Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

[Vic Reign93]

The E46 M3 is a great performance car and for its time, was the benchmark car for the sports saloon class.

So aside from its iconic Silver on Blue striped street raced GTR counterpart, it by itself should be an easy Sleeper verdict due to its refined chassis, responsive engine and stable handling...

Well I'm afraid I have some bad news for ya.

The first black mark against it comes from its own family in the form of the previously mentioned Z4 M Coupe.

Factory quoted horsepower is the same at 338hp, but that's a given because they both use the same engine.

Where the Z4M really sticks the knife in is price and weight, under 70k credits and under 1500kgs at 1495kgs which is 5 grand cheaper and 75kgs lighter.

The second and more damning black mark against the M3 is its sound. ( gee Vic change the record once in a while. .)

Both the Z4M and the M3 CSL which both use the standard M3's engine sound like they have 6 cylinders, the standard M3 sounds like a V8.

It uses the same engine sound as the E92 M3, you know, the one WITH an actual V8.

It's such a nuisance I'm actually creating a new term to describe video game engine disrepances.

If a car sounds like it's a few cylinders short of what it actually has (Example: the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta sounds like 4 cylinders instead of 12.) then its what I'm calling "Undercylindered" and cars like this M3 and the Nissan Skyline R32 GTS25 Type S which are both 6 cylinder cars and yet sound like V8's, they are "Overcylindered".

So to recap, Undercylindered = sounding like its got less cylinders than it actually has.
Overcylindered = It sounding like it has more cylinders than it actually has.

Still with me? good moving on.

It's this overcylindered sound issue with the '04 M3 that drops the last nail in its coffin and it annoys me as there's 2 clear examples which use the same engine as the M3 and yet they sound alright by comparison.

Verdict: Beater 👎

 

[Nismonath5]

Both the Z4M and the M3 CSL which both use the standard M3's engine sound like they have 6 cylinders, the standard M3 sounds like a V8.

I spent my entire week thinking the M3 WAS a 4.0L V8! Turns out I'm getting confused between the standard model and the GTR again. The overcylindered sound didn't exactly help, either I suppose.

 

[Nismonath5]

Big Bad Bimmer!
Powerful, handsome, legendary... it's the E46 M3!!!!

The M3 is quite simply the go-to German sports car. It's got everything you could ever want in a track weapon! A rich and successful heritage, stunning angular looks, heart-stopping performance. In many ways, you can see why it would be such a desirable car, and the E46's reputation is no doubt improved by, obviously, being the hero car in a Need For Speed game. (Is it still the hero car when the villain drives it for 90% of the game?)

In Gran Turismo, the E46 is a bit less glamourous due to the PS2 style graphics and dated sound. @Vic Reign93 mentioned it sounds overcylindered, and I agree, but there's also something about it that sounds really dated... like you can tell they didn't record that engine noise in 2013, did they? Didn't think so...

Here we see a group of typical BMW owners. Look at that! Not a single indicator being used...

Baron discovers the M3's secret hover mode... by crashing into a wall.

While most people criticised the E46's poor braking performance, I didn't mind it, because for me, yes the car took ages to come to a stop in comparison to other cars in it's performance range, but I found that the brakes were at least predicatable. I can recall a couple of instances where I was alongside others, barreling down a straight towards a corner, and I thought "It's not gonna make it" So I braked a bit earlier than everyone else, then I'd take the corner successfully while everyone else ran wide.

Throughout the week, the E46 also displayed a persistent tendancy to oversteer. I ran 1 tcs all week, and didn't dare take it off because it was a handful enough with it!

And this, child, is how clouds are made!

Turn 6 covered in rubber after only two laps.

The race at Trial Mountain was a highlight of mine. Here, I gave it 11/10ths in a hard fought battle to beat Rob. I braked as late as I could, floored it as early as I could, used all the road, all the while battling the car itself with it's lust for oversteer!

Basically, the field split into two. A duel between Ash and McClaren...

...then there was Rob and I.

I can see why people like the M3, but at the same time I see why people don't. It's not for everyone, it requires quick counter-steering, delicate throttle control and a bit of foresight. The E46 is for the people who really want to make themselves work for their victory, while wrestling every last drop of performance out of their machine.

Now, I don't exactly like fighting my own car while in turn trying to win a race, but I liked the M3 enough to award it a sleeper rating! 👍

As for this week's car, I'm waiting on the possibility of McD showingup with a car, but if not, I'll figure something out..

 

[McClarenDesign]

As for this week's car, I'm waiting on the possibility of McD showingup with a car, but if not, I'll figure something out..

I'm still waiting on an apology from Red Bull Racing, or for Google+ to stop recommending I should follow them. I did, they have very thin skin and decided to ban me rather than dealing with the root of the problem.

For those that don't care about Formula 1... how do you live with yourself? No, seriously. How do you wake up every morning? Look, I'm not blaming you specifically for the PT Cruiser or the Pontiac Aztek, I'm simply curious as to why you let it get approved and come to this? You're the reason that people buy tires instead of tyres....

For the rest of us, you were probably either A) yelling at the TV at some obscene hour of the night/morning/day, or B) mostly asleep because the race wasn't on the track, it was on a clipboard piloted by robots going through the motions. Sure, there was drama when 3 drivers thought for a split second that each could lock arms with the other and make it through a turn 3-wide... naturally, it was a bad idea, but it also may have also broken the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive game of "Chicken", ever.

If you're a Tifosi, you probably still haven't come down from seeing the Prancing Horse win. I get it, I just want to be sure that I'm out of range because there's also bound to me arms flailing about wildly because words simply aren't enough to explain how Italian Ferrari is. Jesus, Luigi!

"So how does this all tie together with this week's Car of the Week?" I'm glad you asked!

Since I can't in good conscience award it to the race winner or his finger, I have decided to go with Plan B. For the record, my race ended before the first lap was completed, and I'll be damned if the cake didn't win yet again. It's not a conspiracy if it's proven time and time again. I didn't see anyone leaving their cake out in the rain last year, nor did I find it incredible when that race yeilded results! Plenty of proof in that pudding, so the prosecution would like to rest it's case, your Honor, and we sincerely hope that lessons have been learned... but we also know better, don't we?

So, first off, congratulations Scuderia Ferrari. But before you finish celebrating, I should probably remind you that we don't reward achievement here on Car of the Week... we punish it with extreme prejudiced. Perhaps next time you'll consider having Ice Cream rather than Mr. Multi 21 on the top step. I'd sleep better at night, resulting in Plan A for the group, my first True Love.

Since we can't have nice things, we'll leave off the Kraut and go with Plan B, itself no slouch. I have my wife to thank for making this possible, and you should probably thank her, too. Although she wasn't responsible for me meeting my first True Love, her understanding made it possible to do two things I never thought I'd ever have a chance to do. The first was being able to sit in a Ferrari. During our honeymoon in Vegas, she found the loosest slots (gigitty) and I didn't have to touch my bank account until we got to Los Angeles two days later. She's the one that suggested we go to the Ferrari dealership (now gone, because again, we can't have nice things) and even had enough left over to spend a chunk by getting our picture taken in a 360 Modena at the Wynn Casino. (Protip: Walking into the House of Ferrari and immediately asking the first employee you meet how McLaren did in the race on that particular day... faux pas like this get international treaties broken and advance nuclear weapon sales. Andy Griffith said it best when he said: "You ought not do that.", but I digress). I'm probably also prohibited from pointing out where a certain soundtrack can be found from that certain location at that particular point of time, and you can blame Metalica for that....

"Jesus, Brad! If it isn't twue wuve, and we know it isn't the 360 Modena, so when are you gonna cut to the chase and tell us what this week's car is!?!" Well, to answer your second question first, "shut up!" I'm getting to that, but I also have to continue to give credit to my wife, and what do you have to do that's so important that you can't indulge me?

Don't worry, I'll wait. Oh, you were finished? Good. Shall I continue?

So, I put a ring on woman that got me into my first Ferrari, then said "hey, while we're here, why don't you drop some cash that we hadn't originally budgeted for? How often are you going to be in the most expensive merchandise store on the strip? No, you can't buy the front wing assembly on display.... but you can definitely get more than just a shirt or a hat..."

Don't marry the person you can live with. Don't marry the person that you can't live without. Marry the person that supports your plans for global domination on a daily basis, and by the way, would you like France with that?!

Years later, she was responsible for getting me not just in the seat but on the track for the first time, and in a Ferrari. I come from a very, very modest (e.g. broke AF) background. I met my true love, understood what lust and passion were, despite the ropes that kept us apart and the dealership built to keep my Juliet locked in a tower. So, when she asked if I wanted to drive a Ferrari at Hallett Raceway during a track day event, there was only one answer I could give...

"Does the Pope (expletive) in the woods!?!"

When I arrived at the track, I was shocked to learn that the Ferrari I had been scheduled to drive was totaled the day before. Some idiot thought that he knew more than the instructor and decided to drift it on the racetrack, insufficient insurance plan purchased-be-damned! A six-figure lesson that I'm pretty sure he's still remembering today, but fools learn from their mistakes. So, I didn't get the Ferrari I had scheduled... I got a better one.

And now, you do, too....

.​

It's the 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia! Unlike the cake, the hype is real. The one I drove was likely built for a basketball/hand egg (American "Football") player or a rapper, because despite being 6'0 I still had a few inches between my back and the custom-molded seat that cannot be adjusted. Not a single damn was given about it, either. This car doesn't grip, it simply rotates the Earth so that it can be where you put it and precisely when you want it put there. Money doesn't make the world go around, it simply buys the Ferrari that allows the Earth to do so.

If there's a lesson to be learned (aside from the marital advice above), it's that meeting your heroes doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Sometimes the legends are true, the titles earned, and the idol you hold so dear is incapable of disappointing.

Unless you're a tractor manufacturer... but if it's so "easy" then you shouldn't have any problem getting the hell out of my office and doing it yourself!

Italy is Earth's BASF. They don't make things, they make everything better. Just make sure you're out of arms length when they start to explain it. It's not assault and battery if you're willingly within striking distance! Or have you already forgotten Murphy's Rule of Combat?

"If the enemy is in range... so are you."

Oh, and pics that the above DID happen:

​

I'll update the main post, etc after work. @Nismonath5 , can you set up the Time Trial event while I'm working?

 

[MisterWaffles]

Yay, the Scud. It's always a treat when any thread uses it. I'll be writing something special for this week.

 

[McClarenDesign]

Yay, the Scud.

Bombs Over Bagdad?

 

[MisterWaffles]

Bombs Over Bagdad?

That's a phallic Ferrari.

 

[Vic Reign93]

I'm still waiting on an apology from Red Bull Racing, or for Google+ to stop recommending I should follow them. I did, they have very thin skin and decided to ban me rather than dealing with the root of the problem.

For those that don't care about Formula 1... how do you live with yourself? No, seriously. How do you wake up every morning? Look, I'm not blaming you specifically for the PT Cruiser or the Pontiac Aztek, I'm simply curious as to why you let it get approved and come to this? You're the reason that people buy tires instead of tyres....

For the rest of us, you were probably either A) yelling at the TV at some obscene hour of the night/morning/day, or B) mostly asleep because the race wasn't on the track, it was on a clipboard piloted by robots going through the motions. Sure, there was drama when 3 drivers thought for a split second that each could lock arms with the other and make it through a turn 3-wide... naturally, it was a bad idea, but it also may have also broken the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive game of "Chicken", ever.

If you're a Tifosi, you probably still haven't come down from seeing the Prancing Horse win. I get it, I just want to be sure that I'm out of range because there's also bound to me arms flailing about wildly because words simply aren't enough to explain how Italian Ferrari is. Jesus, Luigi!

"So how does this all tie together with this week's Car of the Week?" I'm glad you asked!

Since I can't in good conscience award it to the race winner or his finger, I have decided to go with Plan B. For the record, my race ended before the first lap was completed, and I'll be damned if the cake didn't win yet again. It's not a conspiracy if it's proven time and time again. I didn't see anyone leaving their cake out in the rain last year, nor did I find it incredible when that race yeilded results! Plenty of proof in that pudding, so the prosecution would like to rest it's case, your Honor, and we sincerely hope that lessons have been learned... but we also know better, don't we?

So, first off, congratulations Scuderia Ferrari. But before you finish celebrating, I should probably remind you that we don't reward achievement here on Car of the Week... we punish it with extreme prejudiced. Perhaps next time you'll consider having Ice Cream rather than Mr. Multi 21 on the top step. I'd sleep better at night, resulting in Plan A for the group, my first True Love.

Since we can't have nice things, we'll leave off the Kraut and go with Plan B, itself no slouch. I have my wife to thank for making this possible, and you should probably thank her, too. Although she wasn't responsible for me meeting my first True Love, her understanding made it possible to do two things I never thought I'd ever have a chance to do. The first was being able to sit in a Ferrari. During our honeymoon in Vegas, she found the loosest slots (gigitty) and I didn't have to touch my bank account until we got to Los Angeles two days later. She's the one that suggested we go to the Ferrari dealership (now gone, because again, we can't have nice things) and even had enough left over to spend a chunk by getting our picture taken in a 360 Modena at the Wynn Casino. (Protip: Walking into the House of Ferrari and immediately asking the first employee you meet how McLaren did in the race on that particular day... faux pas like this get international treaties broken and advance nuclear weapon sales. Andy Griffith said it best when he said: "You ought not do that.", but I digress). I'm probably also prohibited from pointing out where a certain soundtrack can be found from that certain location at that particular point of time, and you can blame Metalica for that....

"Jesus, Brad! If it isn't twue wuve, and we know it isn't the 360 Modena, so when are you gonna cut to the chase and tell us what this week's car is!?!" Well, to answer your second question first, "shut up!" I'm getting to that, but I also have to continue to give credit to my wife, and what do you have to do that's so important that you can't indulge me?

Don't worry, I'll wait. Oh, you were finished? Good. Shall I continue?

So, I put a ring on woman that got me into my first Ferrari, then said "hey, while we're here, why don't you drop some cash that we hadn't originally budgeted for? How often are you going to be in the most expensive merchandise store on the strip? No, you can't buy the front wing assembly on display.... but you can definitely get more than just a shirt or a hat..."

Don't marry the person you can live with. Don't marry the person that you can't live without. Marry the person that supports your plans for global domination on a daily basis, and by the way, would you like France with that?!

Years later, she was responsible for getting me not just in the seat but on the track for the first time, and in a Ferrari. I come from a very, very modest (e.g. broke AF) background. I met my true love, understood what lust and passion were, despite the ropes that kept us apart and the dealership built to keep my Juliet locked in a tower. So, when she asked if I wanted to drive a Ferrari at Hallett Raceway during a track day event, there was only one answer I could give...

"Does the Pope (expletive) in the woods!?!"

When I arrived at the track, I was shocked to learn that the Ferrari I had been scheduled to drive was totaled the day before. Some idiot thought that he knew more than the instructor and decided to drift it on the racetrack, insufficient insurance plan purchased-be-damned! A six-figure lesson that I'm pretty sure he's still remembering today, but fools learn from their mistakes. So, I didn't get the Ferrari I had scheduled... I got a better one.

And now, you do, too....

.​

It's the 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia! Unlike the cake, the hype is real. The one I drove was likely built for a basketball/hand egg (American "Football") player or a rapper, because despite being 6'0 I still had a few inches between my back and the custom-molded seat that cannot be adjusted. Not a single damn was given about it, either. This car doesn't grip, it simply rotates the Earth so that it can be where you put it and precisely when you want it put there. Money doesn't make the world go around, it simply buys the Ferrari that allows the Earth to do so.

If there's a lesson to be learned (aside from the marital advice above), it's that meeting your heroes doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Sometimes the legends are true, the titles earned, and the idol you hold so dear is incapable of disappointing.

Unless you're a tractor manufacturer... but if it's so "easy" then you shouldn't have any problem getting the hell out of my office and doing it yourself!

Italy is Earth's BASF. They don't make things, they make everything better. Just make sure you're out of arms length when they start to explain it. It's not assault and battery if you're willingly within striking distance! Or have you already forgotten Murphy's Rule of Combat?

"If the enemy is in range... so are you."

Oh, and pics that the above DID happen:

​

I'll update the main post, etc after work. @Nismonath5 , can you set up the Time Trial event while I'm working?

We missed you too MC.

From German engineering to Italian Soul and character, One gets a reputation for building cars which can depreciate like hell and become financial suicide mobiles and/or giant pains in the backside to work on in the used car market.

The other one skips all that and tries to set themselves ablaze regardless of age.

Stereotypes aside, An Italian supercar can get the pulse racing and we'll be getting the track honed version of the F430 to use and abuse.

Will it all be that's its cracked up to be or has it already been left behind by the supercars of today?

Stick around to find out.

 

[Nismonath5]

The Princess Bride reference was perfect.

I have a late start today, so yep I shall get onto setting up some TT events. (I'll do the FT-1's event too)

 

[McClarenDesign]

The Princess Bride reference was perfect.

I have a late start today, so yep I shall get onto setting up some TT events. (I'll do the FT-1's event too)

Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us here, togepher, today.

 

[Racer283]

Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us here, togepher, today.

Just watched Princess Bride over the weekend.

 

[Nismonath5]

Thanks to Formula One, I missed out on my precious weekend's touring car racing...

The Australian V8 Supercars are a championship my family follows almost religiously, mainly due to the amount of kiwis who take on the Aussies and even beat them at their own game. Shane Van Gisbergen, Fabian Coulthard, Scott McLaughlin... these guys are the heroes of the sport here in Aotearoa, and the round at Albert Park was set to be a biggie. But then, when looking at the channel's upcoming programs, there was no V8SC. There was live F1 coverage, but after that nothing!

I knew the races were happening, because all the major developments and results were being posted live on the championship FB page! I was left scratching my head, but then I found out that F1 owned the rights to the entire weekend, so Sky couldn't broadcast any of the races. To rub salt into the wound, RedBull Racing had a terrible weekend, allowing Dick Johnson Racing to swoop in and secure an almost-clean-sweep! I missed my chance to watch RedBull get knocked off their "We're the best" pedestal, (By Coulthard and McLaughlin, no less!) and all because the world's most exclusive racing series happened to be there that same weekend.

So when I found out that this week's car boasted the latest in F1 technology and performance, I wasn't exactly jumpimg for joy, given that those rich, stuck up so and so's had just robbed me of my precious motorsport... mumble grumble grrr...
Regardless, having just climbed out of an M3 hell-bent on killing me, I was keen to see what was in store. And I wasn't disappointed. It's a freaking Ferrari. Just the mere name is a bragging right. Heck, being allowed to drive one is a story for the grandkids (Remember McD, the older you get, the faster you were! )

The 430 Scuderia is one of those cars... I bought it ages ago, mean to drive it every now and then but never do... Usually because I end up driving something for one reason or another. Looking forward to another week of fast paced action with you lot, and thanks to my shifts, I may get to race on Saturday again!

 

[McClarenDesign]

​

 

[Draggon]

Sorry guys, I can't join you tonight. I'm out of town and the PS3 didn't come with me.

So heres a very quick mini review....the Scud is pure driving pleasure. I ran this weeks TT's and could find no shortcomings with it, rather, I found myself pushing more and more and it responding promptly to my inputs 👍 Now for that Toyota...I know many of you like, or even love it. As for me, having spent 15 minutes with the Ferrari at Monza, then jumping right into the Toyota at Ascari, it pales in comparison. Verdict on the Ferrari, by all means a keeper. Toyota, beater. I'd tell you that I actually like last weeks M3 better than the FT1, but someone might report me to the FIA.

So carry on and enjoy the races tonight, I'll see you all Saturday.

 

[Racer283]

Sorry guys, I can't join you tonight. I'm out of town and the PS3 didn't come with me.

So heres a very quick mini review....the Scud is pure driving pleasure. I ran this weeks TT's and could find no shortcomings with it, rather, I found myself pushing more and more and it responding promptly to my inputs 👍 Now for that Toyota...I know many of you like, or even love it. As for me, having spent 15 minutes with the Ferrari at Monza, then jumping right into the Toyota at Ascari, it pales in comparison. Verdict on the Ferrari, by all means a keeper. Toyota, beater. I'd tell you that I actually like last weeks M3 better than the FT1, but someone might report me to the FIA.

So carry on and enjoy the races tonight, I'll see you all Saturday.

You missed some great battles tonight. I bet @Nismonath5 got some great battle pictures from the races.

 

[Nismonath5]

You missed some great battles tonight. I bet @Nismonath5 got some great battle pictures from the races.

I saved some epic replays! I'll try get pics done tomorrow

 

[Racer283]

I saved some epic replays! I'll try get pics done tomorrow

Take your time and you should have seen the last race of the night. Three way battle for poll position at Laguna.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

You missed some great battles tonight. I bet @Nismonath5 got some great battle pictures from the races.

Just have to agree with this one... I really can't think of anyone that showed up not having a really really good chance of winning last night! Everybody turned up the pressure to 11... was a great night of racing! Of all the nights you had to take off @McClarenDesign and @Draggon , that was one that shouldn't have been missed!



Cheers

 

[Nismonath5]

And then of course, there was my painful near-win at Monza...

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Action Shots from Suzuka...

"Nathan holds a comfortable lead"

"Looks like a close race!" Rob_on_Drums

"There's the hot dog stand!!!" Nathan Howe

"Side by Side action"

"I think Y might be getting close" BaronBlitzRed

"One last smoke show"

Cheers

 

[Nismonath5]

Looks like a close race!" Rob_on_Drums

Oh I like that shot. I like that shot a lot!

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Oh I like that shot. I like that shot a lot!

Thanks @Nismonath5 !!! I was taking a tour around trying to find a decent angle, and as soon as I saw it, I had to snap it. I'll be remembering to walk around more from now on.

Cheers

 

[Draggon]

Of all the nights you had to take off @McClarenDesign and @Draggon , that was one that shouldn't have been missed!
Cheers

Just figures, huh I had a Dr. appt out of town so I went to a friends to spend the night. If she came with "benefits" I might feel a little better about missing the races. Then today I fire up the PS3 and go to the community section only to find out someone has usurped my lead in the TT's. Both of 'em. Geez......

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Just figures, huh I had a Dr. appt out of town so I went to a friends to spend the night. If she came with "benefits" I might feel a little better about missing the races. Then today I fire up the PS3 and go to the community section only to find out someone has usurped my lead in the TT's. Both of 'em. Geez......

When the cat's away, the mice will play!!!

Cheers

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

430 Means Race Time!!!

Well, this week had 2 great days of racing on both Tuesday and Saturday! The more I drove this Ferrari, the more I liked it, which turned into loving it. I really have nothing bad to say about it... at all.

After giving it a new coat of paint to get the stripes to match my rims, I was ready for more action. As on Tuesday, the COTW crew was also ready... as even more great racing ensued. Maybe it's a sign of Spring being here, or people just enjoyed the car as much as I did, or whatever combination of things you could think of... this week's racing just seemed far above par for the course. Way fun!!!

I'm going to give it a Sleeper and a Keeper rating, as it has lively, spirited handling, both off the line and top end speed and the looks to make anyone happy. Everything just worked, and would gladly take it out again on any given day.

Cheers

 

[Nismonath5]

I saved some epic replays! I'll try get pics done tomorrow

A ha haaa, past me. If only you knew of what would happen... I had to cover for a co-worker on Saturday, and there was a farewell dinner for some other co-workers tonight. Tomorrow for sure!

 

[MisterWaffles]

Oh, hey, yeah. So, I was going to write something special about the Scud, but then I got invited to the GT Sport beta, so maybe tomorrow.

 

[Nismonath5]

The Ferrari that hates me!!!
Too bad, so sad.

Curves? Yes. Go faster stripes? Yes. Beautiful sounding mid-ship V8? Yes!

Before I begin, a big congrats to @Baron Blitz Red for taking out the #6 spot in @CORRUPTEDDISC's photo comp for this week, and with a shot from our week in the 430, no less!



Rightio, on with the review! Now, I'm not exactly a die-hard Ferrari fan. I mean the FXX is fun to drive, so too the 458 Italia. But other than that I'm not really too Ferrari mad. They're fast, they're prestigious, they're usually red! I can't wait to drive the Ferrari 488 GT3 though...

When I dusted off my 430 Scuderia and prepared it for racing, I couldn't work out why it was so damn temperamental! The way it was dancing around the circuit, you'd swear the tyres were flat! Or maybe even too hard... But we all know tyre pressures aren't a tuning option in GT (yet), so I can't blame the tyre pressures! And sadly, the Scud wrestled with me in the same manner all weekend.

Baron tackles the chicane at Apricot Hill (aka the rallycross part)

A good ol' game of follow the leader!

Incident #1: Backwards at Bathurst!!!
Even racing at "Mount Nismo" couldn't provide me with an easy victory. After a skittery trip up and down the mountain, with some particularly hairy moments at The Cutting and Forrest's Elbow, I found myself on the Conrod Straight, barreling towards The Chase at a little over 250km/h. Not wanting to out brake myself, I decided to dab the brakes just before making the slight right hander of The Chase, to keep things nice and stable. Unfortunately, this didn't quite work out how I envisioned it, and the car ended up spinning around, so I launching into the sand trap in reverse...

And as you'll see in the pic below, I wasn't the only one to have an off there. Pretty much everyone went off track! (Even @Vic Reign93, yes I watched the replay and saw you stick those tyres on the lawn! )

"Oh yeah, buddy!"

"How did this even happen?????"

Traffic chopper: "Well Hal, it's looking like a right mess down there at The Chase, cars everywhere! Crazy!"

Incident #2: The battle that couldn't last!
On Saturday, we raced at Brand's Hatch GP, and for a couple of laps I thought the Scud was finally starting to warm up to me. Not only was I able to keep it under control (ish), I was battling @Draggon and Vic all the while! I was on the verge of changing my mind about the Scud, a week's worth of hardship would have been forgiven if I could just see a chequered flag with my car and my race intact. However on the first corner of the final lap, the Scud decided I'd had my fun and made life difficult for me again.

Three way duel for the silver!

As the cars get closer, the pressure gets more intense...

"Oooooh, a penny!"

So, I gave up trying to love the Scud. If I couldn't have a single clean race in it, what is there to love? How am I supposed to take notes on it's performance when I'm spinning and going off track every few laps? The onlynotes I have on it at the moment are "AAAAAAARRRRGGHHHH!", "DAMMIT!", and "🤬🤬🤬🤬, NOT AGAIN!!!!!" It's main downfall is, like many of the supercars we've reviewed, the tyres. You can't get a rear-heavy, 400+bhp supercar to handle when it's on hard compound DOT rated tyres!

The way to remedy it's aggressive nature is to whack some grippier tyres on it. As soon as I put some sport softs on it, it was as if the ferocious beast had rolled over and was wanting it's tummy rubbed. Totally different car, it turned, it clung to corners, it actually obeyed my driver input! 👍

As is from the dealer though, it's a straight up beater from me. 👎

Now, let's hope lightning strikes twice and McD returns once again with a new car..

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

Before I begin, a big congrats to @Baron Blitz Red for taking out the #6 spot in @CORRUPTEDDISC's photo comp for this week, and with a shot from our week in the 430, no less!

Well thanks for making the suggestion for entering... shoutouts also go out to Pyano1132 aka @MrWaflz55 of DOTW fame as well as here for taking spot #5, as well as @Nismonath5 for getting the #2 spot!!!

Baron tackles the chicane at Apricot Hill (aka the rallycross part)

For this pic, I'll take a page from @McClarenDesign 's book and just blame @Vic Reign93 ... the usual smoke screen left behind his car makes things rather hard to see... things like where the track is!!!

Cheers

 

[MisterWaffles]

Ferrari 430 Scuderia '07​

OK, so this week we have the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. This was my second favourite Ferrari behind the more Recent Italia that I'm sure half of you know by now is my favourite modern supercar. How does the older Ferrari compare to more recent designs? First we need to look at how well it did in it's heyday.

I remember when we put this car up against the Gallardo LP570-4 from the same era up against it, the vote at the end of the week was almost unanimously in favour of the Ferrari. Everyone was raving about how well the car handled in the time trial even with the huge power defecate compared to the Gallardo. The scud handled so well, it was able to beat the Gallardo by a few tenths of a second every time.

Speaking for myself, the car is very light and nimble. You would expect that trait coming from a machine based off of the F430 Challenge racer. I don't think any supercar in GT6 really comes close to the level of precision you can have while driving this car.

The Scuderia is able to lap long tracks as fast as other cars that have close to 100hp more than it. The key to this is the car's incredibly light weight and amazing handling response. You'd be hard pressed to find a supercar within this game that corners as well as the Scuderia. There is no understeer, just pure grip. Driving the 430 fills you with confidence any time you approach the twisty bits of a track.



It's true that the Ferrari 458 has surpassed this car as a better overall machine. More power, more acceleration, sublime handling, more competitiveness. The 458 is just a magnificent car all-around, but the F430 has something special to it. Some cars with way more power can't touch it, most people who drive against the 430 Scuderia think it has no chance because it only makes 527hp stock. True, that's not much, but it's still enough to push this little competitor into the limelight. the Ferrari 430 Scuderia may not be part of the wolfpack...

...but everyone loves an underdog!

Sleeper.​