It’s business as usual this week, as Gran Turismo 7‘sDaily Races are back to a pure Balance of Performance (BoP) format. That means there’s zero chance of upgrading your car and adjusting its set-up, which is a shame.
To start things off, we have a single-make race for Mazda RX-8s at Sardegna’s Road Track B Reverse layout (catchy name), with further races for Gr.3 and Gr.4 cars at Willow Springs and Dragon Trail respectively.
Polyphony Digital’s BoP calculations have been unsuccessful at equalising performance between cars, but at the very least Gr.3 racing is now closer than it’s ever been. On the other hand, the Gr.4 class is still dominated by four-wheel-drive vehicles.
As a reminder, we are now using GT7‘s new Balance of Performance (BoP) system, introduced in the v1.19 July update. BoP is now split into three categories depending on the type of track used: High-speed (H), Mid-speed (M) and Low-speed (L).
As of the 30th of May, Race A will not affect players’ Driver Rating (DR) and Sportsmanship Rating (SR). This means it’s ideal for newcomers to online racing, or those simply unwilling to risk their hard-fought DR and SR
Race A is a single-make battle involving Mazda’s flagship sports car produced between 2002 and 2012 – the RX-8.
Designed as a follow-up to the truly extraordinary RX-7, the RX-8 garnered a solid reputation as a fun, well-equipped high-revving runabout… Until unreliability struck.
The cars used a rotary-equipped Wankel engine (named after its inventor, German engineer Felix Wankel), which although light and efficiently powerful, also tended to wear out quickly and consume vast amounts of oil. This is why it’s possible to pick up a decent example for as little as £3,000 these days.
The reputation for unreliability is a little harsh on the rotary engine, however, as Mazda used one in its 787B to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1991. Although it must be noted that Mazda hasn’t produced a rotary-engined production car since discontinuing the RX-8…
Still, its handling shines through in GT7, and a sporty run through Sardegna will help blow away those weekend cobwebs.
We continue the Mazda theme in Race B, as we return to Willow Springs’ Big Willow layout. The BoP in Gr.3 races seems to be much fairer now than it has ever been, and the car selection for Race B is wide open as a result.
However, our pick of the bunch is Mazda’s RX-VISION GT3 Concept, which even though is fictional uses a rotary engine similar to that of the afore-mentioned Le Mans-winning 787B. The car also has a Stealth Model variant – a pre-order bonus car – which looks a bit cooler but offers no performance benefits over the base model.
Willow Spings’ Big Willow course is the track’s main layout. It’s the USA’s oldest permanent raceway and features fast, flowing corners with plenty of elevation changes. It’s perhaps best recognised for its desert location – every corner has a literal sand trap!
This week, Race C is for the Gr.4 class. Alas, the tendency for Gr.4 races to be dominated by four-wheel-drive cars returns, and the Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI re-enters the fold as the fastest Gr.4 example.
In contrast to the current Lap Time Challenge’s use of Dragon Trail’s Seaside configuration, we’re using its Gardens Reverse layout. This still plays into the hands of four-wheel-drive cars, however, as the tight hairpins and late-apex medium-speed corners favour total traction under both braking and acceleration.
The Alfa was a supreme car in the DTM championship in its heyday, thanks to its lightweight construction and high-revving 2.5l V6 engine. This 1993 variant alone took 13 wins out of 22 races in the renowned German Touring Car series.
Discussion