This week’s Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge takes place on Tokyo Expressway’s Central Clockwise layout; Polyphony Digital’s interpretation of the Japanese ‘Mid Night Club’ underground racing scene.
The Mid Night club saw legions of highly-tuned Skylines, RX7s and Porsches pound around the ring roads of Tokyo, often engaging in illegal street races at breakneck speeds.
This is one reason drivers were only known by their forenames – it maintained their’ anonymity when the authorities got involved. Which they often did…
The Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R Nismo 400R is the car of choice for this Lap Time Challenge and is an absolute weapon in Mid Night Club terms. This is in part thanks to its 400bhp straight-six engine, capable of propelling it to 60mph in just four seconds.
Its top speed was just shy of 190mph too – not bad for a car with room in the back for two burly adults. Its agility impressed most, however, with the 400R able to out-handle anything from Maranello or Stuttgart.
It’s also extremely rare, with only 40 examples in existence (not all are accounted for today, however), meaning prices have sky-rocketed to nearly £1m. Probably not a good idea to race one, then…
Tokyo Expressway Central Clockwise: track guide
The first ‘S’ bend is flat-out, but try to hang left as the next corner is a fourth-gear right-hander. Lift off the throttle slightly for the next right and then it’s flat to the floor all the way through the next tunnel.
Cresting the hill, ensure you’re on the far left of the track as you turn in early and shift down into fourth to take the next corner, before another flat-out blast ahead of the following right-hander. Again, this requires a brief shift down into fourth gear as the car compresses downwards into the tunnel.
Keep your foot on the gas through here as you enter the trickiest part of the course. Brake slightly for the left-hander just outside the tunnel, then keep it pinned through the following right and left, taking care of your car placement as one wall touch invalidates your lap time.
Shift into third for the left turn exiting the next tunnel and make your way to the final third-gear right-hander for the run to the finish line.
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.
Gran Turismo 7 Lap Time Challenge video guide
The fastest lap at the time of publication has been set by F. Muñoz with a 1:21.499, as shown below.
Recommended car: Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R Nismo 400R Legends Cars, 1,800,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
Race Information
Track: Tokyo Expressway – Central Clockwise
Entry Period: 2nd – 16th November
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Sports: Soft
Wide body: Prohibited
Nitrous/Overtake: Prohibited
Specified Car: Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R Nismo 400R
Car Restrictions
Bop/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Invalidate Time
Wall Collision Penalty: Invalidate Time
