For the second week in a row, Polyphony Digital has provided us with a selection of carefully-controlled Balance of Performance (BoP) races to keep us occupied.
Again, this means whichever car you pick, the Gran Turismo 7 head honchos have already laid out a set of pre-determined restrictions to ensure the racing will be close – which can’t be a bad thing, can it?
I’m pretty sure there’s never been any disagreements over BoP in real motorsport, so it seems like a winning idea…
This week, (w/c 28th March 2022) sees our first glimpse of the 125cc Shifter Kart in GT7, bringing perhaps the purest form of racing into Sport Mode at the Miyabi layout of Kyoto Driving Park.
Then we round off the schedule with Gr.4 and Gr.3 races around Dragon Trail – Gardens and a rather gloomy looking Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.
RACE A
There’s only one car allowed in Race A, and it’s the fun little Racing Kart 125 Shifter. With an engine capacity of only 125cc, you might think it’s pretty slow. However, I can guarantee if you get behind the wheel of one of these in real life you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
The Kart requires a lot of concentration to reach its potential, with tiny amounts of steering lock required to make progress. With a low centre of gravity and unbelievable handling, the races will be about staying focused and out of trouble – because once you lose momentum in a kart it’s tremendously difficult to regain.
Stay close to the pack, use the slipstream, and make your move on the final lap!
On a side note, because the Racing Kart 125 Shifter is only 10,000 Credits from Brand Central, buying ten of them is the cheapest way to gain the ‘Firm Favourite’ Trophy.
Recommended car: Racing Kart 125 Shifter (Brand Central, 10,000 Credits)
Race B
In Race C last week we recommended the Gr.4 Mazda Atenza at Autopolis International Racing Course, citing its tremendous traction as the key to whipping out of tight corners as quickly as possible. And the same applies this week, this time at Dragon Trail’s ‘Gardens’ layout.
Featuring plenty of medium-speed chicanes, the Gardens configuration is a real test of any car’s change of direction, but thanks to the Atenza’s four-wheel drive system, players can feel secure in the knowledge that this car is much more forgiving than a rear-wheel driven counterpart.
With a couple of tricky fast entry corners leading to hard braking zones, the extra engine braking from both axles really helps to settle the car down, so you can concentrate on hitting the apex.
Recommended car: Mazda Atenza Gr.4 (Brand Central, 350,000 Credits)
Race C
Off we go to our final race, and a rather gloomy Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit. The Kentish track used to play host to F1 – last holding the British Grand Prix in 1986. This time we need to content ourselves with Gr.3 cars, and the pick of the bunch for this race is the Peugeot RCZ Gr.3.
The road-going RCZ was a front-engined, front-wheel drive sports coupe. Its striking looks combined with a fun and predictable chassis made it a hit with the car-buying public, selling just under 70,000 examples.
The Gr.3 example in GT7 is quite different, however, featuring a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout.
It’s quite apt that the RCZ features at Brands Hatch, as the road-going version was once used to assess budding racing drivers’ ARDS tests at the track – as my friend Chris Hack can testify!
Race C features a ludicrous 15x Tyre Wear rate, so it’s really all about looking after the rubber. With Fuel also at 7x, this race might involve a bit of head-scratching, so keep it smooth through the high-speed turns of the Grand Prix loop and don’t tax your tyres too much.
Recommended car: Peugeot RCZ Gr.3 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits)
Race A
Race Information
Car: Racing Kart 125 Shifter
Track: Kyoto Driving Park – Miyabi
Laps: Eight
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Grid Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Racing Kart 125 Shifter
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Cannot be fitted
Tyre Choice: Sports 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.4
Track: Dragon Trail – Gardens
Laps: Four
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Formation
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.4
Wide Body: Prohibited
Power: Specified
Weight: Specified
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.3
Track: Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit
Laps: 13
No. Of Cars: 20
Start Type: Formation
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 7x
Tyre Wear: 15x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.3
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
