Car of the Week | Week 54: 4 France's Sake (Renault 4 GTL '85)
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SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 48 - BVLGARI Aluminium Vision Gran Turismo
After this, we've handled Dior and BVLGARI for out of place luxury brands via cars. What's next? I can think of a Rolex VGT that can rival this. Or a Louis Vuitton? GT's Jeff Gordon by Balenciaga?
Come to think of it, I don't think I want to find out what the latter is.
I think it's interesting to see that when the BVLGARI and Genesis VGTs came out, we got both a barchetta and a berlinetta. Today we focus on the former, seeing the latter is a death machine in every sense of the word.
Taking it's hues from an iconic watch from 1998 that reeks of precision and sports, the BVLGARI Aluminium Vision Gran Turismo is an interesting case of a non car related company making their own one off concept for fans to enjoy. Thing is.. the only people I know that like BVLGARI are rich. Like so rich, sports isn't quite what they have in mind to live for. And before anyone asks: I don't know anyone in this category personally.
The only information we're getting is that it's.. pretty? Yup, I can't deny that. It's got a theme going for it, which always attracts eyes. Also worth mentioning is that it takes hues from Italian concepts from the 60s to the 70s. Which explains why I don't see any hint of Rambo Lambo in it. I definitely see a wedge style that you see from Italian supercars from that age. But it does have its cues from a certain Italian rally marque, which I do notice with the lamps from the center, just like a rally car.
Maybe the numbers will excite me. It carries an undescribed, high revving inline 4 engine that gives out 394 horsepower, travelling through a rather tight 7-speed sequential, bringing a 1 ton load. It's a lightweight monster, even though it's not styled so much as one. It's that classic low drag Italian wedge logic going strong once again. Don't you worry: there are things to look at, like that 1 million Vision GT tax price.
After last week, I need to relax. There's one character I can associate with bougie brands, and it's Week 10 debutee known as The Messiah himself.
Episode 48: Old Fires Burn Again
Taking a million credits worth of car to the road, Candy starts to experience a whole new meaning of luxury..
Candy: "I'm thinking a lot of my sweet Bon Bon now.. gotta focus! I have a bad feeling about this.."
Time Stand Still
Rush
Hold Your Fire
Sitting outside by a cafe placed in a small town in Lombardy, Candy sits infront of a warm, freshly blended cappucino.
She takes a sip, while Gary watches, sitting on the opposide side while skillfully handling a golden butterfly knife.
Candy: "Italian coffee is.. pretty good.. Our passion for this is so similar, while so far apart.."
Gary-D: "Eh? I dunno, girl. Your coffee's the bees knees too. You should see if CK's got an interest for the stuff, yo."
Candy: "I was thinking about it.."
He puts his knife away and begins to listen.
Gary-D: "Yeah?"
Candy: "Your boss. He always seem so sour.. know any way to get him feeling better?"
Gary-D: "Well.. being a smart ass means options are limited.. I know! Get Gin to almost kill your sorry ass. That's how I do it. Not sure it'll work on you."
She didn't like the idea, but as she thought of how it's been done again and again, she then decided to show appreciation..
Candy: "You're such a fool. A helpful little fool, though."
As thoughts continue about Clark..
Candy: "He's with the BVLGARI, right? I'm sure Sim Gear has the resources and influence to procure such a vessel.."
Showing a small wince, Gary then spoke up confidently//
Gary-D: "Wanna know something?"
Candy: "Shoot."
Gary-D: "I procured the car. Not CK, or any of his loyal work dudes. ME!"
She doesn't know much of Gary as a person, but feels she knows enough to warrant..
Candy: "Hmm? Don't tell me you stole it?"
Gary-D: "I might be resourceful, but I got it legit. Clean. Raced some of them fine machines, running this weekly club of casual clean racing, yo. See this here.."
Presenting a picture from his phone, it shows..
Initially questioning how such a picture can be produced and placed in the man's phone when he's visibly driving the car shown, she instead recognizes said car from Week 32.
Candy: "Oh look, you brought the big purple heist car to race."
Thinking of a quick blast to the past, Gary remarked..
Gary-D: "I'm glad you remember, yo. Paul was mad thankful we grabbed his ass, bee-tee-dubs."
Candy: "Guy rather forget he'd get abducted by Augur, y'know."
Gary-D: "I know. But he ain't here to mope."
Thinking of the car next to it, Candy continued..
Candy: "So, the car?"
Gary-D: "After the race, I got second place, but got mad respect for keeping it clean, dog. CK's like Gary actually did something. Yo, I can do things you won't believe. Quick request later, they happily borrowed me one spare of the car as a token of our cute little tea party. No capping heads. No car jacking. All legit, baby."
He can't be lying, she thought, as she praised..
Candy: "I don't get you, you know. After that, you, useless, is VERY hard to believe."
Gary-D: "Amen."
Then, just arriving, a great femme fatale walks in..
Ginoa: "Oh, magnifique! There you two are."
Gary-D: "Gin? What up?"
Ginoa: "Got a little.. menagerie, on my tail. Give me a minute."
She then walks towards a small nearby alley.
Not long later, a small army then waltzes in said alley, bringing Candy a cause of concern..
Candy: "Should we help her, or.."
Gary-D: "Keep silent, girl. Sit."
Remaining where they were, Candy couldn't contend with the sounds of slicing, screaming and struggle all in one 3 to 4 minute package.
Walking out of the alley with water washed off her clothing, Ginoa then joins the party, sitting with the group..
Ginoa: "Phew. That's what prolonged exposure does to a woman like me. I'm famous in the wrong places."
Candy: "Lucky me.."
Remembering her bounty, she then turns to Candy, asking about..
Ginoa: "So, umm.. tell me.. I hear you actually encountered the Crimson End?"
Candy: "How'd you hear that?"
Ginoa: "Ohh, I don't know.. just that I'm pleased you can beat that bloody maiden to a pulp."
Still fresh from last week, Candy didn't sugarcoat it..
Candy: "I.. uhh.. didn't do it. Augur sent in their own.. monster to deal with her."
Dealing with one of the Trinitia is unheard of, as Gary and Ginoa leans forwards, interested..
Ginoa: "If not the Helwalker.. oh my.. I must meet this person myself. Perhaps they can help me with my own Guild trust issues.."
Candy: "I.. uhh.. wish I knew myself, really (I don't think I want to tell..)."
Gary followed, after checking her vocabulary..
Gary-D: "Check it: why call this fool a monster, girl?"
Candy: "That's what I saw. It was night.."
She looks back to the small Japanese night in the cool valleys of Hokkaido.
And the first thought was Jacob, making use of his newest pet project in the form of the Wolfmother drug..
Candy: "And the person's muscles pumped to an unreal size, as it.. glowed red. Monster, period."
Distressed upon thinking of something akin to a villainous Persona 5 villain's true form, Ginoa grows concerned.
Ginoa: "I'm stressed hearing about a threat like that, Candy.. if a monster like that runs loose.."
Candy: "You and I, Ginnie.."
She continued to sip her cappucino as the BVLGARI makes its entrance..
Gary-D: "Talk about record time."
Putting the car idle and then off, Clark then exits, joining the small band..
Clark: "Looks like you're all settled?"
Gary-D: "For sure, CK. What up?"
He sits as he looks around for a waitress..
Clark: "The LaFerrari's on transit back to the UK. I'll be handling the BVLGARI until my crew's done. Keep your silly little racing club handy, Gary. And Miss Lam? Tell me: how's the car?"
Candy: "It's.. interesting. A work of art, both in and out."
Not wanting a riddle, he striked with a hint of anger.
Clark: "You don't have to be f[BLEEP]ing coy with me, ma'am. Just say you like it, or not. Simple. Well?"
Glanced in intimidation, she spoke back gently..
Candy: "I think having the Vision Gran Turismo tax on is straight up bollocks. But yes: I like it."
Clark: "Cheers, for being a bit more honest with me. Now.."
As Clark wants service, the group noticed a man crawling out of the alley Ginoa was in, wounded and obviously not long left with the trail of blood hinting that.
Ginoa, displeased that she left him to live, instant shoots him square to the head through her built in arm gun.
As he lays instantly dead, Clark commented, also displeased..
Clark: "Jesus f[BLEEP]ing Christ.. That's f[BLEEP]ing you, wasn't it?"
Ginoa: "What can I say? I'm gifted."
Clark: "Then we might as well make our move before anyone starts sniffing their nose that way. We'll find another cafe in another small town if you're in need of a snack."
Gary gets up, saluting and acknowledging..
Gary-D: "Roger freaking that, CK."
Clark: "Though.. I must thank Candy for.. reinvigorating my soul. Even if it was a bitter memory relived."
Candy: "You're welcome? Afraid it wasn't enough, honest.."
Reinforcing her was Ginoa, who had good words..
Ginoa: "Don't be like that! You hit a nerve. A good one, in fact. I'm already proud of you, bebe. Keep going, and I bet you can change this man's heart."
He briefly smirked, but went to his grim look before anyone could notice, explaining..
Clark: "Don't get too f[BLEEP]ing worked up.. you've a long way to go if your mission is fixing me up."
Candy: "I don't doubt that. Though.. who was Dorah like?"
Piercing the bubble of comfort, Ginoa teased..
Ginoa: "Ooohhh.. how very interesting."
In no mood to remain, he quickly described..
Clark: "I remember her as.. sort of shy. Aloof. Likes the wildlife, particularly out in the desert. And hard rock. She's actually Californian."
He stood, and began rambling..
Clark: "Her death's left me a negative impression towards the FIA bastards, and the track racing scum. That I'm sure you already f[BLEEP]ing know, Miss Lam. But my drive never died. Just went towards another road."
Candy: "I see the pieces fall into place very nicely. But the jigsaw's not done yet. You're a tricky.. umm.. bringer of gospels? But I'm more interested on-"
With his tactician's mind, he then predicted..
Clark: "On Cierra, right? You so as much as even find a strand of her hair, just say the word. I WILL send the f[BLEEP]ing hordes. And Gary. He's especially keen on finding our little poppy."
Gary-D: "Finding? Aww shucks.. I miss it when I cross her and she goes berserk."
Clark: "Take care of her, and the Big 3 will be more than ready to help find the old geezer's apprentice. If I know her, she might be finding her way to fuel her need for speed.. and since she knows I control the streets, it might be on track. Her mint new Super License sure came up handy.."
Getting the hint, Candy then processes that.
Candy: "Track? Sounds like a done deal. I'll keep my head out for her. But for now.."
The sounds of sirens crowd the surroundings, necessitating an immediate exit.
Ginoa: "I suggest we split, boys. Alle, alle!"
Clark: "Ughh, this is YOUR fault, you know?"
Ginoa: "It is, but I'm fluent enough in Italian to keep the people away. The police, though.."
She then remembered the first conversation from earlier, seeing Clark's mood ruined further..
Candy: "If you want, we can cut our losses and leave you to the vultures. Got some rope, or.."
Nobody could explain how Ginoa could suddenly roundhouse kick Candy soft enough for her to spin out of control, then get binded from behind, with a blade by her cheek.
She shouted, as anyone should..
Candy: "WAAAAAHHH!! (S-so fast!!)"
While the assailant herself felt betrayed, despite frequent acts of these with Gary..
Ginoa: "C-Candy!! How could you?! How DARE you! You're flying much too close to the sun to assume that, bebe!!"
And as Gary spoke earlier, Clark gave out a chuckle and a smile.
Clark: "Haha.. pissing her off just.. never gets old, don't you think?"
Gary-D: "f[BLEEP] me, dog, I wish that was me.. (DAYUMMM, for sure, that Candy's done good!)"
After this, we've handled Dior and BVLGARI for out of place luxury brands via cars. What's next? I can think of a Rolex VGT that can rival this. Or a Louis Vuitton? GT's Jeff Gordon by Balenciaga?
Come to think of it, I don't think I want to find out what the latter is.
I think it's interesting to see that when the BVLGARI and Genesis VGTs came out, we got both a barchetta and a berlinetta. Today we focus on the former, seeing the latter is a death machine in every sense of the word.
Taking it's hues from an iconic watch from 1998 that reeks of precision and sports, the BVLGARI Aluminium Vision Gran Turismo is an interesting case of a non car related company making their own one off concept for fans to enjoy. Thing is.. the only people I know that like BVLGARI are rich. Like so rich, sports isn't quite what they have in mind to live for. And before anyone asks: I don't know anyone in this category personally.
The only information we're getting is that it's.. pretty? Yup, I can't deny that. It's got a theme going for it, which always attracts eyes. Also worth mentioning is that it takes hues from Italian concepts from the 60s to the 70s. Which explains why I don't see any hint of Rambo Lambo in it. I definitely see a wedge style that you see from Italian supercars from that age. But it does have its cues from a certain Italian rally marque, which I do notice with the lamps from the center, just like a rally car.
Maybe the numbers will excite me. It carries an undescribed, high revving inline 4 engine that gives out 394 horsepower, travelling through a rather tight 7-speed sequential, bringing a 1 ton load. It's a lightweight monster, even though it's not styled so much as one. It's that classic low drag Italian wedge logic going strong once again. Don't you worry: there are things to look at, like that 1 million Vision GT tax price.
After last week, I need to relax. There's one character I can associate with bougie brands, and it's Week 10 debutee known as The Messiah himself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Episode 48: Old Fires Burn Again
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Provincia di Monza e della Brianza, Lombardy, Italy
Morning
A popular destination for many race fans and teams, Monza unsurprisingly carries a crowd even at an early hour.
With a grouped presence of European men and women, it takes either a keen eye or to be one of them to notice them as the exclusive roster within The Prophecy: the most exclusive, and a top ranking street racing club for speed freaks among the rich and wealthy.
The only person out of this group that's included is a certain Candy Lam: a lady used to being around high and mighty society..
Yet she's finding herself mingling with a few men, without any social barriers holding her back. Thinking of the MC20 behind her Demio, she shares..
Candy: "I'm not cut for these kinds of cars.. too costly for my taste."
"It's one of the greatest of modern times, Miss Lam. You are missing an opportunity of a lifetime, I guarantee it!"
Being cheeky, she replies.
Candy: "Only if you let me drive for free."
"I.. umm.. no, what are the chances of that working, you think?"
Candy: "It was worth a shot."
Spoke Candy cheekily as she innocently lets out a small blep of her tongue and pats her head.
The conversation then turns to the yellow Mazda, which out of nowhere the small group show their interests..
"The lads seem to be quite interested in this Mazda 2. What'd you reckon?"
"Nice! A real ripper!"
"Can't wait to see it round the track."
"There's a good chunk of credits in this little beaut."
Surprised, Candy leans on it, and questions..
Candy: "Strange. They've never seen one like this?"
The men go around, finding pieces of expensive parts that riddle their head with pieces composing the grand scheme of the car.
"It's not so fast to beat supercars, but the technology on how it tries is fascinating by itself."
"This is a sweet fast ride, love."
"Me likey."
Humbled, she replied with the crowd of compliments.
Candy: "Th-thanks! I wish I knew more, personally. It's a really recent acquisition."
"What other Japanese handiwork you carry?"
She paused to think, but brought the answer too obvious for her to give..
Candy: "NA2 NSX?"
"Now that's a ride to look out for."
"For sure, for sure."
"How about for your next European adventure, you bring it over, yeah? We know a thing or two about that kind of car."
Candy: "Hah, I'd be glad. Need to note to self for the next UK street meet.."
Not minding the company, she then hears a sharp whistle from not far..
Everyone turns, seeing a short man in the distance, who then gestures with his hand matching his height, requiring for a certain person this tall.
Not long after, she deduces.
Candy: "Was that whistle for me?"
"Sure thing it is. That's Gary-D's call. Might have business with The Messiah, I figure. You better get going."
Waving her goodbyes as she leaves, she shouts..
Candy: "Nice getting to know you people."
And upon approach to the short statured gangster, she mumbled..
Candy: "Much flak I've heard about Clark's alter ego.. the rank and file of The Prophecy aren't as bad as I would imagine.."
Provincia di Monza e della Brianza, Lombardy, Italy
Morning
A popular destination for many race fans and teams, Monza unsurprisingly carries a crowd even at an early hour.
With a grouped presence of European men and women, it takes either a keen eye or to be one of them to notice them as the exclusive roster within The Prophecy: the most exclusive, and a top ranking street racing club for speed freaks among the rich and wealthy.
The only person out of this group that's included is a certain Candy Lam: a lady used to being around high and mighty society..
Yet she's finding herself mingling with a few men, without any social barriers holding her back. Thinking of the MC20 behind her Demio, she shares..
Candy: "I'm not cut for these kinds of cars.. too costly for my taste."
"It's one of the greatest of modern times, Miss Lam. You are missing an opportunity of a lifetime, I guarantee it!"
Being cheeky, she replies.
Candy: "Only if you let me drive for free."
"I.. umm.. no, what are the chances of that working, you think?"
Candy: "It was worth a shot."
Spoke Candy cheekily as she innocently lets out a small blep of her tongue and pats her head.
The conversation then turns to the yellow Mazda, which out of nowhere the small group show their interests..
"The lads seem to be quite interested in this Mazda 2. What'd you reckon?"
"Nice! A real ripper!"
"Can't wait to see it round the track."
"There's a good chunk of credits in this little beaut."
Surprised, Candy leans on it, and questions..
Candy: "Strange. They've never seen one like this?"
The men go around, finding pieces of expensive parts that riddle their head with pieces composing the grand scheme of the car.
"It's not so fast to beat supercars, but the technology on how it tries is fascinating by itself."
"This is a sweet fast ride, love."
"Me likey."
Humbled, she replied with the crowd of compliments.
Candy: "Th-thanks! I wish I knew more, personally. It's a really recent acquisition."
"What other Japanese handiwork you carry?"
She paused to think, but brought the answer too obvious for her to give..
Candy: "NA2 NSX?"
"Now that's a ride to look out for."
"For sure, for sure."
"How about for your next European adventure, you bring it over, yeah? We know a thing or two about that kind of car."
Candy: "Hah, I'd be glad. Need to note to self for the next UK street meet.."
Not minding the company, she then hears a sharp whistle from not far..
Everyone turns, seeing a short man in the distance, who then gestures with his hand matching his height, requiring for a certain person this tall.
Not long after, she deduces.
Candy: "Was that whistle for me?"
"Sure thing it is. That's Gary-D's call. Might have business with The Messiah, I figure. You better get going."
Waving her goodbyes as she leaves, she shouts..
Candy: "Nice getting to know you people."
And upon approach to the short statured gangster, she mumbled..
Candy: "Much flak I've heard about Clark's alter ego.. the rank and file of The Prophecy aren't as bad as I would imagine.."
Walking further back, the two then meet proper, and start walking side to side.
Gary-D: "What up, C to the Andy? How's my fellow shortbread?"
He means well, she thought, so she replied in earnest.
Candy: "Oh, fine. Italian air never fails to give me a.. pleasant feeling."
Gary-D: "For sure, girl. Us short peeps gotta stick together, yo."
Sudden mention of their short statures has her ask..
Candy: "Did Ginnie give you a hard time."
Gary-D: "Nonsense, it's the other way round, you feel me?"
Acting oddly suave, Candy didn't take that all in full face..
Candy: "Yeah, yeah. You're a real charmer."
Remembering Gary of a certain good friend of hers, Candy had to ask..
Candy: "I miss your other.. girl, you know what I mean?"
Gary-D: "Hell yeah, you do. I miss her and all, and really hope we come back. Gary and Cierra, double the trouble on protecting fate and order."
Candy: "What about Bon?"
Gary-D: "My homie Bon's a little too infrequent.. and foreign. Don't worry: he's cool, girl. The G-dog don't discriminate! I can prove this: have a look see."
Gary scrolled through his phone he's just taken out, then into his favorites folder and showed a picture of the three Chosen, having kebabs in the middle of the London night.
Candy: "Ohh.. You're all quite close, huh?"
Trying to hide her affection for the French aristocrat, she can't hide her blushing, but before anyone can notice, they arrive to a small group of vehicles..
There was somebody overseeing this scene, and it's none other than a certain Assassin of infamy..
Candy approaches her and a familiar F40, calmly greeting.
Candy: "Ginnie."
Ginoa: "Candy. Mon bebe! Still alive, huh? Your shoulder healing fine?"
Candy: "I've gotten worse from madame."
Ginoa: "An encounter with the madame of crimson, though.. you shrugging that off means it seems you got real lucky."
Showing that serious but not quite serious tone that she's known for by her peers, Ginoa makes a quick check on Candy's general outlook, until Gary then interrupts the girl on girl hellos.
Gary-D: "Umm, where's CK?"
Like clockwork, the aforementioned CK walks in.
Clark: "Morning. You all right?"
He spoke with his usual tone towards the one guest..
Candy: "Not quite, but I'm good."
Clark: "Hmm.. I suppose you are. I can't f[BLEEP]ing say the same for Cierra. A shame."
Gary then adds as Clark stretches his arms for a small moment.
Gary-D: "And us without her, yo. She maintains our rides when we need.. y'know, maintenance."
She listened keenly and remembered all the mechanics she's ran into, and wonders..
Candy: "From Graham.. to Kirk.. to Ramlie oji-san. Having someone handy REALLY makes you miss her, huh?"
Ginoa: "Miss who? The timid, beret lady?"
Playfully replied Ginoa as she twirls a spanner around like a pro.
Clark: "She is miles more important to our exclusive racer's club than these two dunderheads are, and that speaks enough about how critical her presence is."
While Ginoa gets mildly flustered and frowns a little, Gary slumped..
Gary-D: "Dog, don't be like that.."
Not thinking to keep on this morale breaking streak, Clark reassures..
Clark: "Not meaning to devalue you both in any form. Both you lot are always reliable muscle."
Candy, being mostly ignored, waves..
Candy: "So, umm.. back to me, Mister Max, sir."
Clark: "Well, yes. You. Again, I appreciate you coming over in such short notice.. knowing you have a race next week in Austria's bull pen. Little miss ambitious do want those f[BLEEP]ing points, hmm?"
She knows he's being bitter, and replied with a little tongue in cheek..
Candy: "That I do, but I feel saying no to a guy like you is a recipe for disaster. What's the matter? Afraid of a nice little high speed test drive?"
Clark: "Unwanted, but I like your gusto. Been talking to The Cinderella lately?"
Upon mention, Candy then got to a thinker's pose..
Candy: "Umm.."
Coming back to yesterday, she hosts a video call while in Roma's train station, sorting out a conversation with The Cinderella, through Peigi's contact details.
Candy: "No sign?"
The Cinderella: "How dense are you, no means NO. You want me to look through a telephone directory or sumthin?"
She's always acting like this, but Candy didn't heed too much of it, replying..
Candy: "I'm taking the first steps to be selfless for once, Cindy.."
The Cinderella: "Yeesh, alright. That's sound talk you giving. But really, much as I know Cierra.. she's a real ghost when she needs to get scarce."
For an amnesiac, Candy notes personally that she knows her good, following..
Candy: "That's one thing I don't like about her. When she's tending to herself, you swear she might be missing."
The Cinderella: "Hahaha! Too true. And speaking of ghost, I better scram before my roomie's back, beca-"
Peigi: "CINDYYYYY!! I'M BAAACK!"
Unusually, Candy can hear that declaration..
Candy: "Umm.."
The Cinderella: "Oh s[BLEEP]! Peggy.. PEGGY WHAT THE HELL?! Ugugugugugugu...."
..and watched helplessly as the princess gets taser prongs attached and voltage sent, causing a shock.
Peigi: "Talking to strangers, Cindy?! What happens if that Atlas bloke finds you, darling? You'd be dead before you can even say bollocks! Now open wide.."
From where Candy watches, she sees a little monkey hop on to The Cinderella's pained body and open a small pill bottle.. only that monkey is a certain street racing wunderkind..
The Cinderella: "No.. not the pill! Please! PLEASE!!"
Peigi: "KEEKEE!!"
Remembering that escapade, Candy thought..
Candy: "Had a video call and.. talk is.. an interesting way to put it."
Not shocked by the development, he replied, though with a gruff tone..
Clark: "Any act involving that brat's in some form 'interesting'."
Candy: "Yay, verily."
Clark then moves towards the roadster, notifying the pair infront him..
Clark: "Aside, you two."
..as he posed himself, ready to present, though it wasn't Candy that started asking..
Gary-D: "This says BVLGARI, right? CK, I know you're into them fancy brands, but this look to me it's a whole ride, not a pair of sweet shades."
Clark: "Strange, isn't it. There's no end in f[BLEEP]ing choice, so I suppose this will be my first exposure, personally, to a BVLGARI product that's this large. Even though it is a fully functioning sports car."
Ginoa: "Much as I don't know racing, I know enough that this is their first foray into this."
Gary-D: "For sure, baby."
Then it was her turn..
Candy: "What is this.. or rather, why is it here?"
Clark: "BVLGARI Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo. Why it's here? Well, I'm recording a Sim Gear review tomorrow. Problem is, it will be at the Italian valleys, not a race track. It didn't stop production wanting some track ready opinions.. ugh.."
He didn't hide his disgust enough for Candy to wander..
Candy: "Mister Max?"
He knows enough to grumpily reply, frowning..
Clark: "I know you know from Giles, Candy. That me and racetracks are like Superman and kryptonite. We don't f[BLEEP]ing get along at all, because.. I'd rather not mention."
Ginoa: "Which is a shame. He's brought a small sect of his Prophecy people to enjoy the sights of Italian racing on the whole."
With a pause, he then follows, looking down on the Hong Kongese sweet toothed wolf..
Clark: "And so I come to you."
Candy: "What is it? You want me to test out the car? Don't say a word, I'm on it.."
She was ready for that question, and had the answer, as if it's been her life's work for however long this story has existed in this thread.
Gary though didn't hide his anticipation.
Gary-D: "We got track privledges? Oh man! I've been meaning to ride the Cobra out on these roads, yo."
Clark: "In.. an hour or so. That and.. I plan to pitch this car to our favorite Count Boniface. See if he wants to get ahold of another lightweight sports car to his collection."
Inspecting the details, she can gather its lightweight nature, and chimes in..
Candy: "It looks to me it's the kind of car that's up his alley."
Clark: "I was going to bring him instead, but correct me: his sister has a surgery.. tonight, I think?"
Candy: "Not counting timezones.. yes it's tonight."
Clark: "Indeed. But you, being able and going to be in Austria next week, will do nicely. How about you two get prepared?"
The couple then readied to leave, but not without a parting note.
Ginoa: "And miss you on your prime? Whatever."
They left, prompting Clark to explain their connection on the whole.
Clark: "You can say I have a colorful relationship with those two. I've a deep respect for their talents.. and what respect I f[BLEEP]ing get back is.. well.. not the best, but I'll take it."
Candy: "Disrespect is normal, trust me. Don't get me started on Alan."
Clark: "Oh, Alan will ruin my composure. He always does. Angry as he can get me or my brother, it's why I love the old geezer."
She then thought of what Ginoa said..
Candy: "Oh, isn't that special.. though.. she mentioned your prime?"
He responds by walking a little, taking in the beauty and history of Monza..
Clark: "My past life's career started here. In Monza."
Not too deep with Clark's backstory, Candy replied with a query..
Candy: "It did? I'm surprised you chose not to make a comeback after what's happened."
Clark: "Said track life killed me. Not by my hand. By theirs: the authority, the big men, the corpos."
Clark then turned back and took something out his jacket pocket.
Clark: "I'd like you to see this.."
What's shown is a small picture of this brown haired, but happy young woman.
Candy: "Let me guess.. this is the girl?"
Clark: "Aye. She's Dorah Kayne. Smart office gal, real administrative angel of an American international airliner. You've noticed the prominence of Fly America stickers going around in a few cars today? She was to lead that division, but.. well, you know what happened."
Candy: "Trust me.. I too have my dead memoirs but.. you're much more dedicated to hers than what I ever do."
Displeased, he rebutted..
Clark: "f[BLEEP] me.. what's your point?"
Candy: "That if you're clinging on to her.. wouldn't you say straying away from the track is to insult her memory? Is being the greatest street racer in all of Europe going to get this smile back?"
He stood still, retreating the picture back as he began to listen, still with discord in his head.
Candy sees no reason to stop now..
Candy: "I was alone on this path too. I know your pain. Losing a loved one and running away. Figures.. it seems we do have something in common."
She took a brief pause to remember her former master, but Clark didn't take long to speak..
Clark: "You have proved your point, Candy. But I suppose I should decide my future. Not you."
Thinking nothing's changed, she mumbled..
Candy: "Drat.. Perhaps there's someone who has the gift of gab I can learn from.."
Clark: "I appreciate your small show of courage, however. f[BLEEP] me, I need a moment to myself.."
And as he leaves her be, she thought..
Candy: "Or not.. a smile like that means I've touched him somewhere."
Gary-D: "What up, C to the Andy? How's my fellow shortbread?"
He means well, she thought, so she replied in earnest.
Candy: "Oh, fine. Italian air never fails to give me a.. pleasant feeling."
Gary-D: "For sure, girl. Us short peeps gotta stick together, yo."
Sudden mention of their short statures has her ask..
Candy: "Did Ginnie give you a hard time."
Gary-D: "Nonsense, it's the other way round, you feel me?"
Acting oddly suave, Candy didn't take that all in full face..
Candy: "Yeah, yeah. You're a real charmer."
Remembering Gary of a certain good friend of hers, Candy had to ask..
Candy: "I miss your other.. girl, you know what I mean?"
Gary-D: "Hell yeah, you do. I miss her and all, and really hope we come back. Gary and Cierra, double the trouble on protecting fate and order."
Candy: "What about Bon?"
Gary-D: "My homie Bon's a little too infrequent.. and foreign. Don't worry: he's cool, girl. The G-dog don't discriminate! I can prove this: have a look see."
Gary scrolled through his phone he's just taken out, then into his favorites folder and showed a picture of the three Chosen, having kebabs in the middle of the London night.
Candy: "Ohh.. You're all quite close, huh?"
Trying to hide her affection for the French aristocrat, she can't hide her blushing, but before anyone can notice, they arrive to a small group of vehicles..
There was somebody overseeing this scene, and it's none other than a certain Assassin of infamy..
Candy approaches her and a familiar F40, calmly greeting.
Candy: "Ginnie."
Ginoa: "Candy. Mon bebe! Still alive, huh? Your shoulder healing fine?"
Candy: "I've gotten worse from madame."
Ginoa: "An encounter with the madame of crimson, though.. you shrugging that off means it seems you got real lucky."
Showing that serious but not quite serious tone that she's known for by her peers, Ginoa makes a quick check on Candy's general outlook, until Gary then interrupts the girl on girl hellos.
Gary-D: "Umm, where's CK?"
Like clockwork, the aforementioned CK walks in.
Clark: "Morning. You all right?"
He spoke with his usual tone towards the one guest..
Candy: "Not quite, but I'm good."
Clark: "Hmm.. I suppose you are. I can't f[BLEEP]ing say the same for Cierra. A shame."
Gary then adds as Clark stretches his arms for a small moment.
Gary-D: "And us without her, yo. She maintains our rides when we need.. y'know, maintenance."
She listened keenly and remembered all the mechanics she's ran into, and wonders..
Candy: "From Graham.. to Kirk.. to Ramlie oji-san. Having someone handy REALLY makes you miss her, huh?"
Ginoa: "Miss who? The timid, beret lady?"
Playfully replied Ginoa as she twirls a spanner around like a pro.
Clark: "She is miles more important to our exclusive racer's club than these two dunderheads are, and that speaks enough about how critical her presence is."
While Ginoa gets mildly flustered and frowns a little, Gary slumped..
Gary-D: "Dog, don't be like that.."
Not thinking to keep on this morale breaking streak, Clark reassures..
Clark: "Not meaning to devalue you both in any form. Both you lot are always reliable muscle."
Candy, being mostly ignored, waves..
Candy: "So, umm.. back to me, Mister Max, sir."
Clark: "Well, yes. You. Again, I appreciate you coming over in such short notice.. knowing you have a race next week in Austria's bull pen. Little miss ambitious do want those f[BLEEP]ing points, hmm?"
She knows he's being bitter, and replied with a little tongue in cheek..
Candy: "That I do, but I feel saying no to a guy like you is a recipe for disaster. What's the matter? Afraid of a nice little high speed test drive?"
Clark: "Unwanted, but I like your gusto. Been talking to The Cinderella lately?"
Upon mention, Candy then got to a thinker's pose..
Candy: "Umm.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming back to yesterday, she hosts a video call while in Roma's train station, sorting out a conversation with The Cinderella, through Peigi's contact details.
Candy: "No sign?"
The Cinderella: "How dense are you, no means NO. You want me to look through a telephone directory or sumthin?"
She's always acting like this, but Candy didn't heed too much of it, replying..
Candy: "I'm taking the first steps to be selfless for once, Cindy.."
The Cinderella: "Yeesh, alright. That's sound talk you giving. But really, much as I know Cierra.. she's a real ghost when she needs to get scarce."
For an amnesiac, Candy notes personally that she knows her good, following..
Candy: "That's one thing I don't like about her. When she's tending to herself, you swear she might be missing."
The Cinderella: "Hahaha! Too true. And speaking of ghost, I better scram before my roomie's back, beca-"
Peigi: "CINDYYYYY!! I'M BAAACK!"
Unusually, Candy can hear that declaration..
Candy: "Umm.."
The Cinderella: "Oh s[BLEEP]! Peggy.. PEGGY WHAT THE HELL?! Ugugugugugugu...."
..and watched helplessly as the princess gets taser prongs attached and voltage sent, causing a shock.
Peigi: "Talking to strangers, Cindy?! What happens if that Atlas bloke finds you, darling? You'd be dead before you can even say bollocks! Now open wide.."
From where Candy watches, she sees a little monkey hop on to The Cinderella's pained body and open a small pill bottle.. only that monkey is a certain street racing wunderkind..
The Cinderella: "No.. not the pill! Please! PLEASE!!"
Peigi: "KEEKEE!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remembering that escapade, Candy thought..
Candy: "Had a video call and.. talk is.. an interesting way to put it."
Not shocked by the development, he replied, though with a gruff tone..
Clark: "Any act involving that brat's in some form 'interesting'."
Candy: "Yay, verily."
Clark then moves towards the roadster, notifying the pair infront him..
Clark: "Aside, you two."
..as he posed himself, ready to present, though it wasn't Candy that started asking..
Gary-D: "This says BVLGARI, right? CK, I know you're into them fancy brands, but this look to me it's a whole ride, not a pair of sweet shades."
Clark: "Strange, isn't it. There's no end in f[BLEEP]ing choice, so I suppose this will be my first exposure, personally, to a BVLGARI product that's this large. Even though it is a fully functioning sports car."
Ginoa: "Much as I don't know racing, I know enough that this is their first foray into this."
Gary-D: "For sure, baby."
Then it was her turn..
Candy: "What is this.. or rather, why is it here?"
Clark: "BVLGARI Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo. Why it's here? Well, I'm recording a Sim Gear review tomorrow. Problem is, it will be at the Italian valleys, not a race track. It didn't stop production wanting some track ready opinions.. ugh.."
He didn't hide his disgust enough for Candy to wander..
Candy: "Mister Max?"
He knows enough to grumpily reply, frowning..
Clark: "I know you know from Giles, Candy. That me and racetracks are like Superman and kryptonite. We don't f[BLEEP]ing get along at all, because.. I'd rather not mention."
Ginoa: "Which is a shame. He's brought a small sect of his Prophecy people to enjoy the sights of Italian racing on the whole."
With a pause, he then follows, looking down on the Hong Kongese sweet toothed wolf..
Clark: "And so I come to you."
Candy: "What is it? You want me to test out the car? Don't say a word, I'm on it.."
She was ready for that question, and had the answer, as if it's been her life's work for however long this story has existed in this thread.
Gary though didn't hide his anticipation.
Gary-D: "We got track privledges? Oh man! I've been meaning to ride the Cobra out on these roads, yo."
Clark: "In.. an hour or so. That and.. I plan to pitch this car to our favorite Count Boniface. See if he wants to get ahold of another lightweight sports car to his collection."
Inspecting the details, she can gather its lightweight nature, and chimes in..
Candy: "It looks to me it's the kind of car that's up his alley."
Clark: "I was going to bring him instead, but correct me: his sister has a surgery.. tonight, I think?"
Candy: "Not counting timezones.. yes it's tonight."
Clark: "Indeed. But you, being able and going to be in Austria next week, will do nicely. How about you two get prepared?"
The couple then readied to leave, but not without a parting note.
Ginoa: "And miss you on your prime? Whatever."
They left, prompting Clark to explain their connection on the whole.
Clark: "You can say I have a colorful relationship with those two. I've a deep respect for their talents.. and what respect I f[BLEEP]ing get back is.. well.. not the best, but I'll take it."
Candy: "Disrespect is normal, trust me. Don't get me started on Alan."
Clark: "Oh, Alan will ruin my composure. He always does. Angry as he can get me or my brother, it's why I love the old geezer."
She then thought of what Ginoa said..
Candy: "Oh, isn't that special.. though.. she mentioned your prime?"
He responds by walking a little, taking in the beauty and history of Monza..
Clark: "My past life's career started here. In Monza."
Not too deep with Clark's backstory, Candy replied with a query..
Candy: "It did? I'm surprised you chose not to make a comeback after what's happened."
Clark: "Said track life killed me. Not by my hand. By theirs: the authority, the big men, the corpos."
Clark then turned back and took something out his jacket pocket.
Clark: "I'd like you to see this.."
What's shown is a small picture of this brown haired, but happy young woman.
Candy: "Let me guess.. this is the girl?"
Clark: "Aye. She's Dorah Kayne. Smart office gal, real administrative angel of an American international airliner. You've noticed the prominence of Fly America stickers going around in a few cars today? She was to lead that division, but.. well, you know what happened."
Candy: "Trust me.. I too have my dead memoirs but.. you're much more dedicated to hers than what I ever do."
Displeased, he rebutted..
Clark: "f[BLEEP] me.. what's your point?"
Candy: "That if you're clinging on to her.. wouldn't you say straying away from the track is to insult her memory? Is being the greatest street racer in all of Europe going to get this smile back?"
He stood still, retreating the picture back as he began to listen, still with discord in his head.
Candy sees no reason to stop now..
Candy: "I was alone on this path too. I know your pain. Losing a loved one and running away. Figures.. it seems we do have something in common."
She took a brief pause to remember her former master, but Clark didn't take long to speak..
Clark: "You have proved your point, Candy. But I suppose I should decide my future. Not you."
Thinking nothing's changed, she mumbled..
Candy: "Drat.. Perhaps there's someone who has the gift of gab I can learn from.."
Clark: "I appreciate your small show of courage, however. f[BLEEP] me, I need a moment to myself.."
And as he leaves her be, she thought..
Candy: "Or not.. a smile like that means I've touched him somewhere."
Taking a million credits worth of car to the road, Candy starts to experience a whole new meaning of luxury..
Candy: "I'm thinking a lot of my sweet Bon Bon now.. gotta focus! I have a bad feeling about this.."
Time Stand Still
Rush
Hold Your Fire
We waited to not spend a real life equivalent five grand to be able to buy what looks to be half a bougie car from a full on bougie brand. Means of course, there's, supposedly, a lot of value to ride with. But despite all its brief but notable infamy it rides in, do we have that worth in the driving experience?
Another open top car. I guess I should head back to the not so humble me days of Mini Mexico, where I usually have a look at the car's interior. The BVLGARI's greatest strength is definitely here, with a beautiful luxury sports watch motif, combined with some racing necessities makes for a unique take on a sporty interior. We don't get a windscreen wiper or a horn (I guess we don't have one, or we do but I'll just use my sloth to scapegoat that binding of a horn button). I come from a watch fanatic family, more than cars, really, so the details are just sublime on the whole. Nothing is perfect, but I just.. imagine all this yellow stuff in a proper theoritical berlinetta variant of this car. Just potential built over potential in design.
Thanks to the nice short set 7 speed sequential gearbox, the car's acceleration is easily one of its top performing traits. It's got an amazing launch for something with RWD, and smooth in a straight line. Not to mention it exits admirably well, considering it's a street legal machine. This is akin to a lot of the supercars you get in this range, but the numbers are much less, moreso with the car's natural downforce. If you think about it, this means the car has a limited top speed of around 190-ish MPH. But we're not going to use this to run on, say.. Route X.
Before I address any further traits, we have to go to the main issue people are having with this car: power oversteer compounded with naturally causing understeer. And I thought I was a lover of pain in these cars. I am, but not everyone is. Some people want a dream boat to ride the pain away through the lazy river of life. Not here! This is straight up a poorly maintained jetski trudging through deadly rapids with waterfall experience!
What exactly is causing this ruckus? Well, it might have a meager 278 foot-lb of torque topping out at the mid-RPM zone (which, dun dun dunnn, is where this oversteer is going to happen), but it's propelling that force to a car without a ton to think about. More looks at the numbers have me see its natural frequency at 2.8, 48:52 weight balance and a height setting of 50-70 millimeters. It's REAL hard for SH, and it's REAL low like a Group 1 car. That means it's stiff. I mean stiff with all capitals, so it'll look like STIFF instead.
I usually find a way to deal with this. My solution's the sort of thing I get with American lightweight powerhouses, like the Shelby Cobra. You really want to short shift. And in this car, it's with 2 gears ahead. So a turn which needs 3rd I usually power through with 5th, for example. As mentioned earlier, the car's acceleration is it's strong point, so don't worry about losing pace when doing this. I didn't, and look at where this technique got me in the weekly lobby (it's the one race in Yamagiwa). Heck, you can also shift up to counteract with this car's lack of grip while turning.. sorry, automatic users.
Chances are you don't favor Mr. Dr. Prof. SPD's miracle cure for this ailment? Don't you worry, because you can also use Traction Control. 2 or more should do the trick, though I usually don't find it useful rather than launching, especially when you bog down so hard when getting to turn exit. And yes: I tried using fuel mapping. It doesn't work. Gotta get a grip on your countersteering if you want to do some good with this bad boy.
I wrote extra to solve an issue.. next.. umm.. understeer. Oh boy. It's a VGT that unfortunately has settings locked, and while the brakes are super duper, you can't mess with the balance, which usually is the way I fix these things. I guess.. you just gotta turn in a corner at the required gear, then shift up twice when power's coming in the equation. It's not nice, but it's the only way to survive this on its stock SH compound. Speaking of which, the car gets significantly better to drive once you put on better rubber. If you're not good with inputs or don't want to short shift so much, consider getting newer, fancier, lemon scented tires straight away.
Though, with all this trouble, I had this thing go through the Test, but with it on stock. The car's optimum time with my skills on drive is barely under 1:47. This is with a good chunk of PP ahead, so the car unable to get tuned is really just an excuse to say the tuners for this tick tock contraption are pretty much a non-existant statement. Just for the record, these days, I'm getting cars with low 1:46s. Which has become the norm time for me to take these cars around with. Meaning.. it's got a PP that's short of a good time.. ok SPD, enough innuendo.
How about some good, huh? The low numbers on power and weight means that should one have a need to go endurance racing, this car can take you to the moon. Not literally of course, or else you would be dead! Fuel saving and tire wear are excellent, and this latter stat is more amazing when you remember that the springs on this thing is rock solid. I should mention these hard springs mean that handling isn't floaty in any sense, and it will hate you when you take on elevation. On writing, Seca hasn't been tackled by this car yet.
Tuning segment says adios, so.. to end.. umm.. all this makes me think this is more of a modern Shelby Cobra more than the Viper has ever been. Nimble, no roof, power oversteer, tough springs, and a nice engine. Just that the brakes are top tier and not American so you have one less element to blame.
Another open top car. I guess I should head back to the not so humble me days of Mini Mexico, where I usually have a look at the car's interior. The BVLGARI's greatest strength is definitely here, with a beautiful luxury sports watch motif, combined with some racing necessities makes for a unique take on a sporty interior. We don't get a windscreen wiper or a horn (I guess we don't have one, or we do but I'll just use my sloth to scapegoat that binding of a horn button). I come from a watch fanatic family, more than cars, really, so the details are just sublime on the whole. Nothing is perfect, but I just.. imagine all this yellow stuff in a proper theoritical berlinetta variant of this car. Just potential built over potential in design.
Thanks to the nice short set 7 speed sequential gearbox, the car's acceleration is easily one of its top performing traits. It's got an amazing launch for something with RWD, and smooth in a straight line. Not to mention it exits admirably well, considering it's a street legal machine. This is akin to a lot of the supercars you get in this range, but the numbers are much less, moreso with the car's natural downforce. If you think about it, this means the car has a limited top speed of around 190-ish MPH. But we're not going to use this to run on, say.. Route X.
Before I address any further traits, we have to go to the main issue people are having with this car: power oversteer compounded with naturally causing understeer. And I thought I was a lover of pain in these cars. I am, but not everyone is. Some people want a dream boat to ride the pain away through the lazy river of life. Not here! This is straight up a poorly maintained jetski trudging through deadly rapids with waterfall experience!
What exactly is causing this ruckus? Well, it might have a meager 278 foot-lb of torque topping out at the mid-RPM zone (which, dun dun dunnn, is where this oversteer is going to happen), but it's propelling that force to a car without a ton to think about. More looks at the numbers have me see its natural frequency at 2.8, 48:52 weight balance and a height setting of 50-70 millimeters. It's REAL hard for SH, and it's REAL low like a Group 1 car. That means it's stiff. I mean stiff with all capitals, so it'll look like STIFF instead.
I usually find a way to deal with this. My solution's the sort of thing I get with American lightweight powerhouses, like the Shelby Cobra. You really want to short shift. And in this car, it's with 2 gears ahead. So a turn which needs 3rd I usually power through with 5th, for example. As mentioned earlier, the car's acceleration is it's strong point, so don't worry about losing pace when doing this. I didn't, and look at where this technique got me in the weekly lobby (it's the one race in Yamagiwa). Heck, you can also shift up to counteract with this car's lack of grip while turning.. sorry, automatic users.
Chances are you don't favor Mr. Dr. Prof. SPD's miracle cure for this ailment? Don't you worry, because you can also use Traction Control. 2 or more should do the trick, though I usually don't find it useful rather than launching, especially when you bog down so hard when getting to turn exit. And yes: I tried using fuel mapping. It doesn't work. Gotta get a grip on your countersteering if you want to do some good with this bad boy.
I wrote extra to solve an issue.. next.. umm.. understeer. Oh boy. It's a VGT that unfortunately has settings locked, and while the brakes are super duper, you can't mess with the balance, which usually is the way I fix these things. I guess.. you just gotta turn in a corner at the required gear, then shift up twice when power's coming in the equation. It's not nice, but it's the only way to survive this on its stock SH compound. Speaking of which, the car gets significantly better to drive once you put on better rubber. If you're not good with inputs or don't want to short shift so much, consider getting newer, fancier, lemon scented tires straight away.
Though, with all this trouble, I had this thing go through the Test, but with it on stock. The car's optimum time with my skills on drive is barely under 1:47. This is with a good chunk of PP ahead, so the car unable to get tuned is really just an excuse to say the tuners for this tick tock contraption are pretty much a non-existant statement. Just for the record, these days, I'm getting cars with low 1:46s. Which has become the norm time for me to take these cars around with. Meaning.. it's got a PP that's short of a good time.. ok SPD, enough innuendo.
How about some good, huh? The low numbers on power and weight means that should one have a need to go endurance racing, this car can take you to the moon. Not literally of course, or else you would be dead! Fuel saving and tire wear are excellent, and this latter stat is more amazing when you remember that the springs on this thing is rock solid. I should mention these hard springs mean that handling isn't floaty in any sense, and it will hate you when you take on elevation. On writing, Seca hasn't been tackled by this car yet.
Tuning segment says adios, so.. to end.. umm.. all this makes me think this is more of a modern Shelby Cobra more than the Viper has ever been. Nimble, no roof, power oversteer, tough springs, and a nice engine. Just that the brakes are top tier and not American so you have one less element to blame.
As the morning track day continues, a whole roster of cars come and go through the track's many corners.
The Prophecy's many liutenants and other invitees too get their share of action, as legal individuals this time.
As well as other private entries..
Later on, Candy would then feel yet another jingle in her head, notifying the presence of a potential foe with a destined face off should it come.
Raining Blood
Slayer
Reign in Blood
Candy: "I-intense.. thunderous.. vibe! That's The Messiah's LaFerrari? I knew I can get into his head."
A most illegal, modified machine that starts off as Ferrari's first ever V12 hybrid, the man inside then shows his true, most unholy colors.
Candy: "What a chill.. talk about firsthand experiences of things not to be trifled with."
And after Ascari..
It disappears, powering ahead and setting laps other road cars dream of attaining..
The Prophecy's many liutenants and other invitees too get their share of action, as legal individuals this time.
As well as other private entries..
Later on, Candy would then feel yet another jingle in her head, notifying the presence of a potential foe with a destined face off should it come.
Raining Blood
Slayer
Reign in Blood
Candy: "I-intense.. thunderous.. vibe! That's The Messiah's LaFerrari? I knew I can get into his head."
A most illegal, modified machine that starts off as Ferrari's first ever V12 hybrid, the man inside then shows his true, most unholy colors.
Candy: "What a chill.. talk about firsthand experiences of things not to be trifled with."
And after Ascari..
It disappears, powering ahead and setting laps other road cars dream of attaining..
Sitting outside by a cafe placed in a small town in Lombardy, Candy sits infront of a warm, freshly blended cappucino.
She takes a sip, while Gary watches, sitting on the opposide side while skillfully handling a golden butterfly knife.
Candy: "Italian coffee is.. pretty good.. Our passion for this is so similar, while so far apart.."
Gary-D: "Eh? I dunno, girl. Your coffee's the bees knees too. You should see if CK's got an interest for the stuff, yo."
Candy: "I was thinking about it.."
He puts his knife away and begins to listen.
Gary-D: "Yeah?"
Candy: "Your boss. He always seem so sour.. know any way to get him feeling better?"
Gary-D: "Well.. being a smart ass means options are limited.. I know! Get Gin to almost kill your sorry ass. That's how I do it. Not sure it'll work on you."
She didn't like the idea, but as she thought of how it's been done again and again, she then decided to show appreciation..
Candy: "You're such a fool. A helpful little fool, though."
As thoughts continue about Clark..
Candy: "He's with the BVLGARI, right? I'm sure Sim Gear has the resources and influence to procure such a vessel.."
Showing a small wince, Gary then spoke up confidently//
Gary-D: "Wanna know something?"
Candy: "Shoot."
Gary-D: "I procured the car. Not CK, or any of his loyal work dudes. ME!"
She doesn't know much of Gary as a person, but feels she knows enough to warrant..
Candy: "Hmm? Don't tell me you stole it?"
Gary-D: "I might be resourceful, but I got it legit. Clean. Raced some of them fine machines, running this weekly club of casual clean racing, yo. See this here.."
Presenting a picture from his phone, it shows..
Initially questioning how such a picture can be produced and placed in the man's phone when he's visibly driving the car shown, she instead recognizes said car from Week 32.
Candy: "Oh look, you brought the big purple heist car to race."
Thinking of a quick blast to the past, Gary remarked..
Gary-D: "I'm glad you remember, yo. Paul was mad thankful we grabbed his ass, bee-tee-dubs."
Candy: "Guy rather forget he'd get abducted by Augur, y'know."
Gary-D: "I know. But he ain't here to mope."
Thinking of the car next to it, Candy continued..
Candy: "So, the car?"
Gary-D: "After the race, I got second place, but got mad respect for keeping it clean, dog. CK's like Gary actually did something. Yo, I can do things you won't believe. Quick request later, they happily borrowed me one spare of the car as a token of our cute little tea party. No capping heads. No car jacking. All legit, baby."
He can't be lying, she thought, as she praised..
Candy: "I don't get you, you know. After that, you, useless, is VERY hard to believe."
Gary-D: "Amen."
Then, just arriving, a great femme fatale walks in..
Ginoa: "Oh, magnifique! There you two are."
Gary-D: "Gin? What up?"
Ginoa: "Got a little.. menagerie, on my tail. Give me a minute."
She then walks towards a small nearby alley.
Not long later, a small army then waltzes in said alley, bringing Candy a cause of concern..
Candy: "Should we help her, or.."
Gary-D: "Keep silent, girl. Sit."
Remaining where they were, Candy couldn't contend with the sounds of slicing, screaming and struggle all in one 3 to 4 minute package.
Walking out of the alley with water washed off her clothing, Ginoa then joins the party, sitting with the group..
Ginoa: "Phew. That's what prolonged exposure does to a woman like me. I'm famous in the wrong places."
Candy: "Lucky me.."
Remembering her bounty, she then turns to Candy, asking about..
Ginoa: "So, umm.. tell me.. I hear you actually encountered the Crimson End?"
Candy: "How'd you hear that?"
Ginoa: "Ohh, I don't know.. just that I'm pleased you can beat that bloody maiden to a pulp."
Still fresh from last week, Candy didn't sugarcoat it..
Candy: "I.. uhh.. didn't do it. Augur sent in their own.. monster to deal with her."
Dealing with one of the Trinitia is unheard of, as Gary and Ginoa leans forwards, interested..
Ginoa: "If not the Helwalker.. oh my.. I must meet this person myself. Perhaps they can help me with my own Guild trust issues.."
Candy: "I.. uhh.. wish I knew myself, really (I don't think I want to tell..)."
Gary followed, after checking her vocabulary..
Gary-D: "Check it: why call this fool a monster, girl?"
Candy: "That's what I saw. It was night.."
She looks back to the small Japanese night in the cool valleys of Hokkaido.
And the first thought was Jacob, making use of his newest pet project in the form of the Wolfmother drug..
Candy: "And the person's muscles pumped to an unreal size, as it.. glowed red. Monster, period."
Distressed upon thinking of something akin to a villainous Persona 5 villain's true form, Ginoa grows concerned.
Ginoa: "I'm stressed hearing about a threat like that, Candy.. if a monster like that runs loose.."
Candy: "You and I, Ginnie.."
She continued to sip her cappucino as the BVLGARI makes its entrance..
Gary-D: "Talk about record time."
Putting the car idle and then off, Clark then exits, joining the small band..
Clark: "Looks like you're all settled?"
Gary-D: "For sure, CK. What up?"
He sits as he looks around for a waitress..
Clark: "The LaFerrari's on transit back to the UK. I'll be handling the BVLGARI until my crew's done. Keep your silly little racing club handy, Gary. And Miss Lam? Tell me: how's the car?"
Candy: "It's.. interesting. A work of art, both in and out."
Not wanting a riddle, he striked with a hint of anger.
Clark: "You don't have to be f[BLEEP]ing coy with me, ma'am. Just say you like it, or not. Simple. Well?"
Glanced in intimidation, she spoke back gently..
Candy: "I think having the Vision Gran Turismo tax on is straight up bollocks. But yes: I like it."
Clark: "Cheers, for being a bit more honest with me. Now.."
As Clark wants service, the group noticed a man crawling out of the alley Ginoa was in, wounded and obviously not long left with the trail of blood hinting that.
Ginoa, displeased that she left him to live, instant shoots him square to the head through her built in arm gun.
As he lays instantly dead, Clark commented, also displeased..
Clark: "Jesus f[BLEEP]ing Christ.. That's f[BLEEP]ing you, wasn't it?"
Ginoa: "What can I say? I'm gifted."
Clark: "Then we might as well make our move before anyone starts sniffing their nose that way. We'll find another cafe in another small town if you're in need of a snack."
Gary gets up, saluting and acknowledging..
Gary-D: "Roger freaking that, CK."
Clark: "Though.. I must thank Candy for.. reinvigorating my soul. Even if it was a bitter memory relived."
Candy: "You're welcome? Afraid it wasn't enough, honest.."
Reinforcing her was Ginoa, who had good words..
Ginoa: "Don't be like that! You hit a nerve. A good one, in fact. I'm already proud of you, bebe. Keep going, and I bet you can change this man's heart."
He briefly smirked, but went to his grim look before anyone could notice, explaining..
Clark: "Don't get too f[BLEEP]ing worked up.. you've a long way to go if your mission is fixing me up."
Candy: "I don't doubt that. Though.. who was Dorah like?"
Piercing the bubble of comfort, Ginoa teased..
Ginoa: "Ooohhh.. how very interesting."
In no mood to remain, he quickly described..
Clark: "I remember her as.. sort of shy. Aloof. Likes the wildlife, particularly out in the desert. And hard rock. She's actually Californian."
He stood, and began rambling..
Clark: "Her death's left me a negative impression towards the FIA bastards, and the track racing scum. That I'm sure you already f[BLEEP]ing know, Miss Lam. But my drive never died. Just went towards another road."
Candy: "I see the pieces fall into place very nicely. But the jigsaw's not done yet. You're a tricky.. umm.. bringer of gospels? But I'm more interested on-"
With his tactician's mind, he then predicted..
Clark: "On Cierra, right? You so as much as even find a strand of her hair, just say the word. I WILL send the f[BLEEP]ing hordes. And Gary. He's especially keen on finding our little poppy."
Gary-D: "Finding? Aww shucks.. I miss it when I cross her and she goes berserk."
Clark: "Take care of her, and the Big 3 will be more than ready to help find the old geezer's apprentice. If I know her, she might be finding her way to fuel her need for speed.. and since she knows I control the streets, it might be on track. Her mint new Super License sure came up handy.."
Getting the hint, Candy then processes that.
Candy: "Track? Sounds like a done deal. I'll keep my head out for her. But for now.."
The sounds of sirens crowd the surroundings, necessitating an immediate exit.
Ginoa: "I suggest we split, boys. Alle, alle!"
Clark: "Ughh, this is YOUR fault, you know?"
Ginoa: "It is, but I'm fluent enough in Italian to keep the people away. The police, though.."
She then remembered the first conversation from earlier, seeing Clark's mood ruined further..
Candy: "If you want, we can cut our losses and leave you to the vultures. Got some rope, or.."
Nobody could explain how Ginoa could suddenly roundhouse kick Candy soft enough for her to spin out of control, then get binded from behind, with a blade by her cheek.
She shouted, as anyone should..
Candy: "WAAAAAHHH!! (S-so fast!!)"
While the assailant herself felt betrayed, despite frequent acts of these with Gary..
Ginoa: "C-Candy!! How could you?! How DARE you! You're flying much too close to the sun to assume that, bebe!!"
And as Gary spoke earlier, Clark gave out a chuckle and a smile.
Clark: "Haha.. pissing her off just.. never gets old, don't you think?"
Gary-D: "f[BLEEP] me, dog, I wish that was me.. (DAYUMMM, for sure, that Candy's done good!)"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice and simple, retro themed week with a mix of interesting individuals I've grouped together. Maybe next week (set at Red Bull Ring because I need to progress) we get a randomized lot.
You probably do see Clark Kayne's inner final boss come out, don't you? After a lackluster first try years back, I'm making sure he's getting all the attention in the divine.. or might it be a fanatical light?
You probably do see Clark Kayne's inner final boss come out, don't you? After a lackluster first try years back, I'm making sure he's getting all the attention in the divine.. or might it be a fanatical light?
As the main character, Candy Lam is bound to appear in every segment, be it either as the lead role, or as a small mention.
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
The infamous Sweet Toothed Lone Wolf of Asia, or known worldwide as Le Glace Pacer. While her social presence is significantly poor, her presence on the track hasn't been short of perfection, now under the pressures of being a monetary source of higher powers, as well as her role being the most prime form of woman racers.. But don't let her hear that.
Theme Song: Def Leppard - Bad Actress
Racing Duel Music: Def Leppard - Nine Lives
Gender: Female
Nationality: Hong Kongese
Age: 30
Current occupation: Professional racecar driver
Distinct features: Long, clean, straight ashen hair tied to a ponytail via traditional red braids. A stiff, stoic Asian beauty that starts to show sign of wrinkling, covered by heavy layers of makeup. Thin, rounded diamond face, with various beauty signs of it being worked on unnaturally, especially her unblemished small snub nose, heavily lipsticked mouth and thin brown Asian eyes. Short body with small proportions.
Choice of clothing: Typical modern glossy sleveless Hong Kong dress, but 90% she will have her favorite on, that's in blood red with a white bauhinia pattern on, with matching sandals. Most of her clothes and themes come in red or white.
Cars: Toyota GR Yaris 1st Edition RZ "High Performance", MINI Cooper S, Honda NSX Type R '02, Mazda Demio XD Touring
Even though she's a proud Hong Kongese, Candy is actually born in high society Tokyo, and more exposed to living in a usual Japanese lifestyle. An only child, it was easy to find herself spoiled rotten from a young age, getting what she wants and not caring how it got there, thanks to wealth she inherits strongly. Her father notably was an executive in Toyota's racing division.
A target in her younger ages, Candy's early life was full of trouble from others that are against her being a Hong Kong native in Japan. She never made any friends as a result, and this loner habit of hers remained even after changing schools, going so far to even give her a new alias. While her parents have a strong standing in the society she lived in, she remained in their shadow, because she couldn't find comfort out of it.
Upon reaching her adult days, Candy's first 'milestone' would come when an incident in a high class event caused her to run, leading to a manic police car chase spanning several weeks before she was arrested. The victim of these events would have deep ties with various Yakuza families. While her parents retreated to Hong Kong, Candy stayed in Japanese prison, learning that if nothing needs to come her way, she needs to learn something she initially dreaded to do: manipulate the human mind, a state of thought she was once a victim of.
After her sentence, she regained her freedom, and it didn't take long that was noticed by the city's largest street racing community. Still with her inherited wealth, she started off strong in the streets. Years then pass, in which she eventually proves herself as a top competitor for racing in many top endurance races worldwide.
While her fans are out there in many parts around for being a woman dominating a man's sport, she's not exactly a great social interactor, and is a nobody outside the racing community. With many questions still left unanswered, maybe there are more ulterior motives with the unsanctioned blue MINI project..
Representing a Asian flair within The Big 3, this homebrew London based musician often alternates her dual heritage sides of crazy and insane, shaken, stirred and then blended together in a cocktail nobody wants to have a taste of.
Theme Song: Helloween - Hocus Pocus
Racing Duel Music: TOKYO MACHINE - TURBO
Gender: Female
Nationality: Half British, half Japanese
Age: 22
Current occupation: Radio DJ by day, Nightclub DJ by night
Distinct features: Paler than usual skin tone. Black short-medium bob, but with pink neon highlights. Round topped, but triangular bottomed face. Thin Asian brown eyes, stubby but subtle hooked nose and wide thin mouth. British styled freckles. Blade shaped tongue. Thin and short, but with larger proportions.
Choice of clothing: Never seen without designer wireless headphones on neck. Whatever she wears, it's often sporty and revealing, not to mention how much it emphasizes towards her chest. The most modest she can get on her upper body would be a skin tight singlet that's easy to loosen.
Cars: Nissan CONCEPT 2020 Vision GT, Nissan Silvia K's Dia Selection (S13)
Peigi's grown and still residing in her current birthplace of Hammersmith in central London. Being an only child of her British father and Japanese mother, Peigi's a wild youth who hates being alone, and to keep her company aside her family, she has two different national cultures to play with in her life. This, along with an early young age addiction to stimulating drugs and aphrodisiacs however made her unequally, as mentioned by various witnesses, hyper crazy.
Growing up in international communities, Peigi's known for being a control freak who's often found herself in trouble not for any kind of misdemeanor or rule breaking. It was her incessant, eccentric behavior that's often led her to either become the apex of trouble. She usually finds herself feigning innocence by acting funny or being quick on her thinking. She's only managed to graduate past high school, and the best skills she's acquired in her childhood include talking quick, being a show of enthusiasm, and garnering top grades in musics and drama class.
By day: she's a Radio DJ, but by night, it turns around to her taking to the turn tables at select clubs around London. Often when she's not in a gig, she's out racing in the streets, taking charge of The Mountain Blazers: the UK's top street racing crew of high octane import tuners, under alias as it's anonymous head honcho: The Yama-no-Kami, or The Mountain God. These roots of racing on the streets are unknown, but the skills she's developed stemmed from her days as a serious Junior racing series competitor. There are rumors that something else's been done artificially; being a top tier illegal street racer aged at 22 is bound to set some red flags.
Her psyche may be fragile, and considering what kind of person she is behind the mask, breaking it is a risk nobody is willing to take. Within her peers, family, crewmates and The Cinderella, there's an official list of what not to mention to Peigi, such as certain names in music, society and movies to name a few..
Theme Song: Helloween - Hocus Pocus
Racing Duel Music: TOKYO MACHINE - TURBO
Gender: Female
Nationality: Half British, half Japanese
Age: 22
Current occupation: Radio DJ by day, Nightclub DJ by night
Distinct features: Paler than usual skin tone. Black short-medium bob, but with pink neon highlights. Round topped, but triangular bottomed face. Thin Asian brown eyes, stubby but subtle hooked nose and wide thin mouth. British styled freckles. Blade shaped tongue. Thin and short, but with larger proportions.
Choice of clothing: Never seen without designer wireless headphones on neck. Whatever she wears, it's often sporty and revealing, not to mention how much it emphasizes towards her chest. The most modest she can get on her upper body would be a skin tight singlet that's easy to loosen.
Cars: Nissan CONCEPT 2020 Vision GT, Nissan Silvia K's Dia Selection (S13)
Peigi's grown and still residing in her current birthplace of Hammersmith in central London. Being an only child of her British father and Japanese mother, Peigi's a wild youth who hates being alone, and to keep her company aside her family, she has two different national cultures to play with in her life. This, along with an early young age addiction to stimulating drugs and aphrodisiacs however made her unequally, as mentioned by various witnesses, hyper crazy.
Growing up in international communities, Peigi's known for being a control freak who's often found herself in trouble not for any kind of misdemeanor or rule breaking. It was her incessant, eccentric behavior that's often led her to either become the apex of trouble. She usually finds herself feigning innocence by acting funny or being quick on her thinking. She's only managed to graduate past high school, and the best skills she's acquired in her childhood include talking quick, being a show of enthusiasm, and garnering top grades in musics and drama class.
By day: she's a Radio DJ, but by night, it turns around to her taking to the turn tables at select clubs around London. Often when she's not in a gig, she's out racing in the streets, taking charge of The Mountain Blazers: the UK's top street racing crew of high octane import tuners, under alias as it's anonymous head honcho: The Yama-no-Kami, or The Mountain God. These roots of racing on the streets are unknown, but the skills she's developed stemmed from her days as a serious Junior racing series competitor. There are rumors that something else's been done artificially; being a top tier illegal street racer aged at 22 is bound to set some red flags.
Her psyche may be fragile, and considering what kind of person she is behind the mask, breaking it is a risk nobody is willing to take. Within her peers, family, crewmates and The Cinderella, there's an official list of what not to mention to Peigi, such as certain names in music, society and movies to name a few..
The one odd case of a wannabe gangster turned up to eleven. A hard headed, figuratively and literally, young man whose ties to the international crime syndicate brings him all over the world, with the UK now his latest stop.
Theme Song: Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)
Racing Duel Music: Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop (The Black Cat Crossing mix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 27
Current occupation: Gang leader
Distinct features: Messy medium side fringed brown hair shaped like a bob. Attractive heart shaped face akin to a young popstar. Wrinkled green protruded eyes and small upturned nose. Black birthmark surrounds the left eye in a round circular shape. Caucasian skin. Short and semi-thin.
Choice of clothing: Street themed clothing, leaned more towards comfort, and often hued in his gang's signature purple. Never without his purple cap with his name on it. Various golden jewelleries are observed, but usually isn't there when the moment isn't right.
Cars: Shelby Cobra, Dodge Viper SRT10 (ZBII), Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
While Gary might seem like a pampered child, his 'boys in the hood' Californian ghetto life has been full of challenge. His ambitious actions in the past got him to be betrayed by the closest of family and friends. He was also denied moments of glory and fame, and narrowly escaped death row for a crime he didn't do. But it never meant his exploits remain unnoticed. Deemed useful by a Japan based Chinese investor, Gary got out of prison and started working for him as his top branded muscle... even though that's not the best way to describe the short and skinny gangster. His swift speed would instead be his physical stand out trait.
With his debts done for said investor, Gary-D finds himself in the UK, forcefully exiled after stints involving a large crime family in his home turf of Los Angeles. Just before that, Gary has taken his time to get himself involved in high level street racing, thanks to a certain dark one. His quick reflexes and street smarts means that the sight of his Viper, Cobra or Challenger would be respected. While in the UK, he would make his actions straight with the Kirkham Foundation as their errand boy of sorts, while also helping out new friends and planning his big return to the States. Eventually, he found himself racing in the top street racing leagues as one of the Prophecy's Chosen.
Although he lacks in general smarts, manners and perhaps luck, Gary-D has the reputation as a battle hardened fighter, an even more hardened pervert, and an abnormally great host for leadership. Despite his exile, he's incredibly popular to those exposed to his talents. He's eagerly awaited by many friends and his old gang to make his return to the States.
Theme Song: Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)
Racing Duel Music: Rob Zombie - Never Gonna Stop (The Black Cat Crossing mix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 27
Current occupation: Gang leader
Distinct features: Messy medium side fringed brown hair shaped like a bob. Attractive heart shaped face akin to a young popstar. Wrinkled green protruded eyes and small upturned nose. Black birthmark surrounds the left eye in a round circular shape. Caucasian skin. Short and semi-thin.
Choice of clothing: Street themed clothing, leaned more towards comfort, and often hued in his gang's signature purple. Never without his purple cap with his name on it. Various golden jewelleries are observed, but usually isn't there when the moment isn't right.
Cars: Shelby Cobra, Dodge Viper SRT10 (ZBII), Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
While Gary might seem like a pampered child, his 'boys in the hood' Californian ghetto life has been full of challenge. His ambitious actions in the past got him to be betrayed by the closest of family and friends. He was also denied moments of glory and fame, and narrowly escaped death row for a crime he didn't do. But it never meant his exploits remain unnoticed. Deemed useful by a Japan based Chinese investor, Gary got out of prison and started working for him as his top branded muscle... even though that's not the best way to describe the short and skinny gangster. His swift speed would instead be his physical stand out trait.
With his debts done for said investor, Gary-D finds himself in the UK, forcefully exiled after stints involving a large crime family in his home turf of Los Angeles. Just before that, Gary has taken his time to get himself involved in high level street racing, thanks to a certain dark one. His quick reflexes and street smarts means that the sight of his Viper, Cobra or Challenger would be respected. While in the UK, he would make his actions straight with the Kirkham Foundation as their errand boy of sorts, while also helping out new friends and planning his big return to the States. Eventually, he found himself racing in the top street racing leagues as one of the Prophecy's Chosen.
Although he lacks in general smarts, manners and perhaps luck, Gary-D has the reputation as a battle hardened fighter, an even more hardened pervert, and an abnormally great host for leadership. Despite his exile, he's incredibly popular to those exposed to his talents. He's eagerly awaited by many friends and his old gang to make his return to the States.
An intelligent man who's anger led to better things than just mental help. This figure would be the self recognized leader of the most exclusive and feared street racers within Europe: The Prophecy.
Theme Song: Avenged Sevenfold - Unbound (The Wild Ride)
Racing Duel Music: Slayer - Raining Blood
Gender: Male
Nationality: Welsh
Age: 37
Current occupation: If not a fanatically themed cult leader, a car show host
Distinct features: Short red hair over a short, rounded diamond face. Sharp green eyes, with a hint of red in the whites, as if fury's always present. Tearful eyes, thin nose and small mouth. Average build and height with bright skin, but with a more noticeable muscle built upper body.
Choice of clothing: Top of the line branded clothes and accessories, but nothing out of the quintessential British fashion, including a newsboy cap, long multi layered skin covered articles of fancy fashion, and climbing boots.
Cars: LaFerrari, Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, Ferrari F430, Volkswagen Sambabus Typ 2
Real name: Maximus Davies. Clark Kayne is merely an alias for this Cardiff born orphan. After his abusive family's demise by his hand personally, he was raised in Manchester, and thus met an important figurehead for his life onward: the sole successor of the Kirkham Foundation, who would end up being a legendary 90's era racing youth, and his beloved brother for life.
Nowadays, he's mainly known as the only, then one of the three hosts in slowly uprising car show Sim Gear. But his real portfolio would be as the sole individual that leads The Prophecy: a London based street crew that houses strict teachings and top end performance car culture, once the sole governing entity that dominates all of the UK's street racing.
While a bit of a pugilist, has a bit of a temper and enjoys violence on a minor scale, Clark possesses a great IQ level, and strategizes often for the next move. Aside writing gospels for his exclusive club, Clark finds himself credited for writing scripts and scenarios for Sim Gear, as well as carrying it initially as the sole figurehead while the studio was still getting started.
Also with a leaning towards illegally obtained Ferraris, Clark has the talent to handle whatever car he can reach forth, infamous for running the V12 Hybrid trinity LaFerrari on the roads without incident. Despite this, his racing talents shine only away from the track, due to a past incident he won't let go from that cost him his reputation and potential partner for life.
Theme Song: Avenged Sevenfold - Unbound (The Wild Ride)
Racing Duel Music: Slayer - Raining Blood
Gender: Male
Nationality: Welsh
Age: 37
Current occupation: If not a fanatically themed cult leader, a car show host
Distinct features: Short red hair over a short, rounded diamond face. Sharp green eyes, with a hint of red in the whites, as if fury's always present. Tearful eyes, thin nose and small mouth. Average build and height with bright skin, but with a more noticeable muscle built upper body.
Choice of clothing: Top of the line branded clothes and accessories, but nothing out of the quintessential British fashion, including a newsboy cap, long multi layered skin covered articles of fancy fashion, and climbing boots.
Cars: LaFerrari, Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, Ferrari F430, Volkswagen Sambabus Typ 2
Real name: Maximus Davies. Clark Kayne is merely an alias for this Cardiff born orphan. After his abusive family's demise by his hand personally, he was raised in Manchester, and thus met an important figurehead for his life onward: the sole successor of the Kirkham Foundation, who would end up being a legendary 90's era racing youth, and his beloved brother for life.
Nowadays, he's mainly known as the only, then one of the three hosts in slowly uprising car show Sim Gear. But his real portfolio would be as the sole individual that leads The Prophecy: a London based street crew that houses strict teachings and top end performance car culture, once the sole governing entity that dominates all of the UK's street racing.
While a bit of a pugilist, has a bit of a temper and enjoys violence on a minor scale, Clark possesses a great IQ level, and strategizes often for the next move. Aside writing gospels for his exclusive club, Clark finds himself credited for writing scripts and scenarios for Sim Gear, as well as carrying it initially as the sole figurehead while the studio was still getting started.
Also with a leaning towards illegally obtained Ferraris, Clark has the talent to handle whatever car he can reach forth, infamous for running the V12 Hybrid trinity LaFerrari on the roads without incident. Despite this, his racing talents shine only away from the track, due to a past incident he won't let go from that cost him his reputation and potential partner for life.
As the clock struck 12, her past became a mystery, and what's left of has been shrouded by her persistent pursuees. But as she becomes an integral member of the Big 3, she ventures on to find her hazed past, or perhaps start anew?
Theme Song: Eddie Vedder - Invincible
Racing Duel Music: not yet found
Gender: Female
Nationality: Presumably British
Age: Presumably in her mid 20s
Current occupation: Unknown
Distinct features: Medium, slightly curled burgundy red hair. Straight, angular brows. Diamond shaped face, with an attractive look consisting of a subtle aquiline nose, thin rounded eyes and small mouth. Thin application of makeup, with a notably strong appication of pale red lipstick. While pleasant to look at, her facial expressions are notably exaggerated. Average height and build over pale caucasian skin, but notably fit.
Choice of clothing: Always today's fashion. If she would wear anything usual, they would be locally sourced or given a much fancier look than usual. Normally with a blouse and long pants, wearing raised sandals.
Cars: Nissan Z Performance
The Tales of Cinderella intends to help open her to the world as she dedicates herself to search for her past.. thus this segment is intentionally redacted.
Theme Song: Eddie Vedder - Invincible
Racing Duel Music: not yet found
Gender: Female
Nationality: Presumably British
Age: Presumably in her mid 20s
Current occupation: Unknown
Distinct features: Medium, slightly curled burgundy red hair. Straight, angular brows. Diamond shaped face, with an attractive look consisting of a subtle aquiline nose, thin rounded eyes and small mouth. Thin application of makeup, with a notably strong appication of pale red lipstick. While pleasant to look at, her facial expressions are notably exaggerated. Average height and build over pale caucasian skin, but notably fit.
Choice of clothing: Always today's fashion. If she would wear anything usual, they would be locally sourced or given a much fancier look than usual. Normally with a blouse and long pants, wearing raised sandals.
Cars: Nissan Z Performance
The Tales of Cinderella intends to help open her to the world as she dedicates herself to search for her past.. thus this segment is intentionally redacted.
A technological marvel with a sharp finesse in her life ending work that got her the moniker of the Killer of Killers. Formerly the most sought out assassin for hire, she now lives in refuge under a guise, hoping nobody would find her unless you have a problem and no one else can help..
Theme Song: KMFDM - Professional Killer
Racing Duel Music: KMFDM - Virus (Pestilence Mix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: French
Age: 30
Current occupation: Maid? (obviously in disguise, she's actually the self proclaimed greatest assassin in the world)
Distinct features: Black, medium well combed right side bob. Smooth triangular face. Thin green almond eyes, thin tall nose with wide tip, and narrow mouth. Slight perky, blemished cheeks. Shiny white teeth that seem unnatural (actually bombs). Bright caucasian skin, with average height, weight and proportions. Small creases over arms and legs (actually hidden blades).
Choice of clothing: Your usual frilly maid outfit (definitely not intended). Outside, she's usually wearing a dark colored halterneck blouse/tank top, with black jeans and comfort slippers. Wears a red butterfly clip (actually a hidden knife), a golden set of bangles on her left hand (actually a hidden taser), and a large banded watch on her right (hiding the barrel of a hidden gun in her arm)
Cars: Ferrari F40
Perhaps the most well known member of the Assassin's Guild that serves as the example to not follow for any prospective killer due to her actions of infamy. Taking on a rural upbringing just out in the hillsides of the Pyrenees, this killer to be had a name, and being the only child of a family. Taken by an unknown sickness, her father left the family, forcing her to migrate with her mother to find better pastures. While they found refuge within a millionaire's estate, the man was a predator by the definition, taking his mother to satisfy his pleasures while the lone child would run away finding that truth out with intents to exploit it. Being on the lam by child police and this richman's associates, she learned to not only hate men, but also to hide and survive.
She would then meet one of the very few men she can respect: a Catholic priest who took her in. Informing him of her farmland origins, the christened Gino would come through living on and off the sanctified church grounds, using this time to hone her athletic and martial skills. However, as she came to adulthood, the men in pursuit of her finally caught up, and further her hatred of these people by not only destroying anything she comes to contact with, but also using their influence and wealth to frame her for that act. To get back at these people, Gino would conduct the perfect crime: one she's been planning ever since her arrival. To get this near impossible task done is to help kindle her inner perfectionist, but put her on the most wanted list in the country.
Her escape all the way to the southernmost side of the country got the attention of the Richelieu family, who would massively profit of these crimes indirectly, and thus led to their favor for her. Befriending the profit minded alpha and her wine loving little brother, the once again renamed Ginoa had revenge in her heart, now striking anyone who would exploit the poor, declaring herself a self serving assassin based by the Richelieu's turf. Her most pivotal moment in this career came when she was to bring to the end of an experimental surgeon: the man who would grant her artificial augmentations of her body who apparently was a high ranking member of the Assassin's Guild. This eventual clashing would lead to her joining, as well as the birth of the Trinitia L'Assassina that stemmed from their efficient, effective service.
Within this organization and thanks to the jealousy of the Richelieu matriarch, Ginoa finds herself travelling all over the world, even mastering a roster of languages, but these days finds herself hiding away in the center of Los Angeles, unwilling to step out of this shadow for the amounts of deathly gazes awaiting to end her. She did however learn two more important life lessons thanks to a few close friends, inclusive of The Black Flash, her short gang leader lover and an angry fellow known as The Messiah: vengeance is a strong motivator, and similarly so is love.
Theme Song: KMFDM - Professional Killer
Racing Duel Music: KMFDM - Virus (Pestilence Mix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: French
Age: 30
Current occupation: Maid? (obviously in disguise, she's actually the self proclaimed greatest assassin in the world)
Distinct features: Black, medium well combed right side bob. Smooth triangular face. Thin green almond eyes, thin tall nose with wide tip, and narrow mouth. Slight perky, blemished cheeks. Shiny white teeth that seem unnatural (actually bombs). Bright caucasian skin, with average height, weight and proportions. Small creases over arms and legs (actually hidden blades).
Choice of clothing: Your usual frilly maid outfit (definitely not intended). Outside, she's usually wearing a dark colored halterneck blouse/tank top, with black jeans and comfort slippers. Wears a red butterfly clip (actually a hidden knife), a golden set of bangles on her left hand (actually a hidden taser), and a large banded watch on her right (hiding the barrel of a hidden gun in her arm)
Cars: Ferrari F40
Perhaps the most well known member of the Assassin's Guild that serves as the example to not follow for any prospective killer due to her actions of infamy. Taking on a rural upbringing just out in the hillsides of the Pyrenees, this killer to be had a name, and being the only child of a family. Taken by an unknown sickness, her father left the family, forcing her to migrate with her mother to find better pastures. While they found refuge within a millionaire's estate, the man was a predator by the definition, taking his mother to satisfy his pleasures while the lone child would run away finding that truth out with intents to exploit it. Being on the lam by child police and this richman's associates, she learned to not only hate men, but also to hide and survive.
She would then meet one of the very few men she can respect: a Catholic priest who took her in. Informing him of her farmland origins, the christened Gino would come through living on and off the sanctified church grounds, using this time to hone her athletic and martial skills. However, as she came to adulthood, the men in pursuit of her finally caught up, and further her hatred of these people by not only destroying anything she comes to contact with, but also using their influence and wealth to frame her for that act. To get back at these people, Gino would conduct the perfect crime: one she's been planning ever since her arrival. To get this near impossible task done is to help kindle her inner perfectionist, but put her on the most wanted list in the country.
Her escape all the way to the southernmost side of the country got the attention of the Richelieu family, who would massively profit of these crimes indirectly, and thus led to their favor for her. Befriending the profit minded alpha and her wine loving little brother, the once again renamed Ginoa had revenge in her heart, now striking anyone who would exploit the poor, declaring herself a self serving assassin based by the Richelieu's turf. Her most pivotal moment in this career came when she was to bring to the end of an experimental surgeon: the man who would grant her artificial augmentations of her body who apparently was a high ranking member of the Assassin's Guild. This eventual clashing would lead to her joining, as well as the birth of the Trinitia L'Assassina that stemmed from their efficient, effective service.
Within this organization and thanks to the jealousy of the Richelieu matriarch, Ginoa finds herself travelling all over the world, even mastering a roster of languages, but these days finds herself hiding away in the center of Los Angeles, unwilling to step out of this shadow for the amounts of deathly gazes awaiting to end her. She did however learn two more important life lessons thanks to a few close friends, inclusive of The Black Flash, her short gang leader lover and an angry fellow known as The Messiah: vengeance is a strong motivator, and similarly so is love.
- 28
- South Africa
- atom_bomb1953
Lap 1. 2:06.992
The one advantage the watch has on track is its top speed. 15 miles per hour on the Ford GT and I have it passed into Les Combes and contesting with the Alfa 4C, which I passed soon after. It's at Bruxelles where the understeer becomes apparent. The whole second sector is where you lose the most time and positions. At Pouhon, I ran wide and got passed by the 4C, only to outbrake him into Campus. I have a 3-second gap to the battling group in front of me.
Lap 2. 2:23.643
If you're wondering my strategy, the plan is to 1-stop and use RM tyres all the way. I know from my first attempt that I can do 25 laps in the race and run a 13 lap stint if I don't race too hard. The main threat is Kokobun's Mazda RXV and IGOR's Supra. As for the PooPeelander in the Fezza, passed him on the Kemmel Straight (this will be a trend). I now have a group of 6 cars in front, headed by a battle-damaged NSX. I pass the RC F round the outside of Speaker's, and the M6 into Les Fagnes. Ordonez is a bit more trouble - I brake on the outside line at Campus, and understeer onto the green stuff next turn, conceding to the M6. But the GT-R enormously fat body kills its speed, giving me the outside double pass into Blanchimont. By the end of the lap, Gallo's group have caught up again to the Subaru driven by Hizal.
Lap 3. 2:24.945
If Sophy is not fully implemented in GT8, there will be riots.
At this point, IGOR posts the fastest lap - 2:16.459. It's this pace that makes any strategy outside of one-stopping with the watch unviable.
Lap 4. 2:23.932
I'm right behind Hizal, with the NSX a further 4 seconds ahead. The AI's complete inability to take fast turns gives me the pass out of Raidillon. Getting hounded by the Corvette now.
Lap 5. 2:24.089
Gallo makes a double pass against Kokobun and Miyazano. Again, no Sophy, no... no buy. Still getting nosed by McEwen, I don't care, we beat your ass in the Rugby World Cup, get over it.
Lap 6. 2:28.644
Can you believe I gained nearly 5 seconds against Miyazono? Anyway, here's my first ERA PENAL. Got past Miya, only to get [REDACTED] vortexed by McEwen AND Kawakami!!!! AAAAAND MIYA, FOR [USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST]
Lap 7. 2:25.471
Darkness falls, along with some rain. If you want an idea of how narrow the watch's lights are, look no further. It's a full-forward beam with little ground projection, and that makes all the difference in night driving. There's not enough rain for anyone to switch tyres, so we soldier on.
Lap 8. 2:28.598
Getting past Miyazono puts me in the meme position (6th), but running wide at Pouhon negates that. At least he enters the pits this lap, even though he's running hard tyres and burning fuel at the same rate.
Oh, and IGOR's behind me now (he pits). And my game crashes taking a photo. Fraggin' PS4...
Lap 9. 2:25.666
Third place. Not much to say, there's a gap between Kokobun, me, and Bishop.
Lap 10. 2:26.125
Every time I switch cameras using the touchpad, I press the left part and turn the blinkers on by accident. Lots of cars switched back to slicks behind me - bunch of wusses, tbh. Can't even handle a damp track without using inters.
Lap 11. 2:26.637
Making ground on Kokobun, even with my dying tyres. I have reason to believe the watch uses a V4 engine - it sounds a bit like the 919 below 8000rpm, and just like the prototype, it chews through its front tyres.
Lap 12. 2:37.212 (PIT IN)
With Portilla and Kokobun in the pits, I take the lead. The watch on shredded tyres is a nightmare, and yes, it may be me using a DS4. The only wheel I ever had was a glorified PS3 controller.
Lap 13. 3:10.404 (PIT OUT)
Great thing about this stint is that I can get more life out the tyres on the colder surface.
Lap 14. 2:23.644
Welcome to the "AI slowing down for no reason" phase. I catch up to Kokobun and get within 1 second by Stavelot. This next pass should be easy.
LAAAAP FIFTEEN!
GIVE IT UP FOR LAP FIFTEEN! 2:24.098
Pass Kokobun on the outside of Kemmel for second. If the sunrise doesn't wake him up, that certainly will. (it does.)
Lap 16. 2:23.966
The fight is on. Kokobun tries for a gap in the first two sectors, but he doesn't get one. In my infinite generosity, I decide on running wide at Stavelot and hitting the green stuff to give him the position back.
Too bad he doesn't have the speed to keep it after Blanchimont. I giveth, and I taketh away. I own you, Koko.
Lap 17. 2:25.186
I may not have the pace to catch Portilla, but he still needs to stop one more time. Right now, the focus is on making good pace and keeping the tyres healthy. Assuming it doesn't rain, I will have him by the end.
Lap 18. 2:57.752
...
Lap 19. 3:23.757 (PIT OUT)
Yes, for some divine reason, Portilla - you know, the one driving the 680HP V10 mega-monster leading the race by 20 seconds - does not pit in and loses it everywhere. He even bumps Grady off the track here. Wets for me - the weather map looks like a Mandelbrot set zoomed in. It's so bad, I actually take the lead in the last sector.
Lap 20. 2:47.989
Now that the track is soaked, my worries with the watch now change to keeping the throttle smooth to fight oversteer, and fighting off much faster GT3 cars wearing inters.
Gallo puts up a fight here, but he gets caught up by a Lexus on slicks.
Lap 21. 2:36.548
Rain has stopped, which means one of two things. Either everyone is going to make another stop for slicks at the very end, or they don't and I get baked. Either way, my tyres will get devoured. Kokobun is four, count 'em, FOUR (4) seconds faster than me. I just need to hold on for 3 more laps...
Lap 22. 2:34.914
Kokobun is three seconds up, and three behind me by the end of this lap. Worse still is Gallo sniffing my exhaust fumes directly from the source!
Lap 23. 2:38.710
I have driven this car for over 5 hours, clocked nearly 500 miles on it, and done nothing but complain. But right then, I needed it more than ever. I want to win this race, in this specific car. For the special challenge? I didn't care anymore. I will defend this lead with my life. I will shed blood, I will ruin controllers, I will melt my PS4 if I have too.
Koko must not pass.
Gallo vortexes me.
As I gaze on as Kokobun and his foul Italian brethren sail off into the distance, I ask myself, could I have prevented this? Was my heart in the wrong place? Perhaps I was too harsh on the Bvlgari. It was never up for the task anyway. I have asked too much for what is, in it's purest essence, a setpiece. All I can do now is finish, take consolation in what little money i earned, and start all over again.
Wait.
...ooooohhohoo nononononononono...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Lap 24. 2:40.387, and the win.
Yamanaka was behind me, and even he couldn't keep the fight to unlap himself.
It is done. Five hundred miles across four countries, beating all 4 official grind races. This journey with the Bvlgari has been unlike any other car I have ever driven in the franchise, Would I live it all again? Maybe not. If ever you wanted a car to use for these races, there are several other options to choose from that are either faster, easier to drive, or just more fun. I've rarely had the chance to drive this car stock. So how is it?
Still not good. The Bvlgari has teething issues that not even I, as a player, can solve. It refuses to turn in without a strongly-worded letter from the mafia, and any neutral loading will just make this car understeer. The high and even frequencies make this car suffer in low-speed turns. If you use too much throttle on exit, the V4 will spin the rear axle and goad you into facing the wall. It doesn't feel much slower running on its normal tyres, even with a ten-second defecit in lap time around Spa, and it comes from being too stiff for its own tyres. It is a bare, unpainted setpiece, designed solely to promote a brand of timewear most of us cannot even afford - one that, for the longest time, required the same amount of money to get in-game as a Golden Frying Pan.
Sleeper.
No. This is not some long-winded joke. Yes, it corners like a ungreased tram, and yes, you need to rely on your opponents making fatal errors for you to have a chance at winning anything, but come on, just look at it! It is a high-end analogue watch given wheels down to the finest detail. Brushed aluminium and razor-thin needles surround you when you sit inside. It needs to be a real car, one I would take all the way down the Riviera and back up again. I love it. In fact, I love it so much...
...that I got myself an Australium.
The one advantage the watch has on track is its top speed. 15 miles per hour on the Ford GT and I have it passed into Les Combes and contesting with the Alfa 4C, which I passed soon after. It's at Bruxelles where the understeer becomes apparent. The whole second sector is where you lose the most time and positions. At Pouhon, I ran wide and got passed by the 4C, only to outbrake him into Campus. I have a 3-second gap to the battling group in front of me.
Lap 2. 2:23.643
If you're wondering my strategy, the plan is to 1-stop and use RM tyres all the way. I know from my first attempt that I can do 25 laps in the race and run a 13 lap stint if I don't race too hard. The main threat is Kokobun's Mazda RXV and IGOR's Supra. As for the PooPeelander in the Fezza, passed him on the Kemmel Straight (this will be a trend). I now have a group of 6 cars in front, headed by a battle-damaged NSX. I pass the RC F round the outside of Speaker's, and the M6 into Les Fagnes. Ordonez is a bit more trouble - I brake on the outside line at Campus, and understeer onto the green stuff next turn, conceding to the M6. But the GT-R enormously fat body kills its speed, giving me the outside double pass into Blanchimont. By the end of the lap, Gallo's group have caught up again to the Subaru driven by Hizal.
Lap 3. 2:24.945
If Sophy is not fully implemented in GT8, there will be riots.
At this point, IGOR posts the fastest lap - 2:16.459. It's this pace that makes any strategy outside of one-stopping with the watch unviable.
Lap 4. 2:23.932
I'm right behind Hizal, with the NSX a further 4 seconds ahead. The AI's complete inability to take fast turns gives me the pass out of Raidillon. Getting hounded by the Corvette now.
Lap 5. 2:24.089
Gallo makes a double pass against Kokobun and Miyazano. Again, no Sophy, no... no buy. Still getting nosed by McEwen, I don't care, we beat your ass in the Rugby World Cup, get over it.
Lap 6. 2:28.644
Can you believe I gained nearly 5 seconds against Miyazono? Anyway, here's my first ERA PENAL. Got past Miya, only to get [REDACTED] vortexed by McEwen AND Kawakami!!!! AAAAAND MIYA, FOR [USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST]
Lap 7. 2:25.471
Darkness falls, along with some rain. If you want an idea of how narrow the watch's lights are, look no further. It's a full-forward beam with little ground projection, and that makes all the difference in night driving. There's not enough rain for anyone to switch tyres, so we soldier on.
Lap 8. 2:28.598
Getting past Miyazono puts me in the meme position (6th), but running wide at Pouhon negates that. At least he enters the pits this lap, even though he's running hard tyres and burning fuel at the same rate.
Oh, and IGOR's behind me now (he pits). And my game crashes taking a photo. Fraggin' PS4...
Lap 9. 2:25.666
Third place. Not much to say, there's a gap between Kokobun, me, and Bishop.
Lap 10. 2:26.125
Every time I switch cameras using the touchpad, I press the left part and turn the blinkers on by accident. Lots of cars switched back to slicks behind me - bunch of wusses, tbh. Can't even handle a damp track without using inters.
Lap 11. 2:26.637
Making ground on Kokobun, even with my dying tyres. I have reason to believe the watch uses a V4 engine - it sounds a bit like the 919 below 8000rpm, and just like the prototype, it chews through its front tyres.
Lap 12. 2:37.212 (PIT IN)
With Portilla and Kokobun in the pits, I take the lead. The watch on shredded tyres is a nightmare, and yes, it may be me using a DS4. The only wheel I ever had was a glorified PS3 controller.
Lap 13. 3:10.404 (PIT OUT)
Great thing about this stint is that I can get more life out the tyres on the colder surface.
Lap 14. 2:23.644
Welcome to the "AI slowing down for no reason" phase. I catch up to Kokobun and get within 1 second by Stavelot. This next pass should be easy.
LAAAAP FIFTEEN!
GIVE IT UP FOR LAP FIFTEEN! 2:24.098
Pass Kokobun on the outside of Kemmel for second. If the sunrise doesn't wake him up, that certainly will. (it does.)
Lap 16. 2:23.966
The fight is on. Kokobun tries for a gap in the first two sectors, but he doesn't get one. In my infinite generosity, I decide on running wide at Stavelot and hitting the green stuff to give him the position back.
Too bad he doesn't have the speed to keep it after Blanchimont. I giveth, and I taketh away. I own you, Koko.
Lap 17. 2:25.186
I may not have the pace to catch Portilla, but he still needs to stop one more time. Right now, the focus is on making good pace and keeping the tyres healthy. Assuming it doesn't rain, I will have him by the end.
Lap 18. 2:57.752
...
Lap 19. 3:23.757 (PIT OUT)
Yes, for some divine reason, Portilla - you know, the one driving the 680HP V10 mega-monster leading the race by 20 seconds - does not pit in and loses it everywhere. He even bumps Grady off the track here. Wets for me - the weather map looks like a Mandelbrot set zoomed in. It's so bad, I actually take the lead in the last sector.
Lap 20. 2:47.989
Now that the track is soaked, my worries with the watch now change to keeping the throttle smooth to fight oversteer, and fighting off much faster GT3 cars wearing inters.
Gallo puts up a fight here, but he gets caught up by a Lexus on slicks.
Lap 21. 2:36.548
Rain has stopped, which means one of two things. Either everyone is going to make another stop for slicks at the very end, or they don't and I get baked. Either way, my tyres will get devoured. Kokobun is four, count 'em, FOUR (4) seconds faster than me. I just need to hold on for 3 more laps...
Lap 22. 2:34.914
Kokobun is three seconds up, and three behind me by the end of this lap. Worse still is Gallo sniffing my exhaust fumes directly from the source!
Lap 23. 2:38.710
I have driven this car for over 5 hours, clocked nearly 500 miles on it, and done nothing but complain. But right then, I needed it more than ever. I want to win this race, in this specific car. For the special challenge? I didn't care anymore. I will defend this lead with my life. I will shed blood, I will ruin controllers, I will melt my PS4 if I have too.
Koko must not pass.
Gallo vortexes me.
As I gaze on as Kokobun and his foul Italian brethren sail off into the distance, I ask myself, could I have prevented this? Was my heart in the wrong place? Perhaps I was too harsh on the Bvlgari. It was never up for the task anyway. I have asked too much for what is, in it's purest essence, a setpiece. All I can do now is finish, take consolation in what little money i earned, and start all over again.
Wait.
...ooooohhohoo nononononononono...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Lap 24. 2:40.387, and the win.
Yamanaka was behind me, and even he couldn't keep the fight to unlap himself.
It is done. Five hundred miles across four countries, beating all 4 official grind races. This journey with the Bvlgari has been unlike any other car I have ever driven in the franchise, Would I live it all again? Maybe not. If ever you wanted a car to use for these races, there are several other options to choose from that are either faster, easier to drive, or just more fun. I've rarely had the chance to drive this car stock. So how is it?
Still not good. The Bvlgari has teething issues that not even I, as a player, can solve. It refuses to turn in without a strongly-worded letter from the mafia, and any neutral loading will just make this car understeer. The high and even frequencies make this car suffer in low-speed turns. If you use too much throttle on exit, the V4 will spin the rear axle and goad you into facing the wall. It doesn't feel much slower running on its normal tyres, even with a ten-second defecit in lap time around Spa, and it comes from being too stiff for its own tyres. It is a bare, unpainted setpiece, designed solely to promote a brand of timewear most of us cannot even afford - one that, for the longest time, required the same amount of money to get in-game as a Golden Frying Pan.
Sleeper.
No. This is not some long-winded joke. Yes, it corners like a ungreased tram, and yes, you need to rely on your opponents making fatal errors for you to have a chance at winning anything, but come on, just look at it! It is a high-end analogue watch given wheels down to the finest detail. Brushed aluminium and razor-thin needles surround you when you sit inside. It needs to be a real car, one I would take all the way down the Riviera and back up again. I love it. In fact, I love it so much...
...that I got myself an Australium.
0-100 | 4,133 |
0-160 | 7,133 |
0-200 | 10,266 |
0-250 | 16,166 |
0-300 | 27,816 |
300-0 | 6,183 |
200-0 | 4,35 |
100-0 | 2,05 |
Vmax | 306 |
400m | 11,533 |
@ | 213 |
1000m | 20,25 |
@ | 273 |
100-150 | 2,417 |
Last edited:
- 28
- South Africa
- atom_bomb1953
Anyway, the Swift.
As-Rated.
After two years of irrelevance, it's finally not bad. Honestly, the biggest surprise was finding out that an Edajima Heihachi decal does exist. Give Otokojuku your spare time. It's quite good.
As-Rated.
After two years of irrelevance, it's finally not bad. Honestly, the biggest surprise was finding out that an Edajima Heihachi decal does exist. Give Otokojuku your spare time. It's quite good.
0-100 | 5,05 |
0-160 | 8,75 |
0-200 | 12,9 |
0-250 | 25,934 |
0-300 | - |
300-0 | - |
200-0 | 3,716 |
100-0 | 2 |
Vmax | 263 |
400m | 12,55 |
@ | 197 |
1000m | 22,184 |
@ | 241 |
100-150 | 2,967 |
Last edited:
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
I know last week's Special Challenge was a massive undertaking, and big props to the two who attempted it in full! But who won it in the end...?
Honestly? The fact that they made me work out their total race time at Spa by giving me each individual 24 laps instead of the total race time ought to disqualify @Skyrocket44 outright...
Congratulations to @Vic Reign93 for the spectacular job as always for reaffirming his alien status with us here at COTW! But what's an alien to do with all that mortal human currency...?
Back when we tested this car in GTS COTW, we've found it to be a surprisingly pleasant, if slow, sleeper of a car, and its looks hasn't aged a bit. This coming April however, the car will be discontinued due to market trends shifting towards "nobody buys a sensible and perfectly adequate sedan anymore, give us terrible C and SUVs!" I am of course talking about the beautiful third—and sadly final—generation of the Mazda Atenza/Mazda6, represented in Gran Turismo 7 by the Mazda Atenza Sedan XD L Package '15, and it's been chosen by @Obelisk to feature this week using his recently–won free pick!
Being one of the extremely rare diesel–powered cars in Gran Turismo 7 might not mean much when the car is bone stock, but according to Obelisk, the returning Tuning Shop of GT7 gives the Atenza "MASSIVE TORQUE", which might just be enough to surpass even those of pickup trucks
Those looking for a new light in which to view the Atenza after sampling it in GTS might want to take a look towards Understeer 
For those who'd rather keep the car stock, no worries! Our weekly lobbies and even this week's ~Special Challenge~ will cater to those that would rather their beautiful, yet inconspicuous sedan stays beautiful and inconspicuous. This week's ~Special Challenge~, set by Obelisk himself, is simply to take a bone stock Atenza on Comfort Medium tyres around High Speed Ring Reverse in Time Trial mode, using the Rainy Noon preset. Fastest time wins! Here's a protip: don't rev this thing past 4,500rpm...
Our weekly lobbies are still ongoing, and we'll be racing bone stock Atenzas on its default Comfort Medium tyres on randomly selected tracks for about two hours! The times are Tuesday, 19th March, 10 P.M. CST (Host: Victory_Reign93) and Saturday, 23rd March, 4 P.M. Singapore time (Host: XSquareStickIt). Click the hyperlinks to convert to your time zone, and feel free to add us hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for our lobbies easier!
As usual, we welcome any opinions, stories, photos, videos, or livery showcases of the car here on the thread!
Will the death of the Atenza be mourned or simply forgotten? Let's find out!
EDIT: I just realised this post announcing the Mazda6 is the 666th post on this thread!
| Skyrocket44 | Vic Reign93 | |
| Tokyo | 26:58.395 | 26:21.637 |
| Le Mans | 26:25.297 | 26:14.861 |
| Sard A | 30:26.810 | 30:00.731 |
| Spa | APPROX 61:30 | 61:21.340 |
| TOTAL: | 2h 25:20.502 | 2h 23:58.569 |
Honestly? The fact that they made me work out their total race time at Spa by giving me each individual 24 laps instead of the total race time ought to disqualify @Skyrocket44 outright...
Congratulations to @Vic Reign93 for the spectacular job as always for reaffirming his alien status with us here at COTW! But what's an alien to do with all that mortal human currency...?
Back when we tested this car in GTS COTW, we've found it to be a surprisingly pleasant, if slow, sleeper of a car, and its looks hasn't aged a bit. This coming April however, the car will be discontinued due to market trends shifting towards "nobody buys a sensible and perfectly adequate sedan anymore, give us terrible C and SUVs!" I am of course talking about the beautiful third—and sadly final—generation of the Mazda Atenza/Mazda6, represented in Gran Turismo 7 by the Mazda Atenza Sedan XD L Package '15, and it's been chosen by @Obelisk to feature this week using his recently–won free pick!
Being one of the extremely rare diesel–powered cars in Gran Turismo 7 might not mean much when the car is bone stock, but according to Obelisk, the returning Tuning Shop of GT7 gives the Atenza "MASSIVE TORQUE", which might just be enough to surpass even those of pickup trucks
Those looking for a new light in which to view the Atenza after sampling it in GTS might want to take a look towards Understeer For those who'd rather keep the car stock, no worries! Our weekly lobbies and even this week's ~Special Challenge~ will cater to those that would rather their beautiful, yet inconspicuous sedan stays beautiful and inconspicuous. This week's ~Special Challenge~, set by Obelisk himself, is simply to take a bone stock Atenza on Comfort Medium tyres around High Speed Ring Reverse in Time Trial mode, using the Rainy Noon preset. Fastest time wins! Here's a protip: don't rev this thing past 4,500rpm...
Our weekly lobbies are still ongoing, and we'll be racing bone stock Atenzas on its default Comfort Medium tyres on randomly selected tracks for about two hours! The times are Tuesday, 19th March, 10 P.M. CST (Host: Victory_Reign93) and Saturday, 23rd March, 4 P.M. Singapore time (Host: XSquareStickIt). Click the hyperlinks to convert to your time zone, and feel free to add us hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for our lobbies easier!
As usual, we welcome any opinions, stories, photos, videos, or livery showcases of the car here on the thread!
Will the death of the Atenza be mourned or simply forgotten? Let's find out!
EDIT: I just realised this post announcing the Mazda6 is the 666th post on this thread!
Last edited:
- 3,866
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
Ughh, we're going to run out of Mazdas by the year's end, and honestly, along with these people getting their Wonka golden tickets (even though yes I do have one)..
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
When (and not if) we run out of Mazdas in GT7, I'm going to probe @Obelisk to revive the FH5 COTW thread to finish testing all the Mazdas over there
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
The BVLGARI Aluminium Vision Gran Turismo is so, so close to being everything a VGT car ought to be.
Vision Gran Turismo cars are cars made specifically for the Gran Turismo games, and thus are almost always exclusive to the GT series. One would expect then, that these bespoke creations would be highlights and selling points of the franchise, but on the contrary, their high price tags, lack of customisability, and oftentimes wonky handling mean that they're among the most useless and reviled cars in the game. Winding the clock back on these traditions however, the BVLGARI Aluminium VGT seems tailor–made to tick (and tock) all the relevant GT7 boxes: it looks good, drives okay, isn't unrealistically fast, has a roofless Barchetta body style that is sure to be a hit with VR users, and most importantly to me, is eligible for all four of the game's big money–making events, completely trivialising the WTC600 and WTC700 events with its racecar–rivalling fuel economy. Just the fact that it can very quickly and easily make back its 1 million credit asking price is enough for me to recommend it on its own, but that's hardly where the good news ends for the Bulgari!
I've had my scepticism on whether a fashion brand could actually make a car drive well, but upon first laying eyes on the car, I can't help but to feel like they've got it more right than most modern car makers! There's none of the bloat, power creep, awful touchscreens, or thick A–pillars that plague modern cars with the Aluminium VGT, and it's so refreshing to see the creative liberty offered by the VGT programme used not to create something childish and useless like a laser propelled origami or a Mars Rover with no rendered interior, but instead to actually create a pure driving machine free of modern day safety and emissions regulations. It even sports hidden headlights! In 2024! There's no logical reason for those, but it's just so cool! That in itself ought to make the car an instant darling to most car lovers, even if the illuminated area by the centre headlights are woeful at best.
Unfortunately, as with most things pertaining to fashion, the Bulgari does trade in some practicality for style, and those that have attempted Week 48's Special Challenge will probably tell you, the centre mounted, sheathed headlights of the Bulgari, while exceedingly cool, illuminates only a narrow area intensely, leaving very little peripheral visibility. For a car with "Vision" in its name, it gives the driver surprisingly little in the black of night. Here's the fashionable Aluminium VGT and a similarly stylish, but also very practical Mazda3 Gr.4 sat in the same spot of Bathurst's pit lane, and you can see for yourself just how bad the laser pointer of a headlight is on the Bulgari:
While the headlights may compromise practicality for style, the brake lights are just outright stupid. Like most modern cars, the Aluminium VGT comes with three brake lights, two to the sides, and one high mount light in the centre, nestled in a valley between the roll hoops. The problem is that someone in their infinite wisdom and/or artistic trip also decided to make the rear wing double as a flip–up airbrake, which completely blocks out the middle brake light the very moment the brakes are applied. I can't... I don't even have a witty remark about that. Did anyone playtest this at all? How did anyone greenlight these brake lights? Airbrakes and active wings are hardly a new thing in this industry, you know?
(Cough) Anyway, in keeping with the trend of subtle style, the stats on the Bulgari are modest, but extremely capable, producing 394HP (294kW) from a naturally aspirated engine, although its cylinder count, arrangement, and displacement are all left a complete mystery. Despite revving to a heady 9,500rpm, this mystery engine has such healthy mid–range torque that it feels as if there's a small turbo or motor helping it breathe down low. That miracle engine is strapped midships, driving the rear wheels via a flappy paddle 7–speed gearbox. That well oiled clockwork of a drivetrain alone would ensure any production car today would be pretty brisk, but this roofless package weighs in lighter than most ND Roadster grades at a nice and even 1,000kg (2,205lbs), making sure that time truly flies with the Bulgari.
Those numbers might look unassuming, especially by VGT standards, but it's only when the car is ran alongside very stiff competition that the sheer speed of the Bulgari creeps into one's consciousness, like the merciless, indifferent march of time. On the track, any semblance of modesty and restraint is completely lost when the Aluminium VGT effortlessly outruns a Suzuki VGT despite the Suzuki having more power, less mass, a hybrid system, and gripper Sports Soft tyres, or when it casually embarrasses a Ferrari 458 no problem. It also fought a higher rated 992 GT3 RS on equal footing, and it's capable of overwhelming slicks–shod Gr.4 racecars around a relatively tight track like Laguna Seca! Throughout the week, I simply couldn't find anything within reason to compare against the Bulgari's on–track capabilities, and that's only taking into account its raw pace; the Bulgari also has racecar levels of fuel efficiency thanks to its lightness: it has more than enough mileage in one full tank for an easy no–stop around the Tokyo grind race, completely trivialising the event, and can do 8 laps and change flat out around Sard A's grind race as well, making it viable in the 800PP event despite being almost a whole hundred PP below said limit on Racing Soft tyres.
Time tells no lies, and the Bulgari is undisputedly quick around any racetrack. It's just... driving it is a pain, personally, and that holds doubly true for anyone else I happen to collect with me as I wreck the extremely nervous Bulgari on the track. First things first: the Bulgari comes with incredibly skinny tyres. Of course, the game doesn't provide us the exact section width of these massive 22–inch steamrollers, but these tyres look like they were sized for style first and performance second, and bafflingly for an RMR car, don't appear to be staggered front to rear. Even for a car as light as the Aluminium VGT, the grip that these skinny Sport Hard tyres provide is extremely lacking for the speeds that this thing is capable of. A car can have many problems and imperfections, but to say that it has terrible tyres is kind of like saying the face of a watch is really opaque... it's a real discussion ender.
The most immediate of the litany of problems arising from the lack of grip is the time it takes the Bulgari to stop, better measured with a sundial than a stopwatch. The suspension setup, as already noted by many before me, is incredibly stiff: stiffer than most Gr.4 racecars, and so there's little to no pitch and roll to load up these skinny road legal tyres to dig any grip out of them, not to mention making the Aluminium VGT jump across several time zones when hitting kerbs. The final screw in the case of the Aluminium VGT is the Limited Slip Differential in this car: I've found that whoever is in charge of giving fictional cars their default LSD values at PD, such as the Genesis X GR3 and the Mazda Roadster NR-A*, really, really likes setting the differential to be stupidly tight, resulting in an extremely nervous and snappy car that struggles immensely with understeer one moment, and then snaps suddenly to oversteer when the front grip overwhelms the rears. These cars are also a bloody disaster around kerb jumps like the Inner Loop of Watkins Glen necessitates, and completely trip over themselves navigating corners with sharp elevation changes like the Corkscrew of Laguna Seca. It can't put down power at all out of turns, while ALSO wearing out the rear tyres in no time at all with the incessant slipping and snapping of the rear. While overall tyre longevity is good thanks to the Aluminium VGT's light weight, the disparity between the front and rear tyre life is so bad that I'm forced to run a front -3 Brake Balance just to even out the tyre wear front to rear. Fitting a differential as tightly binding as that to a sports car is like asking an athlete to run with both their shoes tied together, and I really don't understand why the diff needs to be this tight in a car that has such stiff suspension and minimal lateral load shifts. It feels set up to drift or something, and one always needs a quick flash of counter steer primed at the ready when taking corners in the Bulgari. In a smaller, much slower car with communicative Comfort tyres like the Roadster, sure, it's fun. It might even be quicker to slide around. In a car that does speeds greatly exceeding those of Gr.4 racers, and with horrible Sports tyres that let go so much quicker at their limits? Yeah, ain't nobody got time for dat!
*I'm aware the Roadster NR-A is a real car, but I don't believe they actually scanned a real one for the game.
Oh, and by the way, aside from tyres, power, mass, and brake balance, nothing else about the driving dynamics of the Aluminium VGT can be changed; not the suspension setup, not the LSD, not the downforce, and certainly no wide bodies to give fatter tyres. And this is the part that perplexes me to no end: with other VGT cars, one could maybe argue that the way those drive is the automaker's adamant vision, and out of respect for their business partners, PD disallows us players to mess with the setups. But why would the Bulgari be similarly restricted like that? At the risk of sounding completely disrespectful, does the bloke who drew up the Aluminium VGT as a styling exercise even know what a diff is? Would they really mind if we tweaked it to make the car suit us better? It doesn't even change the look of the car! If I buy a $5,000 watch from Bulgari, are they not even going to let me adjust the strap length to fit my wrist, or change the time to match my time zone? This is just inexcusably dumb, and it holds a deeply flawed car with so much potential back from ever realising any of it.
The BVLGARI Aluminium VGT may be one of the most useful VGT cars that's easy to recommend in GT7 for its money–making capabilities, but that's a niche that's so specific to GT7, and I fear that its flaws will persist much longer than its strengths when it comes time to transition into a later game. That is to say that, ironically for a car inspired by a classic chronograph, I have a feeling that the Aluminium VGT isn't a car that time will be particularly kind to.
Vision Gran Turismo cars are cars made specifically for the Gran Turismo games, and thus are almost always exclusive to the GT series. One would expect then, that these bespoke creations would be highlights and selling points of the franchise, but on the contrary, their high price tags, lack of customisability, and oftentimes wonky handling mean that they're among the most useless and reviled cars in the game. Winding the clock back on these traditions however, the BVLGARI Aluminium VGT seems tailor–made to tick (and tock) all the relevant GT7 boxes: it looks good, drives okay, isn't unrealistically fast, has a roofless Barchetta body style that is sure to be a hit with VR users, and most importantly to me, is eligible for all four of the game's big money–making events, completely trivialising the WTC600 and WTC700 events with its racecar–rivalling fuel economy. Just the fact that it can very quickly and easily make back its 1 million credit asking price is enough for me to recommend it on its own, but that's hardly where the good news ends for the Bulgari!
I've had my scepticism on whether a fashion brand could actually make a car drive well, but upon first laying eyes on the car, I can't help but to feel like they've got it more right than most modern car makers! There's none of the bloat, power creep, awful touchscreens, or thick A–pillars that plague modern cars with the Aluminium VGT, and it's so refreshing to see the creative liberty offered by the VGT programme used not to create something childish and useless like a laser propelled origami or a Mars Rover with no rendered interior, but instead to actually create a pure driving machine free of modern day safety and emissions regulations. It even sports hidden headlights! In 2024! There's no logical reason for those, but it's just so cool! That in itself ought to make the car an instant darling to most car lovers, even if the illuminated area by the centre headlights are woeful at best.
Unfortunately, as with most things pertaining to fashion, the Bulgari does trade in some practicality for style, and those that have attempted Week 48's Special Challenge will probably tell you, the centre mounted, sheathed headlights of the Bulgari, while exceedingly cool, illuminates only a narrow area intensely, leaving very little peripheral visibility. For a car with "Vision" in its name, it gives the driver surprisingly little in the black of night. Here's the fashionable Aluminium VGT and a similarly stylish, but also very practical Mazda3 Gr.4 sat in the same spot of Bathurst's pit lane, and you can see for yourself just how bad the laser pointer of a headlight is on the Bulgari:
BVLGARI Aluminium VGT:
Mazda3 Gr.4:
Mazda3 Gr.4:
While the headlights may compromise practicality for style, the brake lights are just outright stupid. Like most modern cars, the Aluminium VGT comes with three brake lights, two to the sides, and one high mount light in the centre, nestled in a valley between the roll hoops. The problem is that someone in their infinite wisdom and/or artistic trip also decided to make the rear wing double as a flip–up airbrake, which completely blocks out the middle brake light the very moment the brakes are applied. I can't... I don't even have a witty remark about that. Did anyone playtest this at all? How did anyone greenlight these brake lights? Airbrakes and active wings are hardly a new thing in this industry, you know?
(Cough) Anyway, in keeping with the trend of subtle style, the stats on the Bulgari are modest, but extremely capable, producing 394HP (294kW) from a naturally aspirated engine, although its cylinder count, arrangement, and displacement are all left a complete mystery. Despite revving to a heady 9,500rpm, this mystery engine has such healthy mid–range torque that it feels as if there's a small turbo or motor helping it breathe down low. That miracle engine is strapped midships, driving the rear wheels via a flappy paddle 7–speed gearbox. That well oiled clockwork of a drivetrain alone would ensure any production car today would be pretty brisk, but this roofless package weighs in lighter than most ND Roadster grades at a nice and even 1,000kg (2,205lbs), making sure that time truly flies with the Bulgari.
Those numbers might look unassuming, especially by VGT standards, but it's only when the car is ran alongside very stiff competition that the sheer speed of the Bulgari creeps into one's consciousness, like the merciless, indifferent march of time. On the track, any semblance of modesty and restraint is completely lost when the Aluminium VGT effortlessly outruns a Suzuki VGT despite the Suzuki having more power, less mass, a hybrid system, and gripper Sports Soft tyres, or when it casually embarrasses a Ferrari 458 no problem. It also fought a higher rated 992 GT3 RS on equal footing, and it's capable of overwhelming slicks–shod Gr.4 racecars around a relatively tight track like Laguna Seca! Throughout the week, I simply couldn't find anything within reason to compare against the Bulgari's on–track capabilities, and that's only taking into account its raw pace; the Bulgari also has racecar levels of fuel efficiency thanks to its lightness: it has more than enough mileage in one full tank for an easy no–stop around the Tokyo grind race, completely trivialising the event, and can do 8 laps and change flat out around Sard A's grind race as well, making it viable in the 800PP event despite being almost a whole hundred PP below said limit on Racing Soft tyres.
Time tells no lies, and the Bulgari is undisputedly quick around any racetrack. It's just... driving it is a pain, personally, and that holds doubly true for anyone else I happen to collect with me as I wreck the extremely nervous Bulgari on the track. First things first: the Bulgari comes with incredibly skinny tyres. Of course, the game doesn't provide us the exact section width of these massive 22–inch steamrollers, but these tyres look like they were sized for style first and performance second, and bafflingly for an RMR car, don't appear to be staggered front to rear. Even for a car as light as the Aluminium VGT, the grip that these skinny Sport Hard tyres provide is extremely lacking for the speeds that this thing is capable of. A car can have many problems and imperfections, but to say that it has terrible tyres is kind of like saying the face of a watch is really opaque... it's a real discussion ender.
The most immediate of the litany of problems arising from the lack of grip is the time it takes the Bulgari to stop, better measured with a sundial than a stopwatch. The suspension setup, as already noted by many before me, is incredibly stiff: stiffer than most Gr.4 racecars, and so there's little to no pitch and roll to load up these skinny road legal tyres to dig any grip out of them, not to mention making the Aluminium VGT jump across several time zones when hitting kerbs. The final screw in the case of the Aluminium VGT is the Limited Slip Differential in this car: I've found that whoever is in charge of giving fictional cars their default LSD values at PD, such as the Genesis X GR3 and the Mazda Roadster NR-A*, really, really likes setting the differential to be stupidly tight, resulting in an extremely nervous and snappy car that struggles immensely with understeer one moment, and then snaps suddenly to oversteer when the front grip overwhelms the rears. These cars are also a bloody disaster around kerb jumps like the Inner Loop of Watkins Glen necessitates, and completely trip over themselves navigating corners with sharp elevation changes like the Corkscrew of Laguna Seca. It can't put down power at all out of turns, while ALSO wearing out the rear tyres in no time at all with the incessant slipping and snapping of the rear. While overall tyre longevity is good thanks to the Aluminium VGT's light weight, the disparity between the front and rear tyre life is so bad that I'm forced to run a front -3 Brake Balance just to even out the tyre wear front to rear. Fitting a differential as tightly binding as that to a sports car is like asking an athlete to run with both their shoes tied together, and I really don't understand why the diff needs to be this tight in a car that has such stiff suspension and minimal lateral load shifts. It feels set up to drift or something, and one always needs a quick flash of counter steer primed at the ready when taking corners in the Bulgari. In a smaller, much slower car with communicative Comfort tyres like the Roadster, sure, it's fun. It might even be quicker to slide around. In a car that does speeds greatly exceeding those of Gr.4 racers, and with horrible Sports tyres that let go so much quicker at their limits? Yeah, ain't nobody got time for dat!
*I'm aware the Roadster NR-A is a real car, but I don't believe they actually scanned a real one for the game.
Oh, and by the way, aside from tyres, power, mass, and brake balance, nothing else about the driving dynamics of the Aluminium VGT can be changed; not the suspension setup, not the LSD, not the downforce, and certainly no wide bodies to give fatter tyres. And this is the part that perplexes me to no end: with other VGT cars, one could maybe argue that the way those drive is the automaker's adamant vision, and out of respect for their business partners, PD disallows us players to mess with the setups. But why would the Bulgari be similarly restricted like that? At the risk of sounding completely disrespectful, does the bloke who drew up the Aluminium VGT as a styling exercise even know what a diff is? Would they really mind if we tweaked it to make the car suit us better? It doesn't even change the look of the car! If I buy a $5,000 watch from Bulgari, are they not even going to let me adjust the strap length to fit my wrist, or change the time to match my time zone? This is just inexcusably dumb, and it holds a deeply flawed car with so much potential back from ever realising any of it.
The BVLGARI Aluminium VGT may be one of the most useful VGT cars that's easy to recommend in GT7 for its money–making capabilities, but that's a niche that's so specific to GT7, and I fear that its flaws will persist much longer than its strengths when it comes time to transition into a later game. That is to say that, ironically for a car inspired by a classic chronograph, I have a feeling that the Aluminium VGT isn't a car that time will be particularly kind to.
- 2,192
- The failed experiment entitled “California”.
The BVLGARI Aluminium Vision Gran Turismo is so, so close to being everything a VGT car ought to be.
Vision Gran Turismo cars are cars made specifically for the Gran Turismo games, and thus are almost always exclusive to the GT series. One would expect then, that these bespoke creations would be highlights and selling points of the franchise, but on the contrary, their high price tags, lack of customisability, and oftentimes wonky handling mean that they're among the most useless and reviled cars in the game. Winding the clock back on these traditions however, the BVLGARI Aluminium VGT seems tailor–made to tick (and tock) all the relevant GT7 boxes: it looks good, drives okay, isn't unrealistically fast, has a roofless Barchetta body style that is sure to be a hit with VR users, and most importantly to me, is eligible for all four of the game's big money–making events, completely trivialising the WTC600 and WTC700 events with its racecar–rivalling fuel economy. Just the fact that it can very quickly and easily make back its 1 million credit asking price is enough for me to recommend it on its own, but that's hardly where the good news ends for the Bulgari!
I've had my scepticism on whether a fashion brand could actually make a car drive well, but upon first laying eyes on the car, I can't help but to feel like they've got it more right than most modern car makers! There's none of the bloat, power creep, awful touchscreens, or thick A–pillars that plague modern cars with the Aluminium VGT, and it's so refreshing to see the creative liberty offered by the VGT programme used not to create something childish and useless like a laser propelled origami or a Mars Rover with no rendered interior, but instead to actually create a pure driving machine free of modern day safety and emissions regulations. It even sports hidden headlights! In 2024! There's no logical reason for those, but it's just so cool! That in itself ought to make the car an instant darling to most car lovers, even if the illuminated area by the centre headlights are woeful at best.
Unfortunately, as with most things pertaining to fashion, the Bulgari does trade in some practicality for style, and those that have attempted Week 48's Special Challenge will probably tell you, the centre mounted, sheathed headlights of the Bulgari, while exceedingly cool, illuminates only a narrow area intensely, leaving very little peripheral visibility. For a car with "Vision" in its name, it gives the driver surprisingly little in the black of night. Here's the fashionable Aluminium VGT and a similarly stylish, but also very practical Mazda3 Gr.4 sat in the same spot of Bathurst's pit lane, and you can see for yourself just how bad the laser pointer of a headlight is on the Bulgari:
BVLGARI Aluminium VGT:
Mazda3 Gr.4:
While the headlights may compromise practicality for style, the brake lights are just outright stupid. Like most modern cars, the Aluminium VGT comes with three brake lights, two to the sides, and one high mount light in the centre, nestled in a valley between the roll hoops. The problem is that someone in their infinite wisdom and/or artistic trip also decided to make the rear wing double as a flip–up airbrake, which completely blocks out the middle brake light the very moment the brakes are applied. I can't... I don't even have a witty remark about that. Did anyone playtest this at all? How did anyone greenlight these brake lights? Airbrakes and active wings are hardly a new thing in this industry, you know?
(Cough) Anyway, in keeping with the trend of subtle style, the stats on the Bulgari are modest, but extremely capable, producing 394HP (294kW) from a naturally aspirated engine, although its cylinder count, arrangement, and displacement are all left a complete mystery. Despite revving to a heady 9,500rpm, this mystery engine has such healthy mid–range torque that it feels as if there's a small turbo or motor helping it breathe down low. That miracle engine is strapped midships, driving the rear wheels via a flappy paddle 7–speed gearbox. That well oiled clockwork of a drivetrain alone would ensure any production car today would be pretty brisk, but this roofless package weighs in lighter than most ND Roadster grades at a nice and even 1,000kg (2,205lbs), making sure that time truly flies with the Bulgari.
Those numbers might look unassuming, especially by VGT standards, but it's only when the car is ran alongside very stiff competition that the sheer speed of the Bulgari creeps into one's consciousness, like the merciless, indifferent march of time. On the track, any semblance of modesty and restraint is completely lost when the Aluminium VGT effortlessly outruns a Suzuki VGT despite the Suzuki having more power, less mass, a hybrid system, and gripper Sports Soft tyres, or when it casually embarrasses a Ferrari 458 no problem. It also fought a higher rated 992 GT3 RS on equal footing, and it's capable of overwhelming slicks–shod Gr.4 racecars around a relatively tight track like Laguna Seca! Throughout the week, I simply couldn't find anything within reason to compare against the Bulgari's on–track capabilities, and that's only taking into account its raw pace; the Bulgari also has racecar levels of fuel efficiency thanks to its lightness: it has more than enough mileage in one full tank for an easy no–stop around the Tokyo grind race, completely trivialising the event, and can do 8 laps and change flat out around Sard A's grind race as well, making it viable in the 800PP event despite being almost a whole hundred PP below said limit on Racing Soft tyres.
Time tells no lies, and the Bulgari is undisputedly quick around any racetrack. It's just... driving it is a pain, personally, and that holds doubly true for anyone else I happen to collect with me as I wreck the extremely nervous Bulgari on the track. First things first: the Bulgari comes with incredibly skinny tyres. Of course, the game doesn't provide us the exact section width of these massive 22–inch steamrollers, but these tyres look like they were sized for style first and performance second, and bafflingly for an RMR car, don't appear to be staggered front to rear. Even for a car as light as the Aluminium VGT, the grip that these skinny Sport Hard tyres provide is extremely lacking for the speeds that this thing is capable of. A car can have many problems and imperfections, but to say that it has terrible tyres is kind of like saying the face of a watch is really opaque... it's a real discussion ender.
The most immediate of the litany of problems arising from the lack of grip is the time it takes the Bulgari to stop, better measured with a sundial than a stopwatch. The suspension setup, as already noted by many before me, is incredibly stiff: stiffer than most Gr.4 racecars, and so there's little to no pitch and roll to load up these skinny road legal tyres to dig any grip out of them, not to mention making the Aluminium VGT jump across several time zones when hitting kerbs. The final screw in the case of the Aluminium VGT is the Limited Slip Differential in this car: I've found that whoever is in charge of giving fictional cars their default LSD values at PD, such as the Genesis X GR3 and the Mazda Roadster NR-A*, really, really likes setting the differential to be stupidly tight, resulting in an extremely nervous and snappy car that struggles immensely with understeer one moment, and then snaps suddenly to oversteer when the front grip overwhelms the rears. These cars are also a bloody disaster around kerb jumps like the Inner Loop of Watkins Glen necessitates, and completely trip over themselves navigating corners with sharp elevation changes like the Corkscrew of Laguna Seca. It can't put down power at all out of turns, while ALSO wearing out the rear tyres in no time at all with the incessant slipping and snapping of the rear. While overall tyre longevity is good thanks to the Aluminium VGT's light weight, the disparity between the front and rear tyre life is so bad that I'm forced to run a front -3 Brake Balance just to even out the tyre wear front to rear. Fitting a differential as tightly binding as that to a sports car is like asking an athlete to run with both their shoes tied together, and I really don't understand why the diff needs to be this tight in a car that has such stiff suspension and minimal lateral load shifts. It feels set up to drift or something, and one always needs a quick flash of counter steer primed at the ready when taking corners in the Bulgari. In a smaller, much slower car with communicative Comfort tyres like the Roadster, sure, it's fun. It might even be quicker to slide around. In a car that does speeds greatly exceeding those of Gr.4 racers, and with horrible Sports tyres that let go so much quicker at their limits? Yeah, ain't nobody got time for dat!
*I'm aware the Roadster NR-A is a real car, but I don't believe they actually scanned a real one for the game.
Oh, and by the way, aside from tyres, power, mass, and brake balance, nothing else about the driving dynamics of the Aluminium VGT can be changed; not the suspension setup, not the LSD, not the downforce, and certainly no wide bodies to give fatter tyres. And this is the part that perplexes me to no end: with other VGT cars, one could maybe argue that the way those drive is the automaker's adamant vision, and out of respect for their business partners, PD disallows us players to mess with the setups. But why would the Bulgari be similarly restricted like that? At the risk of sounding completely disrespectful, does the bloke who drew up the Aluminium VGT as a styling exercise even know what a diff is? Would they really mind if we tweaked it to make the car suit us better? It doesn't even change the look of the car! If I buy a $5,000 watch from Bulgari, are they not even going to let me adjust the strap length to fit my wrist, or change the time to match my time zone? This is just inexcusably dumb, and it holds a deeply flawed car with so much potential back from ever realising any of it.
The BVLGARI Aluminium VGT may be one of the most useful VGT cars that's easy to recommend in GT7 for its money–making capabilities, but that's a niche that's so specific to GT7, and I fear that its flaws will persist much longer than its strengths when it comes time to transition into a later game. That is to say that, ironically for a car inspired by a classic chronograph, I have a feeling that the Aluminium VGT isn't a car that time will be particularly kind to.
Just because I know what you had to go through to get that pit lane picture, how cool is it watching the air hoses twist as they load up with air when they activate the tanks!? Polyphony’s attention to details that will never get noticed amazes me
- 28
- South Africa
- atom_bomb1953
I have a replay, open and shared for your viewing pleasure. And now, my attempt at getting next week's nom.
Last edited:
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
I go through a list of our regulars in a (roughly) alphabetical order, and sometimes free picks and reserved cars come up to disrupt that cycle. You've just been inserted into that cycle 3 weeks ago, so it'd be a while before your turn comes around again.
For what it's worth, though, next week isn't going to feature a Mazda
Also, you might want to do more than one lap. IIRC the game doesn't spawn you far enough back to hit Vmax when crossing the line for your first timed lap, immediately costing you something like 2 tenths.
Obelisk
Premium
- 9,531
- United States
- RMedia_Obelisk
The Atenza is a picture-perfect example of Car Of The Week's core thesis.
In the pursuit of speed, we're always looking past the cars and parts that we feel won't confer any kind of competitive advantage. And for many people, the Atenza is a car to ignore. I don't blame them - it's a noisy, smelly diesel sedan that weighs as much as a GT-R but with a hair over three times less power than one. For daily driving, that's just fine! For serious driving....eeeeh.
But what if I told you that beneath the gorgeous Kodo design language, faux premium interior and behind the grumbly diesel lies a monster waiting to be awakened?
Kudos is slightly out of date on its PP ratings, but it suggests that the nearest peers to the stock Atenza are the twin Toyota AE86s, first gen MX5, the 1988 Silvia Q's, the Prius G we've previously reviewed here, and the twin Porsche 356s. I don't have stock AE86s, nor do I have a stock Silvia Q's. but I do have the rest. So logically, the only good course of action is to mount the headset and take them all for a spin. I've got a track in mind: Lago Maggiore East End, which is a short, technical track with a good mix of cornering speeds.
Of my sample set of cars (Mazda Atenza, Mazda NA MX5, Porsche 356 Speedster, Porsche 356 Coupe, Toyota Prius), the Atenza is the heaviest car. It dwarfs the two Porsches by a literal ton, and its nearest peer (Prius) is still 600 lbs lighter. It also has the highest power output at 172 HP, but the second worst power to weight ratio of the set and the lowest lateral Gs at 0.91 versus the other cars' average of 0.92 to 0.95 Gs. So how does it hold up?
It wasn't even fair to begin with. The Atenza crushed the other cars so resoundingly that it made me think I left a part on the car by accident. I had to check three separate times to make sure I was driving my fully stock car.
Mazda Atenza: 0:59.847
Mazda NA MX5: 1:01.507
Porsche 356 Speedster: 1:02.273
Porsche 356 Carrera: 1:03.243
Toyota Prius: 1:03.332
And on top of that, the Atenza is the smoothest car I've ever driven stock. It was completely, totally and utterly compliant in everything. Even in the few scenarios where it was more likely to get upset (namely, the final turn of East End), it was so manageable that it wasn't really an issue.
On GTS, though, it came equipped with SH rather than CM tyres. Doing the same with the Atenza in GT7 bumps it to a modest 416pp (adjusted to 410pp to account for Kudos discrepancies), which brings it in line with the following cars:
Toyota S-FR '15
Ford Roadster
Mazda Roadster ND (for the purposes of this test, the NR-A has been selected over the ND to give it the best result possible)
Alfa Romeo MiTo
For parity's sake, all cars have been equipped with SH tyres. This, interestingly enough, skews the PP charts heavily towards the Ford Roadster. For this test, we're going to Watkins Glen' short to try and weed out the issues inherent in the cars. Specifically, trying to establish if the Atenza's curb weight is enough of a detriment to mess it up on this track.
Ford: 1:29.200
Mazda NR-A: 1:30.468
Toyota S-FR: 1:30.513
Alfa MiTo: 1:31.086
Mazda Atenza: 1:31.687
Problem #1 with the car: It is a remarkably heavy car. This can be negated with weight reduction, which sees the car's curb weight shaved off by just under 1,000 pounds to a modestly light 2,610 lbs.
Problem 2: It's softly spring and not configured for track-oriented driving in the slightest. Also easily corrected with a new suspension kit and diff/brakes.
This got me curious. If I kept it to Sports: Hard tyres and just focused on handling and weight, how fast could I get the car around Watkins?
Quick reference on parts:
Sports Suspension (fixed)
Sport Brakes + Sport Brake Pads
One-Way LSD
Weight Reduction (all stages)
Increase Rigidity
172 HP / 2610 lbs
And taking this back around Watkins Glen at its new PP rating of 453.85, we get a new PB of 1:28.707.
So what point am I trying to make here? It works great in very low PP (sub-400PP) races stock, and is still entirely serviceable with only platform upgrades at modestly low PPs (sub-475). Why did I say that it's a perfect example of COTW's thesis?
Well...Notice that I've been dodging power upgrades? As it turns out...
This car can produce 667 ft-lbs of torque without ever breaking 350 HP.
It requires skipping out on the High Lift Camshaft and Racing Crankshaft, but given that this car is asphyxiating at those higher RPMs, you don't really need either of those anyways.
Incidentally, setting this car up this way on SH slots it in nicely at 548PP, making it eligible for the handful of Clubman Cup Plus events at that range.
And while opting for the midrange or high range turbo will cut your torque output by a huge margin, the car is still producing substantial torque compared to other cars built to similar specs. For example, a maxed out Atenza on a mid RPM turbo is producing 414 HP and 525 ft-lbs while a stock F-150 (yes, an F150) is producing 411 HP and 434 ft-lbs.
This brings me to what is perhaps the most unique aspect of the Atenza:
Short shifting is mandatory.
With the car being so quick to asphyxiate at higher RPMs, you're forced to short shift to keep the car in its power band. This, while it might sound unpleasant, is actually the car's biggest strength.
Diesels make all their power low on the rev range, and the Atenza needing to short shift means it never builds up enough engine speed to bleed out its gas tank. This means it's possible to no-stop Tokyo 600 (or one-stop with a blisteringly fast pit) with relatively minimal effort. And even with that, it's still more than fast enough to maintain a 2:12.7 average in the later stages of the race. I was able to run a one pit strat, while @XSquareStickIt confirmed that a no stop is entirely on the books with a slightly altered version of my tune and some fuel saving.
Demo video:
What gets me the most about this car is the sheer explosiveness of its acceleration. The 550pp build on Sports: Hard tyres has such potent acceleration out of corners that at the Clubman Cup Plus race at Tsukuba, it jumped the queue and I was able to go side by side with the polesitter on turn 1. At the CCP High Speed Ring race, the Atenza again jumped the queue and wound up first before the first turn.
With a perfect run, the 550pp build is capable of a 400m dash of 12.159 seconds @ 120 MPH. That's fast enough that the NHRA legally requires additional safety equipment to be built into the car. It's also fast enough to land in the top 255 fastest quarter mile times of production cars, just barely beating a Tesla Model 3 and finding itself just behind an Audi TT RS and BMW M240i.
Having that much acceleration on demand pretty much 24/7 is such a powerful tool for the Atenza, and this combined with the fact that it has remarkably good handling and cornering speeds for a sedan (able to keep up with supercars at high speeds BEFORE downforce/aero) that it's a seriously potent car that no one actually seems to be paying attention to. If a 1:02.2 at Tsukuba (in the top 30 road car times, beating out a 991 Turbo and contesting a 458 Italia) doesn't prove how scary this car is, I don't know what will.
On a mid-RPM turbo build (about 411 HP), the car is capable of just about 300 kph under its own power, and a carefully tuned high rpm build could tip it over into 200 MPH territory.
It does have some downsides, with those being how quickly it can asphyxiate and its sheer mass holding it back, but these are downsides that can very easily be mitigated with a little tuning know-how and a quick review of its power curve in the settings sheet.
It is a genuine, terrifying monster and I have no idea how I don't see more of this car everywhere.
- 473
- Singapore
In retrospect, pitting the Atenza against a variety of (mostly) older rear wheel drive car around its PP probably wasn’t the best comparison we could have made. The modern chassis, 4WD and torquey diesel engine would always give the Atenza the upper hand against most RWD cars in its PP bracket.
That being said, when the closest 4WD cars to the Atenza’s PP are the Alphard (20PP higher) and the Lancia Delta (33PP higher), the Atenza and Alphard are quite possibly the joint kings of the sub-400PP bracket.
For those with the ability to drive with MT transmission, the Atenza is a definite sleeper.
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
The 2015 Mazda Atenza Sedan XD L Package is probably one of the saddest looking cars in the game.
Originally a part of Gran Turismo Sport's anorexic car list at launch, the third–generation "GJ" Atenza was arguably only included in the e–sports centric title only to serve as the base for the fictional Atenza Gr.4 and Gr.3 racecars, itself having no real purpose in the barebones single–player campaign even after taking all the updates into account. Being a semi–luxury product, the Atenza's credit–to–performance ratio is understandably horrendous—Its 39,690 Credit asking price will net curious players merely 172HP (128kW) with which to push around 1,600kg (3,527lbs). For just over 2 grand more, players could have a brand spanking new 2014 WRX STi in their garage. To add insult to an old injury, with Mazda officially becoming a business partner of PD, more up–to–date Mazda racecars, namely, the Mazda3 Gr.4 and the RX-Vision GT3 Concept, were added into the game and given very competitive performance via BoP right out of the gate—something neither Atenza racecar got at any point in their existence, and most likely will never get in the future so as not to take the lustre off the newer models.
So, it's March of 2024. The Atenza, now known as the Mazda6 worldwide, is slated to be quietly discontinued in its home market this coming April, and in Gran Turismo 7, the digital Atenza is still not a very compelling buy. It has no engine swap options, no wide bodies, no roll cages, and what little aero parts it does get in GT Auto are mostly ugly, uninspired items that look completely off–the–shelf, frankly ruining this beautiful car. It doesn't even get an Ultra–High RPM turbo to help breathe more life into the ever–important top end if one fancies tuning it. Drive this to GT Café, and you'll get precisely zero people come up to ogle at and lecture you about your own car. Brand Central's sleazy salesman, Martin, even erroneously claims the thing has a 6 speed manual and "Skyactive" Technology... whatever that is. There's just this sense that nobody, from the fans or developers themselves, gives much of a flying hoot about the car, but is such treatment at all deserved?
Taken as–is from the Brand Central, the Atenza can be a very boring drive. After all, with just 172HP and a frankly overkill AWD system to distribute that meagre power to each of its 225/45R19 Comfort Medium tyres, the Atenza won't be threatening any shenanigans, defaulting to very gradual understeer if an overzealous driver overspeeds into a corner, or otherwise asks too much of the Atenza. But, considering that this thing has a tall and heavy diesel block nestled in a chassis with a lopsided weight distribution of 67:37, the fact that it can even manage to be a boring instead of a torrid drive is itself worthy of praise. While the default Comfort Medium tyres do feel a little under specced to deal with the Atenza's sheer heft, the car itself lets go very linearly and with very tactile warnings, and is such a predictable drive at all times even when raced wheel–to–wheel. The supple suspension setup completely soaks up and trivialises notoriously "jumpy" kerbs, such as those on Alsace Test Course, which will bounce the Atenza like a TOMICA in an inflatable bounce party house just once, before settling back down seamlessly into assuring composure, never losing traction with the road at any time. Said stock suspension setup feels right at home even when upgraded to much gripper Sports Hard tyres, too! The 6–Speed flappy paddle gearbox is both quick and satisfyingly smooth, though the gear spacing is a little all over the place for track driving, necessitating revving out 3rd and 4th gears just a bit longer than others. I love that Mazda insists on physical buttons and dials for everything in the car, with the distracting touchscreen optional. My favourite feature however, is the pop–up glass on top of the dashboard onto which vital information, such as instantaneous speed and nav directions, are projected, making sure the driver's eyes never need to veer too far off the road ahead. It's such a useful feature that I'm surprised more cars don't have! It's just seemingly little things like these that reassures me Mazda knows and cares about driving, something I wish were the norm instead of the exception.
I had really pleasant and calming drives in the Atenza throughout the week, even finding myself in a sort of "zone" in the Saturday lobby at Grand Valley and Red Bull Ring, where I feel like I became truly as one with the car, and drove so much better than I usually do as a result. It's so rare that I ever find myself trusting an intuitive car that much to enter that trance, and the fact that RX8 extended his gap to me in both those races I think must mean he found himself in a similar "zone", too. That is to say, the Atenza is one of those mostly faultless cars that can just seemingly melt into the background, letting drivers simply concentrate on battling or simply driving. And that is praise that I'm stingy to give out even to bona–fide racecars.
Mostly faultless. While I can't back this claim up with any numbers, the Atenza's diesel block feels really heavy and sat up high, and it's something that the default Comfort Medium tyres really highlight under trail braking, oftentimes needing the driver to point the car towards an apex before slamming on the brakes if the corner allows for it. While the diesel Atenza drives well, I just can't help but to imagine what the petrol version of the car must feel like to drive. After all, the 2.2L diesel Atenzas suffer a hefty 60 kilo (132lbs) mass handicap to even the larger 2.5L petrol Atenzas. And while on the subject of braking, the Atenza will take a small—but notable nonetheless—moment to plomp down fully onto its front springs when the brakes are applied, which can add some five metres of the braking distance to what would be intuitive. The big one to watch out for however, is braking on downhill switchbacks, as its unladen rear end can get more than a little airy, regardless of tyre compounds.
But of course, the entirety of the above 3 paragraphs is mostly a rehash of my review of the car I wrote back in November of 2022, when we tested the car in GT Sport. So from here on out, allow me to largely rehash Obelisk's review of the car instead, by taking another Atenza of mine to Understeer and seeing what names it can take with it as it sails off into the sunset.
With the full catalogue of parts and works thrown at it on Sports Hard tyres, my Atenza sits at a slightly awkward 582.85PP, falling just shy of the all–important 600PP benchmark. The thing about the PP system though, is that I believe the PP value of a car is calculated with automatic shifting ill–suited for short shift cars, of which the diesel Atenza is the poster child. I believe that's why the stock Atenza completely smashes any car with comparable PP levels, and if shifted optimally, my tuned Atenza can perform at comparable levels to cars natively around 600PP, such as the VX Viper and LFA. Of course, a performance–focused, money–no–object, regs–be–damned tuner car running roughly the same lap times as bone stock supercars really isn't a super big revelation, but I'm willing to bet that no bone stock 600PP car has the fuel efficiency to no–stop the WTC600 Tokyo money–making race
With a Mid–Range RPM Turbo and moderate fuel saving, I was able to no–stop this notoriously stupid race, completely trivialising the chore with a total time of just under 27 minutes, with my lap times in clean air being around the low to mid 2:12 range. For some context, I could barely get a 600PP Alphard with 8 gears to last 6 laps, and finished a lowly fifth. The best part about no–stopping the event is that I didn't even have to race anyone for the win and risk losing the Clean Race Bonus; I just sat behind the AI cars in their slipstream until they disappeared into the pit lane one by one, never to reappear even in my rear view mirrors. That video is probably the most boring one of that race you'll ever watch, but I just wanted to prove that I did it, and show how I did it.
On gripper SS tyres and less powerful brakes, I managed to get my Atenza sitting precisely at 600.00PP, which saw it completely decimate the spicy Clubman Cup+ race at Watkins Glen, taking the lead at the end of lap 2 and giving me almost 2 whole laps to myself to the end of the race. I'm not even good at tuning, as is plenty evident in the video, but it does make for a fun time
In conclusion, the Atenza looks unassuming at best and completely overshadowed at worst, but that subtle beauty hides something that is truly sublime when driven bone stock, and utterly terrifying when its full potential is unleashed. For those in the playerbase lamenting the lack of understated German performance sedans, the Atenza isn't quite that, but I argue comes pretty damn close. After all, it's been stealthily staring the playerbase right in their faces since 2017, and I'm willing to bet most haven't even noticed.
It is a Sleeper in every sense of the word.
Originally a part of Gran Turismo Sport's anorexic car list at launch, the third–generation "GJ" Atenza was arguably only included in the e–sports centric title only to serve as the base for the fictional Atenza Gr.4 and Gr.3 racecars, itself having no real purpose in the barebones single–player campaign even after taking all the updates into account. Being a semi–luxury product, the Atenza's credit–to–performance ratio is understandably horrendous—Its 39,690 Credit asking price will net curious players merely 172HP (128kW) with which to push around 1,600kg (3,527lbs). For just over 2 grand more, players could have a brand spanking new 2014 WRX STi in their garage. To add insult to an old injury, with Mazda officially becoming a business partner of PD, more up–to–date Mazda racecars, namely, the Mazda3 Gr.4 and the RX-Vision GT3 Concept, were added into the game and given very competitive performance via BoP right out of the gate—something neither Atenza racecar got at any point in their existence, and most likely will never get in the future so as not to take the lustre off the newer models.
So, it's March of 2024. The Atenza, now known as the Mazda6 worldwide, is slated to be quietly discontinued in its home market this coming April, and in Gran Turismo 7, the digital Atenza is still not a very compelling buy. It has no engine swap options, no wide bodies, no roll cages, and what little aero parts it does get in GT Auto are mostly ugly, uninspired items that look completely off–the–shelf, frankly ruining this beautiful car. It doesn't even get an Ultra–High RPM turbo to help breathe more life into the ever–important top end if one fancies tuning it. Drive this to GT Café, and you'll get precisely zero people come up to ogle at and lecture you about your own car. Brand Central's sleazy salesman, Martin, even erroneously claims the thing has a 6 speed manual and "Skyactive" Technology... whatever that is. There's just this sense that nobody, from the fans or developers themselves, gives much of a flying hoot about the car, but is such treatment at all deserved?
Taken as–is from the Brand Central, the Atenza can be a very boring drive. After all, with just 172HP and a frankly overkill AWD system to distribute that meagre power to each of its 225/45R19 Comfort Medium tyres, the Atenza won't be threatening any shenanigans, defaulting to very gradual understeer if an overzealous driver overspeeds into a corner, or otherwise asks too much of the Atenza. But, considering that this thing has a tall and heavy diesel block nestled in a chassis with a lopsided weight distribution of 67:37, the fact that it can even manage to be a boring instead of a torrid drive is itself worthy of praise. While the default Comfort Medium tyres do feel a little under specced to deal with the Atenza's sheer heft, the car itself lets go very linearly and with very tactile warnings, and is such a predictable drive at all times even when raced wheel–to–wheel. The supple suspension setup completely soaks up and trivialises notoriously "jumpy" kerbs, such as those on Alsace Test Course, which will bounce the Atenza like a TOMICA in an inflatable bounce party house just once, before settling back down seamlessly into assuring composure, never losing traction with the road at any time. Said stock suspension setup feels right at home even when upgraded to much gripper Sports Hard tyres, too! The 6–Speed flappy paddle gearbox is both quick and satisfyingly smooth, though the gear spacing is a little all over the place for track driving, necessitating revving out 3rd and 4th gears just a bit longer than others. I love that Mazda insists on physical buttons and dials for everything in the car, with the distracting touchscreen optional. My favourite feature however, is the pop–up glass on top of the dashboard onto which vital information, such as instantaneous speed and nav directions, are projected, making sure the driver's eyes never need to veer too far off the road ahead. It's such a useful feature that I'm surprised more cars don't have! It's just seemingly little things like these that reassures me Mazda knows and cares about driving, something I wish were the norm instead of the exception.
I had really pleasant and calming drives in the Atenza throughout the week, even finding myself in a sort of "zone" in the Saturday lobby at Grand Valley and Red Bull Ring, where I feel like I became truly as one with the car, and drove so much better than I usually do as a result. It's so rare that I ever find myself trusting an intuitive car that much to enter that trance, and the fact that RX8 extended his gap to me in both those races I think must mean he found himself in a similar "zone", too. That is to say, the Atenza is one of those mostly faultless cars that can just seemingly melt into the background, letting drivers simply concentrate on battling or simply driving. And that is praise that I'm stingy to give out even to bona–fide racecars.
Mostly faultless. While I can't back this claim up with any numbers, the Atenza's diesel block feels really heavy and sat up high, and it's something that the default Comfort Medium tyres really highlight under trail braking, oftentimes needing the driver to point the car towards an apex before slamming on the brakes if the corner allows for it. While the diesel Atenza drives well, I just can't help but to imagine what the petrol version of the car must feel like to drive. After all, the 2.2L diesel Atenzas suffer a hefty 60 kilo (132lbs) mass handicap to even the larger 2.5L petrol Atenzas. And while on the subject of braking, the Atenza will take a small—but notable nonetheless—moment to plomp down fully onto its front springs when the brakes are applied, which can add some five metres of the braking distance to what would be intuitive. The big one to watch out for however, is braking on downhill switchbacks, as its unladen rear end can get more than a little airy, regardless of tyre compounds.
But of course, the entirety of the above 3 paragraphs is mostly a rehash of my review of the car I wrote back in November of 2022, when we tested the car in GT Sport. So from here on out, allow me to largely rehash Obelisk's review of the car instead, by taking another Atenza of mine to Understeer and seeing what names it can take with it as it sails off into the sunset.
With the full catalogue of parts and works thrown at it on Sports Hard tyres, my Atenza sits at a slightly awkward 582.85PP, falling just shy of the all–important 600PP benchmark. The thing about the PP system though, is that I believe the PP value of a car is calculated with automatic shifting ill–suited for short shift cars, of which the diesel Atenza is the poster child. I believe that's why the stock Atenza completely smashes any car with comparable PP levels, and if shifted optimally, my tuned Atenza can perform at comparable levels to cars natively around 600PP, such as the VX Viper and LFA. Of course, a performance–focused, money–no–object, regs–be–damned tuner car running roughly the same lap times as bone stock supercars really isn't a super big revelation, but I'm willing to bet that no bone stock 600PP car has the fuel efficiency to no–stop the WTC600 Tokyo money–making race
With a Mid–Range RPM Turbo and moderate fuel saving, I was able to no–stop this notoriously stupid race, completely trivialising the chore with a total time of just under 27 minutes, with my lap times in clean air being around the low to mid 2:12 range. For some context, I could barely get a 600PP Alphard with 8 gears to last 6 laps, and finished a lowly fifth. The best part about no–stopping the event is that I didn't even have to race anyone for the win and risk losing the Clean Race Bonus; I just sat behind the AI cars in their slipstream until they disappeared into the pit lane one by one, never to reappear even in my rear view mirrors. That video is probably the most boring one of that race you'll ever watch, but I just wanted to prove that I did it, and show how I did it.
On gripper SS tyres and less powerful brakes, I managed to get my Atenza sitting precisely at 600.00PP, which saw it completely decimate the spicy Clubman Cup+ race at Watkins Glen, taking the lead at the end of lap 2 and giving me almost 2 whole laps to myself to the end of the race. I'm not even good at tuning, as is plenty evident in the video, but it does make for a fun time
In conclusion, the Atenza looks unassuming at best and completely overshadowed at worst, but that subtle beauty hides something that is truly sublime when driven bone stock, and utterly terrifying when its full potential is unleashed. For those in the playerbase lamenting the lack of understated German performance sedans, the Atenza isn't quite that, but I argue comes pretty damn close. After all, it's been stealthily staring the playerbase right in their faces since 2017, and I'm willing to bet most haven't even noticed.
It is a Sleeper in every sense of the word.
- 28
- South Africa
- atom_bomb1953
Let us go back, for a short while, to 2012 - at a time when the RX-8 brapped it's last 'gon, Mazda was undergoing a transition phase. Kodo made it's production debut in the form of a random softover, the NC MX-5 and Axela were stuck in post-facelift limbo and due for replacement, and most important, the ever-illustrious Wankel engine would be phased out due to them burning more oil than Hemel Hempstead. This was to be the start of a new era for Mazda, one without inertia-ridden triangles or giant grins that made Cheshire Cat look like Alex Pereira on a rollercoaster. There was going to be a new look, and a new piece of engine tech that Kogai could shove in everyone's faces as the de facto gimmick of the brand.
And that was Skyactiv.
The whole concept is based on igniting the gas as fast as possible and running ultra-high compression ratios to squeeze more bang out of the new lean mixture than a cryptobro crushing cans. And it worked (as it should) with their then-new Demio humiliating the [REDACTED] out of all the CR-Z's and Aquas while using its battery only keep the air conditioning running. But this was as far as this coal-compressing engine could be taken, so no more MPS models, and just the ND generation of the Roadster to keep things even remotely exciting in Hiroshima. The best we can settle for is to expand this newfangled way of making crankshafts move over to diesel.
Which is what leads us to this, the 2015 Mazda6 in all of its Kodo-samefaced, diesel-powered glory. A car in this game that hearkens back to the time you spent two hours trying to find a decent car in the early-90's dealer in GT4 and landing on the only box you could afford because you didn't have the GT3 save file on your memory card. So if you were expecting a soft, quiet ride that makes you want to set cruise control and forget about racing - well hello, Tokyo speed limit roleplayers. Maybe next time, just have one cop so more dudes can drive their W16 GT-R's at exactly seventy.
As for everyone else, what did you expect? You expect at least to be surprised, given how no talking head in this game sings the Atenza's praises or gives this car the time of day in any menu or race. So will this car be at least worth the two jimnies you could have bought?
Well, you will not believe this, but the Atenza...
...beats the Peugeot 208 in the quarter mile!
Yes, I know everyone else has already called this car a sleeper, but the Big Six is actually the strictest form of sleeper there is! It takes off like a freaking Javelin missile and hauls its 3500-pound hippo posterior to a GTi-edging time, even if the engine runs out of steam faster than an Apex Center heavyweight bout that went past 3 minutes. And unlike every other sleeper in this thread being some obviously-fast car you just didn't spare your attention, nothing about this car even suggests that it's as fast as it is. You don't need me to explain how much tuning potential this car has, going from threatening supercars at Tsukuba to tortoising the Tokyo grind race. I won't lie; the Mazda is a Sleeper, and is a car that should be tried out.
But it's still a normal car. And normal cars aren't meant to be driven the way we do. Everyone in this thread has called this car a sleeper mostly out of how well it tunes up. "Oh, if you run a 600PP version of this car at Tokyo, you can get under twenty-seven minutes with it!" Congratulations! You've just wasted two minutes of your time. In fact, since this race was put into the game for the sole purpose of making money, you're wasting twenty-seven minutes of your time when you could be using this method.
I tried to tune the Atenza for Bathurst. I tried to get a sub-200PP setup so I could smuggle a sub-GT3 tier car into a custom race that pays 420 grand in 11 minutes including restarts. And yes, the Atenza was at roughly the same level as the Demio, but it was too heavy and burned through its nitrous too fast to be as effective in grinding. Plus, you have to actually buy the Atenza, while the Demio can be won in the very first race of this game's godawful career mode.
So back to Square one with this diesel brick. At this point, I could only use this car for fun. Nothing wrong with that.
So say you want to take all your sub-400PP cars and put them in, say, a race to run out of fuel at, let's say now, HSR Reverse. Is the Atenza a drive fun enough to want to drive it for that long?
No.
Instead of one of your big selection of lightweight machines that can get a rise from you in the turns, you elect to use the Atenza. Of course it's powerful and at odds with its supposed rivals, but that only means less time before you're met with this car biggest weakness. The Mazda is just not interesting to turn. It leans all its weight on the lead foot, plays things safe all day with mid-corner understeer, and thanks to its long gearing to compensate for its torque curve, lacks punching power at high speeds.
But enough about Strickland. Even with the Atenza's economy allowing it to drive for over 260 miles, its massive weight combined with the long, full-load turns of HSR means it burns through those durable CM tyres before you reach that number. And it's an agonizing wait before you can refuel - nearly two hours and forty minutes of driving and making the understeer worse, interlaced with one moment of time-attack running with fresh tyres and low fuel. HSR is not the worst place to choose, but there are clearly better tracks for this car.
The Atenza is average. It's a nice little surprise whose presence in the game leaves a footprint the size of Bigfoot's pet ant. It's only here because Mazda wanted in on GT Sport's online racing scene and their midsize saloon was the only thing that could remotely fit the Group GT3/4 bill, only to cast it into the abyss when they realized they had the RX-Vision this whole time. Now it fills the role of the 1983 Honda Ballade, the Toyota Carina, the Skyline GTS-t. It's that car you never even think about buying, and if you do, you end up learning that there is more to it than first seen and YOU THINK I'M DONE WITH THIS REVIEW!?
This is every single Mazda you can get in Gran Turismo 7. And seeing that this thread has started with a Mazda, has Mazda represented more times than any other manufacturer, and the infamous Month of Mazda, I have taken it upon myself to review every last one, so I don't have to ever again.
Let's go.
It's the Squirtle of the starter cars. As-Rated, but if you're looking to grind, then it's a Must-Buy.
You can do literally anything with it. Must-Buy.
It's the NA, but easier to drive. As-Rated, and it's a high rating.
The only reason this car doesn't completely invalidate the Roadster S is because it's 20 kilos heavier. Must-Buy.
The best way to tune a Skyactiv engine is to throw it out and shove a 4-rotor in. Just ask Mad Mike. Sleeper.
Perfect for reliving your Ryosuke fantasies, until you realize that you cannot drive at Mount Haruna. As-Rated.
It's called the RX500 because that's how fast it feels. Sleeper.
It has everything you need in a Mazda, except for everything you want. As-Rated.
Inflation is a [REDACTED]. As-Rated, and it's a pretty good rating.
...okay, maybe we can give this car a week. Sleeper.
THAT WHEEL GAP OOOOH NONONONONO Novelty Buy.
Someone at Mazda must really, really, really want this car to be real. Must-Try.
Out-4WD'd by the Genesis, and out-fuelled by the 458. Name a bigger fall than this. Beater.
As-Rated, bros.
The only reason to use it is to flex your skill. Novelty Buy.
The soundtrack is a tactical advantage. As-Rated.
Nuking Eardrums Since 1991. Must-Buy.
Proof that a car can be so easy to drive that it rolls over into being hard. Barely As-Rated.
Would you like the LM55, but with a worse gearbox, a lower ceiling, and even less time to enjoy the nerfed sound? Beater.
And that was Skyactiv.
The whole concept is based on igniting the gas as fast as possible and running ultra-high compression ratios to squeeze more bang out of the new lean mixture than a cryptobro crushing cans. And it worked (as it should) with their then-new Demio humiliating the [REDACTED] out of all the CR-Z's and Aquas while using its battery only keep the air conditioning running. But this was as far as this coal-compressing engine could be taken, so no more MPS models, and just the ND generation of the Roadster to keep things even remotely exciting in Hiroshima. The best we can settle for is to expand this newfangled way of making crankshafts move over to diesel.
Which is what leads us to this, the 2015 Mazda6 in all of its Kodo-samefaced, diesel-powered glory. A car in this game that hearkens back to the time you spent two hours trying to find a decent car in the early-90's dealer in GT4 and landing on the only box you could afford because you didn't have the GT3 save file on your memory card. So if you were expecting a soft, quiet ride that makes you want to set cruise control and forget about racing - well hello, Tokyo speed limit roleplayers. Maybe next time, just have one cop so more dudes can drive their W16 GT-R's at exactly seventy.
As for everyone else, what did you expect? You expect at least to be surprised, given how no talking head in this game sings the Atenza's praises or gives this car the time of day in any menu or race. So will this car be at least worth the two jimnies you could have bought?
Well, you will not believe this, but the Atenza...
...beats the Peugeot 208 in the quarter mile!
Yes, I know everyone else has already called this car a sleeper, but the Big Six is actually the strictest form of sleeper there is! It takes off like a freaking Javelin missile and hauls its 3500-pound hippo posterior to a GTi-edging time, even if the engine runs out of steam faster than an Apex Center heavyweight bout that went past 3 minutes. And unlike every other sleeper in this thread being some obviously-fast car you just didn't spare your attention, nothing about this car even suggests that it's as fast as it is. You don't need me to explain how much tuning potential this car has, going from threatening supercars at Tsukuba to tortoising the Tokyo grind race. I won't lie; the Mazda is a Sleeper, and is a car that should be tried out.
But it's still a normal car. And normal cars aren't meant to be driven the way we do. Everyone in this thread has called this car a sleeper mostly out of how well it tunes up. "Oh, if you run a 600PP version of this car at Tokyo, you can get under twenty-seven minutes with it!" Congratulations! You've just wasted two minutes of your time. In fact, since this race was put into the game for the sole purpose of making money, you're wasting twenty-seven minutes of your time when you could be using this method.
I tried to tune the Atenza for Bathurst. I tried to get a sub-200PP setup so I could smuggle a sub-GT3 tier car into a custom race that pays 420 grand in 11 minutes including restarts. And yes, the Atenza was at roughly the same level as the Demio, but it was too heavy and burned through its nitrous too fast to be as effective in grinding. Plus, you have to actually buy the Atenza, while the Demio can be won in the very first race of this game's godawful career mode.
So back to Square one with this diesel brick. At this point, I could only use this car for fun. Nothing wrong with that.
So say you want to take all your sub-400PP cars and put them in, say, a race to run out of fuel at, let's say now, HSR Reverse. Is the Atenza a drive fun enough to want to drive it for that long?
No.
Instead of one of your big selection of lightweight machines that can get a rise from you in the turns, you elect to use the Atenza. Of course it's powerful and at odds with its supposed rivals, but that only means less time before you're met with this car biggest weakness. The Mazda is just not interesting to turn. It leans all its weight on the lead foot, plays things safe all day with mid-corner understeer, and thanks to its long gearing to compensate for its torque curve, lacks punching power at high speeds.
But enough about Strickland. Even with the Atenza's economy allowing it to drive for over 260 miles, its massive weight combined with the long, full-load turns of HSR means it burns through those durable CM tyres before you reach that number. And it's an agonizing wait before you can refuel - nearly two hours and forty minutes of driving and making the understeer worse, interlaced with one moment of time-attack running with fresh tyres and low fuel. HSR is not the worst place to choose, but there are clearly better tracks for this car.
The Atenza is average. It's a nice little surprise whose presence in the game leaves a footprint the size of Bigfoot's pet ant. It's only here because Mazda wanted in on GT Sport's online racing scene and their midsize saloon was the only thing that could remotely fit the Group GT3/4 bill, only to cast it into the abyss when they realized they had the RX-Vision this whole time. Now it fills the role of the 1983 Honda Ballade, the Toyota Carina, the Skyline GTS-t. It's that car you never even think about buying, and if you do, you end up learning that there is more to it than first seen and YOU THINK I'M DONE WITH THIS REVIEW!?
This is every single Mazda you can get in Gran Turismo 7. And seeing that this thread has started with a Mazda, has Mazda represented more times than any other manufacturer, and the infamous Month of Mazda, I have taken it upon myself to review every last one, so I don't have to ever again.
Let's go.
It's the Squirtle of the starter cars. As-Rated, but if you're looking to grind, then it's a Must-Buy.
You can do literally anything with it. Must-Buy.
It's the NA, but easier to drive. As-Rated, and it's a high rating.
The only reason this car doesn't completely invalidate the Roadster S is because it's 20 kilos heavier. Must-Buy.
The best way to tune a Skyactiv engine is to throw it out and shove a 4-rotor in. Just ask Mad Mike. Sleeper.
Perfect for reliving your Ryosuke fantasies, until you realize that you cannot drive at Mount Haruna. As-Rated.
It's called the RX500 because that's how fast it feels. Sleeper.
It has everything you need in a Mazda, except for everything you want. As-Rated.
Inflation is a [REDACTED]. As-Rated, and it's a pretty good rating.
...okay, maybe we can give this car a week. Sleeper.
THAT WHEEL GAP OOOOH NONONONONO Novelty Buy.
Someone at Mazda must really, really, really want this car to be real. Must-Try.
Out-4WD'd by the Genesis, and out-fuelled by the 458. Name a bigger fall than this. Beater.
As-Rated, bros.
The only reason to use it is to flex your skill. Novelty Buy.
The soundtrack is a tactical advantage. As-Rated.
Nuking Eardrums Since 1991. Must-Buy.
Proof that a car can be so easy to drive that it rolls over into being hard. Barely As-Rated.
Would you like the LM55, but with a worse gearbox, a lower ceiling, and even less time to enjoy the nerfed sound? Beater.
0-100 | 7,316 |
0-160 | 20,55 |
0-200 | 47,883 |
0-250 | - |
0-300 | - |
300-0 | - |
200-0 | 5,9 |
100-0 | 3,017 |
Vmax | 211 |
400m | 15,216 |
@ | 142 |
1000m | 28,483 |
@ | 178 |
100-150 | 10,05 |
Attachments
Last edited:
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Congratulations to @RX8 Racer for blitzing yet another ~Special Challenge!~ with a FL of 1:46.176! (Do not make a dirty joke about his Itasha girl being wet and fast... DO NOT make a dirty joke about his Itasha girl being wet and fast...!)
As we begin the last week of March, GT7 COTW is approaching its first birthday! Let's not let the fact that we're getting the Toyota TS020 take any of the spotlight off of us, alright? Uh, guys? Guys...?
We've tested Kei cars, classic cars, Pikes Peak monsters, sanctioned racecars, and even an Ambulance, but you know what we haven't had all year? A Double Feature!!
As reserved by @Obelisk a few months back, we're featuring BOTH of the pickup trucks in this game, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11 and the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro '19!
Host: RMedia_Obelisk
Host: Victory_Reign93
Host: RMedia_Obelisk
Host: XSquareStickIt
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (Wide bodied and/or engine swapped cars are not eligible to particpate)
PP Limit: 449
Tyres: No Limit
Car Choice: No Limit (but, y'know, try to use the trucks?)
Tracks: Chosen by lobby participants (Anyone who choses Route X will be beheaded wirelessly by the hosts)
Duration: ~10 Mins per race, ~10 mins free practice
Penalties: Off (but don't be a dick)
Spec Racing Club (SRC) hosts one–make races with "slow" cars like the Mazda Roadster, Daihatsu Copen, and even pickup trucks! Each car will be built to spec, often requiring certain predetermined aftermarket parts to bolster their racing potential a little, though there have sometimes been cases where a driver can choose between different parts in races (low ratio gearbox vs. high ratio, for example). Just like COTW, the regulars at SRC have a wide range of skill, and there's no thrill quite like slowly seeing yourself improve relative to your peers over time!
If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can check out the SRC Discord with the link below:
For those unable to join us for racing, we of course still have our weekly ~Special Challenge!~
Raptor Vs. Tundra, which is faster? To find out, we'll be hosting a good old fashioned Time Attack at Colorado Springs Forward with bone stock trucks (with the exception of Dirt tyres, of course).
The twist? Participants can only submit a time to me for ONE truck, and they're not allowed to publicly disclose which truck they picked! They're to submit their times to me privately either via GTPlanet PM, or PSN DM. They should also save a replay of their fastest run, in case I feel the need for verification.
I will average out the times for each truck, and the truck with the fastest time wins! Will you be on the winning side when all the cards are laid out on the table?
Lastly, we welcome anyone to share their opinions, stories, reviews, photos, videos, liveries, or anything else pertaining to these trucks here on this thread!
As we begin the last week of March, GT7 COTW is approaching its first birthday! Let's not let the fact that we're getting the Toyota TS020 take any of the spotlight off of us, alright? Uh, guys? Guys...?
We've tested Kei cars, classic cars, Pikes Peak monsters, sanctioned racecars, and even an Ambulance, but you know what we haven't had all year? A Double Feature!!
As reserved by @Obelisk a few months back, we're featuring BOTH of the pickup trucks in this game, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11 and the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro '19!
You read that right! We're organising another SRC x COTW crossover lobbies this week, in addition to our usual two lobbies! They'll be functionally identical, so pick whichever time works for you!
The Lobbies:
Click the dates and times to convert to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for your preferred lobby easier!Host: RMedia_Obelisk
Host: Victory_Reign93
Host: RMedia_Obelisk
Host: XSquareStickIt
Lobby Settings:
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (Wide bodied and/or engine swapped cars are not eligible to particpate)
PP Limit: 449
Tyres: No Limit
Car Choice: No Limit (but, y'know, try to use the trucks?)
Tracks: Chosen by lobby participants (Anyone who choses Route X will be beheaded wirelessly by the hosts)
Duration: ~10 Mins per race, ~10 mins free practice
Penalties: Off (but don't be a dick)
About Spec Racing Club
Spec Racing Club (SRC) hosts one–make races with "slow" cars like the Mazda Roadster, Daihatsu Copen, and even pickup trucks! Each car will be built to spec, often requiring certain predetermined aftermarket parts to bolster their racing potential a little, though there have sometimes been cases where a driver can choose between different parts in races (low ratio gearbox vs. high ratio, for example). Just like COTW, the regulars at SRC have a wide range of skill, and there's no thrill quite like slowly seeing yourself improve relative to your peers over time!
If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can check out the SRC Discord with the link below:
COTW ~Special Challenge!~
For those unable to join us for racing, we of course still have our weekly ~Special Challenge!~
Raptor Vs. Tundra, which is faster? To find out, we'll be hosting a good old fashioned Time Attack at Colorado Springs Forward with bone stock trucks (with the exception of Dirt tyres, of course).
The twist? Participants can only submit a time to me for ONE truck, and they're not allowed to publicly disclose which truck they picked! They're to submit their times to me privately either via GTPlanet PM, or PSN DM. They should also save a replay of their fastest run, in case I feel the need for verification.
I will average out the times for each truck, and the truck with the fastest time wins! Will you be on the winning side when all the cards are laid out on the table?
Lastly, we welcome anyone to share their opinions, stories, reviews, photos, videos, liveries, or anything else pertaining to these trucks here on this thread!
- 6,525
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Not the trucks!
Again cars from GT Sport, which we already tested. Sigh. At least we'll get both out of the way at the same time...
Verdict: I'm kinda impressed by them? But they still suck, thus a neutral from me lol.
I'm skipping this Saturday BTW.
Again cars from GT Sport, which we already tested. Sigh. At least we'll get both out of the way at the same time...
Verdict: I'm kinda impressed by them? But they still suck, thus a neutral from me lol.
I'm skipping this Saturday BTW.
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- 48,825
- Australia
I agree with Alex.P. They both suck. It’s like owning a supercar and never going to the track.
These trucks should be kicking up rocks and jumping stadium mounds. Tuned beasts in their natural habitat. That’s not the case though. They’re made for the streets.
Sure they can handle the nasty stuff, but just like those super cars, 95% of the time they’ll only go from A to B and rarely to D.
Put the engine swaps and they’re true sleepers.
These trucks should be kicking up rocks and jumping stadium mounds. Tuned beasts in their natural habitat. That’s not the case though. They’re made for the streets.
Sure they can handle the nasty stuff, but just like those super cars, 95% of the time they’ll only go from A to B and rarely to D.
Put the engine swaps and they’re true sleepers.
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Let me put it to you this way...
At least we're not testing the Cybertruck.
At least we're not testing the Cybertruck.
- 2,426
- South Auckland, New Zealand
- Nismonath5
You know what else is technically an SUV? The Jimny. But you won't see anyone here call it anything other than a Kei.The Urus is not a truck though, it's a SUV. So checkmate.
Side note re the trucks, I don't use the pickups very often. But I do find it funny how the Tundra got the SC430 engine swap and that was pretty insane. Then PD went and one-up'd themselves and gave the Raptor the 1200bhp Maverick motor.
If only I had a setup that made it drivable!
- 1,551
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
As I've previously ranted on not too long ago, American cars bewilder the ever loving freedom out of me, but much, MUCH more befuddling to me than the muscle car is the utterly baffling obsession Americans have with their dangerously—and wastefully—large pickup trucks, two of which we're featuring this week on Car of the Week.
Hoo boy.
You see, where I'm from (Singapore), we use light lorries and vans—such as the Toyota Dyna and Nissan NV350—to carry goods for small and medium companies and to make deliveries. Despite their much smaller silhouettes and mass to your typical modern day American monstrosities, these lorries and trucks seem to me to be no less practical in terms of cargo space. In fact, because a lorry has its bed so low, one could put and retrieve smaller items from the bed without even setting down the tail or side gates, and forklifts could load and unload them from either side or the rear. A van on the other hand, doesn't have to worry about its payload when it starts to rain. None of these advantages apply to a pickup truck as far as I can tell, which by comparison, makes those big pickup trucks look like silly caricatures at best, and the one video I watched that constitutes my entire research into the history of pickup trucks make them sound way, WAY worse than a bad joke.
Even worse than the lighting and composition of this photo.
Of course, these industrial vehicles are hardly built for luxury or fun, and can be properly terrifying to drive even at sensible speeds, especially in the wet. And maybe that's where pickup trucks come in to fill in that large void—or at least, the two atheletic examples of pickups we get in this game seem built with the specific aim of driving just like a normal car. Both the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11 and the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro '19 have weight distributions closely aligned with a sensible sedan, at 57:43 and 56:44 respectively, and both have specialised, competition springs just to drive that point home. Both have big, F–off naturally aspirated V8s that's been taken from more sensible cars and hooked to lightning quick 6–speed automatic gearboxes, driving thick, chonky tyres designed to handle multiple terrains/seasons, both Comfort Mediums by default in GT7. And, you know, they have ABS. I like that. I like that a lot. Don't ask.
On a closed racetrack, I'm tempted to say that both these trucks achieve that goal of driving just like a sedan, but that would be slightly disingenuous because in practice, they flat out drive better than some "sensible" cars of I've sampled in this game, like a GC Impreza! In fact, these trucks drive so well initially that, if it weren't for the ridiculously tall seating/camera placement and unintuitively wide bodies, it'd take me a while to figure out that I'm in something that's way too big and heavy to even have any right to fantasise about doing the speeds I'm doing, both in the straights and corners. In terms of sheer pace, they will both decimate any sensible family transport without a Tesla badge on them (if Teslas make sense to you, that is). It's truly mind–boggling what the engineers of both these trucks have managed to achieve with their respective trucks!
But that's all the praise I can give them: they drive like normal cars. There's nothing remotely sporty, exciting, or attractive about them, and to prove that, I brought a gun to a knife fight. A water pistol of a sports car to a chainsaw deathmatch involving the trucks, but a gun nonetheless.
This here is a base model 2015 Toyota 86. It's got a pansy naturally aspirated 2L 4 cylinder engine incapable of even 200HP, and it's equipped with a millennial anti–theft device known as a 6–speed manual gearbox that makes it a little slow and awkward to drive fast, even when not being stolen. Aside from a JDM spec Mazda Roadster, this is the slowest sports car money can buy brand new in the last ten years, and it has so little presence that most English speaking folk don't even say its name right! (It's read as "eight–six", by the way.) And yet, this unassuming 86 absolutely devoured both trucks alive and spit their fat–clogged hearts out on any stretch of road that has curvature any sharper than that of the earth's surface, and just in case you're thinking that I ran these three vehicles on a winding mountain pass to favour the 86, na–uh. I ran them on Watkin's Glen Short Course, which has 2 long, flat out sections not including the home straight, and it's there where I found out that, somewhere around 160km/h (99mph), the trucks get strangled so badly by atmospheric air that the 86 reels them in like dead fish in the desert, earning overzealous truck drivers an excruciatingly rare distinction almost unheard of in the car industry: Being utterly DESTROYED by an 86 in the straights!
And wait till you get to a corner with these trucks!
While both trucks drive incredibly neutral and much like a sensible car, that illusion crumples away completely when I ask either of them for their front tyres to do their most under trail braking for a corner. Turning these trucks hard with more than a third of the brake pedal applied—or simply turning the steering wheel too quickly for that matter—will just cause the sidewall of these ultra high profile tyres to flex, surrendering almost all grip instantly and resulting in the trucks suddenly going limp and becoming completely vague, liable to send the trucks into a complete spin in extreme cases. Before you ask—the trucks barely have enough torque to hold a slide on loose surfaces like dirt and snow, but both their gearing are way too widespread to make sliding viable even when grip is at a premium, much less on paved roads.
This tyre flexing issue and easily losing grip not only forces me to keep braking and turning almost entirely separate, but I also actively drive these trucks up to about nine tenths their grip limits at most, simply because anything more is a crapshoot at best and asking for trouble at worst. This problem can be remedied somewhat by simply fitting the largest diameter wheels you can find in GT Auto to minimise tyre sidewall and flex—I've seen up to 24–inch hula hoops on offer for these things, which succeeds not only in largely fixing the tyre flex problem, but also in somehow managing to make these trucks look even more stupid. Imagine making a truck completely useless for anything a truck might actually be used for, all just to still get spanked silly by an 86 around any given track in the game.
If you absolutely, positively MUST drive a truck in the game, either for morbid curiosity or simply to check off the truck events in the campaign, just go with the Ford F-150; it's better in every aspect compared to the Toyota Tundra when both are bone stock. It accelerates much better in a straight line with more power and a very even torque curve, and despite the F-150 being heavier and less balanced in comparison to the Tundra, none of it shows in the corners at all. The Ford is cheaper, too! The Tundra, despite being the newer truck, is a bloody disaster to drive, having a uselessly peaky engine that's extremely picky with revs. Worse still, it comes with a wide open diff that makes it freak the hell out if even half a wheel is dipped past paved tarmac, while making it an unwieldy and moody mess that is nigh uncontrollable in torrential downpour and loose surfaces. I don't know what Toyota were going for when they set up the TRD Pro, but to be outclassed in every on–track measure by a Raptor much older than it is frankly a hell of an embarrassing look.
In terms of aftermarket options, the Tundra might have a sliver of a chance at outshining the F-150, thanks to the engine swap options both these cars get. The F-150 gets the utterly bonkers 7L twin–turbocharged V8 Windsor 351 engine from the hot rod Maverick, capable of a stupefying 1,199HP (894kW) even before aftermarket parts bring that further up. While the 516HP (385kW) of the naturally aspirated V8 available to swap into the Tundra sounds pitiful in comparison, the donor of that engine is the Lexus PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 GT500 machine—a racecar. That means racecar fuel efficiency in a game that gives racecars unreal mileage out of these fire breathing competition engines, allowing a maxed out, stripped out 838HP Tundra to drive from lights to flag non–stop with minimal fuel saving in the notorious Tokyo grind race! Imagine that, in a truck with the aerodynamic properties of a house wrapped in sandpaper!
Still, neither truck is particularly fun to drive. Riding high on a truck is sort of like riding on a Ferris Wheel; it's fun and novel the first or maybe even second time, but after that, it just becomes boring after the novelty wears off. I would legitimately prefer a Daihatsu Midget over any of these things, and the only use I might see for these pickup trucks is to ferry a Midget back home on Bring A Trailer. I've heard that the trick is to befriend someone who owns a pickup rather than having one yourself.
Hoo boy.
You see, where I'm from (Singapore), we use light lorries and vans—such as the Toyota Dyna and Nissan NV350—to carry goods for small and medium companies and to make deliveries. Despite their much smaller silhouettes and mass to your typical modern day American monstrosities, these lorries and trucks seem to me to be no less practical in terms of cargo space. In fact, because a lorry has its bed so low, one could put and retrieve smaller items from the bed without even setting down the tail or side gates, and forklifts could load and unload them from either side or the rear. A van on the other hand, doesn't have to worry about its payload when it starts to rain. None of these advantages apply to a pickup truck as far as I can tell, which by comparison, makes those big pickup trucks look like silly caricatures at best, and the one video I watched that constitutes my entire research into the history of pickup trucks make them sound way, WAY worse than a bad joke.
Even worse than the lighting and composition of this photo.
Of course, these industrial vehicles are hardly built for luxury or fun, and can be properly terrifying to drive even at sensible speeds, especially in the wet. And maybe that's where pickup trucks come in to fill in that large void—or at least, the two atheletic examples of pickups we get in this game seem built with the specific aim of driving just like a normal car. Both the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor '11 and the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro '19 have weight distributions closely aligned with a sensible sedan, at 57:43 and 56:44 respectively, and both have specialised, competition springs just to drive that point home. Both have big, F–off naturally aspirated V8s that's been taken from more sensible cars and hooked to lightning quick 6–speed automatic gearboxes, driving thick, chonky tyres designed to handle multiple terrains/seasons, both Comfort Mediums by default in GT7. And, you know, they have ABS. I like that. I like that a lot. Don't ask.
On a closed racetrack, I'm tempted to say that both these trucks achieve that goal of driving just like a sedan, but that would be slightly disingenuous because in practice, they flat out drive better than some "sensible" cars of I've sampled in this game, like a GC Impreza! In fact, these trucks drive so well initially that, if it weren't for the ridiculously tall seating/camera placement and unintuitively wide bodies, it'd take me a while to figure out that I'm in something that's way too big and heavy to even have any right to fantasise about doing the speeds I'm doing, both in the straights and corners. In terms of sheer pace, they will both decimate any sensible family transport without a Tesla badge on them (if Teslas make sense to you, that is). It's truly mind–boggling what the engineers of both these trucks have managed to achieve with their respective trucks!
But that's all the praise I can give them: they drive like normal cars. There's nothing remotely sporty, exciting, or attractive about them, and to prove that, I brought a gun to a knife fight. A water pistol of a sports car to a chainsaw deathmatch involving the trucks, but a gun nonetheless.
This here is a base model 2015 Toyota 86. It's got a pansy naturally aspirated 2L 4 cylinder engine incapable of even 200HP, and it's equipped with a millennial anti–theft device known as a 6–speed manual gearbox that makes it a little slow and awkward to drive fast, even when not being stolen. Aside from a JDM spec Mazda Roadster, this is the slowest sports car money can buy brand new in the last ten years, and it has so little presence that most English speaking folk don't even say its name right! (It's read as "eight–six", by the way.) And yet, this unassuming 86 absolutely devoured both trucks alive and spit their fat–clogged hearts out on any stretch of road that has curvature any sharper than that of the earth's surface, and just in case you're thinking that I ran these three vehicles on a winding mountain pass to favour the 86, na–uh. I ran them on Watkin's Glen Short Course, which has 2 long, flat out sections not including the home straight, and it's there where I found out that, somewhere around 160km/h (99mph), the trucks get strangled so badly by atmospheric air that the 86 reels them in like dead fish in the desert, earning overzealous truck drivers an excruciatingly rare distinction almost unheard of in the car industry: Being utterly DESTROYED by an 86 in the straights!
And wait till you get to a corner with these trucks!
While both trucks drive incredibly neutral and much like a sensible car, that illusion crumples away completely when I ask either of them for their front tyres to do their most under trail braking for a corner. Turning these trucks hard with more than a third of the brake pedal applied—or simply turning the steering wheel too quickly for that matter—will just cause the sidewall of these ultra high profile tyres to flex, surrendering almost all grip instantly and resulting in the trucks suddenly going limp and becoming completely vague, liable to send the trucks into a complete spin in extreme cases. Before you ask—the trucks barely have enough torque to hold a slide on loose surfaces like dirt and snow, but both their gearing are way too widespread to make sliding viable even when grip is at a premium, much less on paved roads.
This tyre flexing issue and easily losing grip not only forces me to keep braking and turning almost entirely separate, but I also actively drive these trucks up to about nine tenths their grip limits at most, simply because anything more is a crapshoot at best and asking for trouble at worst. This problem can be remedied somewhat by simply fitting the largest diameter wheels you can find in GT Auto to minimise tyre sidewall and flex—I've seen up to 24–inch hula hoops on offer for these things, which succeeds not only in largely fixing the tyre flex problem, but also in somehow managing to make these trucks look even more stupid. Imagine making a truck completely useless for anything a truck might actually be used for, all just to still get spanked silly by an 86 around any given track in the game.
If you absolutely, positively MUST drive a truck in the game, either for morbid curiosity or simply to check off the truck events in the campaign, just go with the Ford F-150; it's better in every aspect compared to the Toyota Tundra when both are bone stock. It accelerates much better in a straight line with more power and a very even torque curve, and despite the F-150 being heavier and less balanced in comparison to the Tundra, none of it shows in the corners at all. The Ford is cheaper, too! The Tundra, despite being the newer truck, is a bloody disaster to drive, having a uselessly peaky engine that's extremely picky with revs. Worse still, it comes with a wide open diff that makes it freak the hell out if even half a wheel is dipped past paved tarmac, while making it an unwieldy and moody mess that is nigh uncontrollable in torrential downpour and loose surfaces. I don't know what Toyota were going for when they set up the TRD Pro, but to be outclassed in every on–track measure by a Raptor much older than it is frankly a hell of an embarrassing look.
In terms of aftermarket options, the Tundra might have a sliver of a chance at outshining the F-150, thanks to the engine swap options both these cars get. The F-150 gets the utterly bonkers 7L twin–turbocharged V8 Windsor 351 engine from the hot rod Maverick, capable of a stupefying 1,199HP (894kW) even before aftermarket parts bring that further up. While the 516HP (385kW) of the naturally aspirated V8 available to swap into the Tundra sounds pitiful in comparison, the donor of that engine is the Lexus PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 GT500 machine—a racecar. That means racecar fuel efficiency in a game that gives racecars unreal mileage out of these fire breathing competition engines, allowing a maxed out, stripped out 838HP Tundra to drive from lights to flag non–stop with minimal fuel saving in the notorious Tokyo grind race! Imagine that, in a truck with the aerodynamic properties of a house wrapped in sandpaper!
Still, neither truck is particularly fun to drive. Riding high on a truck is sort of like riding on a Ferris Wheel; it's fun and novel the first or maybe even second time, but after that, it just becomes boring after the novelty wears off. I would legitimately prefer a Daihatsu Midget over any of these things, and the only use I might see for these pickup trucks is to ferry a Midget back home on Bring A Trailer. I've heard that the trick is to befriend someone who owns a pickup rather than having one yourself.
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It’s worth noting that the Tundra and F-150 share the distinction of being the only cars (besides the starter Aqua/Demio/Fit) that must be purchased to progress through the original 39 menus - you have to purchase either the Tundra or F-150 to progress (unless you somehow got either truck from the low-rarity roulette tickets the game gives you at that point).
This is because unlike most launch-day menus which gives you a car eligible to complete subsequent menus, Menu 26: Ford requires you to complete the three Pickup Truck Races, which obviously require you to bring either a Tundra or F-150. And the F-150 is the prize car awarded from completing the Colorado Springs Pickup Truck Race.
In other words, you either buy the Tundra and get the 2-for-1 deal by winning the F-150 from Colorado Springs, or you decide to be a complete sucker by buying the F-150 that you could have gotten for free.
This is because unlike most launch-day menus which gives you a car eligible to complete subsequent menus, Menu 26: Ford requires you to complete the three Pickup Truck Races, which obviously require you to bring either a Tundra or F-150. And the F-150 is the prize car awarded from completing the Colorado Springs Pickup Truck Race.
In other words, you either buy the Tundra and get the 2-for-1 deal by winning the F-150 from Colorado Springs, or you decide to be a complete sucker by buying the F-150 that you could have gotten for free.
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Obelisk
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I am left feeling pretty torn down the middle about these two trucks, and about trucks in a broader context.
On the one hand, I find some trucks to be pretty cool - such as the Hyundai Santa Cruz - and something I would be somewhat okay with owning and driving. On the other hand, I despise how prevalent they and their peers in the SUV/Crossover segments have become on the roads of America and elsewhere.
But more on that later, as Square implied he had a huge thing going on in his review about this specifically. Let's focus on our candidates this week: the Toyota Tundra and the Ford F-150.
An extra large platter of tofu and a king size Hershey's bar battling for the award of largest unnecessary portion size.
Keeping things simple here spec wise:
The F-150 has 411 HP and weighs 6,005 pounds.
The Tundra has 379 HP and weighs 5633 pounds.
On paper, this puts the Tundra on the back foot off the bat - and that is reflected accurately in the four lobbies on the tarmac circuits. Most Tundra drivers were either barely on par with F-150 drivers, or hopelessly behind them. However, on dirt and snow the Tundra finds itself more equal to the F150.
As was already noted by Square, they're very draggy and can get tripped up easily by longer tracks, but their strength is in their raw grip and acceleration power. Not many cars can even keep up on more technical, acceleration heavy circuits.
Thing is, they both kinda suck outside of the context of truck vs truck races or select scenarios within the game - though it is funny absolutely crushing some races with a 1408 HP truck.
Neutral. And these things need to be crushed by regulations, because they are a blight to society. Bring the Midget and the Carry to the US, they'd sell like hotcakes!!
On the one hand, I find some trucks to be pretty cool - such as the Hyundai Santa Cruz - and something I would be somewhat okay with owning and driving. On the other hand, I despise how prevalent they and their peers in the SUV/Crossover segments have become on the roads of America and elsewhere.
But more on that later, as Square implied he had a huge thing going on in his review about this specifically. Let's focus on our candidates this week: the Toyota Tundra and the Ford F-150.
An extra large platter of tofu and a king size Hershey's bar battling for the award of largest unnecessary portion size.
Keeping things simple here spec wise:
The F-150 has 411 HP and weighs 6,005 pounds.
The Tundra has 379 HP and weighs 5633 pounds.
On paper, this puts the Tundra on the back foot off the bat - and that is reflected accurately in the four lobbies on the tarmac circuits. Most Tundra drivers were either barely on par with F-150 drivers, or hopelessly behind them. However, on dirt and snow the Tundra finds itself more equal to the F150.
As was already noted by Square, they're very draggy and can get tripped up easily by longer tracks, but their strength is in their raw grip and acceleration power. Not many cars can even keep up on more technical, acceleration heavy circuits.
Thing is, they both kinda suck outside of the context of truck vs truck races or select scenarios within the game - though it is funny absolutely crushing some races with a 1408 HP truck.
Neutral. And these things need to be crushed by regulations, because they are a blight to society. Bring the Midget and the Carry to the US, they'd sell like hotcakes!!
