I'm starting testing now for Group 1. I have a question though, once I got everything I need for all the cars (times, DC, comments, etc.) how should I post them here? Should I post the DC along with the times or should the DC be kept hidden until the end of the testing session?
I'm starting testing now for Group 1. I have a question though, once I got everything I need for all the cars (times, DC, comments, etc.) how should I post them here? Should I post the DC along with the times or should the DC be kept hidden until the end of the testing session?
I'll be posting my final reviews for Group 1 today, I've done half the cars yesterday so the other half's gonna be done today. Just gonna do my final runs for this week's WRS TT and I'll be off to testing.
The tunes were tested under equal conditions so as to promote parity, and were all tested within two days just to be sure I was really in the mood for testing. I had put out some comments and lap times before but consider those void since I realized I just wasn't used to driving the track at the time. After practicing the track more, I thought I was ready to get the testing going.
So the tunes were all run under these conditions
10 test laps down the Blackfoot Shear track (No restarts)
Controller used was a DS3 (Sensitivity: 7)
Transmission: MT
Grip Reduction on Wet Track/Track Edge: Real
ABS: 1 / All other assists set to 0
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, here are the reviews:
I have no complaints with acceleration and cornering response, as it’s very well set. The launch felt a bit dull but at least wheelspin stopped as soon as 2nd gear so the start straight went smoothly. The car turns very well with predictable understeer and the power’s gentle enough that I don’t have to play with the throttle too much. I didn’t like the brakes though, the front brakes felt too strong that whenever I tried to trail brake, I just ended up understeering. It bothered me quite a bit so I had to settle for braking earlier on some of the corners so I could just dip the inside tires onto the gutter, I lost time but trying to fight the understeer would have cost me more. If the car had a little better turning response and then be able to carry a little more braking into the corners, then I can easily give this car a 9.
I found it odd that this car felt so slow on the straights and so much better in the corners, I had expected the opposite. Still, this car is so good on the bends that it makes it easier to attack the course. I didn’t really need to spend a lot of time to get my best time here, so that says a lot of the car’s handling. It felt really stable through the corners and braking was good too, though it did punish me a few times that I was over aggressive on braking going into some corners. I honestly think this car is much better on higher PP just because it needs more power, but the fact it’s handling so well at 450PP on CS really shows its potential.
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.
@steve nfs – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:27.978
DC: 8.8/10
Now this one was a great tune, even though you’ll have to shift at 7000rpm just to keep the engine in the powerband since Imprezas tend to have peak torque at the lower end of the rev range, so it felt a bit weird that I had to look at the tachometer every time I come out of a corner just to make sure I shift at 7000. That aside, this car feels planted everywhere and the brakes are great. Turn-in was amazing but the mid-corner grip suffered a bit, which was again evident on the sweeping corners near the end of the course. I’m surprised at how I was able to be almost a second faster than the other Impreza when I was equally aggressive, but I’ll say this one suited my driving style better.
At first, I thought I would be struggling with the FR cars on this twisty course using CS tires…until I drove this FC. This car’s quick but it’s a bit wild, it took me a good while to get that lap down but I just needed to be patient on the throttle. This car is a joy through the tighter corners, but on the faster ones, the rear still likes to break loose even with the rear wing on, especially at the kink where I’ve tried my best to control it but the fastest I’ve gone through that corner still had the tail sliding out, and I couldn’t risk slowing down to the point where I’d easily lose half a second. The brakes are beautiful, though, as I figured I could brake later than usual during my first 5 test runs. Overall, it’s quite a nervous car to drive and takes a while to get used to, but it was a real fun to push.
@chrisspeed281 – Mazda Roadster NB – 3:29.749
DC: 8.5/10
Compared to the other cars, I had a better idea on how to go about testing this car since we used the exact same model for our entry. The cornering grip on this one, though, is really amazing, as it stays planted on its line, and the brakes work so well that I was braking so late that I was surprised to still be able to trace my line. It was a bit too sensitive, though, as the rear felt too loose under braking, and on power, kinda like no ABS on the rear and a very open diff, nothing throttle control and gentle braking couldn’t manage but it kept me on my toes the whole time. The engine, meanwhile, felt like a Subaru Impreza’s, because the mid-range turbo caused high-end torque to really dive down, so while the 2nd gear start felt really good, I still had to find the sweet spot, which, like an Impreza, was around 7000.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Otaliema – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:28.250
DC: 8.6/10
This would’ve been the fastest car if only the rear didn’t slide so much. The gears were fine but I wish the overdrive was shorter because it could’ve used a lot more speed on the first straight. I liked how the rear felt loose because it helped the car clear the corners better, but it also made it really easy to slide, which cost me more than a few tenths on the fastest lap, and it made the car as scary as an FR on the kink. I think the rear diff could have been set to be a bit more planted, but I don’t know the sharp rear would still be retained. This Impreza made me feel like I was chasing for a pole position lap on a wet track because of how I had to fight to keep the car from sliding too much. Not a relaxing drive, but definitely one of the most fun cars in the lineup.
@DolHaus – Daihatsu Storia X4 – 3:27.896
DC: 9.0/10
What a sleeper, the acceleration off the line was nice and the car could carry a lot of speed going into turn 1, likely because of the weight. When this car goes into the turn, I just had to be brave and keep it on the line because it grip tightly. I didn’t like how this car behaved under heavy braking though, even the slightest steering work when braking into a corner causes all four wheels to break traction, and while the resulting slide is still controllable, it caught me out unexpectedly that I was hesitant on braking late after that. During my first test runs I figured this would be have a really fast time, and it certainly did. It’s not a car I could really be aggressive with, but driving a little gently does a lot for this car.
This MX5 is a real treat, it’s well balanced and suits this track very well. The rear is a bit sensitive through fast turns, but that’s to be expected from this car and it’s actually less twitchy on the kink than what I’m used to. The brakes work really well and I could really attack the corners with late braking. I kinda struggled with the gears on the slower corners, especially 2nd and 3rd, because 2nd was too short, and 3rd was too long, so on some corners I had to stay on 3rd to smoothly accelerate out but on some I had to drop to 2nd because the corner was too slow for 3rd, and it felt like I lost a few hundredths to a tenth just shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Really fun car, didn’t take long to get the fastest lap but very tricky gears.
@CJorex – Toyota MR2 G Limited – 3:27.566
DC: 9.0/10
I loved this car, it had power and cornered so well. The gears were spot on in this course, it was the fastest on the first straight, and the fastest before the kink, though I noticed that 4th gear was too short so I had to really pay attention because it was so easy to hit the limiter on the middle part of the track. The brakes work really well as long as you start braking hard on a straight line, it still allowed for some trail braking but I really had to watch out for the tires overloading. What I didn’t really like was that it felt really twitchy. I suppose it’s only natural because this is an MR2, but on the kink and on the fast esses near the end, I just went in with a prayer that I don’t go off track and hit the wall…which happened more than a couple times during testing. Very sensitive car that challenges the driver, but on a time attack perspective, this is a great one-lap machine.
It was decent, at best. The car felt like its entire balance was geared towards understeer, on entry, mid-corner and exit, it was understeering. I think the front damper extension was too stiff so the outside tire doesn't get enough load, and that the toe angles just helped generate more understeer. The diff was just set too strong, a milder front diff that limits rotation could’ve helped but it was the opposite. The result was that the start had so much wheelspin that even shifting to 3rd once the car was rolling at about 70km/h still didn’t kill the wheelspin, and that the car was overly sensitive to wheelspin on the corners, which just made for more understeer. I think the diff really needs work, especially on an FF car, where the diff is magic when set properly.
@RB26DETT – Toyota MR2 1600 G – 3:29.791
DC: 6.8/10
I had a very hard time testing this car, the handling was so unpredictable that every corner was a challenge. The power is good but the gears felt too long as there was no point in the track where I could even reach 5th gear, which made it difficult for me to select which gear to use coming out of the slower corners. The handling is so unpredictable that it felt like the grip balance was changing at random points in a corner. It could be that the car was set too low and the ARBs too stiff for a track that has very pronounced elevation changes on banked corners, or it could be the camber, I can’t really tell. The fastest lap was just me working to make the car hang on in most corners. The car has a lot of potential, but for me, it just doesn’t work so well on this track.
This car felt so stable that I didn’t have to worry about going off the track at every corner. Everything just worked so well to make this car feel very safe, the lap on which I did the fastest time was actually me just trying to see how much I can push on each corner. The gears felt like they were spaced a bit too far from each other and so power was unexpectedly underwhelming. The car didn’t feel like it was actually trying to accelerate, and like it weighed more than it did. The stability had me sold from the first corner, turning response, braking and overall cornering grip was the best I’ve felt among the cars on the list. A very relaxing drive, yet surprisingly fast. I loved driving from start to finish.
@Antares26 - Mazda Roadster NB - 3:29.566
DC: 9.0/10
It was all about cornering balance with this one, the grip felt like a 4WD's, and the car was so planted on the corners even on the kink that I didn't even worry about understeering unless I was over aggressive on entry. The brakes are good, as the rear doesn't break traction even when I'm trail braking in some corners, but they don't really work well with late braking as the rear-biased brakes don't exactly work with stopping quickly especially on the dowhill. The gears were relatively close with revs dropping to just around 7000rpm every shift but acceleration felt really dull, it made it easier to be on full throttle at corner exit, but I felt like I was losing a tenth or two on every straight. I can be really consistent with this car but not really aim for a faster lap time because of the poor acceleration. High marks just because of the amazing cornering grip.
The tunes were tested under equal conditions so as to promote parity, and were all tested within two days just to be sure I was really in the mood for testing. I had put out some comments and lap times before but consider those void since I realized I just wasn't used to driving the track at the time. After practicing the track more, I thought I was ready to get the testing going.
So the tunes were all run under these conditions
10 test laps down the Blackfoot Shear track (No restarts)
Controller used was a DS3 (Sensitivity: 7)
Transmission: MT
Grip Reduction on Wet Track/Track Edge: Real
ABS: 1 / All other assists set to 0
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, here are the reviews:
I have no complaints with acceleration and cornering response, as it’s very well set. The launch felt a bit dull but at least wheelspin stopped as soon as 2nd gear so the start straight went smoothly. The car turns very well with predictable understeer and the power’s gentle enough that I don’t have to play with the throttle too much. I didn’t like the brakes though, the front brakes felt too strong that whenever I tried to trail brake, I just ended up understeering. It bothered me quite a bit so I had to settle for braking earlier on some of the corners so I could just dip the inside tires onto the gutter, I lost time but trying to fight the understeer would have cost me more. If the car had a little better turning response and then be able to carry a little more braking into the corners, then I can easily give this car a 9.
I found it odd that this car felt so slow on the straights and so much better in the corners, I had expected the opposite. Still, this car is so good on the bends that it makes it easier to attack the course. I didn’t really need to spend a lot of time to get my best time here, so that says a lot of the car’s handling. It felt really stable through the corners and braking was good too, though it did punish me a few times that I was over aggressive on braking going into some corners. I honestly think this car is much better on higher PP just because it needs more power, but the fact it’s handling so well at 450PP on CS really shows its potential.
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.
@steve nfs – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:27.978
DC: 8.8/10
Now this one was a great tune, even though you’ll have to shift at 7000rpm just to keep the engine in the powerband since Imprezas tend to have peak torque at the lower end of the rev range, so it felt a bit weird that I had to look at the tachometer every time I come out of a corner just to make sure I shift at 7000. That aside, this car feels planted everywhere and the brakes are great. Turn-in was amazing but the mid-corner grip suffered a bit, which was again evident on the sweeping corners near the end of the course. I’m surprised at how I was able to be almost a second faster than the other Impreza when I was equally aggressive, but I’ll say this one suited my driving style better.
At first, I thought I would be struggling with the FR cars on this twisty course using CS tires…until I drove this FC. This car’s quick but it’s a bit wild, it took me a good while to get that lap down but I just needed to be patient on the throttle. This car is a joy through the tighter corners, but on the faster ones, the rear still likes to break loose even with the rear wing on, especially at the kink where I’ve tried my best to control it but the fastest I’ve gone through that corner still had the tail sliding out, and I couldn’t risk slowing down to the point where I’d easily lose half a second. The brakes are beautiful, though, as I figured I could brake later than usual during my first 5 test runs. Overall, it’s quite a nervous car to drive and takes a while to get used to, but it was a real fun to push.
@chrisspeed281 – Mazda Roadster NB – 3:29.749
DC: 8.5/10
Compared to the other cars, I had a better idea on how to go about testing this car since we used the exact same model for our entry. The cornering grip on this one, though, is really amazing, as it stays planted on its line, and the brakes work so well that I was braking so late that I was surprised to still be able to trace my line. It was a bit too sensitive, though, as the rear felt too loose under braking, and on power, kinda like no ABS on the rear and a very open diff, nothing throttle control and gentle braking couldn’t manage but it kept me on my toes the whole time. The engine, meanwhile, felt like a Subaru Impreza’s, because the mid-range turbo caused high-end torque to really dive down, so while the 2nd gear start felt really good, I still had to find the sweet spot, which, like an Impreza, was around 7000.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Otaliema – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:28.250
DC: 8.6/10
This would’ve been the fastest car if only the rear didn’t slide so much. The gears were fine but I wish the overdrive was shorter because it could’ve used a lot more speed on the first straight. I liked how the rear felt loose because it helped the car clear the corners better, but it also made it really easy to slide, which cost me more than a few tenths on the fastest lap, and it made the car as scary as an FR on the kink. I think the rear diff could have been set to be a bit more planted, but I don’t know the sharp rear would still be retained. This Impreza made me feel like I was chasing for a pole position lap on a wet track because of how I had to fight to keep the car from sliding too much. Not a relaxing drive, but definitely one of the most fun cars in the lineup.
@DolHaus – Daihatsu Storia X4 – 3:27.896
DC: 9.0/10
What a sleeper, the acceleration off the line was nice and the car could carry a lot of speed going into turn 1, likely because of the weight. When this car goes into the turn, I just had to be brave and keep it on the line because it grip tightly. I didn’t like how this car behaved under heavy braking though, even the slightest steering work when braking into a corner causes all four wheels to break traction, and while the resulting slide is still controllable, it caught me out unexpectedly that I was hesitant on braking late after that. During my first test runs I figured this would be have the fastest time, and it certainly did. It’s not a car I could really be aggressive with, but driving a little gently does a lot for this car.
This MX5 is a real treat, it’s well balanced and suits this track very well. The rear is a bit sensitive through fast turns, but that’s to be expected from this car and it’s actually less twitchy on the kink than what I’m used to. The brakes work really well and I could really attack the corners with late braking. I kinda struggled with the gears on the slower corners, especially 2nd and 3rd, because 2nd was too short, and 3rd was too long, so on some corners I had to stay on 3rd to smoothly accelerate out but on some I had to drop to 2nd because the corner was too slow for 3rd, and it felt like I lost a few hundredths to a tenth just shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Really fun car, didn’t take long to get the fastest lap but very tricky gears.
@CJorex – Toyota MR2 G Limited – 3:27.566
DC: 9.0/10
I loved this car, it had power and cornered so well. The gears were spot on in this course, it was the fastest on the first straight, and the fastest before the kink, though I noticed that 4th gear was too short so I had to really pay attention because it was so easy to hit the limiter on the middle part of the track. The brakes work really well as long as you start braking hard on a straight line, it still allowed for some trail braking but I really had to watch out for the tires overloading. What I didn’t really like was that it felt really twitchy. I suppose it’s only natural because this is an MR2, but on the kink and on the fast esses near the end, I just went in with a prayer that I don’t go off track and hit the wall…which happened more than a couple times during testing. Very sensitive car that challenges the driver, but on a time attack perspective, this is a great one-lap machine.
It was decent, at best. The car felt like its entire balance was geared towards understeer, on entry, mid-corner and exit, it was understeering. I think the front damper extension was too stiff so the outside tire was always overloaded on the corners, and that the toe angles just helped generate more understeer. The diff was just set too strong, a milder front diff that limits rotation could’ve helped but it was the opposite. The result was that the start had so much wheelspin that even shifting to 3rd once the car was rolling at about 70km/h still didn’t kill the understeer, and that the car was overly sensitive to wheelspin on the corners, which just made for more understeer. I think the diff really needs work, especially on an FF car, where the diff is magic when set properly.
@RB26DETT – Toyota MR2 1600 G – 3:29.791
DC: 6.8/10
I had a very hard time testing this car, the handling was so unpredictable that every corner was a challenge. The power is good but the gears felt too long as there was no point in the track where I could even reach 5th gear, which made it difficult for me to select which gear to use coming out of the slower corners. The handling is so unpredictable that it felt like the grip balance was changing at random points in a corner. It could be that the car was set too low and the ARBs too stiff for a track that has very pronounced elevation changes on banked corners, or it could be the camber, I can’t really tell. The fastest lap was just me working to make the car hang on in most corners. The car has a lot of potential, but for me, it just doesn’t work so well on this track.
This car felt so stable that I didn’t have to worry about going off the track at every corner. Everything just worked so well to make this car feel very safe, the lap on which I did the fastest time was actually me just trying to see how much I can push on each corner. The gears felt like they were spaced a bit too far from each other and so power was unexpectedly underwhelming. The car didn’t feel like it was actually trying to accelerate, and like it weighed more than it did. The stability had me sold from the first corner, turning response, braking and overall cornering grip was the best I’ve felt among the cars on the list. A very relaxing drive, yet surprisingly fast. I loved driving from start to finish.
The tunes were tested under equal conditions so as to promote parity, and were all tested within two days just to be sure I was really in the mood for testing. I had put out some comments and lap times before but consider those void since I realized I just wasn't used to driving the track at the time. After practicing the track more, I thought I was ready to get the testing going.
So the tunes were all run under these conditions
10 test laps down the Blackfoot Shear track (No restarts)
Controller used was a DS3 (Sensitivity: 7)
Transmission: MT
Grip Reduction on Wet Track/Track Edge: Real
ABS: 1 / All other assists set to 0
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, here are the reviews:
I have no complaints with acceleration and cornering response, as it’s very well set. The launch felt a bit dull but at least wheelspin stopped as soon as 2nd gear so the start straight went smoothly. The car turns very well with predictable understeer and the power’s gentle enough that I don’t have to play with the throttle too much. I didn’t like the brakes though, the front brakes felt too strong that whenever I tried to trail brake, I just ended up understeering. It bothered me quite a bit so I had to settle for braking earlier on some of the corners so I could just dip the inside tires onto the gutter, I lost time but trying to fight the understeer would have cost me more. If the car had a little better turning response and then be able to carry a little more braking into the corners, then I can easily give this car a 9.
I found it odd that this car felt so slow on the straights and so much better in the corners, I had expected the opposite. Still, this car is so good on the bends that it makes it easier to attack the course. I didn’t really need to spend a lot of time to get my best time here, so that says a lot of the car’s handling. It felt really stable through the corners and braking was good too, though it did punish me a few times that I was over aggressive on braking going into some corners. I honestly think this car is much better on higher PP just because it needs more power, but the fact it’s handling so well at 450PP on CS really shows its potential.
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.
@steve nfs – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:27.978
DC: 8.8/10
Now this one was a great tune, even though you’ll have to shift at 7000rpm just to keep the engine in the powerband since Imprezas tend to have peak torque at the lower end of the rev range, so it felt a bit weird that I had to look at the tachometer every time I come out of a corner just to make sure I shift at 7000. That aside, this car feels planted everywhere and the brakes are great. Turn-in was amazing but the mid-corner grip suffered a bit, which was again evident on the sweeping corners near the end of the course. I’m surprised at how I was able to be almost a second faster than the other Impreza when I was equally aggressive, but I’ll say this one suited my driving style better.
At first, I thought I would be struggling with the FR cars on this twisty course using CS tires…until I drove this FC. This car’s quick but it’s a bit wild, it took me a good while to get that lap down but I just needed to be patient on the throttle. This car is a joy through the tighter corners, but on the faster ones, the rear still likes to break loose even with the rear wing on, especially at the kink where I’ve tried my best to control it but the fastest I’ve gone through that corner still had the tail sliding out, and I couldn’t risk slowing down to the point where I’d easily lose half a second. The brakes are beautiful, though, as I figured I could brake later than usual during my first 5 test runs. Overall, it’s quite a nervous car to drive and takes a while to get used to, but it was a real fun to push.
@chrisspeed281 – Mazda Roadster NB – 3:29.749
DC: 8.5/10
Compared to the other cars, I had a better idea on how to go about testing this car since we used the exact same model for our entry. The cornering grip on this one, though, is really amazing, as it stays planted on its line, and the brakes work so well that I was braking so late that I was surprised to still be able to trace my line. It was a bit too sensitive, though, as the rear felt too loose under braking, and on power, kinda like no ABS on the rear and a very open diff, nothing throttle control and gentle braking couldn’t manage but it kept me on my toes the whole time. The engine, meanwhile, felt like a Subaru Impreza’s, because the mid-range turbo caused high-end torque to really dive down, so while the 2nd gear start felt really good, I still had to find the sweet spot, which, like an Impreza, was around 7000.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Otaliema – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:28.250
DC: 8.6/10
This would’ve been the fastest car if only the rear didn’t slide so much. The gears were fine but I wish the overdrive was shorter because it could’ve used a lot more speed on the first straight. I liked how the rear felt loose because it helped the car clear the corners better, but it also made it really easy to slide, which cost me more than a few tenths on the fastest lap, and it made the car as scary as an FR on the kink. I think the rear diff could have been set to be a bit more planted, but I don’t know the sharp rear would still be retained. This Impreza made me feel like I was chasing for a pole position lap on a wet track because of how I had to fight to keep the car from sliding too much. Not a relaxing drive, but definitely one of the most fun cars in the lineup.
@DolHaus – Daihatsu Storia X4 – 3:27.896
DC: 9.0/10
What a sleeper, the acceleration off the line was nice and the car could carry a lot of speed going into turn 1, likely because of the weight. When this car goes into the turn, I just had to be brave and keep it on the line because it grip tightly. I didn’t like how this car behaved under heavy braking though, even the slightest steering work when braking into a corner causes all four wheels to break traction, and while the resulting slide is still controllable, it caught me out unexpectedly that I was hesitant on braking late after that. During my first test runs I figured this would be have the fastest time, and it certainly did. It’s not a car I could really be aggressive with, but driving a little gently does a lot for this car.
This MX5 is a real treat, it’s well balanced and suits this track very well. The rear is a bit sensitive through fast turns, but that’s to be expected from this car and it’s actually less twitchy on the kink than what I’m used to. The brakes work really well and I could really attack the corners with late braking. I kinda struggled with the gears on the slower corners, especially 2nd and 3rd, because 2nd was too short, and 3rd was too long, so on some corners I had to stay on 3rd to smoothly accelerate out but on some I had to drop to 2nd because the corner was too slow for 3rd, and it felt like I lost a few hundredths to a tenth just shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Really fun car, didn’t take long to get the fastest lap but very tricky gears.
@CJorex – Toyota MR2 G Limited – 3:27.566
DC: 9.0/10
I loved this car, it had power and cornered so well. The gears were spot on in this course, it was the fastest on the first straight, and the fastest before the kink, though I noticed that 4th gear was too short so I had to really pay attention because it was so easy to hit the limiter on the middle part of the track. The brakes work really well as long as you start braking hard on a straight line, it still allowed for some trail braking but I really had to watch out for the tires overloading. What I didn’t really like was that it felt really twitchy. I suppose it’s only natural because this is an MR2, but on the kink and on the fast esses near the end, I just went in with a prayer that I don’t go off track and hit the wall…which happened more than a couple times during testing. Very sensitive car that challenges the driver, but on a time attack perspective, this is a great one-lap machine.
It was decent, at best. The car felt like its entire balance was geared towards understeer, on entry, mid-corner and exit, it was understeering. I think the front damper extension was too stiff so the outside tire was always overloaded on the corners, and that the toe angles just helped generate more understeer. The diff was just set too strong, a milder front diff that limits rotation could’ve helped but it was the opposite. The result was that the start had so much wheelspin that even shifting to 3rd once the car was rolling at about 70km/h still didn’t kill the understeer, and that the car was overly sensitive to wheelspin on the corners, which just made for more understeer. I think the diff really needs work, especially on an FF car, where the diff is magic when set properly.
@RB26DETT – Toyota MR2 1600 G – 3:29.791
DC: 6.8/10
I had a very hard time testing this car, the handling was so unpredictable that every corner was a challenge. The power is good but the gears felt too long as there was no point in the track where I could even reach 5th gear, which made it difficult for me to select which gear to use coming out of the slower corners. The handling is so unpredictable that it felt like the grip balance was changing at random points in a corner. It could be that the car was set too low and the ARBs too stiff for a track that has very pronounced elevation changes on banked corners, or it could be the camber, I can’t really tell. The fastest lap was just me working to make the car hang on in most corners. The car has a lot of potential, but for me, it just doesn’t work so well on this track.
This car felt so stable that I didn’t have to worry about going off the track at every corner. Everything just worked so well to make this car feel very safe, the lap on which I did the fastest time was actually me just trying to see how much I can push on each corner. The gears felt like they were spaced a bit too far from each other and so power was unexpectedly underwhelming. The car didn’t feel like it was actually trying to accelerate, and like it weighed more than it did. The stability had me sold from the first corner, turning response, braking and overall cornering grip was the best I’ve felt among the cars on the list. A very relaxing drive, yet surprisingly fast. I loved driving from start to finish.
Thank you very much for testing and for the reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed my car and that it was able to perform so well for you. Some very fast times there, a few seconds faster than I have been able to manage, well done
Thank you very much for testing and for the reviews, I'm glad you enjoyed my car and that it was able to perform so well for you. Some very fast times there, a few seconds faster than I have been able to manage, well done
I actually tried using an older Storia during the tuning phase, but I think the older models don't produce as much torque as the one you picked, so I ended up settling for the MX5. Never expected an old mini-4WD to do that well, to be honest. 👍
I actually tried using an older Storia during the tuning phase, but I think the older models don't produce as much torque as the one you picked, so I ended up settling for the MX5. Never expected an old mini-4WD to do that well, to be honest. 👍
I started with the older one as well but it didn't make enough power to do what I needed, if I remember rightly it barely made PP when fully modded and that left me no room to adjust the weight balance and stop it following its nose into the steeper corners
I've just realised you haven't included your own lap time in your results, no rush as I won't be putting times/scores together until more results are in but we will need those results otherwise it screws up the averages.
Please test your own car as if it was someone else's, give it the same track time and pick the best time within those laps, it is recommended that you test your car last so that you are less familiar with it than you were during tuning. 👍
(we appreciate that self testing is a bit of a flawed method but we must make do with what we have)
I started with the older one as well but it didn't make enough power to do what I needed, if I remember rightly it barely made PP when fully modded and that left me no room to adjust the weight balance and stop it following its nose into the steeper corners
I've just realised you haven't included your own lap time in your results, no rush as I won't be putting times/scores together until more results are in but we will need those results otherwise it screws up the averages.
Please test your own car as if it was someone else's, give it the same track time and pick the best time within those laps, it is recommended that you test your car last so that you are less familiar with it than you were during tuning. 👍
(we appreciate that self testing is a bit of a flawed method but we must make do with what we have)
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.[/SPOILER]
Thank you for the review. A great time you managed to achieve in it and your points about understeer are true enough. I couldn't quite balance out that part of the car without ruining other aspects of the tune. Great job testing and thanks for taking the time to do so.
The tunes were tested under equal conditions so as to promote parity, and were all tested within two days just to be sure I was really in the mood for testing. I had put out some comments and lap times before but consider those void since I realized I just wasn't used to driving the track at the time. After practicing the track more, I thought I was ready to get the testing going.
So the tunes were all run under these conditions
10 test laps down the Blackfoot Shear track (No restarts)
Controller used was a DS3 (Sensitivity: 7)
Transmission: MT
Grip Reduction on Wet Track/Track Edge: Real
ABS: 1 / All other assists set to 0
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, here are the reviews:
I have no complaints with acceleration and cornering response, as it’s very well set. The launch felt a bit dull but at least wheelspin stopped as soon as 2nd gear so the start straight went smoothly. The car turns very well with predictable understeer and the power’s gentle enough that I don’t have to play with the throttle too much. I didn’t like the brakes though, the front brakes felt too strong that whenever I tried to trail brake, I just ended up understeering. It bothered me quite a bit so I had to settle for braking earlier on some of the corners so I could just dip the inside tires onto the gutter, I lost time but trying to fight the understeer would have cost me more. If the car had a little better turning response and then be able to carry a little more braking into the corners, then I can easily give this car a 9.
I found it odd that this car felt so slow on the straights and so much better in the corners, I had expected the opposite. Still, this car is so good on the bends that it makes it easier to attack the course. I didn’t really need to spend a lot of time to get my best time here, so that says a lot of the car’s handling. It felt really stable through the corners and braking was good too, though it did punish me a few times that I was over aggressive on braking going into some corners. I honestly think this car is much better on higher PP just because it needs more power, but the fact it’s handling so well at 450PP on CS really shows its potential.
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.
@steve nfs – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:27.978
DC: 8.8/10
Now this one was a great tune, even though you’ll have to shift at 7000rpm just to keep the engine in the powerband since Imprezas tend to have peak torque at the lower end of the rev range, so it felt a bit weird that I had to look at the tachometer every time I come out of a corner just to make sure I shift at 7000. That aside, this car feels planted everywhere and the brakes are great. Turn-in was amazing but the mid-corner grip suffered a bit, which was again evident on the sweeping corners near the end of the course. I’m surprised at how I was able to be almost a second faster than the other Impreza when I was equally aggressive, but I’ll say this one suited my driving style better.
At first, I thought I would be struggling with the FR cars on this twisty course using CS tires…until I drove this FC. This car’s quick but it’s a bit wild, it took me a good while to get that lap down but I just needed to be patient on the throttle. This car is a joy through the tighter corners, but on the faster ones, the rear still likes to break loose even with the rear wing on, especially at the kink where I’ve tried my best to control it but the fastest I’ve gone through that corner still had the tail sliding out, and I couldn’t risk slowing down to the point where I’d easily lose half a second. The brakes are beautiful, though, as I figured I could brake later than usual during my first 5 test runs. Overall, it’s quite a nervous car to drive and takes a while to get used to, but it was a real fun to push.
@chrisspeed281 – Mazda Roadster NB – 3:29.749
DC: 8.5/10
Compared to the other cars, I had a better idea on how to go about testing this car since we used the exact same model for our entry. The cornering grip on this one, though, is really amazing, as it stays planted on its line, and the brakes work so well that I was braking so late that I was surprised to still be able to trace my line. It was a bit too sensitive, though, as the rear felt too loose under braking, and on power, kinda like no ABS on the rear and a very open diff, nothing throttle control and gentle braking couldn’t manage but it kept me on my toes the whole time. The engine, meanwhile, felt like a Subaru Impreza’s, because the mid-range turbo caused high-end torque to really dive down, so while the 2nd gear start felt really good, I still had to find the sweet spot, which, like an Impreza, was around 7000.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Otaliema – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:28.250
DC: 8.6/10
This would’ve been the fastest car if only the rear didn’t slide so much. The gears were fine but I wish the overdrive was shorter because it could’ve used a lot more speed on the first straight. I liked how the rear felt loose because it helped the car clear the corners better, but it also made it really easy to slide, which cost me more than a few tenths on the fastest lap, and it made the car as scary as an FR on the kink. I think the rear diff could have been set to be a bit more planted, but I don’t know the sharp rear would still be retained. This Impreza made me feel like I was chasing for a pole position lap on a wet track because of how I had to fight to keep the car from sliding too much. Not a relaxing drive, but definitely one of the most fun cars in the lineup.
@DolHaus – Daihatsu Storia X4 – 3:27.896
DC: 9.0/10
What a sleeper, the acceleration off the line was nice and the car could carry a lot of speed going into turn 1, likely because of the weight. When this car goes into the turn, I just had to be brave and keep it on the line because it grip tightly. I didn’t like how this car behaved under heavy braking though, even the slightest steering work when braking into a corner causes all four wheels to break traction, and while the resulting slide is still controllable, it caught me out unexpectedly that I was hesitant on braking late after that. During my first test runs I figured this would be have a really fast time, and it certainly did. It’s not a car I could really be aggressive with, but driving a little gently does a lot for this car.
This MX5 is a real treat, it’s well balanced and suits this track very well. The rear is a bit sensitive through fast turns, but that’s to be expected from this car and it’s actually less twitchy on the kink than what I’m used to. The brakes work really well and I could really attack the corners with late braking. I kinda struggled with the gears on the slower corners, especially 2nd and 3rd, because 2nd was too short, and 3rd was too long, so on some corners I had to stay on 3rd to smoothly accelerate out but on some I had to drop to 2nd because the corner was too slow for 3rd, and it felt like I lost a few hundredths to a tenth just shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Really fun car, didn’t take long to get the fastest lap but very tricky gears.
@CJorex – Toyota MR2 G Limited – 3:27.566
DC: 9.0/10
I loved this car, it had power and cornered so well. The gears were spot on in this course, it was the fastest on the first straight, and the fastest before the kink, though I noticed that 4th gear was too short so I had to really pay attention because it was so easy to hit the limiter on the middle part of the track. The brakes work really well as long as you start braking hard on a straight line, it still allowed for some trail braking but I really had to watch out for the tires overloading. What I didn’t really like was that it felt really twitchy. I suppose it’s only natural because this is an MR2, but on the kink and on the fast esses near the end, I just went in with a prayer that I don’t go off track and hit the wall…which happened more than a couple times during testing. Very sensitive car that challenges the driver, but on a time attack perspective, this is a great one-lap machine.
It was decent, at best. The car felt like its entire balance was geared towards understeer, on entry, mid-corner and exit, it was understeering. I think the front damper extension was too stiff so the outside tire was always overloaded on the corners, and that the toe angles just helped generate more understeer. The diff was just set too strong, a milder front diff that limits rotation could’ve helped but it was the opposite. The result was that the start had so much wheelspin that even shifting to 3rd once the car was rolling at about 70km/h still didn’t kill the understeer, and that the car was overly sensitive to wheelspin on the corners, which just made for more understeer. I think the diff really needs work, especially on an FF car, where the diff is magic when set properly.
@RB26DETT – Toyota MR2 1600 G – 3:29.791
DC: 6.8/10
I had a very hard time testing this car, the handling was so unpredictable that every corner was a challenge. The power is good but the gears felt too long as there was no point in the track where I could even reach 5th gear, which made it difficult for me to select which gear to use coming out of the slower corners. The handling is so unpredictable that it felt like the grip balance was changing at random points in a corner. It could be that the car was set too low and the ARBs too stiff for a track that has very pronounced elevation changes on banked corners, or it could be the camber, I can’t really tell. The fastest lap was just me working to make the car hang on in most corners. The car has a lot of potential, but for me, it just doesn’t work so well on this track.
This car felt so stable that I didn’t have to worry about going off the track at every corner. Everything just worked so well to make this car feel very safe, the lap on which I did the fastest time was actually me just trying to see how much I can push on each corner. The gears felt like they were spaced a bit too far from each other and so power was unexpectedly underwhelming. The car didn’t feel like it was actually trying to accelerate, and like it weighed more than it did. The stability had me sold from the first corner, turning response, braking and overall cornering grip was the best I’ve felt among the cars on the list. A very relaxing drive, yet surprisingly fast. I loved driving from start to finish.
Awesome reviews!! Thanks for taking the time to run through all of these tunes! I'm glad you enjoyed my twitchy little rotary. 👍 There were so many slow corners on the track, I really wanted to stick thru those, which made me sacrifice some high speed stability... Amazing times too I could't break 3:30! Thanks Again!
@Antares26 smoking time in my car, sorry it scared ya, last time I went too stable on a 4wd and it couldn't keep up. Guess I a tad too loose this time.
@Antares26 smoking time in my car, sorry it scared ya, last time I went too stable on a 4wd and it couldn't keep up. Guess I a tad too loose this time.
It made me really want a fast time though. I couldn't really word it well enough earlier, but your car felt like a tarmac rally car, with the way the rear follows through so quickly, I was doing 4WD drifts in my first runs.
It made me really want a fast time though. I couldn't really word it well enough earlier, but your car felt like a tarmac rally car, with the way the rear follows through so quickly, I was doing 4WD drifts in my first runs.
It is sorta like that ain't it?
Did you figure out the trick to the kink? Just lift I was clearing consistently at 187-195km/h sadly I always botched it up in the downhill chicanes
It is sorta like that ain't it?
Did you figure out the truck to the kink? Just lift I was clearing consistently at 187-195km/h sadly I always botched it up in the downhill chicanes
Bit of a weird corner that one, little stab on the brakes,throw the car in and hope the track is where you think it is. You have to be aggressive with it and clip a lot of grass, basically aiming for as straight a line as possible
The tunes were tested under equal conditions so as to promote parity, and were all tested within two days just to be sure I was really in the mood for testing. I had put out some comments and lap times before but consider those void since I realized I just wasn't used to driving the track at the time. After practicing the track more, I thought I was ready to get the testing going.
So the tunes were all run under these conditions
10 test laps down the Blackfoot Shear track (No restarts)
Controller used was a DS3 (Sensitivity: 7)
Transmission: MT
Grip Reduction on Wet Track/Track Edge: Real
ABS: 1 / All other assists set to 0
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, here are the reviews:
I have no complaints with acceleration and cornering response, as it’s very well set. The launch felt a bit dull but at least wheelspin stopped as soon as 2nd gear so the start straight went smoothly. The car turns very well with predictable understeer and the power’s gentle enough that I don’t have to play with the throttle too much. I didn’t like the brakes though, the front brakes felt too strong that whenever I tried to trail brake, I just ended up understeering. It bothered me quite a bit so I had to settle for braking earlier on some of the corners so I could just dip the inside tires onto the gutter, I lost time but trying to fight the understeer would have cost me more. If the car had a little better turning response and then be able to carry a little more braking into the corners, then I can easily give this car a 9.
I found it odd that this car felt so slow on the straights and so much better in the corners, I had expected the opposite. Still, this car is so good on the bends that it makes it easier to attack the course. I didn’t really need to spend a lot of time to get my best time here, so that says a lot of the car’s handling. It felt really stable through the corners and braking was good too, though it did punish me a few times that I was over aggressive on braking going into some corners. I honestly think this car is much better on higher PP just because it needs more power, but the fact it’s handling so well at 450PP on CS really shows its potential.
@shaunm80 – Subaru Impreza Ver II – 3:28.891
DC: 8.0/10
I found it very easy to take the turns fast in this car because it’s 4WD, but in the longer corners near the end, it was quite a hassle since the car began understeering at the slightest touch of the throttle. Still, the acceleration on the straights felt very good, and the brakes work very well as even with the fastest speed on the straights, I was still able to brake just close enough to the corner entry. What set me off a bit was that on the long straights, the rear starts to feel like it’s floating at around 140-150km/h so tackling the kink just before the 2nd split was a bit scary, to say the least, the fastest lap was done on a lucky fast exit out that kink.
@steve nfs – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:27.978
DC: 8.8/10
Now this one was a great tune, even though you’ll have to shift at 7000rpm just to keep the engine in the powerband since Imprezas tend to have peak torque at the lower end of the rev range, so it felt a bit weird that I had to look at the tachometer every time I come out of a corner just to make sure I shift at 7000. That aside, this car feels planted everywhere and the brakes are great. Turn-in was amazing but the mid-corner grip suffered a bit, which was again evident on the sweeping corners near the end of the course. I’m surprised at how I was able to be almost a second faster than the other Impreza when I was equally aggressive, but I’ll say this one suited my driving style better.
At first, I thought I would be struggling with the FR cars on this twisty course using CS tires…until I drove this FC. This car’s quick but it’s a bit wild, it took me a good while to get that lap down but I just needed to be patient on the throttle. This car is a joy through the tighter corners, but on the faster ones, the rear still likes to break loose even with the rear wing on, especially at the kink where I’ve tried my best to control it but the fastest I’ve gone through that corner still had the tail sliding out, and I couldn’t risk slowing down to the point where I’d easily lose half a second. The brakes are beautiful, though, as I figured I could brake later than usual during my first 5 test runs. Overall, it’s quite a nervous car to drive and takes a while to get used to, but it was a real fun to push.
@chrisspeed281 – Mazda Roadster NB – 3:29.749
DC: 8.5/10
Compared to the other cars, I had a better idea on how to go about testing this car since we used the exact same model for our entry. The cornering grip on this one, though, is really amazing, as it stays planted on its line, and the brakes work so well that I was braking so late that I was surprised to still be able to trace my line. It was a bit too sensitive, though, as the rear felt too loose under braking, and on power, kinda like no ABS on the rear and a very open diff, nothing throttle control and gentle braking couldn’t manage but it kept me on my toes the whole time. The engine, meanwhile, felt like a Subaru Impreza’s, because the mid-range turbo caused high-end torque to really dive down, so while the 2nd gear start felt really good, I still had to find the sweet spot, which, like an Impreza, was around 7000.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Otaliema – Subaru Impreza Ver III – 3:28.250
DC: 8.6/10
This would’ve been the fastest car if only the rear didn’t slide so much. The gears were fine but I wish the overdrive was shorter because it could’ve used a lot more speed on the first straight. I liked how the rear felt loose because it helped the car clear the corners better, but it also made it really easy to slide, which cost me more than a few tenths on the fastest lap, and it made the car as scary as an FR on the kink. I think the rear diff could have been set to be a bit more planted, but I don’t know the sharp rear would still be retained. This Impreza made me feel like I was chasing for a pole position lap on a wet track because of how I had to fight to keep the car from sliding too much. Not a relaxing drive, but definitely one of the most fun cars in the lineup.
@DolHaus – Daihatsu Storia X4 – 3:27.896
DC: 9.0/10
What a sleeper, the acceleration off the line was nice and the car could carry a lot of speed going into turn 1, likely because of the weight. When this car goes into the turn, I just had to be brave and keep it on the line because it grip tightly. I didn’t like how this car behaved under heavy braking though, even the slightest steering work when braking into a corner causes all four wheels to break traction, and while the resulting slide is still controllable, it caught me out unexpectedly that I was hesitant on braking late after that. During my first test runs I figured this would be have a really fast time, and it certainly did. It’s not a car I could really be aggressive with, but driving a little gently does a lot for this car.
This MX5 is a real treat, it’s well balanced and suits this track very well. The rear is a bit sensitive through fast turns, but that’s to be expected from this car and it’s actually less twitchy on the kink than what I’m used to. The brakes work really well and I could really attack the corners with late braking. I kinda struggled with the gears on the slower corners, especially 2nd and 3rd, because 2nd was too short, and 3rd was too long, so on some corners I had to stay on 3rd to smoothly accelerate out but on some I had to drop to 2nd because the corner was too slow for 3rd, and it felt like I lost a few hundredths to a tenth just shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Really fun car, didn’t take long to get the fastest lap but very tricky gears.
@CJorex – Toyota MR2 G Limited – 3:27.566
DC: 9.0/10
I loved this car, it had power and cornered so well. The gears were spot on in this course, it was the fastest on the first straight, and the fastest before the kink, though I noticed that 4th gear was too short so I had to really pay attention because it was so easy to hit the limiter on the middle part of the track. The brakes work really well as long as you start braking hard on a straight line, it still allowed for some trail braking but I really had to watch out for the tires overloading. What I didn’t really like was that it felt really twitchy. I suppose it’s only natural because this is an MR2, but on the kink and on the fast esses near the end, I just went in with a prayer that I don’t go off track and hit the wall…which happened more than a couple times during testing. Very sensitive car that challenges the driver, but on a time attack perspective, this is a great one-lap machine.
It was decent, at best. The car felt like its entire balance was geared towards understeer, on entry, mid-corner and exit, it was understeering. I think the front damper extension was too stiff so the outside tire doesn't get enough load, and that the toe angles just helped generate more understeer. The diff was just set too strong, a milder front diff that limits rotation could’ve helped but it was the opposite. The result was that the start had so much wheelspin that even shifting to 3rd once the car was rolling at about 70km/h still didn’t kill the wheelspin, and that the car was overly sensitive to wheelspin on the corners, which just made for more understeer. I think the diff really needs work, especially on an FF car, where the diff is magic when set properly.
@RB26DETT – Toyota MR2 1600 G – 3:29.791
DC: 6.8/10
I had a very hard time testing this car, the handling was so unpredictable that every corner was a challenge. The power is good but the gears felt too long as there was no point in the track where I could even reach 5th gear, which made it difficult for me to select which gear to use coming out of the slower corners. The handling is so unpredictable that it felt like the grip balance was changing at random points in a corner. It could be that the car was set too low and the ARBs too stiff for a track that has very pronounced elevation changes on banked corners, or it could be the camber, I can’t really tell. The fastest lap was just me working to make the car hang on in most corners. The car has a lot of potential, but for me, it just doesn’t work so well on this track.
This car felt so stable that I didn’t have to worry about going off the track at every corner. Everything just worked so well to make this car feel very safe, the lap on which I did the fastest time was actually me just trying to see how much I can push on each corner. The gears felt like they were spaced a bit too far from each other and so power was unexpectedly underwhelming. The car didn’t feel like it was actually trying to accelerate, and like it weighed more than it did. The stability had me sold from the first corner, turning response, braking and overall cornering grip was the best I’ve felt among the cars on the list. A very relaxing drive, yet surprisingly fast. I loved driving from start to finish.
Bit of a weird corner that one, little stab on the brakes,throw the car in and hope the track is where you think it is. You have to be aggressive with it and clip a lot of grass, basically aiming for as straight a line as possible
Agreed, it's a critical turn for the the upper section too, get it just perfect and it's good for more than half a second from just a good clear. if it was a little less of a turn it would be perfect even if it went from a straight to a slight curve after the turn.
@Otaliema
Yeah, but not as fast as you did, I liked to come in from way outside so I could still cut a bit of grass inside but not end up on the grass on the way out. I came out at 188km/h tops but it always puts me at a good position to brake for the 90 degree left.
@fordracer – Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – 3:29.956
DC: 8.3/10
Unlike the other Firebird, I could really feel the weight on this one, on the straights and on the corners, if felt really heavy. What surprised me was that even when it was slower than expected on the straights, it was so good on the corners. The balance on this car was great, I could use the brakes mid corner to get the inside tires to dip into the gutters and the car could hold its line and still carry some speed. Comparing this car to the other Firebird, the gears on the other car were better, which meant this car lost time on the straights, but more than made up on the corners, which resulted in the faster lap time, but because the weakness of each car was the strength of the other, it’s a draw on the DC.
@Antares26, thanks for the great review. 👍 Glad you liked the car. I knew I was trading straight line speed for cornering ablility. Happy to hear that worked. This set-up was the fastest for me. Impressed that you got that kinda speed out of it. Impressive,
@Otaliema
Yeah, but not as fast as you did, I liked to come in from way outside so I could still cut a bit of grass inside but not end up on the grass on the way out. I came out at 188km/h tops but it always puts me at a good position to brake for the 90 degree left.
True. If the exit was a bit wider the kink wouldn't even be a problem with any of the cars, but that's what made the track so challenging. Playing around with the gutters takes the cake though, if you can hook the tires onto the gutter and keep it hooked the corner exit's gonna be great.