Finally Gran Turismo 7 players get a chance to tinker under the bonnet of their virtual rides in this week’s Daily Races. Race A features the sizzling E46 BMW M3, with Races B and C devoted to Gr.4 and Gr.3 cars respectively.
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)..
Unfortuantely, it hasn’t quite worked in curtailing the advantage of four-wheel-drive Gr.4 cars as of yet, but the Gr.3 category looks to be more open than before.
Also, since 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
BMW’s E46 M3 arguably embodies the Bavarian manufacturer’s M3 ethos perfectly: brutish performance matched to aggressive looks. The car arrived in 2000 with 339bhp on tap and a choice between a six-speed manual or semi-automatic SMG paddle-shift transmission. It looked aggressive too, and critics loved the way it drove.
The real highlight though was its straight-six 3.2l engine, producing a glorious soundtrack all the way up to its near 8,000rpm rev limit. In fact, I nearly bought one in 2014 for £9,000 but thought it was too expensive…
Today, a semi-decent one with high mileage will set you back around £20,000 – with prices still rising. D’oh.
The model specified for Race A is the 2003 facelift version, with players restricted to 394bhp and a minimum weight of 1,200kg. The car’s set-up can be changed, so we recommend tuning it as much as possible (if you own it), with a particular focus on brakes, suspension and weight reduction.
In terms of tinkering, lowering the ride height and increasing camber (more negative values) will boost cornering performance massively. Also, you should add a huge wing, because, well, why not?
Stage 3 Weight Reduction will drop the car’s mass to 1154kg, so use ballast to bring the car back up to the specified base weight of 1,200kg. Equally, after increasing horsepower make sure to use the ‘Power Restrictor’ tuning part to bring power back down to 394bhp.
You’ll be glad of the tuning options when tackling the berm-heavy and technical Alsace Village course too, as the M3 is quite a handful. If you find the oversteer too much try increasing front ride height slightly or softening up the rear suspension or anti-roll bar.
Recommended car: BMW M3 ’03 – (Brand Central, 84,000 Credits)
Race B
Last week’s Gr.4 race was dominated by yet another four-wheel-drove car, this time the Genesis G70 GR4. It’s the same again this week, with the Korean manufacturer’s Gr.4 car emerging as the dominant force.
It remains to be seen if it will stick around at the top as long as the Mazda Atenzia and Subaru WRX, but we hope for a little more variety in future updates.
Watkins Glen Long Course is the venue for Race B, which makes four-wheel-drive dominance even more perplexing since there’s only one slow corner on the entire circuit where total traction is an advantage.
The rest of the track features long sweeping bends and long straights so really should favour mid-engined sports and supercars. Fuel and tyre sliders are set to 1x, so there’s no need to worry about strategy.
If you need some driving tips for Watkins Glen why not check out our Assetto Corsa Competzione Watkins Glen track guide?
Race B uses the High-speed (H) BoP format.
Recommended car: Genesis G70 GR4 Gr.4 (Brand Central 450,000 Credits or free rental)
Race C
Race C sees us return to Kyoto Driving Park’s Yamagiwa layout and, unlike the Gr4 races, Polyphony Digital seems to have figured out the four-wheel-drive advantage in Gr.3 events.
Our car of choice is the Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ’18. We’ve written about this car before: it’s essentially a GT3 race car concept that looks likely to become a reality in the not-too-distant future. Its extravagant looks make it stand out on-track and for Race C, so does its performance.
Fuel and tyre consumption are set to 1x in Race C so unusually there’s zero strategy to figure out. Just go as fast as possible for 20 minutes. How refreshing.
Another viable option is the Mazda RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT and its Stealth Model variation. They don’t look quite as cool as the Supra and that’s really all that matters, isn’t it?
Recommended car: Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept ’18 (Brand Central 350,000 Credits or free rental)
Lap Time Challenge
The current Lap Time Challenge takes place at the Red Bull Ring using the Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84 car.
A new Lap Time Challenge will begin on the 18th of August.
Recommended car: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette ’84 (Legend Car dealership, 1,150,000 Credits or free rental)
Race A
Race Information
Car: BMW M3 ’03
Track: Alsace – Village
Laps: Five
No. Of Cars: 12
Start TypeGrid Start with False Start Check
Duration: 15 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Wide Body: Allowed
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Sports: Medium
Power: 394bhp or less
Weight: At least 1,200kg
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Off
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Allowed
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: Watkins Glen Long Course
Laps: Five
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: High-speed
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: 12
Track: Kyoto Driving Park – Yamagiwa
No. Of Cars: 16
Start Type: Rolling Start
Duration: 25 Minutes
Fuel Consumption: 1x
Tyre Wear: 1x
Regulations
Categories: Gr.3
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet
Required Tyre Type: Racing: Hard
Car restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
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: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84
Track: Red Bull Ring
Entry Period: 4th-18th August
Regulations
Categories: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84
Wide Body: Prohibited
Nitrous: Prohibited
Tyre Choice: Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet
Car Restrictions
BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed
Car Used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car
Car Settings: Specified
Race Settings
Track Limit: Normal
Penalty Settings
Shortcut Penalty: Light
