I took out the tuned Viper around Suzuka. DS3 + TCS at zero - it is like trying to contain a rabid rottweiller
. So I pushed the TCS out to 5 and turned on the ASM
and that made a big difference. The more careful that I drove the faster I became and even though I began to get a rythmn, I think this car is not for myself.
It just takes a bit of practice to get used to it. The Viper does not have the smooth, grippy feel of the Vette. It feels very raw, but in a really awesome way. It is by far and away my car of choice for racing online now.
Time Trial: All Aids=OFF
ABS=1
Online Race: ASM=1
TC=1
ABS=1
You can have a good race with all aids turned off if everyone is racing clean. We know those types of races are few and far between so I usually turn the aids to 1 to lessen the likelihood of spinning out after someone bumps, punts, or rams me.
The Tuned Viper is
considerably faster with all aids turned off!!!
I practiced a bit tonight. My lap times are really improving each day. I had a particularly good run in the PP750 Time Trials and busted out a low 2.02.xxx. đź‘Ť
On that lap, I gassed it a little too hard coming out of the Spoon Curve and got loose bad enough that I had to lift and swing the wheel back and forth to get it back under control. (The back end was all over the place and I almost/should have spun out.) Had I been more careful, there is no doubt that I would have easily broken into the 2.01.xxx's.
The Tuned Viper is definitely not for everyone. It can be pushed hard to a certain degree but it is certainly not as forgiving as the S2K or the Vette. Good throttle management is the key to success here...much like in the GT LM.
I cannot get this beast around the hairpin, probably losing a few seconds at that point alone.
Tips for the S-Curves:
To begin with, getting a good line out of T1 is critical. Basically, the fastest way I get through is to carefully go full throttle
as soon as I get the car straight and lined up for the next corner. (Minimize turning/maximize straight-line acceleration) Tap the brake, turn in hugging (but not on) the curbing, and smoothly go full throttle again as soon as you get completely straighted out. Like you said, it is all rhythm. I do almost the entire section in second gear. It is OK to give it a little gas in the turns, but don't go crazy till you straighten out. The brief times you could upshift will just waste time. Go a tad bit wide before Dunlop and cut in left over the curbing. Shift to 3rd and SLOWLY apply the throttle. Accelerate straight out towards the outside curbing using the entire width of the track before you cut back left to line up for the entry into Degner. If you do it right, you can shave some MAJOR time in this section alone. If you come out at a bad angle, you will not be able to accelerate as quickly as you will have to turn more. Again, getting straight out of Dunlop is key.
Tips I learned for the Hairpin:
For some reason, the Viper seems to brake longer into the Hairpin section...for me at least. (Avoiding the grass to the right of the braking zone is A MUST in this car!!!) Brake earlier than your instincts tell you. Let the car slow to almost a crawl at the sharp turn-around. Try to hug the inside curbing...but don't touch it...and let the car corner using its forward momentum. Once the car is almost straightened out, you can begin to smoothly apply pressure to the throttle. Don't hammer-on!!! You WILL spin. The hairpin can be taken in 2nd gear if you want to reduce your chances of wheelspin but I accelerate out smoothly from 1st because I usually engine brake all the way down to stop in time to make the turn-in. Also, you might want to shift into 2nd a bit earlier as you accelerate out to account for excessive wheelspin as you are going uphill here.
Watch a replay and you will see that you are negotiating the hairpin section
MUCH faster than it feels like.
I will try again tomorrow but maybe I just need a wheel.....
Your lap times, as well as overall control of the car will definitely improve with a wheel. It is easy to see who uses a wheel and who uses a controller when racing online. The controller guys cars are usually pretty "jerky" as they need to make more subtle adjustments whereas the wheel users cars appear much smoother.
I use the G-25. It feels wicked on PC sims, but not as good on GT5. The Driving Force Pro feels much better with the GT series imo. The Force Feedback is better in this game and will improve your "feel" of what your car is doing over the G-25. If you don't have the cash, the DFP would serve you very well. I am always faster with the paddles in GT because there is no clutch adjustment in this game. I tend to blow a lot of downshifts because of this. I have always done better in time trials and online races with the DFP. I just prefer the sturdier, and more realistic pedals on the G-25.
Just practice a bit. You will get the hang of it soon enough. Getting fast times in a car like this will make you better in just about every other car out there. Good luck.