There’s more choice on offer in this week’s new Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge. Instead of being forced to use a single car this around GT7 players can pick from the finest Gr.3 cars – all subject to strict Balance of Performance controls, naturally.
The choice of track is something a little different from the norm too – albeit not quite as different as last week’s Broad Bean Raceway – in that we’re using the tiny West End configuration of Autodrome Lago Maggiore, meaning we may just see the fastest lap time sneak under the 50s barrier.
Gran Turismo 7’s Lap Time Challenges explained
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.
Measuring under one mile in length, the West End circuit still manages to pack in nine corners. Excitingly, the track is rife with undulations and cambers, enticing you to carry more speed with each pass-through. The best example of this is the Turn 7 hairpin, which features steep enough banking to rival Talladega.
You can carry a ton of speed through here by using the road camber to slow the car up, with the rest of the track’s sinewy curves proving wide enough to thread a bulky Gr.3 car through.
The first three corners are all about maximising the exit from Turn 3. A conventional racing line into Turn 1 is ok, but you’ll need to sacrifice speed into Turn 2 to move all the way over to the right for a full-throttle run through Turn 3.
It’s a similar story at Turn 4, where hugging the left side of the road on entry will open up the exit of the tight Turn 5 hairpin and the long run through the Turn 6 kink to the bowl-like hairpin.
The final two sweeps are high-speed tests, where hugging the inside of Turn 8 will let you get the power on early for the short run onto the start/finish straight.
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge car choice and video guide
In terms of car choice, we recommend the Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ’18. It possesses all the agility and pace you’ll need to tackle the fictional Italian track’s twists and turns. And it looks the part too.
The fastest lap at the time of publication has been set by Malaysian player DannyR_3967 with a 50.922s. The lap below exemplifies the speed and racing line sacrifices you need to make into a sequence of corners to maximise exits.
Recommended car: Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ’18 (Brand Central 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
Race Information
Track: Autodrome Lago Maggiore West End
Entry Period: 13th-27th July
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing: Medium
Wide body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Unrestricted
Regulations
Gr.3 cars
Car Restrictions
Bop/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed (M)
Car used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
