GT5 Nürburgring GP Demo Introduces “Tire Grip” Penalties

Peter Lyon, a MotorTrend editor who will be joining teammate Kazunori Yamauchi for this weekend’s 24 Hours Nurburgring race, was first to try out the latest demo including the Nurburgring GP circuit and described it as “simply stunning”. His most notable observation, though, was that of a new penalty system:

“New features of the game include a tyre grip penalty which temporarily reduces grip if you go off the track and onto the grass or into the gravel. It takes around three to four corners to retain full grip again. Drivers will also feel like they are in the hot seat when they crash into a guard rail and sparks fly.”

This is excellent news, as the new system sounds much like what happens in real life when tires lose grip after picking up dirt and debris off-track. Several new screenshots have also been released, which I have included below. As always, I’ll post the full 8 or 18-megapixel images in a new post when they are all available.

See more articles on , , and .

Comments (122)

  1. nasanu

    LOL @ GTP :P

    I guess everyone gets it wrong sometimes. Loss of grip after an off road excursion was in GT5P from day one, as everyone as pointed out.

  2. GTP_Hun

    @Jordan: Sorry but this is not new, what you call tyre grip penalty already exists in GT5P (although maybe it doesn’t last three or four corners to regain the usual amount of grip, I’d say 1 or 2). Try this: leave the track to the sand trap in Suzuka corner 2 and then try to do the “esses” at your usual speed. You’ll go off again.

  3. Mr. Premium

    @Bogie 19th: What! Permanent damage? Maybe on soft compound racing slicks, but most tires wouldn’t be damaged that easily.

    Then there’s grass; grass wouldn’t damage even slicks! Grass and the dirt beneath it is often softer than any tire in existence; that’s why you’ll notice grass getting crushed into grooves when you drive on it.

    Sure there are variables, but it’s completely unreasonable to expect significant grip loss permanently after one off. Even one or two small nicks wouldn’t noticably affect tire performance.

  4. GT_PRO

    no need to get excited…why do i have a feeling gt5 will look worse or have less cars on track coz of the sheer amount of detail they have put in EVERYTHING ELSE !!!

  5. Steady_Dave_2JZ

    There seem to be a lot of people saying that this feature was in GT5P.

    If you look a few posts up I said it wasn’t as I thought this was the case and still do however seeing as so many people are saying this i’m going to give it a go as soon as i’m at a PS3. I’m not 100% sure i’m right and will be the first to hold me hands up if i’m wrong

    I could be wrong completely wrong in my thinking, lol, so will test it out.

    On another thought though, I wouldn’t take the words “3-4 corners” literally. I think he just means it takes a while for the tires to get back to normal, and not straight away on not 1 lap, just a reasonable amount of time. Don’t think there will be a program in the game counting 3 or 4 corners until it allows the player to have full grip again, lol.

  6. cuco33

    Pics look amazing even if straight out of photo mode unedited! I’m not sure about the tire grip penalty. I didn’t notice it in GT5P but its been awhile since I played it at a buddy’s. Depends really but I’ll reserve judgment when I have my own copy to do as I please.

  7. noname

    BTH, if you lie now… nothing new with the penalty. It WAS present in gt5p . No doubt, jordan, you should know ;) test it :-)

  8. BTH-Giotto

    Tomorrow around 12 o´clock I will be there to try the demo. Cam is in the car.
    I will upload it then.

    Nice pics, I hope it´s really so good as is written above.

  9. Bogie 19th

    “3-4 corners sound a bit long to retain the full grip again.”

    Well, in real life, many times you have permanent tire damage, and grip is never the same. So it’s more realistic to be 3-4 then less.

  10. Ben Comana

    Jordan, do a control acceleration test. The go off into the grass and do it again, you will notice a difference.

  11. HAAS599

    In GT5:P, I believe your tire do in fact lose performance after going off track. I think the loss of grip is due to loss of tire temperature after going off track.

    In GT5, it sounds like your tires will lose temperature and act like grass or dirt is stuck to them which take more time to wear off to get back to maximum grip.

  12. Maz (GTP_Synwraith)

    Agreed, I have always noticed the tyre grip reduction in prologue after a trip onto the gravel etc, this isn’t anything new.

  13. Timppaq

    Nothing new here.. has been always in prologue. Or as long as I can remember.. :D But the pics look great :tup: Hope to see some real news at E3. ;)

  14. tommygt

    Seems to be a fair bit of confusion with this loss of grip in prologue… i’ve played prologue to death and personally i never noticed a reduction in grip level after going off the track. Saying that though i dont spend too much time spearing off into gravel traps either.

    I guess its plausible though as i’m fairly certain prologue simulates cold tires on the first lap of a race. I pretty much always use the old-shape tuned lotus, (as its by far the most fun and rewarding car to drive) and it definately feels a bit ‘understeery’ and slides around a bit more on the opening lap of a race. Not sure if this is noticable in any of the other cars.

  15. Hyper_Dan

    Forgot to add that the pics look great.. but man I’m tired of pics and videos… It’s time to release the damn game already. ;)

  16. Hyper_Dan

    HAHAHAHA!!! all you people saying its not in GT5P.. are you for real? Go drive it.. trust me this is nothing new…

  17. lado

    Hello, i read about the release date, GT5 ought to be released on November 1. 2010.
    I hope that we get official details in near future.

  18. lado

    GT5P has no grip loss! Always play on Pro mode and nothing is. The graphics are great and the sound is okay, but grip loss, i couldn´t perceive something.

  19. ner0_sol

    ITS STUFF LIKE THIS I WANNA HEAR ABOUIT.. NO OTHER GAME IS DOING THIS AND THID ID SO AWESOME… THINGS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO MAKE GT5 A EPIC WIN FOR A VERY LONG TIME… NOW I JUST CANT TO TRY ALL TH EOTHER FEATURES WE DOT NO ABOUT THAT WILL MAKE RACING BETTER…. .AWESOOOMMEEEEEE

  20. ferrarifan962

    Sucks that he lied :( so… any news on when this game will come out? If there is a demo though that would be pretty cool. However, enough with the constant demos just please PD and I think I can speak for everyone when I say RELEASE THE GAME.

  21. JDigital

    You do lose grip when doing a full off in GT5:P. Anyone that thinks otherwise really should go try for themselves (ahem: Jordan), making yourself look kinda noob… or so pro that you never go off track?

  22. HLRJigsaw

    Good news!! Great Pics!!! NLxAROSA: If you are not driving at the limit then what is the point!!

  23. NLxAROSA

    What VIPERGTSR01 said. It’s been confirmed by many of the fastest players right here on GTP, just check some of the older topics in the GT5P subforum. It’s easy to verify as well: go to a Suzuka Expert online event and go to a sand trap before the esses, preferably with a high-powered car. Then try to take the esses and/or Dunlop as usual. IF you’re driving at the limit, you’ll notice the limit is a lot closer than usual. It’s also present in GT PSP.

  24. Paulie

    No offence Jordan, but it’s kind of embarrassing having a story like that on the main page when Prologue has had the same feature since release.

  25. VIPERGTSR01

    @Steady dave, No thats not what we are talking about

    It IS in GT5P, in professional physics online races atleast, once you re-enter the track you need to take it easy on the throttle and the next couple corners as you have reduced grip, it wears off pretty fast. I usually pin the throttle down in a attempt to spin the tyres up and get the simulated dirt/sand off but I don’t think it has any effect on how long it takes to get full grip back.

  26. Steady_Dave_2JZ

    @ Tek9

    I hope they won’t release it due to the fact the real thing is coming out shortly.

    If no GT5 in 2010 then yes I would love this demo!

  27. Tek9[R]

    Ya’ll stop hateing, the sooner we let it go, tha better. Kaz, stop all this anst and release the dang demo (I got $25 on it!). Off track>loss ‘o grip>wtf! I want marbles building up “off line” I at least hope there will be visable grass or dust while the penalty is in effect. I’m just angry that they(sony,PD, the carmakers) have not tried to make money off of this software, I will give you money for the demo sony, free money, you don’t do any work, we all probably would….

  28. Mr_Hansen

    @ Steady_Dave_2JZ
    Thats not what there talking about (not this many people would not figure that out..).
    Just try taking a mid range car and make a standstill start (use a car you can easily launch without much wheelspin). Now take the same car to the exact same point on the track, exept this time just drive the car for a few meters (all 4 tires) on the grass – before making the start. When launcing from 0 kph on the tarmac, you will now notice that the car spin it’s wheels a lot more easily than before.
    I have always belived this was true, but since a guy like Jordan says it isn’t real I’m not really as sure anymore…

  29. GW92

    i agree with steady dave, it was not on GT5p, that loss of grip when going off track only lasts like half a second and is simply due to the tyres having a sudden increase of grip, with the acc. pedal right down!
    plus, if they already implemented it, why did they feel the need to also add the speed limit cap penalty?!

  30. Steady_Dave_2JZ

    It’s not in GT5P

    What your talking about is the fact that when you are on grass or gravel or whatever, the accelerator is pressed hard down howeevr your speed in limited due to surface you are driving on.

    As soon as you hit the tarmac your still got the throttle hard down so your wheels spin up as your in a low gear.

    Jordan’s right this feature was not in GT5P

    Plus the guy who said it (Peter Lyon) is Kaz’s team mate in the race this weekend, so i’m sure he would have been told about it, and therefore is telling us about it. Makes sense no?

  31. NLxAROSA

    @Jordan, Sam_NY: You’re both wrong, it is in GT5 Prologue (and GT PSP) and it has been discussed to death back in 2008….just browse the GT5P subforum right here…

  32. TokyoDrift

    Yep, it’s just the same excuse as when people get caught file sharing… “Sorry sir, somebody must have been using my WiFi connection”. Uhuh…

    I believe you Ceasium, thousands wouldn’t.

  33. razgriz

    hey everyone.

    so i´m REALLY german. i tried the demo yesterday…and, damn, its awesome!

    it looks great and drives great. the “less grip after grass”-thing is done very well. it feels realistic (and i drive races in a real racecar). and the complete-version of nur is great. but there is an time-limit, so you cant drive a complete lap.

    interesting: “real” race drivers are the best drivers in the demo…much better then most people^^

  34. Dom

    Not sure if the penalty mode will work out that realistic, but it sounds reasonable. Still no sign of weather effects. Just saw the F1 2010 weather system trailer and I hope GT5 will have something similar after all the waiting time…

  35. Ryan

    Lol I cant believe some people still dont believe that theres a grip penalty in GT5P. Only in professional mode, and obviously more noticeable with higher hp cars and you have to get all 4 wheels dirty as someone mentioned. Its there for 5-10 seconds, trust me.

  36. VIPERGTSR01

    Reduction of grip after going off is not new, it was/is in GT5P (just one or two tyres off didn’t count). If you didn’t didn’t notice it go back and try it. :)

  37. BWX

    LOL– “my little brother” excuse!!??? You’ve got to be kidding me!! NO one buys that excuse, just using that excuse is the same as saying “I lied”.. Wow, cannot believe he is still posting- IP range ban for incredibly lame “my little brother” excuse!

  38. ZoOm

    Awesome I like how the news is trickeling in. Nice ZR1 cant wait to drive it around the ring and try to match real life times with it.

  39. RAugie

    Yes!!!!! The end of the Loooooooong wait is near!!
    I can almost hear the sounds of the amazing new cars that we dont even know are in the game!!!!

  40. Mr. Premium

    Yeeeeaaaah, a realistic loss of grip due to dirty tires is a nice touch, but I hope it doesn’t become an arbitrary penalty that happens unrealistically. It shouldn’t take 3 or 4 corners to burn that shit off, especially if you do a big burnout as soon as you return to pavement!

    I hope it’s more dynamic, more fluid, MORE REALISTIC as someone else mentioned; differentiate between different kinds of surface material, and only affect the contacting wheels.

    I remember an early Formula 1 game for the Sega Dreamcast that had a sort of grip loss. Though that game was hard to control anyway, so it was hard to tell; the tires would visually change colour and pattern as you drove; it looked sweet. Hopefully GT5 will pull something like that off!

  41. sdp1974666

    Yeah, it feels like you lose grip after going off-track when you don’t take your foot out of the effing throttle…idiots –

  42. ismellbacon611

    caasimun you saucy bitch!!!!!! i was literally 5 minutes away from buying a 13 hour plane flight to germany!!!!! you are soooooo lucky you confessed or i would have found out what non german country you are hiding in and just plain reconstructed your ass with the front grill of my truck!

  43. Sam__NY

    @Ben Comana- No it wasn’t. I’m sure it would have been mentioned before, but as far as I’m concerned, it wasn’t.

  44. Ben Comana

    Im almost shocked to think that a GT site believes that tyre grip penalty is new!?!? like people have mentioned it was in GT5P. Have you guys not played it??

    1. Jordan

      Of course, Ben, I’ve played it for hundreds of hours (always in Professional mode). I’ve never noticed any lack of grip after going off track.

  45. Denz

    It would be so sick if they released it on PSN. I mean if KAZ is releasing this demo for public play, it has to be GOOD.

  46. CCJ

    There will be a full pit crew, GT4 already had em anyway

    And the grip loss in GT5:P, due to dirty tyres, was faked and canned, and didn’t last that long

  47. MihaiF355

    hey guys…if anyone payed any attention in professional mode in GTP you already have the tire grip penalty! go and try it! you will see there is almost no grip when you run off and after a few corners it’s back to normal….this is nothing new it’s already in Prologue when you are racing in Professional difficulty

  48. dasboost

    GT5P does that now. Granted you can still cut corners but go off the track and you’ll notice loss of grip as you try to take turns. Perfect track to try this out is Suzuka.

  49. lado

    Does someone knows something about Pit Stops in the game, i have never seen somethings mentioned in the news developing. ?!

  50. lado

    I think GT5 turns carefully to a good racing game with nearly perfect physics. Perhaps this last things they have to modify for the game are Pit Stops and Tire abrasion or crashs with objects on the street and the guard lines. I hope so and particularly for the PIT STOPS. :)

  51. Watevaman

    Zev, if the credibility of this site relies on the community, then it lost it a long time ago.

  52. zevehcj

    @Lawrence West
    He lied about being on location awaiting his chance to play the demo and describing in detail the things he was seeing on screen. Many of us were amazed and you know the rest. I hope he never returns because I don’t want to see pest like him ruin the credibility of this great site.

  53. Lawrence West

    I apologise for my ignorance regarding this “cassium” fellow due to my delayed daily check on gtplanet. What had he promised, or is it simply not worth bringing up again? – Lawrence West

  54. zevehcj

    Please ban this guy. This type of behavior is unacceptable. I’m furious because he used such a pathetic excuse. GET OUT OF HERE YOU PEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  55. zevehcj

    “sorry for the comments, my younger brother has some issues with A.D.D and he happens to lie whenever given a chance. I left my computer on and he just came writing all this nonsense comments. please forgive me and my brother we are sorry for causing any inconvienence”

    Liar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Many people use that same excuse all over the internet.

  56. caasimun_18

    i actually have no clue wats even going on…i basically just came in and all i find is great news with wierd comments next to it…and all under my profile name…SORRY EVERYONE, EXTREMELY SORRY

  57. Shawn

    Umm so wait so is the tire grip penalties false? I just got on here and I’m reading the comments about something being a lie? So I’m kind of confused.

  58. caasimun_18

    hi, very sorry for the comments, my younger brother has some issues with A.D.D and he happens to lie whenever given a chance. I left my computer on and he just came writing all this nonsense comments. please forgive me and my brother we are sorry for causing any inconvienence.

    Thank you

  59. zevehcj

    I called up my dad for the awesome news and now I have to call him again to say it was a lie.

  60. TheDurmmingKING

    thanks Jordan, we don’t want to get all the people on this site excited when it turns out to be false, we all know what happens then..

  61. Ash

    @ caasimun_18

    If what you say is true, then just WOW! :O
    I can’t wait, even more than i couldn’t wait before, lol.

  62. Jordan

    I have just removed all comments by “caasimun_18” on this news item, as they were being posted from a residential IP address on an entirely different continent – far away from Germany or the Nurburgring. If you’d like to clear this up, caasimun_18, please contact me privately.

  63. TheDurmmingKING

    @Caasimun_18
    I find everything you are saying VERY hard to believe, but that’s just because we’ve seen nothing close to what you are saying so far, I appologize if you are indeed telling the truth, but if you aren’t…..stop or EVERYONE will be on you. But PLEASE, make a video ;)

  64. soLid

    caasimun_18 the things you say are so awesome that it makes me want to see pictures to believe you.So please grab your camera and start shooting away(better yet take some video).I’m sure it’ll get you crazy coolness bonus around here

  65. DrummerManiac

    wow , caasimun_18 , thanks alot for the info , try to record something and upload to youtube if possible .

  66. icant55

    @ mickle pickle : i did notice that but i didnt mention it in the last post,But it does look a lil de formed! @ least its showing the the suspenion working! Once again nice job PD!

  67. freshseth83

    what’s great is that this probably confirms the FULL Nurburgring course. The GP circuit included with the Nordschlief. Awesomeness. The top cars can do the whole course in 8:20.000 and even less. The LFA race car does the full course in around 8:35.000, actually it’s a bit heavier than the GT3 class cars such as the GT3 RS and R8 LMS. But awesome news nonetheless.

  68. Ryan

    Prologue already has the “less grip when coming back on track” feature. Trust me, I know. ;)

  69. Mickle Pickle

    you can drive a Lexus at a merc dealership ?? lol :P

    by the way… anyone notice on the pics, the tires of the maclaren!!! Tire deformation due to the side of the road! ;)

  70. Maxitsu

    I hope the tyre grip penalty is a bit realistic…not losing randomly grip if you go off or always get this 4-corners-grip-loss if you touch the grass whit one or two tyres for a split second.
    i hope theres a diffrence between, gravel, grass, dusty tarmac…

  71. GlobeKIDD

    ahh, that’s more like it. Haha. The blog said something like 10 mins for the actual drivers. (as i imagined it’s be faster in the game as you’re not worried about actually crashing and dying)

  72. GlobeKIDD

    is it a modified racing version? I can’t imagine a stock ISF racnig around the full VLN track that quickly.

  73. Chris

    they had this in the academy (non?)demo, and it wasn’t just for grass/gravel, it included lower grip on off surfaces like the painted stripes on the outside of the bend onto the back straight.

  74. JayKayEm

    News overdose! Wow!

    Tyre feature well thought of, realistic, it rewards tidy driving and nails the short-cutters.

    GT5 enthusiasm restored ;-)

  75. Mickle Pickle

    I hope this trend of real Daily news of GT5 until E3 stays! Thank you for slowing waking us up.

  76. magburner

    @Paulo:

    Yeah, that lack of grip thing is nothing new, it has been discussed here in depth years ago!

  77. tyl0r_r

    still driving laps in the crappy looking rfactor ‘ring while i wait. this makes the wait both very difficult and assuredly worth it.

  78. Luke

    3-4 corners sound a bit long to retain the full grip again. But i will make my final impression when i play is myself. It is definitely better than being limited to 100 km/h for 5 seconds.

    Damn, everyone who plays it just tells us it`s stunning, amazing, incredible, … . I really hope this game blows us away. I`m pretty confident it will.

  79. Paulo

    Didn’t GT5 Prologue simulate something to this effect, It probably didn’t take 4 corners to regain full grip, but you definitely lost some grip when you came back on track. Anyway, great news, keep it coming.

  80. aleksandarSRB

    Great news, finally we will need some time to clean tires when go off track… it’s real!!

Comments on this post are now closed.

About the Author