Gran Turismo 7’s Lap Time Challenge, 2nd-16th February: ID check

Gran Turismo 7‘s Lap Time Challenge is back, giving players another chance to grab some huge Credits payouts via a time trial format.

This time around, we get a chance to drive the astonishing Volkswagen ID.R around Kyoto Driving Park’s Yamagiwa + Miyabi configuration. The ID.R was conceived by Volkswagen as a technical exercise to improve its ID range of electric road vehicles. Don’t expect your ID Buzz to share the ID.R’s 680bhp anytime soon, however…

The ID.R holds the electric car lap record of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In 2019 the car set a shockingly quick 6min 05.336secs lap time, with Romain Dumas at the helm. Although this is some way short of the 5min 19.45secs petrol-powered record set by Timo Bernhard in a Porsche 919 Evo in 2018, it’s still an impressive feat for an all-electric car.

With a Drag Reduction System (DRS) and four-wheel drive, the ID.R is a massively capable racing machine which also holds the outright Pikes Peak hillclimb record – surpassing the world’s fastest gas guzzlers in the process.

We’d love to have seen this Lap Time Challenge on the Nordschleife instead of Kyoto Driving Park, but its 4.25-mile Yamagiwa + Miyabi layout also plays to the aerodynamic strengths of the ID.R thanks to an abundance of high-speed sections.

Kyoto’s kerbs are wide and generally flat too, so feel free to use as many of these as you can to help straight-line as many corners as possible.

As mentioned previously, the ID.R has a DRS system, so make sure to map a button for the Overtake/Nitrous functions in the controller options menu. The DRS can be activated above 85mph and requires enough throttle application to keep it open (80% and above should do it). Late apexes are your friend here, as they allow you to achieve a straighter exit and get on the power and DRS earlier.

In-game, when the DRS icon (found to the right of the accelerator widget) is greyed out, you can’t activate it. When it’s white you can. When the DRS is open the icon will be red.

The ID.R has plenty of downforce, so use the DRS as much as possible, even leaving it open when cornering. You’ll need to use some throttle to keep it open remember, so build up your confidence gradually.

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 for that 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.

At the time of publication, Australian Andrew Lee holds the fastest lap award with a 1:54.587. The question is, can you get close enough to bring home all those lovely Credits? Good luck and remember to keep it pinned!

Recommended car: Volkswagen ID.R ’19 (Brand Central, 2,000,000 Credits or free car rental)

Lap Time Challenge

Race Information

Track: Kyoto Driving Park – Yamagiwa + Miyabi

Entry Period: 2nd-16th February 2023

Regulations

Useable Tyres Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet

Wide Body: Prohibited

Nitrous: Prohibited

Regulations (Specified car)

Volkswagen ID.R ’19

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