There was a lot of things going on throughout the whole week:
My new semester began, and there's two class that starts at 8AM, as it takes 40 minutes at best to get to campus.
TXR 2025 has been released, continuing over my EA progress and completed the main story for now. I think there's less than 15 wanderers left too.
I spent way too much time designing an "Itasha" thingy over Illustrator to GT7. I'm proud for the effort I did, but embarrassed for the character I did.
Spending too much time too on the Honda eRacing Time Trial, knowing that I won't make the round, but it was an effort to break the 1:41 barrier (in which I didn't when my finger gave up).
And it was only today I realised that I haven't touched the Cross-Bow in over two years.
I guess the night light was the challenge here as it does give me doubt, as the braking points gives me second thoughts as to how I would exit anyway. The car is actually well balanced to drive with the mediums, and for what was a 30 minute session, a 1:15.017 lap time isn't too bad. If it wasn't for TXR 2025, I would have pushed further throughout the week.
But alas, I'll be going back to TXR.
Definitely an enjoyable car this one, liked it a fair bit back in GT6 too! Love the way this car's suspension is so prominently visible, it's also the one manufacturer I'd love to see a VGT from in the future if they ever decide to do it, even if it's highly unlikely, the time trial set up for this week was also fun! Watkins glen is one of the few IRL circuits I genuinely enjoy driving on, though playing it night was definitely a new challenge for me haha though it did mean I couldn't see the lucky rabbit of the glen, as I call it still I managed a time of 1:15.807 which i do have uploaded as “GTP COTW - KTM XBOW R @ Watkins” (with the tags #gtp #cotw #xbow if you want to see it, it's not that good of a run I bet but I'm happy enough with it!)
Hey all. I'm very sad to say that I've decided to end GT7 Car of the Week at the end of 2025.
As some of you might already know, my health has taken a sharp nosedive in this year, and it has caused me to delay posts, skip reviews, and even fail to host the Saturday lobbies on several occasions. And even when I do show up, I feel so out of it that I drive so embarrassingly, causing wrecks and being seconds slower per lap than the friends I used to go toe–to–toe with. I therefore play it extremely safe, starting last every time and never going for overtakes. It usually just means I'm time trialing by myself seconds behind everyone else.
I'm usually of the mindset that we welcome drivers of all skill levels, as more variety means that drivers of a wider skill range can fight among themselves. I'll admit that part of the reason why I'm deciding to retire is because I can't get over myself. I know I should be better than I am currently, and it feels uncomfortably disingenuine offering opinions on cars that I can't even keep out of the walls. More and more I'm losing that confidence in writing and sharing, to the point that neither racing nor writing feels all that rewarding anymore.
All that is to say nothing of the fact that the gaming industry nowadays deeply sadden me, and both wheels and the DS5 controller I've used have given me problems that take yet more time and money to fix, and I just don't know if I can keep up with it any longer with my body the way it is. GT7's lobbies have been rather laggy from day one, and its esoteric annoyances have never been addressed in the 3.5 years since the game launched, and it all just wore me down over time. That, and modern cars just don't interest nor excite me any more. I just feel completely apathetic towards cars and games nowadays. Throughout the year as I've tried to fix and better myself, I've come to the conclusion that taking care of and fixing a broken body is a full time job in and of itself—one that I can't half–ass or juggle. And I think I'm much more worthy of my time and resources than games and virtual cars. And quite frankly, I think disconnecting from obligations for a bit will do me much good in the long run.
Despite all that, the decision to end COTW is not an easy one to make. I feel extremely bad for the regulars who contribute greatly, be it showing up to races, submitting SPC entries, or even just the quiet lurkers who show up occasionally to read the thread. I appreciate you all, be you a COTW veteran of several years and games, or someone who just popped in this year. It means an incredible lot to me that something like this can bring value to your lives and warrant the time you take to put into this. Believe me when I say that I feel like I'm letting each and every one of you down by choosing to end COTW for selfish reasons. But at the end of the day, it just doesn't feel right to ask someone else to do my job for me.
I'm projecting the final car we feature will be announced on December 29th, then we'll host our usual lobbies at January 1st and 4th. That car, whatever it ends up being, will be eligible for our usual year end Car of the Year awards. If there's any car any of you want to feature on COTW, now's the time to tell me.
I'm aware that Spec III is dropping on Christmas this year, and could massively shake up the game. Future updates could add much anticipated cars that regulars would like to feature. I'm open to regulars requesting to feature and race a car sporadically in 2026.
Again, I'm massively sorry for not being able to hold up my end of the deal as the thread keeper, lobby host, and the erector of walls of text. But I think this is for the best. And thank you all once again for being a part of this, for however long you've been here, in whatever form you choose to participate in. I hope that we can still keep in touch, even though we won't be racing regularly anymore.
I’ve already said this before, but I’ll repeat for folks on here.
It’s lasted an incredibly long time, I’ve been here in COTW for over 11 years and some have been here longer than me.
I completely understand your reasoning as to why Square, don’t ever think of it as being selfish, real life always comes first and I’ve always stressed that to folks who couldn’t make it for IRL reasons.
While not the OG thread, both me and Obe have made tough choices when closing the Forza branch’s of COTW over the years, so yeah I get how you feel about it all.
It’s lasted longer than some of us probably expected, but it’s been a hell of a ride, I’ll never regret all the very early mornings I did to join or host the antics.
As Baron said to you before, don’t be sorry, be proud of what you done, I’m sure as hell taking his advice because COTW also led me to RXGT because of Rick joining COTW and Sunday Night League because of meeting Rob through COTW.
In short, COTW will always have a place in my mind, it’s more than earned it. 🙂
I lack the technical lingo and understanding when it comes to driving (I'm an average player and also there's the language barrier) but I do get to retain the feelings I get when driving cars in video games.
The X-Bow was a favorite of mine back in the Driveclub days. Music cue 🎶How fast you wanna go...🎶 It was a twichy little monster road/track legal car which always made me think twice before hitting the gas. The car was an iminent crash, just waiting to happen. And I liked it. The other car I can recall being like that is the Oreca Viper at Laguna Seca license test back in GT2. Good days....
In GT7 we had an online time trial some months ago with the X-Bow at Road Atlanta. Just like the GT-R some weeks ago, it was a car it made me spend quite some time and quite some work so I could break into the golden 3% range. Just like the GT-R (sorry for the repetition) I kept the very same copy of the car since then, which is a rare thing for me that only happens when I do enjoy a vehicle.
@XSquareStickIt I'm deeply sorry about your health. It goes without saying that real life comes first and after all GT7 is just a hobby, then I reckon your call is the correct one.
I hope everything works out for you and wish you a speedy recovery. My prayers will be with you.
I'm really sorry for your health problems. I know how hard it can be. To put it in context...
I've been on these forums since around 2002/2003 (I went by "Delphic Reason" back in those days) and was very active for a very long time and was even a "Super Moderator" (old title...lol) for a handful of years. Then, in 2011 I had a brain aneurism that nearly took me out. The recovery was rough to say the least, and I ended up leaving the forum. I stopped skateboarding (used to be semi-pro back in the 90's so it wasn't an easy choice to make), and I struggled to do a lot of the things I once took for granted (like racing). It took years but I made it. I'll never be the same person I was before the aneurism. Brain damage has a way of doing that, but I've learned how to maximize my potential by focusing on my health and mental state. The rest tends to fall into place, for the most part.
So, by all means, take care of yourself. Your health is WAY more important than racing virtual cars.
The results for last week's SPC, the X-Flow TT, are in!
Snake55wildcat
1:15.807
skydragon49
1:15.479
XSquareStickIt
1:15.258
Hdbd04
1:15.017
Aiko_Mac
1:14.593
Congrats to Aiko for being the best in night driving!
And speaking of SPCs, it's time for the SPC specialist, @Skyrocket44 , to pick the next car to feature!
The car they've gone with? It's the hot off the oven Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40V '74!
Skyrocket44
I really really really really really REALLY wanted to nominate the Veyron for its 20th anniversary this month, but since it's an invite car it'll either get rejected or reserved for Spec III.
So instead, here comes the unstoppable Big Six...
...the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40V.
Come rain, sleet, snow, sand, dust, fire, ash, there's no stopping a Toyota - not even so-called "driving standards." All those snobby, tight-lipped stewards, sitting pretty in their air-conditioned boxes with their high-visibility jackets and double shot espressos think they know better than us. But we can't be stopped. There's no stopping a Toyota - not even white lines. Igor Fraga can slice his Super Formula around Japan all he wants, but one lick of grass and around he goes. But not a Toyota. There's no stopping a Toyota.
Happily, as a newly added car, the Land Cruiser is available for a long while still at the time of posting in the LCD, so you've no excuse to not buy one! Or two, in case, you know, we decide to go offroad in it and can't enforce BoP...
Just remember: it ain't no Hilux. Don't go crashing it into trees or setting it on fire in the Single–Player Challenge or Weekly Lobbies, now!
Join Our Weekly Lobbies!
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing Land Cruisers under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (Cars will temporarily be reverted to stock settings, WIDE BODIED AND/OR ENGINE SWAPPED CARS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~5 mins practice, ~7 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 316PP
Car: No Limit
Tyres: Comfort Medium
~Single–Player Challenge!~
Skyrocket44
Your challenge this week is to go to Autopolis International "Racing" Course for a Time Trial at 16:00 when the track is sopping wet. With Grip Reduction set to Real, set the fastest time possible.
Yes.
You can cut the track as much as you want.
No.
You won't need upgrades. Nothing wrong with a stock Cruiser.
Oh thank goodness it's a road track! I swear the Weekly Challenge at the Fisherman's Ranch nearly made my wrists break, if it I get to the "bumps" of the track. And I wasn't using a direct drive wheel either!
Although now I need to buy another stock unit. I haven't seen any exact model of it in-person, but the closest was this pickup model when I was walking around for a photo trip earlier this year:
That's gonna be a fun week! Here in Brazil the FJ40V was named "Bandeirante" which refers to the explorers who advanced through inland in order to discover and claim the lands during our colonial historical period.
The car itself is nothing but legendary in my country. It was seen as a nearly indestructible and unstopable vehicle. Another car that has the same reputation is the Uno, which is known as Fiat Panda in the international market.
This last picture is the last car ever assembled in Brazil. It is kept in a car museum with 0 mileage.
It’s never selfish to choose yourself over anyone, Square. Thank you for all you’ve done for this group. Although I only pop into here sporadically these days, you’re writing is why I joined in the first place 😎
I'll be frank, while the FJ is better to drive on Autopolis than in Fisherman's Ranch the grip for a 70's car shows. Maybe the revs too for the uphill and downhill sections of the track. Somehow the initial lap getting used to the car was quicker than the lap where I took it as an attempt.
The clip of the replay can be found with these tags in-game: #cotw #gtp #toyota
Future SPD? We hardly even have a present SPD on the thread smdh.
While a niche car make, it's not exactly Car of the Week's first rodeo with the Italian cowboy. We've sampled the De Tomaso Mangusta, and uh... it wound up being our 2024 Beater of the Year. Ouch.
Still, the De Tomasos still offer us an interesting look at an alternate timeline when Ford successfully partners up with an Italian brand to create a rear mid engine supercar. Will the third car in De Tomaso's history charm us all, or is the Pantera as tera–ble as this awful pun? Join us in our Single–Player Challenge and/or Weekly Lobbies to find out together!
Join Our Weekly Lobbies!
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing Panteras under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
Tuesday. 8th October, 10 P.M. CST(real quick though if "Oct" is supposed to mean "eight", as in octopus and octagon, why the hell is "October" the tenth month of the year???)
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (Cars will temporarily be reverted to stock settings, WIDE BODIED AND/OR ENGINE SWAPPED CARS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~5 mins practice, ~7 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 481PP
Car: No Limit
Tyres: Comfort Medium
~Single–Player Challenge!~
SomePlayaDude
For challenge, let's go back to "why did that narcissistic clown SPD start bringing that white Pantera so much?".
What started that trend was a victory on a race around Tsukuba. And not just any Tsukuba: wet Tsukuba.
Best lap around the 16:00 wet Tsukuba with usual time trialy rules (shortcut penalty set to Weak, Grip Loss set to Real), and to commemorate that first race, the rubber set is CS tires, with the car stock of course. This gives out a PP locked at 497.48 (could vary)
We've nominated a load of cars in its performance range, and I always find myself enjoying a run with the Pantera in those circumstances. It never disappoints.
Though, since the battles are usually with the likes of a gentlemen's agreed sports car or likewise, it's usually in SH.. the compound the Pantera assumes is for pussies and for this week it wants you to be a real furious feline with it being on CM tires from the used car lot.
Especially in regards to the time trial SPC, this all sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. But I drove this from when we nominated the Magnum PI car, and had a much better opinion than it's in game rivals of that and the RX500.
Now it's your turn to experience just one of those cars I try to make an excuse to drive. Just like the Ferrari GTO and Camaro Z/28.
We've nominated a load of cars in its performance range, and I always find myself enjoying a run with the Pantera in those circumstances. It never disappoints.
Though, since the battles are usually with the likes of a gentlemen's agreed sports car or likewise, it's usually in SH.. the compound the Pantera assumes is for pussies and for this week it wants you to be a real furious feline with it being on CM tires from the used car lot.
Especially in regards to the time trial SPC, this all sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. But I drove this from when we nominated the Magnum PI car, and had a much better opinion than it's in game rivals of that and the RX500.
Now it's your turn to experience just one of those cars I try to make an excuse to drive. Just like the Ferrari GTO and Camaro Z/28.
The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40V '74 is one of those cars that, at first glance, seems completely out of left field in a racing game, but here I am writing about it instead of a Ford GT, 964 RS, or a Delta Rally Car.
Mostly because the FJ40V is more my speed, but, you know, we can ignore that. In fact, I'll probably edit out this line somet
As of late, there has been a noticeable divide in the GT7 Update discussion threads between those who want up–to–date racecars that would feature in the game's most prolific mode, shunning the addition of SUVs and city cars, versus those who couldn't care less about racecars and appreciate all the weird quirky cars that make Gran Turismo unique. I lean more towards the latter camp, because racecars must drive more or less similarly to each other and be bopped to have roughly equal performance to be able to race competitively together, whereas something like a Jimny is an entirely unique experience. That being written, I also feel that GT7 as a video game really fails to translate over much of the real world sensations and quirks that largely define the driving experience of these oddball cars. Driving a HiAce at the speed limit IRL is scary; driving a HiAce as fast as it'd go in GT7 feels... boring. And it doesn't help that manufacturers generally only want their best stuff represented in the game, meaning that GT7 feels like an interactive advert at times. It speaks volumes about the feats of engineering that a CH-R doesn't drive completely awful, and I literally described the 2008 SUV as, "If someone were to dump me into my rig with the 2008 already loaded in bumper cam, I wouldn't guess at all that I was in some big, tall, wasteful, poser SUV from the way it drives." But from the players' perspective? It just feels... more of the same meh. If they're all going to drive similarly, I'd much rather they add racecars instead; at least those have gameplay purpose in the game.
I bring up that discourse because the 1974 Land Cruiser FJ40V doesn't feel like a nondescript people carrier in GT7 with all the inherent flaws of its category sanded down into oblivion. It actually drives like a rugged offroading machine with no aspirations of being a track day toy, and therefore, it's really unique and adds so much value to the game as a way to meaningfully experience a variety of different cars. The FJ40V is slow, heavy, tall, soft, and has narrow tyres, and it can get itself into a mess with just 130PS if the driver is lax with it. Despite its 200mm ride height, the FJ40V can hit the ends of its suspension travel and spin out unexpectedly when push comes to shove, with Turn 3 of the paved Eiger Nordwand track, a slow 180° right hander downhill bend, catching a few of us out this past Wednesday. First gear is a crawler gear and just causes wheelspin off a standing launch, and the 3.9L NA engine needs to have its nuts revved off to make meaningful propulsion, stretching the ratios of its 4–speed gearbox to its limits. With a soft setup, low power, and rev happy engine, the FJ40V can be described as a bit of a challenge to drive, but then again, the Miata can also be described similarly, and that's the default car for spec racing. Both are cars that heavily emphasise the importance of "rhythm and inertia", if you will, necessitating and rewarding momentum preservation and careful weight shifting in driving. So involving is the driving experience of a FJ40V in fact, it genuinely skews my perception of time simply because there's so much to do and think about over a lap. I often cross the Start/Finish line of our lobby races surprised there's still one more lap to go, and I mean that in a good way.
I've not many critiques against a car clearly not meant for track duty, but the ones I do are sadly rather glaring. The first hardly pertains to the car itself: there simply isn't enough small, narrow, and twisty tracks to run these low powered cars on, and if anyone has insomnia, maybe try spending half of Fuji's home straight at the rev limit. The rev limiter is also really... "lazy", for the lack of a better term. Hitting it causes it to cut out power for a whole second or so, only for the revs to quickly spike back up and smack the limiter again. It's not a big deal on a paved track, but on bumpy dirt or snow surfaces, those short hops can cause the car to hit the limiter prematurely, and shifting up early to circumvent that just kills the peaky engine. That means slides are a bit difficult to hold as well. Lastly, its PP rating I feel is a little too high for the performance it has; a Copen would smack this thing silly despite rated some 13PP below the FJ40V, and a HiAce van would actually give the Land Cruiser a run for its money with only a 273.63PP rating compared to the FJ40V's 305.78PP (ratings are as of v1.63).
What I find most interesting however, is that the FJ40V is listed as a 4WD vehicle, but in stock form, only its front wheels are being driven. According to the car's in–game description and McKeel of the Ripoff Car Dealer, the FJ40V we have in the game comes with a 4WD system with a 2–speed transfer case, actuated via the shift lever like thing to the right of the skyscraping actual shift lever. However, to switch the FJ40V from front to 4–wheel drive, one doesn't use a clutch pedal and a second lever; they instead buy a Variable Centre Differential from the tuning shop to send power to the rear, and I believe this is the first non hybrid car in the game that can switch up its drive wheels. It's supremely cool just for that, but being FWD also allows the driver to rip the handbrake while keeping the throttle pinned in a slide if that's what they're into (but maybe don't try putting down 1,100HP from the LS7 Rampage Engine through just the front tyres...).
The FJ40V Land Cruiser may not seem like it belongs in a racing game, but it provides a very interesting experience both to drive and to customise. It may not be very useful for grinding the "big 4" races due to its horrific fuel economy, but thanks to the LS7 Rampage Engine, it can do the classic Gran Turismo thing of taking something that has no business being on a racetrack and smashing bona–fide racecars with it. It may not be the easiest thing to drive even when tuned, but as far as surprises go, the FJ40V really pleasantly surprised me with how much I've come to appreciate it. After all, finding out overlooked gems is the whole idea of Car of the Week, and with the game feeling more and more like a car advert, surprises are really hard to come by nowadays.
So much so that I'm going to sign off with the classic COTW ending.
Verdict: Sleeper.
I'm just going to preserve this here because it made me laugh so much. The meme machine, SPD, remembered that I'm a Shawn Michaels fan more than I remember that I'm a Shawn Michaels fan!
Also, since I'm rambling, we turned off track limit penalties during Saturday's lobby, resulting in a rush to find the most egregious track cuts the game would let us get away with. It was the most fun lobby I've been a part of for a long time!
Unfortunately, there's no way to turn off the auto reset that warps a car back onto the track if they veer off too far. I also found out the very hard way that those "reset boundaries" are a LOT more stringent in a race than during free practice... Come on, PD, let us have fun when we want to have fun! I switched off track limit penalties for a reason!
SLS AMG
It drives weird, with a twitchy rear end. The AMG GT suffers from this as well, though not to the same extent. I actually prefer the SLR.
964 RS
I really hate to dunk on the 964 after it brought so much activity to the thread, but I really wasn't all that impressed by it. Yes, it was an extremely pure driving experience, and one that even feels stable and approachable. However, the harder I pushed the 964, the more it soured my initial impression of it. A lot of its stability is tied to its huge rear tyres, and so it can very suddenly lose composure and get into a mess should bumps and such unsettle it even minutely. Also, its body shape I think is to blame for the car being as horrifically unstable at high speed as I've found it to be, and the Nordschleife really drags that weakness out into the light of day. The R32 GT-Rs have similar pace, but are so, so much easier to drive, being much more surefooted mechanically and aerodynamically, with gobs of turbo torque. Of course, the RS probably isn't the quickest 964 model out there; there are Turbo and AWD versions of the 964 out there, so maybe pace isn't the best metric to judge it by. In terms of driving experience though? It's still got nothing on the NA1 NSX-R IMO.
8C Competizione
The 8C Comp, despite packing a Ferrari engine and looks to die for, is a strangely forgottable car to me. Maybe it just doesn't "speak" to me, but I don't see beauty in its styling, nor do I think its engine note has translated over well into GT7 at all. That leaves me with a softly sprung GT car that, while incredibly well–balanced, is just too sloppy for my spoiled hands and feet. No sane person would think that the uphill left kink running beside the Pit Lane of Eiger Nordwand is a place where a 449PS modern car would come undone, but that's exactly where my 8C Comp decided it didn't want to car anymore and would rather identify as a mangled martyr on the side of a mountain. No, I have no idea why it did that. I just know I want no part of it.
Delta Rally Car
I know nothing of the Group B era of rally cars nor Lancia's storied history with it. That makes the fact that it still left a shining impression on me when it was added to GT7 all the more significant, because it's a car that stands on its own four wheels instead of something that can only be appreciated through sepia–tinted glasses. To introduce the car to us players, PD created an Online Time Trial at Grand Valley East for us to try the car, and I was initially so far off the Gold target time that it really made me question what the heck was going on. I kept pushing and pushing for some reason; the car was just that enticing and begging for more abuse somehow. It really doesn't like smooth and slow inputs, instead preferring quick and sudden flicks to get the car rotated into the turn, and it eats up the Californian sand as though a mere appetiser for the stuff it's built to handle. I eventually lucked my way into an unsafe Gold which stuck, and despite not being able to replicate that lap on demand, it still left me feeling so ridiculously satisfied. The Delta Rally Car is basically joy in a box.
That said, PD have traditionally shunned older cars in grouped categories of racecars with Balance of Performance, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Gr.B class. Instead of words, I'll instead use a table from GT Engine to show you what I mean:
Group B is basically unofficially divided into "Old Group B" and "New Group B", but officially, they're all supposedly on equal footing. We are looking at an obscene 80PP difference between the lowest rated car and the highest rated, with the average of the group being indicative of none of the cars in said group. Combine this favourtism with the fact that the old cars are more expensive and aren't always available to buy, it's really hard to justify having the older cars unless one is already partial to them to begin with, and even then, one would need to find an online community that either agrees to manually BoP each car with an honour system, or specify Group B with a strict PP limit. It's a bit of a shame it's so unintuitive.
What kind of man decides to have a car that you can't get in the UCD this week? No man, no man at all.
I mean, who can't resist putting that widebody kit in the car, when it outshines the stock body in every angle? And it's ironic that of all time, the Mangosteen is on sale in the LCD instead of the Pantera! I did spend money on an "internet cafe but with GT7 rigs" to see if they got a stock Pantera, but they didn't! At least, it was the PS5 version, and after trying Sophy out I really need a PS5 soon.
So I'm out. Even if I did have the right car, this week's getting to busy for me. And yet, I still had the time to set laps for two unrelated cars from one brand. Should help with as some kind of bench-marking, I hope. The Dino did feel more confident to drive despite the lower power in the sheets.
Okay, fine, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration.
Oh, don't get me wrong; the Pantera's brakes don't feel like they're connected to anything more realistic than a prayer for some pleasant headwind, and the feedback from the bias ply tyres are no more palpable, either. On my sighting lap around a dry Tsukuba, I was taking it super slow and easy, and still wound up overshooting the apex by about half a track width. Needless to say for a car its age, the suspension is really soft as well. It's a car that is by no means easy to drive.
But that's where the bad news for the Pantera ends. The Pantera naturally has the classic proportions and sharp styling of a retro supercar, but should one decide to take things further, its widebody is one of the very few that looks distinct from the base car, and it even has an optional rear wing in GT Auto that looks ripped straight from a Countach. And did I mention it has pop–up headlights?! The Ford sourced Cleveland 351 NA V8 engine sounds authentically badass, and dare I say it, the car as a whole has such a sublime balance in the corners far exceeding anything American or Italian of its day. It launches strongly with its rear–midship layout, it has five forward gears in an era where many contemporary peers still had to make do with four, and while the suspension may be a bit soft for my liking, the car as a whole is still one HELL of a step up from the Mangusta we featured prior! What a stark difference two years can make!
The stock Pantera is a severely wanting car, but the reservoirs of potential in the car is much more palpable than the brakes and tyres on it. In short, it's a horrible car that somehow pleasantly surprised me, and I very well might kit one out if I ever feel like doing a Single–Player race again.
Fasten your sofa seatbelts and make sure to map your Overtake button; chosen by @Vic Reign93 , we're featuring the Aston Martin Valkyrie '21!
The Valkyrie, otherwise known by a code name befitting that of a spy, "AM RB-001", is luxury carmaker Aston Martin's way of flexing their motorsports know–how on the streets. As its code name might suggest, its body and aerodynamics were sculpted by Adrian Newey of Formula 1 fame, who was working magic at Red Bull's F1 team at the time. The car not only features advanced aerodynamic trickery like ground effects, but also outputs well over a thousand horsepower from its hybrid system!
Is all that too much for those without a Super Licence to drive? I guess we'll find out
Join Our Weekly Lobbies!
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing Valkyries under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (Cars will temporarily be reverted to stock settings, WIDE BODIED AND/OR ENGINE SWAPPED CARS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~5 mins practice, ~7 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 885PP
Car: No Limit
Tyres: Sports Soft
~Single–Player Challenge!~
Vic Reign93
Now as for SPC, I got one that’s rather recent, over in IMSA, the Valkyrie LMH GTP set the fastest time in practice with a 1:11.985 at Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans 10 Hours.
Your goal? beat that time by the largest margin or be the closest to it if it’s impossible in a Stock Valkyrie.
(I) did a 1:10.754 on stock SS tyres and without using the hybrid overtake, with SM tyres and using the overtake it did a 1:11.704.
So the SM tyres are doable and are an extra challenge.
Also ran it at the latest time so it was in the dark, just like when the practice time of 1:11.985 was set.
We're out of the wet this week, but plunge right into darkness...
With a stock Valkyrie on original settings, set the fastest possible lap around Road Atlanta.
Car: Aston Martin Valkyrie '21
Track: Road Atlanta
Conditions: Night, 19:40
Tyres: Sports Medium/Sports Soft (no staggering compounds!)
Tyre Wear & Fuel Con: Off
Shortcut Penalty: Weak
Grip Loss on Track Edge: Real
You might be driving a spaceship this week, but the oldschool time trial rules still apply. Remember to save a replay of your fastest lap!
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the the thread!
So apparently in the full lap licence tests, going into the pits doesn't invalidate your time at all.
I "nearly got Gold"? I'm 1.3 seconds off! Is Serrano high???
I'm guessing maybe the top 1% of the regular time trialers might just be able to get Gold even when ending the lap in the pits. Anyone here fancy giving that a try?
still I managed a time of 1:15.807 which i do have uploaded as “GTP COTW - KTM XBOW R @ Watkins” (with the tags #gtp #cotw #xbow if you want to see it, it's not that good of a run I bet but I'm happy enough with it!)
