Grand PriX - Updated 22/01/12 with 33. HIRING FOR 34 (56k warning.)

[C-ZETA]

Grand PriX
​

A fan fiction by C-ZETA​

Prologue - One's end...

At Special Stage Route 7, a highway located in urban Japan, the time is 3:00am. The last race of the inaugural Red Bull X2010 Championship is being hosted here.

The championship consists of no less than 20 different teams, most involved in other motorsports, competing with the fastest race car in the world with some of the bravest men in the world driving 1550bhp, 545kg, 300mph cars capable of 8G using their near-physics-breaking levels of down force.

The first season has been largely a massive battle between Henry Cunning, of the 'PowerP' team, and Gregor Krawczyk of Team 'BaSiC'. These two drivers have proven themselves over many of the others, with only 3 other drivers able to get a win throughout the 20-race season.

Before the last race, Krawczyk had a 18 point lead at the top of the drivers championship. However, with the point system, if Cunning wins but Krawczyk finishes 7th or lower, Cunning wins the title...

We join the action in the last race, here at SSR7, in the last 2 laps, following a safety car period. Cunning is leading the race, Krawczyk is running 4th...but with the evenness of these cars, anything can happen in this championship...and it usually does!

"Here we are, ready to restart the race...Cunning still leading, Chris Martens running second, Gianluca Pozzi third, Krawczyk still 4th...still in the position he needs to be to take the title..."

"And we're underway once again! Cunning streaks away immediately."

"Coming up to the turns now!"

"And they're out of them! Cunning streaking away from Martens now."

"Krawczyk still running 4th...he'll be coming under pressure from Brian Casey down the highway though."

"And look at Cunning too! He's coming under pressure as well!"

"But who's this?!?! Adam Cutler's come out of nowhere, straight down the middle and passed nearly everyone! He's gone from 5th to 2nd in one move, and he's right on Cunning's gearbox now!"

Meanwhile, a long way away in Bern, home of Adam Cutler, his 20-year-old son, Jason Cutler was watching the race with his flatmate and best mate, Ishizaki Nori.

"Wow!! What a pass from Adam!"
"Woo! Go Dad!!"

"Could he maybe...pass Cunning?"
"That would be incredible if he could win what he officially announced as his last competitive race ever..."

"Cunning is defending superbly, though!"
"This is what's gotten him this far in the championship..."

"Krawczyk's taken Martens though! He's back to fourth."

"And we're into the long, gaping tunnel...Cutler still pressuring Cunning for the lead."

"He still can't a way through though!"

"And we're at the end of the tunnel. The long hairpin leading to the return trip is coming up for the penultimate time!"

"Cutler challenges again!"

"Into the turn...and Cutler's wide! And Casey's jumped to 2nd now!"

"But wait...Casey and Martens passed Krawczyk...but Rafael van der Veen's passed him as well! Krawczyk's down to 7th! He will now lose the title by 1 point to Cunning!!"
"Disaster for Krawczyk..."

"Into the tunnel once again...but Casey's making a move on Cunning...?"

"He doesn't have enough speed though...and now he's fallen back to 4th."

"...Come on, Dad...get past Cunning...if you can..."

"Krawczyk still not able to get back any places...still down in 7th."

"But...whoah! Casey's come out of nowhere to take the lead! Krawczyk could still be champion!"

"Cunning needs to pass him if he wants to be champion!"
"This could be the most exciting last lap we've seen for a long time..."

"And Cutler isn't gonna give up easily either!"

"Krawczyk losing still fighting for positions behind him...either way, he will still be champion as long as Cunning doesn't retake the lead."

"Wait...where's Casey? He must have dropped back! And as the fireworks go off to signal the last lap, Henry Cunning and Adam Cutler are back in first and second again!"

"And once again, Cunning will need to use his defensive prowess if he wants to win not just the race...but the championship."

"Once again, Krawczyk will lose the championship by one point...unless he can pass van der Veen!"

"...or Cutler could just pass Cunning...but that doesn't look easy right now!"

"Come on Dad!!"
"Go Adam!"

"Cunning is holding his nerve so well...which is what you need if you wanna win here in these X2010s."

"Krawczyk getting closer to van der Veen...it really isn't all over yet, is it?"
"It never is in X2010 racing! This really is a testament to driver skill."

"Surely Cutler must get Cunning at some point around the lap...he's been challenging him for so long now!"

"It's not just about Cutler though...Casey, Martens and Pozzi are still hanging on in there..."

"Surely it's a question of when, not if now for when Cutler passes Cunning...as we approach the tunnel for the penultimate time!"

"Can Cutler actually get any closer to Cunning? What a fantastic climax to the season this is!"

"Every one else can only look at this massive battle of attrition now!"

"And we're coming up to the last real turn of this X2010 Championship season!"

"But...Cutler is PAST Cunning!! What a development!!"

"Yes!!! Dad's in the lead!!"
"Wow!! What a pass!!"

"And Gregor Krawczyk will now be the champion again! What a turnaround!"

"Into the tunnel for the last time! Cunning challenges Cutler immediately!!"

"But Cutler's getting away from Cunning again!"
"Surely there must be no hope now for Cunning...after all this time, he's blown it."

"Yes! Go Dad!!"

"There's the arch to signal the finish line!"

"And Adam Cutler goes over the line to win an absolutely storming final race here at Special Stage Route 7!"

"Yes! Thank you guys! Just...thank you."

"Yes!!! Dad!!!!"
"Woo!! What a race!

"Henry Cunning goes over the line...and he has lost the championship after such a brilliant effort today..."

"No!! How could I lose it now?! I will avenge this loss..."

"And here is your champion of the first ever Red Bull X2010 Championship...Gregor Krawczyk!"

"Woo!!! Yes!!! We won...we won!! Thank you guys...you've been great all season!"

"Congrats to your dad, Jason!"
"I've never been so happy in my life...to watch my dad win a race..."
"Heh...you welling up a bit there mate?"
"I'm just so glad for my dad..."
"Me too...celebratory beer?"
"Get me as many beers as possible! I need to celebrate like crazy for this!"
"But it's only 8pm...let's save them all up for a midnight drink."
"Uh...sure!"
*Ishizaki gets two beers for each of them*
"Here you go, mate! Cheers to you!"
"Cheers!"

Adam Cutler declared his official retirement from the sport after the race win. His son Jason, a wannabe racer, watched the race with Ishizaki, his best mate and fellow wannabe racer. Could Jason follow in his fathers footsteps and eventually become an X2010 racer...maybe even a champion?

Keep up with Grand PriX to find out!

 

[Apok]

Very interesting start. It got me interested for sure.

I'll be honest though. I found that race a bit boring, but making it interesting is hard since it's the start and we don't know anything about the characters.

Good luck with the story! 👍

 

[DK]

I could just imagine this race with Murray Walker commentating. I don't know why.

 

[C-ZETA]

Very interesting start. It got me interested for sure.

I'll be honest though. I found that race a bit boring, but making it interesting is hard since it's the start and we don't know anything about the characters.

Good luck with the story! 👍

There's quite a few more characters you'll be seeing later though. I'll be doing character biographies eventually after a certain point. And thanks for the kind words.

I could just imagine this race with Murray Walker commentating. I don't know why.

To be honest...you really would, wouldn't you?!

 

[Machate-man]

Naturally, I would like something like this
Good Job and Good Luck!

 

[Otsdarva]

I enjoyed reading that, by all means take your time and make chapter one epic!

 

[C-ZETA]

Chapter 1 - ...is another's beginning.

At Marktgasse, Bern, Switzerland, Adam Cutler returned from his win at SSR7 at 12:00pm precisely. We now look at the rest of the story from his son Jason's perspective, on a day he would never forget...

*A buzzer sounds in the room.*

"Is that Dad? Can you go check, Ishizaki?"

"Yep, that's his Evo alright!"

I went down and opened the door for him. I hadn't seen him in a while. He's always traveling places, what with his racing and all that...

"Dad! Hi!"
"Oh, Jason...hello again!"
"I watched all of the race last night! You were amazing! Congrats for the win!"
"Thanks, boy. Say, why don't we go upstairs?"

"So how was the race, Dad?"
"Tough, as always. I'm just so glad I could end my last race with a victory."
"I'm glad too, Dad! How was Cunning after the race?"
"Oh, Henry? He wasn't happy. He was frowning through the entire press conference. He was just so angry at losing the championship after all that time...but he's still young. His time will come. And maybe yours will too."
"...You really think I'll win it one day?"
"With a bit of luck."
"Oh, hey again, guys!"
"Hello, Ishizaki. You watched it as well."
"Yes I did. Well done, man! The race was so intense!"
"It was, wasn't it?"
He thought I could be the champion eventually? I don't think he knows I haven't done a true competitive race yet...
"Say...as a victory treat, why don't we go down to Eiger?"
A trip to Eiger? Yes!
"Wait, you're saying we can go down to Eiger with you? Yes!"
"...Uh...what he said! Yes please!"
"OK then...let's go now!"
"Woo!"
"Yeah! Let's go!"

I started up my C4 as quickly as I could and dashed off to Eiger ahead of the other two.

"Come on boy! Let's go to Eiger!"

Dad and Ishizaki eventually followed in their Evo and Vitz.

"Heh...they're really proud we're going to Eiger."

"Let's go, man!"

We eventually arrived at Eiger. And it looked...just unbelievable. A beautiful forest backed up by the wonderful mountains of the Alps...

"Alright boys, I'm going down the K Trail. Make sure you two don't go anywhere outside the short track. It's too dangerous to go off road here without the experience you ultimately lack. Even then, you should make sure you're both careful!"
"OK."
"Good. So remember, avoid the dirt. See you, boys!"
"Bye!"
And that was that as Dad sped off towards the tough and testing K Trail, leaving us behind.

"So...how about we actually get moving now?"
"Yeah...that would be a good idea. Let's go!"

The track was testing, but in our modified cars it was more fun than going down a never-ending water slide.

Even despite a couple of mishaps...

"Aargh! That was too close..."

"Wait a minute...is this the pitlane? Oops!"

"Oww! Ooh...that hurt."

..it was still a really rewarding experience.

"Woo! Yeah!"

And the wonderful sight of the mountains backed us up the whole time,

"Wow...this really is one of the world's masterpieces."

Eventually though, our fuel was running low. The problem was, there wasn't anywhere to refuel on the track, so we asked Dad where we could get some more. He told us there was a fuel station in the open road 2 miles away, and after some driving we found it...only to find a remarkable sight.

Eleven different supercars were sitting in all of the spaces there were. When we tried to enter, a man in a red Audi R8 approached us.

"What are you guys doing here? We didn't invite a Citroen C4 and a Vitz to our race."
"We came here to refuel..."
"Well, you're not getting anything here. This station's been booked for us and our race."
"But why can't we just refuel here?"
"Because you weren't invited to our race, doofus!"
"I'll race you if I need to!"
"Wait...what?!"
"Jason...you're gonna race them?!"
"Erm...I said I'll race you if I need to!"
"Bahahahaha! You wanna race us with that C4? What are you on?"
"Well, maybe I have a slight hangover from last night...but still, that's beside the point! I wanna get some fuel!"
"Why do you need to do this, Jason? Let's just find the next fuel stop..."
"Hahaha...I've gotta tell my other mates about this!"
Two other men in a white Nissan GT-R and an orange Corvette showed up behind the R8.
"Oh, hey...this guy, right? He wants to race us...in that! Just so he can refuel!"
"Wait...what? Ahahahahaha! Is that kid serious?"
"I am actually..."
"Tell you what...why don't we race you, just to humiliate you for your failure of a challenge?"
"I'd race you under any circumstances at this rate...and by the way...what're your names?"
"I'm Kevin, this is my R8. He's Sergio, and that's his GT-R. And that's Roy, with his Corvette."
"OK then."
"So...in you go."
"Thanks, awfully."

"Hahaha! He's actually gonna race us!"
"Oh dear, what was he thinking when he thought to race us?"
"I think he thinks he's in a Citroen GT...ahahahaha!"
"And what about you, Mr Vitz?"
"Uh...I'll just stay out of this one...for now..."
"Good. At least you have enough cowardice to not want to race us...unlike your mate over there! Hahahahaha!"
"Man...Jason's insane...he's gonna get his poor C4 owned!"

So after that annoying confrontation and a refuel, which I was allowed eventually, it was time for the race...and boy, had I gotten myself into a race. A race that was maybe a bit too fast for my C4...

But was I gonna give it up straight away? Oh hell no.

"OK then, 2 laps of the circuit! Let's keep this clean!"

Starting Grid
1. Roy's Orange Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2. Silver Dodge Viper SRT10
3. Black Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
4. Sergio's White Nissan GT-R SpecV
5. Orange Lexus LFA
6. Kevin's Red Audi R8 V10
7. Blue Nissan R390 GT1
8. Red Ferrari SP1
9. Silver Shelby Cobra
10. Silver RUF CTR2
11. Grey Ferrari F430
12. Jason's Red Citroen C4

We all lined up on the grid, and revved up our engines for the start. The noise these cars all made was...loud. Very loud.

"That guy back there...he still makes me laugh even now."

"This race shall see me victorious!"

"I deserve to win this!"

"I'll take on all of these men and win!"

"I have all my power ready to destroy these competitors!"

"How could I lose this? I'll embarrass everyone today."

"I'll keep on fighting to the end with this!"

"I won't hold back."

"I'll do my best to win this..."

"This shall give me victory with power!

"I'll make everyone pay for putting me so far back!"

"This is where I shall prove myself..."

And before I knew it, the race was on.

"Let's do this thing!"

"This is Mission Impossible for Jason...he's at the back and in a much less powerful car than anything else here...what has he gotten himself into?"

I ended up being deserted off the start line with my front-wheel drive and therefore lack of traction off the line.

"Nuts! No traction at all!"

But then I got to the first corner...and I immediately was back with them.

"...What?!"

I was already past the R390 and took the F430 as well.

"Haha! The others won't be laughing when I get to them!"

I set my sights on the SP1 after passing the Cobra.

"How is he on my tail?!"

It didn't last long.

"Muhaha! This is brilliant!"

I also made quick work of the LFA too.

"No way!"

Next up was the black Viper. This was more threatening stuff...

"Go on, C4! Let's pass this big fat muscle man!"

Eventually it was gone, and I took the RUF with it as well.

"Huh?"
"Wha...?"

But then...disaster. Understeer got the better of me into the next corner...

"Aargh!"

Somehow I managed to get out of it without losing any positions however.

"Wow...did I just get lucky, or what?"

Eventually, I started catching the other Viper.

"Come on, C4! Let's get past this one as well!"

Then we got onto the straight...and I fell straight back.

"Aargh...no! I've got no torque!"
"Hahaha...you've got no chance against me!"
"Wait...he's 5th?! Wow! How has he done that?! Amazing!"

The RUF also took the opportunity to pass me down the straight...

"Oh god...I can't keep up with them here!"

...only for me to take him back almost immediately.

"Aargh...that didn't last long."

After that, the Viper was dispossessed of 4th at last.

"There it goes at last."

But now it was getting really serious - Roy's 3rd placed Corvette was up ahead of me.

"No way! He's got the C4 up to me?"

His Corvette was easily dispossessed of 3rd.

"Haha...who's laughing now?"

Next on the list was Sergio in his GT-R who was holding second.

"Oh my...how can this be?"

A very easy pass, it turned out to be.

"Wahey! Into second!"

All that stood between me and and an amazing victory was Kevin and his Audi R8.

"What!? He's behind me? That's not possible!"

"I'm not as wimpy as you would expect, Kevin!"

"Oh god...if he passes me, I will never avenge my loss..."

Finally though, I managed to pass him.

"Woah! I did it!? Yes!"

But the last straight was still ahead of me...and that was not good for my chances.

"I'll still win! Come on, Audi!"

"Uh oh...come on, C4!"

"What?! No! I've lost! How?! HOW?!?!?!?!?!"

"I...won? Yes! Wow!"
"He won? Oh my! He did it! That's brilliant!"

So, I had won my first true race by the skin of my teeth and I now found myself with a lot of money. I decided to head back to Eiger straight away. So what had started as a trip for fuel had turned into my first competitive race win.

When we arrived back at Eiger, we found Dad in the pits having a break.

"They're finally back...what on earth took them so long?"
"Hey Dad!"
"Hey Jason...what took you so long? And why the smiles?"
"Oh, we've got a lot of explaining to do, Adam!"

After explaining the race to Dad...

"Wow...that's...unbelievable. You beat a host of supercars in your little ricer C4?"
"You'd better believe it!"
"I do, son. Tell you what, how about we go down to Luzern? I've got one of my racing mates down there who can probably help you further with getting some credit."
"Sure! But first..."
"What, Dad? What?"
"...I need to refuel."
"Oh..."

So, after a fateful race, Jason has found himself with a whole lot of cash to use to maybe find another car and also to develop himself further in the wide depths of the racing world? Can he continue his winning streak?

Stay tuned to Grand PriX to find out!

 

[DK]

Whoa...how much horsepower does that C4 have?

 

[C-ZETA]

Whoa...how much horsepower does that C4 have?

It has down force, 317bhp, weighs 1230kg and has Sports: Mediums on it. And FF drivetrain.

 

[Skython]

Wow, I like this story, keep it up 👍

 

[Zach]

I was driving a 270hp Fiat 500 and beat the crap out of AI supercars. The trick is late braking

 

[Ryou]

Wow, nice chapter! Now I want a C4. . .

 

[C-ZETA]

Wow, nice chapter! Now I want a C4. . .

Here's the tune if you want it... https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5224064

 

[Crumpet]

Wow, nice chapter! Now I want a C4. . .

Mhm, I'm a proud owner of a pink one.

- Very good chapter!

 

[Ryou]

Here's the tune if you want it... https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=5224064

Thanks mate!

 

[C-ZETA]

Chapter 2 - The Veteran

We arrived at Luzern after a stop for fuel on the trip, rather than going back to that one petrol station where I'd just had the race. Dad said we were waiting for one of his 'racing mates': younger than him, but still in his 30's supposedly. After quite a while, a man with black flattened hair and wearing a casual polo and jeans. Dad went up to him, so I was sure he was the man...

"Hey, Russell!"
"Ah...Adam!"
Oh, Russell! Dad had told me about him before. They used to race and work together. They shook each other's hand.
"Good to see you again, Adam. Oh, so you're Jason!"
"Yes, I am. How are you?"
"Very well, thank you."
"So then...don't you two have something to tell me?"
"Oh yeah! That!"

We told him the story of the race.

"Whoa...really?"
"Yep."
"That's cool. Now if you'll excuse me...let me just get my drive."
"I'm sure it'll delight you, son."
"If you say so..."
"It's actually over there, on the bridge."
I looked on the bridge and saw a blue Renault Clio.

"A Clio? Meh...very ordinary..."
"That's not any ordinary Clio...it's the Clio V6. And a modified Clio V6 at that."
"Oh...OK."
I saw it then accelerate away across the bridge.

"Woah...looks kinda fast!"
"It is, just trust me."
After a short while, it came up to us - and sure enough, Russell was in it.

"Here is is! You like it?"
"Very much!"
Well, I liked it...except for the ridiculous wing at the back.
"Russell, how about you tell him why you decided to buy this."
"OK then."

"Way back in 2000, the Renault Clio Trophy was being hosted. Since I had done some racing previously, I decided to enter it."
"The Clio I drove was stunning. Others were probably the same, but my Clio, #66, was special to me."

"It moved at an incredibly fast speed, and its acceleration was sublime."

"I probably wasn't the best driver there, but of the 18 races we had I still won 3."

"Enough for me to get 3rd in the championship..."

"...but after that, I moved on from it. I moved onto faster championships, but the Clio was my first racer and its still got a special place in my heart."
"I haven't driven it again. This is my best replica of it, but it just doesn't feel the same. Not that I care totally..."
"...Hoy. That's a good story."
"Say, Jason. Since you got all that money from the last race..."
"Yes..."
"How about you borrow my car for a race so you can get more money?"
"Really? Cool!"
"Uh...Russell, what if he damages it?"
"I can pay for the damage costs."
"But what race exactly can I enter in with this?"
"Hmm...how about the Polyphony Digital Cup?"
"The PD Cup? Are you crazy?! That's for the top road cars drivers around! He won't stand a chance against them!"
"Do you remember? He won a race against some top super cars in a C4."
"I know...but they probably weren't as experienced as the drivers that enter there. Plus, there's a Ford GT driver that turns up sometimes and wrecks everyone in the race."
"He can beat him in this, I'm sure..."
"Well, go ahead, but don't say I didn't warn you..."
Well, whatever that PD Cup was, it didn't sound that friendly. But at least they were only road cars...
"So, where exactly are we gonna be going for the race?"
"We're going to...Madrid!"
"Wait...really?!"
"Yes."
"Wow! That's great! Let's go for it!"
"Huh...surely he doesn't realize what he's getting into."

And so, 3 days later, I found myself in sunny Spain, in a car that wasn't mine, that I'd never driven...to be fair, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But if Russell was trusting me with his car, then he obviously trusted it and my ability.
Dad came back from a quick pit walk to check the competition.
"So what did you find, Adam?"
"No GT, Russell. So we have a slight chance."
"Hey, Jason. You hear that? The Ford GT's not here."
"Really? Well, that's cool."
So, with that Ford GT whatever it was out of the way, I knew I wasn't at least going to be completely destroyed.
"Anything else out there?"
"Well, the GT-R's there..."
"Don't worry. I beat a Spec-V in that race before."
"Oh, did you? That's good."
A GT-R though...still seemed pretty threatening to me. But there was no time for fear now. It was time...for the race!

"5 laps of the Circuito de Madrid Mini circuit, guys! Keep it clean boys, keep it clean."
The Mini course? Well, that at least made it a bit easier. To get around. Not win.

Starting Grid
1. Red Nissan GT-R
2. White Nissan Fairlady Z33
3. Black Audi S3
4. Silver Honda S2000
5. Yellow Mazda RX-7
6. Red/White Chevrolet Camaro SS
7. Jason's/Russell's Blue Renault Clio V6
8. White Honda Integra DC5
9. Black BMW M3
10. Black Mazda Savanna RX-7
11. Silver Audi TT
12. Red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI

"What a puny set of cars I have to face against. How sad..."

"I can beat the GT-R and prove the Z will always be better!"

"I'll win, and win clean!"

"This S2000 shall scream to victory!"

"I strike a balance between power and speed...victory is mine already!"

"It's Papa Americano's time to shine!"

"I can see the money...I must win this!"

"I can't see myself winning this, to be fair..."

"I shall win with German brutality!"

"Slick and steady wins the race."

"Oh, an M3 up ahead? I'm trounced."

"Oh come on, last?! This is a disgrace."

Off the start line, I felt the immense power of the Clio. I made use of the incredible grip as well to immediately pass the Camaro ahead.

"Huh? The Clio's past me already?"

I made quick work of the RX-7 as well putting myself on the S2000's tail.

"Whoa! This thing's quick!"

It would take me a while to pass that S2000...

"Hah! You aren't passing me soon!"

...but eventually I saw myself get past him, and went for the S3 too in the same corner.

"Aha! That's the one!"

That was a successful move, and now I set my sights on that Fairlady Z down the road.

"Woah! He's into 3rd already!"
"What did I say before?"

He wasn't as slow as the others before me, though, and rightly so.

"Wow, this car has such quick steering! I'm sure the tires have been upgraded."

It wasn't long before I did start to catch him, though.

"Wait, that Clio's behind me already?"

And he was an easy pass as well.

"Woo! I'm flying by these cars!"

Of course, I still had that GT-R to take care of...

"Wow! He's up into second!"
"He's really gotten a feel for that car..."

So, while I set about catching that GT-R, I felt the power of this thing hit me again out of the last hairpin.

"Wow, Russell's got himself a really good car."

As I started my 3rd lap, I realized the GT-R was getting the edge on the straights.

"Do you think he can beat that GT-R?"
"Probably."

But before I could fully realize that, I experienced a heavy load of under steer!

"Aargh! No! This is not good!"

At least I hadn't damaged the car...

"Ouch! That's some bad under steer he just got there."

Well...at least on the rear, anyway.

"Good job I'm not paying for the damage..."

But not even the slightest of touches was gonna stop me beating that GT-R.

"Ooh! Look at that damage on the front."
"I'll let him off with that...for now."

As I started my 4th lap, I had gotten a lot closer to the GT-R.

"I can still win this!"

In fact, I felt close enough to perform some positively kamikaze late braking maneuvers into the first corner!

"Whoa! How is he passing me?"

And they worked! I slipped past the GT-R in the most dangerous possible way.

"Wahey! I'm past the GT-R! Into the lead!"

But the GT-R was not gonna take a loss that easily.

"Right...I'll get you for that!"

He didn't obviously. He just fell away from me and I never saw him near me again.

"Haha...like you're ever gonna get past me!"

I came up to the start of the final lap. I could feel the money coming closer to me already...

"He's in the lead? How?"
"See what a good, strong car can do against some powerful monsters of cars now, Adam?"

And as I went into the final lap, all I had to do was just keep myself away from the walls.

"Come on, car! Let's just keep it together for one last round..."

And the speedy little Clio didn't let me down.

"He's keeping it there, too! I don't believe this!"
"Tell you what, he has pulled away from the GT-R a lot..."

I let the power of the Clio embrace me once again.

"I know why Russell trusted me now. He knew I could do this all along!"

And as I went through the last corner, I could see the money ahead of me.

"He's gonna do it!"
"Yes!"

And over the line I went to take my first truly competitive victory!

"Yes! Haha! I did it! I'm amazed! Brilliant!"

After the race, I received my money. I gave the car back to Russell, who was impressed with my performance. After our thank you's and goodbye's, we returned home to Bern after a fantastic 4 days.

After we arrived back home, we were greeted by Ishizaki.

"Hey, Jason! Where have you been?"
"Oh, just been around places with my dad."
"Come on, Jason! Where have you been for the past 3 days?"
"Oh, alright...I kind of went to Madrid after an agreement with this other driver - "
"MADRID?!"
"Yes, Madrid, Ishizaki."

After a successful first competitive race, Jason found himself with a whole bunch of money and now found himself with a good chunk of money to buy another one. So, what will be his next car to maybe help him dominate the road racing scene?

Stay tuned to Grand PriX to find out!​

 

[Ryou]

Nice chapter, keep it up! Never knew the Clio V6 was that beautiful

 

[DK]

I have to admit that damage modeling is one area where Forza beats GT. I wonder what his next car will be?

 

[Otsdarva]

Really nice, man! Keep it up. Man, seeing that chapter made me feel good for picking up a Cilo sometime back.

 

[C-ZETA]

I have to admit that damage modeling is one area where Forza beats GT. I wonder what his next car will be?

Yeah, as much as I don't wanna say it, Forza's damage modeling is OK. Of course, it's actual car modeling looks horrendous by comparison.

And I'm not spoiling anything in this story. But I'm telling you one thing...

Spoiler

It's from '98. And I don't want any guessing...

 

[C-ZETA]

Chapter 3 - The Search Begins

After a few days back in Bern, I decided that I would go and search for another car. This probably wasn't such a good idea...but it was my decision and no one was going to change it.

"Hey, Dad! I just ask if I can do something."
"What is it, boy?"
"Can I go out and look for another car?"
"...What? Why do you need to do that?"
"Because I think that if I'm starting a true racing career, I need another car to back me up when I need it most."
"OK...but I'm just worried what could happen to you among the way."
"Well, it is a bit risky...but it could just be worth it, Dad."
"...Fine then, go ahead and search for one. Contact me at some point...OK?"
"OK then, Dad."

And so I set off onto what was going to be a long and hard mission.

"OK then...let's go, C4."

My first stop was at a small used dealership up in the mountains of Switzerland.

"This could be promising."

There was one solitary man at the garage.

"Yo dude, how can I help you?"
"I'm looking for some fast cars."
"Any kind of horsepower range."
"OK...I'll say at least 200hp."
"OK then...here's what we've got."

The man guided me to a computer where he showed me the cars they had available.

Acura NSX 1991
"I don't like the ride on the old NSX's. Too hard for my liking.

Toyota Soarer 2001
"Far too understeery for my liking..."

Pontiac Solstice 2002 (modified with hard top)
"A hard top Solstice you say? Well, it certainly doesn't look particularly attractive..."

Toyota Supra 2.5 Turbo GT 1988
"Looks too boxy and understeers too much for me."

Mitsubishi Eclipse GT 2006
"Ah, this thing is seems a good all rounder. But it doesn't feel fast...enough for me."

Chevrolet Corvette C2 1963
"Ah, a good legend. Bit expensive though...and it would be impossible to live with. Breakdowns and all..."

Honda S2000 2003
"This thing feels uncomfortable. The revs of it actually rattle it!"

Toyota Soarer 1997
"Another good all rounder, but it feels kind of boring."

Range Rover 2004 (bodykitted)
"Ugh...such a tasteless bodykit. Probably understeers really badly, too..."

Renault Clio V6 2003
"I've already driven Russell's...I don't really need one as well, do I?"

Mazda RX-8 2007 (rare low mileage)
"Low mileage seems good, but this thing annoys me with its sound..."

Toyota Altezza 1998
"Boring and bland for me..."

So then, there just wasn't anything for my taste. How unfortunate...

"Sorry, I'm afraid none of the cars suit me."
"Oh, OK then. Thanks for stopping by though."
"It's cool, don't worry."

So, I had found no luck in my first dealer. However, that didn't stop me driving around this incredible mountain road for a few minutes.

"Wow, this is a brilliant road."

My next stop was in the northwest of Switzerland, in the area of the dirt tracks.

"This should be better, I hope."

There were 3 men in the garage.
"Yo, what's up?"
"Hey there, I've come to look for some fast cars. 200bhp at least."
"OK then, we'll see what we can find."
"I'm sure we can find something for you."

Well, talk about early confidence, right? Anyway, one of the men gave me some papers with 200bhp+ cars on it.

Nissan Skyline R34 2002
"Meh...not really a looker for me, and it's not appealing for me."

Mazda RX-7 2002
"The RX-7 is smooth. But the lack of torque in that rotary engine isn't good in my opinion..."

Honda NSX Type R 2002
"Wow, another NSX? Well, I want something that other drivers can contend with...this thing's too fast for its class."

????? (unnamed kit car)
"...What's this? If it's a kit car, that's an automatic ticket to all kinds of faults."

Ford Focus ST 2006
"...No. I'm not having a Focus. I've already got a C4, for Christ's sake!"

Honda Civic Type R 2008
"Hmm...a Civic? ...Nah, I'll pass. There's faster stuff out there."

Volvo C30 R-Design 2008
"Nah...too incognito. Not for me."

Alfa Romeo Brera V6 2006
"Hmm...nice looking. But almost certainly a ticket to failures, failures and more failures..."

Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STi 2010
"I'm not a Subaru fan by any means, so that's an automatic no..."

Toyota FT-86 Concept 2009
"Very good car all around...but just look at that price tag!"

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR 2005
"Nah...my Dad's got this car. I'll just let him drive me in that instead."

So once again, nothing had tingled my tastebuds just yet.

"Sorry, I can't find anything that suits me."
"Ah, that's OK."
"Is there anything else you want us to help you out with?"
"Nah, I'm OK, thanks."
"OK then. Goodbye!"

Hmm. This was being very disappointing.

After a while, I found another used car dealership. However, this one wasn't in Switzerland, but rather in the snowy regions of France.

"Hmm...I must have entered France now!"

Indeed I was. And so, as I stopped into the next used car dealer, I was more confident than ever that the French would be able to provide me with a good deal.

"I hope this can work out."

Inside the used car dealers one of a handful man came up to greet me. He had a strong French accent.
"Bonjour, monsieur. How can I help you?"
"Have you got any fast cars? Say about, 200hp?"
"Yes, we do have ze cars over 200hp. Let me see vhat ve have got."

The man came back with another handful of papers to show what cars they had.

"Here are ze cars ve can offer."
"Thanks. Merci."

I looked at the sheets again.

Mazda efini RX-7 Type R 1991 (rare low mileage example)
"Another RX-7? I've already said I don't like the rotary engines of these things. At least this one's low mileage"

Mitsubishi 3000GT SL 1998
"Ooh, a 3000GT. I like these things. But the SL's not fast enough for me...

Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Turbo 1996
"Aha! Here we go. A VR-4 Turbo. If only it was '98...those have higher quality and better looks. I'll try and find one of those."

Ford Mustang GT 2005
"This Mustang isn't any good for me. Too bulky. An older one would be nice..."

Ford Focus RS 2002
"I already said I wasn't going to buy a Focus, didn't I? Oh dear."

Mazda efini RX-7 Type RS 1993
"What, another RX-7? Seriously? Stop giving me these!"

Mazdaspeed Atenza 2005
"Aha, here's a different Mazda. This one doesn't look too good, though..."

Audi A3 3.2 quattro 2003
"The A3's not that bad. But I don't like the colour...and it sounds bad to me."

So yet again I had been denied the chance to get a car by a lack of good ones. Sigh...

"Sorry, I can't find a car that suits me here."
"Ah, OK. Anything else you would like?"
"No, thank you."
"Ah, OK. Au revoir, then!"

I couldn't believe this. I mean, how hard was it to find a good, fast car that I liked?

I pressed on through the snowy conditions and eventually entered Chamonix, where I got the perfect chance to practice my snow skills.

"Wow, this thing feels brilliant on the snow! I could eat a donut and still be safe driving this on the snow."

Indeed it was. And my fun didn't stop, until I seemed to make out the shapes of 3 cars up ahead on the road...

Jason has currently had no success in his search for his second car. In addition, he's also found 3 cars blocking the road ahead...what could happen in the next chapter of the story?

Stay tuned to Grand PriX to find out!​

 

[uMadson?]

R34!

What boggles me in a mystery is his taste in cars. I guess I'll keep holding on until I see what he really likes.

 

[DK]

Maybe he's waiting for an R32...in Athlete Silver Metallic.

 

[C-ZETA]

Ed's note: Sorry about the larger than usual pictures, but I forgot to resize them this time around.

Chapter 4 - A Slight Interruption

Sigh. 3 cars up ahead of the road and I have no idea what they're gonna do...brilliant timing. Absolutely brilliant. Still, I had no choice but to face them if I wanted to get past them and continue my quest for a new car.

"Hey! What's this guy doing here?"
"He's in a C4...probably just a public guy."
"Really? He's put a spoiler on it!"
"Hey people. You're blocking my way..."
"Hahaha! As if we're gonna let you through without a fight!"
"Come on, we know you're a racer."
"You'd be crazy to race us in these though..."
Their cars were an Audi Q7, a TVR Tuscan and an Alfa 8C. Not the most sensible cars to have offroad...
"I'm not scared of you guys..."
"Really now? Don't make me laugh!"
"Let's race!"
"You'll be left in our snow! Haha!"
Cocky idiots, sponsored by Beer. Probably.
"Let's do this then, if you so insist."

Starting Grid
1. Silver Audi Q7 (Pikes Peak Quattro)
2. Red TVR Tuscan
3. Black Alfa 8C
4. Jason's Red Citroen C4

"Haha...this will be an easy win."

"This shouldn't be any problem."

"Haha...that C4 in my mirror is making me laugh!"

"These guys had better realise what they're doing to my valuable time..."

As I got away from the line I was immediately onto the back of the 8C.

"That's why you don't take one of those off road."

I was quickly past him and then immediately got along side the Tuscan.

"Huh? How is he alongside me already?"

And very quickly I was catching up with the Q7.

"Wow, this is pathetic..."

"Come on, I could be in the lead already."

And before long, I was. This race was over.

"Whoa! How fast is that thing?"

"I'm not fast enough to keep up!"

"Such a pitiful effort...maybe they really are drunk."

And so, I just drove away from the 3 drivers and got to feel my C4's great power.

"Woo! This thing is great!"

"My little thing's on fire."

"It's just speeding through the snow like nothing I've ever driven before!"

"This thing...I'm proud I bought it. Very proud..."

Then I remembered what I was supposed to be doing in the first place...

"Aha! I have a good strategy. Instead of stopping to just insult then for their incompetence..."

"I can just drive away and continue my quest! Aha!"

"That should be even more of an insult to them. Heeheehee - OW! Bumpy ride here, for sure..."

But once again, I felt the C4's power getting to me.

"This thing though...it's still very fast."

"What ever I buy might be faster..."

"But what ever I buy won't beat this thing."

"Because this thing is my car..."

"...not anyone else's."

"I shall always be a force in this car..."

"And I shall become a true driver."

But it wasn't time for speeches. The finish line was just ahead!

"Yes! I can see it now."

"Woohoo! Fantastic! I've won. Now time to drive away..."

And that's what I did. Just drove away from the course and continued on my path towards me next car...but what was it gonna be?

Jason, after a minor interruption to his quest, continues on it in the hopes of finding a good, fast car that can back up his C4 into becoming one of the world's greatest drivers. What can he find to fit in this role?

Stay tuned to Grand PriX to find out!​

 

[DK]

That's the first time I have ever seen an Audi Q7 being used off-road.

 

[uMadson?]

That's the first time I have ever seen an Audi Q7 being used off-road.

Must be tuned to over 600 horsepower then.

You 3 are all incompetent. You shouldn't have challenged Jason in the first place.

 

[Jacob]

Nice chapter, keep it up.
And the Q7 didn't really stand a chance, it's not for off-road, clearly.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

 

[C-ZETA]

Chapter 5 - The Final Choice

I continued on my journey from Chamonix, but found nothing too special. I found myself rather deep in France, and I knew that if I didn't find something soon, I would probably end up in England.

Until, late into the night, I came across another used car dealer. However, at this point I was pretty desperate and just wanted to find a car...three men were working at the dealer, all British.

"Hey there guys."
"Hello. How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for some fast cars, at least 200hp..."
"Well you won't be disappointed. Everything we have here has at least 400hp!"
"...Really?"
"Yes, really. Come and have a look!"

I came into their garage...and found myself flooded with supercars.

"Woah..."
"Amazing, isn't it? Come back and give me a look when you've decided which one you want."
"OK, will do."

So I found myself with 20 stunning cars in front of me. The question was...were these guys to be trusted? And what kind of price tag did these cars have?

Each of the cars had platforms in front of them with sheets on them - some had platforms in between another. I read each of the sheets.

Pair of Ford GT's (blue 2005, black/yellow 2006(
"Wow...these things. But the price tag...I expected it. Either one is £190,000 and I only have £110,000..."

Citroen GT Road Car
"£2,000,000 for this?! I know it's limited production, but still..."

Audi R8 V8 2007 (heavy modification)
"Nope...that's out of my zone as well. But this thing would still be lovely to have on my drive."

Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV 2009
"Oh, how I wish I could have one of these! This is just tormenting me!"

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 2009
"Aha! This is in my price range. ...Just. And it would suck to live with everyday..."

Saleen S7 2002
"Overpowered, overzealous, and extremely expensive."

Pair of Pagani Zonda's (Left '00 C12S, Right '02 C12S 7.3)
"Two beauties, but once again, I can't afford them!"

Jaguar XJ220 1992
"...Meh. It's not really the best of supercars..."

Honda NSX Type R 2002 (heavily modified and bodykitted)
"I'm sorry...what? Whoever owned this NSX is obviously far too tasteless for me to comprehend."

Ferrari 430 Scuderia 2007
"A Ferrari is never flawless, and in this case it's too techy and track-based. But it's still a brilliant car."

Then the cars here stretched even more into the unknown - a bunch of race cars was what I saw next.

Race-spec Lexus SC430 (Eneos livery, Super GT 2008-spec)
"Woah...how do they get hold of one of these? Clearly I'm not getting any of these any time soon..."

Pair of race-spec Honda NSX's (Left Takata Dome livery, right Arta livery, both Super GT 2006-spec)
"And two more as well...this is very interesting."

Pair of race-spec Toyota Supra's (Both Castrol Tom's livery, left Super GT 2001-spec, right Super GT 2000-spec)
"And even more. These one's are older though...which is even more amazing."

Toyota FT-86 2010 (heavily modded)
"This thing would be good to drive, but just like the other one and everything else here, price tag..."

So pretty much everything was out of my range. However, two models still stood...

Subaru Impreza 22B 1998 (modified to 498bhp)
"Whoa! That's a lot of HP...and only £50,000? Bargain! Plus, I actually like the 22B."

But then something else caught my eye even further.

Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo 1998 (fully modified up to 695bhp)
"...Wow. Perfect. £70,000, and I don't need to modify it any further to win races."

"But both cars have very similar HP to £ ratios..." (Impreza - 0.0096, GTO - 0.0099)

"...So the GTO is more worth it than the Impreza, and I like it more...I think I'll test drive it first."

I came out of the garage of supercars and went back to the dealers.

"So, have you made your decision?"
"Yes, I have, mostly."
"Go on then, what is it?
"I'm not buying yet, but can I take your GTO for a test drive?"
"...Of course you can. Go ahead, just let me get the key for it first."

The man came back with a key. It looked perfectly normal - surprisingly for a car that was fully modified.

"There you go. Have fun and see if you like it."
"Will do."

And so, I went ahead and got into the lumbering beast that was the GTO Twin Turbo. Many original parts of the car were non-existant in this and there were some anti-roll bars inside the car.

"This had better be good."

I put the key in its slot, turned it and heard a huge rumble at the back from the engine.

"Wow...this thing is brilliant already."

I hit the accelerator pedal and accelerated away. I took it slow out of the dealership. The roads were empty, so I didn't really need to worry about speed limits...brilliant.

"Right then...let's go, GTO."

I floored it out of the dealerships and immediately a rush of blood came through my veins at the acceleration of the car.

"Whoa!!! Aargh! This thing is so fast!"

I turned it through the corners, and despite hints of understeer, the car felt well and truly planted.

"This thing is amazing!"

I was so amazed by the car that I actually came straight back into the dealer to confirm my purchase of it.

"How was it out there?"
"You've got yourself a sale."

I handed over the £70,000 sale price for the car.

"Heh...thanks. By the way...what are you gonna do with that C4?"
"...Good question. Is there any way you can get it back home for me again?"
"...We can do that. We do have our own delivery truck that we can take your car home on. Where exactly do you live?"

I gave him my address. As if I'd just give it to you guys...

"Right then, so is there anyone else in the household?"
"My dad. Tell him it's not a breakdown, please..."
"Hah! Of course we'd tell him the situation."
"Thanks. By the way, is there anywhere I can stay the night? I'm not getting home tonight even in this thing, and I've been searching for cars all day..."
"There's bound to be one in Le Mans, at least a mile up the road."
"OK then, thanks."

I drove off in the GTO, knowing that the whole trip had been worth it all.

"Heheh...you're mine now."

I stayed in a hotel in Le Mans like the man said to me in the dealer overnight.

I woke up the next day and checked my phone. There were a ton of missed calls and messages on my phone - most from my dad, others from Ishizaki.

"Ah nuts! I forgot to tell them!"

I texted Dad back to inform him. 8 hours late, but what can you do when you're tired as hell and you're been searching for 2/3s of your day for a car?

"Hey Dad. Sorry for the late reply and the fact that I couldn't get back for today but it took me way too long to search for a car. Anyway, I found a used Mitsubishi GTO 1998, fully modified, 695bhp! £70,000 too, which was a total bargain! What do you think? Pass this message on to Ishizaki please. Jase x"

I checked out of the hotel and got back into my GTO. At least it wasn't stolen.

"Right then, GTO, let's take you home."

I decided to have a look around Le Mans in my car.

"Hmm...looks old. Classic."

I felt like I had gone back through time slightly. Like my GTO was a DeLorean.

"This place is good. I like it."

However, one structure in Le Mans had somehow managed to pass my mind...completely.

The Circuit de la Sarthe.

"Hmm...wait a minute...what? Is that...the Circuit de la Sarthe? ...Wow! Amazing! ...I wonder if I can go in..."

I could go in - it was a track day. Although I could have sworn that it was partly on public roads...not that I cared anyway.

When I came in, I was guided to a garage that I would be staying in to go on the track. There were 5 men in the garage.

"Hey guys."
"Hey there. We'll be your engineers here today for this track day."
"I have a request for you guys."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Can you help me out with tuning this car? I only got it yesterday and I drove it at speed too. I think its setup is good, but it could still do with some work. The gear ratios in particular seemed too short, and there was some understeer on the car. Can you help me out with that?"
"Of course we can. As engineers, we are trained to do this thing, after all."
"Thanks."
"What general kind of setup are you looking for, by the way?"
"I just want a well-rounded setup."
"OK, we'll see what we can do."

After a while, they finished tuning up the car and I was allowed to drive it again.

"Right then, take it away."
"OK then."

I started it up and once again it roared into life.

"Let's go, GTO."

I drove it out and when I floored the pedal I was instantly shocked by the acceleration - because they had managed to improve the acceleration even further.

"Haha! This is great!"

While it was still hitting the limiter down Mulsanne, it was faster in the top speed stakes. Besides which, it was meant to be a good all-around setup, not a truly top speed based one like is necessary for La Sarthe.

"This thing corners better too!"

And as I just said there, the cornering was improved. It still wasn't to complete perfection, but the understeer was far less common than before.

"Woo! These tuners are masters!"

I was very proud of their work, and I knew that they had truly made this a weapon of power. Not that it wasn't one in the first place, but that was my opinion at the time.

"Who needs a supercar? This thing is FREAKIN' AWESOME!"

I returned to the pits with my blood pumping around my body as fast as I was going around the circuit before.

"So what do you think now?"
"I think it's been massively improved and I wouldn't change this thing again!"
"Nice to see you like it. Thanks for the compliments. So are you done here?"
"I wish I could say no, but I need to get home. I've been away from home for close to 30 hours now."
"Fair enough. Take care, bye!"
"Bye guys!"

So my GTO's potential had come to light and I was feeling as happy as a dog with two bones.

"This car...it's amazing."

And so, I drove home knowing that the car I had bought was truly amazing. I knew I had done the right thing to come all the way down to France - Le Mans to be precise - to find the perfect machine for me. The Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo, my ultimate speed freak.

Jason has at last gotten the car he has been looking for after his pilgrimage that ended up as far as the Circuit de la Sarthe, and he has done it through his endless spirit and courage. Armed with a new and deadly, vicious, killer weapon, the Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo, how will he fare on the track and on the streets?

Stay tuned to Grand PriX to find out!​

 

[DK]

Is Jake planning on taking the GTO to Route 7?

 

[uMadson?]

Dunno what's his next step, but...

Race please