FITT Ford Challenges by MCH

My focus DC is now tied with @Otaliema and @NEWDRIVER2 (albeit in 7/8/9th place) The Focus event is far too close to call. It is all down to what DaBomm and Ronald think about the tunes when they have posted their reviews.

I think Ronald decided not to do the Focus, but DaBomm needs to be checking his post to see who's bribe he gets first!

I didnt have DaBomm's home address... :confused: is this going to ruin any chances I have? :lol:
Actually, I posted on Wednesday that I was unable to test the cars, I cannot find the post right now but I guess those are the results that you guys are seeing.
 
Actually, I posted on Wednesday that I was unable to test the cars, I cannot find the post right now but I guess those are the results that you guys are seeing.
Sorry mate, I must have missed it. I tend to miss a lot of pages worth of posts it seems like during the week. New job and all. Will have to wait until Hami officially does his post...not counting chickens before they hatch!
 
FITT: Ford Mustang Challenge Reviews​



My review and impressions, in general I liked most of the tunes for this challenge but not all. Some gave me a challenge just to drive and some surprised me with how they got me to drive. I have never claimed to be the best tuner (not by a long shot) or the best driver, so if I did not match your best lap please know that I gave each tune the best I could to get the most out of it. All tunes were given a minimum of 12 laps and a max of 15, more laps were for driver error or the thinking that I was real close to a better time.

Tunes tested in random order by model: Mustang Gt, Shelby GT500 and finally the Boss 302 with my own tune being last for fairness (that way I would be furthest away from my tune).

DC was extremely difficult for me in this challenge as some of the fast cars I struggled with and some of the slower ones I really liked. I took into consideration the following: Best lap time, enjoyment, and how long it took to learn and reach the best lap. If there are any questions about DC, please ask.
@Motor City Hami I apologize for some of these DC scores but it is the only way I felt that was fair and represented my true impressions.

Mustang GT

@DaBomm4:
Lap time - 1:19.784 - DC - 7.5

Leading up to the deadline, I had tuned each of the three cars but spent the least amount of time on this one as I felt it was the slowest AND hardest to improve. The night before I began testing I took my GT for 8 laps to prepare and set a base time, your tune did manage to beat it. There is the ever present understeer that you managed quite well but lose of rear grip on accel through turns 3,4 and 5. Overall a really nice job here and I applaud the effort of being the only one brave enough to try this one. DC was given a bonus for that.👍

Boss 302

@787bcgr :
Lap time - 1:16.934 (2nd fastest!) - DC - 9.5

Good solid tune although I never touched 6th gear, did not matter. It could get loose on throttle in turns 3,4 and 5 but so did many others (most). Nothing more to add but very well done, I really enjoyed it and the speed surprised me.

Bowtie-muscle
Lap time - 1.:17.234 - DC - 9.2

Will not say much about my own tune other than I think it is one of the 3 best I have submitted for FITT challenges, and like the other 2, will not win. A touch more understeer thru the sweepers than I remembered and I did not match my best time during testing. I do believe it is one of the easiest to drive and be consistent with but I will let others be the judge of that.

@DolHaus :
Lap time - 1:17.547 - DC - 8.0

I really struggled with this tune making it fast, it had good rotation and the rear only loose in the usual place. I did find that it would push wide if I gave it too much throttle in turn 2 which made throttle control that much more important. A good tune non the less.

@gtmetacrisis :
Lap time - 1:17.456 - DC - 9.0

Just a really good solid tune right here. Maybe, just a tick on the snug side in turns 3 and 5, when I got those two turns correct, the time dropped. Very impressive for your first time out. :cheers:

@ImToLegitToQuit :
Lap time - 1:17.059 (3rd fastest) - DC 8.5

NO room for error on this tune at all, had to hit my marks or I was off to the litter and I spent many laps off track. Very hard to adjust and get the line right especially the hill section which was always an adventure. However, when I did manage to get it right, what a lap and I am sure there is more to be had. If the rear was more stable and the curbs did not upset this one so much, it would have been a true blast. Unfortunately, the last lap I ran was the fastest, otherwise your time would have been 6 tenths slower. Not a 9.0 tune, was thinking an 8.0 but I cannot ignore the final lap time.

@krenkme :
Lap time - 1:17.587 - DC - 8.5

If this is your dark side, than I like it, a lot. Great grip and rotation, good entry and very good all around tune. One issue, the final gear was too short hurting lap times. More gear and you would have a special ride here. Well done. :cool:

@xande1959 :
Lap time - 1:18.212 - DC 7.5

I am sorry my friend but I struggled to get more out of this one and it took me a while to figure out why. Too much rear grip causing understeer on entry and slowing rotation, also when braking the nose would dive and cause the front end to push wide. Not a bad tune at all, just not fast enough.

Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:

@brian wolf :
Lap time - 1:17.963 - DC - 8.0

First thought: 3 speed? First impression: (turn 1) Holy lift off oversteer Batman! This was a prelude to some of the other wild rear end tunes, but yours was the easiest to learn and adjust to. Did spent some time off track (rubber mallot in the backseat is to pound the dents out of the roof) but turn 5 was always the best with your tune. Turn 8 (last turn) however, was always interesting. This car loves to rotate and can be really fast when you get it right, not sure I got all out of this one, might be another 3 or 4 tenths still out there, sorry.:guilty:

3speed trans was a stroke of brilliance and did not hurt this tune at all.

@Lewis_Hamilton_ :
Lap time - 1:17.440 - DC - 7.9

Total handful for me, the rear just would not cooperate and I struggled with this tune more than any other. Entry and braking caused the rear to jump and not always able to save, spent more laps in the litter than any other:irked:. When I did get it right tho, if I ever did that is, it was very rewarding and I was looking for someone to high-five. Much like Legit's tune, the last 2 laps were unfortunately the fastest. Not quite an 8.0 for me but too good for a 7.5 so it got a 7.9 due to the speed it gave and is capable of. Just not in my hands unfortunately.

@Otaliema :
Lap time - 1:16.789 (Fastest!) - DC - 9.5

That medication must do wonders but it clouds your brain, did I not tell you more than once that i cannot drift???? Well, not until I drove this one that is. This one likes to be sideways, not sure it is happy going straight. Always smoking the tires and leaving skidmarks, lucky for you tire wear is off. Amazingly it had only a few trips off track and most due to driver trying to get the most out of it. Unbelievable rotation if you can hold it, right on the edge of losing it. Excellent tune, and like DolHaus's GTO, managed to change my driving style, if only for a short time. :crazy:

@shaunm80 :
Lap time - 1:17.943 - DC - 8.0

What I have come to expect from you, no disappointment here. Good, solid, easy to drive with just a touch of understeer caused by car/track combo. Only where others had it as well but without the oversteer on exit. Only issue was 6th gear maybe a tick too long? Well done.

@sinof1337 :
lap time - 1.19.026 - DC - 7.7

I really like this tune, great grip and smooth with a touch of oversteer on exit. Throttle control helped as did adjusting my line. This had the most weight and most power but I think the problem here was the final gear. At the start finish line I was blinking in 6th and looking for another gear. Felt as though the time should have been much better and I was stunned at the lap times. I really hope another tester gets more from this tune. Good job.

@Motor City Hami :
Boss 302 R
Lap time - 1:17.082 - DC - 9.3

Since you had already built this one and did not enter, I decided to see how it would perform compared to the rest of ours. No oil change meant I added intake tuning and adjusted power limiter from 96.8 to 95.7. This tune was not built for this track and could get really squirrelly on entry but would not have been the worst. Just a hint of understeer in some turns but not bad, I only ran 5 laps with it. The first was to learn the tune and warm up to it, the second lap the rear jumped out on turn 6. Laps 3 and 4 were the best with lap 3 being a 1:17.220 (which would have been 4th best), shaved a little off on lap 4. the final lap was egual to the ghost but I lost it on the final turn.
Conclusion; very thankful you DID NOT enter or finish this with a few adjustments or you could have smoked the field. That is why you are still the man to beat. :bowdown:

Thank you Hami for putting this challenge together and for allowing me to partake.
Thank you to all the tuners for great and enjoyable tunes.
 
Last edited:
FITT: Ford Mustang Challenge Reviews​



My review and impressions, in general I liked most of the tunes for this challenge but not all. Some gave me a challenge just to drive and some surprised me with how they got me to drive. I have never claimed to be the best tuner (not by a long shot) or the best driver, so if I did not match your best lap please know that I gave each tune the best I could to get the most out of it. All tunes were given a minimum of 12 laps and a max of 15, more laps were for driver error or the thinking that I was real close to a better time.

Tunes tested in random order by model: Mustang Gt, Shelby GT500 and finally the Boss 302 with my own tune being last for fairness (that way I would be furthest away from my tune).

DC was extremely difficult for me in this challenge as some of the fast cars I struggled with and some of the slower ones I really liked. I took into consideration the following: Best lap time, enjoyment, and how long it took to learn and reach the best lap. If there are any questions about DC, please ask.
@Motor City Hami I apologize for some of these DC scores but it is the only way I felt that was fair and represented my true impressions.

Mustang GT

@DaBomm4:
Lap time - 1:19.784 - DC - 7.5

Leading up to the deadline, I had tuned each of the three cars but spent the least amount of time on this one as I felt it was the slowest AND hardest to improve. The night before I began testing I took my GT for 8 laps to prepare and set a base time, your tune did manage to beat it. There is the ever present understeer that you managed quite well but lose of rear grip on accel through turns 3,4 and 5. Overall a really nice job here and I applaud the effort of being the only one brave enough to try this one. DC was given a bonus for that.👍

Boss 302

@787bcgr :
Lap time - 1:16.934 (2nd fastest!) - DC - 9.5

Good solid tune although I never touched 6th gear, did not matter. It could get loose on throttle in turns 3,4 and 5 but so did many others (most). Nothing more to add but very well done, I really enjoyed it and the speed surprised me.

Bowtie-muscle
Lap time - 1.:17.234 - DC - 9.2

Will not say much about my own tune other than I think it is one of the 3 best I have submitted for FITT challenges, and like the other 2, will not win. A touch more understeer thru the sweepers than I remembered and I did not match my best time during testing. I do believe it is one of the easiest to drive and be consistent with but I will let others be the judge of that.

@DolHaus :
Lap time - 1:17.547 - DC - 8.0

I really struggled with this tune making it fast, it had good rotation and the rear only loose in the usual place. I did find that it would push wide if I gave it too much throttle in turn 2 which made throttle control that much more important. A good tune non the less.

@gtmetacrisis :
Lap time - 1:17.456 - DC - 9.0

Just a really good solid tune right here. Maybe, just a tick on the snug side in turns 3 and 5, when I got those two turns correct, the time dropped. Very impressive for your first time out. :cheers:

@ImToLegitToQuit :
Lap time - 1:17.059 (3rd fastest) - DC 8.5

NO room for error on this tune at all, had to hit my marks or I was off to the litter and I spent many laps off track. Very hard to adjust and get the line right especially the hill section which was always an adventure. However, when I did manage to get it right, what a lap and I am sure there is more to be had. If the rear was more stable and the curbs did not upset this one so much, it would have been a true blast. Unfortunately, the last lap I ran was the fastest, otherwise your time would have been 6 tenths slower. Not a 9.0 tune, was thinking an 8.0 but I cannot ignore the final lap time time.

@krenkme :
Lap time - 1:17.587 - DC - 8.5

If this is your dark side, than I like it, a lot. Great grip and rotation, good entry and very good all around tune. One issue, the final gear was too short hurting lap times. More gear and you would have a special ride here. Well done. :cool:

@xande1959 :
Lap time - 1:18.212 - DC 7.5

I am sorry my friend but I struggled to get more out of this one and it took me a while to figure out why. Too much rear grip causing understeer on entry and slowing rotation, also when braking the nose would dive and cause the front end to push wide. Not a bad tune at all, just not fast enough.

Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:

@brian wolf :
Lap time - 1:17.963 - DC - 8.0

First thought: 3 speed? First impression: (turn 1) Holy lift off oversteer Batman! This was a prelude to some of the other wild rear end tunes, but yours was the easiest to learn and adjust to. Did spent some time off track (rubber mallot in the backseat is to pound the dents out of the roof) but turn 5 was always the best with your tune. Turn 8 (last turn) however, was always interesting. This car loves to rotate and can be really fast when you get it right, not sure I got all out of this one, might be another 3 or 4 tenths still out there, sorry.:guilty:

3speed trans was a stroke of brilliance and did not hurt this tune at all.

@Lewis_Hamilton_ :
Lap time - 1:17.440 - DC - 7.9

Total handful for me, the rear just would not cooperate and I struggled with this tune more than any other. Entry and braking caused the rear to jump and not always able to save, spent more laps in the litter than any other:irked:. When I did get it right tho, if I ever did that is, it was very rewarding and I was looking for someone to high-five. Much like Legit's tune, the last 2 laps were unfortunately the fastest. Not quite an 8.0 for me but too good for a 7.5 so it got a 7.9 due to the speed it gave and is capable of. Just not in my hands unfortunately.

@Otaliema
Lap time - 1:16.789 (fastest) - DC - 9.5

That medication must do wonders but it clouds your brain, did I not tell you more than once that i cannot drift???? Well, not until I drove this one that is. This one likes to be sideways, not sure it is happy going straight. Always smoking the tires and leaving skidmarks, lucky for you tire wear is off. Amazingly it had only a few trips off track and most due to driver trying to get the most out of it. Unbelievable rotation if you can hold it, right on the edge of losing it. Excellent tune, and like DolHaus's GTO, managed to change my driving style, if only for a short time. :crazy:

@shaunm80
Lap time - 1:17.943 - DC - 8.0

What I have come to expect from you, no disappointment here. Good, solid, easy to drive with just a touch of understeer caused by car/track combo. Only where others had it as well but without the oversteer on exit. Only issue was 6th gear maybe a tick too long? Well done.

@sinof1337 :
lap time - 1.19.026 - DC - 7.7

I really like this tune, great grip and smooth with a touch of oversteer on exit. Throttle control helped as did adjusting my line. This had the most weight and most power but I think the problem here was the final gear. At the start finish line I was blinking in 6th and looking for another gear. Felt as though the time should have been much better and I was stunned at the lap times. i really hope another tester gets more from this tune. Good job.

@Motor City Hami :
Boss 302 R
Lap time - 1:17.082 - DC - 9.3

Since you had already built this one and did not enter, I decided to see how it would perform compared to the rest of ours. No oil change meant I added intake tuning and adjusted power limiter from 96.8 to 95.7. This tune was not built for this track and could get really squirrelly on entry but would not have been the worst. Just a hint of understeer in some turns but not bad, I only ran 5 laps with it. The first was to learn the tune and warm up to it, the second lap the rear jumped out on turn 6. Laps 3 and 4 were the best with lap 3 being a 1:17.220 (which would have been 4th best), shaved a little off on lap 4. the final lap was egual to the ghost but I lost it on the final turn.
Conclusion; very thankful you DID NOT enter or finish this with a few adjustments or you could have smoked the field. That is why you are still the man to beat. :bowdown:

Thank you Hami for putting this challenge together and for allowing me to partake.
Thank you to all the tuners for great and enjoyable tunes.
Thank you for testing and for the review, great job and times across the board 👍
 
FITT: Ford Mustang Challenge Reviews​



My review and impressions, in general I liked most of the tunes for this challenge but not all. Some gave me a challenge just to drive and some surprised me with how they got me to drive. I have never claimed to be the best tuner (not by a long shot) or the best driver, so if I did not match your best lap please know that I gave each tune the best I could to get the most out of it. All tunes were given a minimum of 12 laps and a max of 15, more laps were for driver error or the thinking that I was real close to a better time.

Tunes tested in random order by model: Mustang Gt, Shelby GT500 and finally the Boss 302 with my own tune being last for fairness (that way I would be furthest away from my tune).

DC was extremely difficult for me in this challenge as some of the fast cars I struggled with and some of the slower ones I really liked. I took into consideration the following: Best lap time, enjoyment, and how long it took to learn and reach the best lap. If there are any questions about DC, please ask.
@Motor City Hami I apologize for some of these DC scores but it is the only way I felt that was fair and represented my true impressions.

Mustang GT

@DaBomm4:
Lap time - 1:19.784 - DC - 7.5

Leading up to the deadline, I had tuned each of the three cars but spent the least amount of time on this one as I felt it was the slowest AND hardest to improve. The night before I began testing I took my GT for 8 laps to prepare and set a base time, your tune did manage to beat it. There is the ever present understeer that you managed quite well but lose of rear grip on accel through turns 3,4 and 5. Overall a really nice job here and I applaud the effort of being the only one brave enough to try this one. DC was given a bonus for that.👍

Boss 302

@787bcgr :
Lap time - 1:16.934 (2nd fastest!) - DC - 9.5

Good solid tune although I never touched 6th gear, did not matter. It could get loose on throttle in turns 3,4 and 5 but so did many others (most). Nothing more to add but very well done, I really enjoyed it and the speed surprised me.

Bowtie-muscle
Lap time - 1.:17.234 - DC - 9.2

Will not say much about my own tune other than I think it is one of the 3 best I have submitted for FITT challenges, and like the other 2, will not win. A touch more understeer thru the sweepers than I remembered and I did not match my best time during testing. I do believe it is one of the easiest to drive and be consistent with but I will let others be the judge of that.

@DolHaus :
Lap time - 1:17.547 - DC - 8.0

I really struggled with this tune making it fast, it had good rotation and the rear only loose in the usual place. I did find that it would push wide if I gave it too much throttle in turn 2 which made throttle control that much more important. A good tune non the less.

@gtmetacrisis :
Lap time - 1:17.456 - DC - 9.0

Just a really good solid tune right here. Maybe, just a tick on the snug side in turns 3 and 5, when I got those two turns correct, the time dropped. Very impressive for your first time out. :cheers:

@ImToLegitToQuit :
Lap time - 1:17.059 (3rd fastest) - DC 8.5

NO room for error on this tune at all, had to hit my marks or I was off to the litter and I spent many laps off track. Very hard to adjust and get the line right especially the hill section which was always an adventure. However, when I did manage to get it right, what a lap and I am sure there is more to be had. If the rear was more stable and the curbs did not upset this one so much, it would have been a true blast. Unfortunately, the last lap I ran was the fastest, otherwise your time would have been 6 tenths slower. Not a 9.0 tune, was thinking an 8.0 but I cannot ignore the final lap time.

@krenkme :
Lap time - 1:17.587 - DC - 8.5

If this is your dark side, than I like it, a lot. Great grip and rotation, good entry and very good all around tune. One issue, the final gear was too short hurting lap times. More gear and you would have a special ride here. Well done. :cool:

@xande1959 :
Lap time - 1:18.212 - DC 7.5

I am sorry my friend but I struggled to get more out of this one and it took me a while to figure out why. Too much rear grip causing understeer on entry and slowing rotation, also when braking the nose would dive and cause the front end to push wide. Not a bad tune at all, just not fast enough.

Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:

@brian wolf :
Lap time - 1:17.963 - DC - 8.0

First thought: 3 speed? First impression: (turn 1) Holy lift off oversteer Batman! This was a prelude to some of the other wild rear end tunes, but yours was the easiest to learn and adjust to. Did spent some time off track (rubber mallot in the backseat is to pound the dents out of the roof) but turn 5 was always the best with your tune. Turn 8 (last turn) however, was always interesting. This car loves to rotate and can be really fast when you get it right, not sure I got all out of this one, might be another 3 or 4 tenths still out there, sorry.:guilty:

3speed trans was a stroke of brilliance and did not hurt this tune at all.

@Lewis_Hamilton_ :
Lap time - 1:17.440 - DC - 7.9

Total handful for me, the rear just would not cooperate and I struggled with this tune more than any other. Entry and braking caused the rear to jump and not always able to save, spent more laps in the litter than any other:irked:. When I did get it right tho, if I ever did that is, it was very rewarding and I was looking for someone to high-five. Much like Legit's tune, the last 2 laps were unfortunately the fastest. Not quite an 8.0 for me but too good for a 7.5 so it got a 7.9 due to the speed it gave and is capable of. Just not in my hands unfortunately.

@Otaliema
Lap time - 1:16.789 (Fastest!) - DC - 9.5

That medication must do wonders but it clouds your brain, did I not tell you more than once that i cannot drift???? Well, not until I drove this one that is. This one likes to be sideways, not sure it is happy going straight. Always smoking the tires and leaving skidmarks, lucky for you tire wear is off. Amazingly it had only a few trips off track and most due to driver trying to get the most out of it. Unbelievable rotation if you can hold it, right on the edge of losing it. Excellent tune, and like DolHaus's GTO, managed to change my driving style, if only for a short time. :crazy:

@shaunm80
Lap time - 1:17.943 - DC - 8.0

What I have come to expect from you, no disappointment here. Good, solid, easy to drive with just a touch of understeer caused by car/track combo. Only where others had it as well but without the oversteer on exit. Only issue was 6th gear maybe a tick too long? Well done.

@sinof1337 :
lap time - 1.19.026 - DC - 7.7

I really like this tune, great grip and smooth with a touch of oversteer on exit. Throttle control helped as did adjusting my line. This had the most weight and most power but I think the problem here was the final gear. At the start finish line I was blinking in 6th and looking for another gear. Felt as though the time should have been much better and I was stunned at the lap times. i really hope another tester gets more from this tune. Good job.

@Motor City Hami :
Boss 302 R
Lap time - 1:17.082 - DC - 9.3

Since you had already built this one and did not enter, I decided to see how it would perform compared to the rest of ours. No oil change meant I added intake tuning and adjusted power limiter from 96.8 to 95.7. This tune was not built for this track and could get really squirrelly on entry but would not have been the worst. Just a hint of understeer in some turns but not bad, I only ran 5 laps with it. The first was to learn the tune and warm up to it, the second lap the rear jumped out on turn 6. Laps 3 and 4 were the best with lap 3 being a 1:17.220 (which would have been 4th best), shaved a little off on lap 4. the final lap was egual to the ghost but I lost it on the final turn.
Conclusion; very thankful you DID NOT enter or finish this with a few adjustments or you could have smoked the field. That is why you are still the man to beat. :bowdown:

Thank you Hami for putting this challenge together and for allowing me to partake.
Thank you to all the tuners for great and enjoyable tunes.


Thank you for the review and all of your time testing!! Awesome job!!
 
FITT: Ford Mustang Challenge Reviews​

Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:

@shaunm80
Lap time - 1:17.943 - DC - 8.0

What I have come to expect from you, no disappointment here. Good, solid, easy to drive with just a touch of understeer caused by car/track combo. Only where others had it as well but without the oversteer on exit. Only issue was 6th gear maybe a tick too long? Well done.

Thank you Hami for putting this challenge together and for allowing me to partake.
Thank you to all the tuners for great and enjoyable tunes.
Thank you for the good review. Good to know that my tunes are coming up to standard still. I was happier with this tune as a overall tune than the Focus tune. Im glad that you enjoyed my tune and hopefully my standards don't slip in the next FITT event. :)

Id like to say that I taught Badger everything I know but really it was all Badger. He has the makings of a good tuner based on his Focus and Stang tunes.
 
FITT: Ford Mustang Challenge Reviews​



My review and impressions, in general I liked most of the tunes for this challenge but not all. Some gave me a challenge just to drive and some surprised me with how they got me to drive. I have never claimed to be the best tuner (not by a long shot) or the best driver, so if I did not match your best lap please know that I gave each tune the best I could to get the most out of it. All tunes were given a minimum of 12 laps and a max of 15, more laps were for driver error or the thinking that I was real close to a better time.

Tunes tested in random order by model: Mustang Gt, Shelby GT500 and finally the Boss 302 with my own tune being last for fairness (that way I would be furthest away from my tune).

DC was extremely difficult for me in this challenge as some of the fast cars I struggled with and some of the slower ones I really liked. I took into consideration the following: Best lap time, enjoyment, and how long it took to learn and reach the best lap. If there are any questions about DC, please ask.
@Motor City Hami I apologize for some of these DC scores but it is the only way I felt that was fair and represented my true impressions.

Mustang GT

@DaBomm4:
Lap time - 1:19.784 - DC - 7.5

Leading up to the deadline, I had tuned each of the three cars but spent the least amount of time on this one as I felt it was the slowest AND hardest to improve. The night before I began testing I took my GT for 8 laps to prepare and set a base time, your tune did manage to beat it. There is the ever present understeer that you managed quite well but lose of rear grip on accel through turns 3,4 and 5. Overall a really nice job here and I applaud the effort of being the only one brave enough to try this one. DC was given a bonus for that.👍

Boss 302

@787bcgr :
Lap time - 1:16.934 (2nd fastest!) - DC - 9.5

Good solid tune although I never touched 6th gear, did not matter. It could get loose on throttle in turns 3,4 and 5 but so did many others (most). Nothing more to add but very well done, I really enjoyed it and the speed surprised me.

Bowtie-muscle
Lap time - 1.:17.234 - DC - 9.2

Will not say much about my own tune other than I think it is one of the 3 best I have submitted for FITT challenges, and like the other 2, will not win. A touch more understeer thru the sweepers than I remembered and I did not match my best time during testing. I do believe it is one of the easiest to drive and be consistent with but I will let others be the judge of that.

@DolHaus :
Lap time - 1:17.547 - DC - 8.0

I really struggled with this tune making it fast, it had good rotation and the rear only loose in the usual place. I did find that it would push wide if I gave it too much throttle in turn 2 which made throttle control that much more important. A good tune non the less.

@gtmetacrisis :
Lap time - 1:17.456 - DC - 9.0

Just a really good solid tune right here. Maybe, just a tick on the snug side in turns 3 and 5, when I got those two turns correct, the time dropped. Very impressive for your first time out. :cheers:

@ImToLegitToQuit :
Lap time - 1:17.059 (3rd fastest) - DC 8.5

NO room for error on this tune at all, had to hit my marks or I was off to the litter and I spent many laps off track. Very hard to adjust and get the line right especially the hill section which was always an adventure. However, when I did manage to get it right, what a lap and I am sure there is more to be had. If the rear was more stable and the curbs did not upset this one so much, it would have been a true blast. Unfortunately, the last lap I ran was the fastest, otherwise your time would have been 6 tenths slower. Not a 9.0 tune, was thinking an 8.0 but I cannot ignore the final lap time.

@krenkme :
Lap time - 1:17.587 - DC - 8.5

If this is your dark side, than I like it, a lot. Great grip and rotation, good entry and very good all around tune. One issue, the final gear was too short hurting lap times. More gear and you would have a special ride here. Well done. :cool:

@xande1959 :
Lap time - 1:18.212 - DC 7.5

I am sorry my friend but I struggled to get more out of this one and it took me a while to figure out why. Too much rear grip causing understeer on entry and slowing rotation, also when braking the nose would dive and cause the front end to push wide. Not a bad tune at all, just not fast enough.

Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:

@brian wolf :
Lap time - 1:17.963 - DC - 8.0

First thought: 3 speed? First impression: (turn 1) Holy lift off oversteer Batman! This was a prelude to some of the other wild rear end tunes, but yours was the easiest to learn and adjust to. Did spent some time off track (rubber mallot in the backseat is to pound the dents out of the roof) but turn 5 was always the best with your tune. Turn 8 (last turn) however, was always interesting. This car loves to rotate and can be really fast when you get it right, not sure I got all out of this one, might be another 3 or 4 tenths still out there, sorry.:guilty:

3speed trans was a stroke of brilliance and did not hurt this tune at all.

@Lewis_Hamilton_ :
Lap time - 1:17.440 - DC - 7.9

Total handful for me, the rear just would not cooperate and I struggled with this tune more than any other. Entry and braking caused the rear to jump and not always able to save, spent more laps in the litter than any other:irked:. When I did get it right tho, if I ever did that is, it was very rewarding and I was looking for someone to high-five. Much like Legit's tune, the last 2 laps were unfortunately the fastest. Not quite an 8.0 for me but too good for a 7.5 so it got a 7.9 due to the speed it gave and is capable of. Just not in my hands unfortunately.

@Otaliema
Lap time - 1:16.789 (Fastest!) - DC - 9.5

That medication must do wonders but it clouds your brain, did I not tell you more than once that i cannot drift???? Well, not until I drove this one that is. This one likes to be sideways, not sure it is happy going straight. Always smoking the tires and leaving skidmarks, lucky for you tire wear is off. Amazingly it had only a few trips off track and most due to driver trying to get the most out of it. Unbelievable rotation if you can hold it, right on the edge of losing it. Excellent tune, and like DolHaus's GTO, managed to change my driving style, if only for a short time. :crazy:

@shaunm80
Lap time - 1:17.943 - DC - 8.0

What I have come to expect from you, no disappointment here. Good, solid, easy to drive with just a touch of understeer caused by car/track combo. Only where others had it as well but without the oversteer on exit. Only issue was 6th gear maybe a tick too long? Well done.

@sinof1337 :
lap time - 1.19.026 - DC - 7.7

I really like this tune, great grip and smooth with a touch of oversteer on exit. Throttle control helped as did adjusting my line. This had the most weight and most power but I think the problem here was the final gear. At the start finish line I was blinking in 6th and looking for another gear. Felt as though the time should have been much better and I was stunned at the lap times. i really hope another tester gets more from this tune. Good job.

@Motor City Hami :
Boss 302 R
Lap time - 1:17.082 - DC - 9.3

Since you had already built this one and did not enter, I decided to see how it would perform compared to the rest of ours. No oil change meant I added intake tuning and adjusted power limiter from 96.8 to 95.7. This tune was not built for this track and could get really squirrelly on entry but would not have been the worst. Just a hint of understeer in some turns but not bad, I only ran 5 laps with it. The first was to learn the tune and warm up to it, the second lap the rear jumped out on turn 6. Laps 3 and 4 were the best with lap 3 being a 1:17.220 (which would have been 4th best), shaved a little off on lap 4. the final lap was egual to the ghost but I lost it on the final turn.
Conclusion; very thankful you DID NOT enter or finish this with a few adjustments or you could have smoked the field. That is why you are still the man to beat. :bowdown:

Thank you Hami for putting this challenge together and for allowing me to partake.
Thank you to all the tuners for great and enjoyable tunes.
@Bowtie-muscle and the mistakes that I try to hit or learn .thank the effort, it was still faster than me:bowdown::cheers:👍
 
Thanks for the reviews guys. Odd that the tranny is that bad, I thought I had given some room for you guys to get more speed out of it(I'm usually 3-5 seconds behind in my own testing), I guess I didn't give enough this time. Comparing mine to @shaunm80 , everything seems close except for final gear, so thats probably it.
 
@brian wolf :
Lap time - 1:17.963 - DC - 8.0

First thought: 3 speed? First impression: (turn 1) Holy lift off oversteer Batman! This was a prelude to some of the other wild rear end tunes, but yours was the easiest to learn and adjust to. Did spent some time off track (rubber mallot in the backseat is to pound the dents out of the roof) but turn 5 was always the best with your tune. Turn 8 (last turn) however, was always interesting. This car loves to rotate and can be really fast when you get it right, not sure I got all out of this one, might be another 3 or 4 tenths still out there, sorry.:guilty:

3speed trans was a stroke of brilliance and did not hurt this tune at all.
Thanks for testing/reviewing mate.:cheers: Well done for getting some clean laps!;)👍
 
Willow Springs International Raceway - Big Willow_2.jpg

Ford GT '05
600 pp
604 hp @ 6900 rpm
520.5 ft-lb @ 4400 rpm
1189 kg
Power to Weight 1.96
Weight Distribution 44/56

GT Auto
No Oil Change
No Body Rigidity
Wheels: Stock: Rays 57D (Green ones)
Paint Body: Pacific Blue Clearcoat Metallic (from the Taurus Sho)
Paint Wheels: Stock

Parts
Fully Customizable Suspension
Racing Brakes
Fully Customizable Transmission
Fully Customizable LSD
Triple-Plate Clutch Kit
Sports Computer
Isometric Exhaust Manifold
Sports Catalytic
Weight Reduction Stage 3
Carbon Hood (Body Color)
Window Weight Reduction
Racing Hard

Suspension
Ride Height 90/90
Spring Rate 9/10
Dampeners Comp 6/7
Dampeners Ext 7/7
Anti-Roll Bars 3/3
Camber Angle(-) 3.0/2.0
Toe Angle +0.20/+0.10
Brake Balance 4/5

Transmission
Initial Final 5.000
Max Speed 205
First Gear 2.600
Second Gear 1.760
Third Gear 1.300
Fourth Gear 1.050
Fifth Gear 0.840
Sixth Gear 0.699
Final Fear 4.375

LSD 10/10/15

Power Limiter 99.5%
Ballast Weight 0
Ballast Position 0

Note: The tune still has some lift off throttle rotation and can require a little throttle control out of the slower corners. Good luck testers. :lol:

This car has been chasing me around the track, hunting me down. It does not need stealth, because it is already crazy.
Daytona Road Course_1.jpg
Daytona Road Course.jpg
 
Focus ST testing by MCH

This was fun. I don’t always get the chance to test drive with my busy family and work schedule. When you build a tune and test drive the offerings from all of the other participants, you learn. Yes, you learn. I encourage all tuners to try their hand at testing a few times.

As for the cars, this combination of cars, tire, track, PP level, etc. could not have been closer. In my times below, the top 7 of 16 tunes are within 0.274 of each other and the top four are only 0.157 apart. The differences between the 2006 Focus ST and the 2013 Focus ST completely offset each other. The 2013 owns the corners and carries more speed there with more ease, but the 2006 makes up for that with a bit more get up and go off the corners and down the straights. This was a great battle between two good cars.

The closeness of the tunes confirms to me that there are many ways to build fast tunes. There is no one “best method” in GT6. Instead, there are some loose guidelines for what each setting should do, but it is up to the tuner to apply his artistic interpretation to find the best balance. There are some fast tunes here with some tune settings that I would have raised an eyebrow at, but they worked. As mentioned above, learning comes from test driving. My tunes will be even better next time now that I have seen some fresh ways to create works of art. Good work everyone.

As for the reviews below, the 2006 Focus ST is more difficult to get to rotate than the 2013. I took this into account when choosing driver’s choice rankings and in the feedback. For the 2006, I looked at it more from how much understeer the tuner was able to eliminate. As for the 2013, there is a balance between understeer and comfort. Those who achieved both good turning and a comfort to drive received the highest scores. All tunes received around 20 laps.

@787bcgr – 2006 – Lap 101.492 DC 7.5
Pretty good tune. LSD, springs, toe, camber all look really good. I think the brake balance is affecting this tune. With the new FFB settings in update 1.13, I can really feel the fronts locking as I try to turn in at corner entry. Maybe try 4/7 or 3/7? The car has one other issue, exit understeer. I would reverse the damper extension settings and try 9 front/5 rear. I would try the same for the ARB settings and see if 2/5 would improve exit more than 5/2.

@Badger66 – 2006 – Lap 102.294 DC 6
This tune is simply too stable. Do not be afraid to use really odd, aggressive settings on FF drive trains. I think these settings added to the overly stable issue:
- LSD initial at 14 is pretty high for this power range. Try 8 to 12 range.
- LSD Decel at 18 feels great under braking, but is killing entry and mid corner off throttle bits like the long sweeping left hander in the middle of the London course. I suggest to drop this to 5 for FFs and work up from there if you need more stability on entry.
- Test the reverse ride height glitch. It is believed by most that the in-game description is opposite of what ride height really does. Try swapping your rh settings to 95/90 and play with higher front settings from there.
- Be more aggressive with damper settings. High front extension settings will help to keep weight on the front wheels deeper into the corner on exit, therefore providing more front grip. Lower rear damper extension settings will allow for the rear to rise quickly under braking and provide a sharper turn in. Low front compression encourages more turn in on entry and higher rear compression keeps weight from transferring to the rear of the car from mid corner to exit which equals more steering.
Give some of these things a test and you may find some areas that fit your driving style.

@Bowtie-muscle – 2006 101.149 DC 9.7
I ran ½ of a lap, hit pause and wrote this, “I really like this tune. This is even better than my 2006 tune. I hope that my lap times are worthy of this car.” The rest of the drive was great too. I could really settle into a rhythm and just run laps. Very well done. Two suggestions that might make it even faster. First, rear damper compression is kind of low. This setting works very much like running high front damper extension. If you run a high rear DC it will keep weight from transferring to the rear mid corner through exit, essentially further reducing exit understeer. Second, the LSD initial torque may not need to be this high on a FF at this power level. Test a few numbers in the 8 to 12 range. Nice tune.

@brian wolf – 2006 – Lap 101.446 DC 8
A lot about this tune is good. LSD, ride height, springs, brake balance, ARBs, camber and toe are all really solid looking. It is a pretty good tune but I don’t get the damper settings. The car turns in well then picks up a push as it gets deeper through the corner. I have to grab a lot of wheel on exit to keep the speed up. I think having rear damper extension at 10 may have hurt this tune. It is definitely something to test.

@krenkme – 2006 – Lap time 101.958 DC 7
This car feels right all the way through the corner. Good turn in, carries through the center well then exits on a good note. So, great job getting the corner to feel like one, smooth, connected event. I think the damper and spring settings are responsible for the good in the tune. The tune felt good, but could not carry the corner speed of the others. Krenkme, I think you need to come to grips with a few of the poorly programmed physics in GT6. The ride height glitch is real. Camber is still broken. And, LSD Accel above 20 on low powered FFs is overkill. I tested these changes and your car became an instant contender.

@Lionheart2113 – 2006 - Lap time 101.197 DC 9.5
I like this car almost as much as @Bowtie-muscle. I could find a good rhythm with it. The brake balance hurt the tune a bit. I got front lock up when I pushed a little too hard in the braking zones. This tune turns in better than most of the other 2006 entries, but don’t mess up the braking zone first. I would recommend a lower front brake number. Also, I got outside wheel spin on exit. It was controlled because the tune rotated so well, but I could hear, see and feel the outside wheel spin, which means that not all of the power was getting to the track. I think LSD Accel over 20 for low powered FFs is overkill. Great tune with a couple of small quirks.

@NEWDRIVER2 – 2006 – Lap time 101.606 DC 7
A well behaved tune that feels great when pushing at 95%. I concentrated really hard trying to find that last 5%, but just could not get the car to perform at the limit. It has great brakes, maybe the best of the 2006s. The tune just sort of had less grip all the way through the corner and pushed a little on exit. I do think that camber is part of the problem. I set camber at 0/0 and ran 0.3 tenths faster in just two laps.

@Otaliema – 2006 – Lap time 101.314 DC 8.5
This is a top 1/3 tune, but it is more slippery than the elite tunes. It’s close to the top, but just a hair shy. Maybe try a few of these things:
- Lower ride height, but still using the front high/rear low glitch
- Lower rear damper extension
- Lower LSD settings. LSD decel at 21 is adding stability and LSD accel at 30 is robbing some exit power through outside wheel spin.

@xande1959 – 2006 – Lap time 101.818 DC 7
I could not get a handle on this tune. LSD Accel was too low = inside wheel spin on most corners. I think the dampers are too soft. I recommend to try higher front damper extension and higher rear damper compression to gain more front grip.

@CyKosis1973 – 2013 Lap time 102.051 DC 7
Stable under braking, mid-corner and through exit. It all felt like one corner. I did have to carry trail braking way deep into the corner to get rotation and to make up for a bit of mid corner push. The tune looks solid, but it slid more than the other 2013s. LSD accel was high on this tune so I could see, hear and feel the tires breaking loose on exit. I also believe in zero camber so I tested this tune next with zero camber and ran 101.487 in just two laps. It took me ten laps to hit the time posted above.

@DolHaus – 2013 Lap time 101.135 DC 8.5
This is a fast tune. This tune’s settings are also the furthest away from my tuning method so it is worth looking deeper into why it was so fast. I need to spend some more time with this one. Nice use of brake balance for entry rotation. I think the light weight helped this car too. The car is quick, but it was not consistent for me. I could feel the front tires losing grip through the wheel on exit if I pushed too hard. I got the quick time on one flying lap.

@Motor City Hami – 2013 Lap time 101.040 DC 8
After driving all of the tunes, mine is no longer my favorite as reflected in my driver’s choice. As with the @DolHaus tune, I have one flying lap that set this time, but it was not consistent. Things I would change:
- Minimum weight and less power
- Softer springs/dampers
- Less aggressive toe

@randyrockstiff – 2013 - Lap time 101.680 DC 7
I really had to use a lot of wheel to get the car down to the apex. The lack of grip carries all the way through the corner. I just cannot carry as much corner speed with this tune as I could with the other 2013s. Also, I can hear squealing tires under braking and yellow front ties through most of the corners. It took me all 20 laps to hit this time. I then changed camber to zero and ran five laps in a row right on top of this time. I could really feel the difference in the wheel and was able to run laps with less steering input and could get back to throttle earlier.

@shaunm80 – 2013 – Lap time 101.913 DC 8.5
I like this tune. It was comfortable to drive and behaved through the corner very well. I like how the car gets down to the apex, but I had to ease into the throttle on exit. I was able to light up the inside front tire fairly easily. Higher LSD accel should help fix that. I also think more aggressive toe settings could be used.

@sinof1337 – 2013 Lap time 101.559 DC 9.2
I was able to be really consistent with this tune. It is well balanced all the way through the corner. There is a hit of outside wheel spin so I recommend lowering LSD accel a little. The only other thing holding this tune back is how conservative the settings are. All dampers at 5, brake balance 5/5, toe 0.01/0.00, ride height 90/90, ARBs 4/3. It seems like you were afraid to wander too far from center. This is a good tune for a track day drive at 90%, but it has trouble keeping up at the limit.

@ugabugaz – 2013 Lap time 101.302 DC 9
This is a pretty quick tune, but there is something odd about it that I just can’t quite sort out. I like how the ride height was curb friendly, but did that affect mid corner to exit grip? Or it could be the springs, damper and toe. It needs more mid corner to exit front grip.
 
Last edited:
@brian wolf – 2006 – Lap 101.446 DC 8
A lot about this tune is good. LSD, ride height, springs, brake balance, ARBs, camber and toe are all really solid looking. It is a pretty good tune but I don’t get the damper settings. The car turns in well then picks up a push as it gets deeper through the corner. I have to grab a lot of wheel on exit to keep the speed up. I think having rear damper extension at 10 may have hurt this tune. It is definitely something to test.

Thanks for such a thorough review!👍 I agree 100% about learning from test driving and would encourage everyone to give it a go. Damper settings are still a bit of a hit or miss affair for me. But, the summary you wrote for Badger has made it a bit clearer. Its one I shall definitely go back to and fine tune further. :cheers:
 
Focus ST testing by MCH

@shaunm80 – 2013 – Lap time 101.913 DC 8.5
I like this tune. It was comfortable to drive and behaved through the corner very well. I like how the car gets down to the apex, but I had to ease into the throttle on exit. I was able to light up the inside front tire fairly easily. Higher LSD accel should help fix that. I also think more aggressive toe settings could be used.
I was happy with this review when you said, "I like this tune"... That was enough for me to be content with what I created. I plan to go back over my tune and adjust the LSD to minimise the wheel spinning and I shall also look at toe settings too. Thanks for the review and the feedback.
 
Shelby GT500

@Badger66 :
Lap time - 1:18.012 - DC - 8.0

Outrageously smooth and easy to drive, I loved it. The hill section was tricky on exit with some oversteer but otherwise a really good entry. You have obviously spent enough time over at Exeter Gt to learn a thing or two and your tune was very much like shaun's feel wise. He did beat you but only by an eyelash. Congrats :cheers:


Thank you @Bowtie-muscle for your Testing and Awesome Review....i'm really glad you liked my tune....and you were 200th faster than what i could achieve with Her...Well Done...👍

If it wasn't for @shaunm80 ...i wouldn't be in this challenge..he encouraged me to take part and i have been driving his Wicked Creations for the last 5 months and for you to say my tune feels like one of his is a Honor..Thank you...to Both of you....👍👍

:cheers:
 
@Badger66 – 2006 – Lap 102.294 DC 6
This tune is simply too stable. Do not be afraid to use really odd, aggressive settings on FF drive trains. I think these settings added to the overly stable issue:
- LSD initial at 14 is pretty high for this power range. Try 8 to 12 range.
- LSD Decel at 18 feels great under braking, but is killing entry and mid corner off throttle bits like the long sweeping left hander in the middle of the London course. I suggest to drop this to 5 for FFs and work up from there if you need more stability on entry.
- Test the reverse ride height glitch. It is believed by most that the in-game description is opposite of what ride height really does. Try swapping your rh settings to 95/90 and play with higher front settings from there.
- Be more aggressive with damper settings. High front extension settings will help to keep weight on the front wheels deeper into the corner on exit, therefore providing more front grip. Lower rear damper extension settings will allow for the rear to rise quickly under braking and provide a sharper turn in. Low front compression encourages more turn in on entry and higher rear compression keeps weight from transferring to the rear of the car from mid corner to exit which equals more steering.
Give some of these things a test and you may find some areas that fit your driving style.


Thank you @Motor City Hami for your Testing and Organizing this event and letting me take part..seeing i'm a Newbie.

Thanks for your positive review and your very detailed feedback..of which i do appreciate that you have taken your time to write...👍

I have taken on board what you have said....i thought going with a stable tune was safe...but now i know it was too stable...in the future i will try to apply what you have said to FF cars and see how i get on...i have really enjoyed this whole new experience and thank you to all the testers for there dedication and thorough examination of our tunes and I hope you will enjoy my future tunes....👍

Well done to all the other Tuners...i now realize how much work goes into your tunes and garages...👍

:cheers:
 
Well, I think we all knew the Focus challenge was going to be close but did anyone think it would end in a dead-heat?
Congratulations to @Lionheart2113 and @DolHaus on tunes that were too hard to split on time alone.
To have the all 16 entries separated by 0.553 is amazing.
Congratulations to MCH on taking out the DC category and on an intensely close & well run competition.
Finally, thanks to all the tuners for entering & the testers for their hard work doing circles around London. It's been thoroughly entertaining to watch it all unfold :) 👍
 
@DolHaus – 2013 Lap time 101.135 DC 8.5
This is a fast tune. This tune’s settings are also the furthest away from my tuning method so it is worth looking deeper into why it was so fast. I need to spend some more time with this one. Nice use of brake balance for entry rotation. I think the light weight helped this car too. The car is quick, but it was not consistent for me. I could feel the front tires losing grip through the wheel on exit if I pushed too hard. I got the quick time on one flying lap.
Thank you for testing and for your detailed reviews, great times across the board 👍
Its been an extremely close and fun contest which has been a pleasure to be a part of.


Congratulations to @Lionheart2113, you beat me by 0:00.000857!
Congratulations also to @Motor City Hami for winning the DC
:cheers:

This has to be the closest contest there has ever been and I particularly enjoyed the challenge of trying to work with a drivetrain that I spend such little time working with.


Overall it was a great effort all round, well done to everyone who was involved

:gtpflag:
 
Focus ST testing by MCH

This was fun. I don’t always get the chance to test drive with my busy family and work schedule. When you build a tune and test drive the offerings from all of the other participants, you learn. Yes, you learn. I encourage all tuners to try their hand at testing a few times.

As for the cars, this combination of cars, tire, track, PP level, etc. could not have been closer. In my times below, the top 7 of 16 tunes are within 0.274 of each other and the top four are only 0.157 apart. The differences between the 2006 Focus ST and the 2013 Focus ST completely offset each other. The 2013 owns the corners and carries more speed there with more ease, but the 2006 makes up for that with a bit more get up and go off the corners and down the straights. This was a great battle between two good cars.

The closeness of the tunes confirms to me that there are many ways to build fast tunes. There is no one “best method” in GT6. Instead, there are some loose guidelines for what each setting should do, but it is up to the tuner to apply his artistic interpretation to find the best balance. There are some fast tunes here with some tune settings that I would have raised an eyebrow at, but they worked. As mentioned above, learning comes from test driving. My tunes will be even better next time now that I have seen some fresh ways to create works of art. Good work everyone.

As for the reviews below, the 2006 Focus ST is more difficult to get to rotate than the 2013. I took this into account when choosing driver’s choice rankings and in the feedback. For the 2006, I looked at it more from how much understeer the tuner was able to eliminate. As for the 2013, there is a balance between understeer and comfort. Those who achieved both good turning and a comfort to drive received the highest scores. All tunes received around 20 laps.

@787bcgr – 2006 – Lap 101.492 DC 7.5
Pretty good tune. LSD, springs, toe, camber all look really good. I think the brake balance is affecting this tune. With the new FFB settings in update 1.13, I can really feel the fronts locking as I try to turn in at corner entry. Maybe try 4/7 or 3/7? The car has one other issue, exit understeer. I would reverse the damper extension settings and try 9 front/5 rear. I would try the same for the ARB settings and see if 2/5 would improve exit more than 5/2.

@Badger66 – 2006 – Lap 102.294 DC 6
This tune is simply too stable. Do not be afraid to use really odd, aggressive settings on FF drive trains. I think these settings added to the overly stable issue:
- LSD initial at 14 is pretty high for this power range. Try 8 to 12 range.
- LSD Decel at 18 feels great under braking, but is killing entry and mid corner off throttle bits like the long sweeping left hander in the middle of the London course. I suggest to drop this to 5 for FFs and work up from there if you need more stability on entry.
- Test the reverse ride height glitch. It is believed by most that the in-game description is opposite of what ride height really does. Try swapping your rh settings to 95/90 and play with higher front settings from there.
- Be more aggressive with damper settings. High front extension settings will help to keep weight on the front wheels deeper into the corner on exit, therefore providing more front grip. Lower rear damper extension settings will allow for the rear to rise quickly under braking and provide a sharper turn in. Low front compression encourages more turn in on entry and higher rear compression keeps weight from transferring to the rear of the car from mid corner to exit which equals more steering.
Give some of these things a test and you may find some areas that fit your driving style.

@Bowtie-muscle – 2006 101.149 DC 9.7
I ran ½ of a lap, hit pause and wrote this, “I really like this tune. This is even better than my 2006 tune. I hope that my lap times are worthy of this car.” The rest of the drive was great too. I could really settle into a rhythm and just run laps. Very well done. Two suggestions that might make it even faster. First, rear damper compression is kind of low. This setting works very much like running high front damper extension. If you run a high rear DC it will keep weight from transferring to the rear mid corner through exit, essentially further reducing exit understeer. Second, the LSD initial torque may not need to be this high on a FF at this power level. Test a few numbers in the 8 to 12 range. Nice tune.

@brian wolf – 2006 – Lap 101.446 DC 8
A lot about this tune is good. LSD, ride height, springs, brake balance, ARBs, camber and toe are all really solid looking. It is a pretty good tune but I don’t get the damper settings. The car turns in well then picks up a push as it gets deeper through the corner. I have to grab a lot of wheel on exit to keep the speed up. I think having rear damper extension at 10 may have hurt this tune. It is definitely something to test.

@krenkme – 2006 – Lap time 101.958 DC 7
This car feels right all the way through the corner. Good turn in, carries through the center well then exits on a good note. So, great job getting the corner to feel like one, smooth, connected event. I think the damper and spring settings are responsible for the good in the tune. The tune felt good, but could not carry the corner speed of the others. Krenkme, I think you need to come to grips with a few of the poorly programmed physics in GT6. The ride height glitch is real. Camber is still broken. And, LSD Accel above 20 on low powered FFs is overkill. I tested these changes and your car became an instant contender.

@Lionheart2113 – 2006 - Lap time 101.197 DC 9.5
I like this car almost as much as @Bowtie-muscle. I could find a good rhythm with it. The brake balance hurt the tune a bit. I got front lock up when I pushed a little too hard in the braking zones. This tune turns in better than most of the other 2006 entries, but don’t mess up the braking zone first. I would recommend a lower front brake number. Also, I got outside wheel spin on exit. It was controlled because the tune rotated so well, but I could hear, see and feel the outside wheel spin, which means that not all of the power was getting to the track. I think LSD Accel over 20 for low powered FFs is overkill. Great tune with a couple of small quirks.

@NEWDRIVER2 – 2006 – Lap time 101.606 DC 7
A well behaved tune that feels great when pushing at 95%. I concentrated really hard trying to find that last 5%, but just could not get the car to perform at the limit. It has great brakes, maybe the best of the 2006s. The tune just sort of had less grip all the way through the corner and pushed a little on exit. I do think that camber is part of the problem. I set camber at 0/0 and ran 0.3 tenths faster in just two laps.

@Otaliema – 2006 – Lap time 101.314 DC 8.5
This is a top 1/3 tune, but it is more slippery than the elite tunes. It’s close to the top, but just a hair shy. Maybe try a few of these things:
- Lower ride height, but still using the front high/rear low glitch
- Lower rear damper extension
- Lower LSD settings. LSD decel at 21 is adding stability and LSD accel at 30 is robbing some exit power through outside wheel spin.

@xande1959 – 2006 – Lap time 101.818 DC 7
I could not get a handle on this tune. LSD Accel was too low = inside wheel spin on most corners. I think the dampers are too soft. I recommend to try higher front damper extension and higher rear damper compression to gain more front grip.

@CyKosis1973 – 2013 Lap time 102.051 DC 7
Stable under braking, mid-corner and through exit. It all felt like one corner. I did have to carry trail braking way deep into the corner to get rotation and to make up for a bit of mid corner push. The tune looks solid, but it slid more than the other 2013s. LSD accel was high on this tune so I could see, hear and feel the tires breaking loose on exit. I also believe in zero camber so I tested this tune next with zero camber and ran 101.487 in just two laps. It took me ten laps to hit the time posted above.

@DolHaus – 2013 Lap time 101.135 DC 8.5
This is a fast tune. This tune’s settings are also the furthest away from my tuning method so it is worth looking deeper into why it was so fast. I need to spend some more time with this one. Nice use of brake balance for entry rotation. I think the light weight helped this car too. The car is quick, but it was not consistent for me. I could feel the front tires losing grip through the wheel on exit if I pushed too hard. I got the quick time on one flying lap.

@Motor City Hami – 2013 Lap time 101.040 DC 8
After driving all of the tunes, mine is no longer my favorite as reflected in my driver’s choice. As with the @DolHaus tune, I have one flying lap that set this time, but it was not consistent. Things I would change:
- Minimum weight and less power
- Softer springs/dampers
- Less aggressive toe

@randyrockstiff – 2013 - Lap time 101.680 DC 7
I really had to use a lot of wheel to get the car down to the apex. The lack of grip carries all the way through the corner. I just cannot carry as much corner speed with this tune as I could with the other 2013s. Also, I can hear squealing tires under gracing and yellow front ties through most of the corners. It took me all 20 laps to hit this time. I then changed camber to zero and ran five laps in a row right on top of this time. I could really feel the difference in the wheel and was able to run laps with less steering input and could get back to throttle earlier.

@shaunm80 – 2013 – Lap time 101.913 DC 8.5
I like this tune. It was comfortable to drive and behaved through the corner very well. I like how the car gets down to the apex, but I had to ease into the throttle on exit. I was able to light up the inside front tire fairly easily. Higher LSD accel should help fix that. I also think more aggressive toe settings could be used.

@sinof1337 – 2013 Lap time 101.559 DC 9.2
I was able to be really consistent with this tune. It is well balanced all the way through the corner. There is a hit of outside wheel spin so I recommend lowering LSD accel a little. The only other thing holding this tune back is how conservative the settings are. All dampers at 5, brake balance 5/5, toe 0.01/0.00, ride height 90/90, ARBs 4/3. It seems like you were afraid to wander too far from center. This is a good tune for a track day drive at 90%, but it has trouble keeping up at the limit.

@ugabugaz – 2013 Lap time 101.302 DC 9
This is a pretty quick tune, but there is something odd about it that I just can’t quite sort out. I like how the ride height was curb friendly, but did that affect mid corner to exit grip? Or it could be the springs, damper and toe. It needs more mid corner to exit front grip.

- his analysis seeks adherence, correct but also wrong in extension dampers perhaps increasing the rear, the weight transfer would be faster braking, automatically giving more grip to it all bar the front this exaggerated forcing the car out of the corner. thanks for the warning worth driving:bowdown::cheers:👍
 
Focus ST testing by MCH

This was fun. I don’t always get the chance to test drive with my busy family and work schedule. When you build a tune and test drive the offerings from all of the other participants, you learn. Yes, you learn. I encourage all tuners to try their hand at testing a few times.

As for the cars, this combination of cars, tire, track, PP level, etc. could not have been closer. In my times below, the top 7 of 16 tunes are within 0.274 of each other and the top four are only 0.157 apart. The differences between the 2006 Focus ST and the 2013 Focus ST completely offset each other. The 2013 owns the corners and carries more speed there with more ease, but the 2006 makes up for that with a bit more get up and go off the corners and down the straights. This was a great battle between two good cars.

The closeness of the tunes confirms to me that there are many ways to build fast tunes. There is no one “best method” in GT6. Instead, there are some loose guidelines for what each setting should do, but it is up to the tuner to apply his artistic interpretation to find the best balance. There are some fast tunes here with some tune settings that I would have raised an eyebrow at, but they worked. As mentioned above, learning comes from test driving. My tunes will be even better next time now that I have seen some fresh ways to create works of art. Good work everyone.

As for the reviews below, the 2006 Focus ST is more difficult to get to rotate than the 2013. I took this into account when choosing driver’s choice rankings and in the feedback. For the 2006, I looked at it more from how much understeer the tuner was able to eliminate. As for the 2013, there is a balance between understeer and comfort. Those who achieved both good turning and a comfort to drive received the highest scores. All tunes received around 20 laps.

@787bcgr – 2006 – Lap 101.492 DC 7.5
Pretty good tune. LSD, springs, toe, camber all look really good. I think the brake balance is affecting this tune. With the new FFB settings in update 1.13, I can really feel the fronts locking as I try to turn in at corner entry. Maybe try 4/7 or 3/7? The car has one other issue, exit understeer. I would reverse the damper extension settings and try 9 front/5 rear. I would try the same for the ARB settings and see if 2/5 would improve exit more than 5/2.

@Badger66 – 2006 – Lap 102.294 DC 6
This tune is simply too stable. Do not be afraid to use really odd, aggressive settings on FF drive trains. I think these settings added to the overly stable issue:
- LSD initial at 14 is pretty high for this power range. Try 8 to 12 range.
- LSD Decel at 18 feels great under braking, but is killing entry and mid corner off throttle bits like the long sweeping left hander in the middle of the London course. I suggest to drop this to 5 for FFs and work up from there if you need more stability on entry.
- Test the reverse ride height glitch. It is believed by most that the in-game description is opposite of what ride height really does. Try swapping your rh settings to 95/90 and play with higher front settings from there.
- Be more aggressive with damper settings. High front extension settings will help to keep weight on the front wheels deeper into the corner on exit, therefore providing more front grip. Lower rear damper extension settings will allow for the rear to rise quickly under braking and provide a sharper turn in. Low front compression encourages more turn in on entry and higher rear compression keeps weight from transferring to the rear of the car from mid corner to exit which equals more steering.
Give some of these things a test and you may find some areas that fit your driving style.

@Bowtie-muscle – 2006 101.149 DC 9.7
I ran ½ of a lap, hit pause and wrote this, “I really like this tune. This is even better than my 2006 tune. I hope that my lap times are worthy of this car.” The rest of the drive was great too. I could really settle into a rhythm and just run laps. Very well done. Two suggestions that might make it even faster. First, rear damper compression is kind of low. This setting works very much like running high front damper extension. If you run a high rear DC it will keep weight from transferring to the rear mid corner through exit, essentially further reducing exit understeer. Second, the LSD initial torque may not need to be this high on a FF at this power level. Test a few numbers in the 8 to 12 range. Nice tune.

@brian wolf – 2006 – Lap 101.446 DC 8
A lot about this tune is good. LSD, ride height, springs, brake balance, ARBs, camber and toe are all really solid looking. It is a pretty good tune but I don’t get the damper settings. The car turns in well then picks up a push as it gets deeper through the corner. I have to grab a lot of wheel on exit to keep the speed up. I think having rear damper extension at 10 may have hurt this tune. It is definitely something to test.

@krenkme – 2006 – Lap time 101.958 DC 7
This car feels right all the way through the corner. Good turn in, carries through the center well then exits on a good note. So, great job getting the corner to feel like one, smooth, connected event. I think the damper and spring settings are responsible for the good in the tune. The tune felt good, but could not carry the corner speed of the others. Krenkme, I think you need to come to grips with a few of the poorly programmed physics in GT6. The ride height glitch is real. Camber is still broken. And, LSD Accel above 20 on low powered FFs is overkill. I tested these changes and your car became an instant contender.

@Lionheart2113 – 2006 - Lap time 101.197 DC 9.5
I like this car almost as much as @Bowtie-muscle. I could find a good rhythm with it. The brake balance hurt the tune a bit. I got front lock up when I pushed a little too hard in the braking zones. This tune turns in better than most of the other 2006 entries, but don’t mess up the braking zone first. I would recommend a lower front brake number. Also, I got outside wheel spin on exit. It was controlled because the tune rotated so well, but I could hear, see and feel the outside wheel spin, which means that not all of the power was getting to the track. I think LSD Accel over 20 for low powered FFs is overkill. Great tune with a couple of small quirks.

@NEWDRIVER2 – 2006 – Lap time 101.606 DC 7
A well behaved tune that feels great when pushing at 95%. I concentrated really hard trying to find that last 5%, but just could not get the car to perform at the limit. It has great brakes, maybe the best of the 2006s. The tune just sort of had less grip all the way through the corner and pushed a little on exit. I do think that camber is part of the problem. I set camber at 0/0 and ran 0.3 tenths faster in just two laps.

@Otaliema – 2006 – Lap time 101.314 DC 8.5
This is a top 1/3 tune, but it is more slippery than the elite tunes. It’s close to the top, but just a hair shy. Maybe try a few of these things:
- Lower ride height, but still using the front high/rear low glitch
- Lower rear damper extension
- Lower LSD settings. LSD decel at 21 is adding stability and LSD accel at 30 is robbing some exit power through outside wheel spin.

@xande1959 – 2006 – Lap time 101.818 DC 7
I could not get a handle on this tune. LSD Accel was too low = inside wheel spin on most corners. I think the dampers are too soft. I recommend to try higher front damper extension and higher rear damper compression to gain more front grip.

@CyKosis1973 – 2013 Lap time 102.051 DC 7
Stable under braking, mid-corner and through exit. It all felt like one corner. I did have to carry trail braking way deep into the corner to get rotation and to make up for a bit of mid corner push. The tune looks solid, but it slid more than the other 2013s. LSD accel was high on this tune so I could see, hear and feel the tires breaking loose on exit. I also believe in zero camber so I tested this tune next with zero camber and ran 101.487 in just two laps. It took me ten laps to hit the time posted above.

@DolHaus – 2013 Lap time 101.135 DC 8.5
This is a fast tune. This tune’s settings are also the furthest away from my tuning method so it is worth looking deeper into why it was so fast. I need to spend some more time with this one. Nice use of brake balance for entry rotation. I think the light weight helped this car too. The car is quick, but it was not consistent for me. I could feel the front tires losing grip through the wheel on exit if I pushed too hard. I got the quick time on one flying lap.

@Motor City Hami – 2013 Lap time 101.040 DC 8
After driving all of the tunes, mine is no longer my favorite as reflected in my driver’s choice. As with the @DolHaus tune, I have one flying lap that set this time, but it was not consistent. Things I would change:
- Minimum weight and less power
- Softer springs/dampers
- Less aggressive toe

@randyrockstiff – 2013 - Lap time 101.680 DC 7
I really had to use a lot of wheel to get the car down to the apex. The lack of grip carries all the way through the corner. I just cannot carry as much corner speed with this tune as I could with the other 2013s. Also, I can hear squealing tires under gracing and yellow front ties through most of the corners. It took me all 20 laps to hit this time. I then changed camber to zero and ran five laps in a row right on top of this time. I could really feel the difference in the wheel and was able to run laps with less steering input and could get back to throttle earlier.

@shaunm80 – 2013 – Lap time 101.913 DC 8.5
I like this tune. It was comfortable to drive and behaved through the corner very well. I like how the car gets down to the apex, but I had to ease into the throttle on exit. I was able to light up the inside front tire fairly easily. Higher LSD accel should help fix that. I also think more aggressive toe settings could be used.

@sinof1337 – 2013 Lap time 101.559 DC 9.2
I was able to be really consistent with this tune. It is well balanced all the way through the corner. There is a hit of outside wheel spin so I recommend lowering LSD accel a little. The only other thing holding this tune back is how conservative the settings are. All dampers at 5, brake balance 5/5, toe 0.01/0.00, ride height 90/90, ARBs 4/3. It seems like you were afraid to wander too far from center. This is a good tune for a track day drive at 90%, but it has trouble keeping up at the limit.

@ugabugaz – 2013 Lap time 101.302 DC 9
This is a pretty quick tune, but there is something odd about it that I just can’t quite sort out. I like how the ride height was curb friendly, but did that affect mid corner to exit grip? Or it could be the springs, damper and toe. It needs more mid corner to exit front grip.
Thank you Hami for the great, well written review. I also appreciate the fact that you are still the professor trying to teach your students by given tips and advice. It is very much appreciated, and I am delighted beyond measure at how much you liked my odd-ball tune. Was a ton of fun building both of my rides for these challenges, and I thoroughly agree about testing. Learn a lot every time I do it and twice now have driven tunes that managed to get me to change my driving style to fit the tune.

P.S. - You can take the tentative off for me testing the GT's, gonna just do what I can to get them done and am looking forward to it.
 
Thank you for testing and for your detailed reviews, great times across the board 👍
Its been an extremely close and fun contest which has been a pleasure to be a part of.


Congratulations to @Lionheart2113, you beat me by 0:00.000857!
Congratulations also to @Motor City Hami for winning the DC
:cheers:

This has to be the closest contest there has ever been and I particularly enjoyed the challenge of trying to work with a drivetrain that I spend such little time working with.


Overall it was a great effort all round, well done to everyone who was involved

:gtpflag:
I had us split by .006 adding all of the times together. Close enough for a tie in my eyes. .006 apart in a drag race is remarkable let alone 7 different drivers with different driving styles coming together to get that close. But there is a dead tie (Edit: you have me beat by .2 in the DC points) between you and me for 3rd in DC points! Just can't get away from each other in the Focus!:lol::cheers:
 
Last edited:
I had us split by .006 adding all of the times together. Close enough for a tie in my eyes. .006 apart in a drag race is remarkable let alone 7 different drivers with different driving styles coming together to get that close. But there is a dead tie between you and me for 3rd in DC points! Just can't get away from each other in the Focus!:lol::cheers:
I think it can be best described as a coat of paint between them, I'm beginning to wish I hadn't given the car a polish for the cameras :lol:

A fine contest as ever, glad to be a part of it :gtpflag:
 
@Motor City Hami Well you found the one thing I wasn't satisfied with myself. Corner exit grip. When I set the ride height that high it seemed to help the car rotate more. I dunno if it screwed up the mid and exit though. The positive front toe helps with initial and mid corner. Same with the strong front ARB. Springs and Dampers were more on feel than anything :crazy:
 
@CyKosis1973 – 2013 Lap time 102.051 DC 7
Stable under braking, mid-corner and through exit. It all felt like one corner. I did have to carry trail braking way deep into the corner to get rotation and to make up for a bit of mid corner push. The tune looks solid, but it slid more than the other 2013s. LSD accel was high on this tune so I could see, hear and feel the tires breaking loose on exit. I also believe in zero camber so I tested this tune next with zero camber and ran 101.487 in just two laps. It took me ten laps to hit the time posted above.

Well, that does raise something of a quandary for me. I ran the car periodically through my testing with 0 camber and it just felt like the car wanted to plough on during braking and that the tyre edges were rolling over. I don't think I completed a lap with 0 camber, but my cambered times were consistently within 1/10th of your 0 camber times :confused:

I think we're both agreed that camber doesn't function like it does in real life and we've been in agreement since the games release, but does this mean that camber isn't simply 'broken', but that it has a time and an application? I drive with a controller, using L2 & R2 for pedals, I'm pretty analogue in my driving, I get to the corner, brake, turn and get out of it. I can't really trail brake or feather the throttle, I just not able to drive like I would with wheels and pedals. For me with 0 camber, the car felt exactly as you described it with camber :odd:

As ever, thank you for your time and efforts :cheers:

{Cy}
 
@Motor City Hami first off thank you for the review. Greatly appreciate the feedback and it leads me to a few things. The LSD... I had it somewhere between 12-14 to get both fronts to spin at the same time, like my bible (your tuning guide) says to do. But when I decided to go off the beaten path and increase the accel sens it seemed the higher I went up the lower the lap times got. It was almost as if it stopped the sharpness of the rotation helping prevent speed loss through sliding the nose and pushing me to a wider line holding the higher speed?!? Or am I sensing something that is not there? And I couldn't agree more on the brakes, most of my last FITT entries have had a neutral brake balance, I believe the MR2 was the most radical. I do need to get more aggressive with the balance, but do you think it might be more in the driving style?
Last but not least, thanks for putting this challenge together, it was brilliant and with everything so close, the rankings were changing with every tester. Well all except your DC ranking!:lol: :bowdown:
:cheers:
 
@Motor City Hami first off thank you for the review. Greatly appreciate the feedback and it leads me to a few things. The LSD... I had it somewhere between 12-14 to get both fronts to spin at the same time, like my bible (your tuning guide) says to do. But when I decided to go off the beaten path and increase the accel sens it seemed the higher I went up the lower the lap times got. It was almost as if it stopped the sharpness of the rotation helping prevent speed loss through sliding the nose and pushing me to a wider line holding the higher speed?!? Or am I sensing something that is not there? And I couldn't agree more on the brakes, most of my last FITT entries have had a neutral brake balance, I believe the MR2 was the most radical. I do need to get more aggressive with the balance, but do you think it might be more in the driving style?
Last but not least, thanks for putting this challenge together, it was brilliant and with everything so close, the rankings were changing with every tester. Well all except your DC ranking!:lol: :bowdown:
:cheers:
When working out brake balance its all about managing the forces and striking the balance between effective stopping power and not overloading the front tyres.

The tyres have a specific amount of force that they can deal with, this is split into lateral load (turning) and linear load (accelerating/braking). If you put more linear load on the tyre via increased front braking force you have less lateral load you have at your disposal, in the case of braking this means that you will slow down faster but have less ability to change direction while doing this.

By reducing the amount of braking force on the front axle we free up some lateral grip and improve the ability to turn in whilst on the brakes but the downside is that we have reduced the amount of stopping power and will need to increase the rear bias in order to balance things up. The problem is that the rear brakes are always going to be less efficient than the front so to avoid reducing the stopping power too much we need to experiment with the balance until we have the best compromise.

The main influences on the ideal bias are tyre type, weight distribution and spring rates. Some cars have hidden bias values so you should be aware of that also, the same solution might not work for seemingly similar cars as a result. 👍
 
Back