Polyphony Digital has decided to celebrate the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race by introducing a new Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge.
Set at the Nürburgring Nordschleife’s 24h layout, this Gr.3 Lap Time Challenge is a taster for the real-world ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring race set to take place 20th-21st May.
The event is one of the most exciting in the world, with drivers battling twice round the clock on the fearsome Nordschleife – also known as the Green Hell, thanks to its challenging layout. The race’s top class is for Gr.3 equivalent GT3 cars but will also see a variety of slower classes participate, making traffic management a test of bravery and skill.
Players need not worry about other cars in this Lap Time Challenge, however, as the track provides a big enough challenge due to its obscenely high speeds and few run-off areas.
Our car of choice is a recent Gr.3 favourite: the Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ‘18. But choosing the fastest car won’t guarantee the best result, so a little Nordschleife driving advice is always welcome.
The first section of the track uses the Nürburgring GP circuit, so should be very familiar to most racers. Treat this as the appetiser to the full Nordschleife main course, as all that lovely racing space will shortly be replaced by metal barriers and blind crests.
If you’re new to the Nordschleife – there must be at least one of you – it’s best to watch some onboard videos to get a feel for the challenge ahead (like the clip below featuring the fastest time so far). Corners will come at you thick and fast, and although some sequences look similar they require very different techniques.
Some sections – like the run to the jump at Flugplatz – are fast and flowing, while the blind, high G-force entry to Fuchsröhre takes a lot of practise and blind faith to get right. But the Nordschleife is also famous for its slow corners, including one in particular; the Karussell.
It looks like a knackered bit of old asphalt – and it is – but the heavily-banked switchback turn evokes the kind of old-school character that makes the Nordschleife such a mecca for motorsport enthusiasts across the globe.
At the time of publication, the fastest laptime has been set by Japanese player DW-yuhki02, with a rapid 8:03.486 – check out a video of their lap below for some pointers.
GT7‘s Lap Time Challenge is a time trial mode where you compete against other players to set the fastest time on the leaderboard. However, there’s a caveat: setting a lap within three per cent of the fastest time nets players 2,000,000 Credits.
If you aren’t quite quick enough, then lapping within five per cent gains you 1,000,000 Credits, while a time inside 10 per cent of the fastest results in a 250,000 Credit payout.
Recommended car: Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ‘18 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
Race Information
Track: Nürburgring Nordschleife 24h
Entry Period: 11th-25th May 2023
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing: Hard, Intermediate, Wet
Category: Gr.3
Wide body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car Restrictions
Bop/Tuning Forbidden: High-speed
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
