So the final three
Impul Calsonic Skyline '00 vs SARD Supra GT '00 vs ARTA NSX '00
The track...
Well I chose to drive the Impul Calsonic first, Why not the whole GT500 championship. If you have the full login bonus you can rack up about a million crredits enough to buy one of these turn of the Millenia JGTC cars and still have enough change to buy each of the base level cars - a 1999 NSX (92,070) a 2000 GTR R34 (50,480 and a 1997 Supra RZ (43,900)
I thought about doing it with B Spec - BUT... that was great for looking at the car driving in formation, but Hardly useful for a Test with a driver who claims to be more human than human.
Impul CALSONIC GT-R '00
1m20.700 - 6m58.6 (DFR - BSpec)
1m13.231 - 6m17.102 (DFR - Ryk)
1m38.764 - 8m25.445 (Fujiyama - Ryk)
2m00.392 - 10m17.604 (Suzuka - Ryk)
1m52.845 - 9m35.286 - (Motegi - Ryk)
1m27.327 - 9m03.116 - (Nurb-DTM - Ryk)
...
Impressions - I much prefer it over a Nomal R34- the FR drivetrain improves the "drive" to me, it still has what feels like alot of understeer. I commit to a corner and then feel the car push wider and wider through a corner - BUT that "like a dart" pig headedness about the car gives you alot of confidence if you are rubbing door handles with another car. A surprise tag will upset you, but generally you can save the car as the front tyres are the ones that loose grip first so you loose control in a straight line. I had a horror show of a race in Germany, first lap I got pushed out on the ouside wide into the Veedol chicane, and ended up dragging those big styrofom bricks onto the track.
Livery - Had longer to look at it, The more modern Calsonic GT-R uses a darker shade but it is a strong Livery - A Modern Day Bugatti Type 35? Maybe that is the deal with Car Liveries what do they evoke to the crowd? Eat Mrs Miggens's Pies or Smoke Fags and Drink Booze. For the Japanese then this livery must scream Skyline domination in their domestic touring car championships.
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SARD Supra GT
Livery is getting better each time I look at it, and of the three cars, it has more to it than just a plain single colour or the very simple ARTA Orange and White. The livery here is simpl but strong two colour, the integration of the headlamps into the broad slash of scarlet along the wings of the car.
The car itself is great to drive. If I bemoan the shadow of understeer with the GT-R here I have to praise the subtle nuetral handling with a helpful echo of oversteer when you give the car the beans, you can countersteer and make any corner or save most slides. On the way it drives I have to rank it far above the GT-R. I was dreading looking at the lap times though as I tend to really enjoy slow cars, but it is pretty even to the GT-R.
1m13.796 - 6m21.006 (DFR - Ryk)
1m38.607 - 8m21.427 (Fujiyama - Ryk)
2m01.646 - 10m26.821 (Suzuka - Ryk)
1m50.906 - 9m32.026 (Motegi - Ryk)
1m27.514 - 8m52.579 (Nurby DTM - Ryk)
Had a wild run at Suzuka with a few mistakes due to AI drifting over on me (Dunlop curve) and my own pilot error (Locked up into the Hairpin). Motegi also had an error which cost me a few seconds.
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ARTA NSX
Livery is bright eye catching memorable - The black typeface of the logos on the Orange do make them blend in with the car - So it is more of an Orange car than a car with a big Logo on it.
1m12.919 - 6m20.900 (DFR - Ryk)
1m39.501 - 8m28.436 (Fujiyama - Ryk)
2m01.067 - 10m18.704 (Suzuka - Ryk)
1m52.625 - 9m33.808 (Motegi - Ryk)
1m27.727 - 8m56.991(Nurby DTM - Ryk)
Car is much more fun in corners, You can place the car and take any line you like so long as youcan balance the car. In the twisty stuff the NSX just destroys the other cars - but... and it is a big but on the straights the car has no top speed, if you are not in a slipstream then you will give up a second or two every lap - I was 20 mph down on the main straight at Fujiyama when I was on my own. Get a draft and it is happy days! This makes corner exits onto a fast straight extra important,
So which is best? What do you judge it on. All three look good, but I'd have to give the edge to the SARD Supra, The ARTA NSX and Impul GT-R are a bit too simplistic in their livery. Pace All three have advantages and disadvantages. The NSX is hamstrung by a poor top speed but it is a demon in the corners The GT-R is fast but has too much understeer for it to be enjoyable to drive. 3rd place
How do I split the ARTA NSX and the SARD Supra? - on a clean empty track the Supra would be faster. In a race, with traffic the NSX can piggy back a slipstream and perform some overtakes the GT-R could only dream about.
Much as I love driving the NSX - the SARD Supra is good enough to catch up to the leader, and good enough to pull away. The NSX is hamstrung by the limited top speed.
. Anyeays, check back here tomorrow for the next duel of the week.
. But hey, there is always the chance of seeing it in another duel 
