October 31st, 2015, courtesy of [Nor]MclarenF1.
The 2016 Formula One season kicks off this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. This year is markedly different in comparison: a new team; new qualifying; Red Bull has a new sponsor; Pastor Maldonado will no longer entertain us with his real-life “Crash FM” (I’m patting myself on the back for that reference, thank you); and Renault is back in the fray.
There are a lot of factors at play this year and I’m looking forward to how everything unfolds. I already have two particular talents from a particular team chosen to win this year, and spoiler alert: it’s Mercedes-AMG.
There’s plenty to discuss, including something that may not go over too well with some of you, so let’s get right to it!
GTPlanet Picture of the Week
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The Dark Knight Rises, March 12th, 2016.
This week’s featured image is the absolutely insane BeckKustoms F132, a hot rod styled like an F1 racer with the brutality of a NASCAR engine. The image comes to us courtesy of The R!CE Guy and it looks just as you’d expect it to: flippin’ evil.
GTPlanet Thread of the Week – The Guessing Game
Can you guess the car? The name rolls off the tongue as if it were an item at a fine dining establishment. It looks of many things if you stop to examine it long enough, but it’s unlikely to be the first thing that comes to mind—that is, unless you know exactly what it is already. In which case you’re a filthy cheater.
This week’s featured thread will fuel the automotive junkie in all of us. What better way to spend your time than guessing cars, well, other than looking at, driving, or kissing, er, taking pictures of cars?
If you wish to test your savvy and find out just how many cars you can identify given the most obscure of references, then look no further locoman88’s thread here, appropriately titled “Guess That Car: Real Life Edition!”
The current mystery at the time of writing this has yet to be solved…
evo Diaries – Pagani Huayra and Bugatti Veyron Vitesse
I’ve seen a fair number of videos featuring the Huayra and I’ve never heard the turbos spool up as they do in this diaries video. Now for the bad news, the Vitesse is only walked around and the drive you would have wanted to see is only mentioned in passing.
GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week
The philosophy behind designing the Tuscan Speed Six was a combination of form and function, and that is evident from the hand-shaped design to the unusual arrangement of the car’s bonnet. The belief in this design philosophy is that one will truly get to grips with the design over a period of time, appreciating the intricate and time-consuming process that resulted in the extravagant design.
While it may have the appearance of fixed head coupe, the Speed Six is a convertible at the end of the day; the roof and rear window can safely be stowed away in the vehicle’s trunk, and with room to spare for luggage.
Powered by TVR’s own 3.6 liter straight six engine, the Speed Six weighs a modest 1100kg (2,425 lbs) and as a result will dart to 60 in a respected 4.2 seconds, and onto a top speed of 180 mph.
GTPlanet Tune of the Week
This week’s tune features 1996 CTR2 put together by Bowtie-muscle, courtesy of Bowtie’s Speed Shop. The tune is specifically built for the FITT Challenge at Suzuka that took place more than a month ago, but who says it’s a one-trick pony?
With 597 horses propelling the rear end into dangerous territory, this 575 PP beast of a machine is likely to shred the competition, and scare a little bit of sense into the one behind the wheel as well.
“Easy in, fast out works best. Also, for the S Curves, lifting-pointing-then shooting works best. Braking should be done early and gently. Hit your marks and this can do a 2:03.5 at Suzuka in my hands, better driver may get under 2:03. Good luck!”
If the challenge speaks to your courageous side and you want to see just how good it is at Suzuka, and anywhere else for that matter, stop by and show Bowtie some love!
The Last Lap
There’s a bit of announcement to make regarding the future of this particular piece, and as you may have gathered from the choice of words married together in this week’s headline it isn’t exactly what you’d call “good news.”
When this particular amalgamation of news from all walks of the simulation racing lifestyle began as the Weekly Rewind it was essentially an experiment to get the community as involved in things as possible. Recommendations; discussions; sharing; criticism; you name it and the Weekly Rewind was likely on a path to encouraging it. When the feature was born anew as the Community Spotlight it was an extension of that philosophy, all the while adapting to an even larger pool of racing games, and even non-racing games.
Unfortunately, we’ve come upon the very same impasse that resulted in the Weekly Rewind going on an extended hiatus. I won’t go into reasons why this is happening because it would really be no different than me pointing fingers at someone, and that most certainly isn’t my intention. What I will say is something isn’t working and like most things, you either adapt or perish. While the Spotlight isn’t coming to an end, it does require a little bit more consideration and adaptation to the ways things have changed lately.
Rest assured, this isn’t the last you’ve read of the Spotlight.
See more articles on GTPlanet Community Spotlight.
The most quality read on the site more often than not, and it gets taken away…
Oh bother… ::In my Winnie the Pooh voice::
I hope this gets a strong reconsideration.
Seeing as this was Michael’s baby, and we don’t know – maybe don’t want to – what the extenuating circumstances are, we don’t know what all is involved in the hiatus, or how long. I guess just be patient and before you know it, we’ll have lots to talk about.
Hey boss, you could just focus on ATS and ETS news until the Spotlight is sorted out.
Focusing on Forza would probably be better as that game has been a lot more active.
This definitely was the best reading material on the site. I truly hope this feature returns in some shape or form soon.
A shame. I’ve always looked forward to seeing this at the end of the week.
So now I’ll be looking forward untill it’s possible return.
Cheers.
In my opinion, things like “Tune Of The Week”, “Thread/Photo Of The Week”, “Member Of The Week”, etc need to come to an end anyway. For the most part, those things just end up in a popularity contest and not what they are truly intended for. There were more than a few times when I have nominated a certain tune which most everyone was using and praising for a certain event. But, because this certain person wasn’t well liked for whatever reason, his tunes weren’t high-lighted here but instead the honor would go to a more popular person with a less than average tune. I’ve seen the same thing happen for the “Member Of The Week”. These things just end up in a popularity contest a lot of times. I’m not the only one who feels this way either, I’m just the only one who is not afraid to say anything. I’m sure I’ll be scolded, or worse, for voicing my opinion here on this matter but last I knew, it was a freedom we all have in being able to voice our opinions, concerns, etc.
One, you don’t have “freedom” on an internet forum. Your “freedoms” are governed by the rules you agreed to when you became a member here. So that’s one thing.
Two, everything you’ve said outside of that is unequivocally false. Anything anyone has ever recommended, suggested, or nominated has always been used, all other times the choices have been my own because there weren’t any suggestions in the first place.
….I’m popular on GTP? This is news to me.
Was it me? :(
But seriously, I hope the best for you and the CS, and that board politics aren’t rearing an ugly head.
It was you! I’m kidding, it wasn’t you or any one person in particular.
Dude, I almost swallowed my gum. ;D
But anyway, hope this week is suiting you much better. God knows, and I know, how life things can get a guy down. Since this is so late, probly not being read by anyone, but wanted to peek in here again since this may be the last CS for a while.
Isn’t that mystery car the Polish supercar, Arrinera Hussarya? I remember they had to redesign their first concept because of criticism that it was styled very similarly to a Lamborghini. Eventually their second derivative was well received.
Is that title a reference to “See You Again”?
The new qualifying was an absolute letdown.
F1 IS a let down. Why would qualifying be any different?
For REAL racing, support a local event!