GRAN TURISMO CAR REVIEWS

International B License Tests













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License IB-1
 
Car: '10 Volkswagen Scirocco R
 
Track: Special Stage X
 
My Time: 18.874
 
 
Ugh. So there are slalom tests in this game. Well if trends stay as they are, chances are IB-1 won't be anything to fear.
 
And I am right. Yes, sinking that trophy from bronze to silver to gold can take a few tries. But this test is definitely easier than any other slalom done in any previous Gran Turismos.   
 
 
1). First, choose the car-view you are most comfortable with for doing slaloms. For instance, I prefer the in-car view for racing, but for slaloms, it's just better to be able to see how much room there is between the car, and each set of cones on the left and the right. For me, this means switching to hood cam.
 
2). As the clock ticks down, place the transmission in 2nd gear. Rev the engine in its mid-range!  I am revving somewhere between  3,000 and 4,000 RPMs.
 
3). As the test starts *BEEP* go ahead and floor the gas. These 2010 Sciroccos have a lot of torque, unlike the Mini used during GT5. So the VW's cheap front tires will spin and smoke even more relentlessly. But before this happens, the Scirocco will hunker down, maintaining front-end traction.    
 
4). Skew that steering slightly to the left. One thing nice about this test is that if previous IB-1s have been tried, the game will preserve the car's burnout marks. Or maybe they're there by default, I'm not sure. Anyway, follow the tire tracks which have already been burned into the road!
 
5). Pass the first set of cones, while already setting the  car up for the next set. As the VW passes the second set of cones, this is a good area to shift to 3rd gear.
 
6). You'll need to get into the habit of aiming the front-end inwards, as each new set of cones are approached, missing the inside cone by literal centimeters. Don't go too wide.
 
Gas will need to be modulated. It's safe to floor it at times. During other times, you'll be coasting for a few tenths of a second, especially if the car gets too hot, swinging too wide. This is okay. The idea is to maintain a near-constant speed as the next six sets of cones are passed. I am going somewhere between 50 and 57 miles per hour (82 to 91 km/h) during this portion of the test.
 
7). There are ten sets of cones altogether. When leaving the #8 set of cones, floor the gas.   Speed will need to climb, but there isn't as much need to be quite as careful toward the very end. It's okay to go wider. At its highest, the Scirocco R was doing 77 mph across the finish line.
 
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License IB-2
 
Car: '12 Fisker Karma EcoSport
 
Track: Mount Panorama
 
My Time: 17.728
 
 
Taking on Chicanes at High Speed is what PD calls this test. The good news is that Mount Panorama has already been raced several times by now. Today we are going to be tackling that very high-speed fast/slow area, near the far end of the track. Is this area really a chicane? Hmm. Not to brag, but IB-2 is really easy. I golded this test on my very first try.
 
 
1). We start off rolling at high speed on the left side of the track. The first turn is a mere bend, which is taken in a gentle out-in-in fashion. After the bend, stay on the right side of the track. Stay on the gas fully, while gently steering the car.
 
2). Start braking about halfway down the straight which this electric sportster is on now. There is no convenient braking zone marker, so what I'm doing is braking from 129 miles per hour (206 km/h) in a solid, straight line.
 
3). As the car nears this sharp left turn, trail-brake inwards... descending to 54 mph at the slowest. Again, this turn is done out-in-in. You want to be on the left side of the track as it straightens.
 
4). Give full gas ... err.. electricity ... as the car feels stable enough to handle it. The final turn can be taken flat-out with no modulating. Out-in-out or close to it.
 
It's okay if the Fisker gets a little squirrely coming out of these final two turns. PD did not set the bar very high for this license test.  
 
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License IB-3
 
Car: '13 Ford Shelby GT500
 
Track: Willow Springs International Raceway - Big Willow
 
My Time: 17.984
 
 
This test is called Consecutive Corners. We'll be dealing with The Omega, which is the slowest part of Big Willow. Again, this is an area many GT6 drivers are well familiar with. Problem though: the Shelby Mustang is on tires which it's easily about to shred. We must keep a tight  reign on this horse's behavior, as it slips and slides around.
 
 
1). The game automatically puts the Shelby on the left side of the track. Shift the engine into 3rd gear as it hits redline. 
 
2). Nose over to the right side of the track. Again, the re is no real braking zone indicator. So as the car hits somewhere between 114 and 116 mph, brake fully. Turn-inwards almost immediately. Downshift into 2nd gear. The car will be going about 54 mph at the slowest.
 
3). Make sure the car's inner tires stay on pavement. Don't even touch that narrow rumble strip. Brakes get traded for gas instantaneously a couple tenths after shifting down into 2nd. But feather that throttle as needed. The car might be able to handle full gas one moment, but the next its rear will start to lose traction. This is a moment-to-moment sort of situation.  
 
4). Steer inwards sharply, as the Mustang approaches the two red cones on the inside of the turn. Give full gas as the car straightens briefly.
 
5). As you come off of the first turn, aim inwards toward the second, almost immediately. Give very partial brakes as the car approaches that red cone on the inside of the turn, IF the car needs this.
 
6). Steer inwards without brakes or gas. The 'stang will be going 61 mph (91 km/h) at the slowest. Keep the car inwards, lightly feathering that throttle. In fact, most of this final turn is taken with no throttle, or very delicate throttle.
 
* Note that during this portion of Omega, so much depends on making sure the car maintains stability, grip and traction. Any sort of sliding or fishtailing, even a little bit, means that precious gold is now going to be a silver.   
 
7). As the turn ends, let the Mustang go outwards. Give full throttle, stomping that gas!  Yeeaaah!!!! Keep it in 2nd gear.
 
 
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License IB-4
 
Car: '10 Aston Martin V12 Vantage
 
Track: Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit 
 
My Time: 28.294
 
 
This test is called Combined Corners 2. Yet another rather easy test, certainly easier than The Omega at Big Willow. Because ta-dah!!!  Brands Hatch has lots of braking zone markers!
 
 
1). Get this heavy luxury GT over to the left side of the track. The game auto-shifts into 4th gear. Keep it in 4th.
 
2). There are three white markers on the left side of the track. Pass the first two at full speed. As the Aston approaches the third marker, trade full gas for full brakes. Downshift into 3rd gear. Aim the car inwards.
 
We're going from 122 mph to about 85.
 
3). The toughest thing about this turn (and all the others) is track marshals have put cones on the inside of each turn. Knocking one of these cones over fails the test. So make sure to stay fully on pavement, while making a long out-in-out.
 
4). As the car approaches those two cones, trade brakes for throttle. But not all at once. Again, it's best to feather the gas, as the car rushes inwards. Miss those cones by inches!
 
5). Give full gas as the turn begins to straighten out. You should be on the left side of the track. Grazing the rumble strip out here is okay. 
 
6). Upshift into 4th gear. There are two markers on the left side of the track. Trade gas for brakes just as you pass the second marker. Downshift into 3rd gear. Again, this is another long and fast out-in-out. 
 
7). Braking should be done before passing those two cones on the inside. As the turn straightens, it's okay to give full gas early.  
 
8). There's a gentle right-hander up ahead, taken at full speed. Upshift into 4th gear at redline.
 
9). The final turn is the toughest because it is blind. As the car dips down a hill, then begins to climb back up, get to the middle-left of the track. As soon as you can see those final two cones on the inside, start braking and aim inwards. We're going over 100 miles per hour at this point, so this is tricky. 
 
10). Downshift into 3rd just before passing those two cones. Again, this is an out-in-out, but it's more aggressive than the previous bends. 
 
11). Blast out of the final bend with full throttle and 3rd gear. Taking this turn wide is a no-no, yet during my final run, I got halfway into the grass yet still managed to gold the test.              
 
 
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License Test IB-5
 
Car: '05 Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C Type RA
 
Track: Toscana
 
My Time: 30.619
 
 
This final test is called Driving the Dirt, which makes me smile. Most Gran Turismo off-road license tests, even in the toughest of games, have usually been pieces of cake. Ironically, this track was also used in GT5 for a license test, and finally it was more difficult. How does GT6 handle Toscana?  
 
 
1). The Subaru is auto-shifted into 2nd gear at the start. Get into the middle of the track and shift into 3rd at redline.
 
2). The car flies over a hump. Keep full throttle. As the car lands, try to steer slightly to the right, because the track bends slightly to the right.
 
3). Another hump is up ahead. Get middleish-left before flying over it. As the car lands, you'll be steering slightly right again.
 
4). There's a gigantic banner over the track up ahead. Just as the car makes 100 mph (161 km/h) brake fully for a moment while steering semi-sharply to the left. Downshift into 3rd. All of this causes the Subaru to slide. We're now going high speed, and about 45 degrees sideways. 
 
5). Feather the gas. As the turn straightens out somewhat, make sure to get the Subaru somewhat straight as well, now giving full throttle. As the track undulates and the Subaru loses grip, feather that gas as needed.
 
6). The track curves right now. Get inwards, letting the car coast for several long seconds, while turning inwards. There's a grove of trees to the inside of the track. Return full throttle as the last tree gets passed.  
 
7). Keep to the inside of the track as the final turn approaches fast. Release that throttle and downshift into 2nd, just before passing the trees on the left. This final turn is taken with no brakes. But also no sliding. 
 
8). Turn inwards rather sharply, modulating that gas. It's okay to rumble far inwards into the golden weeds of this final turn. As the turn straightens and the car straightens, blast off with full throttle. DON'T be sliding all over the place. It's important to have as much of that all wheel-drive traction as possible at this point, to gather as much speed as possible. 
 
I mean... the car may be inadvertently sliding as it comes off this final sharp curve. But do your best to keep this sliding to a minimum. 
 
9). Upshift into 3rd at redline. One final curve is ahead, but it's a gentle one. 
 
  
       
















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