C-Zeta & GT - In-game reviews [The GT Sport review?! - 21/5/16]

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Replays currently under development. Download in this post.
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Good morning all!

I am here to review cars for your reading pleasure and your education, as to which cars in Gran Turismo 6 are actually any good. And which ones are best left out of the garage.

This continues on from my extensive GT5 review work, whereby I reviewed road, race and tuner cars, as well as tunes on GTP by the top people in the business. Feel free to read up on that as you wish.

So, sit back and choose your review. And feel free to respond to them as you wish.
Before reading the other reviews, why not try the FIT RS '10? - 9/1/14
MiTo 1.4 T Sport '09 - 7/12/13
FR-S '12 - 7/12/13
Range Rover Evoque Coupe Dynamic '13 - 7/12/13
Renault Sport Megane RS Trophy '11 - 7/12/13
365 GTB4 '71 - 7/12/13
Model S Signature Performance '12 - 7/12/13
Scirocco GT24 '08 - 7/12/13
X-Bow Street '12 - 7/12/13
Corvette Stingray C7 '14 - 7/12/13
BRZ R&D Sport '12 - 7/12/13
XKR-S '11 - 7/12/13
Shelby GT500 '13 - 7/12/13
IS F Racing Concept '08 - 7/12/13
M3 GT '11 - 7/12/13
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RAYBRIG HSV-010 '12 - 19/12/13+replay
GT-R NISMO GT3 N24 Schulze Motorsport '13 - 19/12/13
SLS AMG GT3 '11 - 19/12/13
Huayra '11 - 19/12/13
Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak '87 - 19/12/13
908 HDi FAP - Team Peugeot Total '10 - 19/12/13
Renaultsport Clio RS '11 - 9/1/14
Lancer Evolution VI GSR T.M.E Special Color '99 - 9/1/14
S2000 '06 - 10/1/14
Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione '91 - 10/1/14
Racing Karts - 10/1/14+replay

Gran Turismo 1 legends - 3/4/16

Gran Turismo 2 legends - 3/4/16

Today's Gran Turismo legends - 4/4/16

Vision Gran Turismo - 4/4/16

Gran Turismo Sport first impressions at The Copper Box - 21/5/16
 

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Who wants a triangle for a mouth?
Only Alfa Romeo could make such a thing work.

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I've come full circle as a reviewer. The first car I reviewed in my GT5 thread was an Alfa Romeo - the Giulia TZ2, which inspired me to start off reviewing, as what was at the time my favourite car to drive in the game. It didn't stay that way necessarily - but it remained in about my top 5 for the game easily. Incidentally, the Giulia TZ2 has been renamed in game to the Alfa Romeo...'AR750106'. Yeah, that's a ****ing mouthful. I'm sticking with Giulia TZ2, thank you very much. Not one of their better renames here.

Sadly, the Alfa Romeo I'm reviewing this time is not quite so epic.

Indeed, rather than a classic lightweight racer, we have instead a modern full-on small car here. The MiTo.

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The MiTo itself, before launch, was pretty well hyped up. Most Alfa Romeo's seem to quietly manage that, what with their reputation and often superb looking cars. And the MiTo was alright enough, but still an Alfa in the end - better to look at, worse to drive.

And Alfa didn't really make much of a hot hatch out of it. The Cloverleaf model was awfully forgettable.

Then they went and rather killed its vibe by putting in the normally brilliant TwinAir engine. Which didn't work with the MiTo. And so, the MiTo, now even a rather old car by now perhaps, is stuck in the no-man's-land of small cars.

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The model being demonstrated in GT6 is one from 2009 - a turbocharged 153bhp model that was for the most part the most powerful MiTo you could get then. Indeed, 153bhp was probably enough to make it a warm hatch. But then the 'warm hatch' is not exactly something I'm particularly comfortable with. Why not go the whole hog with a hot hatch? Some warm hatches even have models that allow you to do just so.

But then in Gran Turismo, anything at any power level can be a ball to drive, given the width and depth of the '1200' (it's actually about 800 really OK) strong car list. No matter how much you want to criticise it for giving you the Lunar Rover over the E30 M3 you would do unusual things to each night.

And the new physics engine will attest to that. With the way it is designed, it now attempts to make even the small stuff feel a bundle of fun. A task that was difficult to do within GT5, as they just lagged about more than anything else.

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The MiTo is not really one of these cars. It suffers from some quite annoying understeer, though it's more than manageable. But there never really ends up being any life in the driving.

It does look respectable enough, obviously. It's an Alfa Romeo. What did you expect. Even though it does have a triangular mouth, as aforementioned, it still manages to look like an Alfa Romeo type of small car - rather cutesy and pretty. But even then, there are still better lookers.

I can't recommend the MiTo particularly. It doesn't feel fast or lively enough, and it doesn't solve any problems an FF like itself normally suffers. Therefore, I'd pass on the good looker and take something better to drive. Whatever that might be. I don't know what it is yet, because as you know, this is my first review in this game.

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Not exciting enough. Look elsewhere for a fun drive.
This was the Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4 T Sport '09 driven at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Overrated.
What's so special about the Scion FR-S anyway?

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I knew the FR-S...wait a minute, that's not what it's called.

Oh, it might be in America. But here in Britain, we like to call it the 'Toyota GT86' here. Scion would be laughable as a brand here. There's also the Subaru BRZ but we don't like to talk about that here.

But it is the FR-S here, so let's just refer to it as that...sigh.

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But yes, the FR-S had been hyped for a very very long time as a return to the good old days of 90s JDM drifting loveliness...well, I didn't see it as that. I just saw it as a return to fun cars for Toyota.

And when released it sure did not disappoint. Rave reviews were given to it despite a supposed lack of speed. It was also a winner through value - compared to other expensive cars you would have as much fun in, this was a pint of milk relatively speaking. A very good car at a great price.

In fact, for my Media Studies coursework at GCSE, I even decided to base my magazine article on it. And I mostly based that on how accessible it actually was. I'd have to go through dire straits to just casually shoot a Ferrari, so I did the sensible thing and picked the fun bugger from Toyota.

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PD meanwhile, had already hyped the 3 concepts to no tomorrow - the original FT86, then its G Sports Concept followed by FT86 number 2. Then it went completely bonkers when it actually came out.

First, it was the 86 - the Japanese model. Then the FR-S for free, then the BRZ in another DLC package. And they haven't exactly stopped for this game.

In addition to the above, for GT6 we now have the GT300 BRZ (which is admittedly rather fast IRL), as well as a special if rather confusing "Racing" model of the 86 and the Gazoo Racing 86 from the Nurburgring 24h. By GT7 it'll have easily passed the GT-R by in terms of numbers. Provided they don't go and bring them all back again...

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Note numerous battle scars on FR-S. These will be explained later
But in GT6, driving the FR-S is...rather weird. There are two factors that could explain it. Either it's the Sports Hard tyres it starts on, or the more likely problem, in my mind, is the new physics engine.

With its drivetrain, I would have expected the FR-S to be a real slip-slider. But...it really wasn't. It always remained straight and true. Indeed, as only my second drive in the game at all, I became quite convinced that the traction control hadn't turned off properly. But the throttle response disproved that.

Worse still, the handbrake wasn't available on the default control setting. So I had to go and set it to its famous circle button position of old.

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And that didn't really help either, if I'm honest. Indeed, I rather struggled to get it to handbrake turn, either not with enough power or with too much handbrake, resulting in a spin, and as you can see, much battle scarring. That said, this Matterhorn track is really not a good place for such a thing, so it probably wasn't either mine or the car's fault.

On the hilly confines of Matterhorn, the low-power engine also does get rather strained. Its 197bhp is not backed up by enough torque to give it good hill speed. On the downhill sections it also seemed rather out of control.

I realise that I'm probably slagging off the FR-S quite badly here, but that's not necessarily what I'm trying to achieve. Indeed, despite the difficulty in driving it, it still felt surprisingly rewarding to fling around. Especially as I did eventually get the hand of getting it handbrake-turned properly, and then it was quite a buzz. And it really does not look as plain as everyone else makes it out to. In fact, I rather like the look of it all. It certainly doesn't show too much difference from the original FT86 for sure.

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This was before I tried to take it to the handbrake
I won't blame you for buying this. Indeed, you probably quite like it as a car anyway and would happily take it regardless. But in GT6, you have to work almost too hard to get the reward from it. But that reward is a sweet one.

By the way, Matterhorn - a fine and fun course, though the loading up of the fans needs some questioning, and not as effective for me as Cape Ring was. Yes, I did say that. That's my opinion of it.

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A car you need to work too hard to drive. Not as well rated as others make out. Still a fine enough drive though.

This was the Scion FR-S '12 being driven on Matterhorn Rotenboden.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Mrs Beckham, your car is fine...but I just wish it was someone else's
Maybe David would design a car with a lot of curves. With underwear painted on.

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Land Rover is awesome. They have some fine cars on sale in the modern age. Well, mostly fine anyway. The Defender is unbeatable and unshakable off-road...but the ******** Euro emissions regulations are taking it out of its very long standing service soon. The Discovery is a pretty fine SUV...but is ousted by the real daddy of the marque, the Range Rover.

Which has been given a new model which, while still one of the top luxuries of all time, has become increasingly chintzy as more footballers buy it and do all the wrong things to it. Which leaves us with the Range Rover Sport, which was, in its old form, slightly hopeless...but the newest model is a fine machine, a faster yet still rather luxury form of the Range Rover. But somehow...that Sport name is a bit unerring.

Oh, and the Freelander. Which is rather confusing among the rest. But is at least better than some other cars of its type...(Audi and BMW)

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That leaves us with the smallest of the models, the Range Rover Evoque.

This one was quite a divider when it was first announced. Land Rover is very good at avoiding the pitfall of one model being simply a cheaper edition of the bigger model - i.e., Boxster/Cayman -> 911 in the case of Porsche. The Range Rover Sport was always more preferred over the Range Rover, if you were a drug dealer. The Freelander was the better choice for murderers, and the Discovery the one for the mums.


But people said the Evoque wouldn't be able to provide anything that one of the other models didn't already provide. Then they saw the name of one person being drafted in as a designer - Victoria Beckham...

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Good suspension model showcase here.
The Beckham's popularity, while past its peak, was still high. But even so...designing a car? How wrong would this go, we all said?

It didn't. The Evoque turned out to be a masterpiece.

Many plaudits were received for retaining the claimed and famed Land Rover off-road ability - and in all conceivable conditions as well. And it still retained their luxury as well. But arguably what split it most and gave it a place in Land Rover's lineup was its looks.

Available in a coupe or 4-door, the looks of either proved to be absolutely superb. Add that to a variety of available engines, and the Evoque remains a storming hit in the car world today.

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That said though, Land Rover did not have a particularly coveted history in Gran Turismo...if that's the right term.

Indeed, the one car ever to feature from the lineup of Land Rovers was never in the lineup to begin with. Instead, the concept Range Stormer was shooed in for GT4, and while in GT5 it did prove to be surprisingly competent, not only was it not a justifiable representation of Land Rover, but it proved to be one of the heaviest cars in the game which, surprise surprise, gave it a rather awful representation as a troll car in GT5.

But PD have done them some justice by finally going and putting in the Evoque. So obviously, it needed a test off-road - where it was partly built for in truth.

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And off-road, it is a very solid car.

237bhp may not seem like enough, and compared to some others of its ilk in this game it is rather underwhelming. But it still drives finely, and at 1640kg is heavy, but not as much as you would possibly even think.

So, it does fine in its designated environment, and even looks rather good while you do it. As an added bonus, each colour option comes with the option of having a black roof - an option I took with the white paint. I think it does look better with it.

In-game though, it does cost some 60,000 Cr. In the more collapsed environment of money in GT6 (at present at least), that does make it rather expensive. And the weight might be a bit of a hold-back on the road itself. But it's a strong car none the less. Good for pictures.

I'm not sure one of the girls I know would care to design a car quite like this personally. Good job, Mrs Beckham.

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A fine car on the dirt, even to look at. Questionable worth, but it won't be later in the game where money is more prominent.

This was the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Coupe Dynamic '13 being driven at Eiger Nordwand K Trail.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
First of all, welcome back! :bowdown: I missed your great reviews, C. 👍 It is a bit odd that your best car so far is a Land Rover designed by Victoria Beckham...:lol: Stick it, Scion, maybe you should ask Paris Hilton to design the FR-S replacement...
 
For the Mito, try shifting gears at no more than 6000 rpms, it will feel faster.
Many cars really suffer in GT if you don't shift gears manually properly.
 
Oh my god!
They actually got
THE RIGHT MEGANE!!

And so, it's time to drive the hot hatch of the last decade.

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Round the time of Gran Turismo 5's release, the Renault Megane RS 250 was one of my top pops in my car mind. I love the world of hot hatches, and among all of them, the Megane was my favourite of the ones on sale. Not only was it more than a match for its competition in the speed stakes, but it drove with power and precision and showed little in the way of flaws even next to the rest of the hot hatch group. It was the driver's hot hatch - my hot hatch.

Oh, and it looked truly, madly and deeply wonderful. In that flaring yellow paint, its beautiful shape combined with the black contents surrounding it and the power felt oozing from it made me want it, want it, want it, so badly.

So imagine my relative surprise to see a car bearing the name of 'Megane Renault Sport' in the Renault Sport dealership of GT5.

Then my relative anger when I found out it was the previous model.

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Why, oh why would you take the previous model that had paled into more insignificance among other hot hatches of the time with a ride that was all too rigid and overconsuming compared to the driving experience? And what of its silly look with an awkward front and a boxy rear featuring its well advertised big arse?

Wait. I like big arses. It's forgiven.

Indeed, it wasn't even a half bad car to drive. Certainly one of the better ones of its type in the game, with a drive that defied its front-wheel drive status and enough speed to just about see it by. I rather liked it as a car.

But at the end of the day, it was still the wrong Megane.

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So I was happy, when, along with the weider HSV-010 that had been added into GT5, the right Megane was announced to be coming into GT6. So that was my two major car list queries well covered, then. And me a happy man.

Indeed, they also went and put in the fast Megane Trophy racer in as well. And not only that...they put their funky 15th Anniversary livery on it, and it on the cover of the 15th Anniversary edition itself. So I now bear a copy of Gran Turismo 6 with a form of a car I lust after and will do for a long time. A car I could realistically aim for, not the new Bugatti that everyone and Rick Ross goes for.

This particular road Megane is the boosted up, 265bhp Trophy model that was built to break the front-wheel drive record at the Nurburgring. It succeeded, and still holds it. Though the new Civic Type R is threatening to break it, though that's still a fair way from being finished.

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And as a car on Gran Turismo 6, it does not disappoint me.

It, like the '08 Megane RS before it, manages to mask the front-wheel-drive identity it has superbly. Except unlike the wrong Megane, which only feels vaguely but not confidently fast - as it if could be outsped by anything else at any moment - the Megane RS Trophy has genuine speed behind it. And that helps massively for its driving feel.

Understeer is much more minimal than you would ever think. You can power it through bends surprisingly well, though not too hard. But then, you don't need to with this. Cars that manage this go down well in my books.

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The sound is also worth noting. But I'm not sure in what way. The sound itself seems to match the speed of the car - it does possibly contribute to the feel of speed in that way. But I'm not sure about the sound itself. It sounds fine, but also not...and I'm not sure why it goes either way. But it works for me, so I'm fine with it.

And of course, it still looks as much the part in GT6 than it does in real life. It really is a sexy car, for me. It ticks all the boxes in my mind. And in the SSR5 night-time, the black does blend in well with the darkness, and even personifies this sweet yellow paint. It's so...wonderful.

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I am very proud of PD for finally going in and putting the right Megane in - a car that means an awful lot to me since I first saw it and it caught my eye in all the right ways. I'll cherish it in this game - especially as, in the real world, a new Megane is coming. And after the colossal failure that the new Clio RS was, Renault Sport will have to step it up - even with using probably the same materials and mechanics as the Clio RS. They'll have to as well, with the super-power Astra VXR GTC and the super-solid Focus ST now present in the hot hatch world. So extra power should make up very well for the undoubted new flappy-paddle gearbox, possibly smaller engine and greater reliance on turbocharging in the new Megane RS. Renault Sport know what they're doing with hot hatches. And they still should next time.

Now you know why I put this in the banner twice.

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No less than expected. Superb drive, good enough pricing at 38k, and near-perfect looks make this the hot hatch of choice.
This was the Renault Sport Megane RS Trophy '11 being driven at Special Stage Route 5.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Average classic Ferrari. Meh.
Who really cares about a 70's Ferrari like this? It's the same as any other.

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Polyphony Digital added a very strong regime of Ferrari's for Gran Turismo 6. Of the 6 coming in, 5 are relative classics - the odd one out being the FXX which provides a modern contrast to the older additions.

But of the classics added, there are some questions to be asked about some of them.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is an absolutely justified addition to the game. You'll see why it's the most expensive car in the world with enough research, because here there isn't really the time.

I was also impressed with the addition of the second car in the GTO line - from 1984. Among the relatively samey Ferraris of yesteryear, this one stands out to me as the biggest rival to the well-acquitted Lamborghini Countach. I thought of it as a strong looker, and I will look forward to driving it later on in GT6...provided I ever get the money to afford it.

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But the rest of them seem rather average, relatively speaking. I am not really a Ferrari nut, so therefore I don't presume all of these cars to be the second coming at the time.

The 250 GT seems to pale into insignificance compared to its mega-money racing model, despite its considerable beauty. The Dino was well advertised among cars in GT6, but it still seems distinctly average. But this was the one that I questioned most - the 365 GTB4 "Daytona".

Even though the Daytona's history is pretty well documented, it isn't the car that catches me that well - as the closest rival to the Miura it was surprisingly outshone, as it bullishly stuck with a front-engine layout whilst the mid-engined Miura caught the eye of inspiration for the future - as the first 'supercar'.

The looks of this one, compared to the rest, seemed too different. It had plenty of beauty alright - but it was not the same as the other Ferraris, which was offputting. Whereas the other Ferraris have wild, mad beauty that springs out and hits you, this one has much more concealed beauty. And in this instance, I don't believe that's a particularly good thing...


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In addition, it also costs 550k in this game. That seemed rather too much for me.

So when I saw it on the arcade list, there were some rather negative thoughts initially. Firstly, the Dino was well covered in many trailers - so why isn't it there instead?

Second, its looks, which were bore upon me for the first time there as well.

Third, its stats. 347bhp is fair enough but compared to others in the game seems miniscule. The 1200kg weight impressed me though - given its rather bulky areas I do think that is a surprising weight. And yet, compared to the other classic Ferraris, it's quite overweight. So it really didn't achieve anything for me from the get-go.

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And so, taking it to Monza, I wasn't expecting a lively drive. Just a typical mid-maybe-high level road car drive. And if I'm honest, that level is the one that interests me the least.

The first thing I noticed about it though, was the sound. It was actually quite fitting. It's not as grumbly as it really could be, but it seems to fit the Ferrari well, and the way it drives. Speaking of which...

I was in for a surprise with this thing. I was expecting relative mediocrity, but instead I got a superbly well-rounded drive.

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Don't pay this much attention. This was merely an outtake
I wasn't expecting too much life under the new physics engine. But its turning ability was superb and true - a perfect setup for the front-engine rear-drive it wields. However, the great thing is it can also do that most rear-drive of things - sliding.

The sliding is not as difficult to manipulate as you would think, and it is very controlled sliding. You do fine yourself in good control with this car all the time - and as well you should.

Because it isn't even just a good drive. It's also a really quick one. 1200kg may be heavy among the new Ferraris in this game, but the fact is that it's a perfect value to have when you are being propelled by a 347bhp V12 engine.

On the Monza straights, it feels very, very fast. Certainly a match for anything of its type, and probably able to compete with anything on the fast tracks.

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Even the onboard view was rather cool in my mind. The interior seems very fitting for this type of car. Of course though, the superb rear end is emphasised in chase cam, with the 4 flowing exhausts pumping all the speed out of the car and the sloping back matching its superb speed.

So yes, the Daytona was a very big surprise. I had heard all about it before in the past and it seemed legendary, yes - but then overshadowed by others at the time, and also not looking ideal in my mind, plus other Ferraris proved even more legendary than it.

But a drive in GT6 has proven it to be a very capable car. The Miura has a big fight on its hands to be as good as this - the Daytona even has a horn that can face up to the Miura's, not to mention an actual rear window. And while the Daytona's 550k pricetag is hefty in these moneyless times at present, you aren't paying 15 million for it instead...dear oh dear.

I would certainly recommend picking up this classic Ferrari then. If I thought this was the worst of the 5, I'd love to see what the others are like then...better than...I dunno, bacon? Surely not...and I'm hungry now.

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Good marks on the donut section.
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A big, big surprise for me. A superb drive, and a fast one too. It's really just a question of when can you afford it...


This was the Ferrari 365 GTB4 '71 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
A rather heavily sponsored electric car
PD have been rather hyping up the Tesla Model S. Does it work though?

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Tesla have been going quite well in the sadly rather pointless race to make electric cars work in the modern day, with the idiotic choking out of strong petrol engines. The Roadster did a good job in convincing us all as the first of a fast kind of electric car, but ended up being rather more famous for being its subject of a legal wrangle with Top Gear over fake claims of breakdowns.

As more companies took to the basis of making fast electric cars, the catalysts Tesla went and started working on the Model S. The timing of its release proved critical, as at this point Fisker was taking the plaudits with its super-intelligent Karma but showing financial collapse - and in March they went bankrupt. They have been acquired by another company since then though.

Tesla however go on strongly, and their focus on electric cars continues here with the Model S. And, to add to the Tesla Roadster introduced to GT5, it now arrives in GT6.

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And Polyphony Digital seemed rather too keen to confirm that, showing the hell out of the Tesla in its trailers. They even went and took the step of putting it in the main Pre-Order Precision Pack - which really says how important they view it as in this game.

As a result, many players now have their own free electric machine. Unfortunately, when they drive it, they might find themselves fairly disappointed. Actually no. They'll find themselves catastrophically disappointed. And spinning quite a lot.

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The reason for this is because the Tesla's characteristics, in terms of the new GT6 physics engine, really outdo it. The Roadster didn't work particularly well under GT5's engine, exhibiting some quite bizarre behavious at times.

And so it goes with the Model S. It does feel very fast, the instant torque pushing you well down the straights...until you reach 60. Then the power drops off immediately because electric engines are largely designed to work like that. And so it feels like a slowcoach at that point. 415bhp? Yeah right...

Also, it weighs a ****ing ****-ton. 2018kg is just way, way too much even for a car of this type. Most cars that weigh more than the year they were made in do not have signature performance, contrary to what the title of this car is...

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But that isn't even the biggest outdoing of the Tesla. The big one is the RR drivetrain, which I actually think might have been rather misrepresented in this game.

The problem is, because the big electric motor is at the back, where it also drives the wheels, you have nothing at the front end and therefore a really ****ing slippery rear. And on the Tesla...it is really screwed up.

You spin a lot with the torque and power, and it's even difficult to get it back again because every time you hit the throttle you have all the torque thrust upon you. So not only is the torque only useful until you reach 60, but it is a hopeless burden everywhere else.

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Expect dirt marks on a lot of drives with this thing.
And it doesn't even add anything special to cover it up. Obviously because it's electric there's no sound to benefit, which most blind idiots who go for the vacuum cleaner remark will say is better, actually.

And it doesn't look special enough either. I know they've tried to make it look different to other modern saloons, and it does. But it still looks like a modern saloon. A modern saloon will look special if it doesn't look like any of its peers. And this one still does.

And with any luck, cars of its power won't last long enough to make a big change anyway. It is a big business these days and a real one that is making its mark on the car industry further and further. But pure electricity is not even the most economical way to go for the mentalists who brought up the big idea anyway.

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Because, as far as I can really see, it's actually hydrogen that's best. Hydrogen is the most abundant entity in the universe, and while it is difficult to facilitate at the moment, mainly because of price, there's a chance that soon enough, it won't be. Honda already showcased a hydrogen car, so why don't others do it? It'd be more useful than electricity even in your home, because eventually you'd be able to use the hydrogen in your car to power your house possibly...

But that's for another time. The long and short of it is, in GT6, the Tesla Model S is crap. If you got it in your pre-order, don't drive it, because you'll die trying most likely. Take the other 4/9/however many cars you got instead and leave it to be a 15th Anniversary livery saloon that looks similar to most other saloons.

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Absolutely hopeless to drive. You could spend your 92,000 Cr. on something much more useful. Such as, with a bit more saving, a new nitro kit for your car.

This was the Tesla Model S Signature Performance '12 at Matterhorn Rotenboden.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
I love these reviews C Zeta! Reminds me of car reviews I did on GT5 cars 2 years ago on a facebook page.
You could take these reviews a step further and present them into a magazine like fashion and turn it into an e-Book. That is, if you know how to use software to make it.
But otherwise, these reviews are well written and entertaining to read. Looking forward to more reviews from you
 
Surely there are other VW racers you could have pTYRE SCREECH
The Scirocco GT24 is OK...but you could have given us something better.

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I've always rather liked the selection of VWs in the Gran Turismo series, period. The selection of Golfs in GT2 was followed by a wild and varying bunch in GT4, with everything from the original Beetle to the W12 Nardo concept. And GT5 only expanded on it, with classics abound in the form of the Kubelwagen, Schwimmwagen, Samba Bus, and the 1200, in addition to new Golfs and the Scirocco R. All of the classics were superbly fun and comedic drives, but foolishly not well taken by much of the GT community.

Those people haven't really had true fun in a Gran Turismo game. Or they don't know what it actually is.

For GT6, there is only one new car this time, but it's not necessarily as mad as any of the VWs before it - it's the Scirocco racer, the GT24.

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In some ways this is an interesting new addition. Nurburgring 24h cars have been seen before in Gran Turismo, with the likes of the Falken Star GT-R. But that's in the top league of the bunch. This is more in the midfield areas of that field, an interesting field if you look deeper into it.

But I'm not too sure that the Scirocco is the best representation of it. It's one of the most well-known for sure, and the racing history of the Scirocco since this 2008 version has been fairly good. But I'm not sure it's interesting enough.

The Scirocco itself was a well-critiqued car when it first came out, as a revival of a famed name, and as what turned out to be a very strong car - the top model utilising Golf GTI components. And so it was eventually put into racing form, of which you see here.

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Battle scars aplenty as the Scirocco struggled to get round the turns of Tokyo R246.
The problem is, even as a racer, it's not particularly good to drive. Indeed, the FF drivetrain is retained, which normally isn't even too bad on race cars - the tyres can often take care of the understeer. But the problem was, this was being driven, for this review, in a real race situation.

And in the situation, I was having to drive fast and without real precision. Or else I would have lost the race.

But the Scirocco was awful in this situation. I reckon that, with a slower drive, it would be a more fine car in the bends, but when being pushed, even rather lightly, the understeer was way too great. And the wall-smashing, as a result, was too damn high.

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Just to make clear my point, here is the Scirocco, trying to hold off an Amuse S2k GT1 of all things...I won that one.
Also, the understeer invited a catastrophic amount of tyre screech. Indeed, on racing tyres, the screech is different to that of the comfort and sports tyres. And it dominates the sound of anything else, when it does happen. And the racing tyre screech is slightly odd. And you get it a lot in the Scirocco. Get used to it being the proper sound you hear in this car.

The actual sound is the same odd warped sound that you get in a lot of race cars. It fits some cars alright enough, but not this one.

The real problem with the Scirocco I think, is that it's just plain boring. I wasn't particularly excited by it to begin with and a drive in it has not done anything to change that. I therefore would pass on it and buy something faster, and with less bloody tyre screech.

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Oh yeah, and I lost the race. Because a Honda NSX-R Race Car showed up for no fathomable reason. And because of the understeer and TYRE SCREECH

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Too short on fun, speed and driving capaTYRE SCREECH

This was the Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 '08 at Tokyo R246.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.

 
"Hey how's it going Crossbow-"
"IT'S X-BOW!!!!!!"
Please, for my sanity get the name right

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Oh look, a new brand for us all to explore!

KTM are mainly bike makers, from Austria. But then once, out of nowhere, they decided to make the X-Bow, a lightweight mad car like none before...

Most lightweight mad cars are effectively cars stripped to their bare bones. They're absolutely miniscule. You probably couldn't even get my 5'7" frame in a couple of them. Or shorter. And certainly some of them wouldn't fit my lanky 6'4" mate.

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The X-Bow is rather different in that it has some actual structure in addition to all the other car bits. So therefore it looks more sensible. Not that you could really call it that.

Indeed, while it is heavier than most super-lightweight cars at 790kg, it's still really damn light. And backing up this street model is a 237bhp engine, a turbocharged 2.0 straight-4 affair from Audi. Hey, why don't they fit that to one of their bikes?! Surely 2000cc is viable on those things...in my mind.

However, some lightweight cars haven't quite worked out the way they've meant to in Gran Turismo. The Caterham Seven Fireblade is the one that comes to mind mainly - where its engine fails to rev properly and so therefore it ends up far slower than it should. Something tells me though that it might be fixed for this game...I'll wait and see.

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Some though, have ended up working just fine - overshooting the mark even. One example of that is the Suzuki GSX-R/4, which is very much relatable to the X-Bow through motorbiking backgrounds and body style...except the Suzuki is 11 years older than this X-Bow.

The GSX-R/4 spectacularly overshot the mark in GT4. Even to start with it was a fast ****er, but then you gave it a full tune...and it could do nigh on anything. Even the Like the Wind race in GT4 was winnable in it, with a fair bit of nitro, luck and...er, wind. In GT5 its stock and full tune forms were nerfed quite seriously, but it was now on par arguably with its real form.

So, where does the X-Bow fall into? Well, I think it falls just about into the realistic side, but only just. It does feel slightly slower than it should. But is it fast to begin with?

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...Not really, no.

Nor is it very lively. Even an MR layout can't seem to make it snap too much, but then it doesn't feel very free in terms of driving anyway. It's far too constrained, and I dare say that a more barebones lightweight wouldn't suffer from this problem as much...

The sound is also quite dull too. It's really little more than just a weak buzz. It's only a straight-4 yes, but it's meant to sound threatening in this form. Come on man.

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I'm disappointed in this one. I even suggested it to fellow reviewer McClarenDesign as the first car for his Car of the Week series. But I suspect he won't think much of it either. But, for the X-Bow, there might be something of a wild card...

This was only the Street version of the X-Bow. It might have failed to win me over here, but the more powerful R version, whose PP seems to tout it into the big supercar level, might be more successful. The R has the same weight, but is upped to 296bhp, which means it really should be an actual rocketship, unlike the Street which seems fast and duly fails to deliver.

Plus I think some improvement could be done of the name. Though they didn't know it in 2008, if we take the X-Bow by its incorrectly referred name of "Crossbow" (yuck) then it sounds like something from Black Ops. The Crossbow in that game was a fun thing. But then the Ballistic Knife was too...so is that the name of the smaller KTM model?

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Indeed, if I wanted to name a car after an actual weapon, I'd probably go with Laser Blade. (Not Lightsaber because Lucasarts would then call for my head) And that's a lot stronger than a crossbow, that's for sure. So it'll be a damn sight faster than this, too.

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A disappointment. The R should be faster but whether it actually excites remains to be seen...

This was the KTM X-Bow not Crossbow Street '12 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.

 

JET STINGRAY!
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Don't worry. It won't be in the wall this often

So. This is the cover star of the Gran Turismo series for this installment. And given the situation, it's not a bad choice.

Every Gran Turismo game has had its defining cars, whether it's implied in the game or whether it's just through folklore.

Gran Turismo 1 left its cover car in a sea of mystery. Though I still hold the belief that it's a Camaro. Which would really mean that PD have gone full circle.

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But the car in-game that its players came to know and love was the Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo, in all of its 950bhp+ ability and speed. Only GT3 has gone further since, but if GT6's tuning values are anything to go by, the values of even GT3 could be smashed.

Gran Turismo 2 could arguably have the Honda S2000 as its flagship car on PD's side - what with its position in the car world at the time of its release. Indeed the way the S2000 always beat everything I drove against it seemed biased. The little ****er. (The S2000 GT1 could also be proof of this)

But again, the car we all remember from GT2 is the Escudo. Because it was the fastest thing on the road, bar none.

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Strangely though, GT3 seemed to almost retain the two previous flagships. Again the cover car was a mystery, but I've always retained that it was the S2K that was on the cover. And again, the Escudo, despite a nerfing in corner speed, was the fan favourite. Though the Formula cars ran it close.

Gran Turismo 4 saw the Ford GT on the cover and two LMs made to celebrate it. But no clear fan favourite was defined - such was the amount of new cars in the game. The FGT and Minolta 88C-V stand out most in my mind though...

Gran Turismo 5's most memorable - and divisive - car among the fans was easy. The Red Bull X2010. The signature car, though, changed faster than it updated. First it was the SLS AMG seemingly, then it effectively
switched to the 86 series before arriving at this - the new Corvette C7 Stingray.

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To be fair, the announcement of the C7 Test Prototype in GT5 wasn't necessarily a change in focus to the Corvette. It was more an announcement of the GT6 cover car - and so it has proved.

As a Corvette, it should obviously prove to be a handful of a car to drive...right?

Well, in some ways, yes.

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The Corvette has the sound of a typical V8 - a lazy snort that could be stronger but doesn't need to be. It comes from 4 blaring exhausts that make up part of what I think is a beautiful rear end. Many seem to criticise the rear of the car strangely, but I think it looks superb.

But you do have to be rather careful not to wreck it. Because the Corvette does have a tendency to get out of it more than most. What did you expect?

Eiger Nordwand might seem like an odd and unsuitable choice for the Corvette, but it actually handles it superbly. It honestly took the slow hairpins well, in both forms of travel - controlled with enough steering to get through them if you're being sensible, and superb power and balance to slide madly through them when you aren't.

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Unfortunately, for other parts of the track, this does not hold as true. The long looping hairpin was a trouble for this car the whole review - it simply could not get round it in a drift (see first pic), but it was too squirrelly going through it normally.

In this respect, the Corvette is like the type of naughty schoolchild that actually isn't that good at sports. At a slower pace it's fine and can keep its head, but when it picks up it's all over the place, throwing its chair at the weak geek on the other side of the room and stealing the girl's pencilcase next to her. And sometimes it gets caught, in trouble, and it's left with nowhere to go.

But it is by no means a bad car to drive. It shows superb speed, more than its surprisingly low 455bhp would suggest. And of course, it's a Corvette, so it costs a paltry 51,000 Cr.

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So the Corvette is a worthy trademark car for GT6 to go by. I'm sure it'll be a riot in real life, and it'll have to be, with it competing against the SRT Viper. It has some quite serious driving flaws in its arsenal, but it's still a fun car to just **** around with. If you get it right anyway.

Sadly, as a trademark car, it won't be a match for the car that hasn't defined one of the games, but has managed to become a symbol in the series. The Nissan Skyline.

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Some driving flaws hold it back but for the price it's still a superb car. I'd go for it.

This was the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C7 '14 at Eiger Nordwand Short Track.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Ew. Subaru.
The fastest qualifying GT300 car ever and the worst racer in comparison

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Super GT has always been represented well in Gran Turismo. But the GT300 series representation has been getting increasingly more mixed over time.

With several teams now using FIA GT3 cars, attempts to get licensing for such cars could have become harder. But the inclusion of several new FIA GT3 cars, including the efforts from BMW (Z4), Mercedes-Benz (SLS AMG) and Nissan (no prizes for this one).

But those are only the GT3 racers themselves. And with no livery editor, nor the GT300 power values to work with, the modern field of GT300 remains distant in GT6.

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That Xanavi Nismo GT-R there...I think I'm onto something with the Arcade Mode car selection now. But that's not for this thread.
Take for instance, this wonderful BMW Z4, which not only bears the blue-haired singer Hatsune Miku on the side and is driven by the superb Nobuteru "No One Better" Taniguchi, but even won the series in 2011 - and indeed might have won it this year, were it not for one key disqualification that lost them the championship. Now while the weider HSV-010 of GT500 was incorporated into GT5 as a DLC, and that made me damn ****ing pleased, this GT300 was left out in the cold. Yes it would be difficult to get licensing for Vocaloid of all things, but come on...think, if they joined together, PD's sound department could have new life breathed into it, seeing a considerable improvement in sound!

...Actually, no. ...No. There wouldn't be any improvement in sound. Miku sounds pretty bad, actually.

But it'd probably attract a ridiculous fanbase at either rate! (That is true among other series) Something the GT series needs now the actual fanbase has all fallen on the floor in shock at how the entire series has been ruined omg lol zomg omg omg.

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But yes, the GT300 series has been left out in the cold somewhat. Eva McLarens, Nissan GTRs, JLOC Gallardos, anime clad Vettes, Aston Martins, even Priuses and (championship winning!!) CR-Zs!

However, in true Gran Turismo fashion, probably the most likely of the breed has snuck in. And, surprise surprise, it's the BRZ.

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Though this is the version from 2012, I'm going to talk about their 2013 season instead. This season the BRZ dominated...in qualifying. Of the 8 races, the BRZ took a maddening 5 poles. In the other three races, it started 3rd in 1 and 4th in the other 2. So you'd think it'd be a championship winner, right?

Well, it wasn't. Of those 5 races it started on pole, it won a grand total of 1 of them. That said, it was the big one at Suzuka - the 1000km Summer Special. It scored points at all bar one race, but the truth was it had no race pace at all relative to its qualifying pace. And the fact is, the Subaru team had already won two Suzuka 1000km races before, in the Legacy B4, so they were not even exactly treading new ground at their best. 4th in the championship was not really a justice to their qualifying pace.

But, you have to remember that the GT series is now dating the 86 series as a whole. So it would only be right and proper to expect something like this in the game.

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Despite bearing a frankly awful badge, on Gran Turismo the car really isn't bad to drive at all. In a real racing situation, you are allowed to push it hard - although it does punish you for making mistakes. Thankfully it isn't too difficult to avoid making those mistakes.

The GT300 kit applied also looks rather good on the BRZ. Most GT300 cars look good though, really. And the colour is horrible.

The sound which is attached to most racing boxers in GT5 is still here, and I've always had a secret liking for the sound itself even though it is terribly unrealistic. I think the pitch on it here is just about good enough, although it's not as strong with this as it is on the other Imprezas, whenever I have the misfortune of having one in earshot. That doesn't happen often though, because it's often behind me, in a cloud of dust, smashed to pieces, with the boxer engine blown to pieces. A shame that hasn't been implemented into GT6 yet.

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Among the large number of GT300s in the game, it might not be too surprising to find out that this should be one of the fastest of the bunch. It even has 345bhp to work with, which is way more than other older GT300s.

It doesn't feel as lively, or memorable, as some others though. And with that badge on the front, you won't see me driving this too often. It needs a Toyota badge really - but the main Toyota based team are too busy running Priuses instead. As a matter of fact, the favourite GT300 here has been, for a while now, the C-West Razo Silvia, even though that is, actually, one of the slowest.


And for many, the GT300 cast from GT2 will still be the one to reminisce over. And, ironically, one of them was an AE86 Trueno.

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The BRZ though, is a fast car and a very friendly one to drive. But while it is difficult to step over the limit, if you do step over it, then there's no going back and you're out for a spin. And I'd still take one of the older GT300s myself. Or even a new one in a DLC pack...PD.

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Good drive until you overstep it. I also don't like the badge.

This was the Subaru BRZ R&D Sport '12 at Tokyo R246.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
First it was the wrong Megane.
Now it's the wrong Jag.
(If there is such a thing)

A car that no one did actually want, if you look carefully.

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I actually hold the opinion that Jaguar is the best car maker today. Although as time goes on that opinion is starting to lose credibility.

The XK was what started it. It was a brilliant return to form as a grand tourer that put the X and S Types behind it. The R version went out and improved that further still. It is starting to get old now though.

The current XJ is, in my mind, my 'perfect car' in terms of luxury. More specifically, the 5.0 V8 SS version. The way it is so powerful yet so luxury is purely awesome. They've even gone and made an XJR with more power, and although luxury might be less, it's still there alright. It is starting to get old now though.

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Then you have the XF, which on paper is the least spectacular. But actually, it is the most mainstream Jaguar in the way it has to fight the big executive car from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. And it faces them off perfectly. The XFR also proved to be a superb car. But unlike the XJ and XK, it isn't getting quite as old because of the new Sportbrake estate which has breathed some new life into it. On the face of it though, it is starting to get old now though.

That leaves us with the F-Type. Which, in V8S form, is simply brilliant. I have in my mind, my partner in the future driving one, and us in a sunny place with the top down driving together romantically. Except the top might not be down because the F-Type Coupe has been announced, and the V8R version will have 542bhp. So I think that one might be the one I take. And since it only came out this year it won't be getting old for a long time yet.

So when choosing one new Jaguar for Gran Turismo 6, it was a no-brainer really, wasn't it?

And so, with that in mind, let's have a look at the new Jaguar XKR-S.

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Sigh.

We already had 3 current model XKs. The XK with a stock V8. The XKR. But we didn't need this version.

In fact, since GT4, a new XK has been introduced everytime. GT2 and 3 had the old XKR, then GT4 introduced the R Performance model. The base V8 XK came about in GT5P even, before the XKR and now this was added.

The XKR-S GT will probably be in GT7 at this rate. But no F-Type.

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Still though, it is a Jag, so it should be still storming to drive here, right?

Except this XKR-S has not got the best reputation in the real world. It rather attempted to reignite the now 5-year old XK - but it didn't really work. Chiefly because there had already been an XKR-S. That was much more limited though. Still, there wasn't enough in it and therefore the reception was not too good.

But what about in GT6 terms? Well here, it is not bad at all.

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Certainly it is a fine car when you are trying to set the fastest lap time. It manages to stay very planted with little interruption in between. So in that respect you are fine, and that immediately puts it in the good books.

Sliding is slightly more tricky. You do have to will it, but not a stupid amount. It also can have some difficulty in the slide itself, but for the most part it is fine there. The 1810kg weight is what mostly holds it back but either way, you can still do your stuff in the XKR-S.

With the sound, I'm not so sure. It is different to the XKR soundtrack, sounding more realistic, closer to a V8, and certainly very grumbly, which is nice. But actually, as a sound, I prefer the old XKR sound more. It sounded more angry and characterful.

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The XKR-S, as an XK, looks as good as ever, although as a convertible it would look better in my mind. The front end looks imposing, but the back end looks quiet, a good technique to mask the 542bhp V8 inside. The signature blue paint job it comes in is actually probably best, but I wanted more of an XK colour here - not an 'RS' colour. So I went with a light gray.

A price of 175,000 Cr. is high but probably realistic given the XKR-S and its ambitions. It drives at about the price you paid for it, and that is all good and fine.

So while the XKR-S may indeed be the wrong Jaguar, it still provides a good drive in Gran Turismo 6 and should be a good purchase should you choose it.

I now await a V8S F-Type in my next DLC pack. And a V8R Coupe while you're at it.

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A superb machine with great driving characteristics and about enough power for its bulk.

This was the Jaguar XKR-S '11 at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
AMERICA! SPEED! POWER! ENGINE! DRAG STRIP!
Huh? A corner? What's that?
- Typical American car enthusiast

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Americans are easy to please in car terms. They have been since the 60's really. You just need to make sure you've spent about 10 quid on the 1 million 'cubic inch' (because they struggle to spell 'litre' properly) V8 engine - and with some extra pocket money, a supercharger, salvaged the other parts from the local breakfast, put it together in some special sort of body and test it on the 1/4 mile drag strip.

The result is a car with the power of, according to how successful you are, either a power station or a toaster. And, no matter what, the weight of two moons. Then when you try to turn the wheel, the broken plate that forms the suspension will not actually turn at all and you will plough straight on. Provided the engine hasn't blown from running at the top speed of 4mph for too long.

I don't like any muscle cars. You hear people talking of their history and their stunning looks, and while some have perhaps looked wild enough to ask me to glimpse briefly at the often ridiculous styling feature that makes it so, mostly they don't differentiate enough. They're all too slow at the top end, too hopeless in corners and, come to think of it, not even any good at 1/4 miles anymore. Not since 4WD came along. Or even other rear-wheel-drive cars.

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American car makers have grown up since then and vaguely gone and matched what the modern world might pass as a vehicle as opposed to a tortoise shell. But this car you see here has unfortunately gone back to the bonkers way, and has matched its power with what the muscle car world would have called maddening - except in a modern form. The latest of probably 1 million different Shelby GT500s.

Except this one really does deserve some notation because it has a power figure of 662bhp. Six Six Two. That's ****ing mental. But the real question, can the paper-thin plastic-bag Mustang body actually handle it?

Well, it does alright in this game. It is, in fact, a fine effort. But not a flawless one by any means

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The engine makes itself felt immediately. 662bhp is plenty even when actually, it's still hauling 1733kg - which is still muscle car standard weight unfortunately. A torque figure of 631 ft-lb certainly helps it along as well, and you can expect high speed at all times.

Needless to say though, that the cornering is not quite so sweet. It's not bad at all, but it never stays straight with so much power going to the back wheels. One bit of throttle and it's doing the Big Gay Dance like King Dedede, only without the penguin look.

The sliding itself is controllable...most of the time. It rather depends at what point it starts. At a typical mid-corner starting point, you will be fine. But on the (all new!) Apricot Hill Raceway circuit, the first turn is unusual for the GT500. It will get through the first section fine, but it has a lot of difficulty slowing down for the second braking point - and usually it's enough to put at least a light foot on the nearby gravel. At that point it really is Goodbye Mr Tom, as the car immediately decides to throw itself away into the nearby wall. To counter this, the obvious solution is; simply drive Apricot Hill in reverse. It's actually a match for the normal layout in my opinion, unlike many other original circuits which don't feel so slick the wrong way round.

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The sound from the V8 in question is, thanks to this car's popularity, quite open to criticism. Certainly, though the V8 sound itself is probably quite weak, it does match the car well. However the main note with the sound is from views outside of chase cam, whereby the prominent sound by far is the killer supercharger that pumps the engine up to its mad value of 662bhp. Though even that sounds slightly off, its presence is clear for all to hear and feel as it delivers sheer hell onto the road.

The looks...well, it just looks the same as the modern Mustang. And I think it looks probably OK. I've never cared about the looks of muscle cars. And I never will.

The GT500 is a very speedy machine, and it does suck you in well with that. It did with me. Don't drive it sensibly, or even try to, because you sort of can't. Hooliganism is king in this supercharged beast of a Mustang - and it works a treat. Oh, and it does only cost 55,000 Cr. Quite an insane value indeed.

But I'm not necessarily a fan of it. It's a good car, but it still doesn't hit the spot because it doesn't achieve anything more than an impressive power figure. It has caught the eye, though. And a muscle car that really can do that is a strong one in my mind.

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Power to be had here inside this muscle car, as well as a mad drive. But still not enough interest in here.

This was the Ford Shelby GT500 '13 on the all new Apricot Hill Raceway.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
And now, we present to you Lexus' new DTM ra-
-oh wait.

PD seem to make us think they still care about this thing. Which is wrong, because they stopped that after Seasonal Events.

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In Gran Turismo 5, version 1.00, the Lexus IS F Racing Concept was a beast. But most players just didn't know it - because it was only in one certain context.

The German Touring Car Championship Extreme Event caused much furore, as many players were querying for Standard race cars that would be able to beat this DTM-based event. Something like an Audi A4, TT-R, Opel Astra, an R8 LMS or Alfa Romeo even! Or a 190 E if they didn't quite know what they were doing.

Except none of them knew what they were doing. Because, all the time, they didn't notice the black Lexus sitting in the Premium dealership at a level they were already at, for a price that would not only be cheaper than anything else for the event, but which would prove valuable to it at a later time in the game's life.

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The IS F RC itself was conceived as an idea as to what a Lexus DTM racer might look like in 2008. Sadly, it didn't make it to the circuits of Deutschland and Lexus continued on instead in Super GT with the (terrible in road form) SC430. Which carried on long after it had actually gone out of production, yet even won last year's championship.

Of course, the irony is that now the DTM and Super GT regulations have actually merged. But then DTM's regs had changed prior, so instead Lexus based their new racer off the Lexus LF-CC concept. Which goes even further than the SC430 silliness by not even going into production in the first place.

Anyway. Back to GT5. The IS F RC, despite not actually being German in any way, could still breeze through the championship with ease. It would be given a tough time at Nurburgring GP/D, but at Cape Ring it was a superb racer. But the real shock came at the Nordschleife, where it would manage to crush its opponents and leave them for dead. In 1 lap.

So the IS F RC was a massive favourite in the house of C-ZETA and my GT5 copy. You could even paint it from its default black colour for personalisation - which has now led to the Base Models of other racers in this game.

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The IS F RC was my Touring Car of the year in my inaugural awards. But sadly, the love was not to last long, as PD cut into the IS F RC's worth.

Firstly, the OCD. DTM cars were a super common sight in the OCD for many weeks even despite the presence of the IS F RC itself. They were now available as often as the IS F RC. But never mind, the IS F RC was still the cheapest of the kind. And the best looking in terms of a model.

The trade limit that was imposed cut off trading all of the other DTMs, leaving just the IS F RC tradeable for the event. But this was a moot point, as not only was it readily available as a Premium, but Seasonal payouts were considerable at this point. DTM cars outside of the IS F RC were becoming ever more in reach.

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Then, in a particularly memorable Remote Race, PD shoved a middle finger in the IS F RC's race by showing that, actually, it wasn't even that fast. The R8 LMS was the dominant car by far, though 1) it ideally shouldn't have been there at all and b) it was 5 million Cr. But the IS F RC turned out to be unable to keep up with the modern DTMs, only barely bridging the gap between the inferior classics. With that, the other DTMs were now appealing much more.

And to finish, a shocking sound update which brought, among others, the FTO STC, CLK-LM, Corvette C5R and more to its knees, took the IS F RC with it. The recognisable V8 snort was replaced by a...boxer engine sound? What the **** were they thinking of? I'm sorry, but how ill advised can you get with an update? The fact is, I never drove the IS F RC too much after that sound update. Even though that wasn't the worst victim...oh, the poor FTO STC.

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So after ruining the IS F RC, shooting to pieces and making it suck right off, the question to ask is; why the hell is the IS F RC the only non-new car to receive a 15th Anniversary Edition livery? They abused it, publically bullied it out of credibility and now they seem to think it's the one non-new model that deserves the most publicity. ****ing weird.

And they haven't even gone and changed it up from that bloody awful sound update. The faux-boxer sound remains - on a bloody V8! God, PD had some bet to change that up that badly, didn't they?

Indeed, the IS F RC doesn't even seem that good to drive anymore - and why would it now? It just doesn't seem bothered to be any good anymore, such has the life been sucked out of it.

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It doesn't feel fast anymore now that PD have proven it clearly isn't. It feels confused trying to navigate around this London circuit, and it can't be pushed hard around it with any success at all.

And the boxer sound kills the feel completely. It no longer feels correct, whereas at the start of GT5's life, it felt like a shining gold star. Even though it was black, until you painted it.

At least it's still rather a looker in my eyes. But only if it isn't black mainly, actually. The black paint masks some incredibly cool aerodynamics which, if you painted it, say, white, would be all clear and would make it look superb. But even in black, it still has a sense of swagger...which it lost after PD vandalised it.

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At least PD have had some respite with its price - not that it needed any. It's actually been cut down to 325,000 Cr. But even this is a moot point, because guess what? The R8 LMS, the fastest of the breed, has been fixed in terms of price, and is now only 365,000 Cr. And because of it, the IS F RC has been rendered further pointless still.

And just to finish it off, the R8 LMS has been given THREE shiny new Premium models, as well as a 15th Anniversary Edition. You have to wonder if PD have been paid by Audi for such a thing...or something else entirely. At least the other touring cars are still on the wrong side of 1 million...

I do really, really feel for the IS F RC. There was a time when it was easily among the top in the pile, a touring car above all in the admittedly rather rough times of the original GT5. But then as GT5 was fixed up, the IS F RC began to reduce in usefulness. Then it was feathered and tarred by PD, and still is in this edition, and now sits as a wreck in the GT6 world. I'm sorry for it. I really am.

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An easy 5* in its shining original GT5 form. But 3 years on and the IS F RC seems dead as zed, all through PD's - sometimes mindless - changes.

This was the Lexus IS F Racing Concept '08 at London.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Blah blah M3 blah blah E30 blah blah Screw PD blah blah these M3s aren't good enough blah blah blah.
- a BMW M3 enthusiast

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I don't care about the BMW M3. Because I'm sorry, but on every account I can see, the M5 has always been so, so much better.

I first heard about the 2005 model of M5. It was one of the first cars I came to truly see as a modern power. I was told about how bloody awful and complicated it was, until you pressed the magic M mode button and turned it into an actual M5. A V10 7-speed nutcase.

And I always thought the F10 looked very fantastic. It's a superb car. I wouldn't mind one myself. Especially as I actually won't be seen as a tailgater.

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Surprisingly, very few BMWs have actually truly hit my favourite spot. The BMW M Coupe comes to mind, the mad looking bread van. The M635CSi is supremely underappreciated, and the Z1 was the BMW I actually said I wanted most in Gran Turismo. In all its no door glory. But not much else is there for me.

None of the new BMWs featured excite me. I'm sure the 507 will please some, but it doesn't for me. I only want the Z4 GT3 in GT300 form, although I'm alright I suppose with the Z8. No matter how **** it actually is.

Then they decided to stick in not one, but two, M3 racers. I see no visible difference between them whatsoever. Just another day at Polyphony Digital...

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I decided to give the M3 GT a shot - the newer of the two. And I took to - well, where else? The Nurburgring Nordschleife...One flying lap, with other cars on the track, in the near-darkness. Let's go...

I immediately pass the typically slow HKS Silvia after a whole 1 turn. Poor thing...

...then I know that, straight away, I'm going to get an idea as to what this M3 is like for real - a twisty section before Hohenrain. And it does it flawlessly, working round the occasional car or two.

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This is a trend that continues throughout...up to Schwedenkreuz, the nightmare turn. God knows what the all new, more responsive but more cautious driving line will think of it this time...it says flat, but I back it off with a little bit of brake. I'm fine.

Up and through until Bergwerk, the BMW M3 GT shines again. Super quick reflexes on the Racing Hard tyres, darting perfectly between the never ending bends. The unique sound behind it is refreshing - even if slightly odd, maybe not even that good, it gives a unique feel to this car. A new one. A...GT6 one.

Through Kesselchen and Klostertal, the car manages to match its good impression in the twisties by providing real speed in the fast section and immense cornering speed in the fast bends. A bit shaky through Karussell - a combination of the car blocking me in front and also my driving. Going up now into my worst section - I'm literally quite clueless at this point up until about Pflazgarten. And ahead of me, I see...the old M3 GTR Race Car.

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Oh the irony
I now have to try and catch it in this confusing section. I'm shaky throughout, but the M3 GT pulls it off - just as I reach the Pflazgarten and back into freedom again. That was impressive.

I now have two cars ahead of me - a Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car, which is sure to lose out by Dottinger Hohe, and a Nissan Pennzoil Zexel GT-R.

As I speed off, the M3 GT remaining absolutely sublime through the fast twisties, the gruesome twosome comes into view by Pflazgarten 2. I'm now starting to push - which turns out to be a mistake. One that I should have realised sooner - my turn into Schwedenkreuz is messy, but I still have the pair in sight. I go for the move on the GT-R at Karussell II...

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...But he gets in the way. I'm put off, and the M3 loses it, and goes round into the left wall.

I take an age to reverse out. I barely keep the old M3 GTR behind me. I now need to charge up - through Galgenkopf, down the Dottinger Hohe. I know that the race is lost - but with a bit of luck, the Delta S4 might be within reach. I see it on the mini-map up ahead. But there won't be enough time. Damn.

I struggle through Hohenrain and onto the finish line. That was fun...

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The BMW was a superb companion on the 13 mile Green Hell. It was damn well composed throughout the entire course - the only feet it put wrong were my own. I suppose that's why it was the defending champion here, was it not?

And since it's only available from 350k - a light byte for something of this amazing performance, what are you really waiting for? A great driving, super speedy, new sounding, new BMW M3 GT. It's a superb racer...

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The definitive Nurburgring car. Get yours today...

This was the BMW M3 GT '11 at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Very good! Can you make a review of the Stratos Rally Car?? Or the Elise 11'? I want to know how they are now and some pics!! Thank you.
 
God I love being purple.
GT500's most unusual colour choice returns to GT6 in its HSV-010 form.

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I really like the Honda HSV-010, which was Honda's first, and so far only, foray into GT500 with something other than a Honda NSX.

It first came to the Super GT scene in 2010. It won first time out.

Under Weider Honda Racing, the Frenchman Loic Duval and Takashi Kogure, who has very bad teeth, beat out then reigning champions Petronas Toms in their SC430, driven by long time veteran Juichi Wakisaka and German Andre Lotterer, who is today at least unquestionably the best driver outside of F1. Even if he drives for Audi. Snob.

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Weider Racing have managed to win at least one race every year since then, but other Honda teams weren't lying down either. Indeed, Keihin Real Racing (see above right) lost out on the championship by 2 points this year to Zent Cerumo and their SC430.

Team Kunimitsu have been veterans in the Super GT stakes for a long while, sponsored by Raybrig in their super cool purple colours and bearing the number 100. Their first win in the category can date back to 1994, when Keiichi Tsuchiya and Kunimitsu Takahashi - the team owner - in a Porsche 993.

But no championships have followed for them despite all of this. Even this year a win in the first race of the series didn't help. They ended up 10th.

The closest they've come is in 2006, where they lost the title by one agonising point, virtue of a non-finish at the final race, in the NSX that is actually represented in this game. Lotterer and Wakisaka won that as well, incidentally.

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Of course, much of this is overwritten by the fact that their cars are purple.

The Raybrig NSX was first documented in its '99 form in GT2, but it wasn't till GT4 that I came to really like its purple colour. Truth be told, in GT4 compared to the faster Supras and GT-Rs, thanks to its physics engine, it was much slower. And as one of the '00 models, even slower than that. But of course, I was able to get over this, because it is purple.

The '06 version that was introduced into GT5 turned the tables completely. Fitting the eventual real-life brokenness of the NSX, in GT5 the three '06 spec NSXs were the fastest Super GTs by far, even above the supposedly super fast GT-Rs. Unfortunately, the Raybrig NSX was blue this time for some reason. But it was still cool.

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The HSV-010 only came in one form in GT5, and it came rather late. Though when it did I was a bit excited. By which I meant I celebrated its arrival with an entire party for it. Mostly because it was in the awesome Weider form bearing the #1 from 2011.

This time, two more have been added in addition to the base model and the anniversary edition, but these are 2012 models. The Keihin and Raybrig liveries, as seen in the pictures. And this time, I'm driving the Raybrig model.

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And it really drives much the same as it did in GT5, which was beautifully.

The stability on offer in the HSV-010 is superb. You can very often push it very hard - and I suppose that's why it's a race car, so it can be raced to the absolute maximum! Though there wasn't ever a road version of the HSV-010, sadly.

The sound is more tricky to judge. This comes down to several factors. The first being its real life sound, which really does have to be demonstrated for your benefit. Because it is excellent.



Superb. But when the HSV-010 was first implemented in GT5, they got it wrong. So it sounded like a GT by Citroen Race Car, which made for an odd feel in terms of speed. Because it felt too slow.

So, they fixed it. And I don't mean 'fixed it' in the same way they ruined the FTO STC, IS F RC and others of its ilk. I mean, actually fixed it. And it's still here.

Perhaps the most notable thing about it is it accurately models the difference between the onboard sound and the actual outer sound. If you find an onboard clip of the HSV-010, you will know what I'm talking about. However, while the onboard sound really does sound very good (though the onboard view will probably make you crash), the outer sound, while a good attempt, still feels a bit off. And it still feels too slow here too.

Even though actually, it would appear the HSV-010 is almost at odds with the '06 NSXs speed in this game, making it among the fastest Super GTs. But the reason it feels so slow is because the gears are way too long compared to the other Super GTs.

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The fact is though, its seemingly low speed is offset by the cornering speed it offers. It really is a superb thing to drive.

I do also have the Weider version to hand, me being the fan of it that I am. And it's really about the same - using it in the Super GT500 Championship, it proves a very fast racer. I also have the 15th Anniversary Edition to hand, but that has almost 100hp on the normal models actually so reviewing that would not give a fair view of the other four HSV-010s.

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It's a very great shame that the HSV-010, as a car altogether, only lasted 4 years. Because with the new unity between DTM and Super GT regulations, the new NSX is now serving as the base for Honda's challenge. I'll remember it as my favourite GT500 racer.

And in GT6, you should too. The only difficulty it suffers from is you choosing which one to buy. I of course took the Weider, but the Keihin HSV looks minimalist and cool, the Anniversary Edition will be fastest if you have it available, and the Base Model can be numbered and coloured however you damn well want it.

But that's all irrelevant. Because the Raybrig HSV-010 you see here is, of course, purple.

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Say hello to an awesome machine. Buy it now. In purple, if you so choose

This was the Honda RAYBRIG HSV-010 '12 at Grand Valley Speedway.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.

Now check out the Weider HSV-010 at Fuji Speedway F.
 

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What else did you expect Kazunori Yamauchi to drive?
You probably thought it was a Porsche, didn't you.

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Surely there isn't a soul on the planet that would actually accept the number of Nissan Skyline GT-Rs in the game. But Kazunori Yamauchi feels the need to do Nissan a service and keep every recorded R32/3/4/5 ever made ever in Gran Turismo.

And that's why he's been driving Schulze Motorsports' own GT-R at the Nurburgring 24h for a 3rd year now.

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This one has a far more compelling reason to come in at such a time though, thanks to the introduction of the GT3 series into the game.

See, the two previous GT-Rs driven by Kaz were closer to road forms in that they were made into race spec models but very little of the components were changed. And in GT5, neither of them really worked.

The 2011 model introduced directly into Spec II was still way too heavy to wade into battle with any serious confidence, and Sports: Softs to start with did not help exactly. Then came the N24 GT Academy model introduced alongside the HSV-010 and BRZ.


This had more power and Racing: Hards to start with now. But because it was actually closer to the normal GT-R, it was even heavier. An inexcusable 1700kg in fact. Ah, but that wasn't the problem, no. Instead, the GT-R here had surely the worst driving characteristic to grace any car in the game, that being the instance of braking and turning in - a common requirement if you're pushing a car hard. And every time you performed such an action, the GT-R chose to slide out. So it ended up being a total shambles.

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Thankfully, rather than just take a GT-R and call it a racer, this year Schulze Motorsport decided to go and buy the actual GT-R racer - the GT3. And this was added in alongside a selection of other GT racers - all German. The Audi R8 LMS, BMW M3/Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG are its main competitors in its class of racing. Does this actual GT-R racer fare well against them?

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Well, it does a good job. Though the possibility that PD and Nissan's partnership might have influenced its driving ability is not out of the question.

That isn't true of course, but the GT3 GT-R is a worthwhile car to have in your garage.

Relative to the M3, the GT-R feels much more composed even despite having the same drivetrain. The GT-R successfully defies its still relatively high weight of 1350kg by showing no signs of instability, and you can really apply its 542bhp onto the road very well, even without the benefit of 4WD this time.

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Indeed, much as I love the 4WD drivetrain, the change to FR here really helps the GT-Rs case. Though I'm sure that keeping it 4WD would mean that it could still retain immense speed, the FR drivetrain means you can push the car and slide it around a little, making it a much more free machine for your usage.

The true speed of the car is not even in any doubt. When you do have 542bhp pushing you around, the speed does often make itself felt. Indeed, it appears that the GT-R really might be the fastest of the GT3s overall, if the performance of the AI in the GT3 races is anything to go by.

The sound of the GT-R is the typical low, lazy grunt that has been attached to the R35 racers often. I think it rather fits the car, though not necessarily for the right reasons.

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Because, while the GT-R does feel faster and better as a car, the M3, round the Nurburgring when I tested it, felt superb fun. This GT-R doesn't quite manage that. It gets on with the job with near perfection but not too much else. But in this game, the job is what has to be done, in the form of races.

Admittedly I had driven the more powerful Anniversary Edition GT-R NISMO GT-3 before this - the Anniversary Edition produces 621bhp, which makes it even faster. But the driving feel of the GT-R still stands there. It is obviously rather faster but the normal GT-R should be the same if you're used to the Anniversary Edition, and want perhaps a base model.

One big bonus of the GT-R's speed though, that generally makes it a bargain - as with the other GT3 racers - is its price. 350,000 Cr. would not be much even relatively speaking before the money payouts were increased, but now, it is really next to nothing.

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So while the GT-R NISMO GT3 does beat the M3 in just about every conceivable department that matters in GT6, I'm giving it a lower rating of 4 stars. Because, whereas the M3 feels like a livewire around the track, the GT-R doesn't have the magic moments the M3 can provide. In GT6 terms, it's a 5* - not least because Kazunori Yamauchi drove it. But in human terms, it isn't.

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Just misses a trick despite being great as a car. Worth buying.
This was the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 N24 Schulze Motorsport '13 at Cote d'Azur.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
My, she is a...curvy girl, isn't she?
Is this SLS AMG GT3 a plus size model?

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The heavier something is, the harder it is to move it. So if a car is designed to be fast, it should be made as light as possible.

But sometimes, other points have to come into play that mean you can't make something as light as you want. In road cars, this mostly involves keeping a sense of luxury so that you can actually use the car in question somewhat on the road.

But in many race series, you only have to obey a weight restriction limit mostly, and sometimes not even then. And therefore nothing should be left to chance when it comes to turning your chosen car into the best racer possible.

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GT3 is rather different, as it is regulated that the cars in it should bear a closeness to their original road counterparts. So you therefore want to base your racer around the car that can match mass power with light weight to ensure you have the fastest package.

As it happens though, many of the cars that end up being chosen are certainly heavy for race cars, because due to an inability to change their weight enough, they can't go low enough to make the car a true lightweight. The GT-R is one example. The SLS AMG is another.

The SLS AMG GT3 weighs 1350kg. This is in comparison to the two BMW racers, the M3 and Z4, which get by with 1245kg and 1190kg respectively. But to try and compound this disadvantage, surely the SLS would have more power to go with.

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It doesn't. The M3 comes with 500, the Z4 with 508. The SLS has just 493 to hand.

And that's before you get to the Audi R8 LMS. In its Oreca version, it is only barely lighter than the SLS but still comes with a maddening 560bhp. The R8 LMS ultra has around that level, except the weight on it is 1250kg, leaving the SLS way, way behind in the PWR stakes.

Even the GT-R NISMO GT3, which shares the same weight as it, comes in with 542bhp. So on balance, the SLS AMG does seem like the slowest of the GT3 club in this game. And, judging by a drive in it, probably the worst outright.

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On the Nurburgring, the SLS AMG felt absolutely awful to drive.

Trying to push the SLS hard got it nowhere. Nowhere but the grass that is, which often resulted in a spin. Not that it even needed the grass sometimes. It was nigh on undrivable in fact.

The sound did not help its case either. If you drove either the V12 Vantage or, even before that, the W12 Nardo, on GT5, you will recognise this sound. And I have always thought that it just isn't any good. It sounds unrealistic, weak and not even that racy.

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The 15th Anniversary Edition does improve matters considerably for it stats wise, with the engine boosted to 621bhp putting it on an identical PWR level as the 15th Anniversary Edition GT-R. But even then, the GT-R is the better car to drive. And of course, it's the Anniversary Edition, so you might well not have it to hand.

In fact, something tells me the 493bhp figure is a lie. Just something to underestimate the car in the dealership, for whatever reason.

And trust me, you should follow the dealership's disappointing looking stats. Because it matches the SLS AMG GT3's drive pretty well. It's really dreadful, incapable of taking on a tight track such as the Nurburgring.

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But the real killer is the price. At 435,000 Cr., every other GT3 is cheaper than it, which renders it beyond pointless.

This is all rather a shame. Because in real life, the SLS AMG GT3 does quite well. It even won the Nurburgring 24h this year for the first time. But then every GT3 seems to have its moment. And you'll be having quite a few bad ones in the SLS in GT6.

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A pretty good picture to finish with here, showing the car you're much better off buying instead.
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Well beyond redemption when everything else outpowers (?), outweighs, outperforms, outdrives or outprices it

This was the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 '11 at Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
Loving these reads. I would say that an unbiased review needs to take the car into consideration regardless of your predisposed disposition of the brand. :)
 
Relative to the M3, the GT-R feels much more composed even despite having the same drivetrain. The GT-R successfully defies its still relatively high weight of 1350kg by showing no signs of instability, and you can really apply its 542bhp onto the road very well, even without the benefit of 4WD this time.

Any chance you could tell me what you've tuned on the car? Whenever I drive it, there's a huge amount of understeer which produces snap oversteer on corner exit! Thanks! :)
 
It's called the Hueeergh.
Does the hypercar Huayra work?

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The Huayra is named after a South American wind. But it's not a very pronounceable name.

It is actually "h-wire-a", which looks nothing like "Huayra". Thankfully I was informed of this pronunciation before I ever had the chance to botch it up - something I do with a lot of foreign based names or words. Or even native ones sometimes.

In fact, probably my most ridiculous instance of a botched words was "standoffish". When I first saw it, I was amazed that there was a literal word for a "stand-of-fish". Until I realised a couple of years ago that it was actually used to describe someones personality for instance "stand-off-ish". I felt quite stupid after that one. But cheated of the meaning of one work.

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Obviously, the name of a car never affected the car itself, but there have been some silly names for cars in the past - and more so today. A number of cars are just a couple of letters pressed on a keyboard and then vaguely made to mean something, but when this is not the case, it can go a bit wrong.

For instance, on sale now are the Vauxhall Adam and Renault Zoe. Not the two genuine real-life names I'd choose to name a car, though no English name works for that. Foreign names work better for cars. Especially in France or Italy where they're more like art forms.

Skoda is not brilliant at naming either. It has the Superb, which does live up to its name, the Rapid, which doesn't, and the Yeti, which isn't a yeti.

Two other examples include the Kia Soul, which doesn't quite have enough of it, and the Dacia Duster, which costs less than some actual dusters.

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But hey, at least they're pronounceable normally. Unlike 'Huayra', which would be impossible without the handy pronunciation guide I was given prior to reading about it first.

Now. What about the Huayra itself?

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It's powered by a 6.0 twin-turbo V12 by AMG, who also did the engine from the Pagani Zonda that this car successes. And it has to be said that it does look rather pretty. But not compared to what it does on the move.

In GT6, the Huayra's active aero is clear for all to see, moving constantly in every area you can look. It helps this car feel alive.

But to actually drive, it feels rather too difficult.

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Some people have said that MR cars such as the Huayra are far too difficult to drive than normal. Quite a few have responded by saying that they should change their driving style to improve. And I would side with the latter. Most MR cars haven't given me too many problems. But this Huayra is - as a general rule - a difficult car to control.

Too much so for my liking, for that matter. It's too easy to put it somewhere in fast corners where it'll eventually go out and spin, and this happened very frequently on Matterhorn Dristelen, where such corners are the norm, it is worth noting.

And the sound is also a mimicry of the V10 from the Gallardo. Except this is a V12. And a Pagani. They get it wrong even on other Lambos themselves but to get them wrong on something else entirely even is verboten.

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However, there's a problem with this particular Huayra. Not the Huayra as a whole, but this model. The '11. That being...there's a '13 model that outclasses it completely.

The '13 has 10 more hp for a total of 730. But it also has some 80 lb-ft more in the engine as well. Even the Anniversary Edition Huayra is based off of the '13. And the two models cost the same.

Of course, the fact is that they are two models that serve to represent the same car and therefore the '11, as a whole, doesn't actually deserve a place in the game.

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In addition, I don't think that the 1.35 million price tag warrants buying it really. Though that amount of money is very quickly becoming a non-issue, the '11 Huayra at least doesn't seem like a good enough car to make my top tier. It is undoubtedly fast, but it has 720bhp so you knew that already. The '13 has the better stats, and the upgraded Anniversary Edition it is based on even feels better from some time driving it.

So just ignore this model that doesn't deserve a spot in the game and take the newer, more worthy model instead.

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Silly car list decision on this one. Putting the '11 version in then putting the '13 version in that immediately obsoletes it. And the car is a challenging one too.

This was the Pagani Huayra '11 at Matterhorn Dristelen.

Pictures and writing by C-ZETA.
 
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