Stock A-Spec Seasonal #8 - (450PP, 500PP, 600PP RC - 9/17 to 10/01)

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This is a thread series for the seasonal time trials that focuses on completing the challenges (i.e. beating the gold target times) with stock versions of the cars. This means that instead of maximizing your PP with upgrades and focusing on getting the fastest laps on the in-game leaderboard, you are attempting to complete the challenges with the bare minimum amount of 'car' and money-spent as is possible.

With the new more open ended format means that part of the challenge will be finding a stock car that has the lowest PP or lowest price depending on your view. It is also difficult to predict which types of tires a car will come with before purchasing.

Warning: Some of these challenges are getting to be extreme and should be approached with caution! :banghead:


In order to participate your car must be stock.

1) A stock car is essentially any car as it is when purchased from the dealership or won as a prize: it will have had no modifications, added parts, or adjustments done that affect how the car performs.
2) No oil changes are permitted: if you have had an oil change you must wait until the effects of the HP boost have been removed by driving over 300 km.
3) You must use the original tire type that came with the car, unless dirt or snow tires are required.
4) No changes to any “Car Settings” are permitted: they must ALL be left at their default values. [Note: cars that come with Fully Customizable Suspension that were purchased or won prior to patch 1.11 must have the suspension settings restored to default in order to be updated with the new stock suspension settings.]
5) No SRF or ASM is permitted: other “Driver Assists” are permitted.

Basically, the ONLY changes you may make to a car include: painting the car and changing a car’s racing number. Any other changes means your car is not stock.


Stock A-Spec Seasonals #8:

Beginner Level Non-Race Car Challenge: Special Stage Route 5 Clubman - 450 PP - SH
Intermediate Level Non-Race Car Challenge: London - 500 PP - SS *
Expert Level Race Car Challenge: Grand Valley Speedway - 600 PP - RH


*This event might be a mistake: While it is an Intermediate event, it feels like it's an Expert event. All the opponents are driving cars well above 500PP and are using SS tires. Perhaps it was intended to force tuning; or perhaps it was supposed to be a 550PP event. It can be done stock, but it will take much perseverance and the right opponents.

The Stock Seasonal Spreadsheet:

A few members have begun a leaderboard of sorts where individuals will be able to input their info into a public document. This is not so much a competition as a way to compare all sorts of data. At this point the data that is recorded for entries is as follows:

PP - Total Time - Best Lap - Car - Tires - Drive - Power - Weight - Rabbit - Rabbit Total Time

Link to the GTP Stock Seasonal Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kDEW2OWUxHfq9PTR4G4-HKXl3veLfq0sXhvwiPYMUGw/

Notes about the Spreadsheet:
Tabs will generally be ordered with the newest seasonal events at the left.
Gold times are ordered based first on PP (lowest PP at the top), and then total time.
Bronze and Silver times are ordered based solely on total time (fastest time at the top): these entries will be grayed out.
If you are comfortable with entering your info please do so.
Only create one entry per car for your best total time for that car.
To add an empty line: right click (PC) on a gray row number box and select add a row above or below.
If you make a mistake or change something you did not mean to change hit undo once or a few times.
 
Wow. That Intermediate Event is really a Pro-Expert/God event for stock drivers! I think they made a mistake and it was supposed to be a 550PP limit instead of 500PP. ALL the opponents are in cars with more than 500PP (limiters?) and have SS tires. :odd:

My results so far with a wheel and automatic transmission:

450PP at SS Route 5:

413PP - 1:02.959 - 5:51.213 - Ferrari Dino 246 GT '71 - SH - MR - 191hp - 1080kg - NSX Type S '99 - 5:51.652


500PP at London:
454PP - 1:01.671 - 5:54.994 - Shelby GT350 '65 - SH - FR - 305hp - 1270kg - GT-R Black Edition '12 - 5:30.027

481PP - 1:00.429 - 5:47.253 - Ferrari 512 BB '76 - SH - MR - 354hp - 1400kg - GT-R Black Edition '12 - 5:31.536

496PP - 0:58.533 - 5:39.949 - BMW M3 Coupe Chrome Line - SH - FR - 439hp - 1625kg - Special - 5:34.504

After about twenty attempts with different opponents...
496PP - 0:57.964 - 5:32.949 - Ferrari 365 GTB4 '71 - SH - FR - 347hp - 1200kg - Special - 5:33.856


The trick for me was to make sure the Buick Special was in the line-up and that it blocked the faster 2nd place AI car (V16T ’94 and SL 65 AMG (R230) ‘04 were the next AI cars). With this line-up I was able to repeat the victory several times trying to get a clean win and replay.


600PP RC at Grand Valley:
535PP - 1:54.521 - 10:17.667 - Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe '64 - RH - FR - 384hp - 1043kg - Zonda LM Race Car - 9:52.784

597PP - 1:46.246 - 9:37.626 - Nissan GT-R GT500 Stealth Model - RH - FR - 545hp - 1050kg - Corvette C5-R (C5) '00 - 9:40.354

I'll probably have a go with different race cars later.
 
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Beginner Level Non-Race Car Challenge: Special Stage Route 5 Clubman - 450 PP - SH

410PP
- 6:11.230 - 1:08.xxx - Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5 16 Evolution II '91 - CS - FR - 230bhp - 1340kg - NSX '96 -6:11.381

Wasn't too hard though the NSX was gaining worryingly on the final straight.

I've only had a quick go at London in the 365 GTB4 but I'd better try something else. I don't think there are going to many contenders here.
 
Beginner Level Non-Race Car Challenge: Special Stage Route 5 Clubman - 450 PP - SH

400PP
- 6:14.342 (1st) - Best Lap: 1:09.224 - Nissan Skyline HT 2000 RS-X Turbo C (R30) '84 - CS - FR - 201bhp - 1250kg - NSX '01 - 6:14.360 (+00.018)

I overtook the NSX in the last few corners and of course it has a lot more bhp than the Skyline so it easily caught up on the last straight. I had to make a defensive manoeuvre to keep him behind me. Pretty fun car to drive though.

I'll have a go at the Intermediate and Expert races tomorrow most probably although I hate the London track with a passion :rolleyes:.
 
Started by trying the Expert with the CALSONIC '93 (554PP) but couldn't quite get it, I will be back to give it a red hot go though. I then bought the STAGEA '98 (417PP) for the Intermediate and was WAAAAAAY outclassed and after nothing much to show for my GT'ing I did the Beginner race with the STAGEA:

450PP @ SS Route 5:
417PP
: 1:07.513 : 6:09.599 : STAGEA 25t S FOUR S '98 : CS : 4WD : 278hp : 1650kg : Elise 111R '04 : +00.115

I like @MadMax's way of giving the time difference for the rabbit rather than it's total time since the difference is really all that matters.

Spreadsheet Updated
 
Wins
450PP at SS Route 5:

428PP - 1:06.233 - 6:03.2 - Audi S4 '98 - CS - 260hp - 1510kg - ImpreZA sedan WRX Sti Version - 6:03.7


500PP at London:
500PP - 56.979 - 5:30.5 - Tuscan Speed 6 '00 - SH - 360hp - 1100kg - special - 5:31.2

Need to b smooth and semi clean (leaning on AI on corners)
Difficult in stock car

600PP RC at Grand Valley:
594PP - 1:50.2 - 9:57.4 - 2000 Ford Falcon XR8 - RH - FR - 599hp - 1350kg - McLaren F1 GTR - BMW (Kokus - 9:57.5

592PP - 1:47.9 - 9:49.1 - Z4 GT3 '11 - RH - FR - 508hp - 1350kg - McLaren F1 GTR - BMW (Kokus - 9:49.3
 
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Beginner Level Non-Race Car Challenge: Special Stage Route 5 Clubman - 450 PP - SH

388PP
- 6:13.907 - 1:010.xxx - Renault RS Turbo '80 - CS - MR - 159bhp - 970 kg - Skyline GT-R V-spec (R32) - +0.713

Had a go at London with the GSX-R/4 but only managed 2nd so far.
 
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limited on interweb time... so I will get to the cars.

SSR5C - RX7 RS-R 1997
441pp/262bhp/30t/1280kg

62.316 - 5m43.2
win by 0.5 vs NSX (01) of Vitale (5m43.7)

Not the best time as I was a bit... careful in traffic - and after 16 years I've yet to find the right way through the last corner.

London
Same car (Mistake)

62.307 - 5m57.549
7th Scud of Gasparini won with a 5m28.5

I then swapped to a ... Ruf RGT
499pp/378bhp/38t/1330kg SH/RR

59.150 - 5m41.510 (3rd (Gasparini 5m28.3))
Repeated in RGT
58.889 - 5m41.031 (3rd (Gasparini 5m28.2))

quite a distance off a win (12-13 seconds) I either need to hone those 1337 skillz... (Hundred years War... Yes its time to claim back the French throne! Now that the Scots have realised the futility of leaving the Galactic Empire... I mean the United Kingdom.)

The SSR5C race was very easy ... the London one was extra hard. Maybe I got a silly AI grid. Maybe I am a slowpoke at London... only really need to find 2-3 seconds a lap, every lap... how hard can that be?
 
Spent way too long trying to win the Intermediate and Expert with cars that might be able to do it but were just out of my reach...sigh. Settled on these in the end:

Intermediate:
492PP : 0:56.970 : 5:31.386 : Suzuki GSX-R/4 '01 : (SH MR 172 640) : Buick Special : +01.125

Expert:
571PP : 1:50.423 : 9:52.765 : RX-8 Concept LM Race Car : (RH FR 500 1100) : Corvette Z06 (C6) LM : +00.224

I may come back for another go with the HSC '03 (490pp) in the Intermediate, it was pretty close and the CALSONIC '93 (554pp) in the Expert. These ones really need select line ups, some cars are impossible to catch!
 
Expert Level Race Car Challenge: Grand Valley Speedway - 600 PP - RH

591PP
-1:47.103 - 9:44.380 - Ferrari 330 P4 Race Car '67 - RH - MR - 448 bhp - 792kg - GT-R concept LM Race car - +0.307

Still no joy at London though. I'm beginning to think only the three cars that have already been used are capable.
 
Just managed to beat Special Stage Route 5 cleanly with:

373PP - 1:08.975 - 6:15.383 - Toyota 2000GT '67 - CS - FR - 153hp - 1120kg - M Coupe '98 - 6:15.584.

I love this little sports car, and I rarely get to use it competitively. the trick here is to not have any NSX car present as an opponent. The M Coupe '98 seemed to prevent the next two AI cars from being able to pass so they were always in a pack of three. Trying to get by this pack is damn fun. I did this race several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. You need enough speed through the last three/four turns to gain enough distance over the M4 before the final turn. Then I hugged the barrier on the straight so he didn't get any draft and hoped I would pass the finish before he passed me: had between +0.201 and +0.067 [this was my car's year too :lol:].

Edit: My mistake: it is Special Stage Route 5, not London; no wonder @StirlingMoose was a little startled.
 
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Just managed to beat London cleanly with:

373PP - 1:08.975 - 6:15.383 - Toyota 2000GT '67 - CS - FR - 153hp - 1120kg - M Coupe '98 - 6:15.584.

I love this little sports car, and I rarely get to use it competitively. the trick here is to not have any NSX car present as an opponent. The M Coupe '98 seemed to prevent the next two AI cars from being able to pass so they were always in a pack of three. Trying to get by this pack is damn fun. I did this race several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. You need enough speed through the last three/four turns to gain enough distance over the M4 before the final turn. Then I hugged the barrier on the straight so he didn't get any draft and hoped I would pass the finish before he passed me: had between +0.201 and +0.067 [this was my car's year too :lol:].

Well I never. I've only been trying with cars in the 450-500PP range. This puts an entirely different perspective on things. What made you try the Toyota? It's a lovely car but I wouldn't have thought it stood any chance. Good work.
 
@StirlingMoose : I tried it because I had it and have used to before, it was a lower PP, I generally only try premiums, it was from the 60s, and it has a low weight for the elevation differences. I'm just drawn to certain types of cars I guess. [Early on when I had completed the game and started buying cars with all my money I went through all the dealerships and bought up all the inexpensive (i.e. not millions of dollars) cars that were premiums from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.] :D
 
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Expert Level Race Car Challenge: Grand Valley Speedway - 600 PP - RH

583pp - Nissan XANAVI NISMO GT-R '03 - RH - FR - 493hp - 1080kg - Best Lap = 1:48.630 :D

A-Spec_#8_Expert_Level_Racing_Car_Challenge_[Xanavi_Nismo_GT-R_'03].jpg

Tried four times previous to this win with two different line ups twice each [GT-R Concept & Zonda LM] + [Ford GT LM & Z06 (C6) LM] and got close second place each time although my race total times for those four races were a few seconds faster [9:46-48] than for this winning race.
 
Beginner Level Non-Race Car Challenge: Special Stage Route 5 Clubman - 450 PP - SH
382PP
- 6:13.260 - Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 T Sport '09 - FF - CS - 152bhp - 1145kg vs Elise 111R '04 +0.128 sec behind , bl 1:08.962
(passed the rabbit right after T1/lap5 , Elise started in 2nd place and passed 1st place AI car before T1 / lap1)
359PP - 6:19.495 - Alpine A310 1600VE '73 CS - RR - 123bhp - 930kg vs NSX Type S '99 +0.031 sec & S.S. Sprinter Trueno +0.402 sec behind , bl 1:10.032
(passed the NSX at T1 / lap 5 and blocked it for the rest of the lap on last straith the Hatchi-Roku caught up and I had 2 cars to block)
351PP - 6:20.876 - Eunos Roadster J-Limited (NA) '91 3rd vs Elise 111R '04 4.651 sec ahead bl 1:10.067

Intermediate Level Non-Race Car Challenge: London - 500 PP - SS
490PP . Challenger R/T '70 6th 17 sec behind rabbit Corvette Z06 (C6) '06
415PP - Abarts 500 '09 5th vs 430 Scuderia , 18 sec behind best lap 59.437 (pre-tuned by PD , comes with all tyres and entering event changes tyres to Sports Softs)
477PP - 5:28.579 - Volkswagen Scirocco R '10 - SS - FF - 344bhp - 1410kg . vs Cizeta V16Y '94 +0.866 sec behind bl 56.614 (pre tuned , like above) 1 AI touch , 2 wall touches

470PP M3 '04 5th vs scuderia 17 sec behind
493PP Esprit Sport 350 3rd vs scuderia 7 sec behind

Expert Level Race Car Challenge: Grand Valley Speedway - 600 PP - RH
551PP - Ayrton Senna WSR F3 '83 , 10th vs TS030 Hybrid '12 over a minute behind
553PP - 9:55.480 - Subaru IMPREZA Super Touring Car - RH - 4WD - 415bhp - 1030kg vs GT-R R35 Touring Car +0.333 sec behind , bl 1:50.132 (passed rabbit right after T1 / lap 5)
560PP - 9:46.458 - Honda ARTA NSX '00 RH - MR - 481bhp - 1150kg vs Viper GTS-R (Team Oreca) #91 '00 +0.236 sec behind , bl 1:47.893
(passed the rabbit a bit before braking zone for turn 1 , lap 5 . Had caught good draft at end of lap 4 , my fastest lap)
 
Still no joy at London though. I'm beginning to think only the three cars that have already been used are capable.
I reckon there are plenty more, certainly the HSC '03 could do it with one of you faster folk at the wheel and a select line up. It does pose the question though, is selecting a soft line-up against the spirit of this challenge?

(Spreadsheet Updated)
 
@Hastatus I'm glad we got that cleared up before I went trying a load of sub-400PP cars at London. ;)
@MisterWeary There are an awful lot of greyed-out times on the spreadsheet for London and even @MadMax hasn't posted a win yet so I'm not optimistic. I'll give it a go in the HSC '03 later if I get the chance. Regarding selecting a soft grid, I suppose it is a bit unsporting but what's the alternative? Using the first grid you're given, in which case it becomes pot luck, or specifying a certain grid which everyone has to use which would get very complicated.
@MadMax - Nice work in the Alpine. Interesting observation about the Scirocco. So it comes with CS stock but automatically gets upgraded to the highest grade tyres allowed in the race, making it useless for these challenges. Shame. I assume this doesn't apply to TTs though.

Edit -

500PP at London:
490PP
- 0:57.xxx - 5:33.751 - Honda HSC '03 - SH - MR - 324bhp - 1150kg - GT-R Black edition '12 - +0.483

Proved myself wrong. Thanks to @MisterWeary for the car suggestion (got any more?). Got a lucky grid first up so stuck with it. Special in pole and no F430 Scuderia, I didn't think it could get much easier than that. I can't say I'm particularly enamoured of the car though, understeers pretty badly and doesn't respond at all well to trail braking. Slow in fast out is definitely the way to go. It does ride the kerbs well though.
 
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Glad you got the win @StirlingMoose :)👍 And you're right about the alternative...select line-ups are just a part of the game I guess.

As I understand it, trail-braking is when you ease off the brake as you're coming into a corner...I'm wondering what the difference is between that and staying hard on the brakes all the way in to a corner and then coasting until you get back on the gas? I've never really understood exactly what trail-braking is and how it's used :confused:
 
As I understand it, trail-braking is when you ease off the brake as you're coming into a corner...I'm wondering what the difference is between that and staying hard on the brakes all the way in to a corner and then coasting until you get back on the gas? I've never really understood exactly what trail-braking is and how it's used :confused:

That's pretty much it. Trail-braking is when you're still on the brakes after you turn in and ease off up to the apex as opposed to braking in a straight line and coming off the brakes as you turn in. It can help get more rotation in some cars on some corners and also means you can brake a bit later. In the HSC it just resulted in going straight on most of the time. If you're interested in learning more about the technicalities of racing driving I highly recommend this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411404202&sr=1-1&keywords=going faster

It's a bit pricey but well worth it. There is also this video from the Skip Barber racing school on youtube if you want a cheaper if less comprehensive option.
 
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Expert Level Race Car Challenge: Grand Valley Speedway - 600 PP - RH
573PP
- 9m41.057 - 1m47.392 - Honda HSV-010 - RH - FR - 495bhp - 41 Torques - 1100kg vs Zonda LM +0.193 sec behind.

All in all an easy race got the lead after reeling the leaders in. the Zonda then tried to hunt me down... and was way faster on the final straight... few hundred yards more and I'd have lost.

Japanese 7 - Metallic Apple Green
(Doesn't not come with free U2 album. Great news!)

Intermediate Level Non-Race Car Challenge: London - 500 PP -
492PP - Suzuki GSX-R/4 - SH - MR - 172bhp - 14 Torques - 640kg .


I had what seemed a soft grid - A Buick (Driven by Fletcher) on Pole, Nakagawa's GT-R Black 2nd and Marti in the Cizeta V16T (Like a Sporty London Bus and almost a wide!

57.165 - 5m32.736 - 2nd - 5m31.1 (Nakagawa - GT-R Black)
57.471 - 5m31.538 - 2nd - 5m29.3 (Nakagawa - GT-R Black)
56.775 - 5m30.390 - 1st - 5m31.5 (Fletcher - Buick)

Fun race as I got to grips with the stock GSX - The Favourite for those low Blood pH Timetrialists when tuned up. Stock my Suzuki had very ponderous gearchanges - and was a bit tricksy into corner - the front would wash out or it would bite. Overtaking was tough - all clean but I had to bounce over the curbs towards the end of the lap - which can't have done the wheels much good.
However good my speed was the winning race had that lazy Buick slowing down the skyline - So I could afford to take it easy for the pass - A hotlapper would have bashed the Nissan out of the way then clobbered the Buick for good measure.

Pretty sure I only won as the AI grid was mucking about.

Matte Light Silver - Used on my XJ13 - to give it that bare Aluminium look -
 
500PP at London:
490PP
- 0:57.xxx - 5:33.751 - Honda HSC '03 - SH - MR - 324bhp - 1150kg - GT-R Black edition '12 - +0.483

Proved myself wrong. Thanks to @MisterWeary for the car suggestion (got any more?). Got a lucky grid first up so stuck with it. Special in pole and no F430 Scuderia, I didn't think it could get much easier than that. I can't say I'm particularly enamoured of the car though, understeers pretty badly and doesn't respond at all well to trail braking. Slow in fast out is definitely the way to go. It does ride the kerbs well though.
Did it in a KTM X-Bow tuned to 500 PP. Because of the MR layout and the short wheelbase, I was able to enter the corners aggressively. Had to break the habit of over-correcting, so I wasn't in oppo and smoking the tires. I also got a lucky draw, with the Buick Special up front and the Ferrari 599 unable to pass it. :D
 
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