs, and the car will continue to pull all the way in 6th gear, topping out at redline around 320km/h (199mph) in clean air without even a hint of wanting to function as an overdrive highway cruising gear. Just like the 787B, the RX-Vision has ample mid–range punch normally uncharacteristic of NA Rotary Engines, and when mated to such close gear ratios, the RX-Vision is never left without an answer for any complex of corners. I do however concur with Obelisk and RX8 in saying that the RX-Vision has a bit too short of a final drive ratio for the speeds it feels otherwise capable of. It's not a big deal most of the time, but it does feel like squandered potential in the highly specific scenario of a top speed slipstream battle against other cars, or even copies of itself.
Of course, with performance numbers far surpassing that of the FD RX-7, the suspension setup of the RX-Vision has accordingly been tightened up to be less playful and more immediate. The RX-Vision shows no perceptible pitch and roll on its default Sports Hard tyres from the inside and out, and it's almost racecar immediate in its response to driver inputs. Its stiff suspension, incredibly lightweight body, and meagre downforce values combine to result in a car that reacts to every minute crease and crevice of the road surface, transmitting them all to its driver with such clarity that it even comes across visually in bumper cam, making the RX-V feel extremely raw and constantly on the edge, easily upset by an imperfect public road, beating up its driver visually in lieu of physically through the digital divide. It really does remind me of tuner cars from the 90s with how on edge and unrefined it feels in its pursuit of performance, no doubt worsened by the very modern 20–inch steamroller wheels. That stiff suspension setup can also be problematic even on an obsessively smoothed over racetrack: with a staggered 245–285 tyre setup and a rear weight bias from the long hood, short deck body style, the RX-Vision can struggle to put weight over the front tyres to get the long nose to bite into an apex, which is a problem only highlighted more by the fact that whoever is in charge of setting up fictional cars at PD just loves giving them stupidly tight differential setups, meaning that the laden, grippier rear end of the RX-Vision is always trying to keep the featherweight front end from turning and biting into a corner. On trail braking, there's a very prominent moment wherein the car awkwardly stops wanting to turn, the steering wheel judders, and the front tyres scrub with no leadup nor warning whatsoever, and it's a similar story on corner exits as well, where the rear end will suddenly break loose without warning on power, despite the malleable and predictable nature of the NA engine. What this translates to in practice is a very unpredictable and counter–intuitive car to drive; I find myself braking early for corners just to avoid having enough brake input to lock up the LSD when it comes time to pitch the car into the turn, and on corner exits, I'm always tiptoeing on the accelerator pedal, waiting, anticipating the stupid diff to bust the rear end loose. I keep TCS on at 1/5 when driving the RX-Vision not only because I appreciate the safety net, but also because the TCS light coming on out of a corner as I roll on the accelerator pedal is the only warning I'd get for the RX-Vision wanting to re–enact the last downhill run of Takahashi Keisuke versus God Foot.
Despite the "Vision" in its name, the RX-Vision is, in fact, not a Vision Gran Turismo car, meaning the car can be upgraded and adjusted. One might think then, that the car's rather glaring faults can be fixed, but I'm sad to report that, aside from the gearing, none of the RX-V's prominent faults can be tuned out. While a "fully" customisable suspension kit can be bought for the RX-Vision, the springs can't go soft enough to give clear, stable Vision on Sports Hard tyres, with minimum natural frequencies of 2.30/2.50Hz F/R. For some context, a C6 ZR1's stock values are 1.8/2.0Hz F/R, and that's hardly a soft car to begin with. There are no aero parts for the RX-Vision at all in GT Auto, meaning that the car is just stuck with its default downforce values for life. While the car does produce meaningful downforce as–is according to its spec sheets, it doesn't feel enough to counteract the lift the body naturally generates, as the car feels vague, floaty, and even snappy at high speeds, making some high speed corners and kinks either extremely precarious to take at speed, or just flat out impossible to negotiate without slowing to an extent where that becomes dangerous in itself. It's impossible to brake on the high line for the aggressively banked T1 of High Speed Ring Reverse without introducing the rear quarter panel to some armco, and it WILL snap loose without fail, controller or wheel alike, on the final left kink on Deep Forest's home straight. I'm merely speculating when I say this, but I really think the long hood, short deck body style is to blame for all this lift, as the air along the roofline of the car has to dip sharply to meet the boot lid of the car, creating a region of low pressure where the rear window is. It's why so many Le Mans racer have "long tail" versions, right? To feed higher pressure, less turbulent air to their rear wings for high–speed stability? Maybe this wouldn't be such an issue if we could put a towering rear wing on the RX-Vision to match its roofline à la the GT3 Concept, but despite the racecar already being in GT Sport prior to the release of GT7, none of that trickled down to the base car at all for some unfathomable reason.
For a million credits, I would certainly hope for more customisation options and a much better drive. The C6 ZR1 and any of the AMG GTs are just better cars in every regard, and good luck trying to convince your average petrolhead to not buy a Ferrari 458 and instead shell out more than thrice the Credits for a Mazda. Heck, I'd rather spend more on swapping in a racing 4–Rotor to an RX-7 or RX-8, and end up with cars that boast much more customisability visually and mechanically, to say nothing of the unreal fuel efficiency that racing engines have in this game.
The RX-Vision struck me as odd when I first laid eyes on it, and PD's interpretation of it only solidified those doubts into pure disdain. I'm just glad that Mazda has seemingly moved on from the pure styling exercises and made something much more balanced looking and no less beautiful in the Iconic SP.
I genuinely think PD has given the RX-V too much speed and too little handling. It's obvious to say this in hindsight, but I think if a Mazda Rotary sports car was in production today, its most natural rivals would be the A90 Supra and the RZ34 Fairlady, both of which hover around the 550PP range—some 70PP below where the RX-V currently sits.
I did try my hand at assuaging the RX-V's awful tendencies, and while it is a bit of cheat to lower speed to get the car to handle better, I think I did pretty well, albeit also making the car a little soulless in the process. I think 400HP and 1,380kg (3,042lbs) are more realistic figures for a production car today; both power and mass are below those of the aforementioned Supra and Fairlady, and cruising at Japan's speed limit of 100km/h has the engine doing almost 3,000rpm in 6th gear. Flat out, it's good for around 270km/h (168mph) in clean air. And, of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the car the manual gearbox it deserved.
I don't know why I did this. I guess I just really wanted to say that I tried everything I could to make the RX-V work. I don't tune often, but I'd like for anyone still reading to give my setup a try and share with me their thoughts on the setup.
Wheels are 19–Inch items (one inch down from the default), at default offset and width.
I did try my hand at assuaging the RX-V's awful tendencies, and while it is a bit of cheat to lower speed to get the car to handle better, I think I did pretty well, albeit also making the car a little soulless in the process. I think 400HP and 1,380kg (3,042lbs) are more realistic figures for a production car today; both power and mass are below those of the aforementioned Supra and Fairlady, and cruising at Japan's speed limit of 100km/h has the engine doing almost 3,000rpm in 6th gear. Flat out, it's good for around 270km/h (168mph) in clean air. And, of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the car the manual gearbox it deserved.
I don't know why I did this. I guess I just really wanted to say that I tried everything I could to make the RX-V work. I don't tune often, but I'd like for anyone still reading to give my setup a try and share with me their thoughts on the setup.
Wheels are 19–Inch items (one inch down from the default), at default offset and width.
RX-Vision '15:
Maeda Ikuo:The RX-VISION is a car in which I placed my car designer life on the line.
I worked on it from the standpoint of really making the dream sports car I have in my mind.
And one of the most important things for a sports car is its fundamental structure.
Historic cars that are still popular and beautiful to look at today all have exceptionally great proportions.
So the first thing we worked on for the RX-VISION was also the structure.
A textbook FR (Front Engine Rear Drive) with a long nose, and the ability to place proper load on the rear wheels.
In the final stages, we extended the front nose about 150mm from the structure we had originally designed,
the part from the front doors up to the front wheel center.
In the very end we made it a slightly unbalanced proportion...
But at that moment we got a lot of traction on the rear wheels, and thought "This will work!"
That slight unbalance is the hook. It's the secret to making someone go "Hmm".
The other secret is the reflection of light.
If you look at the RX-VISION as you circle it, I think you'll notice that the light's reflection moves around like a creature.
Cars are like family or friends to those who are into them.
And it's a very rare industrial product that runs around on its own.
That makes cars have the same type of existence as animals running around in the wild, or an athlete running on a field.
And when you think of it that way, I also want cars to be something that looks beautiful and truly alive in nature.
And for that you need a "sense of life."
So when thinking about what is the sense of life, that will put cars at one with nature,
we tried to express life in the car with the light's reflections and their beauty on tje car's body.
And those are the type of shapes that are instilled in the RX-VISION.
Sarah:
Thank you for that great story, Maeda-san!
Maeda Ikuo:
The pleasure was all mine. If we meet again, I hope we can talk more about cars and design.
RX-Vision GT3 Concept '20
Maeda Ikuo:When producing the RX-VISION, I had a long running desire to make the RX-VISION a GT3 car and compete in the Le Mans.
I'm a car designer, but I have a soft spot for motorsports.
The first movie that I spent my own allowance on to go see in a theater, during elementary school, was about the 24 hours of Le Mans.
I still remember being really excited to see the fantastic battles between cars like the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512S.
It made me want to race at the Le Mans in the future, and it also was what got me to strive for a job involving cars.
Mazda won the Le Mans,
and that event naturally connected to that scene of the Le Mans that I dreamed of as a child.
But I want to have everyone take interest in todays motorsports scene, not just events of the past like the 787B.
I strongly hope to add a new page to Mazda's motorsports.
In that respect the GT3 version of the RX-VISION was a car that I really wanted to make happen,
and I was able to do that first in Gran Turismo virtually.
This is something I created with the strong conviction, "that this will be a real car in the future."
And I personally want to drive the Sarthe circuit in this car.
Sarah:
Thank you for that great story, Maeda-san!
Maeda Ikuo:
The pleasure was all mine. If we meet again, I hope we can talk more about cars and design.
- 1,745
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Right about now is usually when the announcement post for the next car goes up, but, as per tradition, we'll be running the 2024 Car of the Year come this Tuesday's/Wednesday's lobby, and so I'll let you all know what car we'll be running this week tomorrow. Which means, you have less than 24 hours to submit your nominations if you haven't already!
Meanwhile, I just thought I'd photo dump a bit to show off the few of the NA1s I have, because I love them so much:
I have a thing for turquoise cars, because it's such a unique and pretty colour, but not many cars can pull it off. Arguably the car that got me into turquoise in the first place is the "big minor change" NSXes in Gran Turismo, the JDM variants of which came in Estoril Turquoise Pearl. In fact, they came in many fun colours, not just turquoise! I have fond memories of scrolling through the colours as a kid, and collecting said colours still make me feel like a kid today. Unfortunately, Estoril Turquoise Pearl isn't in the game, so I've had to make an approximation of it. Good thing is, I can make the roof black on any NSX now! NSXes with body colour roofs just look weird to me, like a Viper without stripes or a Hakosuka without the rear wing.
I mentioned that I loved the NA1 NSX-R because there was very little to distinguish a Type R from the base model, but back in the early nineties, there was another car across the world that had a souped–up performance variant that was barely distinguishable from its base model, the C4 Corvette ZR-1 (ignore the Grand Sport livery on my car)! I'm sending myself into a GT2 nostalgia trip, don't mind me.
I made a mock Imola Orange Pearl NSX too. The NSX's design is so pure and beautiful that even putting small stickers on the cars feel like outright vandalism. I like to put in small, personal touches on plain body cars to really make them mine, but with the NSX, even that feels vile and uncouth. I've had to tuck two stickers into the recesses of the door handle areas just to not obstruct too much on the car's beauty.
...and going in the entirely opposite direction, I also have a race livery NSX, a replica of the 1995 car that finished first in class in the GT2 category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
I grew up playing the 1.00 NTSC-U version of Gran Turismo 2, which, among MANY others, had a bug wherein the NSXes converted to the Acura make couldn't accept racing modifications, one of which a replica of said Team Kunimitsu GT2 car. As an adult now, I'm taking revenge for the kid who didn't know he got robbed by now putting said livery on my car in GT7
Ayumi races against Senna's personal NSX!
Also, the Saturday lobby was one of the most enjoyable COTW lobbies in recent memory! Here's a banger race at Tsukuba Circuit, with closely knit action from start to finish!
The car I'm driving is a replica of Kawai Shinji's personal NSX-R. Kawai–san is the Representative Director of Route KS.
Thanks to everyone who participated in COTW and made it fun and worth doing, be it showing up for our lobbies, writing here on the thread, or heck, just liking posts or even lurking. It really makes COTW feel worth the effort
Meanwhile, I just thought I'd photo dump a bit to show off the few of the NA1s I have, because I love them so much:
I have a thing for turquoise cars, because it's such a unique and pretty colour, but not many cars can pull it off. Arguably the car that got me into turquoise in the first place is the "big minor change" NSXes in Gran Turismo, the JDM variants of which came in Estoril Turquoise Pearl. In fact, they came in many fun colours, not just turquoise! I have fond memories of scrolling through the colours as a kid, and collecting said colours still make me feel like a kid today. Unfortunately, Estoril Turquoise Pearl isn't in the game, so I've had to make an approximation of it. Good thing is, I can make the roof black on any NSX now! NSXes with body colour roofs just look weird to me, like a Viper without stripes or a Hakosuka without the rear wing.
I mentioned that I loved the NA1 NSX-R because there was very little to distinguish a Type R from the base model, but back in the early nineties, there was another car across the world that had a souped–up performance variant that was barely distinguishable from its base model, the C4 Corvette ZR-1 (ignore the Grand Sport livery on my car)! I'm sending myself into a GT2 nostalgia trip, don't mind me.
I made a mock Imola Orange Pearl NSX too. The NSX's design is so pure and beautiful that even putting small stickers on the cars feel like outright vandalism. I like to put in small, personal touches on plain body cars to really make them mine, but with the NSX, even that feels vile and uncouth. I've had to tuck two stickers into the recesses of the door handle areas just to not obstruct too much on the car's beauty.
...and going in the entirely opposite direction, I also have a race livery NSX, a replica of the 1995 car that finished first in class in the GT2 category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
HONDA NSX GT2 Le Mans 1995 by takaBE5C
#kunimitsu #lemans1995 #takabe5c
#kunimitsu #lemans1995 #takabe5c
I grew up playing the 1.00 NTSC-U version of Gran Turismo 2, which, among MANY others, had a bug wherein the NSXes converted to the Acura make couldn't accept racing modifications, one of which a replica of said Team Kunimitsu GT2 car. As an adult now, I'm taking revenge for the kid who didn't know he got robbed by now putting said livery on my car in GT7
Ayumi races against Senna's personal NSX!
Senna Red Portuguese NSX 91 by Knapyboy
#senna #honda #nsx
#senna #honda #nsx
Also, the Saturday lobby was one of the most enjoyable COTW lobbies in recent memory! Here's a banger race at Tsukuba Circuit, with closely knit action from start to finish!
The car I'm driving is a replica of Kawai Shinji's personal NSX-R. Kawai–san is the Representative Director of Route KS.
Thanks to everyone who participated in COTW and made it fun and worth doing, be it showing up for our lobbies, writing here on the thread, or heck, just liking posts or even lurking. It really makes COTW feel worth the effort
- 517
- Singapore
Right, I do need to cast my votes. Here we go!
Best Looking Car
It’s a good thing Obe squeezed this in right at the end of the year, because the old NSX is very much the epitome of simple elegance. No excessive lines, no fake vents. Just a smooth, sleek and clean design that still inspires awe over the decades.
Worst Looking Car
The Volvo 240. It’s just a big box on wheels, whereas the KPGC Skyline has old-school charm and the Jimny has the rugged, ‘the little off-roader that could’ look.
Well, you can’t fault the Swedes for electing for form over function at least.
Most American Car
It’s quite telling that for 2024, we have only 3 cars that are even American in the first place. The Chaparral 2X, the F-150 and the Camaro.
The Chaparral 2X obviously doesn’t qualify as ‘Murica, and the Camaro’s track package with its aero and handling mods also isn’t very ‘Murica either.
So that leaves the F-150 with its big truck size and option to swap in a 1200+hp engine. What could be more ‘Murica than that?
Speaking of the Chaparral….
Beater of the Year
The Chaparral 2X’s laser thruster tech is quite interesting, but the 2X is completely let down by its awful handling at low speeds. The car’s downforce is effectively tied to the laser thruster’s throttle and if there’s no throttle, there’s nothing pressing the car down onto the track. Which is probably why Polyphony ran the one time trial the 2X had this year at Daytona oval to cover up how much its low speed handling sucks.
Car of the Year
I mean, come on. Did you really expect me to pick anything else? I would have to change my name if I did that!
Kid me loved the coupe-like looks of the RX-8, how its rear doors were mini-suicide doors and just how unique it looked compared to every other car at the time.
Of course, little me didn’t care about minor things like maintenance and fuel efficiency and reliability. The RX-8’s sleek, unconventional looks (and a copy of Burnout Revenge) were what sucked me into the world of cars, and I’ve never looked back since.
Best Looking Car
It’s a good thing Obe squeezed this in right at the end of the year, because the old NSX is very much the epitome of simple elegance. No excessive lines, no fake vents. Just a smooth, sleek and clean design that still inspires awe over the decades.
Worst Looking Car
The Volvo 240. It’s just a big box on wheels, whereas the KPGC Skyline has old-school charm and the Jimny has the rugged, ‘the little off-roader that could’ look.
Well, you can’t fault the Swedes for electing for form over function at least.
Most American Car
It’s quite telling that for 2024, we have only 3 cars that are even American in the first place. The Chaparral 2X, the F-150 and the Camaro.
The Chaparral 2X obviously doesn’t qualify as ‘Murica, and the Camaro’s track package with its aero and handling mods also isn’t very ‘Murica either.
So that leaves the F-150 with its big truck size and option to swap in a 1200+hp engine. What could be more ‘Murica than that?
Speaking of the Chaparral….
Beater of the Year
The Chaparral 2X’s laser thruster tech is quite interesting, but the 2X is completely let down by its awful handling at low speeds. The car’s downforce is effectively tied to the laser thruster’s throttle and if there’s no throttle, there’s nothing pressing the car down onto the track. Which is probably why Polyphony ran the one time trial the 2X had this year at Daytona oval to cover up how much its low speed handling sucks.
Car of the Year
I mean, come on. Did you really expect me to pick anything else? I would have to change my name if I did that!
Kid me loved the coupe-like looks of the RX-8, how its rear doors were mini-suicide doors and just how unique it looked compared to every other car at the time.
Of course, little me didn’t care about minor things like maintenance and fuel efficiency and reliability. The RX-8’s sleek, unconventional looks (and a copy of Burnout Revenge) were what sucked me into the world of cars, and I’ve never looked back since.
- 73
- South Africa
- atom_bomb1953
You've probably noticed that in the off-chance times that I review a car here, I don't just review it - I go out of my way to add some unique spice to my writeups, either buying multiples of the same car and stealing liveries for them all, or reviewing every car from the same make, or driving something that isn't meant for the snow on the snow, or kidnap the people who designed the cars and force an honest review out of them at gunpoint. I don't work for CAR Magazine, I'm a laaitie typing about cars in a children's driving game for a forum. I gotta spice things up somehow. The rubber stamp of Beater or Sleeper may be predictable, but the way I reach them shouldn't be. In this regard, I also feel the need to add some additional awards of my own. So without further faffing about...
The Yu Jimin Award (Best-Looking Car of the Year)
There's not a whole lot of competition, not when Square decided to pick the Miura for Week 63. This leaves me with a shortlist for second place - the Aston DBR9, the Maserati MC20, the Porsche Carrera GT, and the Volvo 240. But this is a street fight. There are no awards for second place, so Face Card of the Year goes to the Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype.
A car so fantastic to behold, that when Lamborghini made a retro concept for it back in 2006, they fully admitted their shame in bringing this design back in any capacity while swearing off harking back to the past (and then they made the Countach LPI).
The Junior Tafa Award (Worst-Looking Car of the Year)
Just because I name a car here, doesn't mean it's bad to drive. The GR Corolla's pencillers started drawing the car and didn't stop, the 996 GT3 looks like it has melted next to an open fire, the Volvo 240 wants to wipe its tears away but can't because its wipers don't work in-game, and the Renault R4 exists solely to be victim of Mr Bean cutting in front of it. But they all pale in comparison to the Saudi Special, the Abu Dhabi Desert Bus, the Lamborghini Urus.
Lambo should make a V12 hybrid version called the Clirus.
(It's Fun To Stay At) The YMCA Award (Most American Car of the Year)
We were strapped for American autos this year, so while the obvious thing to do would be to give the award to the BMW Z8 for being an honorary open-top pony car, keep in mind that James Bond drove it, making it as American as beans on toast. There's only one choice - the Chaparral 2X VGT.
America will conquer the universe using laser-powered space cars.
The UFC Macau Award (Surprise of the Year)
Usually when a live UFC event comes on at a reasonable time, I set myself up for a half-decent show at best. Put one up 11 in the morning, I start to worry if my time spent on what I thought would be a random Apex card with one good fight will be worth it. And then I watched it. And I was amazed. And my worry ceased to exist. I can say the same thing about the BVLGARI Aluminium VGT.
This drivable watch had everything going against it. It's a VGT. It's a VGT that cost over four thousand dollars to get early. Its suspension was too hard for the style of driving it asked for. Its headlights are complete crap in the middle of the night. But after seeing this car outlast and overtake full-blown GT3 machines on their home turf made me realize that the BVLGARI is more than some cynical marketing scheme. It feels like a real car, and as I said back then, it should be one.
The Tinnitus Was Worth It Award (Engine Sound of the Year)
This category was much closer than I anticipated. It's your fault for making me choose between so many nice noises. Pick your favourite of the year and it's likely that I considered it. So if you thought the Porsche Carrera GT was the car you'd never use the radio of... then I salute you as a fellow man with good taste.
It truly is a sound to die for. OKAY THERE I MADE THE PAUL WALKER JOKE
The Raivon Anderson Award (Racecar of the Year)
IT CAN'T BE ANYTHING ELSE
REPLACE YOUR GARAGE WITH JIMMEHS
The Yu Jimin Award (Best-Looking Car of the Year)
There's not a whole lot of competition, not when Square decided to pick the Miura for Week 63. This leaves me with a shortlist for second place - the Aston DBR9, the Maserati MC20, the Porsche Carrera GT, and the Volvo 240. But this is a street fight. There are no awards for second place, so Face Card of the Year goes to the Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype.
A car so fantastic to behold, that when Lamborghini made a retro concept for it back in 2006, they fully admitted their shame in bringing this design back in any capacity while swearing off harking back to the past (and then they made the Countach LPI).
The Junior Tafa Award (Worst-Looking Car of the Year)
Just because I name a car here, doesn't mean it's bad to drive. The GR Corolla's pencillers started drawing the car and didn't stop, the 996 GT3 looks like it has melted next to an open fire, the Volvo 240 wants to wipe its tears away but can't because its wipers don't work in-game, and the Renault R4 exists solely to be victim of Mr Bean cutting in front of it. But they all pale in comparison to the Saudi Special, the Abu Dhabi Desert Bus, the Lamborghini Urus.
Lambo should make a V12 hybrid version called the Clirus.
(It's Fun To Stay At) The YMCA Award (Most American Car of the Year)
We were strapped for American autos this year, so while the obvious thing to do would be to give the award to the BMW Z8 for being an honorary open-top pony car, keep in mind that James Bond drove it, making it as American as beans on toast. There's only one choice - the Chaparral 2X VGT.
America will conquer the universe using laser-powered space cars.
The UFC Macau Award (Surprise of the Year)
Usually when a live UFC event comes on at a reasonable time, I set myself up for a half-decent show at best. Put one up 11 in the morning, I start to worry if my time spent on what I thought would be a random Apex card with one good fight will be worth it. And then I watched it. And I was amazed. And my worry ceased to exist. I can say the same thing about the BVLGARI Aluminium VGT.
This drivable watch had everything going against it. It's a VGT. It's a VGT that cost over four thousand dollars to get early. Its suspension was too hard for the style of driving it asked for. Its headlights are complete crap in the middle of the night. But after seeing this car outlast and overtake full-blown GT3 machines on their home turf made me realize that the BVLGARI is more than some cynical marketing scheme. It feels like a real car, and as I said back then, it should be one.
The Tinnitus Was Worth It Award (Engine Sound of the Year)
This category was much closer than I anticipated. It's your fault for making me choose between so many nice noises. Pick your favourite of the year and it's likely that I considered it. So if you thought the Porsche Carrera GT was the car you'd never use the radio of... then I salute you as a fellow man with good taste.
It truly is a sound to die for. OKAY THERE I MADE THE PAUL WALKER JOKE
The Raivon Anderson Award (Racecar of the Year)
Listen, all these picks are less objective criteria and more personal preference, get used to it. And yes, I'm fully aware that this category stands the risk of having the car of the year as well. That out the way, my pick for Racecar of the Year goes to the Honda RA272.
This is as pure as it gets. No wings, no diffusers, no position lights, no buttons on the steering wheel - just you, a tub, and a screaming V12 inches away from your cerebellum.
The Award (Most As-Rated Car of the Year)
This one goes to the car that offered me no more or less than what I expected. It can be as good or bad as it wants, just as long as it's a car, no doubt. And one of the cars of all time of the year is the Renault R4 GTL.
Simply put, it car. It French. Have funky wheelbase. Go slow.
The KWAB Award (Beater of the Year)
Pray tell, which car was it that everyone here despised every second of? That I despised every second of six entire hours racing this accursed thing? The one that made me listen to DOCTOR JONES DOCTOR JONES WAKE UP NOW to pass the time? Why, the Toyota Aqua S, of course!
I LUUUUUUUUURRRRVE having half your power supply shut down, which is fine - the tiddlywink tyres were growing weary after three miles.
Skyrocket44's Car of the Year
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IT'S THE JIMMEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
This is as pure as it gets. No wings, no diffusers, no position lights, no buttons on the steering wheel - just you, a tub, and a screaming V12 inches away from your cerebellum.
The Award (Most As-Rated Car of the Year)
This one goes to the car that offered me no more or less than what I expected. It can be as good or bad as it wants, just as long as it's a car, no doubt. And one of the cars of all time of the year is the Renault R4 GTL.
Simply put, it car. It French. Have funky wheelbase. Go slow.
The KWAB Award (Beater of the Year)
Pray tell, which car was it that everyone here despised every second of? That I despised every second of six entire hours racing this accursed thing? The one that made me listen to DOCTOR JONES DOCTOR JONES WAKE UP NOW to pass the time? Why, the Toyota Aqua S, of course!
I LUUUUUUUUURRRRVE having half your power supply shut down, which is fine - the tiddlywink tyres were growing weary after three miles.
Skyrocket44's Car of the Year
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IT'S THE JIMMEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Attachments
- 1,745
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
2024 was a hell of a year for me in COTW, for both the right and wrong reasons. The same can be said for the cars we've sampled! From Kei off–roaders, a 60s F1 legend, laser propelled sci–fi doohickeys, everyman pickup trucks, and cutting–edge supercars, just to name a few. While no objective measure can apply for such a wide variety of cars in the real world, here in GT7, all they have to do is to make us smile. So, which car has done that better than anything else? Five regulars have made their opinions known, and in the case of a tie, I will use my vote to act as a tie–breaker; otherwise, I will abstain from voting.
We start with what may perhaps be the second most important award right behind the Car of the Year award: the Best Looking Car Award! After all, an ugly car that spins you into a ditch upside–down whilst its engine is on fire is a bad car; a beautiful car that spins you into a ditch upside–down whilst its engine is on fire is a feisty mistress with a difficult attitude that stands as a test of manliness and skill. That is to say, almost any fault can be forgiven if it's beautiful, and the nominees for that lifetime of forgiveness are...
And the winner is... (drumroll...)
(Collects bribe behind back)
And, just as waves need to recede and humans need to exhale, we now swing to the opposite end of the spectrum: the Worst Looking Car Award! As one might imagine, while a beautiful car can commit war crimes and get away with pure beauty, an ugly car can do things perfectly, yet still never get the recognition it deserves... not that many of the nominees for the Worst Looking Car really DO much of anything well, but still...
Our nominees are:
And the "winner" is, with 2 whole votes...!
Asia has Kei cars. Europe has the Grand Tourer. America? America has POWEEEEERRRRRR. That, and their own category of award here in COTW, the Most American Car Award! Be it muscle cars, pickup trucks, or classic sports cars, anything made in the United States of America promises to be incredibly quick in a straight line, loud, and loads of fun (if you can control the damn cars)! Such strong identity is the reason why this odd little award has managed to stick around since the GT6 COTW days, and why USA is the only country to have its own award.
Unlike the political system in the US, we at COTW offer voters more than just two candidates to best represent their views, needs, and opinions. How many more? One more!
And the winner is, by an astonishing 3 votes...
And now, it's time for one of the two "big ones", the Beater of the Year. Nominees for this award are not only ugly, expensive, drive horribly, or have zero practical use; they'd need to have almost a skillful blend of most of the above stated criteria to be considered. These cars are so bad that they arguably can't even serve as context to help us appreciate even the gems in the car list. In our small community of COTW, there is no greater shame than to be branded the Beater of the Year.
And yes, I did remember Baron's claim that he'd vote for the Mazda RX-8 as BOTY from the start of this year! I asked, and he said that worse cars have usurped it. No, I didn't threaten his family (too much).
The RX-8 deprived list of nominees are...
And the winner is... with an encore of 2 votes...
And now, for the one we've all been waiting for... the 2024 Car of the Year! Cars that are nominated for the COTY awards do multiple things incredibly well, and it's gems like these that make even trudging through several BOTY candidates worth the while. The crowning jewels of our year–long escapade are...
...wait, six cars, from five voters? Yep, Yard only cast his vote for the Car of the Year category. Not that it helped any; we now have a six–way tie for the most coveted award of them all! Where's the unity? How's anyone reading this supposed to trust us?!
I guess that simply means it's time for me to assert dom— I mean, calmly step in and assess the situation and apply only the most rational and thought out steps and procedures to come up with—
Our usual weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual. This week, we'll be re–running the 2024 Car of the Year for the first week of 2025! See you there!
We start with what may perhaps be the second most important award right behind the Car of the Year award: the Best Looking Car Award! After all, an ugly car that spins you into a ditch upside–down whilst its engine is on fire is a bad car; a beautiful car that spins you into a ditch upside–down whilst its engine is on fire is a feisty mistress with a difficult attitude that stands as a test of manliness and skill. That is to say, almost any fault can be forgiven if it's beautiful, and the nominees for that lifetime of forgiveness are...
- Week 55's Maserati MC20 '20
- Week 63's Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Prototype '67
- Week 89's Honda NSX Type R '92
And the winner is... (drumroll...)
(Collects bribe behind back)
The Honda NSX Type R '92!
Both the Lamborghini Miura and the Honda NSX received two votes each, and so I voted for the car that was beautiful both inside AND out. What a concept, right?
Both the Lamborghini Miura and the Honda NSX received two votes each, and so I voted for the car that was beautiful both inside AND out. What a concept, right?
And, just as waves need to recede and humans need to exhale, we now swing to the opposite end of the spectrum: the Worst Looking Car Award! As one might imagine, while a beautiful car can commit war crimes and get away with pure beauty, an ugly car can do things perfectly, yet still never get the recognition it deserves... not that many of the nominees for the Worst Looking Car really DO much of anything well, but still...
Our nominees are:
- Week 50's Toyota Tundra TRD Pro '19
- Week 52's Lamborghini Urus '18
- Week 60's Volvo 240 SE Estate '93
- Week 74's Toyota Aqua S '11
And the "winner" is, with 2 whole votes...!
The Toyota Aqua S '11!
Some might simply view it as too plain, others, outright ugly. Perhaps there's no worse sin in a racing game than being boring. But at least the Aqua can take solace in the fact that it lapped an entire field of Tomahawks when we featured it!
Some might simply view it as too plain, others, outright ugly. Perhaps there's no worse sin in a racing game than being boring. But at least the Aqua can take solace in the fact that it lapped an entire field of Tomahawks when we featured it!
Asia has Kei cars. Europe has the Grand Tourer. America? America has POWEEEEERRRRRR. That, and their own category of award here in COTW, the Most American Car Award! Be it muscle cars, pickup trucks, or classic sports cars, anything made in the United States of America promises to be incredibly quick in a straight line, loud, and loads of fun (if you can control the damn cars)! Such strong identity is the reason why this odd little award has managed to stick around since the GT6 COTW days, and why USA is the only country to have its own award.
Unlike the political system in the US, we at COTW offer voters more than just two candidates to best represent their views, needs, and opinions. How many more? One more!
- Week 41's Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo
- Week 50's Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11
- Week 87's Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Package '18
And the winner is, by an astonishing 3 votes...
The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11!
Makes sense; these dumb trucks are seemingly driving regular, sensible cars to extinction in the US, and the scary thing is, even we city–dwellers halfway across the globe sometimes see them infest our tight streets. At this point, power is not just a flex; it's a requirement.
Makes sense; these dumb trucks are seemingly driving regular, sensible cars to extinction in the US, and the scary thing is, even we city–dwellers halfway across the globe sometimes see them infest our tight streets. At this point, power is not just a flex; it's a requirement.
And now, it's time for one of the two "big ones", the Beater of the Year. Nominees for this award are not only ugly, expensive, drive horribly, or have zero practical use; they'd need to have almost a skillful blend of most of the above stated criteria to be considered. These cars are so bad that they arguably can't even serve as context to help us appreciate even the gems in the car list. In our small community of COTW, there is no greater shame than to be branded the Beater of the Year.
And yes, I did remember Baron's claim that he'd vote for the Mazda RX-8 as BOTY from the start of this year! I asked, and he said that worse cars have usurped it. No, I didn't threaten his family (too much).
The RX-8 deprived list of nominees are...
- Week 41's Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo
- Week 43's Ferrari F8 Tributo '19
- Week 74's Toyota Aqua S '11
- Week 86's Mazda RX-VISION '15
And the winner is... with an encore of 2 votes...
The Toyota Aqua S '11!
I've little doubt that the Aqua is a good city car in real life, but here in a racing game, it presents a boat load of quirks and issues with its sloppy handling and short–lived hybrid boost, and it's a horrible first impression to imprint onto a new player as a starter car. In hindsight, we also didn't get to test many outright awful cars this year!
I've little doubt that the Aqua is a good city car in real life, but here in a racing game, it presents a boat load of quirks and issues with its sloppy handling and short–lived hybrid boost, and it's a horrible first impression to imprint onto a new player as a starter car. In hindsight, we also didn't get to test many outright awful cars this year!
And now, for the one we've all been waiting for... the 2024 Car of the Year! Cars that are nominated for the COTY awards do multiple things incredibly well, and it's gems like these that make even trudging through several BOTY candidates worth the while. The crowning jewels of our year–long escapade are...
- Week 39's Mazda RX-8 Spirit R '12
- Week 40's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR '96
- Week 44's Suzuki Jimny XC '18
- Week 64's Alfa Romeo 4C Gr.3
- Week 72's Toyota GR Corolla MORIZO Edition '22
- Week 83's Mazda Eunos Roadster (NA Special Package) '89
...wait, six cars, from five voters? Yep, Yard only cast his vote for the Car of the Year category. Not that it helped any; we now have a six–way tie for the most coveted award of them all! Where's the unity? How's anyone reading this supposed to trust us?!
I guess that simply means it's time for me to assert dom— I mean, calmly step in and assess the situation and apply only the most rational and thought out steps and procedures to come up with—
It's the Mazda RX-8 Spirit R '12!
What a comeback story! From being pegged as the BOTY since January by a clearly crazed Canadian, to now joining the COTW Hall of Fame as a Car of the Year! Truly incredible! Well done, Mazda! And what a birthday gift this will be for @RX8 Racer, who will get to run his namesake on his birthday week!
And we at COTW can pat ourselves on the back for being truly professional, impartial reviews and judgment!
What a comeback story! From being pegged as the BOTY since January by a clearly crazed Canadian, to now joining the COTW Hall of Fame as a Car of the Year! Truly incredible! Well done, Mazda! And what a birthday gift this will be for @RX8 Racer, who will get to run his namesake on his birthday week!
And we at COTW can pat ourselves on the back for being truly professional, impartial reviews and judgment!
Our usual weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual. This week, we'll be re–running the 2024 Car of the Year for the first week of 2025! See you there!
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