Races of Gran Turismo 5: Expert Series

(UPDATED: October 7, 2014)

If you thought the Gran Turismo World Championship was tough, think again. The Expert Series features nine intense series where speeds are higher and races are longer. Get ready for some hard-fought racing. If you haven't a high-speed prototype in your garage as of this moment, I recommend you go get one because you will need some high-speed machinery to compete in two of this series' races. While you don't need a license to compete in any race in GT5, you do require advanced racing skill as well as endurance.

This blog post pertains only to the GT5 Expert-level races. REMEMBER: You must be at Level 15 or higher to compete in this series.

BEFORE I BEGIN:

I will be working on creating as many of these race posts for Gran Turismo 5. Because this will all take some time to get everything completely right, I will be releasing posts like these one at a time based on my own Gran Turismo 5 progress. I will make any needed corrections if need be. Any loyal readers can freely contact me and provide extra information that I may have missed. To contact me, Contact Me via E-Mail. Alternatively, you can post a comment to the Wall of my Facebook fan page if you are on Facebook.

Basic Advice.

Each race has information on what tracks are raced and how many laps are run for both A-Spec and B-Spec. You must be at a certain level in A-Spec or B-Spec to compete in each event. Those level requirements are listed in parentheses () prior to the description of each series/championship. Each series is listed in a heading with a period at the end, and each championship is listed with an exclamation mark. Any listed requirements (if any) are noted at the end of each introduction. If you only see B-Spec requirements, then that means the race has no limitations for A-Spec.

Races of Gran Turismo 5 Series:

This lineup of posts will have more posts added in the future. Check back in this post (and others) for the latest updates and to link to other posts in this series.

• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Beginner Series
• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Amateur Series
• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Professional Series
• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Expert Series (YOU ARE HERE)
• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Extreme Series
• Races of Gran Turismo 5: Endurance Series

LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):

OCT 7 2014 - added links to other posts in this series; updated overall look of posts and made several edits

--- Races of Gran Turismo 5: Expert Series ---

You can back away from these Expert challenges, or you can bravely advance into battle and try to win all the races in this series. Your choice...

By virtue of clearing the Professional Series, you have established yourself as a tour de force in Gran Turismo racing. Now is the time to make the push towards legendary status. The next nine series of races features some intense and long races with some fast machines. If you haven't yet invested in a very fast race car, now is the time to do so. You will need one for the Gran Turismo All-Stars event. The Polyphony Digital Cup also makes a return. Needless to say, errors and mistakes have to be kept to an absolute minimum if you expect to win.

Try to win every race and championship to receive the maximum money as well as the most experience points for each victory. If you win all the races in a championship or in a series, bonus cars will be rewarded to you. Bonus cars are offered for victory both in A-Spec and in B-Spec. Both offer different prize cars. Here is a look at the series and championships in the Beginner Series.

REMEMBER: You must be at Level 15 or higher to compete in this series.

Tuned Car Championship (Level 15)!

"A high-octane celebration of the pursuit of power."

A car is only so capable in its stock form. One must tune his/her car to be vastly superior to win. You probably already know this. So in this championship, you have two options: bring your most potent tuned car, or bring your best Tuner car to this championship. I won in A-Spec using the Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo. So that may be a car you could use for this championship.

Racing Hard tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• ROUNDS: Suzuka Circuit (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), Daytona International Speedway-Road (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), Grand Valley Speedway (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), Special Stage Route 5 (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), and Tokyo R246 (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec)

Schwarzwald League A (Level 15).

"A fierce showdown between veterans of the German sports car scene."

A returning championship from Gran Turismo 4, Schwarzwald League A is concentrated on German cars that are no powerful than 250hp. There is no need to come out with with a very powerful German car for this championship. You do, however, need a German car to compete. Two races await you for this championship.

Only German cars can compete in this series. Sports Hard tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• Nürburgring GP/F (3 laps A-Spec; 6 laps B-Spec)
• Tokyo R246 (3 laps A-Spec; 6 laps B-Spec)

MR Sports Cup (Level 16).

"Be the fastest on the field in this contest for cars with mid-mounted engines."

Mid-engine cars can deliver some of the finest handling of any car. Taming these cars, however, takes a great deal of skill. Enjoy the beautiful handling these cars have to provide by challenging yourself to three races demonstrating the prowess mid/RWD cars can provide. Oh, and don't think about bringing your NSX- the Typical Opponents are mostly mid/RWD supercars like the Saleen S7, Ford GT, Jaguar XJ220, Ferrari Enzo, and cars like that. If the supercar that you used in the Supercar Festival is mid/RWD, bring that car to the MR Sports Cup. Otherwise, you don't stand a chance here.

This championship is restricted to mid-engined cars with rear-wheel drive. Sports Soft tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• Deep Forest Raceway (5 laps A-Spec; 10 laps B-Spec)
• High Speed Ring [Reverse] (5 laps A-Spec; 10 laps B-Spec)
• Circuit de la Sarthe 2009 (2 laps A-Spec; 4 laps B-Spec)

Historic Racing Car Cup (Level 16).

"Cars from the golden age of motor racing come back to compete again."

Before you think this is just a re-hash of the World Classic Car Series, think again. This is where some of the fastest vintage race cars compete in an intense championship. Two races are available to you to test out your vintage racing skills. If you are seeking to win the PSN Trophy "Dream Race," you may want to race with the Ferrari 330 P4 Race Car, Ford GT40 Mark IV Race Car, or the Jaguar XJ13 Race Car. To tell you from experience, you'll need something better for the second race. So go get a Toyota 7 Race Car for the second race. If you don't have the money to get any of these cars, see if any of your PSN friends can help you out. See if any of your PSN friends have any of these cars available to share online for you to borrow in races. I borrowed a Ferrari 330 P4 from a friend and won the first race of this series.

All cars made in 1979 or earlier are allowed to compete in this series. Racing Medium tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• Deep Forest Raceway (5 laps A-Spec; 10 Laps B-Spec)
• Cote d'Azur (5 laps A-Spec; 8 Laps B-Spec)

Turbo Challenge (Level 17).

"Push your turbocharged car to the limit in this celebration of speed and power."

Allow me to introduce the Turbo Challenge to you. If you have a turbo-powered car, you are eligible to compete in these events. Turbo cars are boost-assisted machines. Have you a turbo car? If so, you are invited to race in this series of two races against other turbo-powered cars.

All turbo cars are allowed to compete. No supercharged or normally-aspirated cars are allowed. B-Spec racing requires Sports Soft tires or less.

• High Speed Ring (3 laps A-Spec; 10 laps B-Spec)
• Autodromo Nazionale Monza (3 laps A-Spec; 6 laps B-Spec)

Gallardo Trophy (Level 17).

"Harness a 560HP beast in this one-make race for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4."

Taking over as the successor to the Lamborghini Countach, the Lamborghini Gallardo is the car of choice for this single race event. Take advantage of the Gallardo's performance capabilities to win this race. The race happens on the streets of Rome with you and 11 other Gallardos battling for top position. It will be a fierce battle with 12 Lamborghini Gallardos taking each other on in a fierce racing battle.

Only the 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 can compete. Sports Soft tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• Rome Circuit (5 Laps A-Spec; 11 laps B-Spec)

Japanese Championship (Level 18)!

"A battle to decide the fastest Japanese car of all."

Japanese cars will be used in this championship to decide the fastest Japanese car ever made. Do you think you have the fastest one? Prove it in this five-race championship!

Only Japanese cars are allowed to compete. Sports Soft tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• ROUNDS: Tsukuba Circuit (10 laps A-Spec; 14 laps B-Spec), Fuji Speedway GP/F (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), Grand Valley Speedway (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), Autodromo Nazionale Monza (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec), and Suzuka Circuit (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec)

Gran Turismo All-Stars (Level 19)!

"Who is the fastest? It's time to find out once and for all."

The Gran Turismo All-Stars in Gran Turismo 5 marks the fourth-ever time it was featured and the third straight time as a championship. This championship brings together the fastest racing machines from the past and present in a unique convergence for racing supremacy. You can either decide the fastest car in history by bragging or by doing it the way racers prefer proving things- on the track. A five race championship will determine the fastest racing machine ever produced. Knuckle up for this one.

Racing Medium tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• ROUNDS: Trial Mountain (5 laps A-Spec; 10 laps B-Spec), Grand Valley Speedway (5 laps A-Spec; 9 laps B-Spec), Nürburgring Nordschleife (1 lap A-Spec; 2 laps B-Spec), Cape Ring (5 laps A-Spec; 6 laps B-Spec), and Tokyo R246 (5 laps A-Spec; 8 laps B-Spec)

Polyphony Digital Cup (Level 19)!

"A high-level race event for the best of the best."

The third-ever installment of the Polyphony Digital Cup is in the GT5 lineup of races. This series' roots has been about racing the best original courses in Reverse layouts. Here, you will be racing on only three tracks. None of which are reverse layouts.

Sports Soft tires or less are required for B-Spec racing.

• ROUNDS: Circuito de Madrid-Mini (5 laps A-Spec; 14 laps B-Spec), Trial Mountain (5 laps A-Spec; 8 laps B-Spec), and Grand Valley Speedway (5 laps A-Spec; 7 laps B-Spec)


You have done masterfully to clear the Expert Series of races. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is one more championship that awaits you, and it is not easy at all. Long and punishing races await you in the next series. However, glory and high prize money are attainable for victory in each event and championship. Prepare for the final of the regular championships- the Extreme Series! Make sure to challenge tougher series if you've acquired enough experience to reach tougher championships.





More to come for this series of blog posts regarding GT5's races! Until next time, thank you for reading!

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Do Seasonal Events Save Racing in GT5?

For many people, the single-player aspects of Gran Turismo are disappointing. Seasonal Events have served as a way to enjoy racing in Gran Turismo with many different events. Each Seasonal features many different ways to race. Most common are the A-Spec races, featuring five different events. The fifth event usually takes place on a generated race track. There are Time Trial events where racers are invited to post the fastest time. Posting the fastest time gets you some prizes in the game. Your time is also up against other online players. Sometimes, you just want to view all of the top times to see what everyone else is using. There are also Drift Trials that are part of the Seasonal Events package. The Drift Trials require you to furiously (yet stylishly) drift around corners to rack up as many points as possible. Finally, there are Expert events that are very strict in regulations. These Expert races will pay you heavily in Credits and in Experience if you are able to win these races.

The main question here is... do Seasonal Events save GT5's racing and replay value?

--- Gran Turismo 5 Seasonal Events: Racing Savior of GT5? ---

^ Do Seasonal Events, such as the German Touring Car Championship Seasonal, save and enhance the variety of racing in Gran Turismo 5? That will be debated on this blog post.

Many people disappointed with the array of races in GT5 single player racing feel that Seasonal Events help extend the replay value of GT5. Since these races usually require certain kinds of cars and cars of a certain level of Performance Points, it gives many gamers reason to race more with certain cars. Think about Gran Turismo 4. GT4 wasn't the first GT to have One-Make Races, but you know you had to have certain cars if you wanted to win all the races. You sometimes had these cars just to compete in the various One-Make Races. These events should at least be enjoyed for the money and for picking up racing suits and racing helmets (especially for victories).

You probably feel like the single-player elements could have been more interesting and enjoyable in GT5, but Seasonal Events are really a tad more challenging and fun. You always start dead last in the Seasonal A-Spec races, and you must work your way to win the race. A number of people probably wish you can qualify so that you don't have to work from behind all the time.

--- Can More Be Done? ---

I think a lot more can be done. Consider the following in enhancing Seasonal Events:

B-Spec Seasonals?

• I would actually be interested in B-Spec racing Seasonal Events. It would be great to get some more B-Spec experience going in these tough events if we're struggling through the A-Spec events. If it's my A-Spec skills getting a workout in these races, why not give the B-Spec racers some Seasonal races to take part in? Don't give me that stuff about B-Spec racers being pathetic and passive. B-Spec racers should have to endure through these races as much as we are through A-Spec. So why not Seasonals for B-Spec?

Rally Seasonals?

• I think some of my fellow GT fans will agree- as much as we have rally events, it would be GREAT to have rally racing Seasonals. Think about it for a moment. If we have (for example) a Seasonal dedicated to 4WD cars, why not an event or an entire Seasonal where you have maybe a three-race or a five-race rally. I mean, how tough is it to set up Seasonal or an event that's all about rallying? You could have any kind of rally Seasonals limited to cars of a certain horsepower level. Heck, you could (and I know my rally racing fans will LOVE this) even limit the choice of cars to the Group B rally racing monsters. Perhaps even have a Seasonal limited to proper rally cars (including Group B). You could possibly even set up a makeshift rally weekend where you do rally racing for two or three simulated days across a number of stages. Don't just leave the rally racing to the Special category- Seasonal rallying would be great!

Seasonal Endurances?

• It would be interesting to see a Seasonal Endurance. Since most Seasonal races are within 6 to 10 minutes, a longer series of Endurance races between 25 to 30 minutes would be nice. Or at the most, a race of about 55 minutes to a full hour would be more than suitable for endurances. An Endurance Seasonal featuring only one event (or maybe more than one) is also possible. I say to make these time-based rather than lap-based.

Seasonal Championships?

Rather than five races, why not a championship? Maybe you can win both a new helmet and a new racing suit for winning the championship. Set up five races and find out if you can win the championship. Of course, you can still win individual prizes for clearing individual rounds. However, imagine winning much more for winning the championship. Talk about making money and earning experience! No better way to do so than to clear all of the races in a championship. Or if not new racing outfits, put up [for one time only] a prize car for winning a Seasonal Championship. It could either be a specific car or a ticket/coupon for a car of a certain theme. For example, winning a Seasonal Championship with muscle cars could earn you a Ticket that could earn you a Ford GT40 Race Car.

More Interesting Seasonal Events.

• If you remember Gran Turismo 1, there were some events where you could take your machine and mod its performance extremely. The Megaspeed Cup and Tuned Car races were two of the best in anything-goes tuning and racing. I still remember taking my 930 horsepower Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT) and just go crazy racing full speed in all of the races. I'd say more races where you could race almost whatever you want (no Performance Point restrictions) would be great. More unique events, more unique races... just make it interesting! Only problem, however, would be that certain people would take certain cars (like a formula car or the X2010) and easily win. Maybe even grind for money and experience. So SOME restrictions would have to be placed.


The real reason why I mostly do Seasonals is for the money and the experience. If you have the Spec 2.0 update, consecutive logins result in up to 200% boost in your winnings and experience. Winning one Seasonal Event is almost enough to max out your car's performance. Therefore, winning these can be very beneficial. You can also keep racing these Seasonals to build up money to purchase more cars or save up for a really expensive car. Two of the PSN Trophy goals are to get 1,000 cars and to have an insane amount of money (10M Credits or more). Making all the money you can will help you get there.





So do you think Seasonal Events save the single player racing aspect of GT5, or do you think the Seasonal Events should maybe replace the A-Spec and B-Spec events? What are your thoughts on Seasonal Events in regards to enhancing Gran Turismo 5's array of races? Also, what do you think about my ideas for enhancing the Seasonals? Comment away and thank you for reading!

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Future Locales for Gran Turismo?

There are a variety of locations where the PD team can go out and examine to make more international locales to better cover the world of Gran Turismo than ever before. This is a massive blog entry as it highlights as many international regions as I can as well as countless possibilities to have some Gran Turismo racing worldwide. Got time on your side? You'll need it!

This was a former blog post on "John's Blog Space." Since GT5 has long been released, it needs not be on JBS any longer. So welcome to the new home of this topic! This topic has been extensively modified to reflect changes from GT5 as well as being reworked to look better.

--- Gran Turismo: Other International Locales? ---

^ Five installments of Gran Turismo, many locales featured (all indicated by aquamarine dots). Where will future GTs take us? Each dot on the map indicates a rough sketch of all (or as many as possible) real-world locations featured in Gran Turismo games.

The Gran Turismo series has taken its fans across the world and back (virtually, of course). While many can argue there is a much greater Japanese presence than the rest of the world, at least you can visit venues and locales the world over. The Gran Turismo series can visit many more places and bring many more locations into the series. The real world influence didn't actually begin until Gran Turismo, where there were many real-world locations featured as opposed to an all original cast of locations in Gran Turismo 1.

So how does this blog post work? I'll share with you locations I think Gran Turismo should consider visiting in trying to offer more locales to people. Because this post was initially created while Gran Turismo 5 was in development, the assumption is that many of these locations are either offered as downloadable content for GT5 or for consideration in a future Gran Turismo title.

Locale Overview:

• North America
• Central America
• Latin America

• British Isles
• Europe...
...Western and Southwestern Europe
...Central Europe
...Southern Europe
...Russia

• Northern, Western, and Central Africa
• Southern Africa and Madagascar

• Middle East...
• ...Turkey
• ...Arabian Peninsula

• Asia (excluding Middle East)...
• ...South Asia
• ...Southeast Asia and the Philippines
• ...China and the Korea Republic
• ...Japan

• Oceania and the South Pacific
• Australia and Tasmania
• New Zealand
• Pacific Islands and Other Places

--- North and South America ---

A number of people who I sometimes read comments from really talk down on Polyphony Digital like they are terrible fails at finding American venues. Some probably wish there were more muscle cars and more American venues than mostly Japanese tracks and venues. Well here, this is a chance to make your case known. I explain a variety of courses and cities that would enhance Gran Turismo 5 to a great degree.

Other American Venues and Cities.

I'd be interested in seeing a variety of racing venues in America. Unlike most other people I'm not going to lash out on or be picky about American locales in the game. Maybe there's a little Enthusia in me, but I'd love to see a San Francisco street course. I love San Francisco. Maybe include Long Beach. Sebring and Road Atlanta would be great to include and would really enhance the American racing scene in Gran Turismo. Other venues I'd be interested in seeing (click on the hyperlinks to visit their official home pages):

• Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Alabama, USA)
• Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, Utah, USA)
• Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA)
• Motor Sport Ranch Houston (Angleton, Texas, USA)
• Portland International Raceway (Portland, Oregon, USA)
• Lime Rock Park (Lakeville, Connecticut, USA)

Fantasy street courses in the following American cities would add some extra appeal (feel free to add your own!):
• Houston, Texas, USA
• San Antonio, Texas, USA
• St. Louis, Missouri, USA
• Detroit, Michigan, USA
• San Francisco, California, USA (like Pacific Gateway in Enthusia Professional Racing)
• Los Angeles, California, USA
• Denver, Colorado, USA
• Miami, Florida, USA
• Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (other than the drag strip)
• Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
• Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Canada.

Polyphony Digital can have a variety of newer locales. The favorites for me would be the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and the beautiful Mont-Tremblant course. If offered, races around Mosport, Vancouver, Toronto, and Trois-Rivieres would be nice bonuses.

I've even found out about a location in Canada called Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. That's a very beautiful place from what I've seen in pictures. It, too, would make a great Photo Mode location.

Mexico and Central America.

I'd like to see some Latin American venues. The big one for me would be the Mexico City (Autodromo de los Hermanos Rodriguez). MAYBE Funidora Park (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) as well. Street courses would be interesting for cities like the following:
• San Luis Potosi, Mexico
• Tijuana, Mexico
• Cancun, Mexico
• Tela, Honduras
• San Salvador, El Salvador
• Panama City, Panama

South America.

You HAVE to include Brazil. There's just no other way. Interlagos and Brasilia would be nice venues. I also wanted to mention the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, but I think that track is now-defunct. The Buenos Aires race course (Autódromo Juan y Óscar Gálvez) would be great to include as far as non-Brazilian venues go. You could plan fantasy street courses for the following cities:
• Rio de Janerio, Brazil (like Forza Motorsport attempted)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Machu Picchu, Peru
• Caracas, Venezuela
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Rosario, Argentina
• Santiago, Chile





There's more to this! Click on "Read More" for more commentary from me on international locales for future GT titles! Or, disregard this line if you are reading the full post.

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GT5 Spec 2.0 Overview and Review

The Spec 2.0 update for Gran Turismo 5 offers up various tweaks and fixes to GT5. It is the evolution of GT5 with a new package designed to make the game more accessible and more fun. Details on Spec 2.0 and my thoughts on it will be discussed in this blog post. For all intents and purposes, this post is basically a look at the different tweaks to GT5 followed by some commentary of mine. Welcome to JGTS (John's Gran Turismo Space) and another blog post of mine!

--- Major Changes and New Features ---

I will use an old image just to help identify this post regarding the new Spec 2.0 update. I'm sorry I couldn't feature a recent picture to actually highlight on the new changes.


^ The Spec 2.0 update for Gran Turismo 5 includes various tweaks and edits. All of which, you will read about in this blog post, including my comments on some of the various edits.


This is NOT a full report. This is just a basic synopsis of what the new changes feature. You can read more on many of the talking points by reading the Update Notice (2.00) from the Gran Turismo News menu when you log into GT5:

[Major Changes and New Features]

• Standard Cars now given simplified cockpit views
• New Opening Movie
• Addition of the weather change menu
• multiple car settings/save feature
• added 11 NASCAR cars
• Nissan GT-R N24 Schulze Motor Sports
• Avatar now available in Photo Travel
• Replay Fast Forward/Rewind
• Improved Online Lounge
• Additional features to Remote Racing
• New Photo Stage Added
• Addition of the Consecutive Login Bonus
• DLC (Downloadable Content) Compatibility
• Official Support for the G25/G27 Racing Wheels

[Other Improvements]

• User interface improvement
• Quick Menu accessed while race is loading
• It is now possible to save and resume endurance races.
• Two NASCAR cars selectable in Arcade Mode have been changed from the 2010 models to 2011 models.
• In the Arcade Settings of [Options], AI Car Characteristics settings have been added. You can now change the aggressiveness of the AI against you in Arcade Races.
• Some effects of Traction Control have been adjusted. When the TCS is set to 1, it will not come into effect as much especially in tight corners on dirt tracks.
• Surface Water and Tire Load Indicator displays have been added to the race screen. The Tire Load indicator can be set from the Quick Options menu that is displayed during the race (when the game is paused using the START button), or the standard Options menu.
• The option to Create Thumbnails for AI cars has been added to the context of the Garage. This will update the thumbnails of all cars in the garage.
• Experience gained in online races has been increased by 60% and rewards have been increased by 66%.
• You can now change the Slipstream Strength settings in the lounge.
• In the Lounge and in [Option] - [General] - [Arcade], it is now possible to turn Visible Damage ON or OFF.
• Drivetrain settings has been added to the regulation settings in the Lounge.
• A setting to prohibit "Tuning" of cars has been added to the regulations settings in the Lounge.
Adjusted the driving speed of formula cars in banks, and auto-drive when coming onto straights.
• Added a button to [Reset Playlist to Original Settings] under the settings menus of [Menu BGM], [Race BGM], and [Slideshow BGM].
• A new brand "AMG" has been added to the MUSEUM.

[Correction of Known Issues]

• Corrected an issue where the "Torque Steering Center Differential" installed on a Lancer Evolution X was not functioning.
• Fixed an issue where you could participate in the Intermediate/Tarmac Rally of the Gran Turismo Rally in a Ferrari F1 by using the power limiter.
• Fixed an issue where the Controller Steering Sensitivity was not applied correctly.
• Fixed an issue where there was a server connection problem in certain network environments.
• Fixed an issue where auto-drive would make braking mistakes.
• Fixed an issue where the system would misjudge whether deceleration happens in time when making pit stops in the rain.

--- Thoughts on GT5 Spec 2.0 ---

Here are piece-by-piece comments on each aspect of the Spec 2.0 update. My comments (if any) are in BOLD letters. Everything was posted as of the initial date of this blog post:

The New Intro.

First things first... THANK GOD the opening song isn't that song from My Chemical Romance. This newer intro is much more interesting and much more fun than the previous one. I still think "Moon Over the Castle" should be the theme for Gran Turismo for all regions. Don't just change up the opening song just so "fanboys" and "fangirls" don't start getting bitchy just because certain groups/artists aren't featured.

You need to download the Spec 2.0 intro to your PS3 to be able to view it. It is about a 590 MB download.

Ideas on the Main Updates.

• Standard Cars now given simplified cockpit views
Better than no interior views to me. I actually don't mind the blacked-out interior views of most Standard cars.

• New Opening Movie
(See "The New Intro.")

• Addition of the weather change menu
This makes racing on Time Change and Weather Change tracks more accessible. I actually raced Circuit de la Sarthe 2009 under night conditions and enjoyed it! Best of all, I didn't have to play the track for an extended period of time just to play under certain conditions.

• multiple car settings/save feature

• added 11 NASCAR cars
The 2010 NASCAR Cup cars are all there, but they are now joined by 2011 models. Still no Dodge NASCAR Cup cars, sadly. :(

• Nissan GT-R N24 Schulze Motor Sports

• Avatar now available in Photo Travel

• Replay Fast Forward/Rewind
This is a MUCH welcome deal.

• Improved Online Lounge

• Additional features to Remote Racing

• New Photo Stage Added

• Addition of the Consecutive Login Bonus
Basically put, you get some perks for consecutive logins. Playing the game on one day will net you five Museum cards, five paint items, and a 120%(?) increase in earnings and experience for that day. The maximum you can receive is when you log in consecutively for five days. If you log in consecutively for five or more days, you will earn ten Museum cards, ten paint items, and experience/earnings will be boosted to 200%. This will allow you to earn Credits and experience at a quicker rate. So keep logging into GT5 in consecutive days to boost your earnings and experience! Of course... miss a day, and you'll probably go back down the login bonus ladder.

I actually like this. Makes you want to play the game for longer just to get the extra bonuses. That's even if you don't need extra Museum cards.

• DLC (Downloadable Content) Compatibility
Downloadable content for GT5 will supposedly be available starting October 18, 2011. So be ready to download and buy from PlayStation Store when downloadable content becomes available.

To get you excited, some of the DLC for GT5 includes (but is not limited to): Spa-Francorchamps, a special and colorful kart racing track, and more race-tuned cars (all Premium).

• Official Support for the G25/G27 Racing Wheels
(I don't own either of these, so I will not comment.)

[Other Improvements]

(comments in BOLD, if I have any comments for each bullet point)

• User interface improvement
• Quick Menu accessed while race is loading
As a word of advice, you will be ready to go when you hear car engines. Tracks load a bit quicker with the Spec 2.0 changes.

• It is now possible to save and resume endurance races.
This is much welcome news for most Gran Turismo fans. I have yet to participate in an endurance in GT5, so I will comment no further about this.

(no further comments on anything in this section)

[Correction of Known Issues]

(no comments on anything in this section)

In Conclusion...

In conclusion, the Spec 2.0 updates help make Gran Turismo 5 just that extra bit better. The various changes made were good enough to make the game just an extra bit more playable and accessible. I also noted how the game loads a little bit faster compared to before the Spec 2 update.





So make sure to download the changes and let me know what you think about the Spec 2.0 updates. Thank you for reading!

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GT5 Spec 2.0 and Downloadable Content

Gran Turismo 5 has longed for a sufficient update. GT5 Spec 2.0 has specified on a number of different additions to help enhance GT5 on a number of levels. There has also been the prospect of downloadable content (or DLC for short) to further the GT5 experience. The updates are expected to come along on October 11th (the same day that another popular racing game series is set to release its latest sequel). The download of Spec 2.0 will be free of charge. However, downloadable content is also being mentioned and considered. I personally want to see what all is/could be offered as downloadable content. Who knows? We may finally get a proper drag racing track. We may see some great real-world race tracks like Bathurst or Spa-Francorchamps. We may get certain past Gran Turismo tracks (Grindelwald, anyone?) brought up to GT5 standards. We may see more racing cars and some other machines. What will surface? That remains to be seen. I may post another blog post here on JGTS regarding what downloadable content would enhance GT5.

Courtesy of my friends on GTPlanet.net (hello to all of my GTPlanet members reading this!), read more about the Spec 2.0 updates:

"GT5 Spec 2.0 & DLC Details: Standard Car Interiors, Replay Controls, New Cars, New Tracks, & More" on GTPlanet

If you're reading this blog of mine and if you're a GT fan, do you think this will enhance GT5? Or do you think there is no way to enhance GT5 for the long run? Thank you for reading!

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• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space!

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