Anyone else notice that there are two, possibly even three versions of the Escudo Pikes Peak in GT2? There's the Escudo V6 "Special" described as the purchasable Escudo on several websites including the Fandom wiki which purports to use text and images from one version of GT2 or another which means either I am misunderstanding, the single V6 model is available in some versions of GT2, or there is an error in the information I've read as I can find no such Escudo V6 "Special" car in my version of GT2; then there are two versions of the Escudo Pikes Peak Version (with the custom-built V-12 powerhouse): One purchasable in the Suzuki Special category and one that is awarded for winning in a certain series of races. The "win-able" version is in my perception noticeably superior to the version purchasable in the Suzuki Special showroom much as in the case of the Toyota GT-ONE Road Car (purchasable" vs the GT-ONE Race Car (win-able) . In short, unless I grossly misread descriptions, it seems to me that some versions of GT 2 do feature the Escudo V6 PP "Special" in the showroom w/much lower HP (800) while others including mine offer instead the twin-V6 engine capable of 980 HP.
In any event, regarding the issue of whether or not vehicles like the Escudo PPV and the Toyota GT-One (again, two versions, one superior IMO, are available) and even the Espace F1 (which is far more formidable than most realize) are "too good" or "overly capable" to be used in a fair and sporting manner, I think it comes down to a balance btwn challenge and one's overall fun factor. IE, race using the car(s) that provide you with an exciting, enjoyable experience keeping in mind that the GT games can be far more challenging and therefore potentially more gratifying and engaging when players use vehicles against which the game's drivers/cars can offer some real competition.
And this plays into the Random Event Generator which annoyingly IMO filters out all rally and (R) cars meaning that one cannot race with and against the best vehicles in the game, instead forcing players to use non (R) vehicles to experience any real challenge which is both good and bad. I don't think the two styles of play are mutually exclusive. I believe that the EG should not filter out Rally and (R) cars so that players can have the most complete set of racing challenges.
In any case, for most events I do think using the Escudo PPV is a bit much, but it can be a fun car to drive and given the right event in which one is racing against another Escudo or a GT-One and similar cars, even challenging. I recommend one strive for balance when selecting which vehicle(s) to use if you want to be truly challenged and if not that's cool too, Mostly (lol). Because after all, this game is all about learning how to drive and how to modify and tune vehicles to bring out their greatest potential but as I stated previously, it does come down to individual preferences. So my advice is, again, to try to keep races challenging, balancing the desire to win against the desire to compete evenly against cars which have the capacity to challenge both your vehicle and skill set. You know, for fun, excitement, and potential learning and/or personal growth he he. If anyone can offer insight into the mystery of the Escudo V6 Pikes Peaks Special vs the Escudo (V12) Pikes Peak Version, please reply and thank you. (Please excuse my redundancies and seeming contradictions)
And re: my opinion of the Escudo PPV, it's one heck of a racer, on-asphalt or on dirt, but out-performs most other vehicles to the point of it being almost in a class by itself.