The ranked Sport Mode races are back once again within Gran Turismo 7, and this week there is a distinctly Spanish flavour as two of the new Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya layouts are in use.
The v1.20 update for Polyphony Digital’s racing game landed on 25th August and with it came three new variations: GP Layout No Chicane, National Layout and Rallycross Layout.
The Rallycross and No Chicane derivations are in use for one week, alongside a mixture of car classes.
As a reminder, we are now using GT7‘s latest 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).
RACE A
The quickest car on the leaderboards for this rallycross debut looks to be the Nissan GT-R Gr.B Rally Car and thus it’s our recommended pick.
In reality, these races are dramatic and any Gr.B car will put you in good stead – but remember, they don’t come with the necessary dirt tyres by default, so visit the Race Shop and splash 5,000 credits.
Setting aside the Nissan, we’ve had fun entering with the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2 ’86. It won that year’s World Rally Championship title, somewhat controversially, in the hands of Juha Kankkunen.
After the Group B regulations were banished from the WRC, the 205 went on to compete at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, the Paris-Dakar Rally and, more pertinently, rallycross.
The European championship was won four times between 1987 and 1990 using a 205, thanks to Seppo Niittymäki and Matti Alamäki. Fancy an appropriate challenge? Try to win in the Pug.
A reminder that since 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. Considering this is a new Rallycross layout, it’s probably for the best…
Recommended car: Nissan GT-R Gr.B Rally Car – (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Race B
We’re off to Japan next where an Italian car is dominant, much like last week’s Race C. By far the best car to tackle the Suzuka circuit is the Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI from 1993 – the year Nicola Larini dominated the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft.
A variation of this Alfa did taste champagne at the Honda-owned venue, however. Fast forward three years to 1996, and the DTM has transmogrified into the International Touring Car Championship. Suzuka held the final two races, where Christian Danner and Giancarlo Fisichella both earned podium finishes for the green serpent.
The problem is, it’s only available from the Legend Cars pavilion within Gran Turismo 7, thank goodness for free rentals. The Dodge Viper Gr.4 from Brand Central is the next-best option. Race B uses the Mid-speed (M) BoP format.
Recommended car: Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI ’93 (Legend Cars, 800,000 Credits or free rental)
Race C
Strategy fans, Race C is for you. We’re back in the capital of Catalonia, but this time without a dirt surface. The ‘No Chicance’ configuration is much like what you’re used to already, but removes that awful RACC Chicane.
In fact, the now fast and flowing Europcar corner in its place effectively makes this the same layout used by MotoGP. Except, the scan used by Gran Turismo 7 has the old, tighter, La Caixa – aka Turn 10 – which is a bit of a shame.
Across 10 laps, a mandatory pitstop is required along with the use of both Racing Hard and Racing Medium tyres. Don’t forget that!
In Gr.3 the Balance of Performance is mostly on-point, so that means the Porsche, Subaru, Lamborghini and Ferrari are all viable options. We’re recommending the Porsche, but that’s simply a preference.
Race C uses the Mid-speed (M) BoP format.
Recommended car: Porsche 911 RSR (991) ’17 (Brand Central, 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
The current Lap Time Challenge takes place at Autodromo de Interlagos, using Gr.2 cars.
A new Lap Time Challenge will begin on the 1st of September.
Recommended car: Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 ’16 (Brand Central, 800,000 Credits or free rental)
Race A
Race Information
Car: Gr.B
Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Rallycross Layout
Laps: Seven
No. Of Cars: 12
Start Type: Grid Start with False Start Check
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Dirt
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Low-speed (L)
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.4
Track: Suzuka Circuit
Laps: Four
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.4
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Racing: Hard, Intermediate, Wet
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed (M)
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.3
Laps: 10
Track: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya GP Layout No Chicance
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 4x
Tyre Wear: 7x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.3
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Racing: Hard, Racing Medium, Intermediate, Wet
Required Tyre Type: Racing: Hard, Medium
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed (M)
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
Car: Gr.2, Mid-speed (M) BoP
Track: Autódromo de Interlagos
Entry Period: 1st – 15th September
Regulations
Categories: Gr.2
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet
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
