We’re off to Kent in the South of England for this week’s new Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge, and this time around we take a break from hurling purpose-built racecars at apexes by settling down in a luxury saloon car.
Ah yes, there’s nothing more relaxing than a calm drive through the leafy surroundings of Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix Circuit but you’ll need all your racing driver instincts to get the best out of the beefy Genesis G70 3.3T AWD.
Arriving in its Prestige Pack form, the Genesis is a four-wheel-drive sporty saloon to rival the likes of the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class – handily sharing its underpinnings with the Kia Stinger.
Although the Genesis is a credible rival to the German behemoths it manages to undersell them by some margin (and it comes with a gargantuan 10-year warranty to boot).
The Prestige Pack offers a Brembo braking system, and you’ll need this to be operating at ten-tenths to provide enough confidence through the off-camber dips and dives of Brands Hatch.
Brands Hatch GP track guide
Turn 1 – Paddock Hill Bend – is a perfect example of this, featuring a big stop into a blind downhill right-hander, with the road slipping away from you on exit.
Turn in early, trail brake towards the apex, apply the power earlier than you think and use the compression to maximise momentum.
Driver skill makes the difference in the Grand Prix loop, with three successive high-speed right-handers providing slightly different challenges. Hawthorn Bend is the fastest of the three, with a late apex providing the optimal run into Westfield Bend.
The road falls away on exit with a large, flat kerb outside there to save the over-ambitious, which leads into the blind Dingle Dell. You can take liberties with the inside kerb here but drifting too far wide will almost certainly lead to disaster seeing as the grass leaves no margin for error.
The Genesis is an unorthodox beast to be throwing around a former Grand Prix venue – especially when fitted with Medium compound Sports tyres – but its total traction gives it a sure-footedness to make up for its copious body roll and lazy handling.
Lap Time Challenge explained
The fastest lap at the time of publication has been set by Jeddah_Racing with a 1:39.204 – try to emulate their inch-perfect car placement from the video below.
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: Genesis G70 3.3T AWD Prestige Package ’22 (Brand Central 56,500 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
Race Information
Track: Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit
Entry Period: 23rd June-6th July
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Sports: Medium
Wide body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Regulations (Specified Car)
Genesis G70 3.3T AWD Prestige Package ’22
Car Restrictions
Bop/Tuning Forbidden: Low-speed (L)
Car used: Garage Car, Event-Sepcified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
