Insightful But Bollocks™ - The career of McClarenDesign

McClarenDesign

McClarenDesign

Insightful, but bollocks.
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McClarenDesign
Insightful But Bollocks™
A Retrospective look at Gran Turismo's most inconsistent and questionable drivers.
by McClarenDesign​

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Hi, I'm McClarenDesign. You might remember me from such YouTube classics as Axles and Allies, That Ain't Right!, When Sex Was Safe, Seasonal Allergies, and My Other Car Is A Zamboni. You may also know me from my work with the Beater or Sleeper: Car of the Week thread, as well as my work with the Sauber F1 Team.

This thread will be where I share videos each week from my time with with Gran Turismo 6, as well as some of the older games in the series. Each week I'll post a few videos, starting from when I started on YouTube with a cheap Kaiser Baas recorder that I got for Christmas. Feel free to comment and give feedback and observations. Feel free to laugh. Witty banter is encouraged.

If you'd like to see what I'm currently up to, visit Sauber's Google+ Community, my YouTube channel, and various other threads on here, of course.

Then when you're done with that, there are even more links in my sig.

Week 1: Honda Fit - Nothing To See Here, People
Week 2: The intros
Week 3: 2010 Peugeot RCZ - Didn't see that coming...
Week 4: 1988 Volvo 240 GLT Estate - Thinking inside of the box
Week 5: 1987 Buick GNX - and A Flock of Regals
Week 6: 1957 BMW 507 - When sex was safe
Week 7: 1972 Alpine A110 1600s - The French fighter
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Tell people that there's nothing to see, and at least 76 (as of the time of this writing) will look anyway.

This was me testing out what I could do with a cheap capture device (Kaiser Baas Game Recorder) and limited computing power (8 GB of RAM and a 7-year-old Intel processor). Thankfully, I've upgraded a lot since then.

And I'm looking to again. I currently use a Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition, combined with a faster processor and 32 GB of RAM. If you've got a suggestion on how I should improve, please let me know. I'm interested in the Black Magic Intensity Pro and the Elgato, but tell me what you think.
 
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Oh god, I was with you till you mentioned witty banter... :nervous:
I am pleased to say I've always found your videos to be full of insight. Or possibly full of bollocks. One or the other anyway... :lol:

As for anything helpful. I use an Elgato HD for my vids (though not the newer 60 fps version). From what I've seen on Youtube, the Elgato HD and Hauppauge HD are pretty similar in terms of results. I find the Elgato very easy to use, presume that the Hauppage is the same. The only thing that I find frustrating is that the video recording eats up PC resources when in use, though that may be more down to my crappy ol' laptop than anything else. I guess I need that 32GB RAM and processor you have...

Look forward to your next bollocks /insightful vid... 👍

PS You're now up to 81 views :lol:
 
Thanks @sirjim73 ! The Hauppauge gets the job done, but had I done my research beforehand I would've gotten the Elgato. The component connections on the PVR are terrible, but I've just ordered an HDMI to DVI converter, and that will allegedly allow me to record via HDMI.

Look into the specs of your laptop. If you can, max it out on RAM and that should help. Also, disable the internet and any other programs you have running while recording, editing and rendering. That's made a huge difference for me and many others. If you've got more than 8 GB of RAM, I recommend recording onto a RAMDISK instead of the hard drive. Much faster, though less stable, so make sure you transfer everything over when you're done recording.

After the converter, I'll be looking at a new processor that adds a little bit of speed and 2 more cores (from the 4 I have now to 6). I'm not expecting a giant difference of speed, but I'm hoping all of these changes will improve my quality.
 
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The purpose of my channel was to share my experiences with the Beater or Sleeper?: Car of the Week thread, and it all started with the introduction to the RCZ. It also allowed me to provide a visual example when asked about various points of racecraft and the philosophy of racing.

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Then we got the Vision Gran Turismo series, starting with the above Mercedes.



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Some cars even had more than one model. Pre-orders ftw.

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And at some point, they changed. I really like the latest intro.
 
Quick setup update: I recently purchased a Monoprice HDMI Converter, DVI to HDMI cable, and am now able to record using HDMI instead of the crappy component cables! I don't know about you, but I can tell the difference already (at least before YouTube messes with the quality). Have a look at the latest Seasonal Events!



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Ever since I saw the 2010 Peugeot RCZ, I wanted to drive it. Although compromised from it's original design (FF instead of MR), the styling was absolutely fantastic. The only things I wasn't looking forward to was A) it's French, and B) it's FF.


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What a way to start off Car of the Week! This is a gem of a car that nearly made me forgive the French for all of their previous automotive shortcomings. Nearly. 400 PP Clubman race? No problem!


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When I was researching this car for my review, comparisons to the Audi TT kept popping up left and right. I'm sorry, but I don't see it. The Audi puts me to sleep, the Peugeot reminds me of what it's like to actually live. The Audi felt awkward and bulky, the RCZ nimble and agile. If you think the RCZ is like the TT, you probably need another cup of coffee and a divorce.


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It's also right at home at Monaco. I'm really disappointed that we don't get this car in the states, but being an American I've learned to live with disappointment daily. Ask about our healthcare and education systems.


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It's also competitive in the lower-level Seasonal Events, adding value whereas most other cars demand that you continue paying through the nose by adding additional parts. Looking back, I'd much rather own one of these than a Mustang, Camaro or Challenger.


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It's also at home at Le Mans. Even more added value, something that you don't often find in modern cars. Value. Getting more than what you paid for. This may sound odd, but I'd argue that this is more of a supercar than the Chevrolet Corvette.
 
One of the best things about the Car of the Week thread is enjoying cars that you might not normally drive. After playing around with the Volvo Estate, I certainly understand why they're showing up at more and more drifting events in the US.











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Enjoy vintage racing? Our next car was the '57 BMW 507, and we decided to pit it against it's rival for our weekly races. Although the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was faster, I still enjoyed the 507.

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We also tried sticking as close to the F1 season for '57 as possible. Obviously, there have been a few changes since then. First up was Monaco.

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Then Spa. Add a vintage filter during editing and we've got ourselves a nice vintage race.

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We've also raced it on the Nordschleife. Because Deutschland!

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And since no German race with Brits ( @Lewis_Hamilton_ and @Vic Reign93 ) is ever complete without someone mentioning "The War", we threw in a Triumph Spitfire.

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I hate French cars. I hate that they put a front-wheel drive engine in practically everything they make. It's as if they have an unending addiction to understeer. However, if there's anything the Beater or Sleeper thread has taught me, it's to remain open minded. I loved the RCZ, despite it being front-wheel drive, and thankfully the A110 is RWD.

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As years go by, the styling remains appealing and interesting, a good sign that the car will look fantastic in any era. How many 70's cars can say that? Had a car like this been produced in the U.S., it'd be boxy, bland and brown. Ew!

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Equally at home in Monaco or at the Matterhorn. My driving... shoddy, at best.

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It was also featured as one of the challenges in the Goodwood Hillclimb.

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And despite it's age, it certainly gave a Honda S2000 a run for it's money.

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After all of that, do I still hate French cars? Yes. But just like I don't hate all people, I don't hate all French cars. In fact, I think I may be falling in love with a few of them. Paris, anyone?
 

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