This week’s Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races remind us of a time when Renault Sport was relevant and why we’d like to see a few more new Gr.3 and Gr.4 cars please – as once again, the only two ranked events feature these now a little repetitive classes.
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
We miss the Renault Clio Cup racing series, which still exists in some mainland European markets, but sadly no more in the UK. In fact, we think the demise of Renault Sport in general is a strategic error.
All those fan clubs, meetings, forums, Facebook groups, Drivetribe tribes, Nürburgring trips and specialist tuners. That created brand loyalty. To roll that into the Alpine brand for future hot hatches just seems a little wasteful to us.
Anyway, let’s rewind the clock to 2016, when the hot Clio was still in production and, well, this generation was definitely the nadir. A dim-witted gearbox and a characterless turbocharged engine, most people bought a Fiesta ST or 208 GTI instead, and they were right to do so.
Here, you can take it around the East variation of Suzuka, where you need to take care around the final corner. You must carry enough momentum down the start/finish straight, but it’s so easy to dip a wheel on the grass at the Ferris wheel-adorned exit. Similarly, try to avoid ‘cutting’ the pitlane entry like a rally driver.
This is a great overtaking opportunity, although only if the driver ahead runs wide and you get the run down into the opening corner. As a general rule, however, there’s rarely enough space to overtake entering the final turn, so please don’t dive on someone on the last lap – it will only end in tears.
All Clios, even your own, will be set to an equal performance level, although using one from your garage allows visual modifications. Also, this is only for the facelifted model, not the near-identical 2015 specification.
Recommended car: Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16 (Brand Central, 32,000 Credits or free rental)
Race B
It’s Dragon Trail, yay!
Oh wait, it’s the Gardens layout, boo!
That daft chicane with those sill kerbs near the start of the lap and that four apex right-hander near the end of the lap. Is it just the three apices? Oh, I don’t know. It’s a faff.
Fun middle-section though, and that’s the venue for this week’s Gr.4 race of choice and four-lap sprint. Something with an engine in the middle, aka the McLaren 650S, seems to be the quickest way this time, perhaps because of its sharp turn-in. Just watch out, a BMW M4 will smoke it in a straight line.
Recommended car: McLaren 650S Gr.4 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Race C
Righto, the strategy race, Race C.
This time there is 2x fuel and 5x tyre wear and mandatory use of the Racing Soft compound with Gr.3 cars. So, do you pit for a fresh set mid-way through, or save the one set all the way through? Well, the game has made the choice for you, as there’s a mandatory pitstop.
So, do you split the race 50/50, or go early for an undercut? That’s the main question.
Deep Forest Raceway is the venue, which in these fast and wide cars provides little opportunity for clean overtaking for the most part, except for that tight hairpin near the end of the lap. This is your best place to pass, or defend, but on the first and final lap, if there’s going to be a crash, it’s here. I guarantee it.
Recommended car: Ford GT LM Race Car Spec II (Brand Central, 350,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenges
Race A
Race Information
Track: Suzuka Circuit East Course
Laps: Six
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Grid Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyre and Types: Comfort Soft
Regulations (Specified Car)
Renault Clio R.S. 220 Trophy ’16
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
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
Wall Collision Penalty: Off
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race B
Race Information
Track: Dragon Trail – Gardens
Laps: Four
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing Hard, Intermediate, Wet
Category: Gr.4
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-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: Light
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
Race C
Race Information
Laps: 12
Track: Deep Forest Raceway
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 2x
Tyre Wear: 5x
Regulations
Useable Tyres: Racing Soft, 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: Partially Allowed, Brake Balance
Race Settings
DR Updates: Yes
SR Updates: Yes
Mechanical Damage: Light
Minimum No. of Pit Stops: 1
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
Wall Collision Penalty: Light
Penalty for collisions with other cars: On
Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On
