City Course Racing Advice

The many urban courses of Gran Turismo games offer up a challenge much different from the permanent and proper race tracks. I personally enjoy racing city courses. Why? I'm such a city person for one. Second off, city courses allow you the chance to go full speed on streets you otherwise would just drive slow and do lots of stop-and-go traffic on. It is almost as if you have a chance to enjoy full-speed action on public roads that you otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity to do almost any other time of the year. Also, there is always the appeal of going full speed on any number of real-world locations. Who wouldn't want to go full-speed down Times Square? Who wouldn't enjoy the opportunity to blast down the streets of London with your car humming at full song? Nothing wrong with enjoying a long drive around downtown Tokyo, right?

This blog post offers up some advice for racing on city/urban courses in Gran Turismo and Tourist Trophy titles.

--- City Course Advice ---

^ Urban courses can provide the thrill of racing (legally) on city streets, but they can also be immensely more challenging to race than permanent or semi-permanent race courses.

In Gran Turismo games, racing on city courses can be a daunting challenge. For one- urban circuits can not be practiced on in real life at any time you like. Because this is a video game, however, you can practice on city street courses in games any time you wish. Here is a look at some of the challenges most urban circuits provide:

• no margin for error
Unlike on many permanent race courses, city courses are narrow and don't offer much runoff areas or offer any margin for error. To either side of you are concrete barriers. These barriers may have some catchfences to ensure any vicious crashes don't have too much shrapnel from cars going into where the fans line the barriers. The lack of wide roads on most urban courses means that you don't have enough room to make too many clean passes. So you need to make timely passes at key areas or in any high-speed areas.

• blind corners
Many of these urban courses have blind corners. You will have to properly gauge the right moment to attack the apex of a corner. Try to find the best line around corners without even grazing the outside or inside wall. It is almost as if you have to pretend the barriers aren't there. Can you properly attack the very inside of the apex without grazing the nearby wall?

• bumpy roads
Because urban courses consist of roads that are commuted on daily by city traffic, city courses usually are bumpy and tricky. You may not sense these much in Gran Turismo games, but you have to be mindful of how abrasive the roads can be if you were to race these in real life.

• don't be distracted
It can be easily distracting to be enticed by the scenery of a certain city. The goal, however, is to negate the beauty of a city course and focus on keeping the car on the road and out of trouble. So don't be enticed fully about the bright lights of Hong Kong or the classical appeal of Rome- just race the track as best as you can.

• a good setup doesn't hurt
Urban courses can be more punishing than permanent or semi-permanent courses. Make sure to tune your car or bike (for you Tourist Trophy gamers) accordingly to take on these courses properly.

• watch your head (Tourist Trophy)!
There is a reason why motorcycle racers don't usually race on city street courses- they can be too dangerous. Think about going full speed on a street course in a car and then try to do the same on a motorcycle. You will easily be flown of your motorcycle if you lean too far inside on a motorcycle to where your head hits an inside barrier too hard. Try to find the best way to carve the inside of an apex safely without leaning too far inside.


This was all some advice to help you take on city courses in Gran Turismo and Tourist Trophy. I actually had this only about Gran Turismo but decided last moment to also include Tourist Trophy advice.





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