TCV4 Judging...

[Parnelli Bone]

Used car lot late '90s for the Grand Sport and Mustang. They're not über rare but I suppose they're not really common either.

No prob. I finally got one.

AT Chevrolet Corvette GS.S

Comfort: 11

I didn't know what to expect with this one. It's the strongest car so far, and some of the settings looked wacky to me. But being a judge has also opened my mind to new ideas. 👍 Before driving the GS.S, i let Bob do a few laps just to warm the car up.

So sorry for the low score there Mr. Paulie, but i gotta be honest

I really didn't feel comfortable driving this one. Matter of fact, in my first lap, i got ahead of Bob's ghost by a healthy 2-second margin, and decided to take the right hander out of the 2nd tunnel while over-throttling the car. It seemed as tho the GS.S was wanting me to go for a drift, so i went for it.

Big mistake. I wound up in an embarassing full spin, even tho i wound the car out of that right in 3rd gear. I coulda swore i heard Bob laughing at me as his ghost passed me and got far ahead.

This car has lots of raw power at lower rpms, with that supercharger, after all. I momentarily forgot about that!

Overall, it is the CAR that is in control, rather than the driver. The driver must be highly skilled to wring this car's capabilities onto the track. Once i learned this car's demanding demands, i felt more in control, but i didn't feel comfortable driving it.


Cornering Attitude: 9

Let's go thru this step by step.

Braking. Very strong rear brakes matched with weak front brakes. I had no idea what to expect. Since there is also minimal decel in the LSD, i expected i could trail-brake this one to some degree, and i kinda could, but not enough to satisfy. This car likes to be braked in a straight line for the most part, and must be braked early. I had to start way before 100m into the first GV hairpin, for instance. Towards the end some braking areas, i could get a minor trail-brake happening, but also ran the risk of some nagging entry-corner understeer in doing so.
"Brake early", this one seems to scream "or pay the consequences, fool!" Yes, sir Mr. GS.S.

Mid-corner was interesting. At some points, it seems this car has multiple-personality as it see-saws between front-end grabbing, hoards of understeer, and (finally) some lift-off oversteer if i let if coast long enough. WEight transfer feels inflexible at some points, especially side-to-side, which was awkward. It took me awhile to get the hang of all this. I can say that for about 2 laps, this car had the best of me, and here i am driving like a newb!

Getting the GS.S to leave corners is also interesting, and takes several moments of preperation. HOARDS OF WHEELSPIN out of 2nd...even 3rd gear! ...while the rear-end sways to and fro like an angry lobster. Half-throttle is where this car often likes to be as it's leaving a turn...or perhaps this car was MEANT to be driven full-throttle? Lots of smoke...lots of noise...

...for sure, this an honest car, in that it's NOT safe. NOT a pansy, sweet-cornering babe that tiptoes from one hairpin to the next while trying to please the driver.

....as i said earlier, the GS.S is usually the one playing "boss" here...i felt like a mere puppet-head figure (Bush), while the car (Cheney) is really the one in control.


Cornering Prowess: 8

Not a "cornering prowess" sort of car, let's be honest. This car is like a ruler or a yardstick, in that it likes straight lines much better. I'm experienced enough that (once i learned how to drive this one) i could certainly work with it, but this is like saying a parole officer can "work with" an errant, violent, dangerous criminal. You gotta be TOUGH with this car...while knowing where you stand at all times. The GS.S doesn't want to pussy-foot around, but also does many, many things in corners that threaten dual-shock anxiety-smash desires.

At the same time, if you stay with a narrow margin, the GS.S does start to work some magic, and can give you some leeway (especially with moments of sweet throttle-steer). But...not a car for beginners. Or most intermediates.


Power to Capability: 8

Roughly half the time, this car's power is over-powering everything else. But i can't vote 7.5. I rounded it up to 8.

Perceived Changes: 5

With loads of torque and 527 horsepower, this car is arguably out of S3 country and should be on racing tires. I'm sure if we had some R3's (racing medium tires), this wild car might start to feel more at home.

I messed with the suspension: removing toe as usual. I raised the front a bit, added some front camber but lowered the rear camber. I otherwise didn't change anything else. I also raised the initial LSD setting a bit, while lowering the accel setting. All of this was aimed at getting the car to corner more smoothly, and put some weight towards the rear so under acceleration there was now wheelspin & tire smoke only when i wanted it. I did manage to get the GS.S to not be so schizophrenic, but overall this will never be an easy-driving car.

Also, i raised the front brakes and lowered the rear ones....instant trail-braking action! YESSS! Tho this car still demands early braking, i could at least brake into corners, tho this was still a dangerous operation. There was always some lingering Corvette-type understeer mid-corner. I couldn't get rid of it without compromising the rear. Oh well.

I'm not sure if the stage 3 weight redux+ rigid refresh + rollcage hurt or helped the car, so i didn't dock points here. Certainly, the usual results (lack of flexibility, numbness, and stiffess)) are not present with the Grand Sport.S in my opinion. Or perhaps the massive power matched with sport tires made judging chassis flexibility impossble, because the car was too unstable anyways.

I didn't touch the gears and had no reason to....it wouldn't do any good. Sure, i could have tried to affix a taller 2nd and 3rd gear, but i prefered amateur TCS (aka throttle control ) instead. 6th redlined towards the very end of Grand Valley, but i'm not docking points. This tranny seems made for a course with a slightly shorter straight, perhaps.

Total: 41

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next: Adamgp's Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Driver's Comfort: 13

Some of the settings in this are so similar to the Corvette GS.S i drove yesterday, it makes me wonder if they've been tuned at the same shop. I noticed brakes and limited-slip in particular have almost the exact same profile.

Again, i let Bob do a couple laps while i wrote this intro, and then took over.

And it's notable that both cars (the GS.S and the Cobra R) DO indeed share some similar driving qualities, but the Cobra R feels a bit like it's more able to handle its own power. Not as jumpy and wreckless as the GS.S. I felt more comfortable driving the Cobra R, but i had too many issues & awkward moments in this car to really enjoy it.


Cornering 'tude: 11

LIke i said, in alot of ways the GS.S and the Cobra R are similar. Neither car likes being braked into corners, for instance (gotta be those strong rear brake settings matched with weak front settings, again). The Cobra R did feel a bit more confident under braking, tho. In fact, overall this car feels more confident on S3 tires than the Corvette GS.S. Brake distances still needed to be longish and mostly in a straightened line, though.

Again, there's massive understeer in this car, both entry and mid-corner (sometimes late-corner, too), which led to additional brake-taps and additional downshifts. I could avoid some of the entry-corner understeer if i braked super-early, but often if i even touched the gas mid-corner, understeer would re-emerge. Mostly, it's like you gotta just get this baby in a corner, let it coast, and wait to give some gas. And wait. And wait. Understeer doesn't get the hint..it won't leave the party no matter how many ways you try and drop hints.

Unfortunately there isn't enough lift-off oversteer in this car to help correct underteer-issues. It's like i'm mid-corner....i'm waiting and waiting for it to finally get into a groove,.....waiting for understeer to go away and melt into something i can use, but most of the time understeer doesn't go away. Or it doesn't go away enough.

If i did get my braking done correct, there was unfortunately some front-end grabbing, rather than understeer; meaning i was forced to be ultra-careful with the steering again. This grabbing is not as bad as in the GS.S, though. It's possible to find a good racing line in this car, but there isn't much experimentation or leeway involved once you do find it.

Leaving corners wasn't as dangerous as in the GS.S. I could definately rely on getting the Cobra R out of turns, with wheelspin & smoke more of an option, rather than something that's always peeking around like that noisy guest you don't want showing up to your tea party. .

So this car (under power, leaving corners) isn't as brutal as the GS.S, and therefore works with you a bit more. Arguably, it isn't as fun. I mean, i didn't exactly find the GS.S to be a fun car, but someone else sure might. All that noise, smoke and wanton behavior is sure to please another driver. Well the Cobra R is therefore safer than the GS.S, but doesn't surprise you as much. The Cobra R also really, really seems dead-set against thottle-oversteer...most of the time, i couldn't throttle-steer my way out of ANY corner at Grand Valley...here the Grand Sport.S wins.


Cornering Prowess: 14

Overall, though i had plenty of issues with the Cobra R, it does feel a bit more compliant than the Grand Sport.S. I still had my hands full with the Cobra R, unfortunately.

The Cobra R is a safer car, true, but it still demands precise cornering lines...or else. Deviation from these lines is usually a bad idea. Some cars let you experiement and push them to ever-new heights..that's what cornering prowess is all about in my opinion. Does the car help or hinder you to make spontaneous decisions? Does it work with you or mock you? You ask some cars if they'll let you do this, and they answer "Yes". From the Cobra R...i sometimes got a "Yes", but i usually got a "well...ookay" or a flat-out NO!


Power to Capability: 11

Like i said, overall this car is more able to handle its own power, with exceptions here and there. I already went into detail about this in the Cornering Attitude section.


Perceived Changes: 5

The changes i made to this car were almost exactly the same as what i did to the GS.S, so i won't write them all again. I was after pretty much the same results, too.

In addition, i also raised the entire car a few millimeters, and further raised the rear 10 mm higher than the front. I played with the dampers, made the front springs & stabilizer stronger, and (guess) got rid of toe....all in an effort to minimize understeer, make the car smoother to drive, etc.

Understeer is really relentless in this car, tho. I could get rid of it only marginally. I'm suspecting that rigidity refresh has alot to do with it. There's was still so much understeer left after i retuned the Cobra, it got to be maddening! The good news is, i did manage throttle-steer, more flexible braking activity, and such.

The gearing was a bit tall for Grand Valley (i never used 6th, for instance), but might be perfect for the 'Ring, LeMans, or some other track with a longer straight. I had no further issue and no points are docked here.


Total: 54

 

[Parnelli Bone]

next victim: Purple Devil


Driver's Comfort: 25

In alot of ways, the Purple Devil is similar in mannerisms and behavior to the Red Devil, so it's no surprise i had felt just as comfortable driving the Purple Devil. I added a couple points to the score since i like the Purple Devil's transmission and brakes a bit more. This car has taller gears than the Red Devil, which effectively makes the Purple Devil's gearing akin to a 5-speed at Grand Valley.

Even tho the 240Z hasn't got great torque, I like keeping the 2.4 liter straight-6 in gear longer, and was glad not to (for instance) need to downshift three times just to get from the final tunnel thru the GV left/right chicane, and three more times to get out.

Tho this car ain't perfect (like there's any such thing as perfection) i felt at home driving it, just as i did when driving the Red Devil, and had some fun with this purple 240Z-G.


Cornering 'tude: 21

Both cars (240Z/purple devil and 280Z red devil) are flexible, gymnastic, and fun, and neither one has behaviors drastically different from the other with a few exceptions.

The story may sound similar to the earlier one i told about the Red Devil, since while driving the Purple Devil, i got to have a good time. The Purple Devilhas better brakes, however. Braking in this car is definately more confident, and can start later. Again, i could brake this car into corners, rarely garnering much understeer if i did it right. 👍

Mid-corner presents some problems, but also some choices and opportunities...depending on your perspective and how experienced you are.

For instance, you have the choice to be a show-off, or a serious driver. Keeping the steering proper sometimes requires some feathering as you approach aprons (to avoid what grabbing there is), but once you're there, the steering can be locked full-on; the Purple Devil rewards with fairly solid grip. The front-end can get a bit grabby as i said, but i didn't have any serious issue here....it wasn't too extreme. To tune this away would no doubt hurt the car in some other manner.

Anyways, you have the choice, now that you're mid-corner, to be a show-off or a grim-faced driver. For show-offs, this car is a blast! Kick the car down to 2nd gear (sometimes higher-speed in 3rd), apply an overload of steering, and the rear predictably lift-offs into a slide if you want it. If you don't want it, you can control this lift-off oversteer by easily correcting the front-end. Now the fun part. Kick on the gas!

1>. For those who are serious, make sure you've got your front wheels lined up, so that both rear tires have near-equal traction. The Z responds with bulldozing traction and very few moments of unwanted wheespin.

2>. For those who are showing off, keep the steering cranked and it's DRIFT TIME!!!

Like the Red Devil,, the Purple Devil therefore offers several options to us. It's not overtuned and feels flexy/twisty/bendy, just like a Z-car should. On the downside, this car may be too much for some others to handle, as it isn't "safe" unless you know what you're doing.

The Purple Devil, however, feels slightly more commandable than the Red Devil. Better brakes, mostly, as well as less understeer. But also it seems a bit more thought-out; typical Z-car negatives tuned further away.


Cornering Prowess: 17

Because this car is so flexible and fun, eventually mistakes can be made (some of them semi-intentional, some of them not) which hurts the above score. Could i push this car? Yes. Could i experiment with it? Yes. Did i get over-zealous and nearly wreck myself? Yes. Were all these moments intentional? No.

...you gotta be careful in this car. Careful not to have too much fun. You have a choice, like i said earlier, to avoid things that can hurt you, but ultimately mistakes can be made in the Purple Devil that can cause near-disasters despite the lack of power.


Power to Capability: 12

It's possible to over-power this car's capabilities. Like i said before, you (at least) have a choice whether or not you want to do this habitually. But it can be done. Not a bad thing in my book, but certainly something to watch for.


Perceived Changes: 9

Alot of things ( in the settings department) are just as i would put them. No toe. 👍 No rollcage. 👍 A gearbox i feel comfortable with. 👍 Decent braking action. 👍

Any changes i would make would probably happen in the limited-slip, ground clearance, and dampers. I'd be doing this to try and make the car less flexy, although this depends on which track i'm at. If i'm having a good time in a relatively easy race, i wouldn't change a thing. But eventually, the time might come that i would have to play with settings somewhere, in an effort to make the Purple Devil more compliant with whatever situation i would face.

Overall, tho? I wouldn't mess with this car too much.

Total: 84
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Next: TRD Hillux Spec M

Here we have mafs with the wild card.

This time, i decided to drive on N3 tires but otherwise stock settings, just to see how this truck would drive in a basic form. Then i tuned it fully to Grease Monkey specs, let Bob have a few laps, and then i took over.


Driver's Comfort: 20

I've been doing lots of truck driving in off-road races, so some of the behaviors i experienced as i drove the TRD Hillux were behaviors i expected. But i wanted to drive this truck near-stock anyways, on N3 tires, just to have measure of comparison. I can say that when driven stock, the Toyota Tacoma displays a huge variety of behaviors. Understeer that morphs into lift-off oversteer. Understeer that doesn't morph into anything. Rear-end fishtailing. Throttle steer an RX-7 lover would love. The list goes on and on.

Many of these traits are too extreme for racing or hot-lapping, obviously...it's a truck, after all. Always a handful, this one is while stock, which aint a surprise. It was meant to haul stuff around and be dependable at job-sites, not zoom around Grand Valley!!! Let's see what Grease Monkey magic has been performed.

So the TRD Hillux is definately a cleaned-up version of a Toyota Tacoma in lots of ways. Lots of negatives have been toned down, and some positives heightened. I hate to say it, but i felt the TRD Hillux drives more capably than some of the actual cars i've driven so far. I felt able to push this truck, to a point. There were still plenty of red flags to watch for...this is a truck in car-territory, after all..so absolute comfort simply cannot exist in such a vehicle (off-road it certainly could, tho


Cornering 'tude: 16

All the trucks i've driven in GT4 so far have capably strong brakes, even when stock (large tires help, of course). For this reason, the braking action itself is great in the TRD Hillux. The brakes aren't set too strong, and they don't have to be. I could trail-brake this one into some corners to small degrees, but didn't make this a habit. The front-end has massive traction under braking and low-speed steering, so the possibility is sometimes present for front-end grabbing that can morph into a spin! It's a truck with an open bed, after all....the rear can get loose very easily, even when heavily tuned.

One of the best things i noticed about the TRD Hillux is that when it did understeer, it was usually because i braked too late. MY mistake, rather than the trucks. But more than half the time, this understeer vanishes if you simply let off the throttle. Additional brake-taps weren't always needed.

I had to be careful with the steering as i entered mid-corner. And when leaving corners, again, you gotta be careful. The TRD Hillux feels grippy, confident, and is helping you along the way one moment; in the next, it might be getting fishtaily, its front-end desperately trying to regain composure while the rear tires all-a-sudden get wild with wheelspin in 2nd gear. Despite the fact that this truck can do much more than its stock cousins, this doesn't mean it's now a Lamborghini.


Cornering Prowess: 15


But i gotta say there is definately lots of improvement, 100% improvement over a stocker Tacoma. As long as i didn't get too crazy, the TRD Hillux does its job, and even rewards the driver occasionally. Some corner experimentation is possible in this truck, but overall once you find a good racing line, it's simply best to stick to it.

Even when driving within its limits the TRD Hillux manages to surprise anyways, sometimes in a bad way. It's easy to make mistakes in a truck, after all, which is arguably out of its element at a paved track. But sometimes even small mannerisms (i won't even call them mistakes) result in wild, recalcitrant behavior. Fishtailing, wheelspin, sliding ...any of which can result (if you're not careful) in that dreaded truck-spin.

One area where a truck has prowess over a car is bumps...having a 125 mm minimal ground cleance helps. I could reliably drive the TRD Hillux over grids, aprons, and even grass if i got too sloppy. As long as i was keeping the tires within their friction and wasn't otherwise doing something stupid, the TRD Hillux keeps its stature.

Power to Capability: 12

Despite the supercharger, racing flywheel, and carbon shaft, only occasionally will the TRD Hillux over-power itself (assuming racing lines and launching throttle out-of-corners are proper). I had no use for first gear, but if this were a pure acceleration-run type contest, more points would get docked. 1st garners nothing but wheelspin unless you're super-careful. It's possible and safe to launch this truck in 2nd from a dead-stop since we have trucky torque to rely on, but during my run around Grand Valley, this truck's RPMs happen to fall right in peak-torque country, which means wheelspin can emerge at these times.

So there was still some wheelspin. In a car, it would be okay and even welcome because it's fun, but in a rear-drive truck, it can be downright dangerous. But mostly, i could control it.

Perceived Change: 9

Normally, you'd see me bitching about toe and numbness in this section, but in a truck on an open paved course, i felt these changes were welcome. Stock trucks of any kind (even 4x4 Dodge Rams) display way too much stoopid behavior; and since this behavior is muted in the TRD Hillux, i felt it was important to keep these settings.

The changes i made were small...and mostly in an effort to further minimize the rear-end issues so i could more-easily lauch the TRD Hillux out of tighter areas.

I made the accel stronger in the LSD, raised the front-end a few clicks, messed with the dampers, and reversed the stabilizer settings. Got rid of the racing flywheel & carbon shaft. The TRD Hillux has such great throttle-steer with Grease Monkey settings, which didn't get hurt with my settings at all.

I didn't have any issue with gears, so i left that stock.

I noticed mafs didn't include weight-reductions for the TRD Hillux, so i didn't buy them. Honestly, i didn't feel a need for them...they might hurt this truck's iffy stability further.

Total: 72
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next: D 24/7's Mazda RX-8 Type S

Driver's Comfort: 24

Since i've been playing GT games since 2003, i feel "comfortable" in lots of cars. In this tuned RX-8 Type S, everything happens at high speed. Braking, steering reactions, throttle reactions, weight transferrence, everything...and it's not just because this car has a supercharger, it's due in large to the RX-8 chassis technology itself.

At times i felt like i was in one of those old, silent black & white films, in which everyrhing is comically speeded. up. Despite this, i can say i always felt as though i were in command of this car, with very minor exceptions. Let's find out why.

Cornering 'tude: 23

Braking. Great braking in this car, despite the lack of a balance controller. I rarely use balance controllers anyways; i feel they they offer too much overkill in many GT4 races unless we're going for the GT All STars, Japan Championship, World Cup, or some races of this caliber. Anyways, braking needs to be proper...it can't be too late in the RX-8 Type S, but neither does it need to be super-early. I could trail-brake this one into slower corners with a big grin. Into faster corners (Grand Valley hairpin #1, for instance) some care needs to be taken, but even in moments where i braked with too much steering input into this turn, all it took was a few small corrections and i was okay again.

And that's the thing about this car. Mistakes can be made. Braking points can be missed. Cornering adjustments blown. The RX-8 is a very forgiving car while stock anyways, but even with additional power (as tuned by D24/7), the car is still very forgiving. I have a feeling he took all this into consideration.

Entry-corner understeer only shows up if i spaced a braking point, but can be dealt with via a single brake-tap or letting off the throttle. The car has amazing mid-corner grip, feels balanced, and sinks into a proper groove like a needle on an LP record. Lift-off oversteer shows up next, and you have options when it does, just as in the Purple Devil. You can either <1> keep steering input mild, reaping as much oversteer as you need as you coast mid-corner while guaranteeing traction, or <2> crank the steering harshly, breaking the rear tires a tad, garnering a predictable, controllable semi-slide.

Throttle-steer is also present, and D24/7 did the smart thing by not killling it with toe or a rollcage. The limited-slip settings look as tho they'll be too strong, and this car does understeer under power at times due to these settings, but i was surprised that things never got too extreme unless i pushed harder than i normally should.

Out of tighter areas in 2nd gear, i could get the car to comically chase its tail , but couldn't predictably get a true drift as i could in the Purple or Red Devils. That isn't to say i couldn't drift it...i certainly did get a couple nice ones going. I even drifted mid-corner out of the second GV tunnel in 3rd gear! But half the time i blew it. This is all a matter of experience, however. If i had a few hours to drive this car around, i could certainly wind up drifting it reliably 100%.

Drifting it 24/7 ha haa...

But overall, the car isn't as immediately accessible for drifting to a mediocre drifter like me; not like the Devil Z-cars. But this ain't a drifter's contest per se, so no points docked. Suffice it to say, the D 24/7 RX-8 feels at home in many situations...grip, drift, or a combination thereof. There's alot of capability in this car.

Cornering Prowess: 22

Prowess is this car's middle-name. Why? Because this car makes sure YOU are in control for the most part. YOU are the one calling the shots...anything bad that happens in corners really can't be blamed on the car itself. My complaints with this car are minor ones.

At times, i did feel there was too much understeer....just a tad too much. Nothing that would dampen my spirit or make me cry like a girl , but something to watch for mid to-late corner. Despite strong LSD and careful suspension settings, the D 24/7 RX-8 Type S is still a very nervous car at times. Also, the brakes DO wind up limiting this RX-8 from reaching a further max-point. Acceleration out of 2nd gear is touchy, but (again) this falls under the "driver's input" category. I personally wouldn't try and dial this out.

Power to Capability: 13

I already went into this. Basically 2nd gear can be overpowered, but that's it. Again, if i had a chance to use 1st...never mind. This aint an acceleration from a dead-stop contest.

Perceived Changers: 9

I really don't have any at Grand Valley, but i might at some other track. I would basically soften the limited-slip's accel if i had to, just to kill some of that occasional understeer. I'd mess with the ground clearance, too--but i didn't feel this was in immediate, pressing need. The D 24/7 RX-8 Type S has many settings i use anyways, particularly dampers and springs. The stabilizer settings of "1" front and rear seem placed to allow this car as much flexibility as possible when transferring weight side to side and over bumps. I thought i might have an issue with this, and at some other track i might. But right now? It's not a pressing need.

No toe 👍 so no numbness or whatever; plenty of RX-8 flexibility & behavior is left intact, while some negatives get toned out and positives get exalted. 👍

Total: 91
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next: Mazda RX-8 TurboSport

Comfort: 18

This car is like a budget-tuned version of the RX-8 Type S i just drove. Unlike D 24/7's RX-8, this one has many parts that are missing. No brake kit, for instance. No additional drivetrain parts (other than a fully tuned transmission and a 1.5-way diff .

I didn't quite feel as comfortable driving this one, even tho it's slower than D 24/7's car. Mostly, it was the brakes. I could reliably brake near 100m into the Grand Valley hairpin #1 in the D24/7 Type S, for instance. Not in this TurboSport, however.

There's a lack of momentum involved here, too. I kept waiting for speed & momentum to build. This isn't so much a power issue as it is a gearing issue (more on this later). Once i finally had some speed built, this RX-8 didn't feel as adept and quick at handling its own speed as the other RX-8. That's not to say the TurboSport is altogether a bad car...it's just not up-to-par when compared to some others in this contest.


Cornering Attitude: 14

Really, where can you go wrong with a sports Mazda? The RX-8 has many great handling traits even while stock, which makes it an easy tune in my opinion. The guys that entered the Grand Sport Corvette, MR2, Toyota Tacoma, and Mustang Cobra, for instance, have a higher task cut out for them because these cars are more problematic. So to tune an RX-8 isn't as hard a task because you've got a better platform to work with. More modern, too.

... But it is certainly possible to ruin an RX-8's balance with bad tuning.

The TurboSport isn't tuned badly, but it's kinda like Shoman's Mustang, in that it doesn't seem tuned enough in some ways. An "A" for not overtuning a weakly-powered car, but also a "C" for lack of effort, here. In other ways, it is over-tuned! Confusing, i know Let me explain.

The brakes are my biggest issue. Undertuned they are. I couldn't brake this one as confidently as the D24/7 Type S. Kept missing what should have been good braking points. And so it's like "brake early or understeer".

In other ways, it's a bit awkwardly, overly tuned. With such a lack of "go", i applaud the use of a 1.5-way diff (full tuning parts seem like overkill), but i coudn't help thinking: Why install a differential at all? I noticed that this car did understeer at moments where there shouldn't have been any understeer at all. It's like putting a VCD in a near-stock R34 Skyline: it doesn't need it! Why install one in the first place? It only ruins, rather than exalts.

I couldn't have any fun in the TurboSport. I'd enter a corner, brake in, kick down to 2nd gear. The car would predictably zone into some llift-off oversteer, but then the diff would interfere and now i'm understeering late-corner! Rather than getting a good moment to launch away down a straight, now the car is understeering and i gotta deal with it.

Now, after awhile i could get the TurboSport to behave. Problem is, to do so means to slow down. Once i slowed my pace into corners a bit, the understeer vanished...but this is counterproductive. This car is slow anyways...now i gotta make it go slower...hmmm.

Other than this, there's little to criticize. The RX-8 is othewise well-balanced, throttle-steers with some efficiency (as long as you've waddled thru the corner without too much prior speed) and no wheelspin ever...i just couldn't get it to do what i wanted.

Cornering Prowess: 13

It's all in the Attitude section above...in effect, i couldn't get this car to do as i wanted. I kept having to re-think cornering strategy. It simply kills half the avaliable Prowess this car is capable of.

Power to Capability: 8

This is one of the rare cars in this contest that really feels underpowered, rather than overpowered or somewhat overpowered. Hmm...underpowered is actually a bad word...underwhelmed seems more appropriate. Could be the awkward mixture of a tall tranny, lackluster brakes, and some super-parts but also some stock parts.

It just feels as though there's more capability...more work to be done.

Perceived Changes: 5

Ditch the differential altogether. There's not enough power to warrant it. Why is there a 1.5 in this car?? Stability? Wheelspin issues? After i removed the diff, the TurboSport RX-8 still had plenty of stability, never got crazy with wheel spin, and (the best part) the understeer vanished! In fact, i could enter corners, turn in, APPLY FULL GAS at some points with the steering cranked, and the RX-8 would now throttle-steer as speed rose. Instead of understeer.

Also, raise the final drive to about 5.200 (making the entire tranny shorter) but make 5th and 6th taller so there's a couple valuable cruising gears. Even at a track with a very long straight, this car's gears are too tall for the lack of power involved. After retuning the tranny, the TurboSport now lurches forth with life with better acceleration. I would also install the typical drivetrain parts: at least a twin clutch, sport flywheel, and carbon shaft.

I retuned the suspension in a few ways, but this wasnt' absolutely necessary. I raised the rear a few clicks and lowered the front bound damper to make the car more oversteery (my preference, but not an absolute necessity so no points docked). I also softened the stabilizers so that as i drove over grids and aprons, the car wouldn't react as drastically.

Finally. Either this car needs a racing brake kit, or stronger brake settings. It doesn't absolutely need both, however. Why install a balancer and leave the settings at default? I set them at 10/7. I could now brake exactly where i wanted, and removed 2 and a half seconds from my total lap time at Grand Valley due to better brakes alone.

Total: 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINALLY i'm done!

Bergauk's '83 Fairlady Z

Comfort: 8

Bergauk describes this as his "ex-drift car", and he's right about that....i certainly did get a few good ones going right off the bat. But is it a comfortable drive? A car that caters to the customer for proper cornering mannerisms? Uh...

A wild one, this is. If this were a drifter's contest, i'd rate it higher for sure....

...but the TCV4 seems to be a driver's contest..not a show-off contest. This car likes to show-off. I've uh..."spent time" with girls who are like this car. You seek such company when comfort is not of the essence, but partying is. You can't trust these type of women! With money. With secrets. You can't bring them home to mom. If you bring them to work, half the guys you work with will start hitting on them.....

...what i mean to say is, this car is like a wild rock-star. Not one that caters to the driver, but one that says "HOLD ON BUCKO!!!!"

Cornering Attitude: 8

I'm having trouble trying to decide which car is more problematic: the AT Corvette GS.S, or this "Fairlady" (which is anything but fair).

It says "in corners, just drive it at half-throttle". Okay. I did. It works to some degree...it's a compromise. But even in slower corners, the '83 Fairlady Z seems cantankerous, understeery at times, while too oversteery at others, as though it's barely willing to keep its energy contained. Just like a 2-year old kid, this one is, in some ways.

Entering corners at high-speed (braking while steering in small amounts) is extremely dangerous, taking alot of the fun out of slowing down. I had several incidents of rear-snap-spins in this car under braking. The rear gets loose, starts weaving wildly, and to tame it means to GIVE UP hope of any sort of smooth entry-transition into a curve. Now the car's tires are fighting for traction under braking...not a pretty sight.

Mid-corner (assuming i'm not trying to drift or be show-offy), the Fairlady sometimes gets plagued with turbo-lag....even in 2nd gear. To get a good launch obviously takes lots of planning and finesse, otherwise some really wicked wheelspin zaps out of nowhere! Great for over-powering the tires & being drifty, but problematic for anything else.

In some longer curves (like turn #4...the lazy right just before the top of the hill) now the Fairlady starts understeering if you're carrying too much speed. "SLOW DOWN" is the obvious answer. Okay. But additional brake-taps and such just aren't enough. Understeer is relentless in this car in these faster turns...and also in the two latter tunnels. I blame this mostly on the chassis stiffening/rollcage deal this car has installed.

Even tho this is a "drift car" under power, i couldn't garner much lift-off oversteer (which is more valuable for grip-racing and actually helps one to start a slower-speed drift, as well) when letting off the throttle mid-corner, forcing more brake taps and additional downshifts on occasion.

Overall, this car is similar to the AT Chevy Corvette GS.S in that it's a wild ride, a real rocket-car, but difficult as hell if you're trying to wring out anything useful other than power-overslides and such.

Cornering Prowess: 10

Yikes.

Well, it's possible to work with this car, to bring out its fuller potentials...but the car doesn't just offer such pleasantries. Always a struggle, this one is...unless you've slowed way down.

To be fair, there are some compromises you can make if you're trying to be smooth. Leave corners in 3rd gear instead 2nd. Like i said before , this car really, really wants you to take 2nd, though....and then it really wants you to take 2nd while going sideways!!

It's like that little kid who begs you to go on the roller coaster again and again....this car seemed to egg me on for fun fun fun, while i was trying to be serious. Then, when i finally get it to be serious, it starts getting bored. Complaining.

Power to Capability: 3

No, it's not a Speed 12, but not too far off, either.

Percieved Changes: 5

Assuming we're trying to get this recalcitrant child behaving!

...A wing. Racing tires. Stronger brakes. Ditch the rollcage. A few extra tweaks in the differential and suspension, but not many.

I had no issue with gearing....there's just too much power getting tossed around and it over-cooks the tires. Some fun moments, for sure. But just as much, teeth-gritting moments also interfere with the fun.

Total: 34

 

[TheBook]

Sorry for the delay, guys; the next car in the lineup just showed up.

Next car being: Mister Black (actually, in my case, Mister Gold)

Comfort: 22
Extremely stable, but it felt like the back end was a bit light. It never snapped around on me, but it felt like it would at times.

Cornering Attitude: 21
Very sharp and direct handling, but a bit of understeer showed up at times in the high-speed parts. The final turn was where this happened the most. Also didn't particularly like trail-braking, as going in too deep resulted in a somewhat violent (at times) meeting with the outside wall.

Cornering Prowess: 24
No wheelspin at all, no oversteer, very little understeer. What's not to like?

Power to Capability: 15
It isn't overly powerful (as if it had a choice), but it's enough to spit the car down the road at a pretty good clip. Perfect.

Perceived Improvement: 8
Two things here: 1) turn down the front brake a bit, and 2) the gearbox felt like it was tuned for GVS (understandably), but it was a bit too short for Fuji. I doubt lengthening it a bit would hurt acceleration much.

Total: 90
Probably one of the most flexible vehicles here; can instantly go from high-speed cruiser (through the fast bits, you could drive it with one hand) to corner attacker. I like that versatility, and the degree of handling here is superb. Very good job done here.


And now for the next car up on the block: Paulie's Corvette

Comfort: 13
It grips well and usually goes where you want it to-when all four of the tires decide to grip. Unfortunately, there's a lot of wheelspin here. Easy enough to combat (usually), but it's still there in force.

Cornering Attitude: 15
For the most part, it's fairly neutral. However, go in too fast, and you oversteer. Come out too fast, and you understeer. Come out too slowly and hit the gas to speed up, and you oversteer, courtesy of those two rear tires you just shredded.

Cornering Prowess: 19
If you work everything right, it grips pretty well and goes around corners fairly quickly. Only problem is it's so easy to mess up somehow that getting it to do this is a bit rare.

Power to Capability: 8
Too much power. Waaaaay too much power. If it were on R3 tires, I doubt this would be a problem. But, unfortunately, there is no R3 class.

Perceived Improvement: 7
Lose some power so that the rear tires can take it, and you'd have one helluva American GT car (that's the closest thing I can compare it to). Gear ratios are good, and the handling for the most part is good. However, the engine is too much for the car.

Total: 62
Potential is what this car has in spades. However, the problems hurt the car to the point where the potential is the only thing it rides on. Nice try, but no cigar here.




And now, for the next experiment: Adamgp's Mustang Cobra

Comfort: 18
The car was fairly easy to drive, with one minor thing: it seemed like I needed to turn the steering wheel more to get the same amount of cornering that the other cars gave. Not understeer, more like less steering lock. If that made any sense at all, which chances are it didn't.

Cornering Attitude: 19
Not really a car you want to push, as understeer becomes very prevalent as the speeds increase. Low-speed corners are fine, as long as you dial in the aforementioned extra steering lock. Bit of throttle oversteer coming out of corners (and only when coming out of corners) in 2nd; 1st was not much more than wheelspin-city.


Cornering Prowess: 19
As I said, the understeer kept me from going really fast (especially out of that final corner), but the car actually felt pretty solid overall. Not much to say here.

Power to Capability: 15
The one thing Adam got perfect here was the amount of power. Just enough to get tires spinnng out of corners from the extra load, no more. You couldn't spin them in 2nd while going straight.

Perceived Improvement: 6
A few things wrong here: You can shorten the tranny (I just barely hit 6th at the end of the frontstretch, while easily doing 180mph); it won't hurt anything. Also, that understeer problem could be fixed, and that's the first car I've driven that needs that much steering effort put into it.

Total: 77
Decent. Mediocre. Not bad, but not good. There were some mistakes made, but overall, these descriptions fit the car nicely. Actually, (as I think of this) a good car for an amateur tuner; give them this and tell them to get rid of the understeer. Don't ask how/why I thought of that.

 

[PF]

Changes to scores, due to testing the first five in isolation and with a buggered controller. I’ll leave the original scores there so you can compare if you want.

We judged the cornering attitude too highly, so
Supra -1
Roadster ’03 -1

Also the cornering prowess:
’03 Roadster -1
Corvette -1

And changed most of the power/capacity scores down to compare properly to the rest of the field

The ’98 Nissan was set up properly and got some more pts.

Comments:​

Supra RZ '97
Bloody awesome stability and handling, never wants to spin out.
6th wasn't used, but no real problem, good high speed.
Brake controller may help in corners but remarkably good without. A controller would (or could) give it a very different feel.

Nissan 350Z Roadster '03
Tranny is set far too low and seriously affects high speed, which should be much higher. Many corners were taken two gears higher than in most other tuned cars.
Good controlled oversteer and great weight movement.
Awesome corner attitude.
Points off comfort, prowess and improvement due to tranny, but a fantastic car considering this.

Nissan 350ZX 2-Seater '98
Very quick, and really fast through corners if you get it right.
Getting body roll and weight-shifting right is vital to avoiding some nasty understeer.
Too twitchy and unpredictable in many cases, with potential snap oversteer, and hard to save it if you make a mistake.
Gears seem far too long.

Toyota MR2
An immensely driveable car with beautiful drifty oversteer.
Found some understeer under decel or braking, far prefers to slide than stop from speed, and found it sometimes unstable at high speeds.
Gears seem too short, especially third (a bloody important gear), and thought you could get more top speed out of it.
It's an absolute dream through corners, and maybe I was a bit harsh on the tranny.

Chevrolet Corvette GS '96
Very good car and awesome fun to drive. Was sceptical about the ride height but it works.
The major problem was wheelspin in 1st and 2nd. For corners requiring 2nd it was very difficult to retain grip on exit. Maybe a DS2 thing, though.
Perhaps lower the gears and make 3rd more accessible?

Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R '00
Encountered understeer in just about all areas and corners. Much has been dialled out but there’s still too much to make it a comfortable drive through corners. Acceleration can be used to correct oversteer but at the risk of spinning out.
The back wheels had a tendency to kick out at other inappropriate times with little or no warning. I wanted to mark this car down severely, but my mate showed me it can be driven well and fast, it’s just not much fun.

Red Devil (Fairlady 280 Z-L '78)
Comfort awesome, high speed stability especially good for an old car.
Cnr attitude excellent, easy to use understeer and oversteer, very predictable and compliant.
Power/capability almost perfect mix of weight, power and chassis.

(Nissan 240ZG (HS30) '71)
Cornering could be good when you get past the potential understeer going in and out. The gears were way too high, making 5th a pain and 6th unusable.
There is potential for body roll in the rear if you make a mistake and this can easily throw you off balance.
Very quick and nimble for such an old car and very close to being a winner.

Mazda RX-8 Type S (SE3P)
Another excellent entry. Awesome controllable oversteer, though my notes say occasionally finding understeer in odd places. I also think the gears could have been improved somewhat ( did use the edited settings). 2nd is too slow for some important corners and it seems as though it should get to top speed more easily. Certainly one of the fastest lap times.

Mazda RX-8 Turbosport
This is a great and fun car but the tranny kills it. Acceleration is weak and the car feels like it has 250hp instead of 320. 2nd gear and top speed seem like they could be much better.
Suspension is very comfortable and I was quite stable even ploughing into a wall at high speed. Nice weight transfer and a small amount of useful oversteer.

HILUX SPEC M (Toyota Tacoma)
A very good job for such a tank. Obvious problems: poor speed and braking. Cornering is good but suffers from some rather vicious snap oversteer. Pwr/chassis ratio okay, not great. Good points for improvement for attempting to tame a monster.

Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX (Z31) '83
Great choice of car, but too much power. I found understeer into corners; presumably the low front ride height was an effort to counter this but the front springs of 6.7 don’t help.
Good straight line stability considering the lack of a wing but excessive body roll kicks in at speed. Still, a fun car and worth driving.

Ford Mustang GT "FR500"
I really like this car, despite its being fat. It sounds excellent and gets good times. Acceleration seems slow, but the stability and handling through corners are brilliant. Loses points on corner prowess for bodgy lower gears.

 

[Vince247]

Wow, PF, I'm first with 93 points. Now I'm really looking forward to your comments!

Thanks for your effort. We'd really appreciate it.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

My final tally:

Mr. Black Toyota MR2: 96

D24/7 Mazda RX-8 Type S: 91

VtiRoj's Supra RZ: 84

Purple Devil 240Z-G: 84

Red Devil 280Z: 78

Hillux TRD Tacoma Spec M: 72

Shoman's Mustang GT: 68

Nuro's 300ZX 2-seater: 67

McSqueegy's 350Z: 63

Mazda RX-8 TurboSport: 58

Mustang SVT Cobra R: 54

AT Corvette GS.S: 41

'83 Fairlady Z: 34

 

[TheBook]

For my next victim: The Red Devil Z

Comfort: 25
I think this car loves me. Seriously, this is the easiest car to go fast in I've seen yet. I hopped in, took a few turns, and was, in short order, truly rocking. End of story.

Cornering Attitude: 23
Here is where one of the car's problems kicks in; there's no way to tell when you're close to the limit. All you know is that when you pass it, you're understeering. Outside of that, this car grips and grips and grips and begs you to push it harder... until you go past that limit again. This, to me, is where the "Devil" part of the name kicks in the most.

Cornering Prowess: 23
As I had just said, this car has seemingly endless amounts of grip, but it only seems to. However, when racing closer to the limit, it's completely neutral, with only a small hint of power-oversteer. Quite fun, really.

Power to Capability: 15
It needs more power; the handling limits need to be matched to the motor's. Although you can wind it up 1000RPM past redline (and give it a bit more of that power-oversteer), it just isn't enough. I know that the power's maxed out without hybriding it, so I didn't dock any points here. Gears are also perfect, so nothing gone there, either.

Perceived Improvement: 10
Leave it. Do not change a thing. That's all I'm going to say here.

Total: 96
The only way this car could be better is if it had more power or higher cornering limits, neither of which I think can happen. Pretty much the closest thing to perfection I've come across in this TC so far.



And now for its brother from another mother (or, actually, father), the Purple Devil Z

Comfort: 25
It's going to be difficult avoiding direct comparison to its differently-hued brother, but the cars are nearly the same in the comfort department. Hop in and go; this car basically tells you what it likes and doesn't like, instead of you finding out on your own.

Cornering Attitude: 23
Neutral handling, very neutral-unless you provoke it, most of which is done with the right foot. At that point, power oversteer makes an appearance. It's nicely controllable, too, and (if you're good) can actually help you get around corners. Drift fans would also like this trait; turn in, floor the gas, and you're slideways. However, it can snap around on you if you're not careful, and it enjoys every chance it gets to bite. I'd say that trait is probably the most "devilish" out of everything this car does.

Cornering Prowess: 23
Lots of grip,with no understeer attatched. Get it sideways, and it's easily controllable (even with a ham-fisted driver like me behind the wheel). Long as it doesn't turn on you, I'd easily go out on a limb and call it a good race car. I docked a couple points for it being a more advanced drivers' car- the average newbie would probably spend more time in the grass than on track.

Power to Capability: 15
Gear ratios could be shortened a bit (it's OK, 6th is there for a reason), but the braking power of this thing is pretty amazing. I think they even out the score, so perfection here.

Percieved Improvement: 10
I honestly can't think of anything I would change here. End of story.

Total: 96
I know this is the same score I gave the Red Devil, but I think they are truly brothers. Different quirks, but closely related. I love them both, and I'd gladly take the keys to them any day.
As for this car in particular, it's a bit more "let's go have some fun", but still just as straight-faced when you want it to go very fast. Excellent job.

 

[TheBook]

After a small delay (Again, I apologize), I now present: =drifting24/7='s RX-8

Comfort: 25
This ranked right up there with the Devils in ease of driving. Get in, turn key, go fast. Real simple.

Cornering Attitude: 25
It seems like everything cornering-wise seems to happen right now, because... I'm not sure how to say it, but it's an extremely sharp handler. Being designed for the touge, I'm not surprised, but I really love it.

Cornering Prowess: 23
Because of how sharp it handles, any mistakes are easily forgiven. You understeering? Turn the wheel more; there's more grip there. The one place it showed up was if I screwed up and braked too late. Oversteer can only be shown when jumping on the throttle out of a low-speed corner too soon, too; it was very controlled, almost slight drift-like. Very fun. Anything else was extremely neutral; I expected a bit of understeer while on the throttle when I looked at the LSD settings, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Power to Capability: 15
The handling limits are so high here that it really could use a bit more power. I like how he went on a bit of a budget and didn't go straight for the racing parts, but the car could've easily taken a few more horses. As is, it's perfectly fine, though.

Perceived Improvement: 10
I can't really fnd anything that I'd change here. I like the way everything is set up, and (as has been said before) the power to handling ratio is nearly perfect. Keep it all the same.

Total: 97
I'm overwhelmed by the awesome this car radiates. Sure, there's a minor problem here and there, but they're small enough not to detract from the racing experience here. Absolutely amazingly done. 👍👍



Newest victim: CamryFan's RX-8

Comfort: 20
Fairly easy to drive, but was a bit knife-edged for me. Took a little while to get used to it, but still not bad at all.

Cornering Attitude: 20
As I said before, it was a bit knife-edged, especially at the limit. I like that. However, any mistakes were amplified instead of forgiven, especially as you tried to correct them. Bit of a turn-off, but it definitely teaches you not to make mistakes.

Cornering Prowess: 22
The sharpness of this car is really a Jekyll and Hyde case; the same things that hurt it help it. Exceptional cornering speeds are possible, but you have to keep it under control. Don't, and there's really no telling what it'll do (I somehow had the car literally sliding sideways, without drifting, with no idea how). Still, as long as you can keep all 4 wheels under it, it'll fly like there's no tomorrow.

Power to Capability: 12
This car could really use an extra shot of horsepower; there isn't enough to even spin the tires in 1st from a dead stop. The rest of the car can take it, I'm sure, though. A case of "Good, but could be better".

Perceived Improvement: 8
I wasn't really sure what to give here. On one hand, I love how the car handles, but I'm 90% sure that to get rid of the bad stuff would simultaneously numb or otherwise screw up the handling.

Total: 84
Anywhere else, this is nowhere near a bad car. Unfortunately, it's not quite up to the like of most of the other cars here. Supreme effort here, but not good enough, mate.




And now for a bit of an oddity... the TRD HILUX SPEC M

Comfort: 15
Basic laws of physics say pickup truck =/= racecar, and this is true here. Granted, it's a helluva lot better than your average pickup, but still, it's not your average car here.

Cornering Attitude: 15
You need to be very slow and careful with this one. Too fast in or brake too late, and you understeer like a hog. Too fast or on the throttle too early out, and your rear end swaps positions with your front. Get it right, though, and it'll carry a halfway decent clip through the corners.

Cornering Prowess: 19
As I said before, it can carry a pretty decent clip through the corners. It's just hard to get to the point where it can do so that's hard. Get it right, and you can keep up with some of the bigger boys. If not, then you better get used to 6th place.

Power to Capability: 15
Bit of wheelspin in slow parts of the track; otherwise, the power doesn't overwhelm, it just... goes.

Perceived Improvement: 10
I'll reiterate what I said earlier; the laws of physics state that pickup truck =/= racecar, and this certainly applies here. However, this is just about the closest thing you can get to a road race truck, so don't change a thing.

Total: 74
Great idea for a tuning garage attraction, maybe, but it doesn't really have the outright handling for a Tuner Challenge. Good idea, but bad idea all in the same breath.

 

[TheBook]

But wait! there's more... bergauk's 300ZX

Comfort: 8
It seems like this car just waits for you to make a mistake, so it can bite you in the ass. It doesn't care how minor, it just likes to eat grass and Armco.

Cornering Attitude: 10
Slow corners feature tons of throttle oversteer, as the tires can't really take that much power. Quicker corners and sweepers show you just how quickly the outside wall comes up to haunt you.

Cornering Prowess: 13
However, if you can hit it just right, this car will fly. There's enough power to plain launch you down the straights, but you've got to 1) not spin your tires (harder than it sounds) and 2) not shoot into the outside wall. If, by some stroke of luck, you do this, then the next straight seems a lot sohrter than usual.

Power to Capability: 5
If you pull it off right, you can spin the tires all the way to 180 MPH. Need I say more?

Perceived Improvement: 3
Loosen up the LSD a bit; that should help with the understeer in the sweepers. Also, drop down a couple turbo stages; the rear tires will thank you.

Total: 39
A fun car, don't get me wrong. It's just fun in the wrong ways for a Tuner Challenge.



And now, for the wrap-up vehicle... shoman's Mustang

Comfort: 23
Takes about a lap to get used to, then becomes one of the easiest cars to drive entered here. Almost GT-like in its control ability. Very good.

Cornering Attitude: 22
Once you take that lap to get used to the 2nd gear wheelspin (which isn't very bad, by the way) it's a very neutral handler. Good way to show that you don't really need all the racing parts to make a good-handling machine. If you push too hard, there's some understeer, and that's really it that's wrong with it.

Cornering Prowess: 25
This thing, to put it simply, will fly around corners. Epic amounts of braking power (that one took a while to get used to, too), combined with the ability to trailbrake and the downforce, gave it very high cornering speeds without much drama.

Power to Capability: 10
To be honest, it could definitely use a bit more power. Especially with the downforce, top speed was somewhat limited, and I know handling wouldn't be affected very much (if at all) by a little extra shot of horsepower under the hood.

Percieved Improvement: 8
As I said before, a shot of power wouldn't hurt. I was kinda skeptical on some things (i.e. the 1-way LSD), but everything worked together pretty well. I'd say leave everything else.

Total: 88
What a way to finish this one off. Very good job, and on a slimmer budget than the others. I'm pleasantly surprised here. Sure, some might scoff at the use of a wing, but honestly, I believe in whatever works. Excellent piece of work.

And that, gentlemen, brings Tuner Challenge Version 4 to a close. It's been a pleasure driving these machines, and I look forward to Version 5. Judging, competing, or both, you'll see me here next time in some sort of capacity.

Let the flame wars begin, officially now.

 

[mafia_boy]

TCv4 Judging recap!!​

N3 CLASS
Rotary Junkie's RX7 - 84, 67, 83 = 234 - 2nd
VTiRoj's M3 CSL - 94, 87, 90 = 271 - 1st
adamgp's Corvette - 69, 47, 56 = 172 - 3rd
drifting24/7's Swift - 32, 16, 38 = 86 - 4th

FWD CLASS
adamgp's Megane IDE - 63, 56, 77 = 196 - 8th
shoman's Golf GTi-R - 77, 57, 80 = 214 - 7th
Paulie's Holden Tigra - 88, 70, 96 = 254 - 2nd
Camryfan's Megane R230R - 65, 58, 64 = 187 - 10th
Rotary Junkie's RSX TS-R - 89, 95, 85 = 269 - 1st
VTiRoj's Civic Type R (EP3) - 82, 88, 76 = 246 - 3rd
Kurei's CRX Del Sol - 51, 55, 84 = 190 - 9th
drifting24/7's Spoon Civic - 62, 85, 82 = 229 - 5th
Leonidae's FTO GP-RS - 96, 91, 40 = 227 - 6th
mafia_boy's Megane Sport - 86, 64, 91 = 241 - 4th

AWD CLASS
Kurei's Evo 4/X - 88, 64, 96 = 248 - 4th
VTiRoj's Stagea 260RS - 92, 70, 69 = 231 - 6th
adamgp's RUF CTR2 - 58, 55, 20 = 133 - 8th
Leonidae's 3000GT RS - 99, 82, 93 = 274 - 2nd
shoman's Audi TT 3.2 - 93, 86, 99 = 278 - 1st
Bergauk's R32 Golf - 85, 64, 89 = 238 - 5th
NURO's Impreza 22B - 95, 50, 40 = 185 - 7th
drifting24/7's Spec-C - 98, 87, 78 = 263 - 3rd

RWD CLASS
VTiRoj's Supra = 84, 86, 88 = 258 - 5th
Leonidae's MR2 = 96, 90, 85 = 271 - 2nd
Mcsqueegy's Z33 350Z = 63, 86, 80 = 229pts. - T-7th
Nuro's Z32 300ZX = 67, 57, 79 = 203pts. - 10th
Paulie's Corvette Grand Sport = 41, 78, 62 = 181pts. - 12th
adamgp's Mustang SVT = 54, 71, 77 = 202pts. - 11th
Vince247's 280ZX = 78, 93, 96 = 267 - 3rd
Rotary Junkie's 240Z = 84, 85, 96 = 265 - 4th
drifting24/7's RX8-S = 91, 85, 97 = 273 - 1st
camryfan's RX8 Turbo = 58, 76, 84 = 218pts. - 9th
mafia_boy's Hilux = 72, 83, 74 = 229pts. - T-7th
bergauk's Z31 300ZX = 34, 71, 39 = 144pts. - 13th
shoman's '05 Mustang GT = 68, 86, 88 = 242pts. - 6th

The overall winner will be decided soon.