- 24,120
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
"Last week on GT3..." OK, I previously ran a stock, red TT (oil change only) in the Beginner TT cup. I won the first three races, placed in the fourth, and skipped the fifth. Leaving the original TT bone stock, I took the new yellow one and added Lightweight 1&2 as well as Super slicks. This was enough to mop up the last two Beginner races.
"On this week's episode of GT3..." I was not successful qualifying for the Amateur TT series in the yellow TT. The weight reduction and slicks left me 2-3 seconds off the pace, so I added the Sports Intercooler, P&P, Semi-race breathing kit, and Sports chip. At 274 hp, this appeared to be too much for the competition, so I backed off on the chip, dropping hp to 266.
However, I had misjudged. Due to the weight reduction, I beat the field badly off the line and took a 1.5-second lead before the first turn. Once they were going, though, it became obvious that they had a huge horsepower advantage.
Seattle Course
Power: 266hp
Best lap: 01':53.242"
Total: 05':47.489" (3 laps)
Margin: +2.637" TT
Tokyo R5
Power: 274hp (added chip back)
Best lap: 01':40.863"
Total: 05':11.316" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.378" TT
Trial Mountain - first attempt
Power: 274hp
Best lap: 01':43.420"
Total: 05':19.177" (3 laps)
Margin: +0.973" TT
The weight reduction meant I was a lot faster through the twisties. However, despite their slow start, the field had a big horsepower advantage, and could catch me easily any time the straights were more than 5 seconds long. My only way to win the first races was to qualify on the pole (by decimal seconds), jump to an early lead by out-accelerating them, then nurse that original gap through to the finish. In all three cases it was a struggle won only by running absolutely perfect laps.
After failing miserably at Rome when the AI got their usual mid-series boost, I retired. This time I went back and bought what I thought would be enough: Sports brakes, Turbo Stage 2, and racing intercooler, bringing the total to 327hp.
I restarted the series and ran the first three races at 284hp, with the Turbo 2 removed. Interestingly enough, the extra 10hp didn't make any difference in lap times, except at Trial Mountain. On the first time through I was concentrating so hard on driving perfectly that I actually did 1-2 seconds faster with less power. The hills and long straights at TM showed the power gain, though:
Trial Mountain - second attempt
Power: 284hp
Best lap: 01':41.648"
Total: 05':15.614" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.239" TT
For this run I started at the back, since I had previously won this race from the pole with less power. It was a good race. I had a definite advantage on the uphill zigs till the second tunnel. After that, I lost whatever lead I had during the back straight. In fact, a couple of times I deliberately made the second place car bump-draft me to pick up speed. For some reason they were very slow through the big right-hander on the down side. That, plus the remaining turns, allowed me to gain some room again.
Rome Course
Power: 318hp - installed Turbo 2, removed Sports chip
Best lap: 01':41.683"
Total: 05':11.508" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.792" TT
My first time through Rome, I tried the same tactics, but it wasn't enough due to the AI power advantage. Watching the replay from the second-place car POV, I saw him reel in a 2-second lead on the back straight. Given their slow but locomotive-style acceleration, and their mediocre cornering, I'm assuming the AI was running Stage 3 Turbo but only Stage I weight reuction (if any). The next time around, with 34 more hp, was much more even. They still had a power advantage, but I was not such an easy victim this time. I also noticed that the AI early-apexed most of the turns here, sending them into the outside wall at trackout. My late-apex line looked funny from the replays, but was much faster.
Here I quit the series with a 30-odd point lead, winning a blue S4. Then I went back to win the last race at Deep Forest II - HAH!
I admit I don't have much practice running this track reversed. Even so, the AI got another big boost, almost equal to the first one! I added back the chip for a total of 327hp. I qualified on the pole, and left the line like a ball bearing out of a slingshot. Nonetheless I'd been passed twice before the first tunnel, with the rest of the pack nipping at my heels. I tried this race several times, eventually (over several tries) adding the following items: Stage 3 lightweight, medium slicks, 2-plate clutch, semi-racing flywheel, c/f driveshaft, and racing transmission. This combination finally gave me enough high-rpm acceleration to win the race, but even so I frequently trailed the leader through the twisty section between the first tunnel and the final right-hander before the front straight. I finally made the winning pass on the last lap, between the two short tunnels.
Deep Forest II
Power: 327hp
Best lap: 01':43.420"
Total: 05':17.something" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.470" TT
So, 5 golds and no dirty laundry to do later in the game. This is a nice car, now, and I'll probably run it in the Amateur 4WD Cup, rather than my trusty rusty Evo VI. Maybe then I'll get my money's worth out of the TT.
"On this week's episode of GT3..." I was not successful qualifying for the Amateur TT series in the yellow TT. The weight reduction and slicks left me 2-3 seconds off the pace, so I added the Sports Intercooler, P&P, Semi-race breathing kit, and Sports chip. At 274 hp, this appeared to be too much for the competition, so I backed off on the chip, dropping hp to 266.
However, I had misjudged. Due to the weight reduction, I beat the field badly off the line and took a 1.5-second lead before the first turn. Once they were going, though, it became obvious that they had a huge horsepower advantage.
Seattle Course
Power: 266hp
Best lap: 01':53.242"
Total: 05':47.489" (3 laps)
Margin: +2.637" TT
Tokyo R5
Power: 274hp (added chip back)
Best lap: 01':40.863"
Total: 05':11.316" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.378" TT
Trial Mountain - first attempt
Power: 274hp
Best lap: 01':43.420"
Total: 05':19.177" (3 laps)
Margin: +0.973" TT
The weight reduction meant I was a lot faster through the twisties. However, despite their slow start, the field had a big horsepower advantage, and could catch me easily any time the straights were more than 5 seconds long. My only way to win the first races was to qualify on the pole (by decimal seconds), jump to an early lead by out-accelerating them, then nurse that original gap through to the finish. In all three cases it was a struggle won only by running absolutely perfect laps.
After failing miserably at Rome when the AI got their usual mid-series boost, I retired. This time I went back and bought what I thought would be enough: Sports brakes, Turbo Stage 2, and racing intercooler, bringing the total to 327hp.
I restarted the series and ran the first three races at 284hp, with the Turbo 2 removed. Interestingly enough, the extra 10hp didn't make any difference in lap times, except at Trial Mountain. On the first time through I was concentrating so hard on driving perfectly that I actually did 1-2 seconds faster with less power. The hills and long straights at TM showed the power gain, though:
Trial Mountain - second attempt
Power: 284hp
Best lap: 01':41.648"
Total: 05':15.614" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.239" TT
For this run I started at the back, since I had previously won this race from the pole with less power. It was a good race. I had a definite advantage on the uphill zigs till the second tunnel. After that, I lost whatever lead I had during the back straight. In fact, a couple of times I deliberately made the second place car bump-draft me to pick up speed. For some reason they were very slow through the big right-hander on the down side. That, plus the remaining turns, allowed me to gain some room again.
Rome Course
Power: 318hp - installed Turbo 2, removed Sports chip
Best lap: 01':41.683"
Total: 05':11.508" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.792" TT
My first time through Rome, I tried the same tactics, but it wasn't enough due to the AI power advantage. Watching the replay from the second-place car POV, I saw him reel in a 2-second lead on the back straight. Given their slow but locomotive-style acceleration, and their mediocre cornering, I'm assuming the AI was running Stage 3 Turbo but only Stage I weight reuction (if any). The next time around, with 34 more hp, was much more even. They still had a power advantage, but I was not such an easy victim this time. I also noticed that the AI early-apexed most of the turns here, sending them into the outside wall at trackout. My late-apex line looked funny from the replays, but was much faster.
Here I quit the series with a 30-odd point lead, winning a blue S4. Then I went back to win the last race at Deep Forest II - HAH!
I admit I don't have much practice running this track reversed. Even so, the AI got another big boost, almost equal to the first one! I added back the chip for a total of 327hp. I qualified on the pole, and left the line like a ball bearing out of a slingshot. Nonetheless I'd been passed twice before the first tunnel, with the rest of the pack nipping at my heels. I tried this race several times, eventually (over several tries) adding the following items: Stage 3 lightweight, medium slicks, 2-plate clutch, semi-racing flywheel, c/f driveshaft, and racing transmission. This combination finally gave me enough high-rpm acceleration to win the race, but even so I frequently trailed the leader through the twisty section between the first tunnel and the final right-hander before the front straight. I finally made the winning pass on the last lap, between the two short tunnels.
Deep Forest II
Power: 327hp
Best lap: 01':43.420"
Total: 05':17.something" (3 laps)
Margin: +1.470" TT
So, 5 golds and no dirty laundry to do later in the game. This is a nice car, now, and I'll probably run it in the Amateur 4WD Cup, rather than my trusty rusty Evo VI. Maybe then I'll get my money's worth out of the TT.
