Volkwagen-Audi Group Endurance Project

[elrousso]

I am currently (yeah I know, GT6 is just around the corner, but still) running a little project of mine, of using only VAG cars for the Enduros. As I am a VW enthusiast, I thought it would be nice to find and test many of their different cars for those races, while still looking to get some good close races without destroying the competition. I have decided on the following rules :

1. Only VW Group cars shall be used. These include cars from these brands :
- Audi
- Bentley
- Bugatti
- HPA Motorsports*
- Lamborghini
- RUF**
- Seat
- Volkswagen
*HPA Motorsports is a tuner that specializes in VAG cars tuning, and both their offerings in GT5 are VAG cars (VW R32 and Audi TT)
**RUF is included as it is the closest thing we can get to drive Porsches, which is one of the VAG brands

2. Races run with tuner or normal cars shall not be run with a racing-modified car.

3. For obvious reasons, the 4-hour Roadster race at Tsukuba shall be ignored.

4. As much as possible, using a different car for each of the races.

You are welcome to post your comments, suggestions or any other bit of info you like.

 

[elrousso]

FIRST RACE : GRAND VALLEY 300 (I didn't save the replay, shame on me)

Seat Ibiza Cupra '04
179hp (down to 178hp at the end of the race)
180ft-lb
1177kg
402PP
Sports Medium tyres all around

Full-Custom Transmission
Twin-Plate Clutch
Semi-Racing Flywheel
Full-Custom Suspension

Ride Height : -20/-15
Spring Rate : 8.5/9.5
Dampers (Ext.) : 8/9
Dampers (Comp.) : 8/7
Anti-Roll Bars : 3/4
Camber : 0.5/0.5
Toe : 0.10/-0.10

1st Gear : 3.303
2nd Gear : 2.351
3rd Gear : 1.774
4th Gear : 1.398
5th Gear : 1.151
6th Gear : 0.991
Final Gear : 3.647
Top Speed setting : 220mph (197mph at the end of the straight)

TC set at 3
ABS set at 1
Everything else OFF

DualShock3

Lineup #17

Lancer Evolution III GSR '95
SKYLINE GT-R V-spec (R33) '95
350Z Gran Turismo 4 Ltd. (Z33) '05
Lancer Evolution X GSR P.P. '07
IMPREZA Sedan WRX STi '02
ACCORD Coupe EX '03
-Ibiza Cupra '04-
G35 Coupe '06
LEGACY B4 2.0GT spec.B '03
300ZX 2by2 (Z32) '98
SUPRA 3.0GT Turbo A '88
SILVIA spec-R AERO (S15) '02

LAP 1 - 30 :

Rolling start, so I get a little behind by the first corner, but I'm able to make my way up to first by lap 3-4, and stay there until about lap 26, when the Impreza furiously gets past me. By that time, it had been 7-8 laps where the 2nd-placed Subaru would overtake me on the straight, before I would take back my first place on the first corner, but on lap 26, I would stay back, even fall into 3rd place at times behind the Evo X. I go into the pits at the end of lap 30, about 13 seconds behind the now-leading Impreza...

LAP 31- 60 :

I get out of the pits, about 45 seconds behind the Impreza, and would begin to hack away at that gap, before he would go into the pits himself, which he did on lap 46 (I think). I also did my fastest lap on this stint, a 2'16.954 on lap 34. I had a 20 second lead at that time, but it didn't take long before the Impreza would be right back on my back. That gap closed to ONE SECOND by the end of lap 50, and then began a 10-lap stint of myself trying to keep my first place against the relentless assault of the Subaru (as you can imagine, I was kind of an a-hole during those laps, as the Ibiza hasn't got nearly as much power as the Impreza, as well as being on worn tyres).

FINISH LINE :

1- Ibiza Cupra '04 - 2h20'07.904
2- IMPREZA Sedan WRX STi '02 +0.081
3- Lancer Evolution X GSR P.P. '07 +0.375

I don't remember the exact order for the rest...

It took a long time to test and choose the right car, and I wanted to use a stock one but couldn't get the right times out of the stock Ibiza so I went with some modifications, but no modification to the car's HP. I was impressed with the Ibiza, as it was still pretty easy to drive even on worn tyres (except maybe for the last 1-2 laps before pitting or the end of the race), and also easy on fuel, as I didn't need to refuel at all on my pitstop on lap 30, with only 44 units of fuel spent during the first 30 laps.

 

[elrousso]

SECOND RACE - LAGUNA SECA 200

Audi S3 '02 - Absolute Red
198hp (down to 194hp at the end of race)
188ft-lb
31,122.7km (31,444.2 at the end of race)
1420kg
397PP (down to 395PP at the end of race)

Completely stock
Black oil
TC set at 3
ABS set at 1
Everything else OFF

DualShock3

Alternate Lineup #4 (after British Lightweights, Professional Series)

Camaro SS '69
Camaro SS '00
Mustang GT '05
Corvette Grand Sport '96
Mustang SVT Cobra R '00
Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi '71
-Audi S3 '02-
Camaro Z28 Coupe '97
Cougar XR-7
Corvette Coupe '63
Tempest LeMans GTO '64
GTO 5.7 Coupe '04

The lights go off, and the race is on ! The Audi is lacking the horsepower to keep up with most of the competitors, so I'm quickly down to 9th place entering the first corner, but back to 6th when entering the Corkscrew. I would begin to claw back at the leaders for most of my first stint. 5th by the second lap, and then 4th by lap 4, I would go up to 3rd during lap 8, and stay in that place for the rest of the stint, before pitting on lap 30. By that time, my fastest lap is a 1'43.996, on lap 17, almost exactly on par with the leader's best lap of 1'43.997. I exit the pits in 6th place, with new tyres and 20 units of fuel, meaning I won't have to refuel on my next stop, as I begin to munch away at the gap between myself and the leading '69 Camaro SS, which is now about 40 seconds in front. I finally catch him as we exit turn 5 on lap 43, and from there on, I won't be in danger of losing the race. By the time I pit on lap 60, I have built a gap of about 1'20, and a new best lap of 1'43.548 on lap 37, when I was chasing the leaders. As I exit the pits with new tyres and no extra fuel, my gap with the second-placed '69 Camaro is just around 1'00, and the rest of the race is petty much a scenic drive, as I'll be able to extend that gap to just about lapping the entire field, as I would wind up finishing the 90 laps just behind the 3rd-placed Corvette Grand Sport, about 4 seconds from lapping the Camaro.

Podium :

Audi S3 '02 - 2:36'45.233
Chevrolet Camaro SS '69 (+1'41.158)
Chevrolet Corvette GRAND SPORT '96 (+1'42.827)

Best lap : 1'43.066 on lap 69 (Best lap in practice was a 1'43.871)

I thought I would have a little more of a race, considering the S3's weight of 1420kg and the fact that it is a 4WD, which I thought would give me a harder time on the SS tyres, but the car as actually pretty easy on them, as they were down to about 50% front and 60% rear after 30 laps, probably due to the 52-48 weight distribution. It was a nice car to drive, a little bit too much for this particular lineup, but still a fun car to drive, easy to handle and with decent power to be able to push it around the track in respectable times.