MrWaflz's Legends of GT

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Canada
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Pyano1132

MrWaflz55's Legends of GT


This is a review format I first tried over on Cowboy's Duel of the Week Forum, one post I made was based on an automotive journalist's perspective of both cars, so I'm hoping to bring that to life in a separate thread. The reviews can be about anything really, and since these are my favourite cars in the game there will be no negative reviews either. There will be tuned cars, rally cars, road cars, race cars. Anything in GT6 is subject for review. Maybe even a track or two.


INDEX:

Manufacturers:

Aston Martin
V12 Vantage '10

BMW
Vision Gran Turismo '14


Ferrari
458 Italia '09

Mazda
RX-7 Spirit R Type A '02 (Drift-Tuned)

McLaren
MP4-12C '10

 
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Legends of GT: 1
Ferrari 458 Italia ‘09


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No, this isn’t the car I was going to be reviewing this week, It’s just a rental. A rental to get me to the real event. About 20 kilometers away is a new car waiting for me, and it should be a little brighter out once I get there. Once I arrive in the Italian town of Syracuse, hopefully the day should get a little more interesting than driving 50 km/h down a backroad. I'm pretty excited, this is no average road trip, this is not average Syracuse, New York, this is Italia!

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Well, I wasn’t expecting this as the first article I would be writing, a Ferrari 458 in metallic red paint. It’s screaming at me to go look at it closer.

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Up close and personal with the car gives you a very nice angle to really appreciate the curves of this machine, It’s one of those things that looks jaw-droopingly gorgeous in real life. From the swept-back headlamps to the tri-exhaust that pays homage to the F40, there’s lots of retro and modern all wrapped up in this Pinninfarina design.

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Fun fact: If you didn’t know where the side air vents are (which usually jut out of the side around here), just follow the flow of the windows, they’re probably in that dark gap somewhere.

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The interior is pretty special too, with a steering wheel with many racing inspired buttons to a multifunctioning dash that allows for a host of display options. It’s very much driver-oriented in here. Look! It’s even set to my favourite mode already!

After gushing over the exquisite exterior for a few moments, I was told by the director to head out and test the car on a blocked-off country road about 50 kilometers out of town, that area was chosen because of its amazing hills and lakefront view, not to mention the twists and turns.

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Finally, letting loose the Italia, I can personally vouch for the handling.

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It seems to like to slide a lot in the corners, which makes for a fun experience, and it certainly keeps you awake. It is possible to drive a clean line, but you’d have to be an expert racing car driver to keep it perfectly planted. Even so, with the traction control on it’s perfectly acceptable to drive fast in the corners without slipping, so if you are new to driving fast, I’d recommend keeping it on for now.

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Here comes the straight…

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Whoaaa!

That’s some brutal acceleration out of the corner! Easily under three and a half seconds there…

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…That exhaust note at 9,000 RPM! Oh my god!

…and the top speed!!! I’m reaching about 280 right now down a country road! Maybe I should ease off the throttle a little down into this next corner, floor it, and give it everything I have…

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Alright! I’m drifting it!

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Wait…. Oh no!

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…can we edit that one out?

Well, enough monkeying around, my objective now is to head to Monza to find out my challenge for this article, and I think I have a pretty good Idea of what it will look like once I get there.

The next morning: Saturday, April 30th, 11:00am

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Seems like I was correct, a monthly Ferrari enthusiast meet-up and race on the Autodromo Nationale de Monza, so it seems like the directors want me to join the race, and see how the 458 performs against its brethren. After some minor tinkering to the hood and brakes, the car was ready to race. A three lap event with around 14 cars, I would be starting around the middle of the grid.

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Down into the first corner, due to a good launch I was able to sneak ahead of a few cars and gain 5th place. A few miscellaneous models stood ahead of me and pole position.

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Looks like the car is still sliding a little in the corners, just need to take it easy and not push down on the accelerator too much…

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Catching this Berlinetta Boxer on the inside, I was able to sneak up to fourth, and then nab third from the F430 into the next turn. Now heading down the front stretch on the second lap.

Breaking hard...

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Watching the paint! Watching the paint!

*phew*, that’s an expensive car there…

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And now, ladies and gents, the “Big Bad” of the week: A Nero Enzo Ferrari from 2002, complete with four more cylinders than me, and a lighter weight count too. Well, the 458 was only a tenth of a second slower around Fiorano than the Enzo, so it seems like this duel might work in my favour.

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Observing this man’s braking lines, he appears to be more of a Saudi businessman type than a Massa.

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Catching him into this corner, come on!!!

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Rear is slipping out, keep a straight line!

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Yes! Catch him into this corner and finish it!

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Down the straight… and finish!

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Unfortunatly I have to take it back to Syracuse now, which means I need to take a ferry down on the tip of the boot.

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So I nabbed the victory with the 458, what an eventful day yesterday. Overall, I’m very satisfied with this car, it’s probably my favourite Ferrari in the last 20 years. The design is game changing, its engine is exquisite and the exhaust note is just sensational. So I’d chalk this one up as a keeper. For my first article, I can truly say this was an eye-opening starting point to show me how interesting this job might get. Who knows what I might come across in the future?

“I think I know”.

What's this? It seems I’m being handed an envelope from the director. *tear*, *fold*

"Aston Martin", huh?

Looks like I’m being sent to the United Kingdom in the next few weeks, so until then, I hope you stay updated on my works, and happy reading!​
 
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Legends of GT: 2
Aston Martin V12 Vantage '10

The car was standing by on the pavement. Before I was allowed to start driving for the article, one of our camera guys insisted he try out a couple new filters for the article. Most looked like pop-art, but this one was alright, if a little dark. I included it just to make him happy. At least it was better than that awful purple filter.​

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So, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Yeah, it's a fast car. It has a V12, makes a good noise, costs a tonne and features a lot of refined Aston luxury and styling. Of course we'll go over some of the styling right now.

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It features a very handsome, rounded face, a nice rear, and a flowing roofline. BUT the hood vents in all-black do stick out like a tattoo on an aristocrat's daughter. They're there to tell you that this is no ordinary Aston, this is a Nurburgring-neutralising, Brands-Hatch beating, road-going racer.

And since we're at Brands this instance, I feel like it might be appropriate to take a drive.

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With the producer signaling that the Cameraman had taken enough photos and the trackside photographers were ready, I floored the accelerator and let loose the power. All 500-or-something horsepowers were spinning the rear wheels with all their might.

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Powering down Paddock Hill, I really got a feel for how the car felt in high speed corners. This is one of the lightest Aston Martins ever made. Maybe the only one that is lighter is the Cygnet. But really, who would ever count that one?

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It is still a little slippery in the corners, being high-powered and rear wheel drive it is somewhat hard to avoid, but it is very controllable if you take it easy. Overall it's pretty precise and only occasionally slips out of line.

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Straight performance is impressive too. 0-60 is dealt with in under five seconds, and I'm reaching over 200km/h on some of the straights here, and Brands is a pretty close-quarters track by nature. I'm surprised it's opening up this much.

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I even got it to misbehave a little more.

Big slide!

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I also have to mention that the suspension takes bumps and dips very nicely. Not very good for potholes, but this isn't the middle of the city here, is it?

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Hit the grass!

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Oh well, we all make mistakes, right? It's not like I'm some driving robot without imperfections. I hear they may be doing robo-races soon in Formula E, pretty boring if you ask me...

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When I was about done that lap, I was told to head back in to the pits and receive a special challenge.

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I finished up the lap, powering down the straight. I reached 210 down the final stretch. Then I took this wonderful orange Aston back to the pits like they requested.

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Apparently, I was to do an "Old vs New" showdown with this guy. The producers said he just kind of showed up. Looks like he just happened to be driving by with his "clearly superior" older model. The V8 Vantage.

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He then set a laptime of 1:42 in his V8. I'm not going to lie, that is a nice car. Makes more horsepower than mine, but nearly weighs 2,000kg. Maybe I'll come across it again in the future.

I was then told to get the V12 back on the track and record a time. I concentrated as much as I could and thankfully didn't mess up my racing line.

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...and I'm across the line with a time of 1:39. That's around 3 seconds less than the older one. It may look nice but turns slower than this one. So I'd say old has been bested by new.

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Well, that made him so mad that he drove off without saying a word, not like he ever did. Somehow I doubt this is the last time we'll meet on the track.

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Now back to the car at hand.

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Overall, this one is definitely a keeper in my books. It's more of a bruiser than a cruiser compared to the DB9. It makes a decent sound, although admittedly not my favourite and it has decent proportions. I'd like to drive it more, but like always (the worst part of this job) I have to give it back now. Maybe someday I'll find a used one somewhere in the countryside for $50,000. But I have some saving to do.

Up next: Tuned Mazda RX-7 FD
 
Legends of GT: 3 (The Drifting Episode)
RX-7 Spirit R Type A '02

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Ah, yes. The world of drifting. One of the most trivial motorsports in contest right now. Wasting rubber to impress a crowd and score points. It looks flashy, it's loud and it's all the rage in Japan.

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This local soccer arena has been transformed into a drifting course for a team based competition going down organized by Formula D, that's kind of like F1 for drifting enthusiasts. As part of the race weekend, I was sent down by my boss to check out what all the fuss was about. He hooked me up with my own drift car too. I was to go out on this track and drift like these hooligans. There cars were also all blue to reflect their team.

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But before I met my car, I would need to go down to the track and meet up with my drift professor.

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Hubert Brotz, He wasn't very Japanese like most of his team (in fact he was German) and he is VERY good at drifting. Well, he owns the team so that's kind of a given. I was to climb into his RWD-converted GTR so he could give me the lowdown on how this stuff is done.

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After having my body whisked about through all the G-forces, and listening him explain it through his thick accent at the same time, I thought I was about ready to try it out.

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There it is, the RX-7, and an FD to be more specific. This one was obviously converted from a road-going example prior to the competition. I'll look around for some modifications.
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Good ol' pop-up headlamps. One thing I wish was still available in modern sports cars, though I understand that technology evolves. (but my nostalgia doesn't)

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Racing exhaust, tire orientation has been altered, rear spoiler. Typical mods applied to a competition car. Overall I like it, but I probably wouldn't want a drift car as an everyday commuter.

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Feeling brave, I decided to apply those techniques to the road. I wasn't going into this especially blind, I have drifted an MX-5 beforehand. Seems to be the same mix of power and lightweight that gets these drift cars around the corners the best. Ballasts and aero are also important parts of the car too.

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You can really feel the ballast in this one as the weight shifts from one corner to the other, it seems to be biased towards the rear to help keep the rear tires planted during power-oversteer (which is pretty much my whole technique.) I haven't had to touch the handbreak lever once this entire ride.

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Hold down the throttle and let it go, it's so easy with this RX-7, the setup is working wonderfully thanks to the tuners on the blue team. I'd feel confident putting this up against Vipers and AE86s, it's just that good.

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You can really feel the aero working it's magic too, keeping the rear planted as well. This entire car itself feels very biased towards the rear which is good on this tight, close track with many left hand turns. Just be careful not to hold down on the accelerator for too long.

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The tires on this car are very slippery too, but just slippery enough to not feel like you're driving on a patch of ice. I'd say they're somewhere between road tires and race tires.

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What a way to kill an afternoon, the car was set up wonderfully, it looked great and I got to meet some pretty cool people over at the drift event. Interesting choice of venue too. I'd have to say that this easily beat my experience with the MX-5. It's just a much better car to drift than that one, more power and better aero give this one the edge.

Now I just have to wait around until the next event pops up soon, see you all later.





 
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Legends of GT: 4
Pagani Zonda C12S 7.3 '02

I'm reviewing a car today made out of pure passion, a car born from a love of performance, from an enthusiast named Horacio Pagani. The man who previously worked for a particular brand named Lamborghini and left in pursuit of his own fame and fortune as a supercar manufacturer. Inspired by those very cars, this one was a little bit different however.

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I'm reviewing a car that has a special place in the heart of many watchers of some of the first seasons of the rebooted Top Gear, or maybe a car that even triggers some nostalgia from those who played games from the GT franchise, specifically Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec and Gran Turismo 4. It has a nasty 7.3 litre V12 sourced from Mercedes-AMG and has lots of carbon fibre. It develops 584hp and has a top speed of 335km/h.

It's the Pagani Zonda C12S 7.3, and there's no getting around the fact that it is...

...rather wide.

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Yes, this car really does have a width of 80.9 inches, and that's a whopping 5 inches wider than the Corvette C6 ZR1, a properly wide car to begin with. But that's o.k, because we're not in the middle of the city.

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We're in the middle of Grand Valley Speedway, it's a little quieter than the city, so the extra width should help out in getting around the corners.

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About it being quiet out here, that was going to change really soon once I let the car go down the main straight.

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Hitting fourth on the start/finish line and the car is just ripping through each gear with no sign of letting up. The sound of primal rage being shouted out of the quad-exhausts at high rpm is like a sensation I've never before experienced. The acceleration is brutal, it makes sure that you're planted firmly into the leather at all times. The fury only lets up once it either runs out of gas, runs out of space or you turn out to be too chicken to pilot all six gears worth of horsepower down the entirety of the main straight.

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The stopping power is pretty epic as well, with four large Brembo calipers on some very large discs. Now I'm licking the windshield instead.

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Coming out of the first corner and into the subsequent bends, the car's wideness really takes charge. The Zonda is very planted, the weight distribution is spot-on as well. With the traction control on the car can be thrown around virtually any corner with little fuss. If I had one gripe it's that this car is a little too easy at times despite its menacing appearance. But, a simple fix for that exists called turning off the traction control.

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You point the car into the apex and the rear kicks out just like that! The engine is pretty heavy on those rear tires and it presses them into the ground, in tandem with this car's improved aerodynamics to deliver pure grip at decent speed. This is truly sliding made easy. I can't think of a car I've driven that requires this little effort to have so much fun.

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Looks like I slid into that corner a little too hot and ended up into a sand pit. Oh well, could have ended worse.

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The Zonda is one of the few hardcore supercars done right. It's a great car inside and out and features plenty of power and fun for a day off at the track. It's design that emulates the Group C race machines is truly deserved, this is one of the obscure greats.

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Now it was time to report to the end of the track in the final tunnel, where the producers have set up a special surprise for me. They say it's one of the only chances I'll ever get to see one.



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That SOUND!!!

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The acceleration is on a whole other level than the base car! That's 300km/h cleared down the first straight!

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This then, must be quite a special machine. It's the version of the Zonda that throws all definitons of sanity out of the window. The R is produced just for the sole purpose of fun. It fits in nowhere but it is better than anything in the racing world you could possibly compare it to. It's the textbook definition of a lunatic.

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Full Carbon Ceramics stopping the car instantaneously, the G-forces generated by this car are bested only by the most insane of rollercoasters!

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With this particular iteration of the car, you do truly get the sense that no other being in the automotive world could truly compare to the utter insanity that is the R. Nothing else can compare to this once you drive it, nothing comes remotely close to the thrill ride that costs nearly $2.5 million, but the price of admission is definitely worth it.

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Just looking at this gauge here is something of an occasion, it serves to remind you of how close you are to arriving in space every time you look down at the end of a long straight. The needle flops around like crazy just trying to keep up with the insanity of the tinkered V12 in the back of the car. That V12 too, what an utter work of art.

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The sound emitted from the back of the car is this feral scream unlike anything I've heard before, the standard engine doesn't even compare to the exhaust note from the four racing pipes arranged in a cluster in the cut-out back of the car. The design of the race car is beautiful aswell, a testament to what can be done to a racing car when there are no regulations put in place to restrict creative freedom, and this car is all about expressing what Pagani is capable of.

What an astonishing pair of cars. I would totally own one if I was given the means to do so, unfortunately the race car and the road car are sold out, so all we can do is look at pictures, watch videos, stare from the sidelines and dream.

These two cars are truly keepers in my book, they are some of the most fun you could ever have on a track.

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I wonder if they wouldn't mind me driving off the opposite way to the interstate...

See you next time!






 
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Legends of GT: 5
McLaren MP4-12C '10


I was told this week that we would be reviewing the McLaren MP4 this week for the magazine and a good friend of mine by the name of @ThrasherDBS had a McLaren that we could use for the test.

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I had something special in mind for this article however, and with a little bit of constant begging, I was able to persuade the higher-ups to rent out a Ferrari 458 for us two to use as a sort of benchmark. The special event I had lined up for us was a simple two-lap race of the local Midfield Raceway.

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Naturally, I would be piloting the Ferrari 458, because that is my favourite supercar of the past 10 years. Thrasher would be driving his McLaren 12C like any good owner should. Also, we put down a few ground rules before the run: I would have to test the McLaren MP4 if I lost and see the light that it's a better car, and if I scratched the paint it was my arse. Seeing as these two cars are surprisingly similar, I thought I had a decent shot. I also had Thrasher assure me that his racing lessons were far superior than mine.

With a countdown of three, we were off! A lot of wheelspin from the Ferrari, and not too much from the McLaren.

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Down into the first straight and I had pushed ahead of Thrasher slightly, you need to wake up buddy, the race is on! He was yelling at me over the in-car radio that he would make up for his lousy launch later in the race.

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Through the first few corners and the Ferrari was lifting off quite a lot in typical 458 fashion, the McLaren insisted on staying very well planted through the first two corners. We headed down the second straight with me still leading by a good few-hundred milliseconds. Down into the mid-straight chicane, the Ferrari decided to oversteer into the next straight still in the lead.

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We approached the turn that takes the bridge over the main straight, with Thrasher taking the time to tell me about how the Ferrari made me look more like a D1GP drifter than a racing driver.

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The Ferrari took a huge powerslide over the bridge, with Thrasher finding this an opportune moment to close the gap a little. The Ferrari was a fast car, sure, but the McLaren just has leagues more grip thanks to the crazy traction control system McLaren has developed for it. The McLaren stayed planted through the corner like an orange Jello stuck to a violently shaking plate in an earthquake.

I finally managed to find some grip in the long corner coming around to one of the final straights before the Pizza Place curve.

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The rest of the lap was more of the same snarking from Thrasher as I desperately struggled to maintain the lead over the planted McLaren. I was convinced that he was trying to pressure me into a mistake. Down the start/finish straight heading in to the second lap, I could see him in my rear-view mirror lining up a move into the first corner.

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I tried to brake late to maintain a decent lead, but I overshot my racing line allowing him to slip through the space I left in the inside of the corner. Coming out of the corner I was oversteering like a madman.

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To summarize, the rest of the race looked and awful lot like this:

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Finally we had reached the final straight, and the whole way down Thrasher was laughing at me through the radio while he crossed the finish line a good 500 miliseconds before me.

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Stopped at the end of the straight, I was tapping my head off the 458's steering wheel in shame. I had failed my favourite car of the last 10 years and now I would have to review the McLaren like I promised. This has to be one of the low points of my career.

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Back in the Midfield Garage, I reluctantly took the keys to the bright orange 12C like I promised. Now it was time to review this bad boy whether I liked it or not. Time to be seduced by my bitter rival's pace and performance. Thrasher offered to drive me to another close race track to help test this car.

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This time, I decided to review the car where it could be properly evaluated. It was a local circuit I was after, and Local Circuit was just what I was looking for. A decently sized track two hours from the office beside a little town of no more than 12,000 people. It was a decent track with all of the usual amenities. Too bad when we got there it started to rain, but Thrasher assured me the fun was just starting with the rain.

Before I took the 12C out for a run, I decided to take a look at the design of the car up close in person. I haven't had the chance to do this yet.

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The front of the car is a very odd spectacle, it looks fine and there's nothing bad going on, but it looks too much like the car was meant to look like that from a scientific point of view. There doesn't seem to be much art going on whatsoever. All of this body was shaped by McLaren to be as aerodynamic as possible and to provide maximum downforce for the car.

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Around the sides and top of the car we see sculpted lines that show how much influence the wind tunnel had on the final design of the car. The side vents are the optimum shape for cooling and the active aerodynamic airbrake on the back of the car elevates to provide the car with maximum stopping power.

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Around back is a very strange series of horizontal black bars that accentuate the rear and hold the exhaust ports in place. The car's rear as a whole is very different and looks quite good compared to the rest of the somewhat uninspiring and scientifically optimized exterior.

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Now I decided that I fancied myself a drive, so with my confidence in the car that it wouldn't crash in these slippery conditions, I pushed the gas pedal down and headed towards the track.

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Now, the first thing you need to know about the McLaren is the acceleration, it feels very punchy and has the same "kick to the back of the head" feel that most supercars nowadays have. With 0-60 times dropping in most cars now, the McLaren needs the brutal acceleration to match the competition. The acceleration is produced by a twin-turbo V8 that must be swallowing quite a lot of water right now through these huge side vents. The V8 is noted for having a complete lack of any distinct exhaust note, it sounds like a very generic V8, it growls a bit at higher RPMs but is somewhat forgettable compared to the 458's 9000rpm banshee of an engine.

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As you just saw there, I passed the McLaren through a couple of hard corners in heavy rain without any fuss at all. This moves me onto the second point about this car: the Traction Control System. I'm pushing the car near the limit, and it's onboard computers are sending the appropriate amounts of power to the rear wheels at the precise time when I need it. This combined with the MP4's use of computers instead of anti-roll bars ensures me that no matter how hard I push the car, there will always be grip at any point through a curve. It's truly an amazing system that McLaren has developed.

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After throwing the 12C through those corners, I can safely say that it is one of the best handling cars in the buisness. There's been a lot of superb super cars with great handling, but none really tear your face off in intense corners like the McLaren does.

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This track is just being eaten by this car! What an astonishing peice of engineering, this one!

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All of this scientific precision has been poured into a car-shaped body and unleashed onto the track. McLaren has built here one of the seven technological wonders of the world. It's maximum attack at all times with this car and it's technology, no letting up at all anywhere, no loosing time sliding about or loosing high-end torque. The MP4 is at full acceleration at all times when the gas pedal is planted.

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I think that's about enough time with the car to form my final opinions. I could drive it all day without having to worry for my life or the car because of a crash, and this is where I start to have problems with this car.

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Glancing at it back in the garage, seeing the shapes reminds me of how clean and sterile this car feels. It doesn't do dirty or reckless driving, it's too sophisticated and refined for that, too grown up. I love this car from a techincal standpoint, I really do, but I feel like this car and McLaren played it too safe when releasing it. It has too many technologies to help you drive the car that it starts to feel like a mid-engined GT-R at times with all of the performance but a detached feeling of driving. This car is trying too hard to use science to help you, it feels like it was made by engineers instead of artisans. It feels like it lost its sense of joy and fun during the pursuit of ultimate performance.

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I handed Thrasher the keys back. Maybe some day I'll appreciate this car for what it is instead of the joyless machine that I perceive it to be. Maybe I'm just missing the point here, but I'd much rather drive or race the Ferrari 458 any day over the McLaren just for the simple fact that it's more fun.

But hey, it's all about what people perceive as fun in the end, right?

Oh well, I've gathered enough resources for my article and I'm ready to head back to work from Midfield, my ride is still waiting after all...

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Wow! This is amazing Haha good job! :cheers: (I know this was from earlier this year but I've just discovered this thread)

Thank you quite a lot, even though this stuff is from earlier this year I'm going to try to get out more reviews before the end of the year and maybe expand the number I'm doing because of the GT Sport delay. So that will give me some more time before I start doing more reviews like the LaFerrari and Veneno and such.
 
Legends of GT:5
BMW Vision Gran Turismo

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Now, in the next installment of Legends of GT, we take a look at what is so far my favourite car from the entire VGT programme in general. The BMW Vision Gran Turismo, or VGT for short.

What makes this BMW Vision special to me is it's attention to real-world detail. This detail has been lost in some of the newer projects, but this car would look right at home as a modern BMW track-day car.

This attention to real-world detail becomes apparent when lining it up against it's sheet-metal brother, the M4 Coupe.

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Both cars exhibit a very similar front facia. They both have the same "4-3" setup with the headlight and vent placement. 4-3 stands for two headlights and grill spaces in the top, and three cut-outs in the bottom. We can assume these treatments serve the same purpose on both cars. It's actually striking how similar these cars appear in the front view alone.

Independently, the Vision has very aggressive side inlets compared to the M4, supposedly to cure the massive rear brakes of excess heat. The engine exhaust also diverts to the side panels of the car instead of out the back like the M4, in true race car fashion.

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Around the back of the car, we can witness firsthand the design lineage shared with it's brother. The taillight shape is almost identical on both cars, with the Vision being exempt from the legally required indicators on the M4's lights. Both are filled with LED strips that flow the length of the assemblies to give a very aggressive and modern look in dark environments.

The Vision comes equipped with a much lower ride height than anything previously seen in the M line. The massive rear diffuser is barely scraping against the floor. This diffuser works in tandem with a specially-designed rear spoiler to deliver massive amounts of downforce equivalent to that of a modern touring car.

Overall, it is clear the Vision takes inspiration from past and modern BMW's like the old E21 Group 5 and the modern M4 Coupe, while also looking to the future at the same time. Being a concept has not caused the car to loose it's sense of ancestry one bit.
It maintains the strong, angular forms of the past, but the car is also given modern, elegant lines.​

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On the track, the car is equally as graceful as the styling.

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BMW didn't feel it necessary to cram the vehicle full of hybrid technology, or unproven prototype gizmos. This concept in the Vision Gran Turismo line is one of the most classically-styled automobiles in the programme. No fancy aerodynamic aids or 5-way traction control systems are working against you as the driver. This car is as pure as any real-world racing machine. Inspired by touring cars, not in form, but also function.

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The BMW Vision is powered by a racing version of the M division's Inline-6 engine. Tuned to 541hp and 500ft-lb of torque, the car is grounded in reality by not only it's design, but also the powerplant. The exhaust note is also similar to other BMW road cars with the same engine, further cementing it's lineage. The car weighs a smidge under 1,200kg and has a perfect 50:50 axle load distribution. Perfect handling from this Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive racer is to be expected just from description alone. The description translates perfectly into the driving feel as well, creating one of the most powerful yet balanced cars in the class.

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The car has a very distinct punch to the acceleration. BMW claims the engine was tuned to deliver impressive amounts of torque as low as 1,900rpm in the spectrum. The means the car dives into the corners late with it's gigantic carbon-ceramics, yet exits the corner with velocity fitting of a bullet on the other side. A very nimble and powerful car, yet controllable at the same time. An impressive feat of engineering from BMW to manage this.

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Overall, the BMW Vision Gran Turismo is a lot like the Pagani Zonda R reviewed here previously. A testament to mankind's creative freedom when not put in the face of restriction. A very distinct car. Full of heritage, full of current traits, yet always looking to the future. The very car that should define the VGT programme, and a keeper within the Legends of GT. the designers at BMW are proud of this concept from a design standpoint, and should be proud of themselves for their inspiration and revolutionary design.
It is the people who make the cars within Gran Turismo, who are incredible.​
 
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