- 3,957
- Cleveland
Well, worked on this last year, found it again, and thought it was a good read worth sharing, so here it is. you might want the attached spreadsheet to see how I rank events in terms of difficulty, so when I say the Celica '83 can win Historic-3, you'll know what I mean.
80s cars comparo
Celica 83 Celica Supra or Celica XX 2800GT whats with the black duct tape covering something on the top right of the rear end? Starts with good power, 165hp, somewhat heavy at 1235kg, maxes out at a hefty 357hp. At first it is pretty tough to control due to rear end traction loss but a 1.5 way LSD will handle this nicely, though youll probably want to get stickier tires, too. Power band starts off decent but especially with upgrades (NA only) it starts to peak very high, above redline, and gets very steep, so much of the max hp is unavailable even if you drive it MT. Nice style, whether red or grey, nice front mounted mirrors. Interesting Race mod, but its available. Without race mod, using Parnellis guide the toughest race it can handle is Historic-3, or in class Enduro-3 Seattle, actually wins up to Pure sport-3. With race mod youd be hard pressed to win any more (though if it wasnt an NA it could probably win Turbo-1...) So, nicely competitive for all the low-mid level events. Cheap to buy, mid-priced to tune.
Starlet 82 power band starts off nice but gets very steep with upgrades which will be necessary to win any events. Original design for its time, last of the FR micro boxes, front mounted mirrors. Ugly green color jetliner silver metallic??? (any other colors available?) cheap to buy, cheap to tune (except youll need to tune it fully to get it competitive). Nice R mod. When fully tuned, still on normal tires, handles better than expected. Still not up to winning as much as the kg/hp would suggest, maxes out at 80s events, so can win all FR and compact events, too. Even with R mod you wont really be able to get any further, though you might possibly be able to squeak out the occasional win at the Super Touring Car trophy esp at Trial Mountain or Laguna Seca. Cornering is definitely your strength. Maxes out at 174hp, 633kg with R mod. Certainly a novelty.
Skyline GTS-R R31 87 Holy crap what a sweet ride! So much fun to drive! Power, snappy handling that demands skill to control but delivers amazing potential response, drifting corners. Prefer street red to racing mod in style, unfortunately. Without R mod, wins up to Turbo-3, though that Mines Lancer will give you a challenge. Maxes out at 421hp, 1192kg = 2.83 kg/hp. Front air dam gives extra DF of 15, that explains some of the good traction and snappy handling I suppose. 2L I6 peaks just at redline, better performance from MT driving, not too steep but definitely no flat spot on the top of the power curve how I prefer, will only get worse with upgrades. Fully tuned still not too steep actually, but peaks near rev limit. Cheapest GTR, historically significant big step forward in the dominant Skyline series in terms of design appearance, nice looks imo. Stock gearing runs out of room at 223kph. Is that a problem? Probably not, and it means youll have about the best acceleration possible stock. Even boosted to 1192kg, 272hp (you start with 208) at Tahiti with stock tranny doesnt quite run out of room, peaks at 220kph.
Tommykaira M30 Based on the R31 skyline but with a 3L engine. Somewhat heavier, but with more power too. Power band in nicely within 4-5 rev range, drops a little towards redline but is flat from 6100-6750 or so, about what youd expect I guess from a 3L. Very expensive for an early model Skyline, but its a Tommykaira. Takes FR-1 stock. Ends up with 408hp, 1254kg, no race mod available, somewhat less that the GTS-R R31. Still, the redline is higher and power peaks about 500rpm below it, so more power is available, and it shows at the 1000m where it gets a better time by about 0.3 secs. Also sits lower. So despite a poorer final kg/hp, may be competitive at the same level as the non R modded GTS-R. Actually destroys Convertible-3, obviously more power available at all RPMs. Takes Pure Sport-3 comfortably, too. Crap, even takes Turbo-1 handily, with a recommended kg/hp of 2.58 when I only have 3.07!!! Probably not going to win at GT300 since R mod recommended there, and no other events close to 2.58 Actually should win Turbo-3 with a near perfect run against the Mines Lancer.
Skyline GT-R R32 89 This car comes at the end of a decade which saw great advancements in automotive technology, and you can find them all here in one ultimate package. Stock garage 295hp, 1430kg, 4WD, can take 4WD-1 and maybe 4WD-2, certainly with sport suspension and/or tires. Still reasonably priced, I guess most demand has moved on to the R34 making the R32 a bargain at this point, though tuning is still expensive and fully modded the original purchase price will only be a small fraction of what youve spent in total, so the R34 VSpec II would actually be a better straight up purchase... But obviously here the Skyline has arrived in full force. In terms of ultimate potential, with R mod and full tuning, this car can probably win any race in GT2 with 637hp and 1221kg = 1.92kg/hp. Not the ultimate Skyline youll see a decade later in the R34, but how much sweeter to take all comers in this classic. Beautiful styling in Black Pearl Metallic. 2.6L I6 has a wonderful broadly arched power curve peaked in the middle and only dropping slightly towards the very high RPM redline at just over 8000, which means that with gears set for any kind of course youll have almost the full 295hp at your beck and call at all times. Stock handling is rather poor, 4WD bad cornering, easy to lose traction when cornering+braking, kind of heavy feeling. At full tuning power peaks just at redline and isnt too steep before, not bad for turbo-4 637hp. With R mod, you can take GT All Stars. Without R mod, get stuck at Tuned Turbo-3 (although you crush that event).
Celica GT-Four 88 Developed for rallying, and historically quite successful at it stock 180 hp, 1350kg, under 8000cr base price, can probably win 80s-1 stock (just barely, but doable.) Stock also wins GT France-1 due to stupid AI, cant win GT US-1 where AI doesnt really have as much of a chance to take bad lines. Liftback, fog lights, decent looker. Fully modded less R might be able to take up to Lux Sedan-3, all GT regionals, and certainly the Muscle events. With R mod will certainly take all those events and possibly Seattle Enduro, too, but thats it. Even at modest tuning, power peaks above redline, and the curve is moderately steep, so much of the stated hp will be unavailable throughout most of the running rpms, making it undercompetitive. This handicap can be minimized by racing on high speed tracks with a full racing tranny set close in 4-5 and/or shifting with MT. Also set final gear per track so you run up close to rev limit on the longest drag. Super cheap to buy, expensive to tune unfortunately. Racing mod looks good. Fully modded less R might be able to take up to Muscle Cars (racing tranny did help at GT Euro Grand Valley.) With R mod you cant really get much further, perhaps to Enduro Seattle or Historic-3 Grindelwald, but nothing which will have you racing against other R modded cars. Can back up and de-tune to take Super Touring Cars, though. Actually handles pretty well, short body produces nice turning radius, but overall not the most impressive car.
Celica GT-Four 91 Hey, its in the 80s events, so its an 80s car. Officially released in Japan in Oct 89. 220hp, 1400kg. Can win Historic-1 stock (not fairly) and Trial Mtn Enduro, maybe Compact-1&2. Tough handling stock, kind of heavy, really wants suspension and sport tires to keep speed around corners. Cheap to buy (7,500cr), expensive to tune. Turbo. Sharp peak in power band about 750rpm below redline not a big problem, better than peaking at redline Becomes competitive with just a little tuning. Fully modded 1246kg, 374hp, will take all GT regionals and up to perhaps Convertible-3. Actually, you can even win Pure Sport-3 since youve got all the goodies installed, nice! (edit: turbo-1, too) Power still peaks at about 6000rpm before 6625 redline, not too steep on either side, really pretty good for AT shifting and hp only slightly overstated. Very nice handling and moves I feel. Looks good, compact but fast and sleek. R mod looks okay except for goofy roof scoop (to provide fresh air to the driver at the expense of aerodynamics and stability ) With R mod you may be able to win one more event, Tuned Turbo-1, but you probably wont be able to win GT300 or anything else just above Pure Sport-3.
Celica GT-Four RC 91 Not so sure if this was released at the same time as the GT-Four 91, but Ill pretend like it was. Its a (supposedly) much better version of the same thing, mainly more power and wider body but the same weight. Also more expensive, but still only 11,200cr. Again, doesnt really qualify for much that it can win stock.
Celica GT-R 91 Also in the 80s events, also released in Oct 89, FF version. Can win 80s-1 stock okay maybe not, gears way too tall for 162hp, 1210kg, add close or super close gearing and then you can win. Nice looking car, poor ultimate performance, peaking at maybe Lux Sedan 2 with 1112kg and 263hp before R mod. Should be able to finish 80s events and Lux Sedan-2 (easily), but probably not NA events. Seems like poor braking stock. With R mod will be able to get NAs (where the 306 at least will also be R modded so you wont be totally out of place) and Grand Tourer-2 (though theyll catch you on the main drag if you dont have enough of a lead), maybe pure sport-1 with your tire and RM advantage, probably not Super touring series. So, slightly overachieving. Power band peaks at redline, not too steep stock, and its NA so its still not so bad fully tuned, still peaks at redline and still not too steep, just keep it closely geared and appropriate for track. OK race mod. Moderately priced tuning. Looks good, compact but fast and sleek. R mod looks okay except for goofy roof scoop (to provide fresh air to the driver at the expense of aerodynamics and stability in rally conditions )
RX-7 83 Ultimate R potential uncertain maybe GT300 or Enduro-5 rome, GT All Stars-2 a stretch unfortunately so light that handling with this power is uncertain, even with DF of R mod. 83 is a Series 2, or FB in the US. 50/50 weight ratio.
RX-7 GT-X 90 Its in the 80s event The FC3S Series 5 turbo boasted 202hp, released in 1989 and continued through 1991-2. Stock, will win a lot of events. Sundays, clubman 1&2, FR-1, GTs at 216, 246, and at the limit with a good run the 295s. Seems to have really weak brakes, and handling is more sloppy than Id like. Powerband is great, so lap times will still be good, but not as good as they could be. Fully tuned, powerband is good for AT, but better MT. Flat peak from 7000-8000, with redline of 7625, gradual slope up from 5900. Watch setting springs too high and handling will get a lot better with upgrades. I guess the FC was known for cornering ability due to its 50/50 weight distribution, and it seems to live up to its hype in my experience, handling kind of like an MR. Wins Turbo-3 fully tuned or R modded.
RX-7 Infini III 90 Officially released in 90, but based on the S5 Version of the FC3S RX-7 which was released in 89 and which is probably why the GT-X is in the 80s event, so this one could go either way. According to Wikipedia, the Infini III was only released in Forest Green, but we get it in a variety of colors in the game Curious sidenote, infini is for infinity which in Japanese is Mugen which is of course a Honda tuner. Clearly better braking and overall better handling than the GT-X, and can take a couple more events stock. Fully tuned, powerband is not the same as the GT-X. Clear peak around 6800 and falling to redline of 7625, somewhat steep before peak esp. before 5700. So not as favorable to MT, AT is perfectly fine, but still might not have as much hp available as youd think compared to GT-X.
RX-7 Cabriolet 90 ditto above on 80s eligibility.
323 4Door Sedan, or Protégé 89 okay so its a normal family sedan, albeit rather lightweight. But some jackass agrees to put 3.5x turbo in it and then race modify it just to be sick and well, it kind of kicks ass now, but not quite. Fully tuned, powerband is one of those straight lines to rev limit. Tires are pitifully narrow. But, its super light with lots of hp, and ends up being one of the best FFs period. Kind of crazy handling with all that power but no weight on skinny tires However, in any reasonable comparison test given wt/hp ratio (then adjusted), its a serious underperformer. Stock, can win Sunday-1 but itll be a bit of a challenge, 1000kg and a scant 109hp. Fully tuned, will take Turbo-1. Even with R mod though that damn Mines Lan-Evo that usually shows up in Turbo-3 is too much.
MX-5 89 Stock 980kg nice and light but only 116 hp low power you can understand the initial complaints and why Mazda upped the hp in later models. Only enough to win Sunday-1, just a little short of Sunday-2 or clubman-1. Fully tuned, only 237, but nice powerband, peaks at 7000 and falls only slightly to redline of 7625. Wins Open-3 handily and PS-3 on a good day.
Lotus Elan S2 actually released Nov 89 stock powerband is a sharp mountaintop like peak at 7000 with redline at 7625, not very good, which is why this car feels mostly anemic. Funny wedge shape, seems to have too much drag, too. And braking feels weak. Hmm, so much for the best handling FF ever as they say. Does feel like its got close to 50/50 weight distribution, though at times it also wants to understeer. Fully tuned, powerband is steep up to almost redline than basically flat to rev limit, so with AT you almost never get full power. Can barely win open-3. No R mod.
Delta HF Integrale 88 got that European look going on, 1st 4WD together with Celica 88. Its got 4 doors but its too short to be a sedan, call it a 5 door. Stock gearing is way tall, still in 3rd after 1000m. Must drive MT stock, the powerband is crazy low, peaks in the 5000s and then loses 1/3 of its hp by redline at 7125. Hopefully itll get better tuned. Tons of power at low rpms, though, since this is a rally engine by design. Um, if you drive MT youll probably be able to win lots of events stock, but AT youll be seriously handicapped. Once you get a custom tranny and set it properly though its not so bad compared to the straight line to rev limit powerbands Ive seen on other cars, just make sure that all gears start at or below 5000rpm when shifting into them, and its kind of like a reverse of what a good powerband looks like. Fully tuned handles great, no wheelspin, wins Pure sport-3.
Primera GT 90 PD description itself says released in Feb 89, though the internet would disagree. Stock powerband is great, peaks at 6000 and stays pretty much flat to rev limit of 8000, and not too steep before that. Super cheap to buy. Stock brakes seem pretty weak, and stock tranny has 2nd and 3rd too tall, and the final ratio is too tall as well, so a close or superclose or custom tranny will help a lot, as will brakes and/or weight reduction. Fully tuned powerband is not too steep to a flat spot on the top that goes from 7000 to 7825 redline and to rev limit, so pretty good AT, even better MT.
R Skyline R30 Silhouette 84 seems like crazy amount of available downforce, but youll want it because without it this thing will go airborne! Lightweight cars with this much power need some help in the stability department, to be sure. Great classic model, quite successful in TRW. This thing will win just about everything for you, but without overkill on GT All Stars and GT World. Unique Silhouette class looks. Too bad PD didnt simulate the frequent flames shooting out the side like this thing had in real life! Its real strength is its braking, because in a straight out power contest, its not a GT-ONE. But in a circuit race, itll beat the GT-ONE every time on braking distance (somehow).
R Delta S4 85 This car screams rally, and is set up to do so. Stock gearing is set just right. Powerband peaks sharply about 700rpm below redline and drops off quickly, so hp is going to feel overstated, but itll otherwise be there throughout your shifting rpms, and its fine to drive AT. At 1200kg and 384hp, power to weight ratio is not great and will definitely be a limiting factor, especially when considering that hp is overstated. Unfortunately weight and hp are not historically accurate, so dont expect to be winning any rally championships like the real car did with PDs version. This is supposed to be and feels like a midship mounted 4WD, and sports a combo super and turbo charged engine, for better response and less lag, also seen in the Micra Super Turbo but otherwise rare. Amazing turning radius, performs better than youd expect. Unfortunately limited opportunities for competitive racing since the only thing you can change is your tires. It will crush Tuned Turbo-3, but wont win GT300 or any All Stars. Have yet to rally it, but it will probably be great where its competitive.
RS200 Rally Car 86 First thing you notice is the weird whiny sound this car makes kind of unsettling. Take it stock to the 1000m and it jumps off the line, quickly running through the gears, until in has just a few rpms left before rev limit when you cross the finish line. This thing isnt set up to go high speed, its set up to quickly respond at the low and middle speeds that you would find at a rally event. Stock gears run out at 235kph so invest in a custom tranny if youre going to race it off the dirt. 1260kg, 378hp, its on par with the BTR Type 1 but with 4WD and midship engine rather than rear mounted. Hard to see any practical applications for it totally stock, since it will need to go over 235kph to win any events it is eligible for (394-). Power is great like you would expect it in the low range, peaks at 7000 after a nice gentle slope up from the lower rpms, but then crashes after that to redline and rev limit, so you may want to run MT and shift a little early, but really I guess its not too bad for AT. Feel free to keep your gearing wide, though. Stock suspension is actually pretty tight I was surprised to see, because running this thing I noticed a lot more front-back weight transfer than Im used to seeing. Starts off with RM quality DF (fixed) to make up for no R mod available, like the BTR. Fully tuned, it should be able to take GT300 and of course up to Turbo-3 in the normally non-R events. Who knows how far it could go on the Rally events, though, but thats where it belongs Tried it out, and I know my rally skills are undeveloped, not even sure how to set suspension, but seemed rather lacking.
Corvette Stingray 82 ultra sweet looks, and great handling in a straight line! Very tough to corner, requires skill kick the rear end out and drift without losing control or too much speed. Tight long grip corners will be your biggest enemy. 4 speed tranny starts tall, okay once youve powered up but 5 speed would be better. Big wide V8 power band stock makes 4 speed okay. Nice sound stock, both a rumble and a whine, still nice fully tuned. Stock can win 6 events in class: first 2 Sundays and Clubmans, and the two 246hp GT National events at Tahiti and Laguna Seca, but only if you have skill. Kind of expensive (25Kcr) and expensive to tune, esp w/ NA-3. Ultimate stock utility through GT Regionals at 1349kg, 395hp. Actually wins Convertible-3 and Pure Sport-3. Still has a crappy turn radius but generous power band makes up for it. Nice and stable at high speed, lots of push, aero, extra DF in back for traction. Beautiful R mod, doesnt help it to win any more events, though.
Levin/Trueno 83 and 85 Cant tell a lick of difference in the performance of these four models. Strangely, 85s are cheaper, and Truenos are 100cr more expensive than Levins. Liftbacks, too bad no coupes included as theyre both lighter and more rigid. The 83 is known as a zenki (early period) and the 85 is the kouki (later), the stated difference being minor body work and tail light changes. In game the type IIs are 25mm longer. Amazing lightweight FR, last of a breed. Good flat-top power band to start with, gearing fine but better suited for more power and speed. Pretty cheap to buy, moderate priced tuning. Stock, 925kg and 125hp, cant quite win what you think it might, just Sunday-1 and the 197- GTs of Japan and Italy. Weak NA tuning or somewhat more beefy Turbo tuning available, but your tail will come out easily once youve got much power. And you will need to tune it to the max to win many races. Sticky tires and better suspension come before weight reduction. Ends up at 851kg and 260hp before R. Ultimate power band could be worse, still peaks over redline but at least it isnt a straight dash, rather it starts to taper off and is almost flat towards the rev limit. Handling can be skippy at this point, but youll brake and corner with the best. Wins up to Pure Sport-3. With R mod, can win Turbo-1 barely. Also you might notice a game error while watching replays. Itll try to confuse you by saying youre watching the 83 when you were sure you were in an 85 and vice versa. Dont worry, youre not going crazy, the game is.
Silvia Ks 1800cc 88 another legendary car from Nissan, but in this case not for sheer power and circuit dominance but for agility and speed in the touge and drifting. You will notice that in fact it requires careful, gentle steering and braking in order to avoid having the rear break traction and come out on you. Once you master it, however, this car is the fastest normal car produced to date when comparing adjusted kg/hp (the special tommykaira M30 is about 0.3% faster in lap times, but its not quite a normal car ) Stock, it will win as many events as the 83 RX-7, that is to say 12. Its powerband is just great, giving you pretty much peak hp from 6000-7000 rpms before dopping towards redline of 7125, so you almost always have full hp to play with, especially with a custom tranny. Sticker tires may be in order to tame the wheelspin, but really the superior potential of this car makes it quite forgiving of the occasional 5-10kph lost when the rear comes loose unexpectedly. Sound is okay, its an I4 after all, looks are great, definitely a trend setter.
Silvia Qs 1800cc 88 see Silvia K, only less so. Named after playing cards, we dont get the base model J in this game.
RUF BTR Type I made from 83 to 93, so hard to say for sure. Later models were coupled to a 6 speed tranny could be one indicator, though that could be the type II. The BTR2 started in 1993. Based on Porsche 930, a high performance version of the 911. Stock 1190kg and 365hp, thats a lot of power on stock suspension and tires, and yet too much hp for 345- events, so its hard to say without trying them what all it can win. At least 16 events for sure. Stock power band peaks around 6000rpm, holds a small shelf, and drops off rapidly to redline of 7125. So keep gears wide (they come that way stock thankfully), but really not bad for AT driving. With power upgrades it should look even better. Definitely requires tuning to improve handling, but hey, you just shelled out $350K for this thing so another $40K is no big deal, right? Starts off with super crappy turning radius, worse than Stingray 82, because you cant kick out the rear end to at least get yourself pointed in the right direction, all you can do is slow down to a crawl. Braking even seems sluggish. Pushes through turns since theres not much weight on front tires. May be a candidate for ss front and hard rear tires? Ends up at 1094kg and 628hp. No R mod but starts with high DF, 34 front and 53 rear, so basically even stock its an R mod but you cant adjust the DF. Wins GT All Stars, maybe World!
RUF BTR Type II call it 89, see Type I for details. Oi, why dont I get 6 gears?!? And whys top tuned power less than Type I?!? Starts with 395hp, one over the 394- class of races. Can win Sedan-2 easily stock, Touring-2 possibly. Suffers from same bad handling of BTR Type I. Whenever you gas it, all weight comes off the front and you just push, no cornering ability whatsoever. With practice, it becomes possible to maneuver around, but not at anywhere near the potential speed this thing promises. Stock powerband is great for AT, though you may complain it drops a little too much to the redline at 7000 after its nice fat arch in the 5000-6000 range. Fully tuned powerband is just about perfect, and drop the front bound and rebound and rear spring rate from factory settings and the handling becomes much more manageable, even good. Will take All Stars, maybe World.
RUF CTR 87-93, also called Yellowbird, based on 911, set new record for top speed production car when released, 1st over 200. PD may have been a little generous, since in top speed test it made 330kph stock and climbing. Again, stock its kind of pointless to race. And if youve got 370,000cr to buy it you probably have another 50,000cr for suspension and tires, etc., anyway. But stock it could probably win a lot of events, certainly all the Sundays and clubmans, maybe the Super Tourings, the Touring Sedan 493 and maybe 591, the Grand Touring 493 and maybe 591, muscles, ??? Certainly without adding hp but with handling tuning it can win all these and more. Stock braking feels weak, and getting it to turn is a chore, but with a little practice handling is actually pretty manageable, and so although it will be a challenge since youll be at a disadvantage against tuned opponents you can actually win all the 493- events, and probably some of the 591-s. Fully tuned, for some reason it just doesnt handle as well as the BTR Type I, and peaks at Tuned Turbo-3 instead of being able to win the Gt All Stars let alone GT World.
Skyline 2000 RS-X R30 84 The historic rebirth of the Skyline, and the beginning of a dynasty. Compared to its younger siblings this Skyline seems rather weak and unmanageable, but compared to other cars on the road at the time, it was top of the line. It broke with the mold found in the Fairlady Z, the MX-7, the Toyota GT2000, the Corvette, etc., as this is not a set back bubble jet, but a mid-cab box car a lot like most normal cars of the era. And yet its looks are deceiving, for this car is anything but normal. At 1235kg and 182hp, only the ultra-lightweight RX-7 has a better power-to-weight ratio of its contemporaries, and the R30 still has more hp stock, which is what counts at high speed, and its mass gives it stability that the RX-7 doesnt have. Still its not so heavy that braking seriously suffers. Even so, doesnt win as many events stock as the RX-7. Fully tuned at 1136kg and 421hp its a serious contender, winning up to Turbo-3, but its power band pretty much turns to crap, with only a slight tapering off to a peak just above the redline. Handling becomes somewhat tricky, though perhaps just the right tuning could settle things. Tends to understeer with throttle, and even without understeer turn radius isnt great. R mod is not so pretty, though Im sure its classic, Japanese racing white with logos and a splash of color. Cant really win any more events with R mod, unfortunately.
**Supra Twinturbo-R 91 although its in the 80s events, its debatable whether this is really an 80s model. After hard looking only a couple of references to a pre-1990 supra twin turbo r could be found, and one was just for a model car from 1988 supposedly. all real cars were 1991-1993, with a couple of 1990s mentioned. According to wikipedia, it was officially released in august 1990, and was only ever a Japan only model. the Twin turbo R was the sportiest, most powerful available at the time, and many people say its the best looking supra of all time.
MR2 1600G-Limited 86 low power but pretty light to start, cant complain about the handling. Still, will only win 197- GT Japan and Italy and the Sunday cup stock. Starts with a good powerband, ends up with an okay powerband, with a gradual drop from reline at 7125 down to 5800 or so before dropping sharply, easy to gear to keep power close to max in 3-5, but then again, this is only 279hp were talking about, so this is no great accomplishment. Fully tuned less R will not quite win Pure Sport-3, peaks at Open-3. With proper tuning for MR vehicles, it actually handles really well.
Starlet 3 door Turbo S 87 lightweight FF starts rather blah, 790kg, 99hp can only win Sunday-1. With full tuning it can win open-3 with 223hp and just 726kg, mainly because its the king of snappy cornering. Takes that tight corner after the 1st tunnel at Trial Mtn without dropping below 105kph. Extremely responsive, no FF understeer to speak of. With R mod this things cornering is godly. Some of the fastest speeds Ive seen maintained around tight corners, and extremely responsive, very easy to maneuver around traffic and recover from gaffs. Not overly competitive in best lap time trials due to low top end, but in adjusted wt/hp ratio event posted about the best time seen thru Tahitis S and corner (section 2) aside from the M30s 15.8 section time. R mods kinda cute, and will take PS-3.
Micra Super Turbo 89 another micro box/hatch, but with an interesting characteristic: its one of the only cars to get both a supercharger and a turbocharger. Well, lotta good that does, stock the powerband is still pretty blah, peaks just before redline with only a small semi-flat zone in front of that, otherwise its typical low-cc what youd expect. 108hp, 770kg to start, only wins Sunday-1. Give it some power and you quickly realize how truly crappy the handling is. Oversteer, understeer, wheelspin. The only positive thing you can say is it brakes pretty well, but then again, it is only 770kg max, and it never gets going very fast. Both fully tuned and R modded maxes out at Open-3, that Elise GT-1 is pretty tough in PS-3. SS tires and Race Susp helps tame handling quite a bit. R mod doesnt do anything for rather ugly design, though.
Possible candidates:
NSX 90: First introduced to the public in Feb 89 in its production livery, but not sold until 1990, could be considered a late 80s model. This first NSX is pretty heavy, and I guess handling hasnt been hammered out yet. Even with sport suspension its pretty bouncy. Fully tuned, as with other MRs, it requires careful suspension settings to tame, but then its a hoot to rip around the track. Fairly easy to recover, very fast. Just tuck a little and brake and youre POP turned 45 degrees and sticking already, set to tear out of every corner. Itll only take up to PS-3 but it kills that, since its NA and so Turbo events are unavailable (kills MR-3, too.) With R mod, All Stars-2 becomes barely possibly on a near perfect run
CRX SiR 91 first introduced in Sept 89 with the 1595cc VTEC engine, essentially unchanged in this version, could be considered a late 80s model. One of the lowest CdAs of any production vehicle should help its high speed performance.
Supra 93 also reported as Supra Gt Ltd 89, appears indeed to be the Supra introduced in 87, not sure why my PAL GT2 calls it a 93 heavy at 1550kg, 234hp to start with, super cheap at $5100. Incredible stock powerband, climbs sharply to 4700 then stays almost flat to 6600 before falling gradually to redline at 7125 and rev limit beyond that. Stock gearing a little tall, but with this powerband that wont be much of a problem, and you wont need to worry about swapping in a custom tranny for a while. Stock, hairpins are going to be a challenge. In general the rear end likes to come loose, so braking hard and cornering at the same time is a recipe for a sticky situation. Of course, if you enjoy the challenge of a controlled drift, this will be right up your alley. Its mass actually mikes it quite stable, so stock handlings isnt nearly as bad as say the 83 Celica. I imagine this thing has 225/55R16s or something on. Will take 16 events stock total (in class at least.) Fully tuned, powerband is still flat from 6000 to rev limit, definitely great for MT, still very good for AT tuning. Wins up to Turbo-1, and possibly Turbo-3 with a near perfect run against that damn Mines Lancer. With R mod even Turbo-3 is still just a possibility given a perfect run Lots of power and top speed, but weight means somewhat poor cornering and even with ss slicks and R mod some wheelspin issues. Tops out at 423hp and Turbo-1 both with and without R mod.
80s cars comparo
Celica 83 Celica Supra or Celica XX 2800GT whats with the black duct tape covering something on the top right of the rear end? Starts with good power, 165hp, somewhat heavy at 1235kg, maxes out at a hefty 357hp. At first it is pretty tough to control due to rear end traction loss but a 1.5 way LSD will handle this nicely, though youll probably want to get stickier tires, too. Power band starts off decent but especially with upgrades (NA only) it starts to peak very high, above redline, and gets very steep, so much of the max hp is unavailable even if you drive it MT. Nice style, whether red or grey, nice front mounted mirrors. Interesting Race mod, but its available. Without race mod, using Parnellis guide the toughest race it can handle is Historic-3, or in class Enduro-3 Seattle, actually wins up to Pure sport-3. With race mod youd be hard pressed to win any more (though if it wasnt an NA it could probably win Turbo-1...) So, nicely competitive for all the low-mid level events. Cheap to buy, mid-priced to tune.
Starlet 82 power band starts off nice but gets very steep with upgrades which will be necessary to win any events. Original design for its time, last of the FR micro boxes, front mounted mirrors. Ugly green color jetliner silver metallic??? (any other colors available?) cheap to buy, cheap to tune (except youll need to tune it fully to get it competitive). Nice R mod. When fully tuned, still on normal tires, handles better than expected. Still not up to winning as much as the kg/hp would suggest, maxes out at 80s events, so can win all FR and compact events, too. Even with R mod you wont really be able to get any further, though you might possibly be able to squeak out the occasional win at the Super Touring Car trophy esp at Trial Mountain or Laguna Seca. Cornering is definitely your strength. Maxes out at 174hp, 633kg with R mod. Certainly a novelty.
Skyline GTS-R R31 87 Holy crap what a sweet ride! So much fun to drive! Power, snappy handling that demands skill to control but delivers amazing potential response, drifting corners. Prefer street red to racing mod in style, unfortunately. Without R mod, wins up to Turbo-3, though that Mines Lancer will give you a challenge. Maxes out at 421hp, 1192kg = 2.83 kg/hp. Front air dam gives extra DF of 15, that explains some of the good traction and snappy handling I suppose. 2L I6 peaks just at redline, better performance from MT driving, not too steep but definitely no flat spot on the top of the power curve how I prefer, will only get worse with upgrades. Fully tuned still not too steep actually, but peaks near rev limit. Cheapest GTR, historically significant big step forward in the dominant Skyline series in terms of design appearance, nice looks imo. Stock gearing runs out of room at 223kph. Is that a problem? Probably not, and it means youll have about the best acceleration possible stock. Even boosted to 1192kg, 272hp (you start with 208) at Tahiti with stock tranny doesnt quite run out of room, peaks at 220kph.
Tommykaira M30 Based on the R31 skyline but with a 3L engine. Somewhat heavier, but with more power too. Power band in nicely within 4-5 rev range, drops a little towards redline but is flat from 6100-6750 or so, about what youd expect I guess from a 3L. Very expensive for an early model Skyline, but its a Tommykaira. Takes FR-1 stock. Ends up with 408hp, 1254kg, no race mod available, somewhat less that the GTS-R R31. Still, the redline is higher and power peaks about 500rpm below it, so more power is available, and it shows at the 1000m where it gets a better time by about 0.3 secs. Also sits lower. So despite a poorer final kg/hp, may be competitive at the same level as the non R modded GTS-R. Actually destroys Convertible-3, obviously more power available at all RPMs. Takes Pure Sport-3 comfortably, too. Crap, even takes Turbo-1 handily, with a recommended kg/hp of 2.58 when I only have 3.07!!! Probably not going to win at GT300 since R mod recommended there, and no other events close to 2.58 Actually should win Turbo-3 with a near perfect run against the Mines Lancer.
Skyline GT-R R32 89 This car comes at the end of a decade which saw great advancements in automotive technology, and you can find them all here in one ultimate package. Stock garage 295hp, 1430kg, 4WD, can take 4WD-1 and maybe 4WD-2, certainly with sport suspension and/or tires. Still reasonably priced, I guess most demand has moved on to the R34 making the R32 a bargain at this point, though tuning is still expensive and fully modded the original purchase price will only be a small fraction of what youve spent in total, so the R34 VSpec II would actually be a better straight up purchase... But obviously here the Skyline has arrived in full force. In terms of ultimate potential, with R mod and full tuning, this car can probably win any race in GT2 with 637hp and 1221kg = 1.92kg/hp. Not the ultimate Skyline youll see a decade later in the R34, but how much sweeter to take all comers in this classic. Beautiful styling in Black Pearl Metallic. 2.6L I6 has a wonderful broadly arched power curve peaked in the middle and only dropping slightly towards the very high RPM redline at just over 8000, which means that with gears set for any kind of course youll have almost the full 295hp at your beck and call at all times. Stock handling is rather poor, 4WD bad cornering, easy to lose traction when cornering+braking, kind of heavy feeling. At full tuning power peaks just at redline and isnt too steep before, not bad for turbo-4 637hp. With R mod, you can take GT All Stars. Without R mod, get stuck at Tuned Turbo-3 (although you crush that event).
Celica GT-Four 88 Developed for rallying, and historically quite successful at it stock 180 hp, 1350kg, under 8000cr base price, can probably win 80s-1 stock (just barely, but doable.) Stock also wins GT France-1 due to stupid AI, cant win GT US-1 where AI doesnt really have as much of a chance to take bad lines. Liftback, fog lights, decent looker. Fully modded less R might be able to take up to Lux Sedan-3, all GT regionals, and certainly the Muscle events. With R mod will certainly take all those events and possibly Seattle Enduro, too, but thats it. Even at modest tuning, power peaks above redline, and the curve is moderately steep, so much of the stated hp will be unavailable throughout most of the running rpms, making it undercompetitive. This handicap can be minimized by racing on high speed tracks with a full racing tranny set close in 4-5 and/or shifting with MT. Also set final gear per track so you run up close to rev limit on the longest drag. Super cheap to buy, expensive to tune unfortunately. Racing mod looks good. Fully modded less R might be able to take up to Muscle Cars (racing tranny did help at GT Euro Grand Valley.) With R mod you cant really get much further, perhaps to Enduro Seattle or Historic-3 Grindelwald, but nothing which will have you racing against other R modded cars. Can back up and de-tune to take Super Touring Cars, though. Actually handles pretty well, short body produces nice turning radius, but overall not the most impressive car.
Celica GT-Four 91 Hey, its in the 80s events, so its an 80s car. Officially released in Japan in Oct 89. 220hp, 1400kg. Can win Historic-1 stock (not fairly) and Trial Mtn Enduro, maybe Compact-1&2. Tough handling stock, kind of heavy, really wants suspension and sport tires to keep speed around corners. Cheap to buy (7,500cr), expensive to tune. Turbo. Sharp peak in power band about 750rpm below redline not a big problem, better than peaking at redline Becomes competitive with just a little tuning. Fully modded 1246kg, 374hp, will take all GT regionals and up to perhaps Convertible-3. Actually, you can even win Pure Sport-3 since youve got all the goodies installed, nice! (edit: turbo-1, too) Power still peaks at about 6000rpm before 6625 redline, not too steep on either side, really pretty good for AT shifting and hp only slightly overstated. Very nice handling and moves I feel. Looks good, compact but fast and sleek. R mod looks okay except for goofy roof scoop (to provide fresh air to the driver at the expense of aerodynamics and stability ) With R mod you may be able to win one more event, Tuned Turbo-1, but you probably wont be able to win GT300 or anything else just above Pure Sport-3.
Celica GT-Four RC 91 Not so sure if this was released at the same time as the GT-Four 91, but Ill pretend like it was. Its a (supposedly) much better version of the same thing, mainly more power and wider body but the same weight. Also more expensive, but still only 11,200cr. Again, doesnt really qualify for much that it can win stock.
Celica GT-R 91 Also in the 80s events, also released in Oct 89, FF version. Can win 80s-1 stock okay maybe not, gears way too tall for 162hp, 1210kg, add close or super close gearing and then you can win. Nice looking car, poor ultimate performance, peaking at maybe Lux Sedan 2 with 1112kg and 263hp before R mod. Should be able to finish 80s events and Lux Sedan-2 (easily), but probably not NA events. Seems like poor braking stock. With R mod will be able to get NAs (where the 306 at least will also be R modded so you wont be totally out of place) and Grand Tourer-2 (though theyll catch you on the main drag if you dont have enough of a lead), maybe pure sport-1 with your tire and RM advantage, probably not Super touring series. So, slightly overachieving. Power band peaks at redline, not too steep stock, and its NA so its still not so bad fully tuned, still peaks at redline and still not too steep, just keep it closely geared and appropriate for track. OK race mod. Moderately priced tuning. Looks good, compact but fast and sleek. R mod looks okay except for goofy roof scoop (to provide fresh air to the driver at the expense of aerodynamics and stability in rally conditions )
RX-7 83 Ultimate R potential uncertain maybe GT300 or Enduro-5 rome, GT All Stars-2 a stretch unfortunately so light that handling with this power is uncertain, even with DF of R mod. 83 is a Series 2, or FB in the US. 50/50 weight ratio.
RX-7 GT-X 90 Its in the 80s event The FC3S Series 5 turbo boasted 202hp, released in 1989 and continued through 1991-2. Stock, will win a lot of events. Sundays, clubman 1&2, FR-1, GTs at 216, 246, and at the limit with a good run the 295s. Seems to have really weak brakes, and handling is more sloppy than Id like. Powerband is great, so lap times will still be good, but not as good as they could be. Fully tuned, powerband is good for AT, but better MT. Flat peak from 7000-8000, with redline of 7625, gradual slope up from 5900. Watch setting springs too high and handling will get a lot better with upgrades. I guess the FC was known for cornering ability due to its 50/50 weight distribution, and it seems to live up to its hype in my experience, handling kind of like an MR. Wins Turbo-3 fully tuned or R modded.
RX-7 Infini III 90 Officially released in 90, but based on the S5 Version of the FC3S RX-7 which was released in 89 and which is probably why the GT-X is in the 80s event, so this one could go either way. According to Wikipedia, the Infini III was only released in Forest Green, but we get it in a variety of colors in the game Curious sidenote, infini is for infinity which in Japanese is Mugen which is of course a Honda tuner. Clearly better braking and overall better handling than the GT-X, and can take a couple more events stock. Fully tuned, powerband is not the same as the GT-X. Clear peak around 6800 and falling to redline of 7625, somewhat steep before peak esp. before 5700. So not as favorable to MT, AT is perfectly fine, but still might not have as much hp available as youd think compared to GT-X.
RX-7 Cabriolet 90 ditto above on 80s eligibility.
323 4Door Sedan, or Protégé 89 okay so its a normal family sedan, albeit rather lightweight. But some jackass agrees to put 3.5x turbo in it and then race modify it just to be sick and well, it kind of kicks ass now, but not quite. Fully tuned, powerband is one of those straight lines to rev limit. Tires are pitifully narrow. But, its super light with lots of hp, and ends up being one of the best FFs period. Kind of crazy handling with all that power but no weight on skinny tires However, in any reasonable comparison test given wt/hp ratio (then adjusted), its a serious underperformer. Stock, can win Sunday-1 but itll be a bit of a challenge, 1000kg and a scant 109hp. Fully tuned, will take Turbo-1. Even with R mod though that damn Mines Lan-Evo that usually shows up in Turbo-3 is too much.
MX-5 89 Stock 980kg nice and light but only 116 hp low power you can understand the initial complaints and why Mazda upped the hp in later models. Only enough to win Sunday-1, just a little short of Sunday-2 or clubman-1. Fully tuned, only 237, but nice powerband, peaks at 7000 and falls only slightly to redline of 7625. Wins Open-3 handily and PS-3 on a good day.
Lotus Elan S2 actually released Nov 89 stock powerband is a sharp mountaintop like peak at 7000 with redline at 7625, not very good, which is why this car feels mostly anemic. Funny wedge shape, seems to have too much drag, too. And braking feels weak. Hmm, so much for the best handling FF ever as they say. Does feel like its got close to 50/50 weight distribution, though at times it also wants to understeer. Fully tuned, powerband is steep up to almost redline than basically flat to rev limit, so with AT you almost never get full power. Can barely win open-3. No R mod.
Delta HF Integrale 88 got that European look going on, 1st 4WD together with Celica 88. Its got 4 doors but its too short to be a sedan, call it a 5 door. Stock gearing is way tall, still in 3rd after 1000m. Must drive MT stock, the powerband is crazy low, peaks in the 5000s and then loses 1/3 of its hp by redline at 7125. Hopefully itll get better tuned. Tons of power at low rpms, though, since this is a rally engine by design. Um, if you drive MT youll probably be able to win lots of events stock, but AT youll be seriously handicapped. Once you get a custom tranny and set it properly though its not so bad compared to the straight line to rev limit powerbands Ive seen on other cars, just make sure that all gears start at or below 5000rpm when shifting into them, and its kind of like a reverse of what a good powerband looks like. Fully tuned handles great, no wheelspin, wins Pure sport-3.
Primera GT 90 PD description itself says released in Feb 89, though the internet would disagree. Stock powerband is great, peaks at 6000 and stays pretty much flat to rev limit of 8000, and not too steep before that. Super cheap to buy. Stock brakes seem pretty weak, and stock tranny has 2nd and 3rd too tall, and the final ratio is too tall as well, so a close or superclose or custom tranny will help a lot, as will brakes and/or weight reduction. Fully tuned powerband is not too steep to a flat spot on the top that goes from 7000 to 7825 redline and to rev limit, so pretty good AT, even better MT.
R Skyline R30 Silhouette 84 seems like crazy amount of available downforce, but youll want it because without it this thing will go airborne! Lightweight cars with this much power need some help in the stability department, to be sure. Great classic model, quite successful in TRW. This thing will win just about everything for you, but without overkill on GT All Stars and GT World. Unique Silhouette class looks. Too bad PD didnt simulate the frequent flames shooting out the side like this thing had in real life! Its real strength is its braking, because in a straight out power contest, its not a GT-ONE. But in a circuit race, itll beat the GT-ONE every time on braking distance (somehow).
R Delta S4 85 This car screams rally, and is set up to do so. Stock gearing is set just right. Powerband peaks sharply about 700rpm below redline and drops off quickly, so hp is going to feel overstated, but itll otherwise be there throughout your shifting rpms, and its fine to drive AT. At 1200kg and 384hp, power to weight ratio is not great and will definitely be a limiting factor, especially when considering that hp is overstated. Unfortunately weight and hp are not historically accurate, so dont expect to be winning any rally championships like the real car did with PDs version. This is supposed to be and feels like a midship mounted 4WD, and sports a combo super and turbo charged engine, for better response and less lag, also seen in the Micra Super Turbo but otherwise rare. Amazing turning radius, performs better than youd expect. Unfortunately limited opportunities for competitive racing since the only thing you can change is your tires. It will crush Tuned Turbo-3, but wont win GT300 or any All Stars. Have yet to rally it, but it will probably be great where its competitive.
RS200 Rally Car 86 First thing you notice is the weird whiny sound this car makes kind of unsettling. Take it stock to the 1000m and it jumps off the line, quickly running through the gears, until in has just a few rpms left before rev limit when you cross the finish line. This thing isnt set up to go high speed, its set up to quickly respond at the low and middle speeds that you would find at a rally event. Stock gears run out at 235kph so invest in a custom tranny if youre going to race it off the dirt. 1260kg, 378hp, its on par with the BTR Type 1 but with 4WD and midship engine rather than rear mounted. Hard to see any practical applications for it totally stock, since it will need to go over 235kph to win any events it is eligible for (394-). Power is great like you would expect it in the low range, peaks at 7000 after a nice gentle slope up from the lower rpms, but then crashes after that to redline and rev limit, so you may want to run MT and shift a little early, but really I guess its not too bad for AT. Feel free to keep your gearing wide, though. Stock suspension is actually pretty tight I was surprised to see, because running this thing I noticed a lot more front-back weight transfer than Im used to seeing. Starts off with RM quality DF (fixed) to make up for no R mod available, like the BTR. Fully tuned, it should be able to take GT300 and of course up to Turbo-3 in the normally non-R events. Who knows how far it could go on the Rally events, though, but thats where it belongs Tried it out, and I know my rally skills are undeveloped, not even sure how to set suspension, but seemed rather lacking.
Corvette Stingray 82 ultra sweet looks, and great handling in a straight line! Very tough to corner, requires skill kick the rear end out and drift without losing control or too much speed. Tight long grip corners will be your biggest enemy. 4 speed tranny starts tall, okay once youve powered up but 5 speed would be better. Big wide V8 power band stock makes 4 speed okay. Nice sound stock, both a rumble and a whine, still nice fully tuned. Stock can win 6 events in class: first 2 Sundays and Clubmans, and the two 246hp GT National events at Tahiti and Laguna Seca, but only if you have skill. Kind of expensive (25Kcr) and expensive to tune, esp w/ NA-3. Ultimate stock utility through GT Regionals at 1349kg, 395hp. Actually wins Convertible-3 and Pure Sport-3. Still has a crappy turn radius but generous power band makes up for it. Nice and stable at high speed, lots of push, aero, extra DF in back for traction. Beautiful R mod, doesnt help it to win any more events, though.
Levin/Trueno 83 and 85 Cant tell a lick of difference in the performance of these four models. Strangely, 85s are cheaper, and Truenos are 100cr more expensive than Levins. Liftbacks, too bad no coupes included as theyre both lighter and more rigid. The 83 is known as a zenki (early period) and the 85 is the kouki (later), the stated difference being minor body work and tail light changes. In game the type IIs are 25mm longer. Amazing lightweight FR, last of a breed. Good flat-top power band to start with, gearing fine but better suited for more power and speed. Pretty cheap to buy, moderate priced tuning. Stock, 925kg and 125hp, cant quite win what you think it might, just Sunday-1 and the 197- GTs of Japan and Italy. Weak NA tuning or somewhat more beefy Turbo tuning available, but your tail will come out easily once youve got much power. And you will need to tune it to the max to win many races. Sticky tires and better suspension come before weight reduction. Ends up at 851kg and 260hp before R. Ultimate power band could be worse, still peaks over redline but at least it isnt a straight dash, rather it starts to taper off and is almost flat towards the rev limit. Handling can be skippy at this point, but youll brake and corner with the best. Wins up to Pure Sport-3. With R mod, can win Turbo-1 barely. Also you might notice a game error while watching replays. Itll try to confuse you by saying youre watching the 83 when you were sure you were in an 85 and vice versa. Dont worry, youre not going crazy, the game is.
Silvia Ks 1800cc 88 another legendary car from Nissan, but in this case not for sheer power and circuit dominance but for agility and speed in the touge and drifting. You will notice that in fact it requires careful, gentle steering and braking in order to avoid having the rear break traction and come out on you. Once you master it, however, this car is the fastest normal car produced to date when comparing adjusted kg/hp (the special tommykaira M30 is about 0.3% faster in lap times, but its not quite a normal car ) Stock, it will win as many events as the 83 RX-7, that is to say 12. Its powerband is just great, giving you pretty much peak hp from 6000-7000 rpms before dopping towards redline of 7125, so you almost always have full hp to play with, especially with a custom tranny. Sticker tires may be in order to tame the wheelspin, but really the superior potential of this car makes it quite forgiving of the occasional 5-10kph lost when the rear comes loose unexpectedly. Sound is okay, its an I4 after all, looks are great, definitely a trend setter.
Silvia Qs 1800cc 88 see Silvia K, only less so. Named after playing cards, we dont get the base model J in this game.
RUF BTR Type I made from 83 to 93, so hard to say for sure. Later models were coupled to a 6 speed tranny could be one indicator, though that could be the type II. The BTR2 started in 1993. Based on Porsche 930, a high performance version of the 911. Stock 1190kg and 365hp, thats a lot of power on stock suspension and tires, and yet too much hp for 345- events, so its hard to say without trying them what all it can win. At least 16 events for sure. Stock power band peaks around 6000rpm, holds a small shelf, and drops off rapidly to redline of 7125. So keep gears wide (they come that way stock thankfully), but really not bad for AT driving. With power upgrades it should look even better. Definitely requires tuning to improve handling, but hey, you just shelled out $350K for this thing so another $40K is no big deal, right? Starts off with super crappy turning radius, worse than Stingray 82, because you cant kick out the rear end to at least get yourself pointed in the right direction, all you can do is slow down to a crawl. Braking even seems sluggish. Pushes through turns since theres not much weight on front tires. May be a candidate for ss front and hard rear tires? Ends up at 1094kg and 628hp. No R mod but starts with high DF, 34 front and 53 rear, so basically even stock its an R mod but you cant adjust the DF. Wins GT All Stars, maybe World!
RUF BTR Type II call it 89, see Type I for details. Oi, why dont I get 6 gears?!? And whys top tuned power less than Type I?!? Starts with 395hp, one over the 394- class of races. Can win Sedan-2 easily stock, Touring-2 possibly. Suffers from same bad handling of BTR Type I. Whenever you gas it, all weight comes off the front and you just push, no cornering ability whatsoever. With practice, it becomes possible to maneuver around, but not at anywhere near the potential speed this thing promises. Stock powerband is great for AT, though you may complain it drops a little too much to the redline at 7000 after its nice fat arch in the 5000-6000 range. Fully tuned powerband is just about perfect, and drop the front bound and rebound and rear spring rate from factory settings and the handling becomes much more manageable, even good. Will take All Stars, maybe World.
RUF CTR 87-93, also called Yellowbird, based on 911, set new record for top speed production car when released, 1st over 200. PD may have been a little generous, since in top speed test it made 330kph stock and climbing. Again, stock its kind of pointless to race. And if youve got 370,000cr to buy it you probably have another 50,000cr for suspension and tires, etc., anyway. But stock it could probably win a lot of events, certainly all the Sundays and clubmans, maybe the Super Tourings, the Touring Sedan 493 and maybe 591, the Grand Touring 493 and maybe 591, muscles, ??? Certainly without adding hp but with handling tuning it can win all these and more. Stock braking feels weak, and getting it to turn is a chore, but with a little practice handling is actually pretty manageable, and so although it will be a challenge since youll be at a disadvantage against tuned opponents you can actually win all the 493- events, and probably some of the 591-s. Fully tuned, for some reason it just doesnt handle as well as the BTR Type I, and peaks at Tuned Turbo-3 instead of being able to win the Gt All Stars let alone GT World.
Skyline 2000 RS-X R30 84 The historic rebirth of the Skyline, and the beginning of a dynasty. Compared to its younger siblings this Skyline seems rather weak and unmanageable, but compared to other cars on the road at the time, it was top of the line. It broke with the mold found in the Fairlady Z, the MX-7, the Toyota GT2000, the Corvette, etc., as this is not a set back bubble jet, but a mid-cab box car a lot like most normal cars of the era. And yet its looks are deceiving, for this car is anything but normal. At 1235kg and 182hp, only the ultra-lightweight RX-7 has a better power-to-weight ratio of its contemporaries, and the R30 still has more hp stock, which is what counts at high speed, and its mass gives it stability that the RX-7 doesnt have. Still its not so heavy that braking seriously suffers. Even so, doesnt win as many events stock as the RX-7. Fully tuned at 1136kg and 421hp its a serious contender, winning up to Turbo-3, but its power band pretty much turns to crap, with only a slight tapering off to a peak just above the redline. Handling becomes somewhat tricky, though perhaps just the right tuning could settle things. Tends to understeer with throttle, and even without understeer turn radius isnt great. R mod is not so pretty, though Im sure its classic, Japanese racing white with logos and a splash of color. Cant really win any more events with R mod, unfortunately.
**Supra Twinturbo-R 91 although its in the 80s events, its debatable whether this is really an 80s model. After hard looking only a couple of references to a pre-1990 supra twin turbo r could be found, and one was just for a model car from 1988 supposedly. all real cars were 1991-1993, with a couple of 1990s mentioned. According to wikipedia, it was officially released in august 1990, and was only ever a Japan only model. the Twin turbo R was the sportiest, most powerful available at the time, and many people say its the best looking supra of all time.
MR2 1600G-Limited 86 low power but pretty light to start, cant complain about the handling. Still, will only win 197- GT Japan and Italy and the Sunday cup stock. Starts with a good powerband, ends up with an okay powerband, with a gradual drop from reline at 7125 down to 5800 or so before dropping sharply, easy to gear to keep power close to max in 3-5, but then again, this is only 279hp were talking about, so this is no great accomplishment. Fully tuned less R will not quite win Pure Sport-3, peaks at Open-3. With proper tuning for MR vehicles, it actually handles really well.
Starlet 3 door Turbo S 87 lightweight FF starts rather blah, 790kg, 99hp can only win Sunday-1. With full tuning it can win open-3 with 223hp and just 726kg, mainly because its the king of snappy cornering. Takes that tight corner after the 1st tunnel at Trial Mtn without dropping below 105kph. Extremely responsive, no FF understeer to speak of. With R mod this things cornering is godly. Some of the fastest speeds Ive seen maintained around tight corners, and extremely responsive, very easy to maneuver around traffic and recover from gaffs. Not overly competitive in best lap time trials due to low top end, but in adjusted wt/hp ratio event posted about the best time seen thru Tahitis S and corner (section 2) aside from the M30s 15.8 section time. R mods kinda cute, and will take PS-3.
Micra Super Turbo 89 another micro box/hatch, but with an interesting characteristic: its one of the only cars to get both a supercharger and a turbocharger. Well, lotta good that does, stock the powerband is still pretty blah, peaks just before redline with only a small semi-flat zone in front of that, otherwise its typical low-cc what youd expect. 108hp, 770kg to start, only wins Sunday-1. Give it some power and you quickly realize how truly crappy the handling is. Oversteer, understeer, wheelspin. The only positive thing you can say is it brakes pretty well, but then again, it is only 770kg max, and it never gets going very fast. Both fully tuned and R modded maxes out at Open-3, that Elise GT-1 is pretty tough in PS-3. SS tires and Race Susp helps tame handling quite a bit. R mod doesnt do anything for rather ugly design, though.
Possible candidates:
NSX 90: First introduced to the public in Feb 89 in its production livery, but not sold until 1990, could be considered a late 80s model. This first NSX is pretty heavy, and I guess handling hasnt been hammered out yet. Even with sport suspension its pretty bouncy. Fully tuned, as with other MRs, it requires careful suspension settings to tame, but then its a hoot to rip around the track. Fairly easy to recover, very fast. Just tuck a little and brake and youre POP turned 45 degrees and sticking already, set to tear out of every corner. Itll only take up to PS-3 but it kills that, since its NA and so Turbo events are unavailable (kills MR-3, too.) With R mod, All Stars-2 becomes barely possibly on a near perfect run
CRX SiR 91 first introduced in Sept 89 with the 1595cc VTEC engine, essentially unchanged in this version, could be considered a late 80s model. One of the lowest CdAs of any production vehicle should help its high speed performance.
Supra 93 also reported as Supra Gt Ltd 89, appears indeed to be the Supra introduced in 87, not sure why my PAL GT2 calls it a 93 heavy at 1550kg, 234hp to start with, super cheap at $5100. Incredible stock powerband, climbs sharply to 4700 then stays almost flat to 6600 before falling gradually to redline at 7125 and rev limit beyond that. Stock gearing a little tall, but with this powerband that wont be much of a problem, and you wont need to worry about swapping in a custom tranny for a while. Stock, hairpins are going to be a challenge. In general the rear end likes to come loose, so braking hard and cornering at the same time is a recipe for a sticky situation. Of course, if you enjoy the challenge of a controlled drift, this will be right up your alley. Its mass actually mikes it quite stable, so stock handlings isnt nearly as bad as say the 83 Celica. I imagine this thing has 225/55R16s or something on. Will take 16 events stock total (in class at least.) Fully tuned, powerband is still flat from 6000 to rev limit, definitely great for MT, still very good for AT tuning. Wins up to Turbo-1, and possibly Turbo-3 with a near perfect run against that damn Mines Lancer. With R mod even Turbo-3 is still just a possibility given a perfect run Lots of power and top speed, but weight means somewhat poor cornering and even with ss slicks and R mod some wheelspin issues. Tops out at 423hp and Turbo-1 both with and without R mod.
