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- HSV
I've been playing GT2 since April of 2000. Almost 3 years...I have my original save, many of the same cars are still there. One of the first prize cars that I held onto was the Unisia Jecs GT-R. I used it to complete all the tough stuff in my first whole game.
Over the months and years, I've usually stayed away form that car because it's so easy to win races with it. No challenge at all. But...
...when I've had trouble getting the most out of a new car, spinning and losing races, I fall back on it as a confidence-builder. It works for me. But what's more amazing is how I used to drive that car.
At first, I never messed with the suspension settings much. I understood stabilizer settings because they were easy to manupulate (and remember if you've gooten it all wrong). Then cam ride height. Easy enough. Gears were a snap.
But then came the dive into shock/damper settings. And spring rates. Camber. Toe. Differential settings. Brake balancing. Long ago, they appeared to be things you didn't want to mess with. But gradually, you chage this and that, you start to understand what happens to all sorts of cars when you increase rear spring rates, or toe in, decrease rear camber, etc.
Soon, you have awhole new car. But when you check out your old settings, you start to understand how little you knew then, and how much you know now. You understand expect (usually!) the results of that chage to your car. Not to mention, you're confidence has increased dramatically for each circuit, because you know what you can do and get away with in each corner. You also know your competition better.
This morning, I hauled my trusty Unisia around the tracks and slashed through my old lap records I'd set with that car. By three-four seconds a piece. Yowza...just a few changes and some experience.
I also tried out that '93 Supra that I hadn't messed with all that much. Man, FR cars sure were difficult to drive then. I never tuned them much, either. But I really cut down the times I'd previously set with tha car, too.
So what car(s) is/are your benchmarks...the way of judging your standards...seeing how far you've come?
Over the months and years, I've usually stayed away form that car because it's so easy to win races with it. No challenge at all. But...
...when I've had trouble getting the most out of a new car, spinning and losing races, I fall back on it as a confidence-builder. It works for me. But what's more amazing is how I used to drive that car.
At first, I never messed with the suspension settings much. I understood stabilizer settings because they were easy to manupulate (and remember if you've gooten it all wrong). Then cam ride height. Easy enough. Gears were a snap.
But then came the dive into shock/damper settings. And spring rates. Camber. Toe. Differential settings. Brake balancing. Long ago, they appeared to be things you didn't want to mess with. But gradually, you chage this and that, you start to understand what happens to all sorts of cars when you increase rear spring rates, or toe in, decrease rear camber, etc.
Soon, you have awhole new car. But when you check out your old settings, you start to understand how little you knew then, and how much you know now. You understand expect (usually!) the results of that chage to your car. Not to mention, you're confidence has increased dramatically for each circuit, because you know what you can do and get away with in each corner. You also know your competition better.
This morning, I hauled my trusty Unisia around the tracks and slashed through my old lap records I'd set with that car. By three-four seconds a piece. Yowza...just a few changes and some experience.
I also tried out that '93 Supra that I hadn't messed with all that much. Man, FR cars sure were difficult to drive then. I never tuned them much, either. But I really cut down the times I'd previously set with tha car, too.
So what car(s) is/are your benchmarks...the way of judging your standards...seeing how far you've come?