Why is the rest of the world faster than the USA?

[Eucharist08]

The first few hours I tried I was hanging in the top 5 I haven't tried since then. I'm waiting a few days to let everyone else find out the best cars to use then I'll hit the track.

 

[R34EVO9]

And i think the roads you have to drive on in the US is a joke. Yea they are some good roads but there not everywhere . I was born in Jamaica and lived there until i was about 16. Driving down there is a lot more challenging than in America . And you have to take your license in a standard car. MY route i drove to school everyday living thing there was a tight mountain road where you would have to beep your horn in certain sections so people could know your coming and everyone drives with there high beams on. I drove an Evo 6 living there.

 

[Stevisiov]

Guys, racing has nothing to do with straight or curvy roads.

Races are held on race tracks. Lewis Hamilton didn`t trained his skills on public roads. Without competetive feeder formula racing series, the level of race driving will fall.

America has no equivalent to WSbR, GP3, GP2, F3, FBMW, etc. Also, karting is much bigger in europe. That`s the reason why almost no american open wheel racer managed to prove himself in europe. It has nothing to do with the lack of talent.
I repeat myself, oval racing is pretty small in germany. I haven`t checked stats and datas yet, but Im sure that there weren`t many german NASCAR drivers in the past, right?

This is true.

Then again, you can certainly make a good case for Finnish drivers being particularly good at rallying, because many of the 'extreme' driving conditions faced in rallying can be found in normal road driving scenarios.

There are plenty more factors of course, the initial driving test they take is far more comprehensive than almost every other country, and of course the strong racing culture contribute to it being very popular.

 

[4everdelayed]

Guys, racing has nothing to do with straight or curvy roads.

Actually it does. You just have to look at the origins of motorsports.

There is a very simple reason why there are barely any ovals or drag strips in Europe.

 

[andy63]

This is true.

Then again, you can certainly make a good case for Finnish drivers being particularly good at rallying, because many of the 'extreme' driving conditions faced in rallying can be found in normal road driving scenarios.

There are plenty more factors of course, the initial driving test they take is far more comprehensive than almost every other country, and of course the strong racing culture contribute to it being very popular.

that is true. becuse in sweden we got the same kinds of raods and we have rally stage like roads here. And i find myself driving very fast in the snow on very small and curvy roads. about 100kph is not rare here haha.

Also, why maybe U.S are slower at the moment might have to do with their interests. They maybe want to drift more or just drive online.

 

[Khaddar]

It's all good though since we have stereotypes against Europeans as well. Rampant nationalists, Elitists, bad teeth, gaudy clothes, rude etc etc.

This is outrageous! A disgrace! I, sir, am in no way a rampant nationalist.

 

[Stephen220378]

Comparing real life driving to a video game and saying it makes a difference = priceless.

^ This.

 

[Hypergolem]

It is more probably because the americans are busy with the GT academy competition (since it is only for the USA) all the good drivers (and the bad...) are there fighting for the best laps.

 

[awr117]

The US doesn't have roads like these so naturally you won't see this kind of racing in America.

The US doesn't have roads like what? Like those videos? Because the US surely does have roads like those.


The Dragon

Deals Gap is a popular and internationally famous destination for driving enthusiasts (of motorcycles and sports cars), as it is located along a stretch of two-lane road known as "The Dragon" or the "Tail of the Dragon".[2] The 11-mile stretch of the Dragon in Tennessee is said to have 318 curves. Some of the Dragon's sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Wheelie Hell, Killboy (formerly Shade Tree) Corner, Mud Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner's End, and Brake or Bust Bend. The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon's tail.

 

[niky]

Also, why maybe U.S are slower at the moment might have to do with their interests.

Possibly true. Possibly has something to do with many US players still playing that other title. Perhaps GT5 is the videogame equivalent of Football?

There is a very simple reason why there are barely any ovals or drag strips in Europe.

I blame it on the lack of good beaches and long range tactical bombers.

 

[speedthrill]

I will apologize ahead of time for not reading the rest of the posts before commenting, but the video I am quoting is probably the best driving I have ever seen.

That's why he is my local personal hero. Patrick rocks!

But yeah seriously, roads like that is all i know in my life here in Belgium. I live on the back roads and i love it. Most only 2 meters and a half wide and with unending turns and bumps, twitches and cracks..

This is how Europe (the core) was built and we all are used to it.
It's a big difference between that and long flat pavement 50 meters wide...

For the scandinavian people, I think it's Finland. They start drivers license education at 14? and it ends at 18 or something.
4 years of educating slips, saves, drifts, dirt driving, tarmac driving,...
It's a ninja rally school within the drivers license. Offcourse they are world champions, their school is friggin awesome!👍

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Most finish driver also learn very quick to drive on snow that's why so many of them rocks in rally.

 

[NeuroFiZT]

Technical circuit racing requires discipline, patience, hard work, and physical fitness.... all attributes that we americans don't have

 

[Shaneman]

I think American cars are (generally) build for comfort rather than sport, roads are (generally) straight, with a low speed limit (I believe 55mph) and corners are (generally) 90 degrees. In short - Americans don't need to push the envelope on the road.

American motorsport - like most American sports don't tend to travel well so, I think, America's whole driving culture is a bubble, somewhat removed from the wider world.

Spending a month outside of America is a great thing. I was lucky enough to spend a month in south Africa. Driving a right hand drive Hyundai atos. It's like America in the early 80's. People just sitting in the back of trucks, doing 120km/hr (75mph). I was born here in the states and this "bubble" is the absolute truth. Not just with cars. Here it's baseball, there cricket. We got football with pads, they got rugby. We got NASCAR, they got f1 open wheel. As the foreigner said to me, " stupid American!". Lmao, we are blind to what the rest of the works has to offer!

 

[PaTrond]

I think that has to do with driving traditions. Fins are generally good drivers. For some reason spanish too. Spain's roads are a bit straight forward, like the americans. Yes both countries got curvy roads in north.

I'm not sure if I want to make a discussion, but maybe it (also) has to do with the cars. European cars are often better in corners than americans. (I've read and seen) several statistics that shows americans often stick to american cars. American cars are more or less rare here in Europe (except Ford, which mostly based their cars on Volvos). As European cars generally handles better, we may get more intrigued in technical driving.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Spending a month outside of America is a great thing. I was lucky enough to spend a month in south Africa. Driving a right hand drive Hyundai atos. It's like America in the early 80's. People just sitting in the back of trucks, doing 120km/hr (75mph). I was born here in the states and this "bubble" is the absolute truth. Not just with cars. Here it's baseball, there cricket. We got football with pads, they got rugby. We got NASCAR, they got f1 open wheel. As the foreigner said to me, " stupid American!". Lmao, we are blind to what the rest of the works has to offer!

If any foreigner called me that I would've punched him in the mouth. Then give him help after punching him.

And yeah, driving on our roads get boring as it just mostly a straight and a speed limit no one abides to.

 

[theederv]

It's easy.

Intersections = Driving Fail
Roundabouts = Driving Win

Thats why Europeans are the worlds best drivers....

Seb Loeb 7 times World Rally Champion = French (France has roundabouts)
Sebastien Vettel = Formula One World Champion = German (Germany has Roundabouts)
Fernando Alonso = Forumla One World Champion = SPanish (Spain has Roundabouts)
Valentino Rossi = 7 x Moto GP World Champion = Italian (Italy has Roundabouts)
Lewis Hamilton & Jensen Button = Formula One World Champions = British (Britain has a million roundabouts)

Case Closed!

 

[Enzo_Guy]

I think that has to do with driving traditions. Fins are generally good drivers. For some reason spanish too. Spain's roads are a bit straight forward, like the americans. Yes both countries got curvy roads in north.

I'm not sure if I want to make a discussion, but maybe it (also) has to do with the cars. European cars are often better in corners than americans. (I've read and seen) several statistics that shows americans often stick to american cars. American cars are more or less rare here in Europe (except Ford, which mostly based their cars on Volvos). As European cars generally handles better, we may get more intrigued in technical driving.

This is a very good point. Something I have noticed after having visited several other parts of the world is that each place defines "racing" differently.

In Europe, two rivals often will go to a track and see who is the better driver in the better car around the corners. European cars tend to favor handling and comfort over straight line speed as Europe has more twisting and technical roads.

Much of America is straight and flat. We've always enjoyed muscle cars. Big power, but lacking in the turns and generally stop with chewing gum. It makes sense then that a race between two rivals here is generally done at the drag strip. Most Americans aren't up to par with their European counterparts in rally or road course driver because the racing of choice here is an all-out blast down a 1/4-mile track. I love drag racing, mostly because anything can do it if you know what you're doing and it's one of the best grassroots motor sports. Anybody can take whatever they want (as long as it passes safety) to the local drag strip and fun. It's not uncommon here to see diesel trucks running against Honda Civics down the track.

Australians, well those crazy SOBs will race anything that has tires! For the Americans reading this, imagine that our muscle car wars never ended. You can go buy a family car with a 400hp V8 and a 6-speed manual for under $40K off the showroom floor. Now imagine bringing in any JDM car you want requires just minor fluid changes. These guys throw a blown 1000hp V8 into a '69 Camaro with the sole intent of melting rear tires and call it racing. If you're ever in Australia, the burnout competitions are not to be missed.

 

[GTRL_Junior]

Americans are good with FPS but the rest of the world love sim racing. I can speak for Brazil in general, we are sim freaks! GT series has been in our hearts since day one. Now with GT5 even more than ever! We are good at it. www.gtbr.com.br is a good example of how big the community is down in Brazil, kind like GTplanet is here for the USA.

 

[aws1423]

Because we are keen on going left.

 

[sumbrownkid]

America can't be the best at everything fellas.

We have to give the rest of the world a chance too....

 

[Holyman]

Isn't it a question of Natural Selection?

U.S. cars are big and heavy; roads are straight, and straightforward; also, U.S. traffic cops are mostly fascists who will beat up and put in jail people who drive dangerously.

Meanwhile, in Europe: light and nimble cars leave the twisting, often mountainous roads quite easily; and unless you're driving drunk, or doing hand-brake turns outside a school, European cops will often turn a blind eye.

Result: more young men die from reckless driving on European roads than on American roads.

Therefore: only the naturally talented at driving are left to populate the gene-pool.

Nowhere is this more clearly the case than in Finland.

Q.E.D.

 

[RustyNut]

So GT5's AI is USAian?

By the way the USA isn't America, there is South America and Canada

Sorry but USA is America, it says so right in it's name, what other country has America in its name? What else would you call Americans, United States of Americans? Give me a break, I've always found it annoying when South Americans and Canadians pull this "you're not the only Americans line". Technically no we're not the only Americans of course but get real, everyone in the world knows exactly who you're talking about when you call a person American.

 

[BoneSawTX]

U.S. traffic cops are mostly fascists who will beat up and put in jail people who drive dangerously.

I'm going to take this as a joke.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Sorry but USA is America, it says so right in it's name, what other country has America in its name? What else would you call Americans, United States of Americans? Give me a break, I've always found it annoying when South Americans and Canadians pull this "you're not the only Americans line". Technically no we're not the only Americans of course but get real, everyone in the world knows exactly who you're talking about when you call a person American.

I would have thought that America not being the popular kid at the moment would make Canadians and South Americans not want to be called American.

 

[Shaneman]

My local highway here, the speed limit is 50! Straight two laneS on each side of highway. These cops nab you for doing 60! Going 70 in my 90 gsx is nerve racking and ruins the whole driving experience, knoWing you'll get an instant ticket, no questions, no excuses!

 

[Holyman]

I'm going to take this as a joke.

Well, a slight exaggeration for comic effect…

But there is a truth in it: and not neccessarily a negative one.

I live and drive in the U.K., but have driven a fair bit in the U.S. And the kind of speeding violations I've been ticketed for in the U.S., particularly in Arizona, are incidents that would warrant nothing more than a verbal caution from a British cop...

Point I was making though was that since U.S. traffic cops are generally more intolerant of excessive speed than their European counterparts, this will contribute to driving in the U.S. being safer.

But on the downside, that allows more rubbish American drivers to continue to pollute the U.S. gene-pool, because they're not being culled off in their reckless youth.

No offence intended.

 

[Supercheyenne]

Americans are good with FPS....

Not really that good if you look at leaderboards. French or Spanish (can't tell the difference) people seem to do real well also.

I can speak for Brazil in general, we are sim freaks!

<--- Your profile says you live in Florida?

 

[Afro1]

Not being rude but americans have never dominated leaderboards.
I think they don't have as much time on there hands as europeans and others do. Maybe there is the odd few who are good but it's not gonna happen anytime soon.

 

[GT Motion]

In my opinion, its not that the rest of the world is faster its that the rest of the World has more people who have honed their skills in road racing. In the U.S. there are a lot less people who actually take the time to hone their skills, and when something like this comes along they post bad times where as the rest of the world posts good times because they have more experience in how to go fast on a road course.

We are only speaking for "majority vs majority" though, because if we were to compare individuals vs individuals you could find people from every country around the world who can post near identical times.