Road cars continue to dominate recent Gran Turismo 7 Online Time Trial events, with a new challenge beginning today and featuring an iconic Japanese nameplate.
The second-generation Honda NSX is the star of the new Time Trial, technically continuing the American trend of the past few weeks as all examples of this technological tour de force were built in Ohio and originally developed and revealed as an Acura.
A slightly misunderstood car, the second-generation NSX was an attempt to replicate for the 2010s what the original had done for the 1990s: use the very latest technologies to make a supercar that was a performance equal of far more exotic machinery. It still used a V6 engine, but this time it was boosted by twin turbos and assisted by electric motors to reach the near-600hp required for the goal.
You’ll be harnessing it all in a lap of the Autopolis International Speedway, itself something of an unloved item. It was originally created to host Formula One, and while it never managed to meet that goal — in part due to its remote location and some financial issue — it has been a staple of Super GT and Super Formula for decades.
The NSX will require some slightly grippier rubber than standard, by way of Sports Medium tires that you’ll need to buy if you enter your own car but which are provided on the rental machines. From there it’s just a case of going as fast as you can.
At this early stage, that looks like being somewhere in the low 1:56 region. As with last week’s event, the top times are temptingly close to breaking into 1:55s for top players, so we’d be expecting a high 1:55 of some kind by the end of the two weeks. Accordingly your target for the gold rewards should be at least a 1:59.2.
Last week’s Time Trial, using the 2016 Shelby Mustang on Racing tires at Laguna Seca, remains active, with another seven days to set your times — and they’re starting to get a bit spicy.
We’d reckoned on the top players gunning to break into the 1:25s and, sure enough, there’s three players there right now, with the record sitting at a 1:25.863. That’s a little quicker than we had expected, so gold is now below the 1:28.5 we’d estimated and requiring a 1:28.438. Nonetheless, the advice to aim for a 1:28.2 if you want a few days without worrying about if it’ll stick.
In order to access the Online Time Trials, you’ll need to unlock Sport Mode, by completing Menu Book 9 (“Championship: Tokyo Highway Parade”) in the GT Cafe single player hub. As it’s just you against the clock and not a direct, head-to-head multiplayer event, PlayStation Plus is not required.
You’ll usually need to be within 3% of the fastest time globally once the event finishes in order to secure “gold” status and a 2m credit bonus prize. There’s smaller prizes of one million for being within 5%, and 250,000cr for bronze at 10% off.
The events update every Thursday, with each individual challenge usually remaining available for two weeks and the oldest of the two events being replaced each week. You can look forward to the next new Time Trial arriving at 0700 UTC on Thursday May 15.
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge May 8 – Autopolis
- Track: Autopolis International
- Car: Honda NSX ’17 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Sports Medium
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge May 1 – Laguna Seca
- Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Car: Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R ’16 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (L)
- Tires: Racing Hard
- Settings: Fixed
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