- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Car of the Week | Week 58: Honki Honda (Honda RA272 '65)
- Thread starter XSquareStickIt
- 770 comments
- 165,093 views
- 6,534
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Everything. Especially the driving experience. Fun, engaging and while wild, still very predictable.
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
We learned from last week's Special Challenge that the R5 Turbo is capable of not just winning WTC600 events, but it can even hang with Gr.4 cars in WTC700 races! Well done!
@Yard_Sale has put off their opportunity to pick the Car of the Week owing to a foot injury, and while they aren't 100% yet, they've chosen an old favourite of theirs—the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 '13—to feature on Car of the Week!
Ferrari's representation in Gr.3 may now be more than a decade old and two generations out of date, but I argue that it remains the best looking and especially best sounding modern Ferrari! It's also cinched victories at events like the 12 Hours of Sepang, Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 24 Hours of Spa, just to name a few! Can BoP make it competitive in Gran Turismo 7 against much newer machines, though?
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock 458 GT3s under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (temporarily reverts cars to bone stock; WIDE BODIED AND ENGINE SWAPPED CARS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 750
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
The task is to take a bone stock 458 GT3 and set the fastest lap around a Spa Full Layout (NOT the 24h layout!) at the Rainy 13:45 preset. The twist: you're to do that lap in Drift Trial, and your lap is only valid if it meets the following conditions:
Since Drift Trials don't display lap times in the HUD, you'll have to take a screenshot of the car's dash in replay mode to see your lap time. Have the HUD on to display your drift score as well when you do this!
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
@Yard_Sale has put off their opportunity to pick the Car of the Week owing to a foot injury, and while they aren't 100% yet, they've chosen an old favourite of theirs—the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 '13—to feature on Car of the Week!
Ferrari's representation in Gr.3 may now be more than a decade old and two generations out of date, but I argue that it remains the best looking and especially best sounding modern Ferrari! It's also cinched victories at events like the 12 Hours of Sepang, Bathurst 12 Hour, and the 24 Hours of Spa, just to name a few! Can BoP make it competitive in Gran Turismo 7 against much newer machines, though?
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock 458 GT3s under BoP conditions!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 14th May, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 18th May, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
BoP/Settings Disabled: On (temporarily reverts cars to bone stock; WIDE BODIED AND ENGINE SWAPPED CARS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE!)
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 750
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
The 458 GT3 has always been known to be a spicy customer in the handling department. This week's ~Special Challenge!~ is to tame that tail happiness of the 458 GT3.The task is to take a bone stock 458 GT3 and set the fastest lap around a Spa Full Layout (NOT the 24h layout!) at the Rainy 13:45 preset. The twist: you're to do that lap in Drift Trial, and your lap is only valid if it meets the following conditions:
- Your drift score must be ZERO at the end of the lap
- 2 wheels must be within the white lines at all times during the lap
- The car's setup must be at its default
- Tyres: Racing Inters/Full Wets
- Brake Balance and ABS adjustments are allowed
- TCS must be zero at all times during the lap
- Replay must be saved; I might ask for it to be shared with me
Since Drift Trials don't display lap times in the HUD, you'll have to take a screenshot of the car's dash in replay mode to see your lap time. Have the HUD on to display your drift score as well when you do this!
I went and set this challenge somehow completely missing the fact that Yard had set his own special challenge... wow me, good job.
Here's Yard's original challenge for anyone interested:
As of v.1.46, the 458 GT3's High Speed BoP specs are: 488HP (364kW) and 1,325kg (2,921lbs).
Here's Yard's original challenge for anyone interested:
As of v.1.46, the 458 GT3's High Speed BoP specs are: 488HP (364kW) and 1,325kg (2,921lbs).
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
- 3,872
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
Friday:
finished writing and uploaded early my analysis and thoughts
Saturday:
"DOKE!! KONO.. KONO BAKAYAROU!!" ~ Peigi Daitoku, Week 4 "God complexes, and a complex God".
Obligatory Peigi related song
"This is Bandit 1000, slick. What we are dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law, heehee.. I always wanted to say that." ~ Ramlie Ajie, Week 15 "At Ease".
It's the Bandit, so I'll of course link it's iconic theme song.
Found 2 more cars that are just similarly as fun as the R5 Turbo with not even a 2 PP difference..
Haiyaa, I cannot believe this, mah. I'll just put off the writeups back to Sundays.
least I finally get to use the picture
finished writing and uploaded early my analysis and thoughts
Saturday:
"DOKE!! KONO.. KONO BAKAYAROU!!" ~ Peigi Daitoku, Week 4 "God complexes, and a complex God".
Obligatory Peigi related song
"This is Bandit 1000, slick. What we are dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law, heehee.. I always wanted to say that." ~ Ramlie Ajie, Week 15 "At Ease".
It's the Bandit, so I'll of course link it's iconic theme song.
Found 2 more cars that are just similarly as fun as the R5 Turbo with not even a 2 PP difference..
Haiyaa, I cannot believe this, mah. I'll just put off the writeups back to Sundays.
least I finally get to use the picture
- 482
- Singapore
‘Low risk’s just not enough for me anymore,
There’s so much left in me that I could laugh,
There’s no point in saying I’ve got nothing,
Throw your hands up and give me a Hi-Five,
It’s boring to just fall in line and follow behind someone,
“Declare your dreams and chase them!” is this town’s standard,
I lied when I said I just want to keep watching,
It’s about time, throw me the mic.
If I’m already here, then let me do something that I won’t even be able to take back,
I want to keep getting deeper into this,
Somehow, I feel like I’m in a romance,
I’ve fallen in love with this, or so I say….’
‘Then let me take you with me just like this,
Wherever you want, if that’s what you wish,
& I Wanna - I’m completely fine with just wanting more, some more,
If it’s possible, I want to know about and walk into the world beyond here….
Ready Steady’
A plain-looking hatchback with its rear arches widened to accommodate a metallic, fuel-injected, turbocharged Inline 4 rear passenger instead of the usual flesh-based ones.
That is the the Renault 5 Turbo in a nutshell.
Unlike the Renault 5 Alpine and its confusingly named Renault 5 Alpine Turbo variant, the Renault 5 Turbo is a much more radical design, ditching its parent FF drivetrain for an MR one to herald Renault’s return to rallying.
With a lean 970kg body propelled by 159 purebred French horses to the rear wheels, the R5 Turbo is born to carve through corners like a chef carving up meat. Brake, release, toss into the corner, floor it when it’s time to go straight and correct as necessary. The R5 Turbo may have a healthy portion of power, but it isn’t overwhelming, even in the rain when served with a good dose of caution and quick hand on the stick shift.
Are there cars that offer more bang for your buck? Yes, the ‘17 Alpine A110 offers 56% more power at less than half the price of an R5 Turbo (or is complimentary for skilled drivers with a full collection of Gold medals from the normal IA tests).
But for those seeking an introduction into the world of mid-engine rear wheel drive cars without recklessly throwing themselves headfirst into the deep end (or into a wall), they can’t go wrong with the R5 Turbo.
There’s so much left in me that I could laugh,
There’s no point in saying I’ve got nothing,
Throw your hands up and give me a Hi-Five,
It’s boring to just fall in line and follow behind someone,
“Declare your dreams and chase them!” is this town’s standard,
I lied when I said I just want to keep watching,
It’s about time, throw me the mic.
If I’m already here, then let me do something that I won’t even be able to take back,
I want to keep getting deeper into this,
Somehow, I feel like I’m in a romance,
I’ve fallen in love with this, or so I say….’
‘Then let me take you with me just like this,
Wherever you want, if that’s what you wish,
& I Wanna - I’m completely fine with just wanting more, some more,
If it’s possible, I want to know about and walk into the world beyond here….
Ready Steady’
A plain-looking hatchback with its rear arches widened to accommodate a metallic, fuel-injected, turbocharged Inline 4 rear passenger instead of the usual flesh-based ones.
That is the the Renault 5 Turbo in a nutshell.
Unlike the Renault 5 Alpine and its confusingly named Renault 5 Alpine Turbo variant, the Renault 5 Turbo is a much more radical design, ditching its parent FF drivetrain for an MR one to herald Renault’s return to rallying.
With a lean 970kg body propelled by 159 purebred French horses to the rear wheels, the R5 Turbo is born to carve through corners like a chef carving up meat. Brake, release, toss into the corner, floor it when it’s time to go straight and correct as necessary. The R5 Turbo may have a healthy portion of power, but it isn’t overwhelming, even in the rain when served with a good dose of caution and quick hand on the stick shift.
Are there cars that offer more bang for your buck? Yes, the ‘17 Alpine A110 offers 56% more power at less than half the price of an R5 Turbo (or is complimentary for skilled drivers with a full collection of Gold medals from the normal IA tests).
But for those seeking an introduction into the world of mid-engine rear wheel drive cars without recklessly throwing themselves headfirst into the deep end (or into a wall), they can’t go wrong with the R5 Turbo.
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
POV: You're Yard_Sale in today's 458 GT3 lobby.
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
We've had a few (really good) submissions in the PS Chat for "The Longest Yard" TT challenge, but we haven't had a submission for the "Slippery When Wet (or dry...)" special challenge yet!
What? Is Yard's challenge more fun? Is he more handsome than me? More cleverer?
Here's a replay of my 2:48.34x
What? Is Yard's challenge more fun? Is he more handsome than me? More cleverer?
Here's a replay of my 2:48.34x
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
One of the more common criticisms against GT7 is that some of the cars in its de facto Gr.3 category are horrendously out of date, and the 2013 458 Italia GT3 that is Ferrari's sole representation in Gr.3 is one of the more glaring examples of this, being more than a decade old and two generations out of date at the time of writing, with many crying out for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to be added into the game.
Me personally, I've never understood the point of adding new Gr.3 and Gr.4 racing cars to brands that already have representation in said categories, because the moment that happens, the old, perfectly serviceable racecar of the same manufacturer gets bopped out of contention by "Balance" of Performance to encourage players into the newer machine. We've seen it happen when the Supra Racing Concept replaced the FT-1 VGT, when the RX-Vision GT3 replaced the Atenza Gr.3, and we continue to see it with the BRZ GT300 replacing the WRX Gr.3 and the 2013 GT-R GT3 being a complete disaster to drive in comparison to the 2018 GT-R GT3, just to name a few examples. There's always an indisputable, objectively "better" car to be in among the choices offered by a manufacturer that offers more than one car in any given category, and not being in that car inadvertently has the effect of making one's racing suit look like that of a clown's.
This practice is one that utterly baffles me, because one would think that having more options ought to mean more variety to choose from. Drivers for BMW could have been made to choose between straight line speed of the M6 and the handling agility of the Z4, or deliberate between short lived speed versus steady longevity with the two M6 models, but NOPE, you will drive the M6 Endurance Model for any and all purposes if you want to drive a BMW in Gr.3, and you will like it. The sad reality is that racing games are just another arm of marketing for manufacturers, and which marketing department would okay an older, out of production car walloping a shiny, newer car whose silhouette is actually on sale?
From the players' perspective, what's the point of having Polyphony Digital spend what precious little time, effort, and resources the relatively small studio has into adding a new racecar into a game, if said racecar is going to serve the exact same purpose of a car it's going to make redundant? Just for the sake of being a little more up to date? I don't know how many have noticed, but with the insane fidelity of cars in GT7, there's seemingly a gap of 2 years at minimum between when a non–Toyota car is launched in the real world and when it gets added into GT7. In other words, a car new to GT7 is always going to be out of date by real world standards, doubly so if it's a racecar in a widely adopted and often used category.
So then, my interpretation of players clamouring for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 is not that they want the variety, but because they want something else to fix Ferrari's Gr.3 representation, because—hoo boy—does the 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 badly need fixing in this game.
This might come as a bit of a shock to those that know me well, but I'm going to start by praising a Ferrari: the 458 GT3 has the looks of Medusa, the voice of a succubus, and the purity of an angel in its 9,500rpm–capable 4.5L NA V8 powerplant. And don't think for a moment that it's all show and no go, because it has a front end so incredibly agile that it's boarderline difficult to get used to, partially because it's difficult to believe how responsive it can still be deep into a corner with the brakes held, but also because I know that getting used to this responsiveness is going to spoil me silly when it comes time to drive another Gr.3 car—it feels like a Radical SR3 in a sea of what might as well be family sedans. It's THAT ferociously sharp of a front end.
So much that the rear end simply can't keep up with it whatsoever.
While there may be other tail happy cars in Gr.3, none let go as willingly and quickly as the 458, and despite many of the automotive industry's most notorious widowmakers calming their tits down with GT7's current understeer biased physics, the 458 retains its psychotic handling undeterred and untamed across several different versions of multiple Gran Turismo games, seemingly never to find peace with any set of physics not licenced by Ferrari. The 458 GT3 in Gran Turismo 7 struggles immensely to put down power out of a turn; past 80% throttle, the rear diff locks up at the worst moment possible—when a driver is meaning to unleash all the horses as the curve straightens out—causing the entire stable to spin. It's deathly allergic to even microscopic bumps on the road, to say nothing of rumble strips and grass, making tracks that necessitate heinous offroad cuts, such as Lago Maggiore, a deeply frustrating drive, especially when the 458 squirms suddenly at the apex and earns its driver a track cut penalty. This thing is ENITRELY. INCAPABLE. of trial braking on a downhill whatever the brake bias or ABS setting. In the wet, I suspect that wheel users have it extra rough because this thing won't even need the steering wheel or the throttle pedal to break sideways: just stomp hard on the brakes going into Spa's Pouhon from the outside, and behold in amazement as the 458 GT3 so vehemently refuses to hold a straight line under braking that it would sooner learn how to tear into another dimension to leap across space and time than to simply go straight: the way it spears off under hard braking in seemingly random directions in the wet somehow makes me think my car somehow got backported to Gran Turismo 1, and this behaviour makes me leave safety margins so wide that my 16:9 flatscreen TV might as well be a 4:3 CRT.
Is it a fast car when allowed to slide? I don't know, and I don't care enough to know, because in my hands, even something long obsolete like an Atenza Gr.3 would have the same "practical speed" as a 458 GT3 across several laps, even if the Ferrari can set much faster lap times if it felt like cooperating once in a blue moon. Under v 1.47 BoP, I notice that the 458 GT3 has strong acceleration for a cornering car—if you're charitable enough to call it that given its eager front end—but wanes off in fifth gear at around 235km/h (146mph). Unless a rare Sport Mode race allows for adjustments to the suspension and differential, I would stay the hell away from the 458 GT3 and pick among the swathes of easier to drive and faster RMR Gr.3 cars, such as the 911 RSR, 650S GT3, Huracán GT3, R8 LMS Evo, or even a surprise sleeper that I'm sure SPD will tell you more about. I will have to note however, that the 458 GT3 feels bewilderingly comfortable at home around Nürburgring GP for some reason, so much that it made driving the 458 GT3 around other tracks feel like trying to force a Nürburgring GP–shaped peg into a round hole.
While the ever changing Balance of Performance can adjust a racecar's power and mass figures to make different cars competitive at different points, BoP doesn't ever change a car's default suspension, aero, diff, and weight distribution setups, which are locked most of the time in Sport Mode races, and it really shouldn't be any excuse for a more casual player to put up with the 458 GT3's nonsense. I'm with the crowd that badly wants a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 for this reason, but I'd also be lying if I said there isn't any part of me that wishes the 458 GT3 could be fixed instead of taking a chance at the completely unknown, because it is still the best looking, best sounding Ferrari in my eyes. IF a 488 or 296 GT3 ever does arrive to replace the 458, I suspect even someone who dislikes Ferrari as much as I do would feel a bit sad that the 458 GT3 will be retired. Here's hoping for the love of pasta and pizza that whatever replaces it will be set up to run on more than a single track...
Me personally, I've never understood the point of adding new Gr.3 and Gr.4 racing cars to brands that already have representation in said categories, because the moment that happens, the old, perfectly serviceable racecar of the same manufacturer gets bopped out of contention by "Balance" of Performance to encourage players into the newer machine. We've seen it happen when the Supra Racing Concept replaced the FT-1 VGT, when the RX-Vision GT3 replaced the Atenza Gr.3, and we continue to see it with the BRZ GT300 replacing the WRX Gr.3 and the 2013 GT-R GT3 being a complete disaster to drive in comparison to the 2018 GT-R GT3, just to name a few examples. There's always an indisputable, objectively "better" car to be in among the choices offered by a manufacturer that offers more than one car in any given category, and not being in that car inadvertently has the effect of making one's racing suit look like that of a clown's.
This practice is one that utterly baffles me, because one would think that having more options ought to mean more variety to choose from. Drivers for BMW could have been made to choose between straight line speed of the M6 and the handling agility of the Z4, or deliberate between short lived speed versus steady longevity with the two M6 models, but NOPE, you will drive the M6 Endurance Model for any and all purposes if you want to drive a BMW in Gr.3, and you will like it. The sad reality is that racing games are just another arm of marketing for manufacturers, and which marketing department would okay an older, out of production car walloping a shiny, newer car whose silhouette is actually on sale?
From the players' perspective, what's the point of having Polyphony Digital spend what precious little time, effort, and resources the relatively small studio has into adding a new racecar into a game, if said racecar is going to serve the exact same purpose of a car it's going to make redundant? Just for the sake of being a little more up to date? I don't know how many have noticed, but with the insane fidelity of cars in GT7, there's seemingly a gap of 2 years at minimum between when a non–Toyota car is launched in the real world and when it gets added into GT7. In other words, a car new to GT7 is always going to be out of date by real world standards, doubly so if it's a racecar in a widely adopted and often used category.
So then, my interpretation of players clamouring for a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 is not that they want the variety, but because they want something else to fix Ferrari's Gr.3 representation, because—hoo boy—does the 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 badly need fixing in this game.
This might come as a bit of a shock to those that know me well, but I'm going to start by praising a Ferrari: the 458 GT3 has the looks of Medusa, the voice of a succubus, and the purity of an angel in its 9,500rpm–capable 4.5L NA V8 powerplant. And don't think for a moment that it's all show and no go, because it has a front end so incredibly agile that it's boarderline difficult to get used to, partially because it's difficult to believe how responsive it can still be deep into a corner with the brakes held, but also because I know that getting used to this responsiveness is going to spoil me silly when it comes time to drive another Gr.3 car—it feels like a Radical SR3 in a sea of what might as well be family sedans. It's THAT ferociously sharp of a front end.
So much that the rear end simply can't keep up with it whatsoever.
While there may be other tail happy cars in Gr.3, none let go as willingly and quickly as the 458, and despite many of the automotive industry's most notorious widowmakers calming their tits down with GT7's current understeer biased physics, the 458 retains its psychotic handling undeterred and untamed across several different versions of multiple Gran Turismo games, seemingly never to find peace with any set of physics not licenced by Ferrari. The 458 GT3 in Gran Turismo 7 struggles immensely to put down power out of a turn; past 80% throttle, the rear diff locks up at the worst moment possible—when a driver is meaning to unleash all the horses as the curve straightens out—causing the entire stable to spin. It's deathly allergic to even microscopic bumps on the road, to say nothing of rumble strips and grass, making tracks that necessitate heinous offroad cuts, such as Lago Maggiore, a deeply frustrating drive, especially when the 458 squirms suddenly at the apex and earns its driver a track cut penalty. This thing is ENITRELY. INCAPABLE. of trial braking on a downhill whatever the brake bias or ABS setting. In the wet, I suspect that wheel users have it extra rough because this thing won't even need the steering wheel or the throttle pedal to break sideways: just stomp hard on the brakes going into Spa's Pouhon from the outside, and behold in amazement as the 458 GT3 so vehemently refuses to hold a straight line under braking that it would sooner learn how to tear into another dimension to leap across space and time than to simply go straight: the way it spears off under hard braking in seemingly random directions in the wet somehow makes me think my car somehow got backported to Gran Turismo 1, and this behaviour makes me leave safety margins so wide that my 16:9 flatscreen TV might as well be a 4:3 CRT.
Is it a fast car when allowed to slide? I don't know, and I don't care enough to know, because in my hands, even something long obsolete like an Atenza Gr.3 would have the same "practical speed" as a 458 GT3 across several laps, even if the Ferrari can set much faster lap times if it felt like cooperating once in a blue moon. Under v 1.47 BoP, I notice that the 458 GT3 has strong acceleration for a cornering car—if you're charitable enough to call it that given its eager front end—but wanes off in fifth gear at around 235km/h (146mph). Unless a rare Sport Mode race allows for adjustments to the suspension and differential, I would stay the hell away from the 458 GT3 and pick among the swathes of easier to drive and faster RMR Gr.3 cars, such as the 911 RSR, 650S GT3, Huracán GT3, R8 LMS Evo, or even a surprise sleeper that I'm sure SPD will tell you more about. I will have to note however, that the 458 GT3 feels bewilderingly comfortable at home around Nürburgring GP for some reason, so much that it made driving the 458 GT3 around other tracks feel like trying to force a Nürburgring GP–shaped peg into a round hole.
While the ever changing Balance of Performance can adjust a racecar's power and mass figures to make different cars competitive at different points, BoP doesn't ever change a car's default suspension, aero, diff, and weight distribution setups, which are locked most of the time in Sport Mode races, and it really shouldn't be any excuse for a more casual player to put up with the 458 GT3's nonsense. I'm with the crowd that badly wants a 488 GT3 or 296 GT3 to replace the 458 GT3 for this reason, but I'd also be lying if I said there isn't any part of me that wishes the 458 GT3 could be fixed instead of taking a chance at the completely unknown, because it is still the best looking, best sounding Ferrari in my eyes. IF a 488 or 296 GT3 ever does arrive to replace the 458, I suspect even someone who dislikes Ferrari as much as I do would feel a bit sad that the 458 GT3 will be retired. Here's hoping for the love of pasta and pizza that whatever replaces it will be set up to run on more than a single track...
Obelisk
Premium
- 9,535
- United States
- RMedia_Obelisk
I’ve never been one to follow the WEC or any type of GT racing, despite enjoying the cars that are purpose-built to these regulations. So, I’m coming into this review without any real pre-established expectations of what to expect from GT3 and Gr.3 cars. To make sense of the 458 GT3, I decided to shake off my apprehension and take a bone stock 458 GT3 to a number of races in the Gr.3 series in single player.
Once I’d gotten through these test races, I found a few things I wanted to call out when it comes to the 458:
1) It lacks top end performance on both stock settings and BOP.
2) As a VR user, the shift indicator built into the car is obstructed by the large steering wheel, necessitating that I tilt my head down to look under the wheel.
3) I have tremendous difficulty trying to shift by ear, and the 458’s free-revving, smooth-sounding engine obfuscates its engine speed more than it helps. 8k and 9k RPM sound too similar to each other for me. Combine this with the unhelpfully obstructed shift lights, and I find myself slapping the rev limiter like it owes me money.
The handling, while in line with other GT3s of the era, didn’t really strike me as anything special. I found myself more engaged with the R34 GT500 and the Suzuki VGT that I tested as comparison points than I did with the Italia, especially the Suzuki.
Honestly? I really don’t like the 458. It just feels like a 458 that’s been stripped of its entire personality and forced to run on a treadmill until it keels over. It’s a car devoid of charm outside of those who fanboy over anything with a prancing horse on it. It doesn’t really engage you in driving it, simply choosing to comply with instructions like a German car would. And to add insult to injury, it doesn’t even have the necessary waft to keep up with other Gr3s under BOP. And since we’re talking about competitive GT, when was the last time Ferrari actually made it to the GT Manu Cup’s live events?
The 458 GT3, in its current state, is pretty much worthless. Drive it if you like Ferrari or signed with them, but… good luck getting anything meaningful out of it besides the noise.
Once I’d gotten through these test races, I found a few things I wanted to call out when it comes to the 458:
1) It lacks top end performance on both stock settings and BOP.
2) As a VR user, the shift indicator built into the car is obstructed by the large steering wheel, necessitating that I tilt my head down to look under the wheel.
3) I have tremendous difficulty trying to shift by ear, and the 458’s free-revving, smooth-sounding engine obfuscates its engine speed more than it helps. 8k and 9k RPM sound too similar to each other for me. Combine this with the unhelpfully obstructed shift lights, and I find myself slapping the rev limiter like it owes me money.
The handling, while in line with other GT3s of the era, didn’t really strike me as anything special. I found myself more engaged with the R34 GT500 and the Suzuki VGT that I tested as comparison points than I did with the Italia, especially the Suzuki.
Honestly? I really don’t like the 458. It just feels like a 458 that’s been stripped of its entire personality and forced to run on a treadmill until it keels over. It’s a car devoid of charm outside of those who fanboy over anything with a prancing horse on it. It doesn’t really engage you in driving it, simply choosing to comply with instructions like a German car would. And to add insult to injury, it doesn’t even have the necessary waft to keep up with other Gr3s under BOP. And since we’re talking about competitive GT, when was the last time Ferrari actually made it to the GT Manu Cup’s live events?
The 458 GT3, in its current state, is pretty much worthless. Drive it if you like Ferrari or signed with them, but… good luck getting anything meaningful out of it besides the noise.
- 3,872
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 57 - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
From the boot shaped lands of Italy, I bring you Gran Turismo Sport's most famed, rear kicking deathtrap at 160 miles per hour.
In the 2010s, Ferrari were rolling in fame and praise with the recent release of the 458 Italia: a car so well made, they say it's deserved of it being suffixed under the country of origin. While that car's a hit in many ways, it's also an electronically assisted cage that houses a mighty wild V8 with a wholly new aluminum body derived from their Formula 1 technologies.
Now to the race car. Sending it over to their usual race tune team of Michelotto Automobili that they've worked with since they construed the 288 GTO (someone nominate this car please and thank you), the car made headlines as it makes a surprise debut in the 2011 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo in Monza. From there, it took part, and won its good share of GT racing endurances and sprints for a good 5 years before being replaced by the 488 in 2016.
What's been done to the car has mostly been out of the engine, as that's literally a detuned variant of the road car. What we see is a new sequential 6 speed, replacement of nearly all parts with racing spec variants, a carbon fibre shell, the giant wing and splitter, and Motegi racing wheels. On BOP, the car runs with 489 horsepower over a 1.32 ton load (on High speed, it's 495 horsepower). This little power, and it's turning out to be a straight up handling car, if you ask me. But guess where the root of all the complaints are for this car? I'm not going to answer that.
I don't know what to say since past SPD went to say something about the need for GT racing, so WHOOPS: he be jammin'! The car did appear once in week.. umm the one with the GR010, I think? Though, after 2 weeks in a row, I feel I don't want any racing to show this week.
And another thing: this whole writeup is done on Thursday.. And let's get this out of the way: you know what I thought of the moment this car was nominated? No, not the good old days after 9-11, and I was going to say you're close.
Episode 57: Pure red hues of enlightenment
Dragon Trail International Raceway - Seaside Route
Dalmatian coast, Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia
Morning
The well known GT race venue has been a host for many events, including the upcoming Sim Gear Grand Prix.
A whole host of teams bring out their beasts as they come to conquer the famed Seaside route, inclusive of one Le Glace Pacer.
Passing through a few cars on practice, Candy then notices a sight to be afraid of..
Candy: "The dark one's on practice too?"
Pushing past an Alfa Romeo, she gives chase to the flame embroidered Mustang..
Candy: "Let's see how good is he on these popular high speed roads.."
It's not her first time, but assuming it's the Mustang's first time, she finds a reason to be awed, and also to to push further as it paces similarly to the chaser.
Closing in the gap by the Chicane of Death, the two cars pass it with no issue..
But they're not alone.
A white Italia GT3 too comes by, plowing any resistance aking to an unreal gust of speed engulfing it.
Looking back, she noted..
Candy: "That Ferrari on my tail.. seems familiar, though.."
As the track remains available for the racers, Candy, strolling along the pit area, finds it is time to take a break.
As one of the earliest comers, she then notices the garage aside her team's..
Candy: "Moto-san's here to rumble.. I know he's near."
Walking past the car, she then sees the driver of the black NSX, meditating with his racing attire on.
She crept up close, only to see his eyes open, and leaping upwards off his meditation position and on his feet..
With his usual grin and cross eyes, he greets.
Hayato: "Greetings, Candy-chan. You look well.. but it's not like you ever aren't, heehee.."
Candy: "Umm.. you too.. seen Nash anywhere?"
Arms crossed, he replies without a positive answer.
Hayato: "Yes, Jiji is here, but.. tsk, I seem to have lost track of him. Tough luck."
Candy: "I'm not looking for him, but least I know he's around."
While having a quick look around the NSX, she notices Hayato's preparedness, asking..
Candy: "Was that you in the Ferrari?"
Hayato: "No. Not this time. I know the answer, but first: Some say he would make millions writing his autobiography in exclusively Swahili. And that he's in some way directly related to Count Binface. All we know.. he's The Guts!"
Jumping from a storey above, the Guts then lands aggressively in front of them, with great hints of a superhero landing.
Instantly after, he stands back and crosses his arms like he usually would.
Candy: "It had to be you, right? I wonder, since I made you bleed that day, that you went for Ferrari to race for?"
He then shook his head, gesturing to the two of the Genesis garage a few slots ahead..
They didn't move, but Candy saw enough hints that the Genesis X is around, continuing..
Candy: "I see the X is here.. Figures. I wonder who's going to be the one driving the Ferrari on race day.."
Noticing the Guts using a phone, she curiously wondered, as Hayato then spoke with interest..
Hayato: "Tip tap tip tap. He's got a phone already? You work fast, Candy-chan!"
Candy: "Ai? I appreciate the compliment, but that's not mine.."
The two then receive a notepad writing, which Candy reads..
Candy: "No idea, shrugging emoji.."
But she had a feeling..
Candy: "You know what, this phone feels familiar! Who's it from, our supermassive phone thief?"
She asked with intent, as she grabs it for a feel.
Hayato, with a quick inspect indirectly, then deduces..
Hayato: "Is it? Heyy.. this is Rin-chan's phone!"
Candy: "My, it is.. This would be the third time he's got it.. and the second time on Dragon Trail."
Disgruntled, he turned to Candy, then asking curiously..
Hayato: "How'd you count that up?"
Candy: "I.. don't know.. my big sis has got to be the worst in phone security. Isn't she like.. in Interpol too?!"
Not wanting to get in trouble, she hands the phone back..
Candy: "Well, here you go, Guts. Perhaps you should bugger off, because if I know my big sis, she's bound to be close with something like that missing."
With questions abound, Hayato asks..
Hayato: "I was wondering.. why give it back to him?"
Candy: "What if big sis saw me with her phone? She's going to get back at me.. she might disable my electronics! And just as I was going through the first act of Baldur's Gate 3.."
Worried about what happens after her heroes escape a wrecked mind flayer ship, she then notes of a cool looking fellow walking by, realizing it's..
Candy: "Lulu's brother!"
Startled, he turns towards this small crowd, then waves..
Williem: "Guten tag! How have you been? Schweister has been mentioning you being in a bit of a mess right now."
Recalling her episode yesterday, Williem then turned to the Japanese hotshot racer..
Williem: "While she thinks, I should address you back, Moto-san."
Hayato: "Hello. Salutations. How are you? Beep beep."
He replied like an emotionless robot, much to Williem's chagrin.
Williem: "Charming like the great Moto-san would be. Wow, how fascinating!"
Hayato: "You seem to be in a good mood. We're clashing on track in a few days, again. Perhaps this.. good mood of yours will be your last until then, hehehehee [slow clapping]."
Back to the real world, Candy added..
Candy: "Don't mind him."
Williem: "I know."
Said Williem as he gestured her away calmly.
Now noticing him as missing, Hayato then explained..
Hayato: "The Guts went that way, but if you want our company instead.."
Williem: "Sure! Sure! I see he got ahold of Frau Nishimura's phone."
Candy though then wondered..
Candy: "How'd you figure that?"
Williem: "He's got that phone from the moment I arrived. Saw enough to see the screen logged in the Interpol databases and I can figure... who on the track has this kind of information at the ready.."
As he finishes, they then see The Guts making yet another episode of The Escape..
And his usual victim follows him, wiping away her sweat..
Rin: "I CANNOT BELIEVE THISS!!"
She leaves, but not without gathering mention from the nearby racers watching it unfurl..
Candy: "I'm surprised she hasn't gotten fired."
Hayato: "To know is one thing. To share is another. I doubt unless the animal is offered a large sum of credits, he won't be telling anyone of this antic of his."
Williem: "Guts? Speak out? Preposterous! Kamerad, I know nothing of his intentions with the phone. Perhaps he thinks it's fun?"
Hayato quickly rebutted, putting his thoughts of a certain alien in focus..
Hayato: "Fun's not in his vocabulary considering his on track results."
Williem: "Too true.. too true."
Candy then wondered, with the presence of these two..
Candy: "Anyone else racing among us?"
Williem: "Guts, Nash, Me, you, him, Nishimura and Ross."
With that in mind, she then decided..
Candy: "That's well accounted for.. Well, I'll like some me time. I'll see you two later?"
Williem: "Alright."
Her mind flooded with helping her big sis's current predicament, Candy wandered about the pit lane.
As she enters the Ford garage, she then notices, behind the cars..
..clearly seeing one man passing a package to the other.
Candy: "Shady.."
Before she made herself unknown to the exchange, one of the men turned his gaze towards her, as if a red hue was infront of it.
That man then spoke, displeased..
Jake Ross: "Tell me then.. my little Asian flower.. you saw.."
Candy: "N-nothing!"
She wanted to run, but not only is this man a friend in her head, but her urge to do so disappeared as he continued to declare with a fearful vibe about..
Jake Ross: "Y'sure about that? I don't tolerate liars so well, y'know?"
Candy: "I'm at that thought process where.. I saw you with someone, but it's not visible enough for me to tell if it's a good or bad thing.."
Amused in his head, he then reaches to the back of the Group 3 Mustang, revealing his signature machete laying.
After twirling it about, she then realizes, as he feels the blade with his racing gloves..
Candy: "It's.. bad. Very bad? Very very, very bad?!"
Jake Ross: "You remember this?"
He spoke sinisterly upon inspecting the fine blade, referencing back to Week 2.
Still, she spoke back, not wanting more of this..
Candy: "Hee.."
He's not showing hints of how amused he is, but it was enough for him to reveal..
Jake Ross: "Don't aim to get you to panic, but.. I guess the secret's up. That's an Augur man."
Candy: "Interesting. I mean.. not interesting! What's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "(She failed to hide that intent..) Ain't relevant. Yet. Right now, I'm famished, and need some shut eye.."
Just as he turned away, he looked to a mirror in terms of the person's physique that appears..
Jake Ross: "Guts? What're you doing here?"
Instantly he was handed a certain phone, and inspects..
Jake Ross: "Oh?"
Candy: "Big sis's phone?"
The Guts then departs, but to what form is up to the reader's imagination.
And after, Jacob remarks..
Jake Ross: "Her world is in my hands."
Candy: "You planning on returning that?"
Jake Ross: "Eventually.. but if I'm being honest, I dunno. We'll see if she finds out he's now running for the heck of it."
Candy: "Naughty."
As he scrolls left and right, an impatient little racer interrupts..
Candy: "Well.. are you going to tell me something?"
Jake Ross: "About that.."
He skims left and right, but not willing to risk it, he describes..
Jake Ross: "I feel we remain in the phone's chat room. If not me.. Keith.. Ayumi.. we got lot of work banter, but looks to me Jess's team are scattered all over the planet. She's being based back in her home place of Tochigi. With family."
Candy: "She told me about it.. actually shared a picture of her home on socials.."
Jogging her memory, she remembers that..
Candy: "So that would mean the old man Alan?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. You know he married her mom? Strangely, that makes him family."
Candy: "If we take the logic of my big sis, then it would mean the Bristol Harbinger is my step-dad? To believe that to be true is.. just real unheard of."
As more thoughts of how unreal this family tree branches out, they were joined by a mad dasher from earlier..
Rin: "Whew.. huff.. I.. should've brought my blades.."
Noticing her phone, she snatched it off without hesitation..
Rin: "Thank you very very much.. oh, looks like you're here too, little sis?"
Candy: "Hey.. so I've been meaning to ask for the past week, but how was Chamonix?"
Knowing he could answer that, Jacob takes offense and argues..
Jake Ross: "You.. chose to ask her, not me?? That hurt."
Candy: "Get over it, you big dark baby."
Rin then delved back to the white bliss of snowing the past week..
Rin: "Oh, well.. if you've been skiing on Japan one time in the past, in France it's different.. still fun."
Jake Ross: "Shame we had to cut our time hanging out with Daphne."
Recalling that name, Candy had positive vibes as she brings it up..
Candy: "Ohh.. Daphne! I'm sorry.. I'm not wearing the hat today."
Jake Ross: "She said you found her?"
Candy: "More like she found me."
Rin: "And you raced with her.. Don't keep us waiting: how was it?"
Candy: "A nice, cute little race between what was going to be a bunch of friends. Next time I'm in the US, we visit her, no excuses."
He yawned, but not meaning of boredom.
Jacob then spoke, fatigued..
Jake Ross: "Alright. Yeah, I know the place. But right now.. I need rest. I'll leave you lovelies to it."
He walks to the back, and as Candy watched him exit, she turns to her big sis, and notices the sneering grin of evil suddenly popping out..
Candy: "Soo.. w-what's new?"
Rin: "That Guts! I'm putting an arrest warrant the next time this shenanigans come about.."
Candy: "No way you have the authori-"
Interrupted with a palm to her mouth, Rin's fumes remain on full heat..
Rin: "Don't ruin the buzz, little sis! I'm going to get back at him so I can cool off a little.. hmm.."
In a swift fashion, she gripped her little sister's hand and dragged her out of the garage.
Candy: "Wh-where are we going??"
Dragged down the pit lane (gladly not by her dress collar this time), the women arrive at a sight..
Rin: "AHH HAH! This would be his car for the day.."
Candy: "The Sim Gear Ferrari? Absolutely not! I saw the Sim Gear Genesis X!"
Rin: "I don't care: I saw him out of it. That must mean he's driving it in a few days.."
Candy, not liking being around, argues in hesitation..
Candy: "Big sis, before we jump to conclusions.."
And as she readies to exit, she runs into a most divine underground racing kingpin.
Clark: "Morning."
While he's now in a professionally styled look, Candy still puts the Sim Gear host and the Messiah as the same person, and began to scream..
Candy: "UUWAAAAA! It's the patron saint of the London underground!"
As she backed away to the Ferrari, Rin joined him as he wonders..
Clark: "She's still shaky about yesterday, I wager? Come now, you had a most delectable pudding last night.. that I paid for.. three times over."
Rin: "Uhhh... no comment. Hi there, Clark-san!"
In a strange sight to her, Clark revealed a smile.
Clark: "My phoenix Rin! You never come over to say hi to the man that taught you all he knew? F[BLEEP] me, I'm.. flabbergasted."
The hostile air disspiates with that tone, which then she questioned..
Candy: "What on Earth just happened?! B-big sis?!"
As Candy exits her cover, Clark, in a much better tone, spoke..
Clark: "That's news to you?"
Candy: "What does the confused response mean to you then?"
Rin: "My little sis is learning more and more about us.."
Entertained by her befuddlement, Clark recalled..
Clark: "I told you I respect women, right, Candy? Behind Dorah, she's the prime suspect."
Rin: "As part of the Mythic Initiative, I was given to him to learn how to race, ehe."
Candy's head might be full of questions, one such question dropped as she learns..
Candy: "You mentioned none of this at all.. it explains your amazing driving!"
Rin: "Guiltyy~"
Teased Rin as she pulled her cheek in humor.
Clark, acting nicely, has an idea..
Clark: "At any case, since you still have that ounce of guilt, how about you do something for me.."
Candy: "A-alright.."
Walking to the Ferrari GT3, he then rubbed his hand over its smooth lines, then explaining.
Clark: "I've been gathering telemetry data for that Ferrari.. I'm hoping that with some input from a few more drivers, I can perhaps find the best ways to adjust it for the final race. All you have to do is drive. If you want I can make it so you can drive your f[BLEEP]ing heart out.."
Candy: "That won't be necessary! I'll get my helmet.."
She then dashes away, but this time not by force, as Clark then watches her go..
Clark: "Swell. Rin, if you would.. warm up the car for your sister?"
Rin: "We're not really sisters, but you know: we're bonded.."
And while Rin gets to asking around, Clark then frowned, trying to solve the riddle in his head regarding..
Clark: "Three puddings. Three. Three f[BLEEP]ing, sugar filled, sauce bathed, calorie dense puddings! And look at that t[BLEEP]! Just how can she be f[BLEEP]ing fit?! Her metabolism for sugar is just on a whole different level!!"
Thinking of being done for the day, Candy prepares to leave, but not before announcing it to the present Sim Gear gang.
However, just as she closes in to their set garages, groups of people stand outside instead of inside, prompting her to investigate.
And she puts out a sigh of relief seeing a man that might help out.
Candy: "Is something going on?"
Hayato: "Oh? Candy-chan?"
He looks down a little and sees her not feeling playful, as she asks.
Candy: "Something you need, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "No, not really. I know you're going to ask, because narrator-chan whispered it to my head.."
I'm going to make sure she doesn't remember that we're in cahoots, Moto-san.
Hayato: "Nyeeheehee.. where was I.. oh, it's the usual Jiji just trying to convince once again that his aniki's future is on the track, not purely on the streets. Usually it won't do anything, but it can be.. heated enough that the teams have to be put outside to prevent further misalignment.. of the bone, nyeeheehee.."
She's not so sure, but she remarks..
Candy: "I had a talk like this once.. just pure mention of his past sweetheart can help change his mind.."
Arriving as she spoke, Williem and The Guts then chimed in..
Williem: "Only that this time, Frau.. to say it will work again might not be a certainty. Isn't that so?"
He nods at a sluggish pace.
Hayato: "Nyeehh.. that's just annoying. Our dear Candy-chan only having a one trick pony.. don't you think so, Will-chan?"
Williem: "She's right here, Moto-san.."
Candy: "Despite that, he's right. I'd like to come in and say something, but I'm currently at a loss.."
Not realizing The Guts already had left, the man standing in his spot then spoke..
Jake Ross: "Loss, you say?"
While Clark and Jake usually were figures opposing each other, Candy thought them to be somewhat similar, as she looks up to him.
But instead, she asks of..
Candy: "Up and rested, are you?"
Jake Ross: "And would you believe coming in at the right time? Come with me, little lady."
Candy: "Ummm.. alright!"
As they split, Jacob turned back and requests from the German cool guy..
Jake Ross: "Keep the gates secure. Let's get the riff raff at a minimum."
Williem: "Ja, ja, you're the boss, Herr Ross."
And he then turns back again and heads in.
Candy, while following, then notices the same package from earlier on hand.
Candy: "So.. what's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "Hmm.. perhaps it's relevant now. Recognize this?"
He opens the wrapped box to unfurl a tablet, but for Candy, it's not just any regular tablet you can buy online..
Candy: "It's one of those Prophecy tablets.. and.. I.."
Jake Ross: "..Not from Murph.. but.. you will wanna see how this turns out, trust me."
As they enter, the garage might be in a less than ideal condition, while the car remains spotless.
The brothers, arguing like they usually do in regards to the reason, then notices the people entering without resistance.
Clark: "Oh, what's this, brother? The f[BLEEP]ing backup?!"
Nash: "Ross? What are you up to now, you muppet?"
He remains his composure, as he remarks with a hint of snark..
Jake Ross: "There ain't no concoctions or chemical warfare up and about from me, but I know the air here stinks.. I aim to clear it up. Here."
Tossing the tablet like a cheesy movie, Clark then catches it, recognizing..
Clark: "How.. did you get this?"
And just like any cheesy movie, it then plays a sound at the perfect time.
Nash reaffirms, asking..
Nash: "That's coming from the tablet?"
Jake Ross: "I reckon you better answer that."
Knowing his own organization's own tools, he scrolls the screen elements, responding to the mystery caller.
Clark: "Humph. Who's this?"
Not expecting anything good, the woman making the call speaks..
Cierra: "M-Mister Messiah, sir!"
Clark: "Cierra!"
Candy: "W-what?!"
The thick uneasiness then wanes as Clark looks at the tablet, seeing Cierra on the other side.
Clark: "My dear.. Chosen.. are you alright?"
Cierra: "I'm.. I'm fine! Yes.. umm.. before you worry or whatever.. th-these people are doing me a solid!"
Clark: "Good.. good to hear that."
Seeing it unfold, Nash notes to his apprentice..
Nash: "Well.. now we know your connection with those punks have some meaning."
Jake Ross: "Smuggling that around wasn't easy.. had some help from.. I'd rather not say."
Then it's Candy's turn..
Candy: "This is all Cierra's idea, isn't it?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. She's been trying to get ahold of me for weeks, not mistaking.. I deduce Luce has something to do with it."
They then watch the conversation carry on..
Cierra: "I know you want to see us. but.. me and Lulu.. we have a race.. in Road Atlanta. Same time as you guys a-are having your grand prix!"
Clark: "America's a tad far away.."
Feeling he's needed, Jacob walked in and added..
Jake Ross: "Atlanta? I know a guy racing with you.. Wilde, racing for Suzuki."
Clark, unsure how to act, then asks..
Clark: "Tell me then.. is this what you wanted? Us apart.."
He sees her nervously holding back, tears then getting involved.
His expectations of her still high, Clark pushes the limits..
Clark: "No more silence, Cierra. I don't admit to anyone I'm treating you like my own.. But now.."
She began to weep, but refused to look weak from the man that nurtured her adult life, shouting..
Cierra: "I-I-I UNDERSTAND MISTER MESSIAH SIRR!"
Candy: "Volume, Cierra.."
As she rubs away her face, she answered back..
Cierra: "I feel I belonged.. really! In The Prophecy! In here too! W-with a team, I-I.."
Clark: "That's more than enough. You're happy. I can cope with that, CANDY.."
That sudden rage fuelled name drop got her ready to escape, but she struggled to retain..
Candy: "Uhh.. (he's going to lash out on me, is he?)"
Cierra: "I'm.. umm.. sorry for leaving so sudden. I had to find Lulu. I.. never knew that without her I wouldn't be complete."
The ternion needs to come back, she thought, but Candy too chimed in on the situation..
Candy: "Cierra.. I'm.. right there with you. Just that.. I don't want any more with Augur than I already did!"
Miffed at her involvment, Clark moves her aside and speaks..
Clark: "For completeness sake.. do know you're always welcome back in The Prophecy, no matter how bleak your new career looks."
Nash: "Bleak? Brother, I doubt that's what she's getting into."
Cierra: "Roger that.. I better sign off before.. they find out. Anything else?"
Pulling her back in, Clark then spoke, softly..
Clark: "No. You're an adult now.. do what you want. Don't be shy to call me, the Count, or Gary even. And you better apologize to Candy."
Cierra: "R-right! I'm sorry! I'll take care of Lulu. For us!"
Candy: "When's the next time we tussle, Cierra? I want it with all three of us the next time!"
Cierra: "A-a-if only.. well, no promises.. byeee!"
The tablet's call ends, which Clark tosses back to Jacob..
Clark: "Well, I didn't want that. But you all know I needed it."
Jake Ross: "You're welcome."
But while it was a moment of bliss, his violent streak kicked in, frustrated for reasons still unknown.
He started tossing more things around, while aware the car's still there.
Clark: "URGHH!! Damn it all. If Gary was here, he'd get a face full of fist! If not this Fowler Boys crap with The Cinderella, I would've handle Augur like they would like to handle my precious little wonder!"
The two men then notice Candy step up..
Candy: "Well.. what are you waiting for?"
Clark: "Tch.."
Nash had to stop his brother he thought, but Jacob halted him with a swing of his arm.
Nash: "Ohh?"
Candy: "I.. thought I'd be a good punching bag for you.. so.. if you please?"
He respects women, but being as she requested this personally, he didn't abstain.
She felt a fist coming in, eyes closed, expecting a sharp pain coming in.
But as it was to come, it stopped, just by a breath's range.
Clark: "No."
Candy: "N-no?! (He pulled it THIS close?)"
He came close, and instead leaned down..
Clark: "If I landed so much as a single smudge on to your lovely little face, I'd already lose myself. Now.. no more being a scaredy cat, Miss Lam. I have been, as you'd like it too, convinced."
Upon hearing that, Candy's emotional baggage on Clark Kayne has, strangely, floated away.
Relieved, she then sees him continue..
Clark: "Should I even hit you, you find yourself an excuse to not be racing this weekend, let alone any of you. Which would be a f[BLEEP]ing pity."
The white haired legend didn't take long to figure out..
Nash: "Am I.. seeing some development?"
Clark: "Like what I saw with Cierra.. I have to move on, brother. You know that. They know that. But when I f[BLEEP]ing move on, I have to take the f[BLEEP]ing first step. It's been more than 10 years."
His rage quelled, he finds motivation flooding in..
Clark: "And I wish to take it as the true me. Not Clark Kayne, the Messiah, but as.. Maximus Davies.. host of Sim Gear, going into our first ever sponsored GT event."
Unexpectedly, Nash's mission also came to a success, as he celebrates.
Nash: "Oh, verily so.. I'm.. I'm shocked! So shocked, I could weep.. If only Alan wasn't on holiday to see this: you, me, Guts.. on the track!"
Reminded of the old man, he replies to his brother with confidence.
Clark: "Don't leave the geezer out, brother! Let's take him back in."
Nash: "Right! I suppose you're right.. He too has a want to join our cause.. I need a manufacturer.. any suggestions?"
Jacob then came close and noted..
Jake Ross: "How about Hyundai? They got me a nice V6.. nearly took their offer, and trust me: they're desperate for racers."
Remembering The Guts and his Genesis, Nash couldn't find anything against this idea by himself, asking..
Nash: "I'm afraid there isn't anyone that can testify to this?"
Candy: "Not this time."
Jake Ross: "Sophia would. But.."
Remembering the former ambassador of a certain tamed racing animal, Nash then thought..
Nash: "Sophia would.. that's dodgy.."
Clark: "We can.. try to use it as leverage should she come crawling back."
His brother's wisdom once again at play, he obliges to the logic..
Nash: "Alright. But anything out of the ordinary, and I'll have to pull it."
Clark though has had enough of the crowd..
Clark: "Well? I say we're settled. You two are dismissed."
The two outsiders start to exit, but not without some praises of their own.
Candy: "Talk about amazing! Wait till big sis hears of this!"
Jake Ross: "I wonder if they'll see hints of The Messiah's greatness finally on the legal world.. All thanks to us."
Candy: "Nonsense! It's your doing! I was in it for the ride, that's all."
Nash and Clark, brothers of a Mythic declaration, then looked outside..
Nash: "What? We let them go without thanking them?"
Clark: "Not in front of them, no. F[BLEEP] this act of grateful mercy. But you know me enough that I appreciate their efforts. I'll let Rin know. Promise."
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
With perfect weather conditions, and the qualifying sessions settled in past days, the race rumbles on.
What's not expected is the amount of action all over the grid, with a Japanese Super Formula hotshot once again butting heads with a Nurburgring track master at the mid pack.
Not much further ahead comes a pair of women etching their name strong into the sport..
And up at front..
The tamed racing animal pounces his way to the lead as usual, but not without some challenge from the man secretly known as The Messiah.
Being the man that brought the world the ego centered Sonny Meng to the racetracks, the on track revival of Maximus Davies gave him ample reason for him to show the world he's not washed up, and what better message can that come as he would make a daring overtake.
Never happier, Nash watches this change of heart personally..
Nash: "Putting to shame the champion in his debut GT race. Brother.. you planned on a strong, veritable first impression, eh?"
From the boot shaped lands of Italy, I bring you Gran Turismo Sport's most famed, rear kicking deathtrap at 160 miles per hour.
In the 2010s, Ferrari were rolling in fame and praise with the recent release of the 458 Italia: a car so well made, they say it's deserved of it being suffixed under the country of origin. While that car's a hit in many ways, it's also an electronically assisted cage that houses a mighty wild V8 with a wholly new aluminum body derived from their Formula 1 technologies.
Now to the race car. Sending it over to their usual race tune team of Michelotto Automobili that they've worked with since they construed the 288 GTO (someone nominate this car please and thank you), the car made headlines as it makes a surprise debut in the 2011 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo in Monza. From there, it took part, and won its good share of GT racing endurances and sprints for a good 5 years before being replaced by the 488 in 2016.
What's been done to the car has mostly been out of the engine, as that's literally a detuned variant of the road car. What we see is a new sequential 6 speed, replacement of nearly all parts with racing spec variants, a carbon fibre shell, the giant wing and splitter, and Motegi racing wheels. On BOP, the car runs with 489 horsepower over a 1.32 ton load (on High speed, it's 495 horsepower). This little power, and it's turning out to be a straight up handling car, if you ask me. But guess where the root of all the complaints are for this car? I'm not going to answer that.
I don't know what to say since past SPD went to say something about the need for GT racing, so WHOOPS: he be jammin'! The car did appear once in week.. umm the one with the GR010, I think? Though, after 2 weeks in a row, I feel I don't want any racing to show this week.
And another thing: this whole writeup is done on Thursday.. And let's get this out of the way: you know what I thought of the moment this car was nominated? No, not the good old days after 9-11, and I was going to say you're close.
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Episode 57: Pure red hues of enlightenment
A small eatery within Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia
Night
Being directed to a private room by the restaurant manager, a well dressed Candy struts in to an empty private dining area, prepared with a pleasant flowery scent and ambiance.
Admiring the decor, she as she looks about the warm candlelit table.
Candy: "Hmmhmmmhmmm.. Nash sure has a way with women.."
As she readied to sit, the door she came in shut.
A quick look around, and another man who's definitely not Nash Kirkham awaits her, somberly asking..
Clark: "Bitch, what gave you THAT idea?"
Candy: "Hngk-"
She turned, only for Nash to set up a meeting with his brother instead of himself, prompting a reason to panic.
Crawling into a corner, she whimpered..
Candy: "OH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I PROMISE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!"
Clark: "Hmm.. I do miss that of Cierra, surely.."
After a quick reminisce, he then went back to business, declaring sternly..
Clark: "A fuss in the middle of a public place is the last thing I want. Sit."
As if her greatest fear of being on the spotlight came to be, she couldn't stop shaking, while sitting.
He then sat too, and as soon as they both are settled on the specially prepared table, he makes his move..
Clark: "Listen, you shrimp: I aim to get to the bottom of what mess you caused.. So.. if I'm hearing right.. Cierra.. ran away at her own volition?"
Candy: "You.. don't believe that, do you?"
Clark: "At first.. no. So far, that remains a no unless I get word personally. Good luck getting THAT out of her."
A brief pause then followed, but Clark knew enough from what he saw with her nervous worried face.
He asked, roughly and politely.
Clark: "Are you not hungry?"
Candy: "My appetite's gone.."
Clark: "I know what you're thinking.. the thick air's got you all mucked up, you can't even take a nibble?"
Candy: "I.. uhh.."
He then felt his relations souring with her causing this, prompting him to declare..
Clark: "I'd say you have a hand in all this awfully awkward foolishness. I was going to have The Guts join us, but that would mean an extra... 10 to 20 Euros out of my own pocket. Not to mention that f[BLEEP]er can eat."
Candy: "Him.. eat?"
Clark: "Yes. You know.. with their mouth? I don't care what planet that t[BLEEP]t claims to be part of. To anyone he's an alien, sure, but to you and me: he's still a mortal who can f[BLEEP]ing bleed."
With that in mind, Clark then followed by pointing at one side of the restaurant..
Clark: "Look over there.."
The man he points to, joyfully munching down a meal for two, is somebody who still wears a race attire, but with a full balaclava mask on, giving Candy a curious thought..
Candy: "I've never seen a man eat with balaclava on.."
But remembering The Guts also got her wary, asking..
Candy: "Ergh.. I hope you have your phone with you.."
Clark: "Oh, that's still here. Never had an issue with that kleptomania of his. No sir."
They both go back to each other.
Clark: "I know you're thinking in what ways am I going to strip your soul from your body. Lest you forget that both Ginoa and Boniface are under my supervision in some form."
Candy: "Oh, huh? (HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THAT?!!)"
While all that happened in the mind, Clark sees that she can't hide it through her face.
Clark: "Let's get this heavy air out of the way. You think I'm here to serve you your last meal while I then eventually find a way to eke out some form of revenge, is it?"
He asked, respectfully, but Candy remained unmoved.
Clark: "I may like violence.. but I sure am not unintelligent to challenge those that.. let's say, protect you."
Candy: "Protect? Hah. If not Minori-chan, who's as we both know, quite rogue.."
Clark: "Rogue is just a nice way to put it. I mean, I might have my beef with the Guild, so what?"
She remained on edge, which was not in his schedule for what he has in mind tonight.
Flipping the pages of a well made menu, he then shared..
Clark: "But I suppose for you, since you're not hungry, I can skip straight to dessert. That's what Ginnie's been telling me. Go ahead.."
He slid over the menu, revealing various pastries and cakes flooding the pages.
However, she remained, once again, unfazed.
Candy: "Urhh, she has more reasons for me to dock her pay.."
Clark: "What, reporting to me is strange? You really believe she's loyal to you purely? Rubbish. She looks out for herself more than anything, then to us. It's how f[BLEEP]ing she operates."
Knocking herself out of this trance, she asked..
Candy: "So, what brings you here to this part of Croatia?"
Clark: "Sim Gear, if it's not obvious enough. Only that we're a man short, but the show must go on, as they say. Dragon's Trail is ours for the next few days.."
Candy: "We're racing this weekend."
Clark: "The more the reason I want less about it. But being the f[BLEEP]ing face of Sim Gear, as well as even being the main sponsor of the race means I can't crawl my way out this time."
She's reading through the booklet, but Clark hasn't an intention to keep the air feeling weighted.
Clark: "Right.. umm.. pressured, are we? How about something else to calm those waves. Ever hear on how I treat women?"
Candy: "That's not.. what I know a lot of. But Minori-chan.. every mention of you, she's got nothing but good words for you."
Clark: "It's because I treat her with f[BLEEP]ing respect, and that I get back. Never had a love for anyone who disrespects the females. To harm them is to be treated similarly to those that takes advantage of the weak.."
He spoke it out loud and clear, he followed up, still with his usual gruff tone..
Clark: "You got it, champ?"
But his expectations end up broken when she then retreated off the table, and crawled under it.
Candy: "I.. I don't!! I'm going to be the exception!! I. Am. Doomed!!"
He looked under, seeing the little racer cowering in ample fear.
Clark: "Daft c[BLEEP].. She misses the point, entirely.. Snap out of it. There's NO way you giving up Cierra to those shady bums would lead to such an outcome. Not by me, at least."
He snaps his fingers, but refused to act further.
Not in a mood to scheme something, he revealed..
Clark: "This meeting is set up by my brother, and even if I was bul[BLEEP]ting about my treatment to good women, there's no way you're coming out of it hurt. Even though you disobeyed orders.."
Candy: "La la LAAHH, I'm not having any of it!"
Sternly, he continued..
Clark: "Please.. you're probably the first person I openly talk about my old flame Dorah about. Not even my brother gets that special treatment."
As it went on, another person enters the room, with his theme song going on, and seeing the scene briefly has his thoughts collected enough..
Nash: "Oh look, my brother's a terrible socializer like he's always been."
Clark: "Sod off. Don't think it's MY fault this time."
Nash: "Well. it's SOMEONE's fault, and look how lost she's in. All we gotta do is.. clear up the discord."
Clark: "Clear up the discord.. right."
He closes the distance, and leaned down, requesting peacefully..
Nash: "Come now, Candy.. all my brother wanted to do is apologize."
Clark: "Apologize? F[BLEEP] off with that s[BLEEP]e! I'm the victim of this encounter, don't you say?"
He argued, not angrily.
Candy saw these two men together, and that enough granted her a smidge of courage, leaving the undersides of the table..
Candy: "He's right. I mean.. it happened in front of me so quick, I didn't.."
They knew what she was about to talk about, but before she went further, Nash stopped her, consoling her..
Nash: "There. It's in the past now."
Clark: "She's going to do more than just plain forgive and forget to get back my trust, brother."
Nash: "Well.. tiny steps then."
Seeing the situation change for the better, Clark then noted, cheekily..
Clark: "You hear that. I'm giving you mercy."
Candy: "Don't remind me."
She gets on her feet, now soothed of the troubles she faces from Clark by himself.
Nash, on the other hand, has other thoughts..
Nash: "As a matter of fact, I'm at the mercy of my appetite. Got something ready for me, brother."
Clark: "You know, I thought the doctors said you have to fast.."
Insulted through a man's appetite, Nash didn't hold back, even though he obviously was trying to keep his composure strong..
Nash: "How many times do I have to-you KNOW I don't need to fast when travelling, brother, how dare you!"
Night
Being directed to a private room by the restaurant manager, a well dressed Candy struts in to an empty private dining area, prepared with a pleasant flowery scent and ambiance.
Admiring the decor, she as she looks about the warm candlelit table.
Candy: "Hmmhmmmhmmm.. Nash sure has a way with women.."
As she readied to sit, the door she came in shut.
A quick look around, and another man who's definitely not Nash Kirkham awaits her, somberly asking..
Clark: "Bitch, what gave you THAT idea?"
Candy: "Hngk-"
She turned, only for Nash to set up a meeting with his brother instead of himself, prompting a reason to panic.
Crawling into a corner, she whimpered..
Candy: "OH PLEASE DON'T HURT ME I PROMISE I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU!!"
Clark: "Hmm.. I do miss that of Cierra, surely.."
After a quick reminisce, he then went back to business, declaring sternly..
Clark: "A fuss in the middle of a public place is the last thing I want. Sit."
As if her greatest fear of being on the spotlight came to be, she couldn't stop shaking, while sitting.
He then sat too, and as soon as they both are settled on the specially prepared table, he makes his move..
Clark: "Listen, you shrimp: I aim to get to the bottom of what mess you caused.. So.. if I'm hearing right.. Cierra.. ran away at her own volition?"
Candy: "You.. don't believe that, do you?"
Clark: "At first.. no. So far, that remains a no unless I get word personally. Good luck getting THAT out of her."
A brief pause then followed, but Clark knew enough from what he saw with her nervous worried face.
He asked, roughly and politely.
Clark: "Are you not hungry?"
Candy: "My appetite's gone.."
Clark: "I know what you're thinking.. the thick air's got you all mucked up, you can't even take a nibble?"
Candy: "I.. uhh.."
He then felt his relations souring with her causing this, prompting him to declare..
Clark: "I'd say you have a hand in all this awfully awkward foolishness. I was going to have The Guts join us, but that would mean an extra... 10 to 20 Euros out of my own pocket. Not to mention that f[BLEEP]er can eat."
Candy: "Him.. eat?"
Clark: "Yes. You know.. with their mouth? I don't care what planet that t[BLEEP]t claims to be part of. To anyone he's an alien, sure, but to you and me: he's still a mortal who can f[BLEEP]ing bleed."
With that in mind, Clark then followed by pointing at one side of the restaurant..
Clark: "Look over there.."
The man he points to, joyfully munching down a meal for two, is somebody who still wears a race attire, but with a full balaclava mask on, giving Candy a curious thought..
Candy: "I've never seen a man eat with balaclava on.."
But remembering The Guts also got her wary, asking..
Candy: "Ergh.. I hope you have your phone with you.."
Clark: "Oh, that's still here. Never had an issue with that kleptomania of his. No sir."
They both go back to each other.
Clark: "I know you're thinking in what ways am I going to strip your soul from your body. Lest you forget that both Ginoa and Boniface are under my supervision in some form."
Candy: "Oh, huh? (HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THAT?!!)"
While all that happened in the mind, Clark sees that she can't hide it through her face.
Clark: "Let's get this heavy air out of the way. You think I'm here to serve you your last meal while I then eventually find a way to eke out some form of revenge, is it?"
He asked, respectfully, but Candy remained unmoved.
Clark: "I may like violence.. but I sure am not unintelligent to challenge those that.. let's say, protect you."
Candy: "Protect? Hah. If not Minori-chan, who's as we both know, quite rogue.."
Clark: "Rogue is just a nice way to put it. I mean, I might have my beef with the Guild, so what?"
She remained on edge, which was not in his schedule for what he has in mind tonight.
Flipping the pages of a well made menu, he then shared..
Clark: "But I suppose for you, since you're not hungry, I can skip straight to dessert. That's what Ginnie's been telling me. Go ahead.."
He slid over the menu, revealing various pastries and cakes flooding the pages.
However, she remained, once again, unfazed.
Candy: "Urhh, she has more reasons for me to dock her pay.."
Clark: "What, reporting to me is strange? You really believe she's loyal to you purely? Rubbish. She looks out for herself more than anything, then to us. It's how f[BLEEP]ing she operates."
Knocking herself out of this trance, she asked..
Candy: "So, what brings you here to this part of Croatia?"
Clark: "Sim Gear, if it's not obvious enough. Only that we're a man short, but the show must go on, as they say. Dragon's Trail is ours for the next few days.."
Candy: "We're racing this weekend."
Clark: "The more the reason I want less about it. But being the f[BLEEP]ing face of Sim Gear, as well as even being the main sponsor of the race means I can't crawl my way out this time."
She's reading through the booklet, but Clark hasn't an intention to keep the air feeling weighted.
Clark: "Right.. umm.. pressured, are we? How about something else to calm those waves. Ever hear on how I treat women?"
Candy: "That's not.. what I know a lot of. But Minori-chan.. every mention of you, she's got nothing but good words for you."
Clark: "It's because I treat her with f[BLEEP]ing respect, and that I get back. Never had a love for anyone who disrespects the females. To harm them is to be treated similarly to those that takes advantage of the weak.."
He spoke it out loud and clear, he followed up, still with his usual gruff tone..
Clark: "You got it, champ?"
But his expectations end up broken when she then retreated off the table, and crawled under it.
Candy: "I.. I don't!! I'm going to be the exception!! I. Am. Doomed!!"
He looked under, seeing the little racer cowering in ample fear.
Clark: "Daft c[BLEEP].. She misses the point, entirely.. Snap out of it. There's NO way you giving up Cierra to those shady bums would lead to such an outcome. Not by me, at least."
He snaps his fingers, but refused to act further.
Not in a mood to scheme something, he revealed..
Clark: "This meeting is set up by my brother, and even if I was bul[BLEEP]ting about my treatment to good women, there's no way you're coming out of it hurt. Even though you disobeyed orders.."
Candy: "La la LAAHH, I'm not having any of it!"
Sternly, he continued..
Clark: "Please.. you're probably the first person I openly talk about my old flame Dorah about. Not even my brother gets that special treatment."
As it went on, another person enters the room, with his theme song going on, and seeing the scene briefly has his thoughts collected enough..
Nash: "Oh look, my brother's a terrible socializer like he's always been."
Clark: "Sod off. Don't think it's MY fault this time."
Nash: "Well. it's SOMEONE's fault, and look how lost she's in. All we gotta do is.. clear up the discord."
Clark: "Clear up the discord.. right."
He closes the distance, and leaned down, requesting peacefully..
Nash: "Come now, Candy.. all my brother wanted to do is apologize."
Clark: "Apologize? F[BLEEP] off with that s[BLEEP]e! I'm the victim of this encounter, don't you say?"
He argued, not angrily.
Candy saw these two men together, and that enough granted her a smidge of courage, leaving the undersides of the table..
Candy: "He's right. I mean.. it happened in front of me so quick, I didn't.."
They knew what she was about to talk about, but before she went further, Nash stopped her, consoling her..
Nash: "There. It's in the past now."
Clark: "She's going to do more than just plain forgive and forget to get back my trust, brother."
Nash: "Well.. tiny steps then."
Seeing the situation change for the better, Clark then noted, cheekily..
Clark: "You hear that. I'm giving you mercy."
Candy: "Don't remind me."
She gets on her feet, now soothed of the troubles she faces from Clark by himself.
Nash, on the other hand, has other thoughts..
Nash: "As a matter of fact, I'm at the mercy of my appetite. Got something ready for me, brother."
Clark: "You know, I thought the doctors said you have to fast.."
Insulted through a man's appetite, Nash didn't hold back, even though he obviously was trying to keep his composure strong..
Nash: "How many times do I have to-you KNOW I don't need to fast when travelling, brother, how dare you!"
Dragon Trail International Raceway - Seaside Route
Dalmatian coast, Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia
Morning
The well known GT race venue has been a host for many events, including the upcoming Sim Gear Grand Prix.
A whole host of teams bring out their beasts as they come to conquer the famed Seaside route, inclusive of one Le Glace Pacer.
Passing through a few cars on practice, Candy then notices a sight to be afraid of..
Candy: "The dark one's on practice too?"
Pushing past an Alfa Romeo, she gives chase to the flame embroidered Mustang..
Candy: "Let's see how good is he on these popular high speed roads.."
It's not her first time, but assuming it's the Mustang's first time, she finds a reason to be awed, and also to to push further as it paces similarly to the chaser.
Closing in the gap by the Chicane of Death, the two cars pass it with no issue..
But they're not alone.
A white Italia GT3 too comes by, plowing any resistance aking to an unreal gust of speed engulfing it.
Looking back, she noted..
Candy: "That Ferrari on my tail.. seems familiar, though.."
As the track remains available for the racers, Candy, strolling along the pit area, finds it is time to take a break.
As one of the earliest comers, she then notices the garage aside her team's..
Candy: "Moto-san's here to rumble.. I know he's near."
Walking past the car, she then sees the driver of the black NSX, meditating with his racing attire on.
She crept up close, only to see his eyes open, and leaping upwards off his meditation position and on his feet..
With his usual grin and cross eyes, he greets.
Hayato: "Greetings, Candy-chan. You look well.. but it's not like you ever aren't, heehee.."
Candy: "Umm.. you too.. seen Nash anywhere?"
Arms crossed, he replies without a positive answer.
Hayato: "Yes, Jiji is here, but.. tsk, I seem to have lost track of him. Tough luck."
Candy: "I'm not looking for him, but least I know he's around."
While having a quick look around the NSX, she notices Hayato's preparedness, asking..
Candy: "Was that you in the Ferrari?"
Hayato: "No. Not this time. I know the answer, but first: Some say he would make millions writing his autobiography in exclusively Swahili. And that he's in some way directly related to Count Binface. All we know.. he's The Guts!"
Jumping from a storey above, the Guts then lands aggressively in front of them, with great hints of a superhero landing.
Instantly after, he stands back and crosses his arms like he usually would.
Candy: "It had to be you, right? I wonder, since I made you bleed that day, that you went for Ferrari to race for?"
He then shook his head, gesturing to the two of the Genesis garage a few slots ahead..
They didn't move, but Candy saw enough hints that the Genesis X is around, continuing..
Candy: "I see the X is here.. Figures. I wonder who's going to be the one driving the Ferrari on race day.."
Noticing the Guts using a phone, she curiously wondered, as Hayato then spoke with interest..
Hayato: "Tip tap tip tap. He's got a phone already? You work fast, Candy-chan!"
Candy: "Ai? I appreciate the compliment, but that's not mine.."
The two then receive a notepad writing, which Candy reads..
Candy: "No idea, shrugging emoji.."
But she had a feeling..
Candy: "You know what, this phone feels familiar! Who's it from, our supermassive phone thief?"
She asked with intent, as she grabs it for a feel.
Hayato, with a quick inspect indirectly, then deduces..
Hayato: "Is it? Heyy.. this is Rin-chan's phone!"
Candy: "My, it is.. This would be the third time he's got it.. and the second time on Dragon Trail."
Disgruntled, he turned to Candy, then asking curiously..
Hayato: "How'd you count that up?"
Candy: "I.. don't know.. my big sis has got to be the worst in phone security. Isn't she like.. in Interpol too?!"
Not wanting to get in trouble, she hands the phone back..
Candy: "Well, here you go, Guts. Perhaps you should bugger off, because if I know my big sis, she's bound to be close with something like that missing."
With questions abound, Hayato asks..
Hayato: "I was wondering.. why give it back to him?"
Candy: "What if big sis saw me with her phone? She's going to get back at me.. she might disable my electronics! And just as I was going through the first act of Baldur's Gate 3.."
Worried about what happens after her heroes escape a wrecked mind flayer ship, she then notes of a cool looking fellow walking by, realizing it's..
Candy: "Lulu's brother!"
Startled, he turns towards this small crowd, then waves..
Williem: "Guten tag! How have you been? Schweister has been mentioning you being in a bit of a mess right now."
Recalling her episode yesterday, Williem then turned to the Japanese hotshot racer..
Williem: "While she thinks, I should address you back, Moto-san."
Hayato: "Hello. Salutations. How are you? Beep beep."
He replied like an emotionless robot, much to Williem's chagrin.
Williem: "Charming like the great Moto-san would be. Wow, how fascinating!"
Hayato: "You seem to be in a good mood. We're clashing on track in a few days, again. Perhaps this.. good mood of yours will be your last until then, hehehehee [slow clapping]."
Back to the real world, Candy added..
Candy: "Don't mind him."
Williem: "I know."
Said Williem as he gestured her away calmly.
Now noticing him as missing, Hayato then explained..
Hayato: "The Guts went that way, but if you want our company instead.."
Williem: "Sure! Sure! I see he got ahold of Frau Nishimura's phone."
Candy though then wondered..
Candy: "How'd you figure that?"
Williem: "He's got that phone from the moment I arrived. Saw enough to see the screen logged in the Interpol databases and I can figure... who on the track has this kind of information at the ready.."
As he finishes, they then see The Guts making yet another episode of The Escape..
And his usual victim follows him, wiping away her sweat..
Rin: "I CANNOT BELIEVE THISS!!"
She leaves, but not without gathering mention from the nearby racers watching it unfurl..
Candy: "I'm surprised she hasn't gotten fired."
Hayato: "To know is one thing. To share is another. I doubt unless the animal is offered a large sum of credits, he won't be telling anyone of this antic of his."
Williem: "Guts? Speak out? Preposterous! Kamerad, I know nothing of his intentions with the phone. Perhaps he thinks it's fun?"
Hayato quickly rebutted, putting his thoughts of a certain alien in focus..
Hayato: "Fun's not in his vocabulary considering his on track results."
Williem: "Too true.. too true."
Candy then wondered, with the presence of these two..
Candy: "Anyone else racing among us?"
Williem: "Guts, Nash, Me, you, him, Nishimura and Ross."
With that in mind, she then decided..
Candy: "That's well accounted for.. Well, I'll like some me time. I'll see you two later?"
Williem: "Alright."
Her mind flooded with helping her big sis's current predicament, Candy wandered about the pit lane.
As she enters the Ford garage, she then notices, behind the cars..
..clearly seeing one man passing a package to the other.
Candy: "Shady.."
Before she made herself unknown to the exchange, one of the men turned his gaze towards her, as if a red hue was infront of it.
That man then spoke, displeased..
Jake Ross: "Tell me then.. my little Asian flower.. you saw.."
Candy: "N-nothing!"
She wanted to run, but not only is this man a friend in her head, but her urge to do so disappeared as he continued to declare with a fearful vibe about..
Jake Ross: "Y'sure about that? I don't tolerate liars so well, y'know?"
Candy: "I'm at that thought process where.. I saw you with someone, but it's not visible enough for me to tell if it's a good or bad thing.."
Amused in his head, he then reaches to the back of the Group 3 Mustang, revealing his signature machete laying.
After twirling it about, she then realizes, as he feels the blade with his racing gloves..
Candy: "It's.. bad. Very bad? Very very, very bad?!"
Jake Ross: "You remember this?"
He spoke sinisterly upon inspecting the fine blade, referencing back to Week 2.
Still, she spoke back, not wanting more of this..
Candy: "Hee.."
He's not showing hints of how amused he is, but it was enough for him to reveal..
Jake Ross: "Don't aim to get you to panic, but.. I guess the secret's up. That's an Augur man."
Candy: "Interesting. I mean.. not interesting! What's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "(She failed to hide that intent..) Ain't relevant. Yet. Right now, I'm famished, and need some shut eye.."
Just as he turned away, he looked to a mirror in terms of the person's physique that appears..
Jake Ross: "Guts? What're you doing here?"
Instantly he was handed a certain phone, and inspects..
Jake Ross: "Oh?"
Candy: "Big sis's phone?"
The Guts then departs, but to what form is up to the reader's imagination.
And after, Jacob remarks..
Jake Ross: "Her world is in my hands."
Candy: "You planning on returning that?"
Jake Ross: "Eventually.. but if I'm being honest, I dunno. We'll see if she finds out he's now running for the heck of it."
Candy: "Naughty."
As he scrolls left and right, an impatient little racer interrupts..
Candy: "Well.. are you going to tell me something?"
Jake Ross: "About that.."
He skims left and right, but not willing to risk it, he describes..
Jake Ross: "I feel we remain in the phone's chat room. If not me.. Keith.. Ayumi.. we got lot of work banter, but looks to me Jess's team are scattered all over the planet. She's being based back in her home place of Tochigi. With family."
Candy: "She told me about it.. actually shared a picture of her home on socials.."
Jogging her memory, she remembers that..
Candy: "So that would mean the old man Alan?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. You know he married her mom? Strangely, that makes him family."
Candy: "If we take the logic of my big sis, then it would mean the Bristol Harbinger is my step-dad? To believe that to be true is.. just real unheard of."
As more thoughts of how unreal this family tree branches out, they were joined by a mad dasher from earlier..
Rin: "Whew.. huff.. I.. should've brought my blades.."
Noticing her phone, she snatched it off without hesitation..
Rin: "Thank you very very much.. oh, looks like you're here too, little sis?"
Candy: "Hey.. so I've been meaning to ask for the past week, but how was Chamonix?"
Knowing he could answer that, Jacob takes offense and argues..
Jake Ross: "You.. chose to ask her, not me?? That hurt."
Candy: "Get over it, you big dark baby."
Rin then delved back to the white bliss of snowing the past week..
Rin: "Oh, well.. if you've been skiing on Japan one time in the past, in France it's different.. still fun."
Jake Ross: "Shame we had to cut our time hanging out with Daphne."
Recalling that name, Candy had positive vibes as she brings it up..
Candy: "Ohh.. Daphne! I'm sorry.. I'm not wearing the hat today."
Jake Ross: "She said you found her?"
Candy: "More like she found me."
Rin: "And you raced with her.. Don't keep us waiting: how was it?"
Candy: "A nice, cute little race between what was going to be a bunch of friends. Next time I'm in the US, we visit her, no excuses."
He yawned, but not meaning of boredom.
Jacob then spoke, fatigued..
Jake Ross: "Alright. Yeah, I know the place. But right now.. I need rest. I'll leave you lovelies to it."
He walks to the back, and as Candy watched him exit, she turns to her big sis, and notices the sneering grin of evil suddenly popping out..
Candy: "Soo.. w-what's new?"
Rin: "That Guts! I'm putting an arrest warrant the next time this shenanigans come about.."
Candy: "No way you have the authori-"
Interrupted with a palm to her mouth, Rin's fumes remain on full heat..
Rin: "Don't ruin the buzz, little sis! I'm going to get back at him so I can cool off a little.. hmm.."
In a swift fashion, she gripped her little sister's hand and dragged her out of the garage.
Candy: "Wh-where are we going??"
Dragged down the pit lane (gladly not by her dress collar this time), the women arrive at a sight..
Rin: "AHH HAH! This would be his car for the day.."
Candy: "The Sim Gear Ferrari? Absolutely not! I saw the Sim Gear Genesis X!"
Rin: "I don't care: I saw him out of it. That must mean he's driving it in a few days.."
Candy, not liking being around, argues in hesitation..
Candy: "Big sis, before we jump to conclusions.."
And as she readies to exit, she runs into a most divine underground racing kingpin.
Clark: "Morning."
While he's now in a professionally styled look, Candy still puts the Sim Gear host and the Messiah as the same person, and began to scream..
Candy: "UUWAAAAA! It's the patron saint of the London underground!"
As she backed away to the Ferrari, Rin joined him as he wonders..
Clark: "She's still shaky about yesterday, I wager? Come now, you had a most delectable pudding last night.. that I paid for.. three times over."
Rin: "Uhhh... no comment. Hi there, Clark-san!"
In a strange sight to her, Clark revealed a smile.
Clark: "My phoenix Rin! You never come over to say hi to the man that taught you all he knew? F[BLEEP] me, I'm.. flabbergasted."
The hostile air disspiates with that tone, which then she questioned..
Candy: "What on Earth just happened?! B-big sis?!"
As Candy exits her cover, Clark, in a much better tone, spoke..
Clark: "That's news to you?"
Candy: "What does the confused response mean to you then?"
Rin: "My little sis is learning more and more about us.."
Entertained by her befuddlement, Clark recalled..
Clark: "I told you I respect women, right, Candy? Behind Dorah, she's the prime suspect."
Rin: "As part of the Mythic Initiative, I was given to him to learn how to race, ehe."
Candy's head might be full of questions, one such question dropped as she learns..
Candy: "You mentioned none of this at all.. it explains your amazing driving!"
Rin: "Guiltyy~"
Teased Rin as she pulled her cheek in humor.
Clark, acting nicely, has an idea..
Clark: "At any case, since you still have that ounce of guilt, how about you do something for me.."
Candy: "A-alright.."
Walking to the Ferrari GT3, he then rubbed his hand over its smooth lines, then explaining.
Clark: "I've been gathering telemetry data for that Ferrari.. I'm hoping that with some input from a few more drivers, I can perhaps find the best ways to adjust it for the final race. All you have to do is drive. If you want I can make it so you can drive your f[BLEEP]ing heart out.."
Candy: "That won't be necessary! I'll get my helmet.."
She then dashes away, but this time not by force, as Clark then watches her go..
Clark: "Swell. Rin, if you would.. warm up the car for your sister?"
Rin: "We're not really sisters, but you know: we're bonded.."
And while Rin gets to asking around, Clark then frowned, trying to solve the riddle in his head regarding..
Clark: "Three puddings. Three. Three f[BLEEP]ing, sugar filled, sauce bathed, calorie dense puddings! And look at that t[BLEEP]! Just how can she be f[BLEEP]ing fit?! Her metabolism for sugar is just on a whole different level!!"
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
To Candy she's behind the wheel of another racecar: an accurate way to describe what she initially thought.
However, laps later, she would have eyes widened and her blood pumping, akin to the days she rode in a 787B around.
Unsure of what to expect, her radio then receives..
Clark: "Come in, you little runt. Now.. give me a brief thought.."
Candy: "This thing is wild!"
He plays coy, remembering a woman similar to the one in the Ferrari..
Clark: "Is it, now? Cierra didn't think so."
Candy: "That's an insult, isn't it? That's so her to handle power like it was just a day in the office."
Clark: "How about you? Don't you have a taste of ample power levels?"
He's teasing, she thought, but she decided to just reply in a humble manner..
Candy: "Until I get in that LaFerrari of yours, what I say won't satisfy you."
Clark: "Don't play coy now, darling.. I'm sure my car pales in compare to whatever you've been exposed to in recent days.."
Candy: "Logical. The last time I was here.. I went around with a 787B."
Clark: "The real screamer.."
Although she's driving for her life in a less pressured manner, she then asks..
Candy: "Did you have plays in power before the.. you know?"
Clark: "Before? Not quite. But after.. well, I'm a f[BLEEP]ing mainstay of a once incredibly popular car program.. cars are never out of my reach for variety."
She didn't like that answer however..
Candy: "Hmmph.. lucky man. Keep it silent, please? I'm going to bring it real hard."
Clark: "This'll be good. Clark out."
Running into another traffic car, Candy though finds this one noteworthy, as she activates her communicator..
Candy: "Eh? Umm, come in, Clark?"
Clark: "Something the matter?"
Candy: "Nash is on track.. I had him driving this car in mind in the weekend, but.."
Clark: "Let me put it this way: if he's the f[BLEEP]ing brains today, my brother will gladly explain in due time. The data you gathered is splendid, by the way. Come in when you feel you're done. Out."
Candy: "He sounded glad.. I wonder how long that's going to last."
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
To Candy she's behind the wheel of another racecar: an accurate way to describe what she initially thought.
However, laps later, she would have eyes widened and her blood pumping, akin to the days she rode in a 787B around.
Unsure of what to expect, her radio then receives..
Clark: "Come in, you little runt. Now.. give me a brief thought.."
Candy: "This thing is wild!"
He plays coy, remembering a woman similar to the one in the Ferrari..
Clark: "Is it, now? Cierra didn't think so."
Candy: "That's an insult, isn't it? That's so her to handle power like it was just a day in the office."
Clark: "How about you? Don't you have a taste of ample power levels?"
He's teasing, she thought, but she decided to just reply in a humble manner..
Candy: "Until I get in that LaFerrari of yours, what I say won't satisfy you."
Clark: "Don't play coy now, darling.. I'm sure my car pales in compare to whatever you've been exposed to in recent days.."
Candy: "Logical. The last time I was here.. I went around with a 787B."
Clark: "The real screamer.."
Although she's driving for her life in a less pressured manner, she then asks..
Candy: "Did you have plays in power before the.. you know?"
Clark: "Before? Not quite. But after.. well, I'm a f[BLEEP]ing mainstay of a once incredibly popular car program.. cars are never out of my reach for variety."
She didn't like that answer however..
Candy: "Hmmph.. lucky man. Keep it silent, please? I'm going to bring it real hard."
Clark: "This'll be good. Clark out."
Do you ever have high hopes for a car waiting to bite and try to maim you, and you can't do much else of it? This be that one car in a GT racing shape and form. But.. coming with this mindset, let the masochist in this mofo SPD spoil to y'all and say I'm thoroughly disappointed.
We'll have to hop on to some of the good the car offers. While it might not be a RWD coupe that has the advantage in longer straights, the Italia has a respectable everywhere else. Good launch, check. Good sharp handling, check, and for a car without a turbo, it has an acceleration profile that's mostly consistent, meaning you're okay putting it to the redline. This apparently is the way to get the car to its best behavior, as the issues for the car mainly lie in low to mid revs, with a torque peaking right in the middle, just shy of 5000 RPM. Shift late as you can, and you avoid that. Of course, you can't quite avoid that if you're racing somewhere with tight corners, which is nearly everywhere. It won't be good for fuel on the very very long run, and even if you strictly save fuel, you're have to note that torque bump, so be wary of that when not keeping this straight.
Not to mention it's definitely a pretty pretty car. No question that Ferrari knows how to make their car look and race good. So it wins in an aesthetic perspective. No wonder people took their issues driving this car to heart.. it's like a venus flytrap.
I'm sure everyone wants to know how do you spin a Ferrari that's been racing and winning GT races for 5 years.. that's easy. If in game physics are to speak for realism, the Italia GT3 has got to be handled by badasses. But anyone from Sport would know the Ferrari's mainly infamous for this rotating of the body, even coming to agree to see it as the king (or queen, I dunno) of the Group 3 pirouettes, thus the spinning memes. Like most low slung Group 3 cars, if you play with severe cases of undulations, you're going to let loose. The Ferrari too gets this, like with the Citroen or the NSX, but also not acting nicely when weight transfer is involved, ala the Peugeot VGT and the NSX again. You can say it also has power oversteer, but in Group 3, there is no super easy choice like AWD cars in Group 4. Plus that in all BOP levels, it gets a power nerf, meaning you want to focus more on what you can do other than play with the throttle. Said throttle is pure and raw, and you're not going to get the kick certain turbocharged Group 3 cars have.
A turbo is an interesting thought. That's what the Italia doesn't have that its successors do get. Turbos on Group 3 make it an extra worry that you have to manage the turbo's behaviour in the driving, which gladly the Italia doesn't get to go through. The use of a turbo's not all bad, as there are some turbocharged midships that have great throttle stability.. the RS01 and the Alfa Romeo come to mind. Then we have the other end of the spectrum, which for my example we go to where the 2 Volkswagens live at. Stability wise, the Ferrari is.. lively, but not so lively it's going to kill you when you put down the power. You will never feel like the car's going to give understeer, because you're worried that the opposite of that is what's going to happen instead. Though, if you're nervous of taking corners, just intend on bringing this car to high speed tracks without tough corners.
I made a meme on how much I hated Bathurst last week, but I'll wait another week to see if I can take that out. I'm just begging for that indifferent loser known as future SPD to start suggesting Goodwood again and reduce the chances of ever getting down there.
Covering the racing techniques, well.. short shifting is very 50-50: you can do it, but you risk locking up and going sideways, especially mid-corner, and that's needless to say a bad thing. In fact, I would highly advise against it, as the car's reasonable, non turbocharged power oversteer is minimal. And there's definitely some loss when you short shift. If you feel you can't quite get it balanced while cornering, some practice throttle braking can be a valauble thought. No, I'm not driving this thing with traction control: it never sits with me well with these Grouped cars. In fact, if you are going to do anything funny in the turns that involve the gearbox, do it without any sudden elevation or lower grip surface involved, as that's where the bad voodoo be happening, ya?
Tuning?
Did someone say.. restraining order for adding turbos, acceleration to 5, boosted initial torque and braking sensitivity to 20 at least, stiffer anti roll bars up front, more compression up front, tighter gears after 1st, when required boost rear downforce, change height and spring rate slowly with more to the front, make sure the numbers are not ridiculously separated between front and back, put brake balance to the front with a minimum of -1, and practice, practice, PRACTICE?
Whew, I don't know why I want to say all that with one breath.
Now, it's another Grouped car, so.. anyone considering signing with Ferrari? Anyone already seeing the Group 3 car are the ones telling you against it. If you don't mind the exceptional Group 4 car it has, the Group 3 car needs you to be more precise or pleasant with your everything, or you will suffer. If you're still afraid of the Italia, alternatives include Frenchies in Citroen and RenaultSport. The former having a similar offering in a dominant midships Group 4 car, while the latter has a more balanced selection. If you're afraid of French snorting, you can also opt for fellow Italian Alfa Romeo.. if you're into lightweight small bois that are slow on the straights, but incredible driver's cars which are easy to handle. Porsche is also on the table for a go-to choice with 2 excellent cars in its classes. Honda's on this gang too, only offering a more.. Asian way of saying you hate yourself and wantnalla to sbinalla.
I'm going with a little of a high note here: this car might be, as they say, the most difficult of the bunch to make good work of, but to say that is an impossible task is.. well, an impossibility. And not to mention how good of a feeling it is to be taking this car out to challenge the likes of some other more civilized choices, and telling everyone on track that you lived. Although, after ample amounts of driving time in this, I can say there exist much more difficult Group 3 cars. The Italia is definitely 4 out of 5 stars under the influence of my greasy palms (greased with antiseptic alcohol that is, yes I'm addicted to that stuff even before COVID came about).
With the Italia GT3, all you got to do is, as my inner Sundowner would say, give war a chance. Hey, while a battle is what you're doing internally within this to get it straight, with the recent BOP changes, at least it's not weak.
Speaking of weak..
We'll have to hop on to some of the good the car offers. While it might not be a RWD coupe that has the advantage in longer straights, the Italia has a respectable everywhere else. Good launch, check. Good sharp handling, check, and for a car without a turbo, it has an acceleration profile that's mostly consistent, meaning you're okay putting it to the redline. This apparently is the way to get the car to its best behavior, as the issues for the car mainly lie in low to mid revs, with a torque peaking right in the middle, just shy of 5000 RPM. Shift late as you can, and you avoid that. Of course, you can't quite avoid that if you're racing somewhere with tight corners, which is nearly everywhere. It won't be good for fuel on the very very long run, and even if you strictly save fuel, you're have to note that torque bump, so be wary of that when not keeping this straight.
Not to mention it's definitely a pretty pretty car. No question that Ferrari knows how to make their car look and race good. So it wins in an aesthetic perspective. No wonder people took their issues driving this car to heart.. it's like a venus flytrap.
I'm sure everyone wants to know how do you spin a Ferrari that's been racing and winning GT races for 5 years.. that's easy. If in game physics are to speak for realism, the Italia GT3 has got to be handled by badasses. But anyone from Sport would know the Ferrari's mainly infamous for this rotating of the body, even coming to agree to see it as the king (or queen, I dunno) of the Group 3 pirouettes, thus the spinning memes. Like most low slung Group 3 cars, if you play with severe cases of undulations, you're going to let loose. The Ferrari too gets this, like with the Citroen or the NSX, but also not acting nicely when weight transfer is involved, ala the Peugeot VGT and the NSX again. You can say it also has power oversteer, but in Group 3, there is no super easy choice like AWD cars in Group 4. Plus that in all BOP levels, it gets a power nerf, meaning you want to focus more on what you can do other than play with the throttle. Said throttle is pure and raw, and you're not going to get the kick certain turbocharged Group 3 cars have.
A turbo is an interesting thought. That's what the Italia doesn't have that its successors do get. Turbos on Group 3 make it an extra worry that you have to manage the turbo's behaviour in the driving, which gladly the Italia doesn't get to go through. The use of a turbo's not all bad, as there are some turbocharged midships that have great throttle stability.. the RS01 and the Alfa Romeo come to mind. Then we have the other end of the spectrum, which for my example we go to where the 2 Volkswagens live at. Stability wise, the Ferrari is.. lively, but not so lively it's going to kill you when you put down the power. You will never feel like the car's going to give understeer, because you're worried that the opposite of that is what's going to happen instead. Though, if you're nervous of taking corners, just intend on bringing this car to high speed tracks without tough corners.
I made a meme on how much I hated Bathurst last week, but I'll wait another week to see if I can take that out. I'm just begging for that indifferent loser known as future SPD to start suggesting Goodwood again and reduce the chances of ever getting down there.
Covering the racing techniques, well.. short shifting is very 50-50: you can do it, but you risk locking up and going sideways, especially mid-corner, and that's needless to say a bad thing. In fact, I would highly advise against it, as the car's reasonable, non turbocharged power oversteer is minimal. And there's definitely some loss when you short shift. If you feel you can't quite get it balanced while cornering, some practice throttle braking can be a valauble thought. No, I'm not driving this thing with traction control: it never sits with me well with these Grouped cars. In fact, if you are going to do anything funny in the turns that involve the gearbox, do it without any sudden elevation or lower grip surface involved, as that's where the bad voodoo be happening, ya?
Tuning?
Did someone say.. restraining order for adding turbos, acceleration to 5, boosted initial torque and braking sensitivity to 20 at least, stiffer anti roll bars up front, more compression up front, tighter gears after 1st, when required boost rear downforce, change height and spring rate slowly with more to the front, make sure the numbers are not ridiculously separated between front and back, put brake balance to the front with a minimum of -1, and practice, practice, PRACTICE?
Whew, I don't know why I want to say all that with one breath.
Now, it's another Grouped car, so.. anyone considering signing with Ferrari? Anyone already seeing the Group 3 car are the ones telling you against it. If you don't mind the exceptional Group 4 car it has, the Group 3 car needs you to be more precise or pleasant with your everything, or you will suffer. If you're still afraid of the Italia, alternatives include Frenchies in Citroen and RenaultSport. The former having a similar offering in a dominant midships Group 4 car, while the latter has a more balanced selection. If you're afraid of French snorting, you can also opt for fellow Italian Alfa Romeo.. if you're into lightweight small bois that are slow on the straights, but incredible driver's cars which are easy to handle. Porsche is also on the table for a go-to choice with 2 excellent cars in its classes. Honda's on this gang too, only offering a more.. Asian way of saying you hate yourself and wantnalla to sbinalla.
I'm going with a little of a high note here: this car might be, as they say, the most difficult of the bunch to make good work of, but to say that is an impossible task is.. well, an impossibility. And not to mention how good of a feeling it is to be taking this car out to challenge the likes of some other more civilized choices, and telling everyone on track that you lived. Although, after ample amounts of driving time in this, I can say there exist much more difficult Group 3 cars. The Italia is definitely 4 out of 5 stars under the influence of my greasy palms (greased with antiseptic alcohol that is, yes I'm addicted to that stuff even before COVID came about).
With the Italia GT3, all you got to do is, as my inner Sundowner would say, give war a chance. Hey, while a battle is what you're doing internally within this to get it straight, with the recent BOP changes, at least it's not weak.
Speaking of weak..
Running into another traffic car, Candy though finds this one noteworthy, as she activates her communicator..
Candy: "Eh? Umm, come in, Clark?"
Clark: "Something the matter?"
Candy: "Nash is on track.. I had him driving this car in mind in the weekend, but.."
Clark: "Let me put it this way: if he's the f[BLEEP]ing brains today, my brother will gladly explain in due time. The data you gathered is splendid, by the way. Come in when you feel you're done. Out."
Candy: "He sounded glad.. I wonder how long that's going to last."
Thinking of being done for the day, Candy prepares to leave, but not before announcing it to the present Sim Gear gang.
However, just as she closes in to their set garages, groups of people stand outside instead of inside, prompting her to investigate.
And she puts out a sigh of relief seeing a man that might help out.
Candy: "Is something going on?"
Hayato: "Oh? Candy-chan?"
He looks down a little and sees her not feeling playful, as she asks.
Candy: "Something you need, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "No, not really. I know you're going to ask, because narrator-chan whispered it to my head.."
I'm going to make sure she doesn't remember that we're in cahoots, Moto-san.
Hayato: "Nyeeheehee.. where was I.. oh, it's the usual Jiji just trying to convince once again that his aniki's future is on the track, not purely on the streets. Usually it won't do anything, but it can be.. heated enough that the teams have to be put outside to prevent further misalignment.. of the bone, nyeeheehee.."
She's not so sure, but she remarks..
Candy: "I had a talk like this once.. just pure mention of his past sweetheart can help change his mind.."
Arriving as she spoke, Williem and The Guts then chimed in..
Williem: "Only that this time, Frau.. to say it will work again might not be a certainty. Isn't that so?"
He nods at a sluggish pace.
Hayato: "Nyeehh.. that's just annoying. Our dear Candy-chan only having a one trick pony.. don't you think so, Will-chan?"
Williem: "She's right here, Moto-san.."
Candy: "Despite that, he's right. I'd like to come in and say something, but I'm currently at a loss.."
Not realizing The Guts already had left, the man standing in his spot then spoke..
Jake Ross: "Loss, you say?"
While Clark and Jake usually were figures opposing each other, Candy thought them to be somewhat similar, as she looks up to him.
But instead, she asks of..
Candy: "Up and rested, are you?"
Jake Ross: "And would you believe coming in at the right time? Come with me, little lady."
Candy: "Ummm.. alright!"
As they split, Jacob turned back and requests from the German cool guy..
Jake Ross: "Keep the gates secure. Let's get the riff raff at a minimum."
Williem: "Ja, ja, you're the boss, Herr Ross."
And he then turns back again and heads in.
Candy, while following, then notices the same package from earlier on hand.
Candy: "So.. what's in the box?"
Jake Ross: "Hmm.. perhaps it's relevant now. Recognize this?"
He opens the wrapped box to unfurl a tablet, but for Candy, it's not just any regular tablet you can buy online..
Candy: "It's one of those Prophecy tablets.. and.. I.."
Jake Ross: "..Not from Murph.. but.. you will wanna see how this turns out, trust me."
As they enter, the garage might be in a less than ideal condition, while the car remains spotless.
The brothers, arguing like they usually do in regards to the reason, then notices the people entering without resistance.
Clark: "Oh, what's this, brother? The f[BLEEP]ing backup?!"
Nash: "Ross? What are you up to now, you muppet?"
He remains his composure, as he remarks with a hint of snark..
Jake Ross: "There ain't no concoctions or chemical warfare up and about from me, but I know the air here stinks.. I aim to clear it up. Here."
Tossing the tablet like a cheesy movie, Clark then catches it, recognizing..
Clark: "How.. did you get this?"
And just like any cheesy movie, it then plays a sound at the perfect time.
Nash reaffirms, asking..
Nash: "That's coming from the tablet?"
Jake Ross: "I reckon you better answer that."
Knowing his own organization's own tools, he scrolls the screen elements, responding to the mystery caller.
Clark: "Humph. Who's this?"
Not expecting anything good, the woman making the call speaks..
Cierra: "M-Mister Messiah, sir!"
Clark: "Cierra!"
Candy: "W-what?!"
The thick uneasiness then wanes as Clark looks at the tablet, seeing Cierra on the other side.
Clark: "My dear.. Chosen.. are you alright?"
Cierra: "I'm.. I'm fine! Yes.. umm.. before you worry or whatever.. th-these people are doing me a solid!"
Clark: "Good.. good to hear that."
Seeing it unfold, Nash notes to his apprentice..
Nash: "Well.. now we know your connection with those punks have some meaning."
Jake Ross: "Smuggling that around wasn't easy.. had some help from.. I'd rather not say."
Then it's Candy's turn..
Candy: "This is all Cierra's idea, isn't it?"
Jake Ross: "Yup. She's been trying to get ahold of me for weeks, not mistaking.. I deduce Luce has something to do with it."
They then watch the conversation carry on..
Cierra: "I know you want to see us. but.. me and Lulu.. we have a race.. in Road Atlanta. Same time as you guys a-are having your grand prix!"
Clark: "America's a tad far away.."
Feeling he's needed, Jacob walked in and added..
Jake Ross: "Atlanta? I know a guy racing with you.. Wilde, racing for Suzuki."
Clark, unsure how to act, then asks..
Clark: "Tell me then.. is this what you wanted? Us apart.."
He sees her nervously holding back, tears then getting involved.
His expectations of her still high, Clark pushes the limits..
Clark: "No more silence, Cierra. I don't admit to anyone I'm treating you like my own.. But now.."
She began to weep, but refused to look weak from the man that nurtured her adult life, shouting..
Cierra: "I-I-I UNDERSTAND MISTER MESSIAH SIRR!"
Candy: "Volume, Cierra.."
As she rubs away her face, she answered back..
Cierra: "I feel I belonged.. really! In The Prophecy! In here too! W-with a team, I-I.."
Clark: "That's more than enough. You're happy. I can cope with that, CANDY.."
That sudden rage fuelled name drop got her ready to escape, but she struggled to retain..
Candy: "Uhh.. (he's going to lash out on me, is he?)"
Cierra: "I'm.. umm.. sorry for leaving so sudden. I had to find Lulu. I.. never knew that without her I wouldn't be complete."
The ternion needs to come back, she thought, but Candy too chimed in on the situation..
Candy: "Cierra.. I'm.. right there with you. Just that.. I don't want any more with Augur than I already did!"
Miffed at her involvment, Clark moves her aside and speaks..
Clark: "For completeness sake.. do know you're always welcome back in The Prophecy, no matter how bleak your new career looks."
Nash: "Bleak? Brother, I doubt that's what she's getting into."
Cierra: "Roger that.. I better sign off before.. they find out. Anything else?"
Pulling her back in, Clark then spoke, softly..
Clark: "No. You're an adult now.. do what you want. Don't be shy to call me, the Count, or Gary even. And you better apologize to Candy."
Cierra: "R-right! I'm sorry! I'll take care of Lulu. For us!"
Candy: "When's the next time we tussle, Cierra? I want it with all three of us the next time!"
Cierra: "A-a-if only.. well, no promises.. byeee!"
The tablet's call ends, which Clark tosses back to Jacob..
Clark: "Well, I didn't want that. But you all know I needed it."
Jake Ross: "You're welcome."
But while it was a moment of bliss, his violent streak kicked in, frustrated for reasons still unknown.
He started tossing more things around, while aware the car's still there.
Clark: "URGHH!! Damn it all. If Gary was here, he'd get a face full of fist! If not this Fowler Boys crap with The Cinderella, I would've handle Augur like they would like to handle my precious little wonder!"
The two men then notice Candy step up..
Candy: "Well.. what are you waiting for?"
Clark: "Tch.."
Nash had to stop his brother he thought, but Jacob halted him with a swing of his arm.
Nash: "Ohh?"
Candy: "I.. thought I'd be a good punching bag for you.. so.. if you please?"
He respects women, but being as she requested this personally, he didn't abstain.
She felt a fist coming in, eyes closed, expecting a sharp pain coming in.
But as it was to come, it stopped, just by a breath's range.
Clark: "No."
Candy: "N-no?! (He pulled it THIS close?)"
He came close, and instead leaned down..
Clark: "If I landed so much as a single smudge on to your lovely little face, I'd already lose myself. Now.. no more being a scaredy cat, Miss Lam. I have been, as you'd like it too, convinced."
Upon hearing that, Candy's emotional baggage on Clark Kayne has, strangely, floated away.
Relieved, she then sees him continue..
Clark: "Should I even hit you, you find yourself an excuse to not be racing this weekend, let alone any of you. Which would be a f[BLEEP]ing pity."
The white haired legend didn't take long to figure out..
Nash: "Am I.. seeing some development?"
Clark: "Like what I saw with Cierra.. I have to move on, brother. You know that. They know that. But when I f[BLEEP]ing move on, I have to take the f[BLEEP]ing first step. It's been more than 10 years."
His rage quelled, he finds motivation flooding in..
Clark: "And I wish to take it as the true me. Not Clark Kayne, the Messiah, but as.. Maximus Davies.. host of Sim Gear, going into our first ever sponsored GT event."
Unexpectedly, Nash's mission also came to a success, as he celebrates.
Nash: "Oh, verily so.. I'm.. I'm shocked! So shocked, I could weep.. If only Alan wasn't on holiday to see this: you, me, Guts.. on the track!"
Reminded of the old man, he replies to his brother with confidence.
Clark: "Don't leave the geezer out, brother! Let's take him back in."
Nash: "Right! I suppose you're right.. He too has a want to join our cause.. I need a manufacturer.. any suggestions?"
Jacob then came close and noted..
Jake Ross: "How about Hyundai? They got me a nice V6.. nearly took their offer, and trust me: they're desperate for racers."
Remembering The Guts and his Genesis, Nash couldn't find anything against this idea by himself, asking..
Nash: "I'm afraid there isn't anyone that can testify to this?"
Candy: "Not this time."
Jake Ross: "Sophia would. But.."
Remembering the former ambassador of a certain tamed racing animal, Nash then thought..
Nash: "Sophia would.. that's dodgy.."
Clark: "We can.. try to use it as leverage should she come crawling back."
His brother's wisdom once again at play, he obliges to the logic..
Nash: "Alright. But anything out of the ordinary, and I'll have to pull it."
Clark though has had enough of the crowd..
Clark: "Well? I say we're settled. You two are dismissed."
The two outsiders start to exit, but not without some praises of their own.
Candy: "Talk about amazing! Wait till big sis hears of this!"
Jake Ross: "I wonder if they'll see hints of The Messiah's greatness finally on the legal world.. All thanks to us."
Candy: "Nonsense! It's your doing! I was in it for the ride, that's all."
Nash and Clark, brothers of a Mythic declaration, then looked outside..
Nash: "What? We let them go without thanking them?"
Clark: "Not in front of them, no. F[BLEEP] this act of grateful mercy. But you know me enough that I appreciate their efforts. I'll let Rin know. Promise."
Still Grey
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
With perfect weather conditions, and the qualifying sessions settled in past days, the race rumbles on.
What's not expected is the amount of action all over the grid, with a Japanese Super Formula hotshot once again butting heads with a Nurburgring track master at the mid pack.
Not much further ahead comes a pair of women etching their name strong into the sport..
And up at front..
The tamed racing animal pounces his way to the lead as usual, but not without some challenge from the man secretly known as The Messiah.
Being the man that brought the world the ego centered Sonny Meng to the racetracks, the on track revival of Maximus Davies gave him ample reason for him to show the world he's not washed up, and what better message can that come as he would make a daring overtake.
Never happier, Nash watches this change of heart personally..
Nash: "Putting to shame the champion in his debut GT race. Brother.. you planned on a strong, veritable first impression, eh?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like last week, there are members of the roster that SHOULD be here, but aren't.
I keep telling myself: SPD, you need to only develop and revolve the story around Candy, not anyone else. I'm really bad at this.
And then I'm probably starting to notice a favored bunch of the roster now.. I'll try to diversify next week. Whatever car next week is, umm.. I'm going to use a random wheel for this..
I'm going to have Ayumi bring the energy. Which intrigues me: she and her new hubby hasn't appeared since Mazda Month.
If you want to guess who I really was rooting to write with next week, I think it's more interesting if you just guess.
I keep telling myself: SPD, you need to only develop and revolve the story around Candy, not anyone else. I'm really bad at this.
And then I'm probably starting to notice a favored bunch of the roster now.. I'll try to diversify next week. Whatever car next week is, umm.. I'm going to use a random wheel for this..
I'm going to have Ayumi bring the energy. Which intrigues me: she and her new hubby hasn't appeared since Mazda Month.
If you want to guess who I really was rooting to write with next week, I think it's more interesting if you just guess.
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..
Tech savvy geek with a forte in extreme sports. While her chaotic nature always gets her into situations unwanted, her overall innocent and kind upbringing gets her to be responsible of being the only one capable of lighting up the complete darkness in her husband's inner struggles for a final identity.
Theme Song: Muse - Guiding Light
Racing Duel Music: Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You?
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 29
Current occupation: Interpol special operative
Distinct features: Medium, layered bob burgundy hair. Athletic, slightly wide diamond face. Brown hooded eyes, thin almond nose and a small mouth. A natural beauty with a small layer of makeup that exists only to hide her eyebags. Thin profile with an average height, and above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Always wears a bespoke pair of sporty earphones. Never with a distinct fashion style due to her clinging as a master of disguise, even though she's more of a master of imitation. Most of a time she's with a sporty crop top, denim skirt with tight sporty arm socks, leggings and sports shoes.
Cars: Lexus LFA, Lexus RC F, Daihatsu Copen
Rin started off life in Tochigi. Not even years in, she has been diagnosed with a minor mental defect which hampered her thought processes. While it didn't get in the way of her everyday living, it prompted her parents to remain her a single child. It did get her to do the occasional odd and unusual behaviour. Aspiring to be the family's model child, she didn't let her setbacks bring her down. A top grading student with impressive feats in athleticism, and to remain incredibly pretty; you can say all these good things about her, it's supposedly impossible.
With her mother, love was unconditional, but her father seems held back. Further on in her teen life, she would find out aside his day job that he's a well known, on and off street racer. The relationship would sour further, but that changed in the aftermath of when she decided it's time to see if she can do better. Acing her driver's test was one thing, but immediately sneaking out and winning a Clubman Cup event in Motegi was the next.
Rin would head to the UK instead of local institutes for higher education, but it was a guise as her father wanted to protect her from local troubles stirred by his actions. Away from home, this would be a pivotal era for her development. An old friend became her starting point in racing. She would meet certain individuals, including her husband to be. But also came a criminal group that wanted to exploit her near perfect genetics, with these events causing mental damage, and giving way to her chaotic shifts in mood.
She would make her escape in marriage, prompting her to stay in California. The paranoia didn't stop there. On the first chance she could, she started working as a police officer, even deciding to adopt identities and learn imitation. But her fears did arrive. They staged an accident, and before she got taken away, she escaped, leaving everything behind for a long 7 years. This time was used for her to anonymously hone her racing to a whole new high, protected by Interpol.
And gladly, that time is over. But a lot has changed. Most importantly: her father has died. Initially succeeding him by joining FIA GT racing, she failed to inquire an investigation on how he left a legacy behind in the form of Candy..
Theme Song: Muse - Guiding Light
Racing Duel Music: Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You?
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 29
Current occupation: Interpol special operative
Distinct features: Medium, layered bob burgundy hair. Athletic, slightly wide diamond face. Brown hooded eyes, thin almond nose and a small mouth. A natural beauty with a small layer of makeup that exists only to hide her eyebags. Thin profile with an average height, and above average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Always wears a bespoke pair of sporty earphones. Never with a distinct fashion style due to her clinging as a master of disguise, even though she's more of a master of imitation. Most of a time she's with a sporty crop top, denim skirt with tight sporty arm socks, leggings and sports shoes.
Cars: Lexus LFA, Lexus RC F, Daihatsu Copen
Rin started off life in Tochigi. Not even years in, she has been diagnosed with a minor mental defect which hampered her thought processes. While it didn't get in the way of her everyday living, it prompted her parents to remain her a single child. It did get her to do the occasional odd and unusual behaviour. Aspiring to be the family's model child, she didn't let her setbacks bring her down. A top grading student with impressive feats in athleticism, and to remain incredibly pretty; you can say all these good things about her, it's supposedly impossible.
With her mother, love was unconditional, but her father seems held back. Further on in her teen life, she would find out aside his day job that he's a well known, on and off street racer. The relationship would sour further, but that changed in the aftermath of when she decided it's time to see if she can do better. Acing her driver's test was one thing, but immediately sneaking out and winning a Clubman Cup event in Motegi was the next.
Rin would head to the UK instead of local institutes for higher education, but it was a guise as her father wanted to protect her from local troubles stirred by his actions. Away from home, this would be a pivotal era for her development. An old friend became her starting point in racing. She would meet certain individuals, including her husband to be. But also came a criminal group that wanted to exploit her near perfect genetics, with these events causing mental damage, and giving way to her chaotic shifts in mood.
She would make her escape in marriage, prompting her to stay in California. The paranoia didn't stop there. On the first chance she could, she started working as a police officer, even deciding to adopt identities and learn imitation. But her fears did arrive. They staged an accident, and before she got taken away, she escaped, leaving everything behind for a long 7 years. This time was used for her to anonymously hone her racing to a whole new high, protected by Interpol.
And gladly, that time is over. But a lot has changed. Most importantly: her father has died. Initially succeeding him by joining FIA GT racing, she failed to inquire an investigation on how he left a legacy behind in the form of Candy..
They said if there was a God in the worldwide street racing scene, Jacob Ross' moniker as The Outlaw was the very thing He and anyone else in said scene would be unequivocally afraid of.
Theme Song: Metallica - Disposable Heroes (Remastered)
Racing Duel Music: Gary Numan - I Am Dust
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 33
Current occupation: Rookie racer, in guise of his top street racer moniker
Distinct features: Balding marked, medium swept up brown hair. Roughened up with a few cut scars, but smooth, thin chiseled, and somewhat attractive diamond face. Aggressive, azure down turned eyes, thick grecian nose and serious, semi-thick lips. Tall build, with a fit build carrying developed muscles. Those muscles would artificially expand further when he becomes The Outlaw.
Choice of clothing: Black is the name of the game, usually with a custom tailored suit vest under a dark long wool jacket. Never seen without a black bespoke pinch front cowboy hat, with an engraving: 'Oderint dum metuant'. As The Outlaw, he would add on a thick special bulletproof attire, and a breathing apparatus that steams out an unusual drug should he need it.
Cars: Ford GT '06, Ford Mustang Boss 429, Ford Mustang Gr. 3 Road Car (as The Outlaw)
As the firstborn of a rich Californian racing legend, racing was definitely in his blood and Jacob had that opportunity for succeeding his father, joyous and determined this is the future for him.
But in his youth, something happened to his young psyche, and to say it changed him would seriously put it mildly.
The details remain sketchy, and it remained a sensitive topic within his family even to today. It drove a wedge between him and his parents far enough that he wouldn't be the same after his teens. These events harbors the influence of him becoming a fearless, serious somber man with said fear as a weapon of his own.
Now that the weight of succession is beared to someone else, Jacob carved his own destiny. Mixing his passions of the past with his more darkened methods, he toughed through the many grueling years to become the self proclaimed, undisputed fastest street racer of the US, through being a founding member of The List, aliased as The Outlaw: a drug enhanced, nigh unbeatable driver with a penchant for deceit, destruction, disrespect and fire, usually all combined. It's said that there are unspeakable tales of terror that happens to those who oppose The Outlaw: the identity he protects dearly, so much that over time, he's developed a vengeance to those that threaten this visage and those close to him.
Eventually, he married someone: a youthful Japanese girl who would be the greatest ray of sunshine he could ever get. But even that was a marriage that wouldn't last, as both became a target from greater powers. After a long 7 years, that threat now extinguished, he resumed the bumpy, happy life, hoping to outrun the past he knew wouldn't catch up. These days, Jacob has recently registered as a rookie FIA racer, with initial plans in his head saying to take it slow. All seems dandy, until certain events including the rise of his wife's old enemies resurface, enveloping him in the darkness where he then believes is the only place he belongs.
And if his fans and followers are familiar with his talents that developed his legacy, know that his history with a clenching darkness has caught up to him. It's unsure whether his known heroic side has fallen, merged, or even co-exists with his persevering dark side.
Theme Song: Metallica - Disposable Heroes (Remastered)
Racing Duel Music: Gary Numan - I Am Dust
Gender: Male
Nationality: American
Age: 33
Current occupation: Rookie racer, in guise of his top street racer moniker
Distinct features: Balding marked, medium swept up brown hair. Roughened up with a few cut scars, but smooth, thin chiseled, and somewhat attractive diamond face. Aggressive, azure down turned eyes, thick grecian nose and serious, semi-thick lips. Tall build, with a fit build carrying developed muscles. Those muscles would artificially expand further when he becomes The Outlaw.
Choice of clothing: Black is the name of the game, usually with a custom tailored suit vest under a dark long wool jacket. Never seen without a black bespoke pinch front cowboy hat, with an engraving: 'Oderint dum metuant'. As The Outlaw, he would add on a thick special bulletproof attire, and a breathing apparatus that steams out an unusual drug should he need it.
Cars: Ford GT '06, Ford Mustang Boss 429, Ford Mustang Gr. 3 Road Car (as The Outlaw)
As the firstborn of a rich Californian racing legend, racing was definitely in his blood and Jacob had that opportunity for succeeding his father, joyous and determined this is the future for him.
But in his youth, something happened to his young psyche, and to say it changed him would seriously put it mildly.
The details remain sketchy, and it remained a sensitive topic within his family even to today. It drove a wedge between him and his parents far enough that he wouldn't be the same after his teens. These events harbors the influence of him becoming a fearless, serious somber man with said fear as a weapon of his own.
Now that the weight of succession is beared to someone else, Jacob carved his own destiny. Mixing his passions of the past with his more darkened methods, he toughed through the many grueling years to become the self proclaimed, undisputed fastest street racer of the US, through being a founding member of The List, aliased as The Outlaw: a drug enhanced, nigh unbeatable driver with a penchant for deceit, destruction, disrespect and fire, usually all combined. It's said that there are unspeakable tales of terror that happens to those who oppose The Outlaw: the identity he protects dearly, so much that over time, he's developed a vengeance to those that threaten this visage and those close to him.
Eventually, he married someone: a youthful Japanese girl who would be the greatest ray of sunshine he could ever get. But even that was a marriage that wouldn't last, as both became a target from greater powers. After a long 7 years, that threat now extinguished, he resumed the bumpy, happy life, hoping to outrun the past he knew wouldn't catch up. These days, Jacob has recently registered as a rookie FIA racer, with initial plans in his head saying to take it slow. All seems dandy, until certain events including the rise of his wife's old enemies resurface, enveloping him in the darkness where he then believes is the only place he belongs.
And if his fans and followers are familiar with his talents that developed his legacy, know that his history with a clenching darkness has caught up to him. It's unsure whether his known heroic side has fallen, merged, or even co-exists with his persevering dark side.
Some say he has an unmistakeable alternate take on the origins of shoelaces, and that he's campaigning a drive to ensure mandatory use of condoms outside of pleasure. All we know is.. he might be a parody of something more legendary, but he sure is one racing animal.
Theme Song: Finger Eleven - Gods of Speed
Racing Duel Music: Celldweller - Unshakeable (BT & SeamlessR remix)
Gender: Male.. and boy are we glad this is known
Nationality: oh crap
Age: definitely around his 20s? 30s, I guess
Current occupation: Speed
Distinct features: Has no hair, and has a mildly chiseled face of a.. unknown if it's Caucasian or Asian look and skin tone. Sharp wide brown eyes, thick grecian nose and unpronounced mouth. Hard to say under his clothing, but its speculated he has a well built body with developed muscles.
Choice of clothing: His signature racing helmet is always on him, but very rarely can be seen without it. Aside from that, he wears whatever the situation desires, usually in shades of carbon black.
Cars: Genesis G70 3.3T, Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Group 1
A mute, socially awkward man of unknown origin and information. All the people know about him is his mythical exploits on the track, being one of the fastest beings on the planet behind any type of car. Not knowing where he came from, some say he was a child of a sinister experiment gone bad. Others say he's the resurrected spirit of a legendary racing driver and brought to the world to show how it's done.
Whatever naysay is related, The Guts' unequal presence on the track is by far the single most dominant feeling of 'Nobody but him is winning this race', and with the rise of talents behind his flag, it's been a proven fact. Usually followed by an ambassador to help communicate, The Guts only speaks through body language, or occasionally with sign language. And if those don't work, he often snatches smartphones and somehow get away with it.
Now under the British car show Sim Gear, The Guts non-racing days have been all about testing cars and showing his ego. But some time ago, since the show's discontinuation, there have been rumors of The Guts being related to The List, but not even group veterans and founders aside the big boss can prove this. Although, the indirect proof of his signature Genesis G70 winning top level street races with his name on it has been circulating.
Theme Song: Finger Eleven - Gods of Speed
Racing Duel Music: Celldweller - Unshakeable (BT & SeamlessR remix)
Gender: Male.. and boy are we glad this is known
Nationality: oh crap
Age: definitely around his 20s? 30s, I guess
Current occupation: Speed
Distinct features: Has no hair, and has a mildly chiseled face of a.. unknown if it's Caucasian or Asian look and skin tone. Sharp wide brown eyes, thick grecian nose and unpronounced mouth. Hard to say under his clothing, but its speculated he has a well built body with developed muscles.
Choice of clothing: His signature racing helmet is always on him, but very rarely can be seen without it. Aside from that, he wears whatever the situation desires, usually in shades of carbon black.
Cars: Genesis G70 3.3T, Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo, Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Group 1
A mute, socially awkward man of unknown origin and information. All the people know about him is his mythical exploits on the track, being one of the fastest beings on the planet behind any type of car. Not knowing where he came from, some say he was a child of a sinister experiment gone bad. Others say he's the resurrected spirit of a legendary racing driver and brought to the world to show how it's done.
Whatever naysay is related, The Guts' unequal presence on the track is by far the single most dominant feeling of 'Nobody but him is winning this race', and with the rise of talents behind his flag, it's been a proven fact. Usually followed by an ambassador to help communicate, The Guts only speaks through body language, or occasionally with sign language. And if those don't work, he often snatches smartphones and somehow get away with it.
Now under the British car show Sim Gear, The Guts non-racing days have been all about testing cars and showing his ego. But some time ago, since the show's discontinuation, there have been rumors of The Guts being related to The List, but not even group veterans and founders aside the big boss can prove this. Although, the indirect proof of his signature Genesis G70 winning top level street races with his name on it has been circulating.
Fourth wall breaking fan favorite racer of the current Super Formula era, Hayato's achievements haze the many dilemmas and twists he's found himself in. A former Yakuza enforcer that doubles as an just as silent and swift ninja wannabe with a unfavorable young personality to back up his race track talents.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX, KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX, KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Just like a being that fell from the sky, Cierra brings herself as The Prophecy's unwanted deus ex machina that can do anything.. if her extremely timid self won't hold it back.
Theme Song: Journey - Wheel in The Sky
Racing Duel Music: Pendulum - Witchcraft (Pegboard Nerds remix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: American
Age: 25
Current occupation: Racing mechanic
Distinct features: Medium, straight brown hair. Sharp and short triangular face with a just as sharp chin. Narrow green eyes around a thin but pointy nose above a slightly thick, but narrow mouth. Small patches of oil can be seen under her brown eyes. While adult, still retains a teenage look in most of her facial features. Average height, skinny body with regular caucasian skin.
Choice of clothing: Always with her signature blue beret. Her clothes vary, but usually consists of a cropped jacket over a tight undershirt, tight skinny jeans, and leather slippers. Can also be seen wearing a mechanic's getup.
Cars: Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Coronet Super Bee
Hailing from San Francisco, Cierra's personal history has been unremarkably blank, until she picked up a spanner from a local chop shop that raised her as one of their own. The shop allowed her to get exposure to her passions as a car mechanic, also earning said staff as a family to lean towards. Slowly but surely, she would earn a reputation modifying cars to be street race ready in a short period of time. Over time, she gains an understanding on what to do if a car needs to drift, grip, drag, or just even lay low on the pavement with lamps all around.
While her social skills remain an all time low due to her timid soul, her ever growing skills in developing and maintaining top levels of performance at a young age manages her to receive scholarships for special tutoring from various manufacturers around the world. From experimental American machines, European supercars, to the domestic powerhouse in Toyota, there's very little in the car she doesn't understand.
Cierra also received the lovely perk of testing out cars from the chop shop just as soon as she reached her sweet sixteens. This skill would work out well for police evasion and warrant issues she piled up. It's unknown how she manages her way in and out of San Francisco with a warrant for her constantly present in the California area alone, but sightings of her in Toyoda would be the last anyone's heard of her in the public.
Her latest caper has her ousted from her home turf, and somehow end up in London, where she becomes another of the Chosen: The Messiah's chosen racers for him to mentor.
Theme Song: Journey - Wheel in The Sky
Racing Duel Music: Pendulum - Witchcraft (Pegboard Nerds remix)
Gender: Female
Nationality: American
Age: 25
Current occupation: Racing mechanic
Distinct features: Medium, straight brown hair. Sharp and short triangular face with a just as sharp chin. Narrow green eyes around a thin but pointy nose above a slightly thick, but narrow mouth. Small patches of oil can be seen under her brown eyes. While adult, still retains a teenage look in most of her facial features. Average height, skinny body with regular caucasian skin.
Choice of clothing: Always with her signature blue beret. Her clothes vary, but usually consists of a cropped jacket over a tight undershirt, tight skinny jeans, and leather slippers. Can also be seen wearing a mechanic's getup.
Cars: Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Coronet Super Bee
Hailing from San Francisco, Cierra's personal history has been unremarkably blank, until she picked up a spanner from a local chop shop that raised her as one of their own. The shop allowed her to get exposure to her passions as a car mechanic, also earning said staff as a family to lean towards. Slowly but surely, she would earn a reputation modifying cars to be street race ready in a short period of time. Over time, she gains an understanding on what to do if a car needs to drift, grip, drag, or just even lay low on the pavement with lamps all around.
While her social skills remain an all time low due to her timid soul, her ever growing skills in developing and maintaining top levels of performance at a young age manages her to receive scholarships for special tutoring from various manufacturers around the world. From experimental American machines, European supercars, to the domestic powerhouse in Toyota, there's very little in the car she doesn't understand.
Cierra also received the lovely perk of testing out cars from the chop shop just as soon as she reached her sweet sixteens. This skill would work out well for police evasion and warrant issues she piled up. It's unknown how she manages her way in and out of San Francisco with a warrant for her constantly present in the California area alone, but sightings of her in Toyoda would be the last anyone's heard of her in the public.
Her latest caper has her ousted from her home turf, and somehow end up in London, where she becomes another of the Chosen: The Messiah's chosen racers for him to mentor.
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.
Once a youthful, late 90s racing powerhouse with family fortunes secured his good life as the strategic and composed mastermind behind the Kirkham Foundation of Medical Sciences. This Manchester native is settled for many lives worth of riches, racing world influence and overall standing in his many fields, but he requires the help of a few worthy others to achieve the goal of housing the fastest racers on the planet.
Theme Song: Coldplay - White Shadows, Coldplay - Paradise (Epic Orchestral Cover by Carl Abelgas & its_draconix)
Racing Duel Music: Electric Lights Orchestra - Prologue + Twilight
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 41
Current occupation: Corporate director
Distinct features: Medium sized, clean cut straight grey hair with white edges. Wide oblong oval face, with hints of wrinkling. Thick narrow nubian nose with often dried out mouth of average size. Slightly tall, very fit build covered by strongly pale skin.
Choice of clothing: No real preference outside of what's British. Functional is what matters. He's often with designer clothing that make him look and feel youthful, such as a puffy jacket over shirt and jeans, bright tracksuits and if anything is formal, it's brightly colored.
Cars: McLaren F1, Abarth 500
Nash was birthed in his current home turf of Manchester. A rich upper classman of Whalley Range, Nash might be born with wealth on his pocket from day 1 due to his father's role as the figurehead of long time pharmaceutical megacompany: the Kirkham Foundation. But he wasn't quite blessed in other ways. His mother passed from childbirth, and his father's not long for the world with a terminal illness. With connected family unwilling to support this dying cause, Nash was left with the family fortune from age 10. However, his father's advice never left him: he's to only trust himself, and never to let anyone give them a chance to take away the family riches.
With that advice in mind, he's left his lofty life of a giant mansion with servants on every whim to enroll himself to the best, with loyal corporate figures acting as his legal guardians, ensuring he would come up to grow as the future of the company. His trust issues would plague him until he would scuffle with a boy who would grow up to be the UK's street racing pioneer known as The Messiah. Said boy would change Nash for the better, being the first person he would open to, and declare as his brother: a role still going strong today. His bitterness towards others would end, as this period of comforting his always angry brother would give way to Nash's overall kind spiritedness coming out.
Reaching adulthood, Nash balanced out his new role as the Foundation director with the life he yearned to find, and he looked hard. Upon suggestion by his brother was track racing, and while his brother was unfortunate, Nash went on to be a GT racing icon after his debut years, meeting many others in this career. But the good times never last, as he was diagnosed by a rare form of albinism that caused his body to age quicker than usual. While his foundation went far to develop a cure, nothing fruitful arose. His undying dedication to this cure had him hit the books, so hard that it earned him great honors in medical sciences and economics. As he would take on an American protege to give his racing wisdom, he's uncertain of his fate, and adopted a successor to give down his company due to an old friend's promise.
These days, Nash's undiagnosed condition prevents him from racing in his name, despite being in peak physical form, but he's usually out and about racing various top racing fields as the Mysterious NZ. And if he's not co-hosting Sim Gear with his brother, he's scheming away his latest big dedicated project known as the Mythic Initiative. Now with six in tow, he's hoping to rid the discord caused by his own protege entering a dark chapter, hoping that the choice never has to come..
Theme Song: Coldplay - White Shadows, Coldplay - Paradise (Epic Orchestral Cover by Carl Abelgas & its_draconix)
Racing Duel Music: Electric Lights Orchestra - Prologue + Twilight
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 41
Current occupation: Corporate director
Distinct features: Medium sized, clean cut straight grey hair with white edges. Wide oblong oval face, with hints of wrinkling. Thick narrow nubian nose with often dried out mouth of average size. Slightly tall, very fit build covered by strongly pale skin.
Choice of clothing: No real preference outside of what's British. Functional is what matters. He's often with designer clothing that make him look and feel youthful, such as a puffy jacket over shirt and jeans, bright tracksuits and if anything is formal, it's brightly colored.
Cars: McLaren F1, Abarth 500
Nash was birthed in his current home turf of Manchester. A rich upper classman of Whalley Range, Nash might be born with wealth on his pocket from day 1 due to his father's role as the figurehead of long time pharmaceutical megacompany: the Kirkham Foundation. But he wasn't quite blessed in other ways. His mother passed from childbirth, and his father's not long for the world with a terminal illness. With connected family unwilling to support this dying cause, Nash was left with the family fortune from age 10. However, his father's advice never left him: he's to only trust himself, and never to let anyone give them a chance to take away the family riches.
With that advice in mind, he's left his lofty life of a giant mansion with servants on every whim to enroll himself to the best, with loyal corporate figures acting as his legal guardians, ensuring he would come up to grow as the future of the company. His trust issues would plague him until he would scuffle with a boy who would grow up to be the UK's street racing pioneer known as The Messiah. Said boy would change Nash for the better, being the first person he would open to, and declare as his brother: a role still going strong today. His bitterness towards others would end, as this period of comforting his always angry brother would give way to Nash's overall kind spiritedness coming out.
Reaching adulthood, Nash balanced out his new role as the Foundation director with the life he yearned to find, and he looked hard. Upon suggestion by his brother was track racing, and while his brother was unfortunate, Nash went on to be a GT racing icon after his debut years, meeting many others in this career. But the good times never last, as he was diagnosed by a rare form of albinism that caused his body to age quicker than usual. While his foundation went far to develop a cure, nothing fruitful arose. His undying dedication to this cure had him hit the books, so hard that it earned him great honors in medical sciences and economics. As he would take on an American protege to give his racing wisdom, he's uncertain of his fate, and adopted a successor to give down his company due to an old friend's promise.
These days, Nash's undiagnosed condition prevents him from racing in his name, despite being in peak physical form, but he's usually out and about racing various top racing fields as the Mysterious NZ. And if he's not co-hosting Sim Gear with his brother, he's scheming away his latest big dedicated project known as the Mythic Initiative. Now with six in tow, he's hoping to rid the discord caused by his own protege entering a dark chapter, hoping that the choice never has to come..
A fan favorite cool cat with a renowned row of accolades for racing street legal machinery. Now expanding his horizons as a member of infamous racing club The List, Williem hopes to bring his long running expertise of the most infamous toll road out to the more savage wilderness that is street racing.
Theme Song: R.E.M. - Talk About The Passion
Racing Duel Music: R.E.M. - Orange Crush
Gender: Male
Nationality: German
Age: 34
Current occupation: Street car racer
Distinct features: Mid-long, curled light accented blonde hair. Thick diamond shaped face with slender cheeks and a rough chin, giving a handsome flair. Narrow eyes, thin down pointed nose, and narrow mouth. Teeth show signs it's being worked on externally, and face is artificially clear of any blemishes. Average to tall height, with semi thin body frame.
Choice of clothing: Always wearing a casual motorsports getup, consisting of a turtleneck shirt under a sporty jacket, matching sports pants and shoes. 90% of the time it will be branded with Audi or the Nurburgring.
Cars: Audi R8 V10, Audi R8 4.2, Audi TTS (Type 8J)
Williem came into the world as one of the two children of a well known Nurburgring specialist family hailed from Eifel. Having exposed into the racing at an early age, Williem has his daily life mixed with both racing and education. While a struggle, this allowed Williem to take things calm, cool and methodically; a mantra he lives by to this day.
A fan of 80's rock, Williem takes greatly into their cool nature and also dabbled into music, adapting in and out from playing the bass, synth keyboard, to taking the wheel of a race worthy Porsche in the early 2000s. Giving his life into succeeding the family name in this sport, he too wants his other sibling: a rage inducing little prodigy into this field. But as he learned to consider the feelings of others, Williem would take her around with his side hustle as a Nurburgring taxi driver, realizing that this is his true calling, not racing.
Eventually befriending a hot headed Spanish superstar upon adulthood, Williem would make use of his talents to be a prime car tester around various locales, especially the Nurburgring. Once hosting their yearly street racing tournament, Williem aligned slowly, as he should, into the competitive side of driving. A fan favorite fixture of the Supercar Festival events, he's made a few well known rivals in his day he's yet to best, which are a lightweight specializing French aristocrat, and an overegotistical man known as the Asian-American Badass.
Now in a relationship with a Russian known as the Queen, Williem was then persuaded to join her sister's good friend: a dark cowboy, into the leagues of street racing, with high hopes as a sleeper newcomer to the cream of the crop of US based street crews.
Theme Song: R.E.M. - Talk About The Passion
Racing Duel Music: R.E.M. - Orange Crush
Gender: Male
Nationality: German
Age: 34
Current occupation: Street car racer
Distinct features: Mid-long, curled light accented blonde hair. Thick diamond shaped face with slender cheeks and a rough chin, giving a handsome flair. Narrow eyes, thin down pointed nose, and narrow mouth. Teeth show signs it's being worked on externally, and face is artificially clear of any blemishes. Average to tall height, with semi thin body frame.
Choice of clothing: Always wearing a casual motorsports getup, consisting of a turtleneck shirt under a sporty jacket, matching sports pants and shoes. 90% of the time it will be branded with Audi or the Nurburgring.
Cars: Audi R8 V10, Audi R8 4.2, Audi TTS (Type 8J)
Williem came into the world as one of the two children of a well known Nurburgring specialist family hailed from Eifel. Having exposed into the racing at an early age, Williem has his daily life mixed with both racing and education. While a struggle, this allowed Williem to take things calm, cool and methodically; a mantra he lives by to this day.
A fan of 80's rock, Williem takes greatly into their cool nature and also dabbled into music, adapting in and out from playing the bass, synth keyboard, to taking the wheel of a race worthy Porsche in the early 2000s. Giving his life into succeeding the family name in this sport, he too wants his other sibling: a rage inducing little prodigy into this field. But as he learned to consider the feelings of others, Williem would take her around with his side hustle as a Nurburgring taxi driver, realizing that this is his true calling, not racing.
Eventually befriending a hot headed Spanish superstar upon adulthood, Williem would make use of his talents to be a prime car tester around various locales, especially the Nurburgring. Once hosting their yearly street racing tournament, Williem aligned slowly, as he should, into the competitive side of driving. A fan favorite fixture of the Supercar Festival events, he's made a few well known rivals in his day he's yet to best, which are a lightweight specializing French aristocrat, and an overegotistical man known as the Asian-American Badass.
Now in a relationship with a Russian known as the Queen, Williem was then persuaded to join her sister's good friend: a dark cowboy, into the leagues of street racing, with high hopes as a sleeper newcomer to the cream of the crop of US based street crews.
This video made me log back into GT7 to create a similar experience using the 458 GT3.
The following car isn't a 458 GT3 as such but something very similar.
It's a 458 Challenge racing car used for the Ferrari Challenge championship and the one in the video has been converted into a road car. A very fast road car.
The following car isn't a 458 GT3 as such but something very similar.
It's a 458 Challenge racing car used for the Ferrari Challenge championship and the one in the video has been converted into a road car. A very fast road car.
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- Singapore
Ok, I should point out that there are exceptions to the ‘one car beats all other peers in its Manufacturer’s lineup for a given category, period’.
The WRX was very competitive in the Manufacturer Deep Forest race last week, its power-focused approach allowing it to excel on DF where the BRZ’s downforce-focused approach would have floundered. Ford drivers heading to Bathurst would have more luck bringing an FR Mustang instead of trying to play a demented form of Twister downhill with any of the MR GTs. And anyone that cannot handle or maximise the potential of the ‘mainline’ cars can run the ‘secondary’ cars instead.
That being said, it is generally true that the newer cars (in terms of the car’s age, not when it was first added to GTS/GT7) tend to get more favourable BoPs than older cars. I have yet to find a situation where the utterly crippled F1 GTR Shorttail beats the 650S GT3 due to the F1 getting nerfed into the ground to avoid P2W accusations by virtue of being a Legends car AND being the most expensive car in Gr.3. I have also never seen anyone ever bring the RC F Prototype to a GTWS race in A or A+. And the Nissan Skyline Silhouette was DOA despite having the best power/weight ratio in Gr.3 because dethroning the F1 GTR as the oldest car in class also meant having antiquated aerodynamics and turbo lag that requires sending 2 weeks notice before accelerating out of slow corners.
And then there was the inverse situation with the Alfa 155, which was one of the 4WD triumvirate that dominated Gr.4 for the latter half of GT7’s first year, bringing an acceleration/handling approach to the WRX’s balanced and GT-R’s power based approaches. And there were exactly two Gr.4 championship races during that period where another car could match or beat the 4WD triumvirate: a Nations Deep Forest race with tyre wear severe enough to allow the Silvia TC (sacrificing 2-3 tenths per lap in exchange for being significantly easier on tyres) to fight the 155 and WRX and a Manufacturer Road Atlanta fuel saving race that revealed the Huracan to be utterly broken in fuel saving.
And the Silvia itself was another exception to the new>old convention after the GT-R and its 4WD triumvirate peers were finally nerfed, becoming the new meta Gr.4 car with only the Ferrari 458 and Jaguar F-Type being able to keep up.
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- XSquareStickIt
Here are the results of last week's Special Challenges! Yes, plural!
Damn Vic, I know I was encouraging participation all week long, but calm down!
Big congrats to you, and thanks to everyone for throwing their hat in! It was super fun trying to chase the times you guys set!
@McClarenDesign has been streaming most of the past few Tuesday lobbies to his YouTube channel, and for his amazing contribution, he's been given the choice for the next Car of the Week! The long–time F1 fanatic has chosen the oldest F1 car in the series to date, the Honda RA272 '65!
If you'd like to experience the origin and inspiration of many modern Hondas, feel free to join us in our weekly lobbies!
Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 640
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
Rules:
#cotw #ra272 #w58
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
"The Longest Yard" TT:
| XSquareStickIt | 2:05.971 |
| Baron Blitz Red | 2:05.575 |
| Yard_Sale | 2:04.490 |
| Vic_Reign93 | 2:04.316 |
"Do You Even Drift" TT:
| XSquareStickIt | 2:48.34x |
| Vic_Reign93 | 2:46.88x |
Damn Vic, I know I was encouraging participation all week long, but calm down!
Big congrats to you, and thanks to everyone for throwing their hat in! It was super fun trying to chase the times you guys set!@McClarenDesign has been streaming most of the past few Tuesday lobbies to his YouTube channel, and for his amazing contribution, he's been given the choice for the next Car of the Week! The long–time F1 fanatic has chosen the oldest F1 car in the series to date, the Honda RA272 '65!
1965 was the last season of F1's "1.5L era", and the upstart car company in Honda one last year to capitalise on their prized NA V12 engine built from their years of expertise manufacturing motorcycles. Weirdly, underdog Japanese manufacturers seem to suddenly pull out a Bankai and become Hokage while the One Piece drops into their laps when given one last year to run their defining engine in a high–profile race, and while far from winning the season, Richie Ginther did manage to drive his #11 RA272 to a historic win at the Mexican Grand Prix, which would become the first win ever for a Japanese car in an F1 race, setting a strong precedent for many a Honda powered machine to follow in the decades after.
If you'd like to experience the origin and inspiration of many modern Hondas, feel free to join us in our weekly lobbies!
Weekly Lobbies
Our weekly lobbies are ongoing as usual, and anyone (not a dick) is welcome to join us in racing bone stock RA272s under BoP conditions! Don't worry if you don't have an eligible RA272; you can join us in a comparison car to spice things up!Click on the hyperlinks to convert the times to your time zone, and feel free to add the hosts as friends on PSN to make searching for the lobbies easier!
The Americas Lobby
- Tuesday. 21st May, 10 P.M. CST
- Host: Victory_Reign93
The Asia/Oceania also kinda European Lobby
- Saturday, 25th May, 4 P.M. Singapore Time
- Host: XSquareStickIt
Tracks: Randomly selected by lobby participants (~10 mins practice, ~10 mins sprint)
PP Limit: 640
Car: No Limit
Tyres: No Limit
~Special Challenge!~
The Special Challenge for the week is to beat my lap time of 2:11.160 around Suzuka Circuit Full Course in a bone stock RA272 (+5BB). The twist? The person who does that with the smallest displacement car wins! I daresay I left a lot of time on the table in that run, so maybe you can dethrone that with a RA272 yourself?Rules:
- Use the 16:00 preset in Time Trial
- Track Cut Penalty: Weak
- Tyre Wear & Fuel Con: Off
- Cars with unknown displacement not eligible
- Wankel Engines and EVs not eligible
- Tuning: No Limit, but RA272s cannot change anything other than Brake Balance
- Save a replay of your best lap, I might ask for it to be shared with me
#cotw #ra272 #w58
Of course, we always welcome opinions, tunes, liveries, photos, videos, or stories about the car here on the thread!
- 482
- Singapore
NGL, I may have shut down this challenge before it even begun. I suspect only the Kei cars have lower displacement and they will be hard pressed to do a 2:11 when my one run with a Beat souped up to 136 HP (92 HP short of the RA272) and weighing 170kg more was a 2:23. Maybe Vic can pull some sort of miracle out of a Kei car, IDK.
Obelisk
Premium
- 9,535
- United States
- RMedia_Obelisk
- 482
- Singapore
Since Square didn’t specify a tie breaker, I would assume using a swapped S800 or S660 would be a tie, since they both use the RC213V engine too.
I think beating the low 2:11 with a Kei car engine would require one to absolutely nail both the tune and the driving, due to the power and weight disparity. Not impossible, but very, very difficult.
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
In the event of a tie breaker, we'll go with the person with the faster lap times.
I'll admit: this special challenge was pretty poorly thought through. I came up with it in a rush after feeling ill for most of the day. I should've at least limited tyres to RH, or did my benchmark time on RS... Sorry about that.
Worth noting that there are tuning options that increase the displacement of a car, so keep that in mind.
- 6,534
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
Managed a 07.02.447 with it. YT review: "Well, it was certainly interesting to have driven this 60's legendary, championship winning F1 car from Japan. All in all it was pretty well behaved I think. The one bigger off I had on the track cost me only about 0.5 seconds, so that's not too bad I guess. I really enjoyed the ride I gotta say. 
"
"
- 1,575
- Singapore
- XSquareStickIt
Our lobby is live right now! Drop in and say hi if you're free for the next 90 mins or so!
(Also, all this engine swapping shenanigans is inadvertently good foreshadowing for next week's car...)
(Also, all this engine swapping shenanigans is inadvertently good foreshadowing for next week's car...)
- 3,872
- On the move
- SomePlayaDude
SPD Writes Gran Turismo 7's Car Of The Week: Week 58 - Honda RA272
Ahh, the past. Nothing like a revisit to an era where high speeds declare that either you're a badass or you're a deadass. You have to not have a brain if you have to decide which one you want to be.
This is out now, because I'm confident I'm not making Saturday.
I may be in some form a car nut, but Formula 1's always been off my mind when it comes to following a form of motorsport. In fact, I'm not really a motorsports guy myself. You're lucky we have memes: the DNA of the soul.
Soichiro Honda, obvious man with surname that hints this is the chap that founded Honda, had a dream, as quoted: "my dream was to become a champion in world automobile racing with a machine I had made myself". Being a competitive racer before establishing Honda, he racked up wins in motorcycle racing: something Honda had a good touch at up from the 40s to even today.
Then in 1962, things changed. He wants to have a taste in Formula One. Thing is.. this is the era that the Japanese would associate Formula One as a sport that Europeans prosper in. They had no idea what to do, only taking a reference from purchased Cooper T53.. the same Cooper with Aussie F1 legend Jack Brabham, the namesake of British sports brand Bruce McLaren, and the 2 to 4 wheel legend John Surtees brought on to win in 1960. It's also the same Cooper that was the namesake of a certain brand's flagship hatchback, but that's not really related to anything, right??
Just like the bloke who founded the place, Honda was into motorcycle racing, and had race engineers that mainly had experience with motorcycles. To compound this, Soichiro and crew went on to put expenses in research and development of what is going to be the first Formula 1 car branded as a Honda.
2 years later, the RA271 would enter the ranks of Formula 1, driven by one Ronnie Buckham. You might be thinking: wow random number hurr, but.. it's said that the number 270 would come as the initial goal Honda had made for the car's engine power. It was painted white with red accents, representing the nation's first foray into Formula 1. Like many first tries, they didn't quite get a solid result, finishing 9th due to retirement in its first race on the Nordschliefe. Yep, these people have balls.
Not giving up, Honda went to revise the RA271 by replacing its materials with lightweight replacements, and also hiring a second driver in Richie Ginther. Coming in 1965 with this week's RA272, this season was rough for Honda, up until they reached the final round in Mexico. The most notable detail of the track was on how it was placed 2000 meters above sea level, meaning the air was thin. Most cars on track would have trouble outputting their cars' usual power..
..except for Honda.
The man responsible: Yoshio Nakamura, oversaw this as the car's assistant in R&D, and as a former aeronautics engineer, he developed the engine to ensure it would work properly in higher altitudes. As the race began, Ginther took the lead quickly, and stayed there until the end, finishing the story for Mr. Honda's dream.
While Honda would take a break to focus on domestic on 1968 (discreetly also because their car was involved in an on track fatality the same year), the story of Honda being a major powerplant for F1 teams began in 1983, on the turbocharged era of Formula 1. And it done good. Honda powers and brings wins to the likes of various big names of the sport. Rosberg, Prost, Piquet, Senna, Mansell, and recently, you get the likes of Perez and Verstappen. All because one car did something extraordinary, thus got the top award for it. That's this car.
I'm keeping it simple this week. Lot of stuff on my plate. Also explains why you're getting this on Thursday night, but I'm not explaining further.
Episode 58: Past wounds
While the foggy mist retain, the pit lane remains uncrowded.
Sitting by a hand rail, she plays about her hands akin to riffing an electric guitar.
Listening to her personal Def Leppard mix, Candy pulls off her headset as she notices the visibly older man walk by, brimming with a renewed sense of confidence.
He came close, but she knew she has to have the first word on this episode.
Candy: "So.. what'd they think?"
The old man knew she was going to say that, but he hasn't collected his thoughts enough to gather a response, instead giving..
Alan: "That's a good question, my dear. But a certainty: they truly are desperate for drivers."
Candy: "The dark o-Jacob told me that."
Alan: "That so? I mean.. I recall when he was offered that in thanks to Sophia's connections.. which strikes me as unusual."
Candy: "In what way?"
Rubbing his stubble, he explained..
Alan: "You see.. Sophia's roles within Hyundai and Genesis race divisions, just as we began to open up the Augur caper, simply vanished."
Candy: "Like.. without a trace?"
Alan: "Correct. No other way I can elaborate further, my dear."
He's still standing, she thought, and got on her feet as she questioned..
Candy: "Back on the racing spectrum.. how are you feeling? You're a whole generation ahead, and you really still want in?"
Predicting that, he rebutted stubbornly.
Alan: "Save that retirement home nonsense out of that noggin of yours, Candy. I've.. never felt so alive. I'm in better shape than that of Nash, should you need to know."
Candy: "You're good? Better than when you drove in Le Mans Group C?"
Alan: "I suppose.. I meant to say more alive than recent days, but that era of me has.. passed."
Walking further back, Candy followed suit, only to hear the white winds intruded by his voice.
Alan: "Miss Lam. Did I ever tell you the tale of Natsuhiro Saito?"
Candy: "The legendary N.Z. himself? That's an interesting topic you pulled out."
Alan: "Is it? To you, it's just some fancy tale. To me.. it's what brought me in the game."
Reading he's about to sell a novel, she stopped him, insisting calmly..
Candy: "Look.. Alan.. much as I will relish this tale of yours over some coffee, I don't feel now we have the minutes to speak.. I'm expecting someone soon."
Expecting him to stubbornly move on, he instead paused, then commented as he showed an appreciative grin.
Alan: "Goodness, it's nice to see some courtesy, at least. Yes.."
Not expecting that, she followed with concern..
Candy: "What, is aunt Nami and my big sis not giving you enough slack?"
Alan: "Heavens, no. I get along quite fine. They aren't quite the sort that, umm.. are full of niceties. Dear Nami's a grump if I'm going to be nice about it."
Hearing of Rin's mother, Candy thought out loud..
Candy: "Nami-san hasn't changed much, huh?"
Alan: "Then at least you're ready. But if I may wonder.. do you see our old friend Shinzo in Rin to some extent?"
Candy: "Her casual playful side definitely seeps off him. You wouldn't believe the amount of times he pretended to be able to lose me by height alone."
Still with his usual calm smile, he stopped to chuckle..
Alan: "Ho ho, that's so Shinzo. Dearly, I miss him."
Candy: "If I'm not haunted by his ghosts.. I miss him too."
Spoke Candy as she too gives out a smile..
Alan then however noticed a bright red banner in the distance..
Alan: "I suppose those are your fellow mates.. the.. what's that banner say.. Kuro Uma Autohouse?"
Candy: "That's them. Come now, weird other dad."
Distraught by that, he objected..
Alan: "I.. we have to talk about what Rin defines as family."
Candy: "She's my big sis, and I must respect her wishes, end of story, now COME ON!"
The two went past a small crowd of the Kuro Uma staff, and entered a small showroom.
Inspecting their near mint condition, Candy has some words..
Candy: "Lancer Evo five, FC and a Kouki. I've worked with most of these before.."
Alan: "All this work, and I still think it's no match for the XJ220. I'm so motivated, we can have that race, today only! Care to bet on that, milady?"
Candy: "You BROUGHT the XJ220?"
Interrupted by the thought of a legendary 90's speedster, she rushed to think of what words to say..
Candy: "Well.. okay, you're not really my dad, but.."
Alan: "Don't give me that sad puppy eyed face, my child.. because until those chuffs at the COTW nominate it, you well know what answer I'm going to say.."
Candy: "Pfft, fine.."
Her mission failed, but the garage shop owners then arrived, gladly greeting as the lady owner shouts..
Ayumi: "They're here! Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!! Ohaiyou! Say hi now, Deki-san."
Hideki though kept quiet, not because of his introverted self, but..
Hideki: "Whoaa.. I know that gentleman over there.. it's Alan-san! Host of S-Sim Gear!!"
The lone British man then greeted to the youngsters..
Alan: "G'day.. if I'm not mistaken, you are the pair of Hideki and Ayumi. It's been.. should I say: years, has it? Lovely to.. finally see each other again."
Having not surprised the fact of certain cast members knowing one another for far too many times to count, Candy then headed to Ayumi, currently unsure with the event..
Candy: "Task failed successfully, Yumi-san?"
Ayumi: "URGHH.."
She hasn't any tolerance for her husband standing still in awe, and let out a quick smack to his face.
Hideki: "HEY! OWW!"
Candy though goes to the old man, inquiring..
Candy: "Looks like you know them?"
Alan: "Oh, as a friend of a friend, you can say."
Candy: "Disturbing.. I have a feeling that is exactly how you met Nami-san."
Alan: "Guilty, as charged. Now.."
Redirecting to the pair, Candy asked casually..
Candy: "You both look quite happy to be here."
Ayumi: "That's a stupid question, Candy-san! When are we not ever happy to be on the track, meeting friends new and old, and having something extra to show?! IT'S AS IF GOD IS SMILING ON US!!"
Staying back, Hideki however..
Hideki: "Umm.."
..failed to develop an argument to her words, though she knew it's coming..
Ayumi: "He's going to correct me with something menial, no biggie. Say you're happy, Deki-san."
Hideki: "You're happy.. a-and so am I! Yes!"
Alan then gave his opinion on how odd that all felt on his end.
Alan: "I'll give you points for honesty."
Candy though figured..
Candy: "So.. the FC, and this Lancer are pretty much standard fair from you two. What's got you, as you said.. extra excited to show?"
Hideki: "Ohh.. that. Look behind you."
The guests turn back to notice something more expensively developed than just garage tuned domestics.
They don't need a long look to analyze..
Candy: "Race tuned.. Old man, how did we NOT see that?"
Alan: "Speak up, darling. You do know I'm old, Candy."
He said with a hint of banter, but it didn't turn out too well, as the little lady started to heat up.
Candy: "W-WHAT?! Shut UP! How dare you insinuate me having tunnel vision!"
Alan: "Goodness, you're like Lucia.."
But unlike Lucia, he would receive a quick whip on his chest, as Candy utilized her braid ala Bianca Belair.
Alan: "AUGH! Jesus.. alright.. Lucia doesn't have the gall to beat me, y'know."
The two don't heed well to a well renowned racer attacking a once well renowned racer, as they get in the way.
Ayumi: "Stop this, Candy-san! Don't ruin the air! I sure don't want any sour thoughts on what we're excited to share..."
Hideki: "Y-yes!"
Dropping her hair, she cooled off quickly..
Candy: "Oh, alright. I can see enough to see you're racing Group 4. That's big. I'm.. umm.. happy for you!"
Unable to stop smiling, he confirmed..
Hideki: "Not to mention we got designs made for us! You can tell, Candy-kun!"
Candy: "Blue on an 86 screams you, Deki-san. But this red isn't too Yumi-san."
Eyes shut, she then snapped briefly.
Ayumi: "WHAAATT?! Is it not? I'm not really leaning to having one color define me. So I didn't mind the intense red Mazda has."
Alan: "That's well sound."
An idea then hatched..
Ayumi: "Candy-san! We should race this with your Demio one day!"
Candy: "A Mazda diesel duel! Or better yet.. I should see if Keith wouldn't mind making it the three diesels.."
Hearing Keith, he then recalled from the past a Super GT champion he got to know of, as he wandered on.
Hideki: "This Keith is.. the very same one, right? Jacob-san's little brother?"
Ayumi: "What other Keith concerns you, Deki-san?"
As the two guests further look over the Group 4 ready cars, Ayumi moved in and wondered..
Ayumi: "Soo.. why are you here, Alan-san?"
Alan: "Oh.. getting Hyundai finalized for my entry into GT racing. I know. I may be nearly 60, but I'm finding the car to suit my purposes very well."
However, Alan then mumbled, leading to..
Alan: "Group 4 is small, but within us.. it's flourishing.. oh goodness. Do tell me.. you two are in this league.. to race against Jacob?"
Those words startled pretty much anyone else in the garage, as they react.
Hideki: "Whoa.. that is a very very good guess.."
Ayumi: "YOU THINK?! HE READ US THROUGH LIKE A BOOK! AAAAAHHHHH!!"
Alan deduced, feeling good and wise as per usual..
Alan: "I heard.. on your wedding day.. Fuji Speedway finds itself packed with a bunch of young folk messing about. Including a certain yellow RX-7 chasing our good friend's Dark Horse.."
Hero Takes A Fall
The Bangles
All Over The Place
Going back to the start of Mazda Month, Ayumi, recently wedded, pushed her FD the hardest she's ever had in her whole life..
Ayumi: "I must prove to everyone I deserve! Today is MY day."
To set new a personal best that day however wasn't enough, but what she wanted eventually came, as she caught up with a certain legend that presences strong in her head.
Ayumi: "YYAATTTTAAAA!! THERE YOU AREE!!"
Jake Ross: "I bet she's screaming along with that nice ride of hers.."
Knowing that's what the Flashback is for, she looked and relishes reliving it..
Ayumi: "The thrill of being on track with him just.. bloomed like.. the sunrise as it shines throughout the land! I MUST EXPERIENCE IT AGAINN!!"
Everyone around is used to her genki personality, however, not so much for Alan as he calms her..
Alan: "Alright. Easy. You've made your point. Not much people can juggle around Group 3 and 4 racing, so the chances are slim."
Adding on, Hideki responds feeling pressured.
Hideki: "Not to mention our garage getting some publicity. Our teams are purely ran by our staff."
Alan: "I wish you the best on tackling your endeavor in a.. most grassroots manner."
However, he thought of the lack of someone's presence, as he looked to ask..
Alan: "You know what.. you've not said anything in a while, Candy. Something on your mind?"
Where she was supposed to be was left empty, giving him a wondering thought as he asks..
Alan: "Have any of you two seen Candy?"
Hideki: "Maybe if we look down a little.."
He was being a little extra coy, but his wife has none of it as she got another palm to his face in..
Hideki: "UUWAAAA!!"
Ayumi: "She's not THAT short, Deki-san."
As he notices staff laughing on that scene, Alan though acted curiously on this strange disappearing act.
Alan: "I wonder.."
Candy's reason of disappearance isn't explained, but presently she passes by her garage, noticing her car for today.
Once known as the Phantom MINI all the way back from Week 1, she took a pause as it was the same car, while it's shown not to be so.
Being one of the few people that knew this is the same MINI, she reminisced, although not purely in a positive light..
Candy: "It's you, and me, here again in Kyoto. Funny.. it wasn't the first time."
A quick glimpse outside and she saw a past ghost of her talking to Hideki and Ayumi.
Being a much more snooty character with no love for anyone else, she lived it again, hearing..
"Oh? This man's knowledgable. However, I don't think I have the mood to meet new fans~."
"This day.. might be amusing after all."
"A Sunday Cup event can't start without their guest of honour."
"This sob story isn't important."
Rolling out a tear in comparing what she was back then, Candy remarked..
Candy: "I truly was.. someone else. It shudders to think I was such a bitch.."
Shaking off this negative idea of her, she then hears her name being called out from the distance.
Candy: "Surprise, surprise.. they're looking for me. Alright, put on a good face, Candy."
Walking out, the people looking for her closes the distance, though the young man did so quicker than he should..
Hideki: "Whew.. I knew she'd be alright.."
Ayumi: "Likewise.. just.. that we want to make sure. Okay.. I guess I'm sort of a little worried.."
Following, Alan then comments.
Alan: "Not me. Unless those nobheads from Augur want to give it another go, she aught to be fine."
She thought that all being quite heartless, but he's not wrong, as she backed it up..
Candy: "What he said. I needed some nice Kyoto air, so.. it's nothing, really!"
Giving a good smile, Alan then reported..
Alan: "I suppose I'll leave you young fellows to your own. The lads at Hyundai request me. Toodle loo."
As he walks away, Ayumi then started..
Ayumi: "Candy-san, you just disappeared like out of thin air. You're not The Guts, so.. of course, something is up."
Candy: "Didn't I just say it's nothing?!"
Beginning to assure her, Candy then stopped herself, realizing..
Candy: "Actually.. let me show you.."
Leading her friends into her designated garage, Hideki noticed with intrigue.
Hideki: "Would you look at that.. it's another MINI! But.."
Candy: "Hah, no, you're wrong, Deki-san. It's the same one. I.. cleaned up all its prints, then registered it under my name now."
Ayumi: "Wow.. It really seemed like a whole different beast! You can do that?"
Candy: "Not me. Carlyle."
Hearing that name, Hideki reassured..
Hideki: "Our favorite import export dealer."
Ayumi: "Wonder why that name's slipped my mind.."
But another thing came into his mind..
Hideki: "Candy-kun.. I've been meaning to ask for.. you know."
Candy: "A rematch? You did bring the FC, didn't you?"
Looking at his wife, he then reported..
Hideki: "Uhh.. y-yes! We were going to take the 86, but.. she had a hunch."
Ayumi: "What?! It was a GOOD hunch, right! Say it with me: Ayumi-san, you are a GENIUS, EHEHE!!"
Not surprised with this outcome, she then adhered..
Candy: "Well.. alright. I think we can do that. You get to face off the Phantom MINI one more time, genius."
Hideki: "All right! You are going to see the conviction of m-my dedication level up so far ahead, I could.. I could.."
As he couldn't shield away his excitement, Ayumi too couldn't shield away her rage recalling that day.
Hideki: "H-HEEYY!!"
Ayumi: "I remember that.. you left me behind after needing to swap tires! AND YOU DIDN"T EVEN APOLOGIZE!"
Screamed Ayumi as she pulled the ear of her husband, who remembered that their marraige proposal that day covered this up..
Candy then provided some, uhh, easy advice..
Candy: "Uhh, you better do as she says."
As obvious that was, he didn't hesitate..
Hideki: "Ummm.. aa-a-AA-I'm SORRYYY!!"
She then let go, revealing..
Ayumi: "Aww! That is so you! Alright, I accept."
As he rubs his ear, the girls get together to mention..
Ayumi: "You know, Candy-san: he used that very tone when we first met!"
Candy: "Oh really? He's not exactly at fault for that, so.."
As this Asian threesome exit out, they then notice in their path something.. Honda.
Obviously, she noted..
Candy: "When did these get here?"
Ayumi: "Wow, I know I'm seeing an old 60's Formula 1 car. I wonder who's behind this."
Seeing various camera crews and Alan around, she then noticed a certain hotshot Super Formula superstar's hairdo just by him..
Candy: "I can already guess."
The three then come towards the racers, which one then greets softly..
Hayato: "Ahh.. the Candy-chan and crew come by, as expected, old man."
Alan: "You had them place the cars in the center of the lane.. why of course they'd notice."
Not expecting Moto-san today, Candy questioned..
Candy: "You're not with your father, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "I'm afraid not. Jiji has a.. urgent medical procedure that needs little elaboration. In London, so for now I'm back in Nippon, doing some Sim Gear shenanigans for him."
He then turned to the married couple, treating them better than just his usual fans.
Hayato: "Ahhh, it's the artsy race couple. Nyeeheehee.. good to see my favorite fans also being punctual. Are you two ready for some high octane practice?"
Ayumi then asked, concerned with the integrity of this practice..
Ayumi: "You mean in Group 4, right? Because this Honda RA272 isn't what I had in mind!"
Hayato: "Don't hear it from me, but Honda has refurbished this car, and it led to some heated discussion whether this can battle against their modern Group 4 NSX. I'm not at liberty to say, but what I can share is that.. it's more equal than you think."
With that in mind, he remembered something interesting as he directs his focus to Candy..
Hayato: "Oh! Nyeeheehee.. you're going to love this. The car's for you, Candy-chan."
Candy: "For me?!"
Hayato: "Not as a gift. For you to drive for the morning. Wrapped up and sent in a box by ojisan Max."
Remembering the escapades by Clark last week, Candy felt appreciative.
Candy: "Oh, that's sweet. He's trying to prove to me on his treatment to women. I admit now he's got me convinced. Though, I wonder how much does Sim Gear have to pay to rent this for the day?"
Disliking where this is going, Alan steps in..
Alan: "Let's not worry about those details. Because I have some of those that you might like to hear."
Hideki: "Ohh?"
He then began to explain with intrigue.
Alan: "Since Hyundai has the track for me this morning, I propose we have a nice friendly practice session.. while the track's still ours, I mean."
Candy: "Oh, absolutely yes! I'm in this, they have Group 4 cars! I'll get dressed up.."
Feeling discarded, he reassured with authority..
Alan: "Don't leave me out! I'll hop in my newly minted Hyundai.. don't worry, I'll keep it fair. I'll tell the lads to electronically limit the car."
Hideki: "It's so he won't outrun us, I'm sure."
Alan: "More of an excuse to grant me an influx of adrenaline as I try catching one of you lot. It's what's going to keep me going."
Energized by these events, Ayumi puts a dash to her steps on place and starts exclaiming..
Ayumi: "Wowww! I LIKE what I'm seeing! Last one on track's a rotten egg!"
As they all depart, a pair of unofficial siblings remain, as the brother asks..
Hayato: "How about that? You worried, Candy-chan?"
Candy: "Worried? Nah. I've got a hand in much more terrible machinery. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but don't say I'm unprepared, Moto-san."
Ahh, the past. Nothing like a revisit to an era where high speeds declare that either you're a badass or you're a deadass. You have to not have a brain if you have to decide which one you want to be.
This is out now, because I'm confident I'm not making Saturday.
I may be in some form a car nut, but Formula 1's always been off my mind when it comes to following a form of motorsport. In fact, I'm not really a motorsports guy myself. You're lucky we have memes: the DNA of the soul.
Soichiro Honda, obvious man with surname that hints this is the chap that founded Honda, had a dream, as quoted: "my dream was to become a champion in world automobile racing with a machine I had made myself". Being a competitive racer before establishing Honda, he racked up wins in motorcycle racing: something Honda had a good touch at up from the 40s to even today.
Then in 1962, things changed. He wants to have a taste in Formula One. Thing is.. this is the era that the Japanese would associate Formula One as a sport that Europeans prosper in. They had no idea what to do, only taking a reference from purchased Cooper T53.. the same Cooper with Aussie F1 legend Jack Brabham, the namesake of British sports brand Bruce McLaren, and the 2 to 4 wheel legend John Surtees brought on to win in 1960. It's also the same Cooper that was the namesake of a certain brand's flagship hatchback, but that's not really related to anything, right??
Just like the bloke who founded the place, Honda was into motorcycle racing, and had race engineers that mainly had experience with motorcycles. To compound this, Soichiro and crew went on to put expenses in research and development of what is going to be the first Formula 1 car branded as a Honda.
2 years later, the RA271 would enter the ranks of Formula 1, driven by one Ronnie Buckham. You might be thinking: wow random number hurr, but.. it's said that the number 270 would come as the initial goal Honda had made for the car's engine power. It was painted white with red accents, representing the nation's first foray into Formula 1. Like many first tries, they didn't quite get a solid result, finishing 9th due to retirement in its first race on the Nordschliefe. Yep, these people have balls.
Not giving up, Honda went to revise the RA271 by replacing its materials with lightweight replacements, and also hiring a second driver in Richie Ginther. Coming in 1965 with this week's RA272, this season was rough for Honda, up until they reached the final round in Mexico. The most notable detail of the track was on how it was placed 2000 meters above sea level, meaning the air was thin. Most cars on track would have trouble outputting their cars' usual power..
..except for Honda.
The man responsible: Yoshio Nakamura, oversaw this as the car's assistant in R&D, and as a former aeronautics engineer, he developed the engine to ensure it would work properly in higher altitudes. As the race began, Ginther took the lead quickly, and stayed there until the end, finishing the story for Mr. Honda's dream.
While Honda would take a break to focus on domestic on 1968 (discreetly also because their car was involved in an on track fatality the same year), the story of Honda being a major powerplant for F1 teams began in 1983, on the turbocharged era of Formula 1. And it done good. Honda powers and brings wins to the likes of various big names of the sport. Rosberg, Prost, Piquet, Senna, Mansell, and recently, you get the likes of Perez and Verstappen. All because one car did something extraordinary, thus got the top award for it. That's this car.
I'm keeping it simple this week. Lot of stuff on my plate. Also explains why you're getting this on Thursday night, but I'm not explaining further.
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Episode 58: Past wounds
Kyoto Driving Park
Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Morning
In this particular morning, thick rain clouds roll in the hilly circuit, though they remain idly by as they shadow the cars underneath.
One such car is a sports converted Group 3 race car..
Umm, not this one..
There it is!
A Hyundai Genesis: not a remarkable car by itself, but this one tuned to battle the likes of the top GT contests.
It's a battle ready car, but the man inside has yet to prove he is the one to bring the car to its glory.
Known by his past declaration as the Bristol Harbinger, the 59 year old Alan Robinson might be well past his prime, but has a blaze in him that doesn't hint of snuffing out.
Images in his head then develop, that form his push to leading his old bones into the sport.
Including the likes of his old love Janie, his current love Nami, and his first daughter Carrie, he's happy that these people would give him the strength and thoughts he wanted to hear.
Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Morning
In this particular morning, thick rain clouds roll in the hilly circuit, though they remain idly by as they shadow the cars underneath.
One such car is a sports converted Group 3 race car..
Umm, not this one..
There it is!
A Hyundai Genesis: not a remarkable car by itself, but this one tuned to battle the likes of the top GT contests.
It's a battle ready car, but the man inside has yet to prove he is the one to bring the car to its glory.
Known by his past declaration as the Bristol Harbinger, the 59 year old Alan Robinson might be well past his prime, but has a blaze in him that doesn't hint of snuffing out.
Images in his head then develop, that form his push to leading his old bones into the sport.
Including the likes of his old love Janie, his current love Nami, and his first daughter Carrie, he's happy that these people would give him the strength and thoughts he wanted to hear.
While the foggy mist retain, the pit lane remains uncrowded.
Sitting by a hand rail, she plays about her hands akin to riffing an electric guitar.
Listening to her personal Def Leppard mix, Candy pulls off her headset as she notices the visibly older man walk by, brimming with a renewed sense of confidence.
He came close, but she knew she has to have the first word on this episode.
Candy: "So.. what'd they think?"
The old man knew she was going to say that, but he hasn't collected his thoughts enough to gather a response, instead giving..
Alan: "That's a good question, my dear. But a certainty: they truly are desperate for drivers."
Candy: "The dark o-Jacob told me that."
Alan: "That so? I mean.. I recall when he was offered that in thanks to Sophia's connections.. which strikes me as unusual."
Candy: "In what way?"
Rubbing his stubble, he explained..
Alan: "You see.. Sophia's roles within Hyundai and Genesis race divisions, just as we began to open up the Augur caper, simply vanished."
Candy: "Like.. without a trace?"
Alan: "Correct. No other way I can elaborate further, my dear."
He's still standing, she thought, and got on her feet as she questioned..
Candy: "Back on the racing spectrum.. how are you feeling? You're a whole generation ahead, and you really still want in?"
Predicting that, he rebutted stubbornly.
Alan: "Save that retirement home nonsense out of that noggin of yours, Candy. I've.. never felt so alive. I'm in better shape than that of Nash, should you need to know."
Candy: "You're good? Better than when you drove in Le Mans Group C?"
Alan: "I suppose.. I meant to say more alive than recent days, but that era of me has.. passed."
Walking further back, Candy followed suit, only to hear the white winds intruded by his voice.
Alan: "Miss Lam. Did I ever tell you the tale of Natsuhiro Saito?"
Candy: "The legendary N.Z. himself? That's an interesting topic you pulled out."
Alan: "Is it? To you, it's just some fancy tale. To me.. it's what brought me in the game."
Reading he's about to sell a novel, she stopped him, insisting calmly..
Candy: "Look.. Alan.. much as I will relish this tale of yours over some coffee, I don't feel now we have the minutes to speak.. I'm expecting someone soon."
Expecting him to stubbornly move on, he instead paused, then commented as he showed an appreciative grin.
Alan: "Goodness, it's nice to see some courtesy, at least. Yes.."
Not expecting that, she followed with concern..
Candy: "What, is aunt Nami and my big sis not giving you enough slack?"
Alan: "Heavens, no. I get along quite fine. They aren't quite the sort that, umm.. are full of niceties. Dear Nami's a grump if I'm going to be nice about it."
Hearing of Rin's mother, Candy thought out loud..
Candy: "Nami-san hasn't changed much, huh?"
Alan: "Then at least you're ready. But if I may wonder.. do you see our old friend Shinzo in Rin to some extent?"
Candy: "Her casual playful side definitely seeps off him. You wouldn't believe the amount of times he pretended to be able to lose me by height alone."
Still with his usual calm smile, he stopped to chuckle..
Alan: "Ho ho, that's so Shinzo. Dearly, I miss him."
Candy: "If I'm not haunted by his ghosts.. I miss him too."
Spoke Candy as she too gives out a smile..
Alan then however noticed a bright red banner in the distance..
Alan: "I suppose those are your fellow mates.. the.. what's that banner say.. Kuro Uma Autohouse?"
Candy: "That's them. Come now, weird other dad."
Distraught by that, he objected..
Alan: "I.. we have to talk about what Rin defines as family."
Candy: "She's my big sis, and I must respect her wishes, end of story, now COME ON!"
The two went past a small crowd of the Kuro Uma staff, and entered a small showroom.
Inspecting their near mint condition, Candy has some words..
Candy: "Lancer Evo five, FC and a Kouki. I've worked with most of these before.."
Alan: "All this work, and I still think it's no match for the XJ220. I'm so motivated, we can have that race, today only! Care to bet on that, milady?"
Candy: "You BROUGHT the XJ220?"
Interrupted by the thought of a legendary 90's speedster, she rushed to think of what words to say..
Candy: "Well.. okay, you're not really my dad, but.."
Alan: "Don't give me that sad puppy eyed face, my child.. because until those chuffs at the COTW nominate it, you well know what answer I'm going to say.."
Candy: "Pfft, fine.."
Her mission failed, but the garage shop owners then arrived, gladly greeting as the lady owner shouts..
Ayumi: "They're here! Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous!! Ohaiyou! Say hi now, Deki-san."
Hideki though kept quiet, not because of his introverted self, but..
Hideki: "Whoaa.. I know that gentleman over there.. it's Alan-san! Host of S-Sim Gear!!"
The lone British man then greeted to the youngsters..
Alan: "G'day.. if I'm not mistaken, you are the pair of Hideki and Ayumi. It's been.. should I say: years, has it? Lovely to.. finally see each other again."
Having not surprised the fact of certain cast members knowing one another for far too many times to count, Candy then headed to Ayumi, currently unsure with the event..
Candy: "Task failed successfully, Yumi-san?"
Ayumi: "URGHH.."
She hasn't any tolerance for her husband standing still in awe, and let out a quick smack to his face.
Hideki: "HEY! OWW!"
Candy though goes to the old man, inquiring..
Candy: "Looks like you know them?"
Alan: "Oh, as a friend of a friend, you can say."
Candy: "Disturbing.. I have a feeling that is exactly how you met Nami-san."
Alan: "Guilty, as charged. Now.."
Redirecting to the pair, Candy asked casually..
Candy: "You both look quite happy to be here."
Ayumi: "That's a stupid question, Candy-san! When are we not ever happy to be on the track, meeting friends new and old, and having something extra to show?! IT'S AS IF GOD IS SMILING ON US!!"
Staying back, Hideki however..
Hideki: "Umm.."
..failed to develop an argument to her words, though she knew it's coming..
Ayumi: "He's going to correct me with something menial, no biggie. Say you're happy, Deki-san."
Hideki: "You're happy.. a-and so am I! Yes!"
Alan then gave his opinion on how odd that all felt on his end.
Alan: "I'll give you points for honesty."
Candy though figured..
Candy: "So.. the FC, and this Lancer are pretty much standard fair from you two. What's got you, as you said.. extra excited to show?"
Hideki: "Ohh.. that. Look behind you."
The guests turn back to notice something more expensively developed than just garage tuned domestics.
They don't need a long look to analyze..
Candy: "Race tuned.. Old man, how did we NOT see that?"
Alan: "Speak up, darling. You do know I'm old, Candy."
He said with a hint of banter, but it didn't turn out too well, as the little lady started to heat up.
Candy: "W-WHAT?! Shut UP! How dare you insinuate me having tunnel vision!"
Alan: "Goodness, you're like Lucia.."
But unlike Lucia, he would receive a quick whip on his chest, as Candy utilized her braid ala Bianca Belair.
Alan: "AUGH! Jesus.. alright.. Lucia doesn't have the gall to beat me, y'know."
The two don't heed well to a well renowned racer attacking a once well renowned racer, as they get in the way.
Ayumi: "Stop this, Candy-san! Don't ruin the air! I sure don't want any sour thoughts on what we're excited to share..."
Hideki: "Y-yes!"
Dropping her hair, she cooled off quickly..
Candy: "Oh, alright. I can see enough to see you're racing Group 4. That's big. I'm.. umm.. happy for you!"
Unable to stop smiling, he confirmed..
Hideki: "Not to mention we got designs made for us! You can tell, Candy-kun!"
Candy: "Blue on an 86 screams you, Deki-san. But this red isn't too Yumi-san."
Eyes shut, she then snapped briefly.
Ayumi: "WHAAATT?! Is it not? I'm not really leaning to having one color define me. So I didn't mind the intense red Mazda has."
Alan: "That's well sound."
An idea then hatched..
Ayumi: "Candy-san! We should race this with your Demio one day!"
Candy: "A Mazda diesel duel! Or better yet.. I should see if Keith wouldn't mind making it the three diesels.."
Hearing Keith, he then recalled from the past a Super GT champion he got to know of, as he wandered on.
Hideki: "This Keith is.. the very same one, right? Jacob-san's little brother?"
Ayumi: "What other Keith concerns you, Deki-san?"
As the two guests further look over the Group 4 ready cars, Ayumi moved in and wondered..
Ayumi: "Soo.. why are you here, Alan-san?"
Alan: "Oh.. getting Hyundai finalized for my entry into GT racing. I know. I may be nearly 60, but I'm finding the car to suit my purposes very well."
However, Alan then mumbled, leading to..
Alan: "Group 4 is small, but within us.. it's flourishing.. oh goodness. Do tell me.. you two are in this league.. to race against Jacob?"
Those words startled pretty much anyone else in the garage, as they react.
Hideki: "Whoa.. that is a very very good guess.."
Ayumi: "YOU THINK?! HE READ US THROUGH LIKE A BOOK! AAAAAHHHHH!!"
Alan deduced, feeling good and wise as per usual..
Alan: "I heard.. on your wedding day.. Fuji Speedway finds itself packed with a bunch of young folk messing about. Including a certain yellow RX-7 chasing our good friend's Dark Horse.."
Hero Takes A Fall
The Bangles
All Over The Place
Going back to the start of Mazda Month, Ayumi, recently wedded, pushed her FD the hardest she's ever had in her whole life..
Ayumi: "I must prove to everyone I deserve! Today is MY day."
To set new a personal best that day however wasn't enough, but what she wanted eventually came, as she caught up with a certain legend that presences strong in her head.
Ayumi: "YYAATTTTAAAA!! THERE YOU AREE!!"
Jake Ross: "I bet she's screaming along with that nice ride of hers.."
Knowing that's what the Flashback is for, she looked and relishes reliving it..
Ayumi: "The thrill of being on track with him just.. bloomed like.. the sunrise as it shines throughout the land! I MUST EXPERIENCE IT AGAINN!!"
Everyone around is used to her genki personality, however, not so much for Alan as he calms her..
Alan: "Alright. Easy. You've made your point. Not much people can juggle around Group 3 and 4 racing, so the chances are slim."
Adding on, Hideki responds feeling pressured.
Hideki: "Not to mention our garage getting some publicity. Our teams are purely ran by our staff."
Alan: "I wish you the best on tackling your endeavor in a.. most grassroots manner."
However, he thought of the lack of someone's presence, as he looked to ask..
Alan: "You know what.. you've not said anything in a while, Candy. Something on your mind?"
Where she was supposed to be was left empty, giving him a wondering thought as he asks..
Alan: "Have any of you two seen Candy?"
Hideki: "Maybe if we look down a little.."
He was being a little extra coy, but his wife has none of it as she got another palm to his face in..
Hideki: "UUWAAAA!!"
Ayumi: "She's not THAT short, Deki-san."
As he notices staff laughing on that scene, Alan though acted curiously on this strange disappearing act.
Alan: "I wonder.."
Candy's reason of disappearance isn't explained, but presently she passes by her garage, noticing her car for today.
Once known as the Phantom MINI all the way back from Week 1, she took a pause as it was the same car, while it's shown not to be so.
Being one of the few people that knew this is the same MINI, she reminisced, although not purely in a positive light..
Candy: "It's you, and me, here again in Kyoto. Funny.. it wasn't the first time."
A quick glimpse outside and she saw a past ghost of her talking to Hideki and Ayumi.
Being a much more snooty character with no love for anyone else, she lived it again, hearing..
"Oh? This man's knowledgable. However, I don't think I have the mood to meet new fans~."
"This day.. might be amusing after all."
"A Sunday Cup event can't start without their guest of honour."
"This sob story isn't important."
Rolling out a tear in comparing what she was back then, Candy remarked..
Candy: "I truly was.. someone else. It shudders to think I was such a bitch.."
Shaking off this negative idea of her, she then hears her name being called out from the distance.
Candy: "Surprise, surprise.. they're looking for me. Alright, put on a good face, Candy."
Walking out, the people looking for her closes the distance, though the young man did so quicker than he should..
Hideki: "Whew.. I knew she'd be alright.."
Ayumi: "Likewise.. just.. that we want to make sure. Okay.. I guess I'm sort of a little worried.."
Following, Alan then comments.
Alan: "Not me. Unless those nobheads from Augur want to give it another go, she aught to be fine."
She thought that all being quite heartless, but he's not wrong, as she backed it up..
Candy: "What he said. I needed some nice Kyoto air, so.. it's nothing, really!"
Giving a good smile, Alan then reported..
Alan: "I suppose I'll leave you young fellows to your own. The lads at Hyundai request me. Toodle loo."
As he walks away, Ayumi then started..
Ayumi: "Candy-san, you just disappeared like out of thin air. You're not The Guts, so.. of course, something is up."
Candy: "Didn't I just say it's nothing?!"
Beginning to assure her, Candy then stopped herself, realizing..
Candy: "Actually.. let me show you.."
Leading her friends into her designated garage, Hideki noticed with intrigue.
Hideki: "Would you look at that.. it's another MINI! But.."
Candy: "Hah, no, you're wrong, Deki-san. It's the same one. I.. cleaned up all its prints, then registered it under my name now."
Ayumi: "Wow.. It really seemed like a whole different beast! You can do that?"
Candy: "Not me. Carlyle."
Hearing that name, Hideki reassured..
Hideki: "Our favorite import export dealer."
Ayumi: "Wonder why that name's slipped my mind.."
But another thing came into his mind..
Hideki: "Candy-kun.. I've been meaning to ask for.. you know."
Candy: "A rematch? You did bring the FC, didn't you?"
Looking at his wife, he then reported..
Hideki: "Uhh.. y-yes! We were going to take the 86, but.. she had a hunch."
Ayumi: "What?! It was a GOOD hunch, right! Say it with me: Ayumi-san, you are a GENIUS, EHEHE!!"
Not surprised with this outcome, she then adhered..
Candy: "Well.. alright. I think we can do that. You get to face off the Phantom MINI one more time, genius."
Hideki: "All right! You are going to see the conviction of m-my dedication level up so far ahead, I could.. I could.."
As he couldn't shield away his excitement, Ayumi too couldn't shield away her rage recalling that day.
Hideki: "H-HEEYY!!"
Ayumi: "I remember that.. you left me behind after needing to swap tires! AND YOU DIDN"T EVEN APOLOGIZE!"
Screamed Ayumi as she pulled the ear of her husband, who remembered that their marraige proposal that day covered this up..
Candy then provided some, uhh, easy advice..
Candy: "Uhh, you better do as she says."
As obvious that was, he didn't hesitate..
Hideki: "Ummm.. aa-a-AA-I'm SORRYYY!!"
She then let go, revealing..
Ayumi: "Aww! That is so you! Alright, I accept."
As he rubs his ear, the girls get together to mention..
Ayumi: "You know, Candy-san: he used that very tone when we first met!"
Candy: "Oh really? He's not exactly at fault for that, so.."
As this Asian threesome exit out, they then notice in their path something.. Honda.
Obviously, she noted..
Candy: "When did these get here?"
Ayumi: "Wow, I know I'm seeing an old 60's Formula 1 car. I wonder who's behind this."
Seeing various camera crews and Alan around, she then noticed a certain hotshot Super Formula superstar's hairdo just by him..
Candy: "I can already guess."
The three then come towards the racers, which one then greets softly..
Hayato: "Ahh.. the Candy-chan and crew come by, as expected, old man."
Alan: "You had them place the cars in the center of the lane.. why of course they'd notice."
Not expecting Moto-san today, Candy questioned..
Candy: "You're not with your father, Moto-san?"
Hayato: "I'm afraid not. Jiji has a.. urgent medical procedure that needs little elaboration. In London, so for now I'm back in Nippon, doing some Sim Gear shenanigans for him."
He then turned to the married couple, treating them better than just his usual fans.
Hayato: "Ahhh, it's the artsy race couple. Nyeeheehee.. good to see my favorite fans also being punctual. Are you two ready for some high octane practice?"
Ayumi then asked, concerned with the integrity of this practice..
Ayumi: "You mean in Group 4, right? Because this Honda RA272 isn't what I had in mind!"
Hayato: "Don't hear it from me, but Honda has refurbished this car, and it led to some heated discussion whether this can battle against their modern Group 4 NSX. I'm not at liberty to say, but what I can share is that.. it's more equal than you think."
With that in mind, he remembered something interesting as he directs his focus to Candy..
Hayato: "Oh! Nyeeheehee.. you're going to love this. The car's for you, Candy-chan."
Candy: "For me?!"
Hayato: "Not as a gift. For you to drive for the morning. Wrapped up and sent in a box by ojisan Max."
Remembering the escapades by Clark last week, Candy felt appreciative.
Candy: "Oh, that's sweet. He's trying to prove to me on his treatment to women. I admit now he's got me convinced. Though, I wonder how much does Sim Gear have to pay to rent this for the day?"
Disliking where this is going, Alan steps in..
Alan: "Let's not worry about those details. Because I have some of those that you might like to hear."
Hideki: "Ohh?"
He then began to explain with intrigue.
Alan: "Since Hyundai has the track for me this morning, I propose we have a nice friendly practice session.. while the track's still ours, I mean."
Candy: "Oh, absolutely yes! I'm in this, they have Group 4 cars! I'll get dressed up.."
Feeling discarded, he reassured with authority..
Alan: "Don't leave me out! I'll hop in my newly minted Hyundai.. don't worry, I'll keep it fair. I'll tell the lads to electronically limit the car."
Hideki: "It's so he won't outrun us, I'm sure."
Alan: "More of an excuse to grant me an influx of adrenaline as I try catching one of you lot. It's what's going to keep me going."
Energized by these events, Ayumi puts a dash to her steps on place and starts exclaiming..
Ayumi: "Wowww! I LIKE what I'm seeing! Last one on track's a rotten egg!"
As they all depart, a pair of unofficial siblings remain, as the brother asks..
Hayato: "How about that? You worried, Candy-chan?"
Candy: "Worried? Nah. I've got a hand in much more terrible machinery. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but don't say I'm unprepared, Moto-san."
With a mindset akin to last week, the little racer gets used to the old formula racer.
It might be, as Hayato said: akin to a Group 4 car, but Candy's adrenaline shoots up further compared to when she handled a Group 4 Suzuki, as she mumbled in her helmet..
Candy: "Whew.. my heart's racing.. again.."
Eventually joined by the convoy of Group 4 cars and a detuned Group 3 Hyundai, she finds reason to push more than when she's alone.
Ride, Ride, Ride.
Foghat
The Best of Foghat
Hayato: "That shy kid's killing it. Nyeeheehee.. it's too bad I'm not in Group 4, or I can teach him something."
Alan: "Honestly, they made it a FWD Mazda3? What blasted fools those Mazda engineers are smoking on with that?!"
Ayumi: "Whoa! I didn't think he'd end up this close so soon! He's a Group C racer, after all.."
Ayumi: "He's a whole league ahead of me.. I GIVE UP, HAHAHA! Ohh man.."
Alan: "Score one for the boys of Bristol."
Alan: "Might I show you how to race, Miss Lam?"
Candy: "Yumi-san's gone.. It's a Group 3 car, of course it's going to be faster."
Alan: "Equal? What nonsense. Look at that Formula racer go at this straight!"
Candy: "This time there's no big sis to give support to, Moto-san. Move aside!"
Hayato: "I hear you, Candy-chan.. through the power of reading those words above this sentence, that is."
Hideki: "Aik? How did-that's a Phantom Porsche if I have to say what that is.."
Alan: "Say something about my age now, Moto-san, you no good dog."
Hayato: "Dog?!"
Candy: "It's too soon to say but.. Deki-san's racecraft has really gone up a notch."
Hayato: "Look at the old man come in! I.. really want to see him against The Guts now!"
Ayumi: "Wwow! They're doing 1:44s! I'll do better next time!"
Candy: "His defense is.. for a lack of a better term.. rock solid."
Hideki: "Come on, Candy-kun. Witness the great touge leagues defense technique from the racers of Mt. Aso!"
Ayumi: "I wonder how everyone's doing.. HYAAAHH why don't we set up those communicators?! It's that RA272's fault!!"
Alan: "Swiftly in and out. Done and dusted, like a chore!"
Hayato: "Nyeeeehhh.. I'll get him next time."
Hideki: "Candy-kun really knows how to adapt with that car. She's someone else."
Candy: "He's the one in front this time.. will he repeat that result for later?"
It might be, as Hayato said: akin to a Group 4 car, but Candy's adrenaline shoots up further compared to when she handled a Group 4 Suzuki, as she mumbled in her helmet..
Candy: "Whew.. my heart's racing.. again.."
Eventually joined by the convoy of Group 4 cars and a detuned Group 3 Hyundai, she finds reason to push more than when she's alone.
Ride, Ride, Ride.
Foghat
The Best of Foghat
Sophisticated, elegant, but also unforgiving. That's Formula 1 for you. However, anyone coming in to assume this is a car with hordes of downforce and grip are going to be unpleasantly treated to a train of old classic car pain.
But since it's open top (and I'm invoking that Mini Mexico rule as I do there too), let's look at what's on the menu for your eyes. Obviously I must mention the car's mechanical animations you can see with the chassis and trasmission axle on chase cam. This is probably the reason GT doesn't get much in the open wheel segment: the animation of this is straight up sublime, and probably takes a long time to get right.
Well.. my first thought would be the pair of mirrors. To me, this is out of place. But they not only work as intended, they also don't get in the way of the big picture ahead. If you suffer from OCD, you should umm.. not read this part as I mention the wheel, while centered, isn't centered exactly. You get a little leeway on your right side for the 6 speed manual. Typical 60's racecar stuff: you also get this in the Ford racecars in this period, up until a selection of Group C cars.
Now for the dials. The direct opposite of the R4 GTL, the RA272 has instead a tacho but no speedo. I notice this as the other dials don't move at all, and you can tell I was looking for speed. So there's nothing to help out the driver for indication of things like gears and the aforementioned speed, but this is ancient technology we're racing on. It's loud, proud, and you want to shift up at just under 12000 RPM: quite high. We didn't test it, but I have a deep dark feeling this isn't going to light up at night. I'll get to this later.
Initial impressions of this 2 and a half million credits expenditure is that.. while it carries the smallest V12 I've ever seen, is the car challenging to take around at full pace? Like the Italia last week, yes but no. Or more accurately: not exactly. It does have its moments, like unsettling when rolling on any elevated curbs you see on certain venues, or even elevation. Outside of that, if you're gentle with it, you will survive, and there's no wiggling. In fact, don't be afraid to push it when you feel like it. That smooth powerband on stock is a sign of it wanting to be taken at full pace no matter the moment. Any lesser, and its less stable side comes out to play.
For a race car, the RA272 offers something Formula 1 of today don't really go through anymore. That is a handling profile that translates to good sense of understeer in a car that's light enough, the 200 horses its got even gets you a hint of power oversteer. It's a hint, but if you do reach that nasty predicament, you're not given a chance to readjust. Funny to me is that this car feels like it can drift, but the control's not there for you to counteract, meaning you're so meeting Barry R in this occasion.
So where do we begin on being cautious? How about SPD's favorite place to start off in the brakes. On weaker ABS, one can notice the car will lock up earlier than usual: a common thing for certain cars of the 60s. Your brakes game has to be on point in here, or just use regular ABS. First time drivers should treat is softly, and preferably not use them while turning if you need to play with them or you might turn on the understeer, or throw its rear where it shouldn't be. Plus: Engine braking is also a nasty endeavor. The way to play this is one at a time, like the MC20 a few weeks back.
If you're familiar with comparing the 60s Le Mans racers with Group 3 cars, this is that when compared to a Group 4 cars, which its in PP range on hard slicks. On the surface, you get better speed, and the handling is alright for speedier venues. Though you get issues handling tighter corners, meaning you will get the advantage on tracks with straights or sweeping turns. Strangely, the acceleration feels bogged in lower RPMs even though there's no aspiration messing with the power, nor is there a dip visible in powerband. You can visibly see this difference with me taking the Shelby Daytona: a car with great mid RPM but poor top end RPM on the Wednesday Suzuka race, notably when the cars clash on the back straight leading to 130R.
You want something stranger? A Lamborghini Miura with slicks on is the closest comparison I have with this car. But the Miura, despite matching a car half its weight, is one of the most dangerous cars with in the entire game, even with slicks. So while I may give you a choice, with a 95% confidence I say stick with this car, for your own sake.
It seems like it's not too destructive, but there is one time you don't want to be driving the RA272: at night, because there's no lights to help you. Plus: no brake lights mean the racing better NOT be close-knit like a train. I pushed every single button, alright?
Yes, you can tune your RA272. This isn't a VGT. Briefly now..
A turbo's the main way to get some more power, but of course it does ruin the smooth powerband. You're already on a tightrope driving this thing stock, so it's up to you if you want to see if you do have a safety harness or not. Brake balance is also available, even though I feel this is tech that hasn't existed for the car. Keeping it at the rear is a good idea, so as long as you follow the rule of not shifting down rapidly. If you're a kind of soulless coward who wants more out of the car, yes: you can put on a race transmission, but I don't want to hear any of that.
A lot of the advice I put on the Italia GT3 (with one breath as intended) sort of applies here. Just that.. this is an understeering car. So rear up high, tightened anti-roll bars, and more stiffness on the rear. The dampeners I do prefer softening them up so it can take curbs better. You don't need to touch much on the LSD here: it's fine as it is, though you're welcome to change it incrementally. If you're still struggling on stability, you can use the ballast and put some weight up front. Interestingly, this car runs okay on Sports tires, but I'm the mofo SPD who likes low grip situations, so you can ignore that.
If this was the very sort of drive Richie Ginther had when he took that win that changed Honda's race history forever onwards, well, I can relate: very nice car to drive, and obviously for the casual crowd: a popular choice for some of the big money events in the game due to it not being able to compare its weight to your mama.
But since it's open top (and I'm invoking that Mini Mexico rule as I do there too), let's look at what's on the menu for your eyes. Obviously I must mention the car's mechanical animations you can see with the chassis and trasmission axle on chase cam. This is probably the reason GT doesn't get much in the open wheel segment: the animation of this is straight up sublime, and probably takes a long time to get right.
Well.. my first thought would be the pair of mirrors. To me, this is out of place. But they not only work as intended, they also don't get in the way of the big picture ahead. If you suffer from OCD, you should umm.. not read this part as I mention the wheel, while centered, isn't centered exactly. You get a little leeway on your right side for the 6 speed manual. Typical 60's racecar stuff: you also get this in the Ford racecars in this period, up until a selection of Group C cars.
Now for the dials. The direct opposite of the R4 GTL, the RA272 has instead a tacho but no speedo. I notice this as the other dials don't move at all, and you can tell I was looking for speed. So there's nothing to help out the driver for indication of things like gears and the aforementioned speed, but this is ancient technology we're racing on. It's loud, proud, and you want to shift up at just under 12000 RPM: quite high. We didn't test it, but I have a deep dark feeling this isn't going to light up at night. I'll get to this later.
Initial impressions of this 2 and a half million credits expenditure is that.. while it carries the smallest V12 I've ever seen, is the car challenging to take around at full pace? Like the Italia last week, yes but no. Or more accurately: not exactly. It does have its moments, like unsettling when rolling on any elevated curbs you see on certain venues, or even elevation. Outside of that, if you're gentle with it, you will survive, and there's no wiggling. In fact, don't be afraid to push it when you feel like it. That smooth powerband on stock is a sign of it wanting to be taken at full pace no matter the moment. Any lesser, and its less stable side comes out to play.
For a race car, the RA272 offers something Formula 1 of today don't really go through anymore. That is a handling profile that translates to good sense of understeer in a car that's light enough, the 200 horses its got even gets you a hint of power oversteer. It's a hint, but if you do reach that nasty predicament, you're not given a chance to readjust. Funny to me is that this car feels like it can drift, but the control's not there for you to counteract, meaning you're so meeting Barry R in this occasion.
So where do we begin on being cautious? How about SPD's favorite place to start off in the brakes. On weaker ABS, one can notice the car will lock up earlier than usual: a common thing for certain cars of the 60s. Your brakes game has to be on point in here, or just use regular ABS. First time drivers should treat is softly, and preferably not use them while turning if you need to play with them or you might turn on the understeer, or throw its rear where it shouldn't be. Plus: Engine braking is also a nasty endeavor. The way to play this is one at a time, like the MC20 a few weeks back.
If you're familiar with comparing the 60s Le Mans racers with Group 3 cars, this is that when compared to a Group 4 cars, which its in PP range on hard slicks. On the surface, you get better speed, and the handling is alright for speedier venues. Though you get issues handling tighter corners, meaning you will get the advantage on tracks with straights or sweeping turns. Strangely, the acceleration feels bogged in lower RPMs even though there's no aspiration messing with the power, nor is there a dip visible in powerband. You can visibly see this difference with me taking the Shelby Daytona: a car with great mid RPM but poor top end RPM on the Wednesday Suzuka race, notably when the cars clash on the back straight leading to 130R.
You want something stranger? A Lamborghini Miura with slicks on is the closest comparison I have with this car. But the Miura, despite matching a car half its weight, is one of the most dangerous cars with in the entire game, even with slicks. So while I may give you a choice, with a 95% confidence I say stick with this car, for your own sake.
It seems like it's not too destructive, but there is one time you don't want to be driving the RA272: at night, because there's no lights to help you. Plus: no brake lights mean the racing better NOT be close-knit like a train. I pushed every single button, alright?
Yes, you can tune your RA272. This isn't a VGT. Briefly now..
A turbo's the main way to get some more power, but of course it does ruin the smooth powerband. You're already on a tightrope driving this thing stock, so it's up to you if you want to see if you do have a safety harness or not. Brake balance is also available, even though I feel this is tech that hasn't existed for the car. Keeping it at the rear is a good idea, so as long as you follow the rule of not shifting down rapidly. If you're a kind of soulless coward who wants more out of the car, yes: you can put on a race transmission, but I don't want to hear any of that.
A lot of the advice I put on the Italia GT3 (with one breath as intended) sort of applies here. Just that.. this is an understeering car. So rear up high, tightened anti-roll bars, and more stiffness on the rear. The dampeners I do prefer softening them up so it can take curbs better. You don't need to touch much on the LSD here: it's fine as it is, though you're welcome to change it incrementally. If you're still struggling on stability, you can use the ballast and put some weight up front. Interestingly, this car runs okay on Sports tires, but I'm the mofo SPD who likes low grip situations, so you can ignore that.
If this was the very sort of drive Richie Ginther had when he took that win that changed Honda's race history forever onwards, well, I can relate: very nice car to drive, and obviously for the casual crowd: a popular choice for some of the big money events in the game due to it not being able to compare its weight to your mama.
Hayato: "That shy kid's killing it. Nyeeheehee.. it's too bad I'm not in Group 4, or I can teach him something."
Alan: "Honestly, they made it a FWD Mazda3? What blasted fools those Mazda engineers are smoking on with that?!"
Ayumi: "Whoa! I didn't think he'd end up this close so soon! He's a Group C racer, after all.."
Ayumi: "He's a whole league ahead of me.. I GIVE UP, HAHAHA! Ohh man.."
Alan: "Score one for the boys of Bristol."
Alan: "Might I show you how to race, Miss Lam?"
Candy: "Yumi-san's gone.. It's a Group 3 car, of course it's going to be faster."
Alan: "Equal? What nonsense. Look at that Formula racer go at this straight!"
Candy: "This time there's no big sis to give support to, Moto-san. Move aside!"
Hayato: "I hear you, Candy-chan.. through the power of reading those words above this sentence, that is."
Hideki: "Aik? How did-that's a Phantom Porsche if I have to say what that is.."
Alan: "Say something about my age now, Moto-san, you no good dog."
Hayato: "Dog?!"
Candy: "It's too soon to say but.. Deki-san's racecraft has really gone up a notch."
Hayato: "Look at the old man come in! I.. really want to see him against The Guts now!"
Ayumi: "Wwow! They're doing 1:44s! I'll do better next time!"
Candy: "His defense is.. for a lack of a better term.. rock solid."
Hideki: "Come on, Candy-kun. Witness the great touge leagues defense technique from the racers of Mt. Aso!"
Ayumi: "I wonder how everyone's doing.. HYAAAHH why don't we set up those communicators?! It's that RA272's fault!!"
Alan: "Swiftly in and out. Done and dusted, like a chore!"
Hayato: "Nyeeeehhh.. I'll get him next time."
Hideki: "Candy-kun really knows how to adapt with that car. She's someone else."
Candy: "He's the one in front this time.. will he repeat that result for later?"
As the misty cloudy day progresses, so does one's intent for a second race.
Joined by some tuner garage staff, they oversee the race this time around to document it, and keep it fair within their own fair rules, as they were notified by the boss herself.
As the lights ready to start, the flying lap then commences after it turns green.
With the Lancer charging ahead, and the Kouki staying back, the second race with this Week 1 pair come to a start, along with the song that started it all as well..
At a car park around the Miyabi roads, the RA272 is positioned in view for a camera crew to look about its details.
Directing the whole scene is Hayato, while Alan then walks in, with his usual cardigan outfit he always has on instead.
Hayato: "Alright.. camera is ready. I say we're ready for your first words old man."
Alan: "Let's get this show going. 1-2-3-1-2-3..."
Standing in front of the car, the director works with the clapboard, and claps it down, prompting the start of the recording.
Without a script, but with his knowledge, the old man speaks..
Alan: "Now, despite my exposure to a whole menagerie of past racing machines, I hadn't fancy a go at one of these.. the Honda RA272: a.. well, style isn't what you get when racing in the 60s. But look behind with its 1.5 liter V12, and you have here what brought Honda to the start of something.. mythical. At the back sits a small, horizontally mounted V12. 230 horsepower might not seem like the kind that wins you races, but you ask Richie Ginther by the back end of 1965, he'll tell you it's the most capable 230 horses he's ever used."
Joined by some tuner garage staff, they oversee the race this time around to document it, and keep it fair within their own fair rules, as they were notified by the boss herself.
As the lights ready to start, the flying lap then commences after it turns green.
With the Lancer charging ahead, and the Kouki staying back, the second race with this Week 1 pair come to a start, along with the song that started it all as well..
At a car park around the Miyabi roads, the RA272 is positioned in view for a camera crew to look about its details.
Directing the whole scene is Hayato, while Alan then walks in, with his usual cardigan outfit he always has on instead.
Hayato: "Alright.. camera is ready. I say we're ready for your first words old man."
Alan: "Let's get this show going. 1-2-3-1-2-3..."
Standing in front of the car, the director works with the clapboard, and claps it down, prompting the start of the recording.
Without a script, but with his knowledge, the old man speaks..
Alan: "Now, despite my exposure to a whole menagerie of past racing machines, I hadn't fancy a go at one of these.. the Honda RA272: a.. well, style isn't what you get when racing in the 60s. But look behind with its 1.5 liter V12, and you have here what brought Honda to the start of something.. mythical. At the back sits a small, horizontally mounted V12. 230 horsepower might not seem like the kind that wins you races, but you ask Richie Ginther by the back end of 1965, he'll tell you it's the most capable 230 horses he's ever used."
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Yes, this is simple. Just like me explaining about Amazon's hit car show, what are you on about?
I'm making a throwback to Week 1. Where it all started about 13 months ago. That's what I get for using a random wheel after all.
I enjoy his ridiculous character traits and personality, but as of this week, I am tired of writing in Moto-san. And this week's got the car chosen to be at fault for him coming back for another run. Least it's the last of the Honda related formula cars.
If you're thinking of nominating an NSX, be advised that the NB is his Signature Car, as well as bringing the Grouped variants of said NB will bring him over. I hope that's not what we got next week.
If anyone forgets, Alan Robinson in terms of TV car show host is Tiff Needelll. When they do speak in front of a camera, Clark Kayne is essentially Grand Tour era Jeremy Clarkson, and Nash Kirkham is Chris Harris.
I'm making a throwback to Week 1. Where it all started about 13 months ago. That's what I get for using a random wheel after all.
I enjoy his ridiculous character traits and personality, but as of this week, I am tired of writing in Moto-san. And this week's got the car chosen to be at fault for him coming back for another run. Least it's the last of the Honda related formula cars.
If you're thinking of nominating an NSX, be advised that the NB is his Signature Car, as well as bringing the Grouped variants of said NB will bring him over. I hope that's not what we got next week.
If anyone forgets, Alan Robinson in terms of TV car show host is Tiff Needelll. When they do speak in front of a camera, Clark Kayne is essentially Grand Tour era Jeremy Clarkson, and Nash Kirkham is Chris Harris.
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..
A shy but determined prospective artist with a variety of talents thanks to his smarts and willingness to learn. Now handling a tuning shop, he's eager to keep his craft fresh by travelling around the world.
Theme Song: Gorillaz - O Green World
Racing Duel Music: Cheap Trick - Everything Works If You Let It
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 24
Current occupation: Tuning shop co-owner
Distinct features: Short spiky black hair above an oval face. Small, brown wide set eyes, thin almond nose and unpronounced mouth. Faint presence of freckles under the eyes. Always with a skin repair bandage on some part of his face due to acne. Bright skin. Average height and build.
Choice of clothing: Always with large rounded glasses, but is transitioning to contacts due to racing more often. Usually with a combo of a tight t-shirt with a buttoned up jacket/thick jacket based on the season. The lower body is always covered with sports slacks and sneakers.
Cars: Toyota 86 GRMN
Kyoto native Hideki was born into the world without much of a tale. Him and his two sisters lives has been mostly within the city, specifically nearby the cherry blossoms of the temples and shrines around. His early life come to following the footsteps of his scientist father: a man with dreams to make it big within the fields of life preservation. But a quick look concludes that he really only inherited his father's geeky and fast learning nature.
Despite that, the children were more into the arts, inspired by the natural beauty of japan. The sisters moved to being a pop star and actress respectively. Hideki took on arts and crafts, coming from his interest in doodling from a very young age, and reading manga. Strangely, his favorite manga consists of those with cars in them, especially Speed Racer. This doodling eventually gave way to his skills in precision sketching he uses today.
Coming into university with a stellar portfolio, Hideki's time on the side came to bolstering his interests. He bought a guitar and started earning on the side performing for small venues, and took on requests for sketching. And the moment he could, he earned his driver's license. While his muse and art are doing great, he gained a desperation to fill in his want to drive, not willing to save for a car. This led him to the racing community of university undergraduates, often mistaken for stalking the woman leading it: Ayumi Tanaka.
A small scuffle between local hotshots and universities wanting to show dominance in the racing groups caused the otherwise unremarkable and shy Hideki to raise his voice. A challenge was coming, and he had weeks to prepare. This is where it started with meeting and eventually bonding with future girlfriend Ayumi. In the end, he overcame it barely, and earned an inner drive to race, and respect in the local racing scene.
Over time, he graduated, and started a tuning shop with his girlfriend. Still together, and also strong on his side hustles, Hideki's main thought today stemmed from a pivotal meeting with an American in Gion, whose dark side seems to keep getting darker.
Theme Song: Gorillaz - O Green World
Racing Duel Music: Cheap Trick - Everything Works If You Let It
Gender: Male
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 24
Current occupation: Tuning shop co-owner
Distinct features: Short spiky black hair above an oval face. Small, brown wide set eyes, thin almond nose and unpronounced mouth. Faint presence of freckles under the eyes. Always with a skin repair bandage on some part of his face due to acne. Bright skin. Average height and build.
Choice of clothing: Always with large rounded glasses, but is transitioning to contacts due to racing more often. Usually with a combo of a tight t-shirt with a buttoned up jacket/thick jacket based on the season. The lower body is always covered with sports slacks and sneakers.
Cars: Toyota 86 GRMN
Kyoto native Hideki was born into the world without much of a tale. Him and his two sisters lives has been mostly within the city, specifically nearby the cherry blossoms of the temples and shrines around. His early life come to following the footsteps of his scientist father: a man with dreams to make it big within the fields of life preservation. But a quick look concludes that he really only inherited his father's geeky and fast learning nature.
Despite that, the children were more into the arts, inspired by the natural beauty of japan. The sisters moved to being a pop star and actress respectively. Hideki took on arts and crafts, coming from his interest in doodling from a very young age, and reading manga. Strangely, his favorite manga consists of those with cars in them, especially Speed Racer. This doodling eventually gave way to his skills in precision sketching he uses today.
Coming into university with a stellar portfolio, Hideki's time on the side came to bolstering his interests. He bought a guitar and started earning on the side performing for small venues, and took on requests for sketching. And the moment he could, he earned his driver's license. While his muse and art are doing great, he gained a desperation to fill in his want to drive, not willing to save for a car. This led him to the racing community of university undergraduates, often mistaken for stalking the woman leading it: Ayumi Tanaka.
A small scuffle between local hotshots and universities wanting to show dominance in the racing groups caused the otherwise unremarkable and shy Hideki to raise his voice. A challenge was coming, and he had weeks to prepare. This is where it started with meeting and eventually bonding with future girlfriend Ayumi. In the end, he overcame it barely, and earned an inner drive to race, and respect in the local racing scene.
Over time, he graduated, and started a tuning shop with his girlfriend. Still together, and also strong on his side hustles, Hideki's main thought today stemmed from a pivotal meeting with an American in Gion, whose dark side seems to keep getting darker.
An easily excitable young lady, who doubles as a young major art graduate and a master of Mazda's rotary cars, this energetic little bubble opened a small JDM tuner shop with her boyfriend to an initially mild, then great enough success, leading them to journey all over the world to expand their horizons.
Theme Song: The Bangles - Everything I Wanted
Racing Duel Music: Girlschool feat. Motorhead - Please Don't Touch
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 25
Current occupation: Tuning shop owner
Distinct features: Medium-long, curly black hair tied as a ponytail. Semi sharp oval face. Large, wide green eyes, narrow aquiline nose and a small mouth that can truly expand when she gets excited. Average height, slightly underweight with average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Western influenced dailywear, usually in the form of a crop top and rolled up jeans. Colder climates prompt her to wear a single size winter jacket over it. Usually has a cap or beanie with the kanji Ayumi on it.
Cars: Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD), Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC)
With an origin from Kyoto, Ayumi is an only child whose upbringing mainly comes from her family's traditionalist views. She didn't mind it at all, as it would mean her life would be family oriented as she grew up. Her father: a traditional calligraphy expert, endlessly suggested his only daughter to move on to the future, but always remember the past: a statement she can't let go of, as it moved towards her leaning for a certain car with a certain engine..
What set her inspiration for her hobbies was a visit to the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, seeing the roster of Mazda's cars was a passion after the first visit, and it became an annual thing for her. She would eventually get her first Mazda from a wealthy and generous relative in the form of a classic FC RX-7 GT-X. Her peers in university would often see it shake up the track, as she learned to drive and race at the same time. Years in her freshman university days are appropriated to her winning similar class races of various scale, earning her the moniker of Rotary Queen.
With an on track name, she somehow got a bit of attention, good or other wise. Notably, she made a name when clashing with some local Kyoto racers over their heads. It went in her favor thanks to a man who stood up for her: her future boyfriend Hideki. While he didn't impress from the outside, his heart convinced her enough to connect them. Time passes, and with their art majors completed, they would head into finding work. If it weren't for a certain dark horse, who she would idolize and cement his fame in Japan through his unofficial fan club, it would never lead them to their small but eventually flourishing tuning garage based in Fuji.
While her boyfriend Hideki is quite the introvert, Ayumi is a most definitive opposite, having a booming voice, a metabolism for high speeds and gets excitable really easily. And her name as Rotary Queen starts to grow as she would try to get behind the wheel of every rotary powered car she can, eyeing on a new RX car Mazda has been conceptualizing.
Theme Song: The Bangles - Everything I Wanted
Racing Duel Music: Girlschool feat. Motorhead - Please Don't Touch
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 25
Current occupation: Tuning shop owner
Distinct features: Medium-long, curly black hair tied as a ponytail. Semi sharp oval face. Large, wide green eyes, narrow aquiline nose and a small mouth that can truly expand when she gets excited. Average height, slightly underweight with average proportions.
Choice of clothing: Western influenced dailywear, usually in the form of a crop top and rolled up jeans. Colder climates prompt her to wear a single size winter jacket over it. Usually has a cap or beanie with the kanji Ayumi on it.
Cars: Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD), Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC)
With an origin from Kyoto, Ayumi is an only child whose upbringing mainly comes from her family's traditionalist views. She didn't mind it at all, as it would mean her life would be family oriented as she grew up. Her father: a traditional calligraphy expert, endlessly suggested his only daughter to move on to the future, but always remember the past: a statement she can't let go of, as it moved towards her leaning for a certain car with a certain engine..
What set her inspiration for her hobbies was a visit to the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, seeing the roster of Mazda's cars was a passion after the first visit, and it became an annual thing for her. She would eventually get her first Mazda from a wealthy and generous relative in the form of a classic FC RX-7 GT-X. Her peers in university would often see it shake up the track, as she learned to drive and race at the same time. Years in her freshman university days are appropriated to her winning similar class races of various scale, earning her the moniker of Rotary Queen.
With an on track name, she somehow got a bit of attention, good or other wise. Notably, she made a name when clashing with some local Kyoto racers over their heads. It went in her favor thanks to a man who stood up for her: her future boyfriend Hideki. While he didn't impress from the outside, his heart convinced her enough to connect them. Time passes, and with their art majors completed, they would head into finding work. If it weren't for a certain dark horse, who she would idolize and cement his fame in Japan through his unofficial fan club, it would never lead them to their small but eventually flourishing tuning garage based in Fuji.
While her boyfriend Hideki is quite the introvert, Ayumi is a most definitive opposite, having a booming voice, a metabolism for high speeds and gets excitable really easily. And her name as Rotary Queen starts to grow as she would try to get behind the wheel of every rotary powered car she can, eyeing on a new RX car Mazda has been conceptualizing.
Fourth wall breaking fan favorite racer of the current Super Formula era, Hayato's achievements haze the many dilemmas and twists he's found himself in. A former Yakuza enforcer that doubles as an just as silent and swift ninja wannabe with a unfavorable young personality to back up his race track talents.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX (NB), KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
Theme Song: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy)
Racing Duel Music: The Crystal Method - Play For Real (feat. The Heavy, Dirtyphonics Remix)
Gender: Male
Nationality: Half Japanese, half Brazilian
Age: 30
Current occupation: Race car driver
Distinct features: Dyed dark purple hair in the shape of a ponytail. Wide, diamond shaped face with pale skin. White tinted eye contacts, flat thin nose and a slim mouth exhuming a dangerous smirk. Average height, slightly thin build. Heavily tattooed body due to his past within the yakuza.
Choice of clothing: Dark colored, and always covering his skin. Commonly wears trendy clothing, nowaday's its a designer sweater hoodie with 3 quarter denim pants, tall shoes and a belt. Never seen without his traditional made ornamental katana and its sheath behind, presumed a fake to just about anyone who don't investigate.
Cars: Honda NSX (NB), KTM X-BOW R
History was shady, but first records show Hayato was born in Nagoya with a mixed Japanese Brazilian bloodline. Notably, his family carries strong ties to the shinobi warriors of Sengoku Japan, giving him an idea on what kind of person he was going to grow as. However, he was a rebellious soul who could hardly get anything going in curriculum. That journey as a ninja would have to wait until one day, he would personally go on a journey to retrieve an old relic hidden in a deathtrap shaped like a home. He might have succeeded, but the problems started. Said relic was a priceless katana, and word got out, his family and clan were slain or went missing, including his family, who had an abrupt but heartfelt goodbye, not knowing where to go.
After reaching adulthood, Hayato made his way through life with a girl he met. It was thanks to her he got involved in Yakuza affairs, being the sole daughter of a top family enforcer. He would learn their ways, brandish their stripes and worked his way up the ladder. On the side, he applied for a junior Red Bull course in racing, again because his girlfriend said so. That eventually grew as he was noticed by two important individuals: an infamous street racing delinquent, and the head of the multi million organization known as the Kirkham Foundation. With their offers, Hayato had a new goal: to be deemed an icon, as someone significant.
Years pass, and Hayato leaned back to the criminal element strong. But as he grew in strength, that went to the test as the family he served was the same one that terrorized his teenage days. As his connections to the relic he used came to light, blood flooded rivers as he fought his way up to get the answers he needed. All was said and done, but one final test remained: the woman that lived with him all those years pledged her allegiance against him, and in a final struggle, he cut her where she stood. Past all the heartbreak, he would remember her by selling the relic katana to the government, then having a master blacksmith forge a whole new sword: the same one he carries at all times on his back. He branded the sword as 'Yoko': the girl he lived with all his adult life til then.
Now with those bloody ties severed, Hayato stands now a strong contender for the Honda Racing Corporation. While his focus lies on Super Formula nowadays, he's been seen testing out Honda's Group 3 division. And there's a good chance he might be travelling the world, eager to be showing his honed racing skills.
A legend of the past generation. Alan's time as The Bristol Harbinger echoes on into his terrible parenting and the contrary of such when it comes to mentoring. A classy charismatic figure who craves at the chance to push hard a racing machine again.
Theme Song: Queen - You Take My Breath Away
Racing Duel Music: The Cure - Wrong Number (acoustic)
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 59
Current occupation: Retired racer
Distinct features: Short, combed back, clean greyed chestnut hair. Heart shaped face. Similarly colored goatee on top of a stubble. Thin hooded blue eyes, thick but shallow funnel nose, and thin, wide peach mouth. Average height and slightly less weight.
Choice of clothing: Strictly a cardigan over a suit vest, fine pants and just as fine slip ons and woolen gloves. Never without his specially engraved pendant, engraved AR-CR.
Cars: Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB11
Once known as the Bristol Harbinger, it's no surprise Alan's humble origins were within Bristol, specifically behind the heritage of a metalworking industry heavy family. Aspiring to make a living in one of the larger engineering factories producing ships and planes, Alan's dreams took a turn when his father: the foreman of a prominent steel milling factory, got the factory involved in producing various machinations for Jaguar. At his younger ages, he's greatly exposed to the hard works in the mills and the foundries, but never found himself in serious dedication to it, despite humbling towards its peoples.
Amassing wealth, Alan and his sole sister eventually was personally exposed to the racing world in form of their wealthy father's collection of classic cars, notably those made iconic within the gentlemen racers era. By the time they reached adulthood and are proven able to drive, they've been handed down one car of their choosing. Both went for Germans, as Alan's first car would come in the eventually rare BMW 507. Unaware of why his peers and relatives start to distance away from him, he's never been made aware that the car's value reflected to his person: something future Alan found out.
His calling for the track came when the foundry workers started organizing quick, but overall grueling rally events around the industrial areas they worked in. There, not only would this younger Alan find his calling by being the quickest in the tiny classics raced, but also found he wants to earn his glory, not be handed down them. Respect for this form of him is gained, and he would gain a catchphrase, stating that "What's once hard can be bested with self improvement, and we keep getting on with it until it's all a chore.". That all would move on to his greatest age in his career: handling Group C Jaguars.
Eventually wedded a lady and raised a daughter, the wife's sudden death by an accident put a rift between this pair, blaming one another for the cause of this separation. It was then he's made an abrupt retirement to the racing game. Wealth was never an issue then, thanks to his past and then work's role as a racing school instructor. Usually not straying further ahead open wheel racing, Alan's problems started to fade upon meeting his daughter's sweetheart: a young Scottish enthusiast. The bond they created as mentor and pupil also cast away the social barriers between him and his daughter. Now with a keenness on helping others, he didn't hesitate when a German racing family asked him personally for his services.
Age might've slowed his senses, but this current Sim Gear host's always on the lookout for fresh talent, or even a way back into the game.
Theme Song: Queen - You Take My Breath Away
Racing Duel Music: The Cure - Wrong Number (acoustic)
Gender: Male
Nationality: British
Age: 59
Current occupation: Retired racer
Distinct features: Short, combed back, clean greyed chestnut hair. Heart shaped face. Similarly colored goatee on top of a stubble. Thin hooded blue eyes, thick but shallow funnel nose, and thin, wide peach mouth. Average height and slightly less weight.
Choice of clothing: Strictly a cardigan over a suit vest, fine pants and just as fine slip ons and woolen gloves. Never without his specially engraved pendant, engraved AR-CR.
Cars: Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB11
Once known as the Bristol Harbinger, it's no surprise Alan's humble origins were within Bristol, specifically behind the heritage of a metalworking industry heavy family. Aspiring to make a living in one of the larger engineering factories producing ships and planes, Alan's dreams took a turn when his father: the foreman of a prominent steel milling factory, got the factory involved in producing various machinations for Jaguar. At his younger ages, he's greatly exposed to the hard works in the mills and the foundries, but never found himself in serious dedication to it, despite humbling towards its peoples.
Amassing wealth, Alan and his sole sister eventually was personally exposed to the racing world in form of their wealthy father's collection of classic cars, notably those made iconic within the gentlemen racers era. By the time they reached adulthood and are proven able to drive, they've been handed down one car of their choosing. Both went for Germans, as Alan's first car would come in the eventually rare BMW 507. Unaware of why his peers and relatives start to distance away from him, he's never been made aware that the car's value reflected to his person: something future Alan found out.
His calling for the track came when the foundry workers started organizing quick, but overall grueling rally events around the industrial areas they worked in. There, not only would this younger Alan find his calling by being the quickest in the tiny classics raced, but also found he wants to earn his glory, not be handed down them. Respect for this form of him is gained, and he would gain a catchphrase, stating that "What's once hard can be bested with self improvement, and we keep getting on with it until it's all a chore.". That all would move on to his greatest age in his career: handling Group C Jaguars.
Eventually wedded a lady and raised a daughter, the wife's sudden death by an accident put a rift between this pair, blaming one another for the cause of this separation. It was then he's made an abrupt retirement to the racing game. Wealth was never an issue then, thanks to his past and then work's role as a racing school instructor. Usually not straying further ahead open wheel racing, Alan's problems started to fade upon meeting his daughter's sweetheart: a young Scottish enthusiast. The bond they created as mentor and pupil also cast away the social barriers between him and his daughter. Now with a keenness on helping others, he didn't hesitate when a German racing family asked him personally for his services.
Age might've slowed his senses, but this current Sim Gear host's always on the lookout for fresh talent, or even a way back into the game.
