I can’t believe it’s been two years since I sold my motorcycle. I’m still keeping a close eye on it, as my buddy Mike is restoring it from the ground up. I only partially regret letting it go, as I knew I was ready for the next step. And right now I’m spending too much time looking at Honda VFR800s again.
Even though I felt amazing on BMW’s F900 GSA, I would only want one as a secondary bike. I still need something sportier in my life, at least for a few more years.
I’ve also been looking at Triumph’s 955i, and BMW’s K1200S, but I’m slightly concerned the latter just has too much power for me right now. It’s a never ending dilemma, and I’m certain riding them would provide the answer.
I just have other priorities to deal with right now. Even though I’m so eager to get back in the saddle, doing so in the virtual world doesn’t feel appealing to me any longer. None of the bike-focused titles I’ve played in recent years have felt even remotely satisfying.
Still, with all of its drawbacks, Gran Turismo 7 is still good enough for me to want more of it. And I think I’ve finally gotten used to the new physics, too. Practice makes perfect, right? Initially, I thought about going for one single story looking at the new Time Trial and Weekly Challenges. Then, I realized there’s just too much ground to cover this way, so I’ll return with more details about the Time Trial later today.
Japanese FF Challenge 450
Photo: autoevolution
Before I tell you more about my time with the Japanese FF Challenge 450, I just wanted to say I was surprised to get a free Mercedes-MAG GT3 race car from some giveaway/campaign. Speaking of which, time is running out for the Viewers Gift Campaign where you can win a Toyota FT-1 VGT Gr.3 and a 787B.
Selling the two will earn you more credits than just completing the Weekly Challenges. Sure, the 800,000-credits bonus on top of the actual prizes are good to have, but don’t forget how much the vehicles in the Legends Car Dealership cost.
We had Sardegna Road Track C on the menu last week as well, albeit the Reverse version of the layout. I only needed 59.7 seconds per lap in my tuned Porsche 911 GT3 RS at the time, and I decided to use something a bit less extreme today. My Honda Civic Type R (FK8) was the slowest FF machine in the garage (579 PP) and I didn’t even bother with any visual upgrades.
It took me 60 seconds to get in the lead, struggling with some nasty understeer along the way. Torque steer also feels like a much bigger problem with the updated physics, but I imagine it could feel the same way with the real car which I haven’t driven yet. Also, I was five seconds slower per lap compared to the Porsche if you were curious about the difference.
Japanese FR Challenge 450
Photo: autoevolution
You’ll notice that half of the events on today’s list are Japanese-focused. From the FF Challenge we’re moving on to the FR Challenge, something that’s guaranteed to make things a bit more exciting. This time, even the circuit is located in Japan, even though it’s just a fictional venue (Kyoto Driving Park-Yamagiwa).
As much as I miss having a motorcycle at home, I miss driving my FC RX-7 even more. But there’s one more level above that, which is driving Mike’s 550 horsepower FD. That should explain my choice of machine for the second Weekly Challenges event.
I don’t know if I’m just daydreaming, but something tells me that Mazda is genuinely about to reveal a successor for the iconic sports car soon. Anyway, I’m sure this event was a prime candidate for the two new Toyotas in the game, especially since the Mark II Tourer V was in the lead (at least for the first 77 seconds).
Having just driven the new RX-7 in Assetto Corsa EVO, I can tell you that Kunos is much closer to the real thing than Polyphony is. Even so, I still had a blast for a little over four minutes at Yamagiwa, and the Clean Race Bonus bumped the prize up to 60,000 credits.
Ferrari Circuit Challenge
Photo: autoevolution
I had just bought a Ferrari F40 last week, and I knew it would be perfect for this Circuit Challenge around the Deep Forest Raceway.
I fitted the car with RM tires, installed a new Medium-RPM turbo and a bunch of other upgrades for a maximum output of 625 bhp and also lowered to weight to 2,255 lbs/1,023 kg.
It was a bit confusing to see that switching to a bigger rear spoiler decreased the PP level, but maybe someone who understands aerodynamics better has the answer to that. Even though this is a 6-lap battle, there’s no tire wear or fuel consumption to worry about. I hit 180 mph/290 kph down the main straight on my first pass, and was in the lead by the third lap.
There are quite a few modern cars on the grid, but the F40 handles like a dream with these sticky tires on. It’s obviously not nearly as scary to drive as the AC EVO version, but that won’t stop me from spending more time with it soon. Expect a payout of 90,000 credits after a little over nine minutes of racing action.
Special Race
Photo: autoevolution
Of course the newly-added Caterham Seven Superlight R500 gets its own event. It’s quite a common occurrence after every update. And I obviously wasn’t going to use my engine swapped one for the race, as it’s way too under powered to make any sense here.
Going all out on the engine will take it up to 498 bhp, bringing the power to weight ratio into an exciting area. In hindsight, it migh be a bit too much for the short wheelbase to handle. It felt sketchy through most sections, even when just accelerating in a straight line.
Adapting to the lightweight chassis almost feels like having to relearn the basic driving skills at times. I still think the sweet spot for a car sits at around the 2,204 lbs/1,000 kg marker. Driving this for six laps around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit made me wonder if the Ariel Atom V8 would make for a more thrilling experience.
I won the race in nine minutes, lapping everyone by the time it was all over. Winning 105,000 credits wasn’t the best part, as I somehow unlocked a Porsche 963 from the 4-star Roulette Ticket I got for the daily marathon. Talk about being lucky!
World Touring Car 800
Photo: autoevolution
It’s been a while since my last visit to Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit. It’s easily one of my favorite venues on the planet, and I have TOCA Race Driver 3 for “teaching” me how to be decently fast around it. I looked at the line-up of cars for the event, and it consisted of Group 3 and GT500 machines.
I figured going with my turbocharged Mercedes CLK-LM would be fun, even if I had to switch to RH tires and adjust the ECU to 94%. I didn’t want a racing livery this time, as the clean look was more appealing.
It’s honestly ballistic to drive, even though it’s not quite fond of hairpins and other tight corners. I managed to hit 199 mph/320 kph down the main straight, going through a quarter of a tank after two laps. I could have probably managed without a pit stop here, if I had turned the power further down a bit. And I also would’ve gotten a sub 2-minute lap if I didn’t get caught up in the traffic up ahead.
You will want to reserve around 21 minutes for this final event, especially since 700,000-credits are waiting at the end if you finish in P1 (Weekly Challenges bonus included). I guess it shouldn’t be “legal” to use this machine against GT3 cars, considering I gapped the Ferrari 296 GT3 in P2 by almost two minutes.