There’s another new Gran Turismo 7 Online Time Trial challenge event available beginning today, and taking advantage of the new content added in update 1.43 which released this morning.
A third road car event in a row, this week’s hot lap takes you back to a regular haunt for the Online Time Trials at the Red Bull Ring in Austria’s Styria region.
You’ll be taking on both the stopwatch and the full grand prix course in the newly added Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR GSR ’06. Which takes longer to type out than the lap itself. It’s the first of the CT9A platform Evos — covering Evo VII to Evo IX — to appear in GT7, and while superficially similar to the GSR from GT6, the MR sports one important difference: a six-speed gearbox.
Handily you can buy the car both new and used, with it currently appearing as a Hot Pick, but you can also opt to borrow a car for the event if you so choose. The requirements stick to standard form in any case, with the car equipped with Sports Hard tires for the event.
While we’re in the early stages of the event, the times are already looking pretty competitive. Between the screenshot below and this article being published, the record has already fallen to a 1:44.9, requiring a 1:48.0 for gold. We don’t see it ending there either; times on the high end of a mid-1:44 are likely, so figure on a 1:47.6 or better to stay there.
You still have a week left on the Grand Valley Highway Time Trial which began last Thursday, and the times have already fallen into the expected range. Currently the world record is a 1:17.8, but it is comfortably ahead of the next-best. That makes the gold time a low 1:20.2, and while that’s probably safe enough you should be looking for a 1:20-flat to be more stress-free next Thursday.
In order to access the Online Time Trials, you’ll need to unlock Sport Mode, by completing Menu Book 9 (“Championship: Tokyo Highway Parade”) in the GT Cafe single player hub. As it’s just you against the clock and not a direct, head-to-head multiplayer event, PlayStation Plus is not required.
You’ll need to be within 3% of the fastest time globally once the event finishes in order to secure “gold” status and a 2m credit bonus prize. There’s smaller prizes of one million for being within 5%, and 250,000cr for bronze at 10% off.
The events update every Thursday, with each individual challenge remaining available for two weeks and the oldest of the two events being replaced each week. You can look forward to the next new Time Trial arriving at 0700 UTC on Thursday March 7.
Lap Time Challenge February 29 – Red Bull Ring
- Track: Red Bull Ring
- Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR GSR ’06 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Sports Hard
- Settings: Fixed
Lap Time Challenge February 22 – Grand Valley South
- Track: Grand Valley South Reverse
- Car: Ford 1932 Roadster – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Sports Soft
- Settings: Fixed
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