An absolutely bumper crop of events is now available in the Gran Turismo 7 Online Time Trial section, with this week’s early update seeing two new challenges added to the list alongside the regular Thursday events and some special events.
Both new time trials feature content added in the 1.63 update in an unexpected slew of challenges and, although they’re starting a day early, both seem to be regular events that will expire in the normal slot on Thursday October 9.
First on the list is the new Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo. This 800hp, AWD electric monster previews the design of the next-generation Corsa road car, but has slightly over-the-top proportions, power, and technology.
You’ll need to master one of those bits of tech if you want to score a top time too, as it features a unique boost function. This delivers an extra 80hp but you can only operate it in four discrete four-second bursts before it expires. It then takes 20 seconds of braking effort to recharge one burst — even in time trial conditions.
That’ll greatly affect your time as you gun for the gold, currently requiring a 1:08.739 lap of the Road Atlanta circuit on Racing Medium tires. It’s a dynamic target though, sitting at +3% of the world record, so expect that to fall, perhaps into the 1:08.2s, as players get used to the new car’s foibles.
Alongside that is a wholly different challenge in the new Hyundai Elantra N ’23. You’ll be throwing this 276hp, front-wheel sports sedan around the Nurburgring GP circuit on Sports Hard tires this week, with the current record for doing so now a 2:20.581.
Again, that’ll drop as players get more familiar with the machine, so we’re expecting the 2:24.798 gold boundary to drop quite a bit in the next fortnight. Figure on needing at least half a second less than that.
The early addition of the new events comes as we still have a day on the outgoing Suzuka Gr.3 challenge, and times there have now dropped sufficiently to require a 2:00.928 for that gold reward. We’re not expecting this event to be replaced tomorrow, with the two events above taking that role.
You’ll still have just over a week on the slippery Eiger Nordwand event too, as you race the Lancia Stratos the wrong way around this Alpine pass.
Somewhat like the car on the downhill section, times have plummeted in the past week. The current record is now a 1:14.389 — the only time below a 1:14.4 — which has dropped the gold target now to a 1:16.620. That’s a little faster than we’d expected, but the clustering of times at the top suggests there’s not that much more left; if a 1:16.5 isn’t safe, a 1:16.4 should be.
If you’ve not quite had enough of hot-lapping, the two special events are also still available, tying into esports activities and with some slightly increased payouts.
You’ve only got a couple of days left on the Honda Racing eMS series Time Trial, which runs until September 28. This is the qualifier for the three online finals, each of which will feature the ten fastest eligible players in each region (nine in Asia-Oceania, with the defending champion taking the final slot).
There’s been very little movement in the top times — using the 2016 Honda NSX Concept-GT race car, on Racing Medium tires, at the full Autodrome Lago Maggiore Circuit — and the current record is a 1:38.889. That keeps the gold target at 1:41.855 and we still reckon a 1:41.7 will be safe gold.
With last weekend’s Gran Turismo World Series Round 2 event in Berlin now in the rear-view mirror, there’s even less time left on the associated event in the Porsche 962C at the no-chicane variant of Monza. The record remains the same as last week, so if you can get into gold now — at 1:26.784 — you’re probably safe enough.
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 — though the two special events right now offer 500,000cr for bronze, and the Berlin event has a more generous 20% limit.
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 September 25.
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge September 24 – Nurburgring
- Track: Nurburgring GP
- Car: Hyundai Elantra N ’23 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Sports Hard
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge September 24 – Road Atlanta
- Track: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
- Car: Opel Corsa GSE Vision GT – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Racing Medium
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge September 18 – Eiger Nordwand
- Track: Eiger Nordwand Reverse
- Car: Lancia Stratos ’73 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (L)
- Tires: Comfort Soft
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge September 11 – Suzuka Circuit
- Track: Suzuka Circuit
- Car: Gr.3 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Racing Soft
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge Special Event – GTWS Berlin
- Track: Autodromo Nazionale Monza No Chicane
- Car: Porsche 962C ’88 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (H)
- Tires: Racing Soft
- Settings: Fixed
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge Special Event – Honda Racing eMS
- Track: Autodrome Lago Maggiore Full Course
- Car: Honda NSX Concept-GT ’16 – Garage/Rental Car
- Power/Weight/PP Limit: BOP (M)
- Tires: Racing Medium
- Settings: Partially Allowed – Brake Balance
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