Mission 34 - Mercedes Mclaren SLR at Nurburgring

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Yeah, I got nervous towards the end, but I was actually very cool as well.

A couple of attempts before, I let my nervousness get the better of me and I choked up in the last few turns, going a lot slower than I needed too.

On the winning attempt, I managed to the last half-dozen corners fairly good.


That was the last mission for me. Now I am at 85% so I have to complete the endurances and some extreme events. Thinking of using the R89 for the Formula One races.
 
I did it with a couple of shortcuts, and saved a couple penalties by using the handbrake to put the rear to the guardrail, and not get a penalty. So I'dd love to do it clean and would gladly do it for fun, it's such a great challenge. But the long wait... just ruins the fun.

And I felt that nervousness of the splits. But that, together with the anxiety of having to overtake the 300SL through the the last corners, without making a mistake, only contributed to the rush I felt when completing it.

I remember it well and it was 2 years ago...

I have PAL and use manual. I'll re-post the replay if anyone is interested, since it's many, many pages back:

 
Yep that is a tricky mission indeed. I remembered doing it myself for the first time, I actually watched a few videos and practice with my friends version going round with a SLR McLaren on Sports Medium tyres on practice mode.

I have the PAL version so we guys have a much easier time as there is a 7 second less difference. But it is about being smooth in and fast out and not being too rash and overtaking at good moments.

I think my fastest time on PAL version is an early 9:02 (with the 115 seconds waiting time) without shortcuts or accidents, it is still my fastest and always wondered whether it is possible to get under the 9:02 barrier. The PAL time was set on automatic using R2 hold gear thing as well.

When I went to the USA some time ago and played it on my contacts NTSC version, after about a few tries I managed to get a 9:09 (with the 123 seconds waiting time) with no shortcuts or accidents and beat the 300SL Gullwing by around 5 seconds. So it is perfectly possible to win by more than a few seconds on the NTSC.
 
Though you don't count because I don't actually know you :lol:

You know me and know that i always roll with an auto.




Although having said that, i don't actually think that i've completed that mission either, nor will i ever. :dunce:
 
I finally cracked it - of course on PAL it's apparently a few seconds easier than NTSC but three months of practice, near wins and frustrating penalties from the twitchy SLR resulted in a final win.

It is not a clean ride by any means but I was determined not to rail ride or take shortcuts intentionally - excluding an untidy end to the final straight.

Thanks to everyone who posted helpful info on this mission, it helps.

On some level this track is really enjoyable to do now even though it's completed!


| Winning Splits:
| 1'43.1
| 1'35.2
| 1'26.4
| 1'15.5
| 1'02.72
| 51.0 <- Pass SL 65 at Klostertal
| 37.3 <- Pass SL 55 going into to Eiskurve (just before CP)
| 29.6
| 23.6 <- Pass Evo going into Galgenkopf
| 12.8
| 4.5 <- Pass SLK 230 before Tiergarten, had to slack of a little to overtake
| +.6 <- A mad slide around the final corner and squeeze past the A1!

Enjoy the video and rate please;)

 
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I finally cracked it - of course on PAL it's apparently a few seconds easier than NTSC but three months of practice, near wins and frustrating penalties from the twitchy SLR resulted in a final win.

It is not a clean ride by any means but I was determined not to rail ride or take shortcuts intentionally - excluding an untidy end to the final straight.

Thanks to everyone who posted helpful info on this mission, it helps.

On some level this track is really enjoyable to do now even though it's completed!

Congrats from someone who has yet to crack it PAL or otherwise.
 
I tried this mission again yesterday to see what the fuzz is about. And to my suprise it wasnt that hard (did it in first try)

My tips would be, dont try to bo fast, just hold a steady pace and drive safe. Because this test isnt about speed, but consistency 👍
 
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Congrats indeed! I'm saving this for my last race to get 100% and I have all other missions complete.
 
I don't know anyone who has done this Mission with an automatic gearbox...


In my older profile, i completed this mission on the auto gearbox. I had a weird profile back then, i completed this mission so easily, while i struggled and never completed missions like the Toyota, the Honda, the muscle car at Seattle. (can't recall the name of the mission now :D)

Anyways, till today, i completed all of the mission, expect this one. :embarrassed:
 
I keep having a very hard time with this one. It the last one of the missions for me but what a pain in the you know what. If only you could drive across steilstrecke but then this thread wouldn't be over 50 pages long. It would be just too easy.

I am driving PAL so I already am "lucky", but still cannot beat it anywhere close. I just began practicing again. I am trying arcade mode now, time trial. Driving with S2 tires. I assume this is what the SLR is using in M34. If I am mistaken please correct me.

I am still behind a good 20 seconds though. Still find it hard to keep the car out of the grass. But I am improving.

Is there any guide of somesorts, this thread is a bit long to read through and information isn't really clear at times.

I would really like to know: Splits for M34 PAL version to win and difference at the spits with the lead car. This way I know what sections need the most attention.
 
My tips would be dont try so hard to go fast. Focus on your line and consistency, you dont have to go crazy fast, dont be afraid to use 2.gear. I won with 2 sec and didnt push the car once.
 
I keep having a very hard time with this one. It the last one of the missions for me but what a pain in the you know what. If only you could drive across steilstrecke but then this thread wouldn't be over 50 pages long. It would be just too easy.

I am driving PAL so I already am "lucky", but still cannot beat it anywhere close. I just began practicing again. I am trying arcade mode now, time trial. Driving with S2 tires. I assume this is what the SLR is using in M34. If I am mistaken please correct me.

I am still behind a good 20 seconds though. Still find it hard to keep the car out of the grass. But I am improving.

Is there any guide of somesorts, this thread is a bit long to read through and information isn't really clear at times.

I would really like to know: Splits for M34 PAL version to win and difference at the spits with the lead car. This way I know what sections need the most attention.

Brother Numsey, I found this post #63, it may help.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1834024&postcount=63
 
Hi guys, first post at GTP and it's a moaning one. I found all other missions pretty easy, the Honda @ Suzuka one took me a few tries, but this is ridiculous. My first attempt was pitiful, 15" back.:dunce: Then 10", then 8", then I hit the wall. I bought an SLR and did a few uninterrupted laps, a family cup at +5 setting, confirmed that I was in fact a lot faster than Bob (7350 skill, 86/73/71) and tried again.
0336.jpg


That's 0.336 seconds in a 9+ minute race!
🤬:banghead:

I got a 5 second penalty on the SLK (nudged it hard on the brakes after the straight, dropping 4th->3rd gear) and I had a couple of off-track moments, nothing major but it all certainly adds up to over .336 of a second :lol:

What I've found while practicing, is that you can usually not be too early or too gentle on the brakes. I do a lot better on certain corners when using 75%-80% brake starting earlier and following through till just before the apex than just slamming the square button. The odd few do seem to favour "slam-and-flick" braking/turn-in, usually at the expense of exit speed though.

No more practicing tonight for me, I'd hate to get an aneurysm :lol:
 
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DSC01437.jpg


👍 :sly:

2 penalties, a couple of brake-induced slides which led to 1 offroad moment, all passes were clean. I caught glimpse of the gull-wing demon on the last corner, passed him a few car lengths before the line. I get perfect 7:00-7:03 runs with my bought SLR in free runs or family cups, I don't know why I fail to do so on the mission!

Missions done, back to racing 👍
 
Thanks!

I was a pretty good driver @ all the GTs, even GT5P which I do not have (a friend got it a while back and practiced daily, I beat him first time), but between M34 and that Superbird one I've found that I've become much smoother -> faster and actually seeking challenges. No more 100hp advantage for me, <80pt A-Specs are going to Bob until he can actually pass someone :lol:

In all seriousness, you might actually have to change your driving technique to beat this, especially the harder NTSC one, even if you were fast before. Buying the SLR and running uninterrupted laps chasing that last second was perhaps the best lesson in smoothness in the whole GT series up to 4. Those 2 mins at the start of the mission do cool you down way too much. I also caught myself getting stressed out while running the actual mission, where I was totally calm in the free runs. It probably had to do with the fact that if you mess up, you have to wait 2mins until you can have another go.

My advice (probably not worth as much, 0.451'' on PAL :yuck:) would be to ignore the split times and not worry about the other cars until you get to them. Just run your own race. When in doubt, brake harder and/or earlier, mostly earlier.
Try to get rid of the SL65 quickly, if you get stuck behind it the last few minutes of your life were for nothing. That and the SL500 should appear long before the straight. I got the SL65 on the inside of that funny cambered paved turn (sorry, don't know any names :dunce:) and the SL500 shortly after that. The 190E Evo is pretty slow coming out of the bends, I passed it coming out of the 3rd-gear right handers leading into the straight @ about +100kmh(or atleast it seemed like it - blew past). The latest you should pass the SLK is when braking 4th->3rd right after the straight, no way you'll get past it in time to catch up with the 300SL if you don't make it there. I passed the 300SL right on the finish line, the power difference is immense.

These are all on the PAL version, although I can get the times in free run mode to beat the NTSC times, I don't think I could do it during the mission. The passing points would be all different.
 
Dangit.

This one is tough.:scared:

Just did my best one, though, but still not good enough.

He finished 9:13:246, I was 7.699 off, but I thought I had it till I bunked the last series of turns.

Think my slowness is in the first part of the course, because I am nowhere near passing the first car at Bergwerk. Not comfortable with this car on this track until after Bergwerk.

I'm having to unlearn everything I've learned about this track in the C5.R.

Someone said you need to learn the track. That is true. However I have found that there are things about this course that you can't feel in this car, that you can feel in the C5.R. There are also many things you can feel in the Formula GT that you can't in the C5.R as well. So it's track + car, as in a joint effort.

NTSC.

By my records I have 3 that WOULD have won in PAL...but...coulda shoulda woulda...I have many more that wouldn't.
 
Definitely one of the toughest if not the toughest mission/race.
I've done it now in PAL and NTSC version and I think the PAL is actually slightly easier overall.
 
Used Driving Force Pro - $30 CDN
Mercedes SLR McLaren - 610000 credits
Practice session at the Nurburgring Nordschleife - 0 credits (if you reset after!)
Winning Mission 34 - PRICELESS!!!!

WOOO! HOOO!

So I actually beat this S.O.B. !! Hours later and I'm still flabbergasted. I was certain I'd never beat it and I'm here to say it's possible - at least with a wheel anyway. If you win this bugger with a DS2, you should be flying Predator drones or piloting deep-sea ROVs because you have a godlike hand-eye coordination going on. All hail the DFP! I still can't believe it!! YES!

So what I did was buy an SLR, set ASM to 0 and TCS to 2, then practiced for 5 1/2 laps in GT-mode World Circuits. My laptimes were: 7:13.426, 7:06.275, 7:09.191, 7:04.257, 7:02.232 - I quit lap 6 at Karussel because it was already a slower lap than my best and I had pretty much learned my braking points by then (which is key IMHO).

Then I gave the actual mission a go. The mission car is definitely different, oversteers more into corners, and understeers more out of them. Force feedback is a godsend here, it really helps adjusting to the differences.

My first attempt was a lesson in braking properly for the pre-Flugplatz crest. I took Flugplatz on the grass the whole way around the outside and it really didn't help. I never touched the wall though, and it was a good lap otherwise, but I only passed 2nd place exiting the final corner and I never saw the 300 SL.

Attempt #2 saw me put the right rear on the grass in the uphill braking zone leading up to Adenauer Forst, spinning and ramming the nose in the wall next to the right hander before the slowest left/right there. Got a 5-second penalty but the lap was wasted anyway. I'd already used the first attempt to get a feel for the mission car so I gave up this lap right then.

Attempt #3 - GOAAALLL!!!! err WIHHHHNNNN!!! Made all the early braking points I knew I needed to make, and when I came up on opponents I took it a bit easy, generally waiting for the exit of corners to just power right past them. Easily out-braked 5th place going into Karussel though, fun times! I got 4 wheels off just after the final intermediate, trying to be careful taking 2nd place, almost lost it but I kept my nerve and got it back on the road just in time to brake before the fast left/right chicane. Kept it pointing the right direction and on the road before braking for the final right/left and then put 2 wheels on the outside passing the 300 SL on the exit of the final turn. YES!!!

Winning this mission was literally the most excitement I've ever gotten out of Gran Turismo, and perhaps any video game. For example just now I was pumping my fists in the air like I was Vettel last weekend or something, and this is hours later! I certainly enjoy video games but they rarely motivate me to wildly gesticulate over and over for hours. I had to take a short break on the final straight, paused it for abour 4 minutes to calm down because I was so excited to actually be on the straight with a shot at actually beating this mission. I didn't want to screw up the end with a win in sight - and I nearly did screw it up, but in the end I DID IT!!! WOO HOO!

Release NTSC/NA!
Final laptime: 9:11.958!
MOV: 1.137s!
Split Times:
1:49.577
1:40.293
1:32.281
1:19.274
1:06.422
55.498
40.557
32.223
25.966
14.006
and I missed getting the last split the only time I've got that far into the replay...

WOOOO!!! Pics probably soon.

edit: made an animated gif of my 2 near-misses, 1 4-wheel grass excursion, and the passing maneouvers, most of my pics aren't good enough to bother posting full-size:
passesandoffsbiggerfast.gif
 
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I'm curious, for the people who pass this, do you also have all gold licenses?

I'll admit my licenses are mostly bronze because I'm just not that hardcore of a player. I wonder though if to have any hope of passing mission #34 on the NTSC version, one needs to be skilled enough to have gold licenses?
 
I'm curious, for the people who pass this, do you also have all gold licenses?

I'll admit my licenses are mostly bronze because I'm just not that hardcore of a player. I wonder though if to have any hope of passing mission #34 on the NTSC version, one needs to be skilled enough to have gold licenses?

I always get all golds on the license tests before I do the missions, does it help? Sure, IMO especially on the NTSC version as M34 on NTSC is a lot harder than on PAL, you really do need all the practise you can get and getting gold on the license tests helps.

However, for me M34 is about common sense more than anything else, don't go hell for leather and stay on the track, it's really not difficult. I was trying M34 earlier to see if I could better my time, I didn't but still did the mission despite incurring 2 time penalties and won by over 4 seconds so it's not that hard.
 
To clarify nemesis' statement (if that's okay :)), he means that being a PAL user allows him to drive cautiously and imperfectly and still complete the mission. Concerning the gold licenses, I think you need to be able to get mostly gold to win Mission 34 on NTSC. It sounds to me like you have never gone after the licenses seriously, so perhaps the bronzes don't indicate your skill level. If you spend a significant amount of time (say, 15 minutes) on all of the license tests and still get mostly bronze and silver, and if you feel the result you get is pretty close to your capabilities, then Mission 34 is probably out of reach. However (and this is getting back to what nemesis said), the licenses are probably the singe best, easiest way to improve your driving, and some investment of time there will likely not only earn you a lot of gold trophies, but also will make Mission 34 possible. 👍
 
I'm curious, for the people who pass this, do you also have all gold licenses?

I'll admit my licenses are mostly bronze because I'm just not that hardcore of a player. I wonder though if to have any hope of passing mission #34 on the NTSC version, one needs to be skilled enough to have gold licenses?

Based upon my experience, I would say that you need to be a good enough GT4 driver to get about 30 to 40 Golds before you have a chance of winning Mission 34 in the NTSC version. When I finally won Mission 34 (see my post # 1010), I had 38 Golds, and had a hard time passing the Mission.:grumpy: Since then, I have pushed my License total to 60, but each additional one is hard since my driving skills are no where near Austin343's.:bowdown:

I make up for my lack of quality driving skills with quantity. After enough laps the game eventually gives up and lets me win!:)

Respectfully,
GTsail290
 
I'm a terrible, embarrassing exception. I have fewer gold licenses licenses than I have toes on one foot. Yet I still passed Mission 34 on NTSC.

Admittedly, I had just started GT4, the first video game of my life when I took those licenses going on 3 years ago. Perhaps if I tried them again I could do a little better today. At the time, I just wanted them out of the way so I could enjoy my new game. By the way, I'm still enjoying it. :D
 
Congrats to you. I still have yet to finish this one. Nice gif
Thanks Popeye! Keep at it, practicing and knowing the braking points really helps.

I'm curious, for the people who pass this, do you also have all gold licenses?

I'll admit my licenses are mostly bronze because I'm just not that hardcore of a player. I wonder though if to have any hope of passing mission #34 on the NTSC version, one needs to be skilled enough to have gold licenses?
I really think a wheel makes things a lot easier. Before my DFP I never managed to earn 100% gold licenses in any GT game(some golds, sure, but mostly silvers, and more bronzes than golds). Once I had it though, perserverence was really all I needed. I didn't realize it until this week, but the same was true for M34. A couple of the licenses are ridiculously tedious and would offer no benefit in learned skills that would help on M34 (the grand canyon chicane-into-a-hairpin test comes to mind), but if you think you're driving skills could use a little work, trying for silver and gold on licenses definitely doesn't hurt.

I really think though, that the key to M34 (and surely many persons have said the same in this thread already) is knowing the track and what the car can actually do on it. There's a lot of places where you're braking early and it seems like it's too early, and then you get into the corner and it seems like you can't possibly be going fast enough to beat the mission - but you are! Practice in an SLR enough that you know when to brake around the whole circuit. Then if you can keep it on the road it's really just about taking it easy on the mission, staying calm and not trying to push the car beyond its limits.

"Practice practice practice" is the best advice I can offer. And not with the actual mission because every time you goof it's too easy to just restart the mission and not learn anything about however much of the track you have left on that lap. The 2 minute wait really hampers the motivation to keep at it too. Buying that SLR really was the best 610000 credits I've yet spent in GT4.
 
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