Your First Car

You may not realize this, but early on, your first car plays a huge role in Gran Turismo games. You have a certain amount of money for which to spend on getting your first car. Granted you didn't get all-Gold for any group of license tests starting out (usually meaning new car), it is best to find the most powerful car for the lowest price in any Gran Turismo. Your car obviously won't be the best starting out. I'll share some of the first cars I can remember buying in Gran Turismo games to give you some insight.

--- First Car Advice ---

Picking that first car is important. You want something you can work with right away. Here are talking points to help you decide what first car works best for you:

1. Find the most inexpensive car of all available cars early on.
   To gain the best advantage, you need to find a car that is within budget to start off with. So look around for a car that you can work with. You don't want a very inexpensive car because they may not be competitive enough to use early on. However, you don't want a terribly expensive car (within budget) because you want to have something you can work on and work towards. And if you simply pick a car that leaves you with very little Credits left, you won't have enough money for which to upgrade it. As an example, having 10K Credits and spending 9,500 Credits on a car leaves you with only 500 Credits. If that 9,500 Credit car is not a great-performing car, you have essentially wasted all of your money and will need to do some tuning to help it better perform. So put this in mind before getting your real first car.
2. Find the most powerful car of all available cars early on.
   A good-performing car with decent power and performance is more than enough if you seek a very decent car for which you can win early races with.
3. If you have enough finances, shop for tuning parts.
   Do some tuning of your car if you found a car you can work with. Don't go for the most powerful upgrades- just get a few basic tuning parts to get your car at least ready for prime time. A safe way to go is with lightening the car and maybe getting a new muffler. Save the bigger upgrades for when you have more money.
4. Think ahead- take a look at what races you'll be racing in.
   You're going to be doing a lot of racing, so make sure you can find a good amount of races for which to take part in with your current car. The reason why I mention this is because your car may be eligible to compete in many other kinds of races. Always be aware of all the different races you can take part in. Your car may be good enough for the early races, but you may want to keep your current car for which if you want to take on more difficult races.
5. Race eaasier events early on to easily build up money.
   You may have a good front-engined, rear-wheel drive car that can compete in the FR Challenge, but it's best to go with the Sunday Cup early on. Don't go with tougher races unless you're really ready. I would recommend you pace yourself and not take on challenges you're not ready to take on early.

This knowledge alone will help you to have the best possible cars to help you through your Gran Turismo career, especially early.

--- My First GT Cars ---

Each heading indicates the cars I'd go with early on. So have a look!

Gran Turismo 1.

Two cars are great to go with early on. The most powerful cars you can go with early are either the 1990 Mazda RX-7 FC Savanna or a Toyota Supra MKIII. The RX-7 FC Savanna is very cost-effective. Your first car WILL be a Japanese car (unless you all-Gold any or all the licenses) as only the Japanese makes have Used Cars. Obvious advice- do NOT go to Subaru for a Used Car early on because every used Subaru is out of your 10,000 Credit budget.

Think of competing in events like the Sunday Cup early on. Or if you want to get some racing action early, try the Spot Race events early on to build finances.

Gran Turismo 2.

Unlike in Gran Turismo 1, you can actually get a "new" car with your 10,000 Credits. Trouble is... you can get a 22hp Fiat 500R. Yeah. NOT a chance at winning any races early on. Go to East City to shop for Used Cars. Not all Japanese car makers have Used Car lots (like Tommy Kaira). A Mazda RX-7 FC Savanna will cost just over 8,000 Credits used. This will give you enough to actually go and tune to your heart's delight. Plus, you can take your RX-7 to go racing in the RX-7 One-Make race if you're interested in holding onto your FC RX-7.

You may think you're out of options if you are considering getting a Kei car as your first car, but you're wrong. There is one race in the Lightweight "K" Cup that does not require a license. So if you don't have a license in GT2 but still want to race, winning that Kei car race around Rome Short yields 5,000 Credits. That's more you can make from the very first race of the Sunday Cup.

So you actually have some options here. It's recommended, though, you save the Kei car races until you make a good deal of money. You need a powerful enough car to get you through most of your racing until you're ready to purchase better machines.

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.

My first car in GT3 was a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser. It was a very potent car for its price. Gran Turismo 3 is the only major Gran Turismo that does not have secondhand cars, and it starts you out with the most amount of money to shop for cars- 18,000 Credits. Either Kei cars or a good FWD car will suffice here. If you are looking for a car you can really utilize, try getting a Volkswagen New Beetle. You can hold onto your New Beetle and consider competing in the Beetle Cup whenever you feel you're ready. Just make sure you have a "B" License or higher before competing in the Beetle Cup.

Gran Turismo 4.

You don't really need a new car as long as you get at least all-Bronze for all of your license tests. Just clearing each set of licenses with all-Bronze will give you five new cars from the outset. This will give you some peace of mind knowing you can just concentrate on winning races. The first car I really used was... I want to say the Volkswagen Golf I earned from getting all-Bronze from one of the license tests. I even remember (sadly) that I lost my very first race in Gran Turismo 4 at Autumn Ring Mini in the Sunday Cup. The first car I really remember started winning in was my 1960s Mercury Cougar.

Gran Turismo 5.

Gran Turismo 5 starts you off with 20,000 Credits. When you start a new game, your choices are very limited in the Premium department. Sure... you can pick up the Honda Civic Type R for a good 19,980 Credits; but remember one of the unwritten rules of racing games- don't buy any car early on without having money left over to purchase upgrades. You want the most bang for your buck. Really, if you want to go get the best car your money can buy, do so. Just remember that it will be a slow go to try to build up funds for your car.

One important thing to remember is that you are on Level 0 in the game when starting out. So your options are mostly limited. Your A-Spec or B-Spec must be at a certain level to purchase certain cars.

So in my first play of GT5, my first car is a 1983 Honda Civic 1500 3-door 25i.

--- Your Second Car ---

You have your first car. Great! What about your next car? That is the basis of this section. There are two methods to help you in landing a better car. One method is what I want to call the "Gamble System," and the other is the "Mother System." I will explain both in this section.

For starters, I want to use the term "flagship" to define a car. The "flagship" is your best car or your best-performing car. I always try to have some kind of flagship for any racing game that allows you to collect multiple cars. Early on, the flagship car is only good for the early races. To be a viable contender, you have to give up your first car to go for a much better car to have the best chance of winning races now and in the future.

"Gamble System" Explained.

What I call the "Gamble System" is where you win as much money as you can, then attempt to sell your car for something better. Remember that you earn nothing back for tuned parts, so you are really selling an otherwise good car in hopes of getting something better. You're taking a huge gamble here. The most effective way to do this method is to do some math. With the amount of money you have, add how much money you have by how much your car will sell for. Remember in Gran Turismo 1 that you get the most money back when you sell your car to the manufacturer of your car. In other words, sell your Nissan S14 Silvia to Nissan for the most money. You won't get as much money back if you sold your S14 Silvia to Mazda. Another way for this method to be effective is if you win a good amount of money before selling your car. Using the Gran Turismo 1 example, I win Pole Position for all three races in the Sunday Cup and win all three races with either my FC RX-7 or my Supra MKIII.

Another thing to consider is if you get bonus cars that you don't think will be effective, sell those bonus cars to increase your winnings. The most you can get for cars not sold from dealer lots is 10K Credits at other dealers and 12K from the manufacturer's car. The method here is all about making the most money as possible, then think of what car you can buy with your money. Just keep on racing if the car you're eyeing isn't affordable right now.

"Mother System" Explained.

This is a method I simply call the "Mother System." This is where you take your best car and keep racing with your flagship car by winning races. Think of this system more like nursing a newborn child. The nursing you're doing is in building up finances in Gran Turismo games good towards having enough money to purchase a better car in the future. This is simply about making money.

The Mother System, however, is mostly about keeping your best car while trying to build up money to get a better car to add to your garage. You are simply racing in events that yield the most money so you can get bigger and better cars in the future.

You could also think of this more like fundraising- raising "funds" to get a better car. Of course, fundraisers involve proper campaigns.

Using Both Systems.

Maybe your flagship car isn't good enough. Maybe you are trying to both earn enough money to get a much better car while having a better flagship car. An example here- earn enough money to purchase a certain car while also building up money to get a much better car in the future, getting rid of a current flagship car. This one is long and long-winded. This is for if you are seriously considering getting a powerful car while getting rid of your current powerful car. Don't think about this until you have a good amount of experience in the Gran Turismo you are playing.





Collecting cars is a trademark of the Gran Turismo series. However, it all begins by picking a good first car to help set the tone for a long career of Gran Turismo racing. So shop smart!

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Special Stage Route 5

Primetime performers of Gran Turismo race the highways of Special Stage Route 5. It has been in every major Gran Turismo game including Tourist Trophy. The night air is filled with cars with their headlights on and the roar of multiple cars all racing down the track. Since the very first Gran Turismo, there is no cooler feeling in any racing game than to go full speed on city streets and highways at night. This one lets you live that fantasy. Special Stage Route 5 is a true original and staple of the Gran Turismo series, and this blog post is all about Gran Turismo's all-night thrill ride.

NOTE: This blog post ONLY concerns Special Stage Route 5, not Clubman Stage Route 5. That will be in a future post.

--- Special Stage Route 5 ---

^ 

While most hit the nightclub, work late at night, or sit at home watching the nightly news or favorite movies and TV shows... Gran Turismo racers are taking to Special Stage Route 5 to go racing on the highways and streets. (ORIGINAL PICTURE CREDIT: Gran Turismo 2)

Special Stage Route 5 takes you around a downtown area on highways and on city streets. Its humble beginnings were experienced back in Gran Turismo 1. Across three different consoles and the PSP, this track only became more and more of an imposing challenge. The first part of the track to get right is the chicane that leads into the tunnel. Picking a bad line will make your tunnel run not as fast and not as interesting. Stay to the inside as much as you can while not going too far inside. Coming out of the tunnel, you then face a fairly sharp left-hand turn. The turn sweeps a bit as you exit, leading up to a moderate-speed chicane. You then go downhill from the highway and onto some city streets. The downhill begins with a right followed by a left. A very crucial 180° left turn follows. Pick a bad line, and you're either going to get passed by other cars or spin out. Power down out of the hairpin to negotiate a pair of sharp right kinks. What follows is the backstretch. Be ready to brake hard and drive precisely as two successive chicanes follow. The first one is a bit smooth, but the second one is super-sharp. You need every bit of a proper racing line because if you don't, you will not have enough speed to negotiate the sweeping uphill right-hander leading to the front stretch. Floor the accelerator all the way to the finish line to complete one lap of this course.

--- Special Stage Route 5 Videos ---

This is an analytical look at Special Stage Route 5 in GT titles.

SSR5 in Gran Turismos 1 and 2.

Of all the details of Special Stage Route 5 in Gran Turismos 1 and 2 (because they are similar), it's strange to fathom why one of the buildings is a big sprite. You notice this building to your left as you head into the tunnel. I probably figured that if that was modelled out, it would probably be a bit slow to include that model. The first turn after the tunnel suggests a watery view leading to the rest of the city in the distance. Something tells me that view is also a big sprite. Another set of close details are a few buildings that are flat-looking. You don't notice this, though, unless you race this course in the Reverse direction. Gran Turismos 1 and 2 featured an open area after the following chicane. It is good to use this area to gather up your car out of some aggressive cornering, but you'd better remember to get back on the main highway and go down the correct route! Only difference between GT1 and GT2 with this course are the different billboards and the different light graphics. Gran Turismo 1 did not feature this course with an endurance, but GT2's version featured a 50-lap endurance around these streets and highways. It is the only nighttime endurance in Gran Turismo 2, and it is also the only time that Special Stage Route 5 has been used as an endurance racing venue. The longest night you'll ever have around SSR5 is in this game.

Here is a lap around SSR5 in GT1:


Just as a note, you tend to notice these things once you start actually studying how graphics are shown in a game. That's why I'm making such comments.

SSR5 in Gran Turismo 3.

The beauty of SSR5 in Gran Turismo 3 was that this could be raced under dry or wet conditions. Special Stage Route 5 was the first track in Gran Turismo history to be featured under wet conditions. Special Stage Route 5 never looked better as PS2 power means many more details and touches to enhance this course. The track's setting appears to be more like twilight rather than deep darkness. In the reverse direction, you could say it's later at night. The tunnel is much darker using amber lights rather than white lights. The watery view across the way after the tunnel is gone and replaced just with some tall buildings in the background. The same opening heading into the First Intermediate is there after the tunnel. Heading into the hairpin and looking towards the center, a grandstand with fans is located there rather than a few of the rest of the city. In fact, quite a few grandstands are located around the hairpin. Most of the same details from the GT1 and GT2 versions are present in GT3's version, only looking much better under PS2 power. The PS2 allows for more real buildings to be used rather than have some flat sprites to represent the backdrop. This is a video of the dry course:



How about this track when it's wet? Up to four cars can race this track in the wet, but it's primarily considered a rally stage. So you will be racing this course on road tires as opposed to the obvious dirt tires. The wet version of this course is very nice as you watch the city lights glisten the wet roads. It is a lovely sight to be honest. Both directions have this track looking like a rain storm just passed. In the reverse direction, though, a rather eerie sight of the moon can be seen in the sky. How about a video lap of SSR5 Wet? Take a look at this:

SSR5 in Gran Turismo 4.

Gran Turismo 4 was a graphical overhaul from top to bottom. Special Stage Route 5 took on a much lovelier and much more industrial tone. The setting was more towards late sunset than deep into the night. The tunnel is brighter in this game than in GT3. You don't notice the industrial tones until you start to notice cranes in the background and towers under construction. The track itself remains unchanged... until you head towards Intermediate 1. All that open space is now barricaded off, so you'd better have a clean line heading into Intermediate 1. The hairpin has some more blinking lights than what you've seen in GT3 at this area. Most of the rest of the course seems unchanged except for some more cranes and buildings under construction heading towards the sweeping right that leads to the Start/Finish straight. The replay angles showing of the city in the background are beautiful. This is how SSR5 looks in Gran Turismo 4:

SSR5 in Gran Turismo 5.

One has to figure that with PS3 power, it's time to overhaul the graphics some more. Special Stage Route 5, to me, appears like a much more believable city in GT5 than in any GT past. The city darkness is realistic as you race your car around SSR5. The setting actually seems like either early night or very late evening. White lights in the tunnel return as the tunnel view itself is fairly dark. You get a much more beautiful and realistic view of the city for just about the entire ride around the track. Part of that view begins as you exit the tunnel. Some tall buildings can be found in the background as you enter that sharp corner after the tunnel. The walled-up view to the inside heading into Intermediate 1 is now basically replaced, allowing you to see the city in lovely detail. There are much fewer high walls. The grandstands outside of the hairpin are all gone. To the left after the hairpin, some high walls and some trees are to your left. In GT5, they've been replaced by a few buildings and some extra street lights. The backstretch has a little underpass you go through. After this underpass, trees with lights wrapped around them can be seen. There used to be a couple of other buildings after the backstretch in past iterations of SSR5. Now, this area has a highway above you and lots of trees wrapped in lights. There are also more city streets that make SSR5 look even more like a believable city. As you head onto the front stretch, you can call it either cheesy or cool to have the GT logo created from lights of one specific building to your left. This is the most believable of a city in any iteration of SSR5. This video showcases the latest incarnation of Special Stage Route 5. I specifically chose this one so you see the actual details and depths of this course:



I keep talking about SSR5 being believable in GT5 because I always wonder what the city itself would actually LOOK like if it were real. GT5's version is the most realistic. I probably couldn't imagine a realistic version of this track for (especially) GT1 and GT2. Imagine if this city actually existed and that you had a chance to tour the city. Which version of Special Stage Route 5 would be most realistic? To me, it's GT5's version. A science of making street courses in racing games is in making believable cities and then make a race course around it. NOT the other way around. What makes street/city courses believable is that you take an already-existing city and make a race track around it. More believable city streets are more realistic while those that seem more like an unrealistic-looking city tend to fall flat and be less believable. To prove the point- imagine a city with the traffic. Then as you make a race track around the set location, envision a race track around it. GT5's version seems most realistic as far as a realistic city with a competitive race course around it.

By the way... I always wonder what this track would be like to race in the daytime or with evening time becoming nighttime? Maybe we find out for Gran Turismo 6? ;)





This is a great track nonetheless. Thank you for reading! Subscribe to my blog via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Click on the graphics below to subscribe to both of my blogs, and also Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page:
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