AWDA on Hiatus

I will still be posting the setup for the MkII MR2 Turbo as soon as judging results are in at GTP; however, I'm returning to racing in real life and have spend most of this month preparing for my first race this weekend. Because of this I've sadly had pretty much no time to spend playing with GT4. I hope to be back in action with the game soon enough.

AWDA Monthly June '09

A lot has happened this month. I've started writing reviews for MFT, and I've entered a Toyota MR2 GT-S (name the AWDA MR2 Turbo) into TCv5 Battle Motegi. Judging for TCv5 will begin this coming month, and I will post the setup for the AWDA (MkII) MR2 Turbo after the results from TCv5 are in. Building this car took a lot of time out of this month that I had planned on spending developing other things, but I'm not going to worry about that. This month the Honda Integra Touring Car was replaced by the Honda Accord Euro-R. No other updates were made. AWDA was working on an update of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, but that project has been axed, so the Aston is no longer available.

A lot of things came up later in this month that kept me away from the game, and such needs in my personal life will probably continue to do so for the next two weeks or so. I didn't get two cars posted this month that I had planned and I image that I'll probably get them posted along with the MR2 and a race car this coming month.

(GT4) Lexus GS300 Vertex Edition

Lexus GS300 Vertex Edition



Power: 332bhp

Parts:
Sports Exhaust
Racing Brakes
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
FC LSD
Carbon Driveshaft
FC Suspension
N3-S3 Tires
Weight Reduction Stage 2

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 9.0/8.0
Ride Height: 120/130
Bound: 3/2
Rebound: 8/5
Camber: 1.6/2.0
Toe: -1/-1
Stabilizers: 4/2

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 12
1st: 2.720
2nd: 1.825
3rd: 1.310
4th: 1.000
5th: 0.760
Final Gear: 3.800

LSD:
Initial: 10
Acceleration: 25
Deceleration: 10

Notes:
This car isn't pretty, it isn't comfortable, nor is it practical, but it is fast. On sports tires it'll more than keep up with your average sports coupe, and on N3 tires it'll be just as sideways. This car is here because it is the unexpected. It is the car that you could take to your mother-in-law's and take to the track. The best part about taking it to your mother-in-law's is that there are no back seats, so as long as your spouse goes with you there'll be no room for your mother. That is an extra that no other respectable looking sports sedan will offer.

(GT4) Alfa Romeo 156

Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6



Power: 249bhp

Parts:
Rigidity Refresh
Rigidity Increase (rollcage)
Port Polishing
Engine Balancing
Semi-racing Exhaust
Racing Brakes
NA Tuning Stage 1
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
FC LSD
FC Suspension
S3 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 8.5/8.0
Ride Height: 122/135
Bound: 2/3
Rebound: 8/4
Camber: 2.5/3.2
Toe: 0/-1
Stabilizers: 2/2

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 6
1st: 3.170
2nd: 2.095
3rd: 1.655
4th: 1.355
5th: 1.120
6th: 0.920
Final Gear: 3.940

LSD:
Initial: 18
Acceleration: 30
Deceleration: 10

Notes:
This 250bhp Alfa 156 is not meant to be the 156 GTA, it is mean to be better. This 2.5L V6 model weighs 90kg less than the GTA, and has a better weight balance. Yet the fact that it is a V6 means that it still has that amazing Alfa sound. More importantly it has the Alfa look. When you drive an Alfa Romeo it is as if you're riding on the shoulders of Donatello's bronze statue of David. Further more, Alfa Romeos have always been like your grandma's cooking. She could make the simplest dish but you'd think it was the best meal in the world because you'd swear you could actually taste the love in the food. You get a similar feeling when you sit in the 156. I decided to try something new with the suspension, hopefully it is an improvement. For some reason I discontinued the Spider, so when we replaced the Alfa Romeo GT setup with the James Bond edition GT with 320bhp, AWDA no longer had a “sensible” Alfa Romeo. Another new concern of AWDA’s is that all our cars be race ready, something we’d previously never considered when building FWDs. While there are limited races that this car can compete in, we decided that 250bhp was really the limit for this chassis.











More images of the 156 here.

(GT4) Honda Accord Euro-R (AWDA Touring Car)

Honda Accord Euro-R



Power: 286bhp

Parts:
Semi-racing Exhaust
Racing Brakes
NA Tuning Stage 1
Port Polishing
Engine Balancing
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Triple-plate Clutch
Racing Flywheel
FC LSD
FC Suspension
R1-R3 Tires
Weight Reduction Stage 3
Rigidity Increase (rollcage)
Rear Wing

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 6.5/8.0
Ride Height: 110/110
Bound: 3/2
Rebound: 8/6
Camber: 2.2/2.5
Toe: -1/-1
Stabilizers: 2/1

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 5
1st: 3.140
2nd: 2.300
3rd: 1.790
4th: 1.445
5th: 1.190
6th: 1.000
Final Gear: 4.000

LSD:
Initial: 20
Acceleration: 30
Deceleration: 15

Downforce: 16/24

Notes:
This car is replacing the Honda Integra Touring Car as AWDA's team touring car. There are a few reasons for this: first, it closer fits the S2000 based rules used in touring cars today; second, it is easier to drive; and third and most importantly, it is affordable. Another benefit is that tires last much longer on this car than on the Integra. This Accord will do about 48km around the Nürburgring before the R1 tires wear out. That is equivalent to about 12 laps around a shorter circuit like Apricot Hill Raceway. This car has 2 more horsepower per ton than the BMW 320i Touring Car so in a straight line the only thing that sets these two cars apart is the 6-speed gearbox in this Accord. Because this car is easier to drive it is almost as fast as our old Integra touring car which had about 40bhp per ton more than this Accord. Want your own? For just 150,500 Cr. (price does not include cost of rims and tires) this touring car is yours. Compared to the Integra touring car available through Honda at 450,000 Cr. this car is by far the better deal.
(As I said with the Honda Integra Touring Car setup: there doesn't seem to be any races that this car can really compete in so I supposed that this car is just a proof of concept car.)

Driving tips:
To launch the car build the revs up to 3.5k RPM in 1st gear and take off at nearly full throttle, carefully balancing the wheelspin until you get to second gear. Remember to ease on the throttle out of corners; don't just stomp on the gas. This car was setup on R1 tires, while R3 tires only make it better, R1 tires last longer and are what I would recommend for use on this car.



Video from the Honda Integra Touring Car:

(GT4) Lexus SC430

Lexus SC430



Power: 372bhp

Parts:
Port Polishing
Engine Balancing
Sports Exhaust
Racing Brakes
NA Tuning Stage 1
Computer Equip
Close Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
1.5-way LSD
Carbon Driveshaft
FC Suspension
S3 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 10.0/9.0
Ride Height: 115/125
Bound: 3/2
Rebound: 9/4
Camber: 2.4/2.8
Toe: 0/0
Stabilizers: 3/2

Notes:
Do you use words like “fabulous,” know that Roquefort is by law a cheese that can only be aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, and do you think that Cheddar is a village in the district of Sedgemoor? If you answered yes, yes, and yes, then this car is for you. There are plenty of people who would disagree with me on this, but I think this car looks simply… well… let’s just say it, fabulous. The SC430 isn’t trying to be cool, because it knows cool people won’t buy it. No, this SC430 is for the people who appreciate the finer things in life. Every curve in this car’s bodywork is like a moment of peace, and function be damned by design. Admittedly when you walk to the back you realize the rear end looks unfortunately like a Toyota Solara. It is like Kate Moss with Lily Cole’s rear end; it is still good looking, but you know it is off a cheaper model. Though I can appreciate the looks, I can’t appreciate the sound. I know the car was meant to be discreet, but the V8 sounds like a muffled walrus with a tooth ache. This, however, is where the Lexus ends and its wild side begins. The 4.3L V8 now produces 372bhp, and while that means that it has a worse power to weight ratio than our MR2 Spider, this SC430 is still fast. Even while lugging around 1730kg this car keeps on its toes, but at the same time it feels forgiving even on N3 tires (I would recommend giving N3’s a try, though not during a race). It doesn’t have enough power to do epic power slides, but if you turn in hard, or do anything to shift the weight a little, it’ll get sideways. This car is for those out there who love style and anonymity, but secretly fancy a car that makes their blood boil with excitement. For those who truly appreciate a Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux with their broiled steak. And a day out on the track? Now that AWDA is done with it that isn’t out of the question either. (Don’t forget that this car can compete in the Stars and Stripes race in the American Hall.)

(GT4) Mercedes SL 65 AMG

Mercedes SL 65 AMG



Power: 729bhp

Parts:
Rigidity Increase (rollcage)
Sports Exhaust
Turbo Stage 1
Sports Intercooler
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
FC LSD
Carbon Driveshaft
FC Suspension
S2 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 10.0/10.0
Ride Height: 104/108
Bound: 4/3
Rebound: 10/6
Camber: 1.6/1.2
Toe: 0/-1
Stabilizers: 4/3

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 22
1st: 3.340
2nd: 1.870
3rd: 1.325
4th: 1.000
5th: 0.765
Final Gear: 3.200

LSD:
Initial: 10
Acceleration: 40
Deceleration: 5

Notes:
Brabus did all they could to make an SL 600 manage 730hp and they failed. This is understandable though because in the real world semi-slick tires are not reasonable, and Mercedes traction control cannot be turned completely off. If you were to compare the actual computing power of this car you’d realize it should be able to land a man on the Moon. So in a sense this car is rocket ship? No, not really. It is more like a prostitute with a shotgun who says she’ll blow you away: you never know if that’s a threat or a business proposition. So what went into making a Brabus that is better than a Brabus? To start, AWDA used the SL 65 AMG because it has the body kit and engine displacement I wanted as well as being almost 27,000 Cr. cheaper than the SL 600 in the long run. The stock chassis just made nonsense of the 1178Nm of torque. The front and rear wheels were like kids in the back seat arguing about which way to go, and ultimately never being able to decide. With the chassis braced it can start to do something productive with that kind of torque, but the whole translation of torque to speed seems to get garbled when going around a corner. In a car that weighs more than many SUVs, the problem is that tossing the weight around in the corners more often than not overloads the front tires and creates understeer. Getting all two tons of this car around a corner gracefully is like trying to balance a hippo on a highwire. It will power side, but if you don’t tuck the nose in right before adding the power the car will simply spin both rear wheels and will refuse to turn at all. The car takes a third longer to stop than most, which makes racing it difficult, yet I decided I don’t care. Long story short, I’m mostly happy with what I’ve come up with.

P.S.
Yes this car is setup for S2 tires, and just for fun slap some N3 tires on this at some point and give it a spin. I find that I really enjoy driving some of my cars with N3s.

Screen Shots 3

Taking MFT's new MX-5 for a drive:

AWDA Monthly: May 2009

First off:
I am finished updating all of the gearboxes but the ones that I decided didn't need to be updated or the ones that I couldn't get the cars for at the moment. So a few days and a couple million Cr. later AWDA is back in business.

These cars have been updated:
Hyundai Coupe FX
Mitsubishi FTO GP V.R
Nissan Skyline Sedan 350GT-8

AWDA Monthly:
Now that school is out and I have more free time I've been getting more involved with AWDA. For example I've started writing little descriptive paragraphs to go along with the setups, and been focusing on cutting costs. At the same time I've grown tired of working on the photos like I used to. I don't take photos in photo mode and edit them anymore. It was a lot of work and it did produce some nice images, but I have better things to do with my time.

This month was dedicated to research on gearing, and next month is going to be dedicated to FWD tech--though we will still be releasing 3 RWD vehicles. Among other things I will now be posting news about AWDA monthly which will include updated setups. As always our new cars will stick to our motto "Not as fast as possible, as competeitive as possible." MFT tunes cars to be as fast as possible, but I enjoy the competition, not just the speed. Looks like AWDA has a good future in GT4 since GT5 is still being delayed.

Test Results (gearing)

What I'm making of this is just that each cars characteristics seem to affect which gearing will be fastest, and affect it by such a small amount it is almost negligible. I would have to believe that having a 5th or 6th gear with a 1:1 ratio would make for better top end acceleration, while having a diff with a 4:1 ratio would positively effect lower speed acceleration, and many times AWDA’s gearboxes are half way between. This means no 1:1 gear as is traditional, but it does mean a pretty even acceleration through the gears, and in some cases (hopefully most) provides the best times. I will probably adjust some of the gearboxes, though not all.

Ratio to Ratio

You’ll have to bear with me here as I try to figure something out about gearing. I wanted to redo all of my gear ratios, but it has turned into a mathematical and theoretical nightmare. Anything over a 1:1 ratio at the gearbox is said to negatively impact acceleration, and a closer ratio at the diff is said to also impact acceleration negatively. The problem is you can’t really have one without the other. For example if I were to use a 1700kg, 540hp, 322km/h car and make 5th gear 1:1 the final ratio would have to be 3.225:1. So suppose you consider that that differential ratio is too small, and will hurt acceleration, so you make 4th gear 1:1, now 5th gear will be about 0.785:1 and the diff. will be 4.150:1. So if you use that 4.1:1 diff. now 5th gear becomes an over gear, which is also supposed to negatively affect acceleration. Put the cars on a track and there is no difference what so ever in times. Which brings up the question, why does it matter? I honestly don’t know, just me striving for realism I suppose. What I’m doing is taking each car with the gearing I had previously made for it and running it to the rev limiter and then recording what speeds it reaches in those gears. With this information, and knowing the ratio I can use math to figure out the new settings I want. This number is only approximate, but it takes a lot of the guess work out of re-gearing. I built the equations up in excel so I only had to enter in numbers to get the approximate results. Yet now I'm trying to figure out if it is really worth it.

Here's kind of an example of how it works:


This is handy, but it still has not solved my problem. Why do manufactures use a 1:1 gear ratio anyway? I will probably only use this for new gear ratios and not change any more of the older ones.

(GT4) Subaru Legacy B4 (updated)

Subaru Legacy B4 2.0GT specB



Power: 349bhp

Parts:
Sports Exhaust
Racing Brakes
Turbo Stage 1
Computer Equip
Close Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
Carbon Driveshaft
FC Suspension
S3 Tires
VCD

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 8.0/7.5
Ride Height: 130/140
Bound: 3/2
Rebound: 8/5
Camber: 2.5/2.0
Toe: 1/0
Stabilizers: 2/2

VCD: 25

Notes:
From the outside the only thing to tell you this car is special is the lowered body on the large gold BBS wheels, the slightly more distinct splitter, and the Spec B badges. But if appearances fool you the price tag wont. At 85,250 Cr. It is priced to compete with a BMW M3 and it has the performance to match it, mind you that 85,250 Cr. makes this one of the cheapest cars AWDA has built. Despite its family saloon car appearance and affordability (compared to the other cars we’ve made), a lot of consideration went into this vehicle. The plan was to have 400hp, but 350hp was much more practical from this 2L turbo engine. Then there’s the gearbox. The HKS gearbox runs 5,600 Cr. and limits the cars top speed down 30kph from the stock one. Acceleration is improved but as you can see for yourself from the graphs below the car is only 0.2 seconds faster from a standing start over one km. One thing that numbers never can tell us is the way a car feels, and AWDA is big on feel. Hence the HKS gearbox was selected for the fact that it gives the car the feel of extra grunt when running out of corners. To compare this vehicle to others in its class of sporty four-seater saloon cars, B-spec was sent out to record times of cars with similar design, those results are posted below (cars prices listed with the cost of oil change, sports soft tires, and new wheels added).

P.S.
Need a little more top speed? Use the stock gearbox, but do give the HKS gearbox a try.

(GT4) Proto Motors Spirra

Proto Motors Spirra 4.6 V8



Power: 354bhp

Parts:
Rigidity Increase
Sports Exhaust
Racing Brakes
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
FC LSD
FC Suspension
S3 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 7.5/10.0
Ride Height: 135/134
Bound: 4/2
Rebound: 8/10
Camber: 2.0/0.5
Toe: 0/0
Stabilizers: 3/3

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 15
1st: 2.880
2nd: 1.945
3rd: 1.445
4th: 1.120
5th: 0.885
6th: 0.710
Final Gear: 3.700

LSD:
Initial: 10
Acceleration: 28
Deceleration: 40

Notes:
By no means is the engine in this car in any way high tech, but that doesn’t stop every inch of this car from being super. This engine might not be the most impressive thing to come through the doors of Ford’s and Proto’s factory but it sounds like an orchestra of earthquakes, and you’ll realize when you put your foot down what matters isn’t the size of the engine, it is the near 355hp that will send this car past M3s. We originally wanted this engine to be supercharged to 460hp, quite like the Shelby GT500, but we realized that such a car was so fast it couldn’t compete with anything. It was too fast. To deal with this cars weight balance that resembles that of an old Porsche we practically lifted an LSD from the Porsche GT2, and played with the suspension until we made a vehicle that was wasn’t just drivable, but survivable. Of course in any car balanced like a Porsche you know what to look out for in handling. Hopefully we’ve transformed this car from axe murderer to gentle giant.

(GT4) Jaguar S-Type R

Jaguar S-Type R



Power: 541bhp

Parts:
Port Polishing
Engine Balancing
Sports Exhaust
NA Tuning Stage 2
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
FC LSD
Carbon Driveshaft
FC Suspension
S3 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 9.0/7.5
Ride Height: 119/128
Bound: 3/2
Rebound: 8/4
Camber: 2.3/3.0
Toe: 1/-1
Stabilizers: 2/1

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 17
1st: 2.600
2nd: 1.775
3rd: 1.290
4th: 1.000
5th: 0.800
6th: 0.640
Final Gear: 3.700

LSD:
Initial: 10
Acceleration: 30
Deceleration: 5

Notes:
This car reminds me of a seventy-year-old man that never grew up. It is the sort of car that arrives wearing corduroy to the tune of Cities on Flame with Rock and then pulls your pants down and runs away, or would if he could run. So sure it isn’t the fastest car, but you’ll be holding on to your trousers whenever it is around. Even I thought I was joking when I decided to take this car for a drive, but really that was far from a fair attitude toward the old cat. Jaguars were revolutionary at one point in history, after all we had just invented the wheel and three days later Jaguar has the S-Type. The problem is that was the last time Jaguar made a new car. So this Jag is no M5, but it will put an E55 AMG in its place. The price tag isn’t the only thing rivals a Mercedes SL 600 (177.5k Cr.), the speed does too. This cars biggest problem is its looks. If they say the camera adds 10 pounds then this car must add 20 years. But let’s set aesthetics aside for a moment and talk some technical stuff. The 4.2L supercharged V8 now produces 540hp, and sounds wonderful doing it. And of course it still weighs in at 1800kg because no one is going to by a Jag for a stripped out racer. One thing that made this car manageable was the fact that Jaguar used double wishbone suspension all around. So if you feel like bringing the old tea and scones to a race buy this car and don’t forget your sweater vests.

(GT4) Toyota MR2 Spyder

Toyota MR2 Spyder



Power: 216bhp

Parts:
Rigidity Increase (rollcage)
Semi-racing Exhaust
Racing Brakes
Turbo Stage 1
Computer Equip
FC Transmission
Twin-plate Clutch
Semi-racing Flywheel
2-way LSD
FC Suspension
S3 Tires

Suspension:
Spring Rate: 6.0/6.2
Ride Height: 110/125
Bound: 3/3
Rebound: 8/6
Camber: 2.2/2.6
Toe: 0/0
Stabilizers: 3/3

Transmission (set the transmission in the order that is listed):
Autoset: 7
1st: 3.085
2nd: 1.985
3rd: 1.510
4th: 1.220
5th: 1.000
6th: 0.825
Final Gear: 4.150

Notes:
I am a huge fan of the Lotus Elise so I figured I’d play with her sister car, this MR2. This car shares the 1.8L power plant with the Elise, but since it hasn’t been tuned to rev to 8,000+ RPM, this engine was the perfect candidate for a turbocharger. This MR2 is actually lighter than the original MR2, so this car is one of the few instances that a manufacture has made a car lighter than its predecessors. Yet lighter was not good enough for me. The newer car is too tame, too sane, and the chassis feels a bit well… indifferent. So AWDA gives you the new MkIII MR2 Turbo. This setup was all about making the car feel tauter, part of that was using a roll cadge to stiffen the chassis. Of course since this is a game I didn’t let cost be an issue, but I do try to keep the cars as affordable as possible. Just to top off the package, the car comes with Lotus Elise rims to keep things cool and light.

Subaru Impreza Rally Car on GT4 @ Grand Canyon

Having a little fun in my Subaru, not the best time, but a good one for sure.
:3