This week’s Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races are an eclectic mix. From driving one of Ford’s most recognisable cars at Watkins Glen to a wet and wild high-speed run along the full length of the Circuit de la Sarthe’s Mulsanne straight, there’s something for every petrolhead to enjoy.
Sandwiched between those we have a trip to California’s Laguna Seca for a Gr.3 event, with all three races set to strict Balance of Performance (BoP) calculations to ensure parity.
Sport Mode offers ranked online racing where you will be placed within races based on your previous performances.
As ever, your results in Race A will not affect Driver Rating (DR) and Sportsmanship Rating (SR), so feel free to race as hard as you like. The results for Races B and C do count, however.
RACE A
The Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth looks like a racy beast thanks to its giant whale-tail spoiler and aggressive styling. This is entirely deliberate, as the car is a homologation special to aid Ford’s motorsport efforts in the late eighties.
And boy, did it work. The RS 500 became the car to have in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), dominating the field yet not always winning the championship thanks to the BTCC’s bizarre class-based system.
The RS 500 also found fame in the World Touring Car Championship, the Bathurst 1000 and, to a lesser extent, the World Rally Championship, thanks to the car’s rear-wheel-drive-only configuration. Although the road car initially only had around 200bhp, racing versions, such as the infamous Eggenberger and Rouse-built cars, featured well over 500bhp.
And Watkins Glen’s Short Course is a great place to chuck the Ford around with plenty of space if (when) things go wrong.
Recommended car: Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth (Legend Cars, 200,000 Credits or free rental)
Race B
We move to Monterey, California for Race B, and the tight and twisty Laguna Seca for a Gr.3 event. The track hasn’t changed since its foundation in 1957.
The infamous Corkscrew is the track’s defining feature, with a left/right chicane punctuated by a steep drop providing drivers with a huge physical and technical challenge.
Our recommended car is one of Weissach’s finest – the Porsche 911 RSR (991) ’17. Its rear-wheel-drive, rear-engined layout complements Laguna Seca’s numerous low-speed traction zones – and what a soundtrack!
Recommended car: Porsche 911 RSR (991) ’17 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Race C
Race C provides something a little different: changeable weather. Qualifying can be done in the dry but the race will feature dynamic weather, making decisive pitstop calls when the rain closes in a priority,
The other main feature of Race C is the fact we will be using the Circuit de la Sarthe’s No Chicane layout and its 3.7-mile-long Mulsanne straight. Naturally, a car with high top-speed is best for this event and they don’t come much faster than a Bugatti Veyron (oddly priced at a bargain 350,000 Credits from Brand Central).
The fabled home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is generally easy on tyre wear, and with 1x tyre and fuel consumption sliders, this race will be all about watching the weather radar and pitting for wet or dry tyres at the optimum moment.
You don’t want to end up driving 250mph through a puddle on slick tyres now, do you?
Recommended car: Bugatti Veyron Gr.4 (Brand Central, 350,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
This fortnight’s Lap Time Challenge features the Porsche Cayman GT4 at the Nürburgring’s GP layout.
A new Lap Time Challenge will become available on the 2nd of February at 7 am GMT.
Recommended car: Porsche Cayman GT4 ‘16 (Brand Central, 130,000 Credits)
Race A
Race Information
Car: Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth ’87
Track: Watkins Glen Short Course
Laps: Four
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Specified Car: Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth ’87
Useable Tyre and Types: Comfort: Soft
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed (M)
Car Used: Garage Car, 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
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race B
Race Information
Car: Gr.3
Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Laps: Five
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyres & Types: Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet
Categories: Gr.3
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Low-speed (L)
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
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race C
Race Information
Car: Gr.4
Laps: Five
Track: 24 Heures du Mans Racing Circuit No Chicane
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing: Hard, Medium, Soft, Intermediate, Wet
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: High-speed (H)
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
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
LAP TIME CHALLENGE
Race Information
Track: Nürburgring GP
Entry Period: 19th January-2nd February 2023
Regulations
Useable Tyres Sports Hard
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Regulations (Specified car)
Porsche Cayman GT4 ’16
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
