I just got home from a six day trip. I took part in one of the biggest international drift events of all time. I will be back soon with a full report, but first I had to spend half a day in bed.
Want to guess what the first thing I did after waking up was? Besides getting coffee and lunch, I couldn't wait to turn on my PS5. Taking part in a drift event without driving is like watching cooking shows without eating. Does that make sense? With all this excitement, I was desperate to get behind the wheel.
And I’ll get there at the end of the month, when I take my RX-7 to a big JDM-focused track event. I knew I only had a few more days to compete in GT7’s Weekly Challenges, which are still fun. It’s a surefire way to unlock over a million credits, which you can use to test out other vehicles in the game. I still have a ways to go before I get them all, and I imagine they’ll easily cost over 200 million credits.
European Sunday Cup 400
Photo: autoevolution
And this week is all about winning more credits, as there is no 6-Star Roulette to think about. Completing all five changes will add 800,000 credits to your account, which does not include the Driving Marathon ticket or the actual race prizes you will receive. The European Sunday Cup 400 is the first event of the group and is usually the easiest to tackle.
The recommended PP level is 400, so I chose my 2009 Abarth 500 for the job. I haven't driven one in over 10 years, but I enjoyed trying one out in the old days. I recently tried the Kyoto Driving Park – Yamagiwa layout, and it's not that difficult. With the Abarth you'll be hard on the accelerator most of the time.
I was still sleepy from my trip and struggled to catch up with the top three opponents in the race. But I was also distracted by the knowledge that I would soon be driving my dream car in the real world. After more than four minutes of effort in the little Abarth, I finished P2 for another 22,500 credits. This is by far the most boring event this week, but still a good one for beginners.
Japanese 4WD 600 Challenge
Photo: autoevolution
Seeing the words “Japanese” and “Nurburgring” in the same sentence immediately catches my attention, regardless of context. I like driving 4WD cars from time to time, and I had just the right one for this three-lap event. It's been a while since I upgraded my R32 GT-R in-game, and it was in desperate need of a makeover.
So I installed a new front and rear bumper and side skirts, painted the car yellow and put on a set of Work Meister L1 wheels to make it perfect. I just barely passed the 600 PP limit (644 PP) and it didn't take me long to figure it out. I left every opponent behind and it was much easier than the European Sunday Cup.
I was also reminded of how much I want an R32 GT-R in my life, especially after seeing the Driftworks car at the Iron Drift King event in Germany last weekend. After five minutes, I crossed the finish line, enough for another 40,000 credits.
Special event
Photo: autoevolution
I have to admit, I thought this race might be a bit boring. While I’ve spent a lot of time driving the V40 in the real world, I’d rather try some more special cars in the virtual realm of GT7. The great thing about the Special Event is that it takes place on the new Swiss track, the Eiger Nordwand.
I was in Switzerland just yesterday and can confirm that the scenery is as spectacular as you would expect. Reading the description of the event, I noticed the “slightly modified cars” part and thought I would take it easy this time. But you can't just add a turbo and leave it at that. So now I own a 381bhp V40 that weighs just 2,511lbs (1,139kg).
I bought a wide-body kit, changed the paint, and installed Enkei RPF1 wheels. The game designers nailed the exhaust/engine sounds. And it almost looks like a Gatebil-ready monster with all the new parts. I was leading on lap three and my only issue was excessive wheel spin on the climbs. The special event will last seven and a half minutes, but the 85,000 credit reward is worth it.
Turbo Sportscars 800 Race
Photo: autoevolution
I've used my GT-R before, so I had to find a different car for this event. Turbocharged is the keyword here, and the PP limit is strictly enforced at 700. I don't know why I haven't modified an FD RX-7 to GT7 before, but I did today. Unfortunately, body kit options are pretty limited, and anyone can build a 600+ HP FD with the right budget these days.
I didn't install any weight-reduction “packages,” so the figure remained unchanged from the original 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg). But performance levels were up to 499 hp after spending over 150,000 credits on the whole thing. I went with a green finish because it reminded me of an old RE-Amemiya build, and the Yokohama wheels fit the picture perfectly. I don't think I've ever driven the Dragon Trail-Seaside layout before, but it's not that complicated to figure out.
I took the lead halfway through the race, hitting speeds of up to 161 mph (260 km/h). But again, I realized that even with this setup, the car lacks the real-world FD magic. A 500-hp RX-7 is terrifying to drive most days, but not in GT7. This race will take you ten minutes, and the reward for P1 is 85,000 credits.
World Touring Car 800
Photo: autoevolution
You can bet that a World Touring Car event is going to be tough. But I’m starting to get the hang of it. With 10 laps and 19 opponents, I was at least happy that the race was in Suzuka. I was familiar with the venue from a few previous WTC events and knew I had a good chance of winning. I just needed to find the right car and the ’15 Huracán GT3 seemed like a good way to go.
Everything was going well and good, as I was leading by eight seconds on lap four. Then it started raining. I went to the pits only to realize I had no tires. I thought about using the hard slicks, which was a disaster. On my second attempt, I pitted before everyone else and the AI got seriously confused about the situation. With me on the wets and them on the normals, I extended the lead to 30 seconds. Suzuka is extremely slippery in the rain and almost felt like it was covered in ice.
I found myself in another bind when the rain stopped. I had almost destroyed my tires after just one dry lap. While everyone else switched to Intermediates, I only had the option for hard slicks. So, I had to stick to the dry lines and still play smoothly. If all goes according to plan, this race is almost 24 minutes long, but it's worth the fun and the reward of 168,000 credits. I'll be back soon with my Online Time Trial review!