New Seasonal: NR-A Roadster Cup

[ALMSDriver]

I gotta say that the Miata/Eunos Mazdas never really impressed me all that much.I always kinda schrugged them off as a "cute little chick car" even after doing the A-Spec races with them. However,after using several different models for these seasonal races and having to tune them properly to make them challenging against the AI cars I have really begun to see why so many of these things are raced in the real world. I am getting to like them more and more!👍

 

[NewfieBangaa]

I've actually grown quite fond of grinding off this challenge. Even took one of the Miata's to the Supercar challenge for lulz and managed to come in 4th on Eifel due to the handling.

 

[BlindZenDriver]

BlindZenDriver,

I'll give your set-up a try. Just to verify though, these settings are for a Mazda Roadster RS (NC) '07? Just want to be sure we are using the same car.

The settings are indeed meant for the NC '07. But in fact using the settings for any of the other Miata/MX-5's should be okay at least as a starting point. After all all models are FR of similar weight and power and all have the same DNA as in having weight low to the ground, close to the center and a 50/50 balance (or very near).

In addition, I went back to Trial Mountain to try and find somewhat of a challenge. So I went to the Mazda new car dealer and bought a brand spanking new Mariner Blue Eunos Roadster (NA Special Package) '89 with a whopping 118HP and 101 ft/lb of torque. Slapped some sport hards on (since the rest of the field is using them) and headed to Trial Mountain.

On the set-up screen I see the power rating only shows 114HP. Go figure.

Not sure where the difference in HP came from but with regards to NA vs. NC being closer than expected I'm not surprised. The basic setup is the same and there is a weight difference with the NC being 17% heavier than the NA which offset the extra power and I think the NA may also have a smaller front area which should help with drag at speed.

 

[BlindZenDriver]

I gotta say that the Miata/Eunos Mazdas never really impressed me all that much.I always kinda schrugged them off as a "cute little chick car" even after doing the A-Spec races with them. However,after using several different models for these seasonal races and having to tune them properly to make them challenging against the AI cars I have really begun to see why so many of these things are raced in the real world. I am getting to like them more and more!👍

As a MX-5 fan for years I'm glad to hear you have seen the light 👍

Under the skin of an MX-5 there is much to like. The basic construction is really a sports car and not some adaptation of a family compact. Double wish-bones all round, weight close to the ground and to the center of the car.

Examples of design details: The bonnet is aluminum, the battery is a small and light one placed in the back, the engine is far back (for a front engine), the power steering is hydraulic and the gearbox is a joy to use.

 

[N91KB]

The settings are indeed meant for the NC '07. But in fact using the settings for any of the other Miata/MX-5's should be okay at least as a starting point. After all all models are FR of similar weight and power and all have the same DNA as in having weight low to the ground, close to the center and a 50/50 balance (or very near).

Reason I asked was because the initial car I used was the Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA) '89 from the UCD. I did an engine and chassis rebuild with a gradual tune up to 160HP & 390PP. I never messed with the suspension. Then when I tried the stock NC '07 which had I think 168HP & 391PP I was surprised at how much better the '07 performed from a handling standpoint. An accidental discovery if you will. That's why I wondering if the tune was done on one version how effective it would be on another. Between these two cars there is a 160 Kg weight difference, the '07 being heavier.

Off to try out your settings......👍

 

[fitftw]

The NC has better chassis rigidity/stiffening than the NB and FAR more than the NA. However with a thick front swaybar, Flyin' Miata butterfly brace and a rollbar, the NA is as stiff as an NC.

Any new car will hold itself together better than its 20 year old fathers. That being said, I'm partial to the NA and can't really stand driving the NC except for drifting online once in a while. Taking turn 2 at Eifel at 83mph is pretty exhilarating

 

[N91KB]

Suspension
Ride Height: -18 / -17
Spring Rate: 15.0 / 12.5
Extension: 5 / 5
Compression: 5 / 5
Anti-Roll: 4 / 4
Camber: 1.5 / 1.0
Toe: 0.25 / 0.20

I would love to hear how the two setups compares from as many as possible. Faster/slower, perceived difference in handling and so on.

Drive safely

First I want to start by saying I am by no means an expert, far from it. I'm just an average player/enthusiast who really enjoys GT5. Not sure how my times would compare with others. Test was run on bone stock Roadster RS (NC) '07 with sport hard tires fitted. Only mod is the fully tunable suspension. Power comes in at 173HP and 398PP.

Well, decided to try it out on Trial Mountain. I re-run CyKosis1973's set-up a couple more times and and happened to improve my previous best.
CyKosis1973's Set-up Fastest Lap: 1:45.575
Best 5 Lap Race Time: 8:56.625

And now BlindZenDriver's set-up:
Fastest Lap: 1:45.384
Best 5 Lap Race: 8:56.815

Wow. It sure was fun. I was surprised how close in time the two set-ups ran. I actually ran the race 3 times with each set-up. Great way to earn 2.6 million cr while testing!

BlindZenDriver's set-up is definitely a stiffer set-up. I thought controllability was very good and my fastest lap was with this set-up (about about 0.2 seconds quicker). Although my quickest race time was with Cykosis1973's set-up (by 0.190 of a second ) The biggest difference in feel that I noticed was car's rear end was more composed under heavy braking, especially if you trail brake a bit into some corners. But... when the rear lets go, it is more sudden.

CyKosis1973's set-up has a softer feel, the rear does dance around more, especially under braking. One benefit (for me) to this set-up is that I feel like I have a bit more control. For example, the high speed left, right, left after the start/finsish line; with a slight lift on the throttle just prior to each turn-in I can easily help turn the car and set up for the next corner or I can more easily correct my line if I was slightly off. I feel like I get more feedback from the car. This approach does not work as well with the stiffer set-up.

For me, both cars are quick and handle well and you could use either tune with confidence. So in the end it really comes down to preference.

If you like more feedback from the car while you drive and don't mind a little oversteer under braking (which can be a benefit) I'd go with CyKosis1973's tune.

If you like a stiff set-up with less feedback and a bit more stability under heavy braking, BlindZenDriver's tune may be for you. It is also the slightly faster set-up.

I too am curious how others would compare the two tunes.

Thanks again for both tunes. 👍 Good stuff.

 

[testorz]

Is there really only 2 cars that can be used?...

I used a Vauxhall VX220 '00 !

 

[NewfieBangaa]

I used a Vauxhall VX220 '00 !

How, you have to use the Miata's, MX-5, or Euno's in the NR-4 challenge.

Unless you're refering to another challenge

 

[fitftw]

ran a 51.1 lap on Eifel kart last night. Saved the replay. Anyone run a faster lap in an NA?

 

[BlindZenDriver]

<SNIP>
For me, both cars are quick and handle well and you could use either tune with confidence. So in the end it really comes down to preference.

If you like more feedback from the car while you drive and don't mind a little oversteer under braking (which can be a benefit) I'd go with CyKosis1973's tune.

If you like a stiff set-up with less feedback and a bit more stability under heavy braking, BlindZenDriver's tune may be for you. It is also the slightly faster set-up.

I too am curious how others would compare the two tunes.

Thanks again for both tunes. 👍 Good stuff.

Thank you very much for the feedback. 👍

What you report is similar to my own experience and I'm glad to learn I am not just imagining the differences.

How cool is it that we get to not only drive lots of cars on great tracks but that on the same time there is depth behind the action

Now if only we could save setups, do even more data analysis, design our own aero elements... have integrated CFD... plenty of things to add in GT5 and lots more to dream of for GT6 and beyond 💡

 

[NewfieBangaa]

Well I've made it to half of the cars being used so far.

So many miatas.

 

[N91KB]

How cool is it that we get to not only drive lots of cars on great tracks but that on the same time there is depth behind the action

Now if only we could save setups, do even more data analysis, design our own aero elements... have integrated CFD... plenty of things to add in GT5 and lots more to dream of for GT6 and beyond 💡

I was pleasantly surprised at the depth and subtle differences between seemingly identical cars. Makes me realize a lot of effort was put into GT5 in areas that are not so obvious at first glance.

Having said that, I'd love to see many of the above mentioned items included in future updates and/or GT6!

 

[JohnBM01]

Here's something I don't get- five laps around Tsukuba, but EIGHT around Autumn Ring Mini? Down by 20 with only five laps around Tsukuba is damn near impossible to win from 12th place. I then found out my Miata wasn't extremely tuned. Those two races really got under my skin.

 

[N91KB]

Here's something I don't get- five laps around Tsukuba, but EIGHT around Autumn Ring Mini? Down by 20 with only five laps around Tsukuba is damn near impossible to win from 12th place. I then found out my Miata wasn't extremely tuned. Those two races really got under my skin.

A stock Roadster (NC) '07 on sport hards from the new car dealer has enough performance to win the first three events (not by much though, except for Trail Mountain which is a breeze). The last two required some tweaking, either in the power department or suspension department.

 

[JohnBM01]

I have the 2007 Premium Miata. Hell, why not make it eight laps around Tsukuba and eight laps around Autumn Ring Mini? Or maybe 10 around Tsukuba. I haven't yet tried those two races again since upgrading my Miata.

 

[Nujin]

i have not used Miata/MX-5 since i ended the A-Spec Endurance Roadster 4 hours and that was in January I think.

And now i can not win some tracks with fast stock Roadster RS (NC) '07 (on sport medium)
I will need to use the tuned one i have.

 

[homeforsummer]

i have not used Miata/MX-5 since i ended the A-Spec Endurance Roadster 4 hours and that was in January I think.

And now i can not win some tracks with fast stock Roadster RS (NC) '07 (on sport medium)
I will need to use the tuned one i have.

I found the tiniest bit of tweaking (some slightly better tyres and an exhaust or something) is enough to win the toughest of events in the NC, which is the kart circuit one.

I've found the kart circuit events more difficult since they're so much slower and narrower so a car like the NC can't use its power advantage as much... needs a little help in the grip department instead.

 

[CyKosis1973]

i have not used Miata/MX-5 since i ended the A-Spec Endurance Roadster 4 hours and that was in January I think.

And now i can not win some tracks with fast stock Roadster RS (NC) '07 (on sport medium)
I will need to use the tuned one i have.

I found the tiniest bit of tweaking (some slightly better tyres and an exhaust or something) is enough to win the toughest of events in the NC, which is the kart circuit one.

I've found the kart circuit events more difficult since they're so much slower and narrower so a car like the NC can't use its power advantage as much... needs a little help in the grip department instead.

Check the link, in my sig below, for a very mildly tweeked NC Roadster, on Sport Hard tyres, should be just enough, but not too much :-)

{Cy}

 

[RuneGT]

Hey guys, I'm new to this game and I was wondering... Do you need to tune your MX5 to win the races? I've been trying to come in 1st place with no tuning at all and I'm only managing 7th-9th place. Please help! Thanks.

 

[BlindZenDriver]

Hey guys, I'm new to this game and I was wondering... Do you need to tune your MX5 to win the races? I've been trying to come in 1st place with no tuning at all and I'm only managing 7th-9th place. Please help! Thanks.

Welcome to the game.

No tuning with regards to engine power is needed with the fastest of the many models like for example the 2007 model you'll find at the dealer. However you will likely need to adjust the suspension which means buying the fully adjustable suspension package.

You'll find suggestions to the suspension settings in earlier posts in this thread. Cykosis1973 has posted links to a nice setup he has put together and I have also made some suggestions a few pages back.

I must be said that even with the fastest stock MX-5 plus suspension tweaks winning is not necessarily easy (remember many here have raced A LOT and practice does help). Should you still find winning to difficult after the modifications then first try one of the other tracks as winning is not equally difficult on all tracks. If you're still not making it then install a few power upgrades that is why they exist but try to only do a few changes because if you go all the way you'll find it is suddenly much to easy.

Write again if you like more help.

 

[gtnoobie]

Hey guys, I'm new to this game and I was wondering... Do you need to tune your MX5 to win the races? I've been trying to come in 1st place with no tuning at all and I'm only managing 7th-9th place. Please help! Thanks.

If u r like me, not so great in driving skills as yet, winning in stock is extremely difficult especially when the 1st or 2nd car always run away from the rest. Usually placed 3rd in sports hard in these seasonals.
Now try race soft in stock and see how u can tear open the field for races with many turns like tsukuba. If u like challenge then progressively downgrade ur tires. Increase in hp is not as critical in many of these races. Another so called in game cheat is srf. I dun use aids except abs 1 nowadays but srf is a saver if all else fails. For other aids like traction control n asm, it actually slows u down in underpowered car like mx5. For high powered mr or fr cars it can be useful.

 

[MeanElf]

...Hell, why not make it eight laps around Tsukuba and eight laps around Autumn Ring Mini? Or maybe 10 around Tsukuba...

I'd say that's just the relative size of the tracks, Autumn Ring Mini is really quite short, plus the other cars get in the way more...

 

[robbo6]

A stock Roadster (NC) '07 on sport hards from the new car dealer has enough performance to win the first three events (not by much though, except for Trail Mountain which is a breeze). The last two required some tweaking, either in the power department or suspension department.

you DO realise that the people on this forum have different driving skill levels, so what you can do with a certain car is not the yardstick.

 

[MeanElf]

you DO realise that the people on this forum have different driving skill levels, so what you can do with a certain car is not the yardstick.

I don't know, it does give folks something to aim for if they fancy a challenge.

 

[stano666]

If u r like me, not so great in driving skills as yet, winning in stock is extremely difficult especially when the 1st or 2nd car always run away from the rest.

I wonder why PD isn't using standing starts ? The 1st car has a major advantage, he hasn't got anybody in his way. Perhaps PD thinks this is the way to make GT5 'difficult' ?

Btw what is srf ???
Greetings stano666

 

[TrackBound7]

I personally like the seasonal format of the rabbit and hound rather than a standing start. Most A spec races you can take the lead within the first couple of turns with a car on the same level as the AI. What I wish PD would do is make the 5 races for each seasonal similar in terms of the AI pace. I have been trying to turn some of my favorite seasonal/track combinations into "expert" seasonal challenges. What car/part upgrade works for one track as a challenge is either too easy or impossible (such as Tsukuba vs Trial Mt).

 

[MeanElf]

...
Btw what is srf ???

Skid Recovery Force - it's an assist.

 

[TrackBound7]

SRF from what I have read here is a cheat compared to TC or ABS, as there is no real application for it. Basically it makes the tires stick better, as if they were a different compound.

 

[stano666]

Skid Recovery Force - it's an assist.

💡 thanks, LOL totally forget about it.
Greetings stano666