What car do you use/like far more than you expected to?

Eunos_Cosmo

Eunos_Cosmo

11,356
United States
Marin County
I'm just curious if anyone else has had an experience like the one I had. At one point a few weeks ago I was perusing the UCD and saw the Mercedes Mclaren SLR. I thought - I got some spare cash, why not? Ever since then, I've been using it almost exclusively. The combination of the brilliant sound (supercharger whine + big V8 + side pipes is truly wonderful), the competent but characterful handling (perfectly balanced Porsche Cayman this ain't), it's lazy 5-speed gearbox (well..as lazy as PD's super automatics can be) and it's immense top end make it probably the most charming car I've yet acquired in the game. I don't want to drive it on tighter tracks, ever, but on the more open tracks like Tokyo East, La Sarthe, Spa, Nurburgring it's just really really good fun. It's even useful for farming Tokyo 600 completely stock (I've managed a 2:09.x in it).

Some others that surprised me:

TVR Tuscan - This thing straight up hauls ass. I don't think I ever appreciated how much of a rocket this thing is before, but 2400lbs and 360hp (with a ton of torque to boot) is a recipe for a handful. Love driving this thing, on stock suspension it feels like it wants to do a wheelie. Love the interior too, with it's wild organic design and bizarre speedometer.

Subaru Impreza Sti '99 - The combination of the sound, the grip, the turn-in. I find this car to be an absolute blast to drive - particularly on the tighter circuits the SLR isn't all that suited to.

There are other cars that I really enjoy, but these are the 3 that I enjoy so much unexpectedly. One recurring trait is the sound and the other is the character of the handling. None of them handle perfectly, and I think they are all the better for it.
 
The 2002 Viper GTS and the 2006 Viper SRT-10 really surprised me at how nice they are to drive once modified (I haven't driven them stock). I was expecting these big V10s to have too much power and for the car to be a snappy mess similar to other RWD high powered cars, but I was surprised to find this not to be the case. They really are a joy to drive, especially with a good set up. They put the power down without much drama and that makes them really easy to get lap time out of. That deep V10 snarl also helps with the enjoyment of driving these cars.

Contrast this to similar cars that I shiver to get behind the wheel of including the S550 Mustang/GT350R, Lexus LC500/RCF which all have similar or less power to the Viper and are RWD. These cars feel more suited to Formula Drift than track driving, snapping at even the slightest hint at the throttle. These cars are incredibly stressful to drive as you constantly anticipate their next snap of oversteer. A shame because the V8s in all 4 of these cars sound incredible.

Another I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much was the Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo. Granted, I find AWD road cars in this game to be a little overpowered compared to their RWD counterparts. But the GTO is a stable, responsive and smooth driving experience which oozes grip and balance. Combine that with a Racing Exhaust and you have a contender for one of the best sounding cars in the game. Despite lacking a bit of power compared to some of the other JDM tuner cars, it more than makes up for this with grip and balance, making it easy to get a good lap time.

Just for reference, I have a whole group of road cars which I've applied every performance upgrade to (engine modifications, weight reduction, brakes and suspension, gearbox and differential), on racing hard tyres, widebody with full aero package. I then use the custom races to create a race series using these cars. Following modification I've found some of these cars just become undriveable (looking at you Porsche), while others become lap time monsters.
 
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Alpine A110 ‘17. This car feels a lot faster than its specs would suggest and it’s also very light and planted. All the ingredients for a very good time behind the wheel! It doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, and 10 years from now people will ask themselves how they overlooked it like they did with the Lexus LFA.

Ford GT ‘17. I’m not a massive fan of the way it looks, but it honestly drives better than anything from the established super car manufacturers.

Nissan Silvia K’s (S14). These cars are a drifting cliché, but with only a few upgrades they are underrated as heck for regular circuit driving.
 
OldandSlow
The classic '92 and '02 NSX cars, naturally aspirated. I find them to be perfect when tuned. The '70 and '73 Skylines, too.
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Is it just for me or does the 02 NSX get uncomfortably loud when you put a racing exhaust on it? Not loud as in aggressive, genuinely like someone put the engine up +12db. Doesn't happen like that with other vehicles.
 
The two Group B road cars, EVO and WRX. Was never very interested because they're heavy and they can't be lightened. Then I gave the engine swaps a try. Both are up there with the most OP cars in the game, and super fun to drive, they don't feel heavy , very "tossable" and short track long track doesn't matter. Dominant in any event from 550-700pp. They max out at right around 700pp and can crush at 800pp when fuel isn't an issue, very surprised how much I enjoyed them.
 
Plymouth Superbird for me. It's a stupid car but somehow I've grown to love the big daft thing and use it whenever I can.
 
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I have a few but one that stands out is my Audi R5. It's my go-to for WTC800's and even some 900's and if I de-tune it right, 700's.
 
I never thought the Toyota Supra GT500 would be a competitive car, but my second account didn't have many choices for Gr.3 cars early on, so it was all I had. That said, it is actually a pretty good car. Really good on fuel and tires, so pit stops can be less frequent giving you an advantage. I've been able to win the Neo Classic Red Bull race with it, the HSR 20 lap race with it, lots of other Gr.3 races as well. It's a pretty good car.

The Chaparral 2J was not a car I liked when I first played GT7. However, with some of the physics changes they have made in the past 6 months, this car is unreal. Massive grip in the corners and it's like a high speed train down the straights.
 
Tommy_D
I never thought the Toyota Supra GT500 would be a competitive car, but my second account didn't have many choices for Gr.3 cars early on, so it was all I had. That said, it is actually a pretty good car. Really good on fuel and tires, so pit stops can be less frequent giving you an advantage. I've been able to win the Neo Classic Red Bull race with it, the HSR 20 lap race with it, lots of other Gr.3 races as well. It's a pretty good car.

The Chaparral 2J was not a car I liked when I first played GT7. However, with some of the physics changes they have made in the past 6 months, this car is unreal. Massive grip in the corners and it's like a high speed train down the straights.
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I would second the GT500. That car is so balanced once you understand it. So fast on the long end and light so it's easy on tires and fuel as well. Plus it feels like it has an anchor on the brakes. 👍👍
 
Skyline super silhouette.. .....I just love the retro and raw power design ... yeah its a lot slower ,has awful gear changes and massive turbo lag , but its fun. 😁.

Just done the Neo classic at Fuji ..... won with a lot of luck and changing weather .. 😁.
 
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