Grand Valley Highway 1 vs. Real Life [More added Pg. 2]

[Yui-san]

As a SF Bay Area resident who has driven the real Highway 1 a few times, the amount of details PD got right for Grand Valley Highway 1 is truly impressive, especially for things 90% of players would never even notice like the Big Sur Lighthouse that's way out of frame.

Here's a side-by-side comparison for you to appreciate all the details PD replicated.
(Decided to make a new thread as to not flood the other ones with photos)

Tracy Cove Bridge vs. Bixby Bridge, Monterey

Grand Valley Bridge vs. Coronado Bridge, San Diego (pier columns) / Limekiln Creek Bridge, Big Sur

Unnamed bridge (ft. easter egg) vs. Willow Creek Bridge, Monterey

Ocean Rocks Shelter vs. Rain Rocks Rock Shed, Big Sur

Hurricane Point, Big Sur

Elephant seals, San Simeon

Big Sur Lighthouse

Kirk Creek Campground, Big Sur

Portal to Big Sur, Ragged Point

Doge Point vs. Ragged Point

Doge Point Inn vs Ragged Point Inn

Los Padres National Forest sign

Fish and Wildlife Area sign (Interestingly, these are found in Indiana irl)

Nacimiento Road

Other signs

EDIT: Bonus

​

 

[SUBZERO-8K]

Fantastic effort on this comparison, thanks! I haven't had a chance to play yet, but based off this it looks to be the most graphically next-gen track so far.

 

[eran0004]

Interesting. I could imagine taking a real place and turn it into a fictional racetrack, but I could never have imagined taking a fictional racetrack and turn it into a real place.

 

[Talon16]

 

[Fezzik]

Interesting. I could imagine taking a real place and turn it into a fictional racetrack, but I could never have imagined taking a fictional racetrack and turn it into a real place.

As long as they don't take a real track and stick it in a fictional place, I'm all good.

 

[Sango Rindu]

Interesting. I could imagine taking a real place and turn it into a fictional racetrack, but I could never have imagined taking a fictional racetrack and turn it into a real place.

I like that most of GT's fictional tracks are rooted in some semblance of reality, as if whatever lakes, mountains, or buildings that decorate a circuit can be spotted on Google Maps if you search hard enough.

I've watched a few videos that use a debug camera to explore these tracks (like Dragon Trail below); it's always neat to see so many details left in, even though in a standard lap, they'd only be visible for half a second.

 

[Galvston]

wow. so many details that we'll never see. This is why PD the goat of racing games, their attention to detail is not about the player, but about the recreation

 

[F4H Super GT]

Awesome to see this comparison!

 

[ND4SPD]

Beautiful track but I have no idea why they decided to call it grand valley. All of the remade tracks from the past have some sort of resemblance to their original layouts but this track looks completely different than the original grand valley. I just don't get why we couldn't have called it something else.

 

[Greycap]

All of the remade tracks from the past have some sort of resemblance to their original layouts but this track looks completely different than the original grand valley.

You mean that all the corners being more or less the same radius in the same direction in the same order, connected by straights of the same lengths, and having tunnels and bridges in three out of the four old locations, isn't some sort of resemblance? To each their own, I guess.

Meanwhile looking at the comparison pictures, that's pretty freaking awesome. While the old one was a legend in the GT universe it has largely been made redundant by the addition of the actual Watkins Glen - I doubt anyone can look at the track maps, complete with the elevation changes, of the old GVS and the Glen side by side and say with a straight face that it's all just a coincidence.

 

[JDMKING13]

Great work man this is beautiful!! I see a lot of people up in arms, but I actually will tip my hat to PD. To put this original track with a real life landscape in my opinion is awesome and gives the tack a bit of a more realistic feel! I know my group of buddies are extremely excited for now we have another track where we can do our street testing.

 

[RedRockValley]

Great work man this is beautiful!! I see a lot of people up in arms, but I actually will tip my hat to PD. To put this original track with a real life landscape in my opinion is awesome and gives the tack a bit of a more realistic feel! I know my group of buddies are extremely excited for now we have another track where we can do our street testing.

We are one step closer to a proper touge route…

 

[sixty4half]

I just came here for this.

I had seen a few streamers complaining about the new track. Being someone who lives in California I just wanted to explain how beautiful and how close to reality it is. You have outdone what I could have, bravo!

Cant wait to get home from work and put in some laps here. Funnily enough I take the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) home every day. Just not this beautiful section.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

But where is the Valley?

 

[tofuhero]

Great comparison, thanks for that. It seems like the only real miss is not modeling the local trees, which are fairly iconic, and instead using trees they probably already had in the game.

 

[ND4SPD]

You mean that all the corners being more or less the same radius in the same direction in the same order, connected by straights of the same lengths, and having tunnels and bridges in three out of the four old locations, isn't some sort of resemblance? To each their own, I guess.

Meanwhile looking at the comparison pictures, that's pretty freaking awesome. While the old one was a legend in the GT universe it has largely been made redundant by the addition of the actual Watkins Glen - I doubt anyone can look at the track maps, complete with the elevation changes, of the old GVS and the Glen side by side and say with a straight face that it's all just a coincidence.

I mean this new track is amazing. But when I heard grand valley, my immediate mind goes to GT1 GT2 era grand valley. A fast flowing purpose built racetrack and not a California coastal highway track. I don't think it's redundant, I still think it's okay to have original fantasy tracks.

 

[JDMKING13]

We are one step closer to a proper touge route…

Just did the south route and I love it! Reminds me of a touge route!

 

[dimassa19]

As a SF Bay Area resident who has driven the SR1 a few times, the amount of details PD got right for Grand Valley Highway 1 is truly impressive, especially for things 90% of players would never even notice like the Big Sur Lighthouse that's way out of frame.

Here's a side-by-side comparison for you to appreciate all the details PD replicated.
(Decided to make a new thread as to not flood the other ones with photos)

Tracy Cove Bridge vs. Bixby Bridge, Monterey
View attachment 1233158View attachment 1233157
View attachment 1233164
View attachment 1233159
View attachment 1233160

Grand Valley Bridge vs. Coronado Bridge, San Diego (pier columns) / Limekiln Creek Bridge, Big Sur View attachment 1233162
View attachment 1233161

Unnamed bridge (ft. easter egg) vs. Willow Creek Bridge, Monterey View attachment 1233165

Ocean Rocks Shelter vs. Rain Rocks Rock Shed, Big Sur
View attachment 1233163

Hurricane Point, Big Sur
View attachment 1233170

Elephant seals, San Simeon
View attachment 1233169View attachment 1233168

Big Sur Lighthouse
View attachment 1233171

Kirk Creek Campground, Big Sur
View attachment 1233172

Portal to Big Sur, Ragged Point
View attachment 1233177

Doge Point vs. Ragged Point
View attachment 1233185

Doge Point Inn vs Ragged Point Inn
View attachment 1233178
View attachment 1233190
View attachment 1233179View attachment 1233184
View attachment 1233181
View attachment 1233180View attachment 1233183
View attachment 1233182

Los Padres National Forest sign
View attachment 1233191

Fish and Wildlife Area sign (Interestingly, these are found in Indiana irl)
View attachment 1233193

Nacimiento Road
View attachment 1233192

Other signs
View attachment 1233197
View attachment 1233198
View attachment 1233199
View attachment 1233196
View attachment 1233200

EDIT: Bonus
View attachment 1233245View attachment 1233246​

 

[MOPARbarrett5]

Initially I was annoyed that the new track is way different looking than the original but seeing how much detail is added to the new version I definitely appreciate it. Although I do hope that the original speedway will be added.

 

[Bob7398]

Great job! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[real-elnonio]

I thought I was racng in big sur, takes me back 10 years

 

[XSquareStickIt]

As long as they don't take a real track and stick it in a fictional place, I'm all good.

I'm still waiting for Côte d'Azur to return If PD can circumvent real world legal issues by making 90% accurate replicas of real circuits and dumping them somewhere fictional, I'm all for it. Methinks that's the only way we'll ever see Singapore in the game too.

 

[Keef]

But where is the Valley?

You tell us, you live there!

 

[jergto]

You tell us, you live there!

There's a valley for sure, you hit a really long straight away before hitting trees going into Big Sur. I've driven to Big Sur several times in the Viper. Haven't gone passed River Inn restaurant tho. That straight away is a good place to let the car rip.

 

[OldandSlow]

Thanks for the pics and info. Great job.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

There's a valley for sure, you hit a really long straight away before hitting trees going into Big Sur. I've driven to Big Sur several times in the Viper. Haven't gone passed River Inn restaurant tho. That straight away is a good place to let the car rip.

There's nothing between Monterey and Morro Bay on highway 1 that I would characterize as a "Grand Valley". There's a smallish valley south of Molera Point, but that doesn't appear to be used as inspiration for this circuit which is almost exclusively along the cliffs. Grand Valley would easily apply to Sonoma or Napa Valley or maybe Salinas Valley (dunno how grand I consider Salinas..). Grand Bluff would have made a lot more sense.

To be clear, I'm fine with the retcon, it's just odd to call something that clearly isn't a valley a valley.

 

[JD_18]

The name is Grand Valley becouse is the layout of Grand Valley, its easy. Also, is not Grand Valley raceway, is Grand Valley Hightway.

If this track were named as California Hightway people were say something like "why they name this like California when is obviously GV?" 😁

In the other hand and more important: amazing job bro!! Kudos for you and PD, the work in this tracks is mindblow.
So we know something new: there no problem with the engine, its just effort. I hope some tracks such as Saint Croix and Dragon Trial get rework.

 

[DivitLad]

Thanks for the info on how close it really is too real life, plus can't help laugh as folks were laughing at pd saying how their stones on the beach looked like seals , they are seals lol.

 

[Yui-san]

I'm still waiting for Côte d'Azur to return If PD can circumvent real world legal issues by making 90% accurate replicas of real circuits and dumping them somewhere fictional, I'm all for it. Methinks that's the only way we'll ever see Singapore in the game too.

As much as I want Monaco back, Kaz said in an interview that city circuits are unlikely to be added to GT7 because of how much time it would take to recreate all the details to current-gen standards. I actually made a side-by-side comparison back in the PS3 days and the track looked pretty dated.

Would be neat if they added another original circuit based in the French Rivera though.

 

[MoLiEG]

TBH, the amount of work, effort and love PD put in this new track is absolutely incredible. I gotta say I respect it and admire it.

BUT. And it is a big BUT...

Why bother to mess around with an iconic track of the series and make it a Frankenstein of a Real/original track? If you really wanted to create a seaside circuit of Californian roads with tons of landmarks, why don't make something 100% unique?

Also, why bother naming it "Grand Valley" if, you know... THERE IS NO VALLEY AT ALL. The name does not feel right.

I don't hate what they did to GVS. I'm just incredibly confused with the approach they took to bring the circuit back.