It’s an eclectic mix in this week’s Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races, with a single-make Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III race to kick things off. This is followed by the obligatory Gr.3 event in Race B with an exciting 24 Hours of Le Mans twist for Race C.
Like last week, Race A kicks things off with a car added in the game’s recent v1.35 update. But instead of a 2004 Subaru WRX STI, we jump into the spartan cloth driving seat of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II GSR.
In terms of tracks, we’re using Autodrome Lago Maggiore’s West End course in Race A – the same venue as the latest Lap Time Challenge – with a trip to the fictional Croatian Dragon Trail Seaside Reverse track in Race B, before a historic jaunt to Le Mans in Race C.
You can find GT7’s Daily Races in the game’s Sport Mode, offering online ranked racing where you will be placed within events based on your previous performances.
Race A
Like last week’s Impreza, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR is another rally homologation special. Essentially designed as a ‘rally car for the road’, Mitsubishi was at the forefront of rallying performance throughout the nineties.
The Japanese firm also enjoyed a road car arms race with Subaru through the same period, which spilt over into the forests and lanes across the globe as the pair duked it out for the World Rally Championship.
And they did it rather well, with Subaru and Mitsubishi claiming five of the decade’s driver titles in the hands of the laconic Colin McRae and the, err, laconic-er Tommi Mäkinen.
There’s nothing laconic about the Evo III GSR, however, as its four-wheel-drive transmission and lively chassis combination create a beautiful, endlessly chuckable platform with which to throw around Maggiore’s cambered corners.
Recommended car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (Brand Central, 100,000 Credits or free rental)
Race B
Race B is a straight-forward 15-minute sprint race for Gr.3 cars. Using Dragon Trail’s scenic Seaside Reverse layout players should wield the Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept as their weapon of choice; the car currently enjoying a stint as the go-to Gr.3 machine.
Dragon Trail’s ‘chicane of death’ makes a return to GT7 online racing too, but fortunately, there’s no wall collision penalty in play for Race B.
Just as well, really, as bundling 16 cars through its imposing, wall-lined confines on lap one is the stuff of racing nightmares.
Recommended car: Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ’18 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Race C
The Circuit de la Sarthe is the destination for Race C, home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Historic Gr.1s are on the menu, with players able to choose from storied race cars like the Mazda 787B, Nissan R92CP and – our car of choice – the 1989 Sauber Mercedes C9. It costs three-million Credits from the Legend Cars dealership but is thankfully available to rent for free.
The number 63 example as depicted in GT7 was driven by Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens at the 1989 24-Hours of Le Mans, qualifying a lowly 11th. However, they fought back to take the race win – five laps ahead of their teammates in the #61 car.
Sporting a Silver Arrows livery, this tie-in between Sauber and Mercedes-Benz turned out to be the most dominant racer in Group C history, with the Gran Turismo 7 version deploying 710bhp to its rear wheels (before Balance of Performance restrictions).
Chicanery
Interestingly, the 1989 edition of Le Mans was the last to feature the full-length Mulsanne straight, in part thanks to the C9’s incredible 248mph top speed in qualifying. It’s a bit of a shame we use the modern version in Race C, then, with the Mulsanne trisected by two chicanes.
The Sauber is also the second-fastest car ever to run at Le Mans, being beaten only by 1988’s WM Peugeot P88, which clocked 251.1mph before detonating itself in a fiery cloud of Peugeot bits (for a similar experience, drive down any British motorway on a hot summer’s day).
Although listed as lasting 25 minutes the race will actually last around 40 minutes thanks to its 12-lap duration, with players obliged to use both soft and medium compound tyres during the race. Tyre wear isn’t normally a huge issue at Le Mans thanks to its long straights, but with a 6x wear multiplier in force, it’s wise not to run the softs for too long.
Update: Race C was reduced to six laps on 18/7/23
Recommended car: Sauber Mercedes C9 ’89 (Brand Central, 3,000,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenges
Two Lap Time Challenges are available at the time of publication. One takes place with the Red Bull X2014 Junior at a wet Spa-Francorchamps and the other is for Gr.3 cars at Autodrome Lago Maggiore’s West End layout, the latter of which is about the end soon.
Race A
Race Information
Track: Autodrome Lago Maggiore – West End
Laps: Six
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Grid Start with False Start Check
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyre and Types: Comfort Soft
Regulations (Specified Car)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR ’95
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
Car Used: Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
DR Updates: Off
SR Updates: Off
Mechanical Damage: Light
Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
Wall Collision Penalty: Off
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race B
Race Information
Laps: Four
Track: Dragon Trail – Seaside Reverse
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing Medium, Intermediate, Wet
Category: Gr.3
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
DR Updates: Yes
SR Updates: Yes
Mechanical Damage: Light
Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
Wall Collision Penalty: Off
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race C
Race Information
Laps: 6
Track: 24 Heures du Mans Racing Circuit
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 3x
Tyre Wear: 6x
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing Medium, Soft, Intermediate, Wet
Required Tyre Type Change: Racing Medium, Soft
Category: Gr.1
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: High-speed
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Partially Allowed – Brake Balance
Race Settings
DR Updates: Yes
SR Updates: Yes
Mechanical Damage: Light
Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
Wall Collision Penalty: Off
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
