It’s the third week of Gran Turismo 7’s Sport Mode Daily Races, and Balance of Performance (BoP) has reared its head for the first time, with all three races subject to strict controls over the cars and setup options available to players.
The good thing about this is that it ensures cars are as close as possible in terms of performance. The bad thing about it however, is that it takes away the ability for players to tune and setup their cars to be competitive.
Fans delighted by Gran Turismo 7’s return to its tuning and modifying roots might be a little disappointed, but close racing should be guaranteed.
As a side-note, it’ll be interesting to see how successfully Polyphony Digital manages to balance the performances of the Gr.3 and Gr.4 cars, as it’s a notoriously difficult thing to do in real and virtual motorsport.
RACE A
It’s fairly easy to recommend a car for Daily Race A – there’s only one option!
Race A is a six-lap event for the Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16 around Japan’s tight little Tsukuba circuit. In standard trim, the Clio Trophy has a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, outputting 217bhp through a six-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) paddleshift gearbox.
The Renault Clio was the basis for one-make motorsport series around the world for the best part of three decades through Renault’s official Clio Cup series.
These days, Renault Clio racing is as popular as ever, with national championships in Spain, France and Italy, as well as Eastern European and European series. Most of the rounds see national grids combined for huge field sizes and close racing.
Slap on some Soft Comfort tyres and be prepared for bumper-to-bumper action!
Recommended car: Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16 (Brand Central 32,000 Credits)
Race B
For Race B we head to Brazil’s Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, for a five lap race with GT3-based Gr.3 racing cars. Again, it’s difficult to recommend a specific car for this event due to the BoP restrictions, but the McLaren 650S GT3 is emerging as a favourite among the GT7 community.
The McLaren 650S GT3 started its racing life in 2015, replacing the outgoing MP4-12C, (which had a relatively short shelf life of three years) both cars sharing the same twin-turbo V8 engine and precise handling ideal for Interlagos’s combination of medium to high speed turns.
It didn’t set the GT world alight however, but it did go on to win the 2016 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hours in the hands of Shane van Gisbergen, Álvaro Parente and Jonathon Webb.
As an alternative to the McLaren, the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 ‘13 is another solid, mid-engined option.
Recommended car: McLaren 650S GT3 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits)
Race C
It’s back to Japan for Race C, and the Autopolis International Racing Course.
Owned by eccentric investment banker Tomonori Tsurumaki and opened in 1990, the track was famous for displaying a Picasso painting on-site – It’s a bit like Michelangelo’s statue of David appearing on the inside of Mallory Park’s hairpin – until Tsurumaki went bankrupt.
Located in the sparsely-populated Aso Kujū National Park, the circuit was eventually purchased by motorcycle giant Kawasaki in 2005. Featuring an almost constant barrage of slow-to-medium-speed corners, the circuit hosts Japan’s largest motorsport championships – Super GT and Super Formula.
For this race, yet again choice is limited by BoP. Essentially, any Gr.4 car will be quick enough to be competitive, but we feel the four-wheel driven Subaru WRX Gr.4 and Mazda Atenza Gr.4 are excellent choices for this event given their awesome traction off tight corners.
There’s a bit of tyre wear and fuel usage to worry about in this one too, so make sure to stay focused on this tricky track.
Race A
Race Information
Car: Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16
Track: Tsukuba
Laps: Six
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Grid Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16 only
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Cannot be fitted
Tyre Choice: Comfort Soft
Race Settings
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Applicable
Car Used: Garage Car
Car Settings: Specified
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: Enabled
Race B
Race Information
Car: Gr.3
Track: Autódromo de Interlagos
Laps: Five
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Formation
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.3
Wide Body: Prohibited
Power: PP under 630
Weight: PP under 630
Nitrous: Cannot be fitted
Tyre Choice: Racing Hard, Intermediate, Racing: Heavy Wet
Race Settings
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Applicable
Car Used: Garage Car
Car Settings: Specified
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: Enabled
Race C
Race Information
Car: Gr.4
Track: Autopolis International Racing Course
Laps: Ten
No. Of Cars: 20
Start Type: Formation
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 2x
Tyre Wear: 2x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.4
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Cannot be fitted
Tyre Choice: Racing Hard, Intermediate, Racing: Heavy Wet
Race Settings
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Appliicable
Car Used: Garage Car
Car Settings: Specified
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: Enabled
