GRAN TURISMO 3: FIRST CARS GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather feather7@ix.netcom.com Initial Version Completed: January 26, 2003 FINAL VERSION Completed: February 21, 2003 ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Initial Car Selection Going Racing: The First Car Going Racing: The Second Car Going Racing: Major Money, Fast Cars Tuning Basics Contact ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ==================================== PERMISSIONS This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, Games Domain, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, gamespot.com, ps2domain.net, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, GameReactors.com, ps2replay.com, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, RobsGaming.com, ps2fantasy.com, gamespot.com, CheatHeaven, IGN, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Permission is granted to download and print one copy for personal use. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== INTRODUCTION There are A LOT of people new to the Gran Turismo series and wondering just where to start in this massive game - especially now that Gran Turismo 3 is a Greatest Hits title in North America and a Platinum title in Europe. I routinely read and post on the Gran Turismo 3 message board on GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/), and there are A LOT of repeated questions by newcomers to the series. The main questions I have been seeing lately are variations of 'What car should I use to start the game?' This guide presents the cars which can be used to start the game with the 18,000Cr granted to the player, as well as how to get beyond the initial car and into the higher-paying races in the game. Basic information on car tuning is also included, for those players who are not accustomed to playing simulation-style racing/driving games. Please note that this guide is based upon the North American version of Gran Turismo 3. Therefore, those in other areas of the world may have differing price values and car names in their versions of the game. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== INITIAL CAR SELECTION When first starting in Gran Turismo 3, players have 18,000Cr with which to buy an initial car; any money remaining could immediately be used to buy parts, or saved for later use. There are many opinions from GT3 veterans as to which cars should be considered for a first purchase, but it all really comes down to player preference in drivetrain (based upon experiences in Arcade Mode, in previous Gran Turismo games, and in other driving/racing games) and - to a lesser extent - what is aesthetically pleasing. Here is a list - alphabetical by manufacturer, then by model - of the cars players can purchase with their initial 18,000Cr (note that - except the Chrysler PT Cruise - ALL of these 'affordable' cars are from Japanese manufacturers): Chrysler PT Cruiser FF 17,980Cr Daihatsu Mira TR-X Avanzato R FF 11,140Cr Daihatsu Storia X4 4WD 13,900Cr Mazda Demio GL-X FF 14,660Cr Mazda Miata MX-5 FR 16,900Cr Mazda Miata MX-5 FR 17,000Cr Suzuki Alto Works Suzuki Sports Ltd. 4WD 12,220Cr Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT Apex FR 13,550Cr Toyota Vitz Euro Edition FF 12,880Cr Toyota Vitz RS 1.5 FF 14,530Cr Volkswagon New Beetle 2.0 FF 15,930Cr For strategy purposes, players may wish to buy a relatively cheap car, such as the Suzuki Alto Works Suzuki Sports Limited (12,220Cr) or Toyota Vitz Euro Edition (12,880Cr), as this would leave a good amount of money to immediately buy parts or services to improve initial race performance. In this case, a good place to begin tuning would be Lightweight/Stage 1 (Tune Shop -> Stability Control & Others), which costs about 5000Cr, depending on the car. Just a little reduction in weight can make a noticeable difference, especially when cornering. Changing the oil immediately can also help by giving an initial boost in horsepower, generally ten percent of the car's rated horsepower; changing the oil costs 250Cr. Another strategy is to begin with the Toyota Vitz RS 1.5; the advantage of selecting this car is that it can be upgraded to eventually participate in the Vitz Races in both Beginners League and Professional League, thus providing extra venues to gain more money without requiring the purchase of additional cars later in the game (saving money in the long run). Similarly, the Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT Apex may be a good starting car, as it can be upgraded to race in the 80's Sports Car Cup in Beginners and Amateur Leagues. Likewise, the Chrysler PT Cruiser can be upgraded to race in the Stars and Stripes Grand Championship in Beginners and Amateur Leagues. Another strategy - one which is likely to create extreme frustration for many players - is to first attain Gold Medals in ALL the tests for any one License. Achieving this difficult feat results in a bonus car which should have an inherent advantage over any of the CPU cars in the initial races of Beginners League; should this happen, all of the initial 18,000Cr can then be used to buy parts and/or services, thus creating a significant advantage over the competition from the very beginning of a driver's Simulation Mode racing career. Alternatively, upon winning a bonus car, the initial 18,000Cr can be set aside and combined with the initial race earnings to purchase a new car sooner. There is, however, one caveat to all this. Obtaining ALL Gold Medals in ALL the tests for any one license will reward the player with a bonus car which should be able to take the player fairly deep into Beginners League with only minor parts upgrades. The beauty of this approach is that the initial 18,000Cr can then be used exclusively to upgrade the bonus car's parts, which makes winning races MUCH easier at the beginning of the game. However, whereas it was fairly easy to obtain Gold Medals on the license tests in Gran Turismo 2, it is rather difficult in Gran Turismo 3. ==================================== GOING RACING: THE FIRST CAR Once a car has been chosen and any upgrades and/or oil changes performed, it is time to hit the pavement!!! Many of the events in Beginners League have no license requirements, but ALL events in Beginners League will be available to those who have attained at least the A License. Here is a list of the Beginners League events, along with their license requirements: Sunday Cup None Clubman Cup None FF Challenge None FR Challenge None MR Challenge None 4WD Challenge None Lightweight K-Cup None Stars and Stripes Grand Championship None Spider and Roadster None 80's Sports Car Cup B Race of NA Sports B Race of Turbo Sports B Tourist Trophy B Legend of Silver Arrow B New Generation Sports Altezza Race B Vitz Race None Honda Type-R Meeting None Mitsubishi Evolution Meeting None New Beetle Cup B Gran Turismo World Championship A Of the Beginners League races, A LOT of time is likely to be spent in Sunday Cup and Clubman Cup, racing the same venues over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. This is the most frustrating part about starting in Gran Turismo 3, as the initial races do not pay very well for the winner due to the extremely low entry requirements. However, winning all races in Sunday Cup and Clubman Cup results in one bonus car per series, which can then be sold to gain additional money (or held in the Garage for use later in the game). As money accumulates, there are two strategies which come into play. One strategy is to keep upgrading the current car (especially if it is a Vitz, Trueno, or PT Cruiser, as these cars can enter car-specific events in the latter half of Beginners League) to increase the likelihood of winning, thus gaining more money for more upgrades, and moving on to other races which provide a higher payout; when the chosen car can go no further in upgrades and cannot be viable in new races, save money to buy a second car, or upgrade a car won in earlier series. The second strategy is to NEVER perform upgrades, and buy a second car as soon as possible; this is really only a viable option for those who won a car by attaining all Gold Medals in the tests for any one License - otherwise, drivers can expect to spend A LOT of time reracing the same low-paying events. ==================================== GOING RACING: THE SECOND CAR Eventually, the initial car cannot enter new races and be a viable contender to win, and cannot handle any more upgrades. Fortunately, by the time this occurs, a driver should have received multiple bonus cars for winning various series. One of these cars can be selected and upgraded, then taken to new events; or, if a driver has enough money, a brand-new car can be purchased from the dealerships (again, Gran Turismo 3 does NOT include used cars). If possible, the second car should be able to handle Dirt Tires. With possession of a Rally License (one of the easier licenses to acquire), the second car can then be taken to Rally Events. If upgraded enough, the second car can sweep through Rally Events, thus amassing 350,000Cr and a total of eleven bonus rally cars - which can either be kept in the Garage or sold to gain more money. For this purpose, I almost always use the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) as my second car; this 4WD car costs 29,980Cr from the dealership and is available in seven colors. Please see my Gran Turismo 3: Rally Guide for more information and for car set-up for the Lancer Evo VII GSR(J). Even if the chosen second car cannot handle Dirt Tires, Rally Events can still be a good place to race. The final two events in Rally Events are wet-based events: Super Special Route 5 Wet (run counterclockwise) and Super Special Route 5 Wet II (run clockwise). While a Rally License is still required to participate in these events, Dirt Tires are not used, so ANY car in the game can compete here - even the F1 cars. Winning all three races in each of these two events results in two bonus rally cars - which automatically come with Dirt Tires, so they can be upgraded to compete in any of the other events in Rally Events (rally cars also come with Medium Tires as standard equipment, so they can also compete in the many pavement-based events in the game). ==================================== GOING RACING: MAJOR MONEY, FAST CARS One of the keys to success in Gran Turismo 3 is earning a lot of money. Money can be used to buy cars, certainly, but most of the cars a driver is likely to use in the many races can be won from various events; therefore, money may be best spent on upgrading the cars in the garage. As alluded to previously, Rally Events is a great place to gain money. Sweeping through Rally Events results in 350,000Cr total and eleven rally cars, including the insanely-fast Suzuki Escudo. Here are the rally cars which can be won (listed alphabetically by manufacturer), along with their resale values should more money be needed later in the game: Citroen Xsara Rally Car 87,500Cr Ford Escort Rally Car 87,500Cr Ford Focus Rally Car 87,000Cr Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Rally Car 75,000Cr Peugeot 206 Rally Car 87,500Cr Subaru Imprezza Rally Car 75,000Cr Subaru Imprezza Rally Car Prototype 87,500Cr Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version 250,000Cr Toyota Celica Rally car 75,000Cr Toyota Corolla Rally Car 75,000Cf Another tip for fast money as well as fast cars is to tune a car in the garage to complete laps at Super Speedway with a maximum time of forty seconds. Then, add Super-slick Tires (approximately 10,000Cr) and go to the Super Speedway 150 Miles Endurance Race. This 100-lap event requires an IA License, and results in 200,000Cr for winning, plus one of four good bonus race cars: F090/S, Chevrolet Corvette C5R, Renault Clio Sports Race Car, or Tickford Falcon XR8 Race Car (remember that the bonus car is assigned at random). Of these four, the F090/S is the best, as are ALL the F1 cars in the game (see my Gran Turismo 3: F1 Guide for further information). The reason this race is suggested is because it is one of the shortest Endurance Races in the game, requiring approximately fifty minutes to complete with a REALLY fast car (any F1 car, Toyota GT-One Race Car, Mazda 787B, etc.) or only up to eighty minutes with a slower car. Using Super-slick Tires allows a car to stay on the racetrack much longer between Pit Stops to change tires, but at the sacrifice of pavement grip; please refer to my Gran Turismo 3: Tires Guide for details on tire selection and tips on tire maintenance. [The Seattle 100 Miles Endurance Race is also a fairly short race; its forty laps can be completed in approximately fifty minutes to complete with a REALLY fast car (any F1 car, Toyota GT-One Race Car, etc.) or up to eighty minutes with a slower car, but the Seattle venue is FAR more complex than Super Speedway (and beware the right- angle turn at the top of the steep three-tiered uphill climb).] ==================================== TUNING BASICS Logic dictates that higher levels of parts or services provide better performance; this certainly holds true in Gran Turismo 3. However, extreme care is required in tuning a car to ensure it performs admirably at each venue. Therefore, it is important to remember that THERE IS NO 'GLOBAL' TUNING SETTING FOR ALL CARS AT ALL VENUES. (The closest 'global' setting that exists is not a setting at all; except for Like the Wind and Formula GT - the final events in Professional League - the F1 cars are unbelievably quick and agile due in large part to their low center of gravity, and can easily outclass the competition at virtually any event for which F1 cars are legal entries, thus they are virtually a 'guarantee' for winning.) Set-ups for each car can be saved for use later in the game. Especially for those cars which may be entered into non-tuned events (such as the Trial Mountain 2 Hours Endurance Race), saving the default set-up of the car immediately following purchase or receipt can be very helpful later in the game, thus eliminating the need to manually reset all parts and their settings to default status before entering a non-tuned event. At the final screen before entering an actual race, there are a number of yellow boxes at the bottom of the screen signifying menu selections; only Qualify and Settings are important for tuning. Selecting Settings produces another menu; selecting Change Parts allows the player to add or remove parts to the chosen vehicle, while Settings allows for customization of the various parts (the more important settings will be discussed in a moment). Once any adjustment to parts and/or settings have been completed, they can be tested for that same venue by returning to the pre-race menu and selecting Qualifying; after an out-lap, the stopwatch begins to function, allowing the driver to test the most recent modifications and compare lap times. If the changes are not acceptable, they can be reworked in Settings; or, if the changes produce agreeable results, they can be saved in Save Settings. Should a previously-saved file of settings be needed, they can be performed instantly by using Load Settings. Some important settings in tuning: Brake Controller: This controls the power of the brakes for both the front and the rear of the vehicle. Using a high value (20+) for both front and rear brakes allows the car to drive deeper into a corner or braking zone before the brakes are actually needed to slow properly for the corner. Conversely, a low value to the front and rear brakes results in a much longer braking zone, which allows competitors to easily pass for position on corner entry. Downforce: Not all cars can handle downforce; those that do generally have wings (such as the F1 cars) or have spoilers. Raising downforce slows the car by using airflow to help push the vehicle onto the ground, a very important consideration for lighter cars such as the Toyota GT-One Race Car; cornering can be safely done at higher speeds, but top-end straight-line speed is sacrificed. Conversely, lowering downforce allows for faster top-end straight-line speed, but at the sacrifice of cornering ability. If managed properly, oversteer and understeer can be induced and corrected using downforce. For Test Course, only absolute minimum downforce should be used, especially in the Like the Wind event. Gearbox: Only by purchasing a Full Racing Transmission (included as standard equipment on race cars) can gear customization be performed. The easiest way to customize the gear selection is to use the auto-setting slider at the bottom of the gearbox screen. Moving the slider toward Wide results in faster top-end speed, but at the sacrifice of acceleration; moving the slider toward Sport results in great acceleration, but a lower top-end speed. However, DO NOT position the slider at full-Wide, as the engine may not be able to rev enough to climb into the higher gear(s) and stay there; this condition, however, can be remedied to some extent by lowering downforce as much as possible. A general rule for gear customization is for the rev limiter to take effect (the car's speed suddenly drops from maximum by 5-10MPH/KPH) just at the very end of the longest straightaway of a given circuit. Ride Height: While downforce controls airflow over a car, ride height handles airflow underneath a car by varying the distance between the racing surface and the car's undertray. Raising ride height allows for more air to pass beneath the car, thus slowing the car due to aerodynamic friction, and assisting with cornering. Lowering ride height reduces the amount of air passing underneath the car, thereby reducing aerodynamic friction and assisting in attaining faster speeds. Stabilizers: As the name suggests, stabilizers are meant to keep the vehicle from spinning or flipping. By raising the value of the stabilizers, spins and flips are more difficult to perform, but cornering becomes more difficult; reducing the value of the stabilizers makes cornering much easier, but also increases the likelihood of spinning or flipping the vehicle. (Note that it is theoretically impossible to flip a car in Gran Turismo 3.) Stabilizers are available for most cars at both the front and the rear; playing with the stabilizers can induce or correct oversteer and understeer. Tires are officially a part. Race cars come with Medium Tires as standard equipment; rally cars come with both Dirt Tires and Medium Tires as standard equipment; all other cars use Normal Tires as standard equipment. In the beginning of the game, upgrading from Normal Tires to Sports Tires provides better grip, but Sports Tires are still far inferior to the racing compounds. The racing compounds vary in durability and the amount of grip they provide, with Super- slick Tires providing maximum durability and minimum grip, and Super-soft Tires providing maximum grip and minimum durability; Medium Tires are the middle-ground option concerning durability and grip. In races of five or more laps, tire selection is key to Pit Stop Strategy, as the tires are the only serviceable parts in a race. Please see my Gran Turismo 3: Tires Guide for more details on tires, including tips for reducing tire wear. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2/DC/Mac game guides, visit FeatherGuides at http://feathersites.angelcities.com/ ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== ======================================================================= Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford ======================================================================= Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. - Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_ ======================================================================= What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_ =======================================================================