Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

I've done my review early, mainly because on Saturday I won't be able to host the lobby or race, because I have my school ball this weekend. So here we go!

The Ford Mustang Boss 302!
City of Arts and Sciences - Night.jpg
The big boss

You ever have one of those weeks where you can just tell the car's gonna be amazing? Well, that was me this week. I've never owned a Mustang in GT6 or GT5, (except the Shelby GT500 15th anniv. that I never use and can't get rid of) but when this bad boy was announced, I had that oddly upbeat feeling that we were in for a treat. Boy, was I right...:)

Mid-Field Raceway_2.jpg

Horse racing at Midfield, place your bets!

I gave the Mustang a bit of a nudge around Tsukuba before the lobby, and I took a liking to it. So come the online racing, I was confident enough to roll my sleeves up and get right into the thick of the action. And frankly, the more I raced that 'Stang, the more I fell in love with it. It's got excellent up'n'go, and a near perfect standard setup, meaning that every race was fast, relatively clean and exciting. :D

Mid-Field Raceway_1.jpg

The Boss actually looks great in a variety of colours!

Trial Mountain Circuit_1.jpg
The final corner of Trial Mountain Reverse, all four wheels firmly stuck to the road.

Never before have I gone into a race knowing I could actually battle the upper-skill drivers. Usually when the likes of Vic, Lewis, or anyone else displaying blistering pace are behind me, I'll try block them a little on the straights, but when the corners approach, they have the upper hand in technique. Here, be it because I've learnt more or because this is just an awesome car, I could actually engage them and fend them off for most of the race! :sly:
This resulted in an adrenalin rush like no other, and I must have looked pretty weird focussing on the TV so hard, cos after the race, I realised my family was sitting on the couch, watching me stare at the screen while I battled you lot. :lol:

Matterhorn Riffelsee_1.jpg

Yeah, that's right Vic!!! You stay back there!

Ultimately though, Vic got me on a few occasions by effectively intimidating me. Being aggressive without being dirty, putting pressure on me, staying right on my bumper all the way down, and ultimately forcing a mistake out of me (In that race's case, I overshot the corner and smashed into the wall). Guess that's something I'll have to learn next...

High Speed Ring_1.jpg

This is kinda like a COTW Family photo!

The 5.0L V8 contains a great combo of both power and torque, resulting in a very responsive power package that's great on a wide variety of surfaces. The suspension that delivers that power to the road is also very good, with a good stable feel, providing the driver with the confidence to throw it into a corner, the way you'd do so to an MX-5. In fact, the Boss' agility and handling meant I didn't realise it tips the scales at 1600kgs... :eek:
On particularly high speed circuits, the Boss performs just as confidently as on slower tracks! It's stable when you need to make quick moves at over 250km/h, responds well to braking while cornering, and while it's certainly great fun, it will remind you who's boss if you try to ask too much of it, as proven when I tried to take the final corner of High Speed Ring a little faster than usual in a attempt to get away from... who again? Ohhhh yeah, Vic!

High Speed Ring_2.jpg

I was really expecting someone to come round the corner and smash into me. Thankfully, this didn't happen.

The transmission, as I found out, is amazing! It's got a good, all rounder gear ratio, and even 6th gear, though it's noticeably taller than all the other gears, isn't so hopelessly tall it's rendered useless. It will still propel you along, even more so if you're lucky enough to inherit a slipstream...
It has a beautiful sound to it as well, I almost had an eargasm while wringing it's neck around Deep Forest, in one of my pre-lobby practises. It sounds crisp, clean and gutsy, and my gaming headset only enhances the noise. Beautiful!

Circuit de la Sarthe 2013_3.jpg
A Corvette shows the Muzzies who's really boss at LeMans...

Overall, I was very impressed with the Boss' performance. :dopey: As mentioned before, a Mustang is a car I'd never have thought to own, and though sometimes I had looked in the Ford dealer and thought "I reckon that'd go alright!", I'd never actually bought one. It's an excellent overall racer, for under $50k without modifications, and has provided me with some of the most enjoyable COTW racing to date. I just wish I could join you guys on Saturday, but as I said, I'll either be still at the ball or hopelessly tired. :(
Verdict: Definately a sleeper! 👍

Now that that's done, how about giving the Muzzie a proper welcome to my garage by gifting it some racing equipment...
Syracuse.jpg
Syracuse_1.jpg


Oh, and the nickname given to it by my 12 year old cousin? Monster Mustang!

Bonus pics..
Trial Mountain Circuit.jpg
Matterhorn Riffelsee.jpg
Matterhorn Riffelsee_2.jpg
High Speed Ring.jpg
Suzuka Circuit 2014.jpg
Circuit de la Sarthe 2013_4.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ford Mustang Boss 302 '13
5.0L
443 hp / 6,500 rpm
380 ft-lb / 4,500 rpm
1,647 kg (3,631 lbs)
501 pp

I just got done re-testing this car at Mid-Field. The original test was held in October of last year. I ended up 7 tenths slower this time around :(



148 mph on the front straight.

Cars within 0.500 seconds:

1:20.617 - 484 - Opera Performance 350Z '04
1:20.707 - 496 - TVR Cerbera Speed 6 '97
1:20.801 - 482 - Toyota Celica GT-Four Rally Car (ST205) '98
1:20.861 - 502 - Amuse Nismo 380RS Super Leggera
1:20.865 - 481 - Ferrari 512 BB '76
1:20.876 - 488 - Lotus Elise Sport 190 '98
1:20.888 - 463 - Honda NSX Type R '92
1:20.895 - 482 - Lotus Esprit V8 GT '98
1:20.902 - 505 - Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '06
1:20.962 - 488 - TVR T350C '03
1:20.993 - 495 - TVR Griffith 500 '94
1:20.996 - 551 - Ayrton Senna WSR, 1983 Ayrton Senna
1:20.998 - 493 - RUF BTR '86
1:21.004 - 497 - Lotus Elise Race Car '96
1:21.109 - 501 - Ford Mustang Boss 302 '13
1:21.124 - 511 - Jaguar XKR Coupe '10
1:21.163 - 488 - BMW M3 Coupé '07
1:21.177 - 500 - Nismo Skyline GT-R R-Tune (R34) '99
1:21.191 - 546 - Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG (R230) '04
1:21.198 - 479 - Lotus Esprit V8 SE '98
1:21.226 - 491 - Gran Turismo 350Z RS
1:21.274 - 473 - Ford Escort Rally Car '98
1:21.315 - 469 - Lancia Delta HF Integrale Rally Car '92
1:21.407 - 499 - Callaway C12 '03
1:21.461 - 560 - Caterham Seven Fireblade '02
1:21.479 - 493 - Nismo Skyline GT-R S-Tune (R32) '00
1:21.498 - 487 - Nismo 400R '96


It'll hang with the Jaguar XKR and BMW M3 (E92) all day. In fact, I'd rather drive either of those two, specifically the M3.
 


Quick catch-up review for last week's selection, but it's the most unique decision I've reached for a car. The BMW 120d's capable chassis and other handling components are a Sleeper, but the diesel engine mounted to it is a Beater. Normal gas engines feel like a mountain in between gear changes, with the power slowly building, reaching its peak, and then starting to taper off before a shift happens. The diesel engine in this car felt more like the Grand Canyon, there was a feeling of power at the extreme ends of the gear with just a giant chasm in between.



I took a car of similar performance, the '98 Honda Civic Type R, to test this out, and the results left no doubt. Every time a straight line was found at Bathurst, the Civic would pull away from the 120d as soon as the mid-range revs were reached. It's a shame that BMW put its gas powered 120i at such a power disadvantage, this car would be a winner with a petrol engine that delivered the same horses that the diesel does.

And now for a preview of next week...


Mustang vs. Camaro: Round 13,337; This Time, it's Even Realer For Real.
 
Guys, I just wanna commend you all again for the amazing racing on Tuesday night. :) It was such a thrill, we had a great car, great drivers and great close competition. The replays were just as exciting to watch as actually participating in the racing! I had saved all the replays, and once my dad returned from work, he sat there and watched literally every race, every lap, every corner of the race coverage, he couldn't take his eyes off it or even fast forward a single sector. He was impressed with the level of experience we displayed and the pace we were able to set even on sport hard tyres! (He mainly followed my POV, but occasionally roamed around to other cars depending on where the action was)

Upon driving my 'Stang for himself, he's decided it's not for him, he'll stick to his M3 GTR Race Car, but he told me to congratulate all of you for being part of an excellent night's racing, and in his words, "Maybe next week they'll come to their senses and review a Holden!" (In NZ there's a Ford vs Holden rivalry, and dad's pro-Holden.) :lol:

So congratulations, and cheers! :cheers: Can't wait to hear how Saturday goes :gtpflag:
 
Last edited:
Guys, I just wanna commend you all again for the amazing racing on Tuesday night. :) It was such a thrill, we had a great car, great drivers and great close competition. The replays were just as exciting to watch as actually participating in the racing! I had saved all the replays, and once my dad returned from work, he sat there and watched literally every race, every lap, every corner of the race coverage, he couldn't take his eyes off it or even fast forward a single sector. He was impressed with the level of experience we displayed and the pace we were able to set even on sport hard tyres! (He mainly followed my POV, but occasionally roamed around to other cars depending on where the action was)

Upon driving my 'Stang for himself, he's decided it's not for him, he'll stick to his M3 GTR Race Car, but he told me to congratulate all of you for being part of an excellent night's racing, and in his words, "Maybe next week they'll come to their senses and review a Holden!" (In NZ there's a Ford vs Holden rivalry, and dad's pro-Holden.) :lol:

So congratulations, and cheers! :cheers: Can't wait to hear how Saturday goes :gtpflag:

Well, guess the COTW is addictive even for those who are simply watching it from the sidelines, and your father is a nice proof of that concept. It's nice to see people enjoying videogames, even when they are not even the players in that context. :)👍
I suppose that is the objective PD wants to achieve with flying colors for the FIA Championships that GT Sport will host in the future... With good drivers, the sky's the limit!

And your father also brought up another very interesting point; in almost 130 weeks, we have not driven a single Holden. Some probably drove one for comparison's and whatnot, but not as the main COTW choice. And while the brand is sadly under-represented in GT6 (and probably will not even make an appearance in GTS), we do have a few Holdens up for grabs for the following weeks... Another future good idea, perhaps? :sly:
 
Well, guess the COTW is addictive even for those who are simply watching it from the sidelines, and your father is a nice proof of that concept. It's nice to see people enjoying videogames, even when they are not even the players in that context. :)👍
I suppose that is the objective PD wants to achieve with flying colors for the FIA Championships that GT Sport will host in the future... With good drivers, the sky's the limit!

And your father also brought up another very interesting point; in almost 130 weeks, we have not driven a single Holden. Some probably drove one for comparison's and whatnot, but not as the main COTW choice. And while the brand is sadly under-represented in GT6 (and probably will not even make an appearance in GTS), we do have a few Holdens up for grabs for the following weeks... Another future good idea, perhaps? :sly:
"Sadly under-represented"
This label can be put onto numerous cars in GT6, sadly. One of the main reasons I chose the RX8 LM Racecar when I got to pick was to turn our attention to the PD original racecars of the franchise, particularly the ones carried over from GT3 and GT4. These cars are extremely under-loved, mainly due to their age.
Though standard, these racing machines still prove to be brimming with potential, and if you excuse the obvious lack of an interior and about a hundred thousand polygons, they're cool cars! :dopey:
 
Sadly, even though we didn't officially review the Holden, this pick from way back in Week 20 would tell you everything you needed to know...

Beater or Sleeper? Car of the Week 128: '13 Ford Mustang Boss 302!!!

Why? 'Cause in the world of Gran Turismo, it's the same car!

Cheers
Maybe the Monaro is the same, but not the VY Commodore. That thing's a true Australian muscle car, built with one purpose and one purpose only. Slaying Mount Panorama. And that's exactly what Greg Murphy did in 2003, smashing the all time lap record, which wasn't beaten for almost a decade.
 
Maybe the Monaro is the same, but not the VY Commodore. That thing's a true Australian muscle car, built with one purpose and one purpose only. Slaying Mount Panorama. And that's exactly what Greg Murphy did in 2003, smashing the all time lap record, which wasn't beaten for almost a decade.


Sure maybe in real life... but as I said, in the world of Gran Turismo, they're the same car. In GT6, both the Monaro and the Commodore have exact numbers for power (328), torque (342.8) and weight (1658) with the main difference being the extra 2 doors on the SS. However, I was wrong by saying the Pontiac was exactly the same as it has 350 hp , 365.2 torque and 1690 kgs.

Even in the Car Info description, "The GTO that went on the market from 2004 was developed by Holden, a part of the GM group in Australia. The base car was the Monaro, bla bla bla".

Sadly, that's as close as you'll get.

Cheers
 
Sure maybe in real life... but as I said, in the world of Gran Turismo, they're the same car. In GT6, both the Monaro and the Commodore have exact numbers for power (328), torque (342.8) and weight (1658) with the main difference being the extra 2 doors on the SS. However, I was wrong by saying the Pontiac was exactly the same as it has 350 hp , 365.2 torque and 1690 kgs.

Even in the Car Info description, "The GTO that went on the market from 2004 was developed by Holden, a part of the GM group in Australia. The base car was the Monaro, bla bla bla".

Sadly, that's as close as you'll get.

Cheers
Ah well, I guess the only Australian car we'll ever get to review will be the Ford Falcon XR8 V8 Supercar..
 
Ah well, I guess the only Australian car we'll ever get to review will be the Ford Falcon XR8 V8 Supercar..

Even in the Car Info description, "The GTO that went on the market from 2004 was developed by Holden, a part of the GM group in Australia. The base car was the Monaro, bla bla bla".

Sadly, that's as close as you'll get.

Cheers

I get the feeling we are all missing something here, aren't we...? Sure, it may be similar, but it's not the same car as the GTO/Monaro is. There is at least one more Holden we can drive, never mind the fact that we have driven the GTO before and therefore it seems to count like we have driven the Monaro...
 
I get the feeling we are all missing something here, aren't we...? Sure, it may be similar, but it's not the same car as the GTO/Monaro is. There is at least one more Holden we can drive, never mind the fact that we have driven the GTO before and therefore it seems to count like we have driven the Monaro...
That's what I said in the second to last post of mine, however as @Baron Blitz Red stated, the Monaro and Commy have the same power, weight, pp... the only difference is the number of doors.

I agree, we should still give them a chance sometime, they may have the same numbers on paper, but that's not to say they're the same. Like the Altezza/IS300 combo, they're the same cars, but at the same time they're oh so different...
 
Looking forward to trying the 120d now I'm back from my holiday. People go on about diesel torque, but in my experience with them, they're just woefully inadequate anywhere except a motorway.

They're not very economic in town driving, because second is too high and third too low. Going up hill, if you stop at a junction, it's a case of waiting for boost in first and then it all comes in at once. I'd have loved to have had my modest petrol car in Spain last week rather the 1.6 Skoda TDI I hired. It was absolutely the wrong type of car for that environment.
 

So Many Horses' Asses In A Single Picture
If the Boss 302 is supposed to be the "sporty, track focused" version of this generation of Mustang....the base model must literally not be able to turn. While it may not be as heavy and plowing on corner entry as the Dodge Challenger, the Mustang is only a small improvement. You can finally get the tail to kick out with a lot of steering and throttle input, but it requires a brave soul to keep the foot in the gas as the guardrail gets closer and closer.



The Camaro on the other hand has an appetite for corner carving and tire-smoking. It may require more from the driver to keep the tail in line on corner exits, but it felt so much more fun to drive. On the esses of Suzuka in particular, it was a marked contrast as the Camaro kept a tidy line while the Mustangs were going wide and needing every inch of pavement to make the corners.



The Camaro is easily the better car, and it's even more remarkable as it's not a Z28 or even a 1LE, but the Base version against the Mustang Track Special. Sorry kids, the Mustang is getting branded as a Beater.

 
Thanks! I appreciate it!

Cheers

Thank you, Baron. As some of you know, I've spent this weekend rebuilding my PC, so sorry about the delay. Gonna keep this short and sweet so I can finish up and get some testing done before I have to go into work tomorrow.

Congratulations JackRyanWMU!!!

We've gotten quite a few opportunities to try out European exotic brands over the years in COTW, but there's one...

Uh-huh. Look, the clock is ticking, Twinkle Toes!

6898434566c52a38670d02dade18d3b0.jpg

It's the 1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400!!!

I'm slightly amazed that's it's taken about 2 and half years for the...

Jesus, are you still talking?! Yes, it should have been done before. Blame Vic! NEXT!

This week's event is at Monza, the one without the chicanes, cause reasons -n- stuff. Go figure it out, I gotta run!
 
Thank you, Baron. As some of you know, I've spent this weekend rebuilding my PC, so sorry about the delay. Gonna keep this short and sweet so I can finish up and get some testing done before I have to go into work tomorrow.

Congratulations JackRyanWMU!!!



Uh-huh. Look, the clock is ticking, Twinkle Toes!

6898434566c52a38670d02dade18d3b0.jpg

It's the 1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400!!!



Jesus, are you still talking?! Yes, it should have been done before. Blame Vic! NEXT!

This week's event is at Monza, the one without the chicanes, cause reasons -n- stuff. Go figure it out, I gotta run!
Never before have I seen Brad bail so fast on a COTW announcement. I guess he really needed that beer run.
 
Back