GRAN TURISMO 3: MEGAGUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather feather7@ix.netcom.com Initial Version Completed: September 8, 2002 FINAL VERSION Completed: September 30, 2002 ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== 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 Arcade Mode Overview Simulation Mode Overview Initial Car Selection Going Racing: The First Car Going Racing: The Second Car Going Racing: Major Money, Fast Cars Tuning Basics Tires Tires: Selection Tires: Care Tires: Two Exceptions Tires: Input from Others General Set-ups General Set-ups: Apricot Hill Raceway (II) General Set-ups: Cote d'Azur/Monaco General Set-ups: Deep Forest Raceway (II) General Set-ups: Grand Valley Speedway (II) General Set-ups: Laguna Seca Raceway General Set-ups: Midfield Raceway (II) General Set-ups: Rome Circuit (II) General Set-ups: Seattle Circuit (II) General Set-ups: Smokey Mountain (II) General Set-ups: Special Stage Route 11 (II) General Set-ups: Special Stage Route 5 (II) General Set-ups: Special Stage Route 5 Wet (II) General Set-ups: Super Speedway General Set-ups: Swiss Alps (II) General Set-ups: Tahiti Circuit (II) General Set-ups: Tahiti Maze (II) General Set-ups: Test Course General Set-ups: Tokyo R246 (II) General Set-ups: Trial Mountain (II) Rally Racing Rally Racing: Fast Advancement Rally Racing: Dirt Driving Rally Racing: Wet-conditions Driving Rally Racing: 'Guaranteed Wins' Rally Racing: Circuit Tips and Warnings Endurance Races Endurance Races: Grand Valley 300km Endurance Races: Seattle 100 Miles Endurance Races: Laguna Seca 200 Miles Endurance Races: Passage to Colosseo 2 Hours Endurance Races: Trial Mountain 2 Hours Endurance Races: Special Stage Route 11 Endurance Races: Roadster Apricot Hill Endurance Races: Mistral (Cote d'Azur) 78 Laps Endurance Races: Super Speedway 150 Miles F1 Cars Formula GT Formula GT: Finding Car Set-ups Formula GT: Qualifying Formula GT: Circuit Tips Formula GT: General Tips Formula GT: Suggested Car Set-Ups Formula GT: Adjusting Car Set-Ups Formula GT: Sample Race Performance General Q&A Other Guides of Interest Thanks 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, ps2replay.com, cheatingplanet.com, neoseeker.com, GameReactors.com, RobsGaming.com, ps2fantasy.com, gamespot.com, 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 This MegaGuide is essentially a combination of MOST of my guides for Gran Turismo 3, located in one file for easy downloading and printing. There have been some modifications to information for those stand-alone guides which have already been finalized, but much of the information is the same. Newcomers to the Gran Turismo series must first realize that this is NOT an arcade-style game, such as the insanely- popular Ridge Racer series. Even in GT3's Arcade Mode, proper driving is key. There are tips on how to drive properly in this guide, and GT3's License Tests will certainly provide hands-on experience in this regard. However, players may also benefit from reading my General Racing/Driving Guide - available EXCLUSIVELY at GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/) and at FeatherGuides (http://feathersites.angelcities.com/) - which covers issues such as cornering, braking, tuning, rumble strips, concrete extensions, and other important aspects of racing (primarily focusing on road courses). ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== ARCADE MODE OVERVIEW Gran Turismo 3 is fairly massive, so it is rather easy for those unaccustomed with the Gran Turismo series to feel lost initially (I felt the same way with the original Gran Turismo when I first bought that game). The main point to consider is that there are two main sections of the game: Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode. After the requisite admiring of the opening movie, Arcade Mode is a great place for newcomers to begin, as Simulation Mode can be daunting and frustrating at first. Free Run is perfect for getting to learn each of the many circuits in the game. The Gran Turismo series uses the 'II' designation to indicate circuits run in the opposite direction from their standard configurations, and it is important for newcomers to experiment with the 'II' venues as well; areas of a circuit which seem fairly easy and straightforward when run in the standard direction can become quite difficult when run in reverse, even if for no other reason than the necessity of a different rhythm in driving the circuit. Once a circuit has been selected, a vehicle can be chosen from a variety of classes; once cars have been acquired in Simulation Mode, they can also be used here by first loading the Garage. Of all the circuits available in Free Run, Complex String and Complex String II are perhaps the best to know, as many of the hardest License Tests (in Simulation Mode) cover the trickiest sections of these two circuits. When ready to graduate from Free Run, Single Race allows for racing against five CPU-controlled cars at a chosen venue. However, only Section A (containing six circuits) is initially available; other courses will open once a win has been posted at every venue in Section A at every difficulty level. A good way to 'cheat' here is to only race and win at each venue on Hard difficulty, for which the CPU automatically grants wins at the same venue at the lower difficulty levels; however, to unlock all the potential cars (available for Arcade Mode only), a player must RACE and win at each venue at each difficulty level. Once a win has been posted for all Section A venues, Section B opens; this process continues until all Arcade Mode circuits have been unlocked and won. To check the progress toward unlocking the next Section of courses, check Clear Status. Time Trial is a challenge of the driver against the clock. Besting the posted time at ALL of the ten Time Trial venues results in a bonus car which will be added to the Simulation Mode garage. Arcade Mode also includes 2-player Battle and iLink Battle (for more than two players). Also, the Single Race and Tine Trial sections MUST be completed in order to achieve 100% game completion, which results in a bonus car added to the Simulation Mode garage. ==================================== SIMULATION MODE OVERVIEW Simulation Mode is where the vast majority of time is spent in playing Gran Turismo 3. Fortunately, the main Simulation Mode menu is much easier to navigate than in Gran Turismo 2. After having spent at least a few hours in Arcade Mode, players should have a good handle on the physics engine of the game (which is very different from earlier games in the series) and how that will impact driving; this is important information for the License Tests. The License Center is where players acquire the licenses necessary for all but a few races in Simulation Mode. Six licenses are available: B, A, IB, IA, Rally, and Super. Each license is acquired by besting the posted Bronze Medal time for each of eight license tests; the first seven tests for a license MUST be successfully completed before attempting the eighth test. The Rally License is required for Rally Events (even for the wet-based competitions in Rally Events); an IA License will suffice for all but a few races in the game (at the end of Professional League), and is a requirement to compete in the Endurance Races. At the very least, players should work up through IA and Rally Licenses; save the Super License tests for much later, after considerable experience has been gained in Simulation Mode, as besting the Bronze Medal times for the tests for the Super License requires FLAWLESS high-speed driving of entire circuits. Car Dealer is where cars are purchased. Initially, players are given 18,000Cr (in the North American version) to buy a starter car. The Car Dealer is divided into countries, with each country further divided by manufacturer. Within a manufacturer, cars are shown in order from lowest to highest price; cars without prices are relegated to the end of the list. Cars shown in a dealership without a price tag can only be won by winning events or completing other tasks (such as winning all races in a League); many cars WITH prices shown may also be won or otherwise acquired as bonus cars. Also, there are some cars - such as the ever-popular F1 cars - which are not included in the showrooms which can be won in Simulation Mode by winning events. Some cars are better to win than to purchase, as they are truly not worth their high price tags in dealerships; just two examples of these cars are the Panoz Esperante and the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version. Unfortunately, Gran Turismo 3 does not include used cars, which made getting started in Gran Turismo 2 fairly simple and hassle-free. More information on initial car choice is included later. Tune Shop is where parts and upgrades are purchased. When first starting the game, it is very unlikely that enough money will remain after purchasing a car to buy upgrades. GT Auto is a collection of car-related services. Car Wash will bring back the showroom shine of a car for a small fee; some players have reported that repeated use of the Car Wash dulls the color on darker-colored cars, but I have not noticed such a phenomenon in the game. Oil Change will change the oil, and is recommended before entering any long race or series, and also before racing a car for the first time (due to the resultant slight increase in horsepower). Wheel Shop sells custom rims - varying by design and color - from nine different manufacturers; once purchased, rims are available for ALL cars in a garage, except for F1 cars (which cannot use customized rims). Machine Test is a good place to make adjustments and test either top-end speed or acceleration performance. However, to truly test how a car performs on actual circuits, it is best to go to Run & Setting (located in Home). Go Race is where the races of Simulation Mode are located. The races are divided into Leagues, each further divided into single races and/or series and/or championships. All events offer at least one bonus car for the winner - if only one bonus car is available, then it cannot be acquired again by reracing and winning again; events with more than one possible bonus car assign ONE bonus car at random, and more cars (perhaps even the same car) can be acquired by reracing and winning again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and... Home is where the Garage is located; the Garage can hold nearly 200 cars maximum. The Game Status area will indicate the licenses held, game completion percentage, win percentage, and other information. Trade allows for trading cars to/from another memory card. Run & Setting presents several pavement- and dirt-based venues where drivers can test their cars and make modifications. Finally, game progress can be saved in Save Game, and the extensive game credits are located in Legal Credits. Note that should a player wish to reload the last game save on the memory card, this can only be done from the game's main menu (where the selection between Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode is made). ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== 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. ==================================== 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 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. 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 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. 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 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. 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. ==================================== TIRES As a 2001 Michelin commercial (shown in the States) states, the tires are the only safety features on the road which actually TOUCH the road. Implicit in this commercial is the message that special care must be given to tires. In the case of Michelin, this means that choosing Michelin tires is far safer than choosing any other brand of tires (note that this series of commercials has been running since LONG before the Firestone/Ford controversy erupted in 2000). In the case of Gran Turismo 3, this same implicit message - that the tires are the only safety features on the road which actually TOUCH the road - means that special care must be given to the tires to keep them from wearing out too quickly. This is especially important given that the only reason to enter Pit Lane in GT3 is to change tires - fuel, damage repair, etc., are not at issue in GT3. Of course, there are instances where tire wear is never an issue. None of the Arcade Mode races use tire wear, unless you specifically induce Professional League races (codes available elsewhere). Similarly, the Beginner races and some Amateur races are simply too short for tire wear to become an issue. Tire wear is also not involved in any of the Rally races, as - again - those races are too short for tire wear to become a factor. Many Amateur and ALL Professional and Endurance races, however, do include tire wear as one of the 'features' of each race. ==================================== TIRES: SELECTION Tire selection is very important. This is the first variable in race performance (if based on tires alone). For non-racing cars intended for mundane street use, Normal tires are standard issue. While Normal tires may work well on the highway and on city streets, they are virtually worthless in an actual racing situation. Normal tires do not provide adequate grip to be effective in racing. This is most noticeable when trying to corner at relatively high speeds with a vehicle with Normal tires. Simulation tires supposedly give a more accurate feel of what it is like to drive a racing-tuned car. Sports tires are a little better than Normal tires. When first playing Gran Turismo 3, one of the best things you can do to improve your chance of success is to upgrade to Sports tires as soon as possible. This will improve your cornering ability, and provide a little more grip for acceleration (especially from a standing start). Dirt tires are required for dirt-based Rally events. All rally-intended cars come with Dirt tires. Many non-racing cars can also be equipped with Dirt tires. For example, I used a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) equipped with Dirt tires - with a lot of money spent on parts and time spent in tuning - to compete in and win ALL the dirt-based Rally events. (The same car also won in ALL the wet-based Rally events.) Racing tires come in an array of 'flavors,' with each tire compound giving a varying level of grip countered by an inverse level of durability. Super-slick Least grip, maximum durability Slick Medium-slick Medium* Average grip, average durability Medium-soft Soft Super-soft Maximum grip, least durability * For F1 cars, Medium Tires are the ONLY tire option available (likely due to the lack of an FIA license for GT3). All race-dedicated cars (including F1 cars) come equipped with Medium Tires. A very important issue in tire selection actually involves horsepower. The chosen tires need to have some measure of durability, or else you will be stopping in Pit Lane to change tires after virtually every lap of the race. For example, a maxed-out Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version (1841HP) will be putting down so much power on the road that Super-soft tires will almost instantly become worthless. In other words, don't allow the car's horsepower to overdrive the tires' ability to function properly. In the event that the chosen tires wear out too much (orange or red tire indicators), cornering at any respectable speed will be virtually impossible, instead causing a nearly- uncontrollable slide into a barrier or into another vehicle. Strong acceleration will likely cause the vehicle to spin. A good driver will not let this happen very often; an expert driver will NEVER let this happen. Choose your pitting strategy so that your tires never become too worn. A set of tires needs to last AT LEAST 5 laps in order to give you a chance of winning a race. Of course, the greater the durability of a set of tires, the longer you can stay out of Pit Lane, thereby reducing your number of Pit Stops in a race; however, greater durability means less grip, which in turn means that you are quite likely to slide more often unless you take VERY good care of the tires. ==================================== TIRES: CARE At the beginning of a race and immediately after a Pit Stop, the tires are brand new ('stickers') and need to be brought up to temperature as quickly as possible so that they can provide the best possible grip. This is noted by dark blue tire indicators. During this period, sharp turns or extremely-fast cornering will almost certainly cause the car to slide, and perhaps even spin. However, slides and spins will bring the tires up to optimum temperature even faster, so you may wish to purposely induce slides when entering corners, IF the tire indicators are dark blue. Once the tire indicators are green, the tires have reached their optimum performance temperature, thus providing you with the best possible grip for that set of tires. The amount of time the tire indicators remain in the green color range depends on your driving style, the amount of time off- course (in the grass or sand) or banging the barriers (or other cars), and the initial selection of tire compound. As the tire indicators switch to yellow, you need to start taking better care of your tires. You may experience slides when cornering. Orange tire indicators are a warning to get to Pit Lane to change tires as soon as you possibly can. You will be sliding around a lot more. Red tire indicators are effectively Game Over. Unless you have a HUGE (multi-lap) lead or a significant horsepower advantage over your competitors, you will not have a chance of winning the race, especially if you stop to change tires. Essentially, you are driving on pure ice, and the only way to 'reliably' get around the circuit is to ride the rails - which is inherently more difficult with the open-wheel F1 vehicles. Note that not all four tire indicators will not be the same color at all times. If even ONE tire shows a red indicator, you need to limp back to Pit Lane to change tires as soon as possible. Traction Control affects tire durability. With a low Traction Control setting, the tires will spin for a while (especially on a standing start or when under strong acceleration) before they actually grip the pavement; the friction of the pre-grip spinning wears away at the tires. With a high Traction Control setting, wheel spin is reduced or even eliminated, thus extending the durability of the tires. One of the best ways to reduce the durability of the tires is to corner at high speeds. The GT3 manual gives an excellent, detailed description of what occurs with the tires when cornering. In short, cornering at high speeds causes a high percentage of the tire to be used for speed, and a low percentage to be used for the actual cornering. To combat this and thus extend the durability of the tires, try to brake in a STRAIGHT line before reaching a turn, thus reducing overall speed and providing a lower percentage of the tires to be used for speed, and a greater percentage used for cornering. Note that if the percentage of the tires used for speed is too high compared to the percentage used for cornering, the car will slide and/or spin. Perhaps one of the best things to do to learn to take care of the tires is to play a racing game (such as the recently- released F1 2001) in which vehicle damage of available. Playing with the damage option on will certainly make the effects of worn tires quite visual. As tire grip wears away (due to a long run, multiple off-track excursions, etc.), your car may begin sliding around, potentially resulting in car damage (broken and missing parts), which REALLY makes driving a nightmare at high speeds. The Gran Turismo series does not make this visibly clear, so it is easy to underestimate the condition of the tires; similarly, without any car damage (due to licensing concerns), cars in the Gran Turismo series can simply "ride the rails" around corners when tire conditions are less than optimal. However, all of this CAN be thrown out the window, and you CAN win even an Endurance Race with red tire indicators and never stopping to change tires. I myself did this is the Trial Mountain 2 Hours Endurance Race using a Zonda C12S and Normal (street) tires. The only reason I won, however, was that I had superior horsepower to the other cars in the race. While it CAN be done, I very strongly suggest AGAINST attempting such a feat!!!!! ==================================== TIRES: TWO EXCEPTIONS There are two circuits where tire wear need not be an issue: Test Course and Super Speedway. For both circuits, the car should be tuned for maximum speed, which usually means a high gear ratio, and low downforce and ride height. If you can select the tires you want (which means you are not driving an F1 car), you may as well go with Super-slick tires, as they will last the longest. For Test Course, the two banked turns are so extremely gentle that if you slide at all, the banking will usually prevent you from sliding up into the outer barrier. Even if you do hit the outer barrier, simply ride the rails until you can regain control of the car. For Super Speedway, simply ride the rails if necessary. In the Endurance race at Super Speedway (100 laps), you may wish to stop once or twice to change tires, but with a really fast and powerful car (such as a maxed-out Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version), you will EASILY win - in my case (two Endurance races, one with the Suzuki Escudo, one with an F1 car), I won by more than 30 laps over the second-place car. For both circuits, change parts to gain maximum horsepower output and speed off. In my own experience, virtually any car above 650HP will either be in contention to win the race, or will simply leave everyone else in the choking on exhaust based on horsepower alone. ==================================== TIRES: INPUT FROM OTHERS I received a pair of e-mails from PJ (e-mail address withheld) concerning tires and braking. His information is rather technical, but is definitely useful to know: From: "pj" To: Subject: gt3 braking & ford racing Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 06:31:23 -0400 enjoy all of your writings which i've read thus far. most recently read your gt3 tires faq. good stuff. having had some road racing experience (decades ago when it was less expensive to race), i would like to share some info on braking with you. haven't read the skip barber portion of the gt3 manual yet so don't know if what i'm about to say is included in it. perhaps i read your tire faq too fast & didn't notice it there. if so, please excuse me. if gt3 is a real sim, then braking should be performed just as an actual road racer would. typically, for most turns, approximately 85% of your braking is performed in a straight line. obviously, this % varies depending upon the unique characteristics of each turn. the remaining approx. 15% is performed while entering the turn, before apexing the turn. this is known as "trail braking". its purpose is to continue to transfer weight to the front tires, thus increasing the tire's contact patch which results in greater cornering ability. get on the gas too soon and weight transfers to the rear wheels resulting in the car "pushing" (under- steering) off-line and perhaps off the course as well or into a barrier. i've found that proper "trail braking" allows for carrying higher speed through the corners, just as it would in real life. this is a very difficult skill to master. braking technique & tire management are perhaps, in my humble opinion, two of the most important aspects of gt3 racing (as they are in real life). Car setup while extremely important in real road racing, does not seem to be as important in gt3. it certainly helps, and can help a great deal, but it is not necessary to winning a race even with an under powered car. besides, if one doesn't know what they're doing, they can sure mess up the handling of a car. the "stock" or standard suspension settings seem to work just fine with few exceptions. proper braking allows for carrying higher exit speeds out of corners and for the most prevalent passing maneuver in real racing (and in gt3 also), viz. "overtaking under braking". while this rarely happens unless i don't select a good pit strategy, if it's late in a race & pitting might cause me to lose or i don't want to run 2 laps on super-slick cold (blue) tires, then i just finish the last lap or two on orange or red tires. just as in real life, this increases the braking distance, so the driver (player) must adjust the braking points accordingly. with care and somewhat slower lap times (usually 3-4 seconds per lap for most courses), one can run several laps on red tires. Handling is very mushy and it's easy to exceed the worn tire's limits, and the car is twitchy at high speed, but it can be done. ==================================== From: "pj" To: "Wolf Feather" Subject: Re: gt3 braking & ford racing Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 03:26:18 -0400 forgot to mention that with a close ratio gear-box, downshifting and pulling high revs can produce "engine braking" which can be used for "trail braking". this is especially easy to do in GT3 with a manual transmission especially since there is no risk of over-revving the engine and "blowing" or "grenading" it, and since repeatedly bouncing the engine off of the rev-limiter does NOT produce the real-world vibrations that can, over time, damage an engine or crack headers. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS The purpose of this section is to provide players with a general idea of the tuning requirements for virtually any car used at a given circuit in Gran Turismo 3. Some of the tuning suggestions presented here require specific parts, which may or may not be standard equipment and which may or may not be available for a given car in the Tune Shop. Also, tires are specifically not discussed here, as tire choice (other than Dirt Tires) is dictated more by the length of a race and each player's driving style than by the configuration of a circuit. In the Gran Turismo series, a 'II' designation indicates that a race will be held in the reverse configuration for that circuit. The 'II' designation is not used for all circuits. However, car set-ups for a reverse-configuration race will generally be the same as for a regular-configuration race at the same venue. On a very important note, these suggestions can largely be discarded when using F1 cars, due to their inherent advantages in acceleration, top-end speed, and cornering ability. Also, variances must be allowed for a car's weight, drivetrain, horsepower, etc. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: APRICOT HILL RACEWAY (II) Apricot Hill Raceway is generally a rather fast circuit; even many of the corners can be taken at a medium or high rate of speed; however, the hairpin behind the Paddocks and the final chicane are both very slow corners (about 50MPH), which makes a high-speed set-up a bit precarious in these areas. There should not be much need to ride the rumble strips here, although it can be quite useful in the final chicane. Ride Height: Medium-low, to keep from bottoming out in the slow sections (which are located at the lowest part of valleys Stabilizers: Low, to make up for the lack of downforce Brake Balance : Medium to high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Relatively low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: COTE D'AZUR/MONACO This is by far the most technical circuit in Gran Turismo 3. Not only is this circuit narrow, there are virtually NO straightaways here, so top-end speed is not an issue. The benefit to using longer gear ratios (closer to 'Wide') is that there will be less chance of wheelspin, which will unnecessarily accelerate tire wear; on the other hand, using shorter gear ratios (closer to 'Sport') will provide the acceleration needed to power out of corners and pass a competitor before the next corner. Expect to ride the rumble strips at several locations here, notably the chicane just beyond the exit of The Tunnel. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: High Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: As soft as a player's driving style and comfort level will allow Brake Balance : VERY high (20+) Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Sport Downforce: High, to assist in cornering ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: DEEP FOREST RACEWAY (II) Perhaps the most scenic race venue in Gran Turismo 3, Deep Forest Raceway has only one long straightaway (Pit Straight), although lack of traffic and good reflexes can make the section from the low area up through the tunnels a good place to attain top speeds as the circuit continually fades from side to side. The place where the most clock time can potentially be lost is the first third of the circuit, with its hairpin corner at the end of Pit Straight and its tight, twisty corners running through the forest and into tunnels. Players can expect to use the rumble strips and to drop wheels off the pavement fairly regularly. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: As soft as a player's driving style and comfort level will allow Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: GRAND VALLEY SPEEDWAY (II) The longest circuit in Gran Turismo 3, Grand Valley Speedway is also fairly scenic. Due to its length and the tricky final sector (when run in the forward configuration), tire management is key here, or else too much time will be lost in trying to keep the car on the pavement. Spring Rate: Medium Ride Height: Medium-low Shock Absorbers: Medium Stabilizers: Medium Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-wide Downforce: Medium ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY This is the home of the world-famous Corkscrew (Turns 8A and 9), the tight left-right chicane on a steep downhill slope beginning just beyond the crest of the circuit. Safely navigating the Corkscrew as well as the final corner (a tight perpendicular left-hand turn) can result in low lap times. using the rumble strips is almost certainly a must for most corners, but the rumble strips are fortunately not very tall, which means the car is not very likely to jump when rolling onto them. Spring Rate: Medium Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Medium Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: MIDFIELD RACEWAY (II) This circuit is in a figure-eight formation and contains many types of corners, which makes this a somewhat-technical venue despite the high speeds attainable on several of the straightaways. Rumble strips are very important here. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: Medium-low Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: ROME CIRCUIT (II) This street circuit provides many high-speed runs (some with straightaways, some with fades) and four notable slow corners. This circuit is also almost entirely flat. Spring Rate: Medium-high Ride Height: Lowest possible setting Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SEATTLE CIRCUIT (II) This is perhaps the most scenic street circuit in Gran Turismo 3; unfortunately, the famous Space Needle is only seen far in the distance between the old buildings. This is a fairly technical circuit, especially the upper portion of the circuit (where most of a lap is spent) and the final chicane at Pit Entry. The multi-tiered uphill climb (in the forward configuration) is extremely treacherous, as the very top of the incline contains a right-hand right-angle corner with little swing-out room. Also, beware of the railroad tracks, especially when entering the chicane between the old and new stadiums. Spring Rate: Medium-low Ride Height: Medium-high Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: As low as a player's comfort level and driving style will allow Brake Balance : High Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SMOKEY MOUNTAIN (II) This is one of the four dirt-based Rally Events circuits in Gran Turismo 3. Those who have played Gran Turismo 2 will notice that this circuit has been given pavement along the entire front stretch. This circuit can easily send cars airborne, especially at either end of the paved sections in either the forward or reverse configuration. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: High Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: Medium-high Brake Balance : Medium Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium Downforce: Medium-high ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SPECIAL STAGE ROUTE 11 (II) This nighttime street circuit has returned from the original Gran Turismo, with a few noticeable changes. This is also a highly-technical circuit, although passing is far easier than at Cote d'Azur/Monaco. Cornering ability is key here, even if it means hitting the rev limiter on the straightaways (especially on Pit Straight). Spring Rate: Medium-high Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: As low as a player's comfort level and driving style will allow Brake Balance : VERY high (20+) Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-low Downforce: Medium-high ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SPECIAL STAGE ROUTE 5 (II) This is another nighttime street circuit. SSR5 is not quite as fast as SSR11 (above), but good speeds can still be attained, primarily on Pit Straight. Spring Rate: Medium-high Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: As low as a player's comfort level and driving style will allow Brake Balance : High Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium Downforce: Medium-high ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SPECIAL STAGE ROUTE 5 WET (II) This is the same as SSR5 (above), but the circuit is full of water. This creates some nice visual effects and shows the graphics prowess of the PlayStation2, but it means that hydroplaning is a very real possibility. Because of the vast amount of water on the pavement, any hard or fast changes in speed or direction severely raise the risk of losing car control - and once car control is lost, regaining control within the concrete canyons is virtually impossible until the car cones to a complete standstill. Do not plan on attaining a lot of speed here. Spring Rate: Medium Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Medium Stabilizers: Medium Brake Balance : High Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Sport Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SUPER SPEEDWAY This is one of the easiest circuits for finding optimal car set-ups. Spring Rate: Medium Ride Height: As low as possible Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: As low as possible ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: SWISS ALPS (II) This is another dirt-based track in Rally Events. This is a rather tricky venue, with many blind and semi-blind corners. Also, the circuit narrows for the wooden bridge on its back side, but this narrowing is VERY difficult to spot, especially in the reverse configuration as the entry to the bridge is shrouded in dark sunset shadows. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: High Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: Medium-high Brake Balance : Medium Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium Downforce: Medium ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: TAHITI CIRCUIT (II) This is another dirt-based track in Rally Events. This is a fairly quick circuit in terms of speed, although the consecutive hairpins can be tricky. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: Medium-high Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: Medium-high Brake Balance : Medium Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: TAHITI MAZE (II) This is another dirt-based track in Rally Events, and is the absolute trickiest Rally Events circuit. This circuit very much feels like a maze, as there are multiple consecutive hairpins in multiple sections of the circuit. Due to the importance of cornering and the very short straightaways, do not expect to attain high speeds. Spring Rate: Soft Ride Height: Medium-high Shock Absorbers: Soft Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-low Downforce: Medium-high ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: TEST COURSE This is one of the easiest circuits for finding optimal car set-ups. There is absolutely NO reason to use the brakes here at all. Spring Rate: As hard as possible Ride Height: As low as possible Shock Absorbers: As hard as possible Stabilizers: As high as possible Brake Balance : Does not matter - the brakes are not needed at all Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): VERY close to Wide, but NOT fully-Wide (or else the engine will likely not be able to rev high enough to climb into and remain in the car's highest gears) Downforce: As low as possible ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: TOKYO R246 (II) Set in Tokyo surrounding the grounds of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo R246 is a fun, fast, mostly-flat, semi-technical circuit which is very reminiscent of Ridge Racer V on Pit Straight (those familiar with RRV may well wonder why Fukami Ai is not standing in the middle of Pit Straight). The back section of the circuit features fast consecutive blind and semi-blind corners, so intimate knowledge of the circuit is required to perform well here. Spring Rate: Medium-high Ride Height: Low Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : High Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== GENERAL SET-UPS: TRIAL MOUNTAIN (II) The Trial Mountain venue is largely contained within tall rock cliffs, which means that there is very little run-off room in case a player makes a mistake and leaves the pavement. This is a moderately-technical circuit, with impressive speeds attainable on Pit Straight and the back stretch (in and emerging from the tunnel). Spring Rate: Medium-high Ride Height: Medium Shock Absorbers: Medium-high Stabilizers: Medium-low Brake Balance : Medium-high Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Medium-Wide Downforce: Medium-low ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== RALLY RACING Rally racing in the Gran Turismo series is ALMOST exclusively dirt-based, unlike games exclusively devoted to Rally racing. Those who have played the Rally Events in Gran Turismo 2 will certainly recognize almost all the Rally circuits in GT3, and will certainly appreciate the exquisite detail paid to the visuals. However, as in the rest of GT3, the new physics engine makes it virtually impossible to drive the same car (perhaps a Peugeot 206 Rally Car) the exact same way in both GT2 and GT3. Also, some of the returning circuits have much more pavement than before, although the majority of these circuits are still dirt-covered. The major change in Rally racing from GT2 to GT3 is in the actual racing format itself. In Gran Turismo 2, you compete against a ghost version of a particular vehicle for only one lap around a circuit, therefore dust is not an issue. However, GT3's Rally format uses multiple laps per race, against an actual (non-ghost) opponent. Further, GT3's maniacal attention to detail includes large clouds of dust (for dirt-based races) to greatly obscure your vision if you are not in the lead. Fortunately, the spray issue in the wet-conditions races is only slightly annoying, and does not truly obscure your vision. An important notation used in Gran Turismo 3 is the II designation. The name of a circuit followed by II means that the race is actually run in reverse of its standard direction. For example, Tahiti Challenge of Rally is run clockwise, while Tahiti Challenge of Rally II is run counterclockwise. Unfortunately, GT3 does not include the two Pike's Peak courses from GT2's Rally mode. However, the Suzuki Escudo (THE car of cars!!!!!) is still a part of the game - it can be purchased for 1,000,000 credits, or received as a bonus car by winning EVERYTHING in Rally Events (so save your money and work on winning it - details provided later in this section). Actually using the Escudo at any venue but Test Course, however, is extremely difficult, as the Escudo's handling in Gran Turismo 3 is virtually nonexistent. ==================================== RALLY RACING: FAST ADVANCEMENT One of the best tips concerning the Rally Events is actually part of a larger plan for GT3 as a whole. Winning the Gold Trophy in ALL tests for a given level in the License Tests will give you a high-powered car which can then easily win virtually any race, thus amassing cars and money rather quickly. However, some people (myself included) are quite content enough with achieving a Bronze Trophy for each of the License Tests. This is where Rally comes in. Take the time to acquire a (standard) car and keep adding parts, entering the same vehicle in as many races as you can win. During this process, as you win cars, sell them, and use the money for more parts for your dedicated car - unless you win a car which can give you a much greater horsepower output when maxed out. In my case, I routinely use a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J), maxed out to 565HP (details below). Once you have all the horsepower your chosen vehicle can accommodate, buy dirt tires and head for Rally Events!!! You will likely need to spend time seriously thinking about tuning your car (done in the Settings menu), but once you find the right settings for your vehicle, you can compete on virtually all the circuits in Rally mode and have a very good chance at winning each race. In terms of fast advancement, sweeping 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 (alphabetical by manufacturer), along with their resale value: Citroen Xsara Rally Car 87,500 Cr Ford Escort Rally Car 87,500 Cr Ford Focus Rally Car 87,000 Cr Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Rally Car 75,000 Cr Peugeot 206 Rally Car 87,500 Cr Subaru Imprezza Rally Car 75,000 Cr Subaru Imprezza Rally Car Prototype 87,500 Cr Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version 250,000 Cr Toyota Celica Rally car 75,000 Cr Toyota Corolla Rally Car 75,000 Cf ==================================== RALLY RACING: DIRT DRIVING After completing a number of races on pavement, driving on dirt can be a radical change for newcomers to Rally racing. As in standard pavement racing, speed, braking, and racing line are all important, but - in my opinion - they all take a back seat to steering in Rally racing. Dirt is much more difficult for the tires to accurately grip to povide the traction necessary to brake, accelerate, and turn cleanly. Essentially, everything comes down to anticipation, even moreso than dry-conditions pavement driving because of the element of severely-reduced traction. Learning to control a sliding vehicle is key - the direction of the slide, the speed of the slide, the positioning of the wheels, and other factors all influence how you can get around a corner or how you can either hold or get back on the optimal racing line. Without question, Rally racing can be frustrating at first, especially the mostly-dirt and all-dirt circuits. Of course, the Rally License Tests will give you a chance to learn how to control your vehicle on various Rally circuits in differing situations. Even after the Rally License has been acquired, it may be beneficial to complete each Rally License Test several more times - both to reinforce the driving techniques, and to become more familiar with these courses. Dirt Driving Payout: Race Credits 1 5.000 2 10.000 3 20,000 Winning all three races at a given circuit in the given direction results in winning a Rally car. The number of laps per race (varies by circuit): Circuit Race Laps Tahiti Challenge of Rally (II) 1 2 2 3 3 5 Tahiti Maze (II) 1 2 2 3 3 5 Smoky Mountain Rally (II) 1 3 2 5 3 7 Swiss Alps (II) 1 3 2 5 3 7 I was able to win ALL the dirt-based Rally competitions using a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) with these parameters and parts: Ride Height 117mm front, 117mm rear Shock Absorbers Level 9 front, Level 9 rear Camber Angle 1.0 front, 0.5 rear Stabilizers Level 3 front, Level 3 rear Gear Ratio Auto Setting: Level 22 Downforce 0.19 front, 0.41 rear Active Stability Level 14 Management TCS Controller Level 7 Parts Acquired Suspension/Semi-racing, Sports Brakes, Muffler and Air Cleaner/ Racing, Port Polish, Full-engine Balancing, Racing Chip, Clutch/ Triple Plate, Flywheel/Racing, Driveshaft/Carbon, Transmission/ Full-racing, Limited-slip/1.5-way, Turbo Kit Stage 3, Intercooler/ Racing, Sports Tires, Dirt Racing Tires, Lightweight Stages 1-3 Unfortunately, once you win a dirt-based Rally event, if you return to the same circuit, you will not have Active Stability Management or TCS Controller available to you; this occurs with both Rally-specific cars (such as the Subaru Imprezza Rally Prototype) and more 'mundane' cars. I prefer to believe this was deliberate, to keep players from gaining 'easy money' from races already won, but this could well be a legitimate bug in the game. ==================================== RALLY RACING: WET-CONDITIONS DRIVING One (extremely dirty) word: hydroplaning. The biggest problem in these wet races is sliding. While you obviously need to put down A LOT of power to try to win the races, that power constantly risks to slide you out of control. Should a slide ever make you completely spin around, you may as well just quit the race and start over, because you will NEVER be able to catch up with your opponent. Fortunately, if you are following closely behind your opponent, spray from the other vehicle is not such an issue that your vision is truly obscured. Granted, the spray of water is rather annoying, but you can still generally see what is ahead. If you have a powerful enough car, you can use it for the dirt AND wet-conditions Rally races. However, take care in coming out of the slow chicanes, as using too much power can cause a spin. A very special thanks goes to PJ Man for pointing out an oversight to me: Dirt tires are NOT required for wet- conditions Rally races. Therefore, ANY car in GT3 can be used for the wet-conditions races. Wet-conditions Driving Payout: Race Credits 1 5,000 2 10,000 3 20,000 Winning all three races at a given circuit in the given direction results in winning a Rally car. The number of laps per race: Circuit Race Laps Super Special Route 5 (Wet) (II) 1 2 2 3 3 5 I was able to win ALL the wet-conditions Rally competitions using a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR(J) with these parameters and parts: Ride Height 117mm front, 117mm rear Shock Absorbers Level 9 front, Level 9 rear Camber Angle 1.0 front, 0.5 rear Stabilizers Level 3 front, Level 3 rear Gear Ratio Auto Setting: Level 27 Downforce 0.19 front, 0.41 rear Active Stability Level 14 Management TCS Controller Level 7 Parts Acquired Suspension/Semi-racing, Sports Brakes, Muffler and Air Cleaner/ Racing, Port Polish, Full-engine Balancing, Racing Chip, Clutch/ Triple Plate, Flywheel/Racing, Driveshaft/Carbon, Transmission/ Full-racing, Limited-slip/1.5-way, Turbo Kit Stage 3, Intercooler/ Racing, Sports Tires, Dirt Racing Tires, Lightweight Stages 1-3 Another personal favorite is to use one of the F1 cars in the game (offered in Formula GT and each of the Endurance Races) for the wet-conditions races. However, F1 cars put down A LOT of power and are inherently much more agile than any other car in the game, which makes controlling the open-wheel monsters much more difficult in wet conditions. The TCS/Stability issue mentioned in the Dirt Driving section (above) does not apply for wet-conditions racing. ==================================== RALLY RACING: 'GUARANTEED WINS' There is a way to essentially have 'guaranteed wins' in Rally Events. This concerns BUYING the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version, which costs 1,000,000Cr in Gran Turismo 3 (half its prize in GT2). Even at stock configuration, the Suzuki Escudo will have a far higher horsepower output than any competitors in Rally Events. The problem is that in GT3, the Escudo is absolutely atrocious in terms of handling. In my opinion, the Escudo is really only good for use at Super Speedway (by riding the walls to force cornering) and especially at Test Course, but some players may wish to buy and use the Escudo in Rally Events nonetheless. Using the Suzuki Escudo in Rally Events will require 'riding the walls' to clear corners, although intense countersteering will likely be required upon corner exit, especially in the wet-based events (where throttle management on corner exit will also be key to success). ==================================== RALLY RACING: CIRCUIT TIPS AND WARNINGS Tahiti Challenge of Rally: Be careful when transitioning between pavement and dirt. About halfway around the circuit, the set of three jumps can easily cause you to find yourself sideways and smashing against a barrier, so it may be a good idea to position yourself NEAR a barrier so that if you do start to go sideways, the barrier will 'tap' you back in the right direction. Tahiti Maze: Perhaps the best thing to do here is simply ride the rails, especially if you are trying to catch up to the leader. Be careful when transitioning between pavement and dirt. Smokey Mountain Rally: In contrast to Gran Turismo 2, the 'front stretch' is now entirely pavement; however, it would be wise to slow just before cresting the final paved jump. There are a number of jumps all around the circuit which are quite likely to send you first airborne, then into a barrier or mountainside. Swiss Alps: This long, winding circuit has numerous hairpins which can either help you to catch up if you are behind, or can quickly put you behind if you are in the lead. Beware the transition to and from the bridge. Tahiti Challenge of Rally II: Be careful when transitioning between pavement and dirt. About halfway around the circuit, the set of three jumps can easily cause you to find yourself sideways and smashing against a barrier, so it may be a good idea to position yourself NEAR a barrier so that if you do start to go sideways, the barrier will 'tap' you back in the right direction. Tahiti Maze II: Perhaps the best thing to do here is simply ride the rails, especially if you are trying to catch up to the leader. Be careful when transitioning between pavement and dirt. Smokey Mountain Rally II: In contrast to Gran Turismo 2, the 'front stretch' is now entirely pavement. Especially in this (clockwise) direction, there are a number of jumps all around the circuit which are quite likely to send you first airborne, then into a barrier or mountainside. Take care to slow down just before cresting the hill in the first turn; failure to do so will certainly launch you airborne and into a barrier, allowing your opponent to slip past you and gain a hefty lead before you can regroup. Swiss Alps II: This long, winding circuit has numerous hairpins which can either help you to catch up if you are behind, or can quickly put you behind if you are in the lead. The evening sun casts dark shadows over virtually ALL of the circuit, so intimate knowledge of the course is required to even have a chance of winning here. Beware the transition to and from the bridge; on approach, the dark shadows greatly mask the narrowness of the bridge opening, so a flawless racing line here is absolutely essential, and it may also be beneficial to quickly switch to Front Bumper View if necessary. Super Special Route 5 (Wet): Of course, the wet conditions will have you sliding around the circuit at almost all times, so the real trick is to control your sliding and make the vehicle slide in a manner conducive to winning. Be careful coming out of Turn 7 and heading into Turn 8 (the first timing point), as the vehicle will naturally want to slide out into the open area to the left on exiting Turn 7, and a barrier suddenly narrows the entry into Turn 8. To the extent possible, ride the rails. Super Special Route 5 (Wet) II: Of course, the wet conditions will have you sliding around the circuit at almost all times, so the real trick is to control your sliding and make the vehicle slide in a manner conducive to winning. To the extent possible, ride the rails. Do not let yourself get distracted by the beautiful moon, but please inform me ASAP if you happen to glimpse the Moon Kingdom!!! As you come out of the tunnel (the final turn), take care not to slide off into Pit Lane or ram the Pit Lane barrier on exit. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES For all but a handful of Endurance Races, ANY car in Gran Turismo 3 is a legal entry. For these races, I much prefer to use an F1 car. I am certainly not a physicist, but I assume that the lack of vertical height makes an F1 car's center of gravity much lower, thus allowing it to both respond better to steering and corner at higher speeds (averaging about 30MPH/50KPH faster, and up to 70MPH/110KPH faster at some venues). For my personal driving style, I also find it much easier to both induce and recover from a slide when taking tight corners with an F1 car. Ultimately, this means - in my opinion - that the F1 cars are a nearly- sure bet for winning a race. For the races for which an F1 car IS a legal entry, the superior cornering and powerful acceleration will usually result in impressive leads over the rest of the field, allowing a stop to change tires without a loss of position. Yet the response to steering could lead to turning just a little too much just a little too soon, thus rubbing a wheel against a barrier, and potentially bringing the car to a standstill if this occurs at the right (or, depending on point of view, wrong) angle. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: GRAND VALLEY 300KM Unfortunately, much of the area's beautiful scenery is obscured by the elevation of the circuit itself and by the tunnels. Like most of the Endurance Races, Grand Valley 300km does not have restrictions on cars or tuning. An F1 car is a great pick for this race, although as the tire indicators turn orange and red, expect an F1 car's inherent slide-ability to make handling extremely tricky through hairpins and especially when navigating the nasty chicane after the final (semi-open) tunnel. Plan on about 2 hours, 15 minutes to complete this sixty-lap race. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: SEATTLE 100 MILES The scenery has changed a little since GT2 (primarily the stadiums at the end of the circuit), but this is still a wonderful and challenging racing venue. At forty laps, this race can be completed in approximately one hour. There are plenty of good passing opportunities here, especially on the front stretch, the long four-tiered uphill climb, and the bridge over the railroad tracks approaching the stadium area. There are no car restrictions here, so an F1 car's inherent agility provides a good advantage here, especially in navigating the final segment of the circuit (the bus stop chicane between the two stadium sites and the tight left- right chicane at Pit Entry); however, an F1 car is so light that safely navigating the steep uphill climb can be difficult, especially when trying to slow and corner at the top of the climb. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: LAGUNA SECA 200 MILES This is the circuit with the world-famous Corkscrew. The Corkscrew tends to cause problems for all sorts of cars, but the aerodynamic problems seem to be especially great for F1 cars. This 90-lap race takes place in the evening, so there is an orange glow cast over the circuit. The glow produces severe shadows in some areas, which may make it difficult to quickly spot dark-colored cars; for this reason, an F1 car will automatically have its single red taillight illuminated. Plan on a little over two hours to complete this race. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: PASSAGE TO COLOSSEO 2 HOURS This event is patterned after TRUE endurance races: The winner is the car which completes the most laps in the allotted time. With an F1 car, I have always completed at least 75 laps in two hours; I could probably complete 100+ laps, but I tend to play around with the other cars and try to knock the cones ALL the way around the circuit :-) The trickiest part of the Rome circuit is entering Pit Lane; the Pit Lane Entry is immediately to the right AFTER navigating the final tight right-hand corner. Because of the barrier, Pit Lane is unsighted approaching the final corner. After the initial laps, always be mindful of slow cars in this corner; if you cut the corner too sharply, you may accidentally ram a car entering Pit Lane. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: TRIAL MOUNTAIN 2 HOURS Like the Passage to Colosseo race, the winner here is the car which completes the most laps in the allotted time. Only Normal (non-racing) cars are permitted for this race. Trial Mountain is a shadowy circuit due to the tall mountain cliffs, the long tunnel on the back stretch, and the many trees. Therefore, it may not be wise to use a dark-colored car here if you prefer to drive in Chase View; a lighter- colored car will make cornering easier, as you will not have as much difficulty in spotting the front end of your own vehicle. Also due to the many shadows, keep alert if there are dark-colored CPU-controlled cars in the race. This is also a somewhat technical circuit, with some corners between the mountain cliffs requiring a maximum speed of 65MPH/105KPH, and even this may be excessive. One great place to pass is the wide left-hand corner after exiting the long tunnel; instead of braking, slide along the guardrail on the outside of the corner - friction will certainly slow you down, but not as much as other cars braking normally to your left. Two cars I can personally recommend for this race are the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with Medium-slick Tires and the Jaguar XJ220 Road Car with Super-slick Tires. In two races here with the Z06, I have won by approximately fifty seconds due only to the fewer required pit stops (using Medium-slick Tires). The XJ220 Road Car, however, has an impressive stock horsepower of 516HP; cornering at high speeds is difficult (especially with Super-slick Tires), but the high horsepower output results in excellent speeds along the straightaways, enough to quickly gain the lead and keep extending that lead by at least five seconds per lap. While the XJ220 Road Car is far faster than any other in the race, the Z06 has far better handling when cornering with its stock configuration. An IA license and a Normal car are required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: SPECIAL STAGE ROUTE 11 One of the original circuits of the Gran Turismo series, SSR11 was missing from GT2, and has returned with some modifications in GT3. This is a nighttime race, which is a very different experience from racing in the daylight. An F1 car is a good choice here to better navigate the tight corners and chicanes (especially in the first half of the circuit); because of the generally poor visibility at night, an F1 car will have its single red taillight on. Plan on a little over two hours to complete this race. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: ROADSTER APRICOT HILL This is one of the Endurance Races with restrictions on appropriate cars. Further, only factory-stock, NON-TUNED cars can be used; the only permitted change to the cars can be the tires. Concerning the tires, I suggest buying two sets of tires: Soft or Super-soft Tires for qualifying, and Medium-slick Tires for the actual race. While not truly necessary, qualifying with Soft or Super-soft Tires will give you a good chance to start the race at the front of the pack, as these tires will provide superior grip with the pavement during the few laps necessary for qualifying. The Mazda MX-5 Miata LS will be your strongest competition here in the initial laps, and will play psychological warfare with you as it leaps out to a big lead, unless you have the flawless racing skills to keep pace. However, the Miata LS stops for tires every three laps, so if you are falling behind initially, just wait for the Miata LS to go to Pit Lane once or twice and you should have the lead. The other cars in the race are much slower, and you will likely lap the backmarkers at least once. As for race strategy, many of the corners at Apricot Hill are rather tight, so use of the rumble strips - especially at the apex and exit of each corner - is key. However, be careful not to drop a wheel off the rumble strips and into the sand lining the inside of most corners (especially in the initial S-turns), as that will both slow you down and accelerate tire wear. Plan on about ninety minutes to complete this race. An IA license is required for this race. Also, only three cars are permitted for this race: Mazda MX-5 Miata LS, Mazda MX-5 Miata 1.8 RS(J), and Mazda MX-5 Miata (J). ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: TOKYO R246 This 100-lap race in Tokyo combines fast speeds with tricky technical corners. In a way, this circuit recalls Ridge Racer V, especially on the front stretch approaching Turn 1. Care must be taken entering Pit Lane, which narrows significantly upon entry. Plan on a little over two hours to complete this race. An F1 car is a safe bet for an easy win at this venue. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: MISTRAL (COTE D'AZUR) 78 LAPS This race takes place at the Monaco circuit used in real- world F1 races. Unfortunately, this version of the Cote d'Azur circuit places a blindingly-bright sun directly at the top of Beau Rivage, the long uphill climb at the beginning of the circuit >:-( Extreme care must be taken when entering Pit Lane, which narrows significantly upon entry. Since this circuit is used (exclusively) by real-world F1 cars, an F1 car is the best possible choice here. However, tuning any car is key here on this tight, technical circuit. One area which warrants tuning attention is the gearbox; since there is really only one 'long' area in which to accelerate (The Tunnel), change the gearbox toward 'Sport' to gain faster acceleration out of the many corners (at the sacrifice of top-end speed, which is definitely NOT a priority at Cote d'Azur). Second, raise the Front and Rear Downforce close to maximum; while this also sheds top-end speed, cornering will be rendered easier. Adjusting Ride Height to maximum will increase aerodynamic friction underneath the car, slowing the car slightly to also assist in cornering. Finally, use high brake settings to hold maximum speed heading into the tight corners, a good strategy for passing on braking (where the circuit is wide enough to allow such a maneuver). Passing at Cote d'Azur is extremely difficult because the circuit is so tight (although GT3 presents a generally wider circuit than the actual streets of Monaco). Therefore, it is to your advantage to first qualify on Pole if at all possible; this will keep you ahead of the logjam at the first corner (Sainte-Devote) and help you to gain a larger lead as the rest of the competitors try to squeeze through the tight right-hand corner. If you are not using an F1 car (which can only use Medium Tires in GT3), make sure to use Soft or Super-soft Tires to qualify; the extra grip will help in the tight corners and in acceleration. Plan on about two hours to complete this race. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ENDURANCE RACES: SUPER SPEEDWAY 150 MILES This race has no restrictions concerning tuning or acceptable cars, which means that fast, high-powered cars can be used here for an extremely easy win in under 60 minutes. As with many of the other Endurance Races, the F1 cars are a good bet here. Also, a fully-maxxed Suzuki Escudo (over 1800HP) can be used here, although it will have so much power that it will be scraping the walls in the corners. Another good possibility is the Mazda 787B; again, it will have so much power that it will be scraping the walls in the corners, but if Super-slick Tires are used, the tires will last approximately 45 laps before the tire indicators turn red, meaning that only two trips to Pit Lane are needed in the race. Interestingly, Pit Lane both starts and ends on the back stretch of Super Speedway. This is much better than the track's appearance in Gran Turismo 2, in which Pit Lane was extremely short and difficult to use as both Pit Entry and Pit Exit were actually on the front stretch. There has been some discussion on the Internet concerning a rubber band trick which can be used at Super Speedway. While I have not tried it and have not really read the details of the trick, I do know that it requires using a rubber band to position the left (steering) analog stick and using a clamp or other item to keep the accelerator button held down. Once this is done, simply walk away and return in about an hour. The Suzuki Escudo is supposedly the best car to use for this rubber band trick. An IA license is required for this race. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== F1 CARS There are six F1 cars in Gran Turismo 3. Most can only be acquired by winning specific Endurance races. Even then, they are assigned at random, so those trying to win a specific F1 vehicle will likely face the frustration of running the same Endurance race multiple times. (Of these, the Super Speedway race is the fastest to win if you have a fast car already. An excellent vehicle for this race is the Suzuki Escudo, maxed out to over 1800HP with super-slick tires; simply ride the walls for about 50 minutes and change tires once or twice to win the race.) Fortunately, once you win an F1 car, it can be used in almost all the Endurance races (and almost all other events in the game), instantly giving you a huge advantage over the rest of the competitors (except in Formula GT). Upon winning ALL the Endurance races, you will be rewarded with another F1 car. Therefore, it is possible to collect all six F1 cars available in Gran Turismo 3. So, what are the F1 cars and how can you get them? Car Acquisition* History** F094/H Trial Mountain 2 Hours, 10-cylendar driven Tokyo R246; win ALL by Damon Hill Endurance races F090/S Grand Valley 300km, Super 1990 McLaren with Speedway Honda Power F686/M Laguna Seca 200 Miles; Nigel Mansell's 1986 Win ALL Professional Williams League races F686/S Mistral/Cote d'Azur ** F687/S Seattle 100 Miles, Ayrton Senna's 1987 Special Stage Route 11 Lotus F688/S Passage to Colosseo, 1988 McLaren Roadster Apricot Hill * Thus information is partly derived from personal progress in Gran Turismo 3, and partly from the excellent Gran Turismo 3 Event Guide [J-spec] compiled by Xombe (available on GameFAQs). ** This information is from the August 2001 issue of PSM (page 83). However, there appears to be a misprint, which potentially affects the car history information and the entry for the F686/S. ==================================== FORMULA GT Of all the race series in Gran Turismo 3, Formula GT is without question the most difficult set of races in Simulation Mode. In all other races and series, even when restrictions on acceptable cars exist, it is still possible to find at least one car which can outclass the competition to allow for relatively easy wins. However, with the Formula GT competition composed entirely of F1 cars - by far the best cars in Gran Turismo 3 - Formula GT is ROUGH at best. With all six cars so closely matched, a player's driving skill must be at an EXTREMELY high level in order to even have a chance at winning each race - this means that proper braking zones, judicious acceleration, flawless racing lines, expert cornering, thoughtful pit strategy, and rapid reflexes are absolutely crucial to success in Formula GT. Also, the series becomes more and more difficult with each race; this is largely due to the very noticeable decrease in horsepower (and top-end speed), since there are NO opportunities to change the oil during the series. This section presents how I was able to win the Formula GT series using the F686/M (Nigel Mansell's Williams car from the 1986 F1 season). What is presented here may or may not work for others, depending on chosen car, driving style, level of concentration, positioning of the planets, etc. Also, I play with a standard controller; these suggested car set-ups may need to be modified for those using racing wheels. ==================================== FORMULA GT: FINDING CAR SET-UPS Like other series races in Gran Turismo 3, each race can be entered as part of a series or individually. To find car set-ups, it is best to enter each race event individually, work on car set-ups, save appropriate set-ups for each circuit, and move on to the next individual race venue. Once any desired changes have been made to car set-up, they can be tested by going into Qualifying mode. This is great, because one's personal best lap time will be displayed along with the current Pole Position time, providing incentive to continue trying to attain the fastest possible lap times. If more changes need to be made, simply exiting Qualifying and returning to Settings will permit making more changes to the car set-up. Gear ratios can be adjusted to fit one's personal driving style, and this can be one of the best things to change in terms of car set-up in order to maximize car performance at a given venue. For most circuits, a fairly low gear ratio is best, providing excellent initial acceleration for the standing starts, and excellent acceleration exiting tight corners. However, for Test Course and Super Speedway, a rather high gear ratio (combined with the lowest possible settings for both Ride Height and Downforce) is best to provide a faster top-end speed; in this case, riding the walls or purposely bouncing off the walls to force cornering may be necessary at Super Speedway, especially if the tires are very worn (orange tire indicators) or practically non- existent (red tire indicators). Downforce is also extremely important in car set-ups. Raising downforce will assist with cornering, but will also lower top-end speed. Lowering downforce will increase top- end speed, but cornering will be more difficult. For F1 cars, downforce can be adjusted for both the front and rear of the car. Ride height also works in the same manner as downforce, although its effects are generally minimal in terms of cornering and top-end speed. Later in this section, a suggested car set-up is presented for each race venue. The presented set-ups may or may not work for everyone, depending on chosen car, driving style, level of concentration, positioning of the planets, etc. For those concerned about keeping a car's mileage as low as possible, try this tip for finding car set-ups. Set-up files are saved independent of the game progress file. Therefore, use the chosen car to work on car set-up for a specific course, save the car set-ups when satisfied with it, then go back to the game's main menu (where the selection between Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode is made) and reload game progress. In this manner, the car 'will not have been used,' but a saved car set-up will still be available :-) ==================================== FORMULA GT: QUALIFYING In the original Gran Turismo, players had a tremendous incentive to qualify for races, as players could earn extra money (which was especially important when first beginning the game) by qualifying on Pole Position (P1). This was discontinued in Gran Turismo 2, and still had not been reinstated for Gran Turismo 3. For this reason, it generally is not advantageous to qualify in Gran Turismo 3, especially if using a car which outclasses the competition in a race. However, in Formula GT, qualifying is important, especially in the latter races in the series. If at all possible, it is important to qualify P1 (Pole Position), or at least on the front row, to get ahead of the pack as quickly as possible, as there is usually a traffic jam at the first corner of each venue (this is especially true at Cote d'Azur/Monaco). Qualifying begins from Pit Lane, with players forced to make an Out Lap (a.k.a. Warm-up Lap) before qualifying actually begins. At most race venues, players will exit Pit Lane in front of the competition as they prepare to qualify; at other venues, it is best to leave Pit Lane, pull aside, and wait until the other five cars have safely passed and created some distance, to ensure that players will have as little traffic as possible to try to place as high on the starting grid as possible. There is no time limit nor lap limit for qualifying in Gran Turismo 3. However, the longer a player attempts to improve lap times, the better and better and better the CPU- controlled cars perform in qualifying. Therefore, once a player qualifies on Pole Position, it is best to immediately quit qualifying to ensure that other cars cannot best that lap time; continuing to run laps to gain an even lower lap time could very well result in one or more of the CPU- controlled cars besting the player's Pole Position time. ==================================== FORMULA GT: CIRCUIT TIPS Here are some tips for driving each circuit in Formula GT: Midfield Raceway: Take extreme care with the accelerator on exiting the sharp left-hand J-turn entering the lower tunnel. Too much acceleration here will produce wheelspin, which in turn will unduly accelerate tire wear. Seattle: The long three-tiered climb can be fun for sending cars airborne, but it is very dangerous due to the sharp perpendicular right-hand turn at the top. As tire wear increases, this corner in particular becomes more and more dangerous, requiring earlier and earlier braking. Grand Valley: Grand Valley is the longest race venue in Grand Turismo 3. As such, keep a close eye on the tire indicators; if a tire shows red early in a lap, it will be a long and heart-stopping drive back to Pit Lane to change the tires. Also, be very gentle on the throttle exiting the final chicane (just after the final tunnel), or else wheelspin will cause undue acceleration of tire wear. Super Speedway: Use the walls to force the car to turn; however, countersteering will likely be necessary in order to keep the car from spinning, especially as tire wear accelerates. Rome: This is a somewhat long venue as well, so if a tire shows red early in a lap, expect a lot of trouble getting back to Pit Lane to change the tires. On the final corner, be constantly on the lookout for VERY slow cars, as they are making the hard right-hand J-turn into Pit Lane (Pit Entry is very poorly placed at this venue). Test Course: Once the lights turn green, stand on the accelerator for twenty-five continuous, non-stop laps without ever stopping to change tires. The Test Course venue is sufficiently wide and the corners sufficiently gentle that there is NO reason to bump other cars or the inside or outside barriers. Laguna Seca: The trick to a fast lap time is to safely get through the Corkscrew AND the final corner (extremely tight left-hand right-angle corner with steep rumble strips on the inside and a wide patch of kitty litter on the outside). It is perhaps best to slow greatly for both areas, and accelerate quickly when the sectors have been safely cleared. Apricot Hill: The hairpin behind the Paddock is a VERY slow corner; any speed above 60MPH is certain to cause the car to slide and/or spin. The final chicane MUST NOT BE SHORTCUTTED, as the sand on the inside of each of its tight corners will very quickly wear down the tires, thus making it extremely difficult (if not absolutely impossible) to stay ahead of the competition. Tokyo R246: The front portion of the circuit is quite wide, but the back portion is rather narrow. It is very easy to bump a wheel on a barrier or against another car while on the back portion of the circuit. Precision driving as well as patience are very important on the back portion of the Tokyo R246 venue. Cote d'Azur/Monaco: Gran Turismo 3 presents a version of the real-world Monaco circuit (used annually for the F1 Grand Prix of Monte Carlo) which is generally a little wider than in reality and in most other racing games. However, having visited Monaco, I can state that the 'feel' of the city has been captured quite well. While GT3's version of this circuit is a bit 'wide,' the circuit is still VERY narrow. There is really no place to attain high speeds, and passing is extremely difficult even in the best circumstances. Even expert drivers will certainly bump barriers and other cars rather consistently - which will increase tire wear with each bump. High downforce and ride height settings combined with shot gear ratios and A LOT of patience are required at Cote d'Azur/Monaco. If at all possible, wait to pass competitors as they go to Pit Lane. ==================================== FORMULA GT: GENERAL TIPS If this has not yet been done, players should save the default/stock set-up of the chosen vehicle before changing car set-ups. This is a good practice for ALL cars in GT3, as some races require only non-tuned vehicles. This is also a good idea in case - while fiddling with car set-ups - a player really adversely changes the car's set-up, and reverting back to the default set-up allows the player to start over. For those concerned about keeping a car's mileage as low as possible, try this tip for finding car set-ups. Set-up files are saved independently of the game progress file, which can be used to a player's advantage. Therefore, use the chosen car to work on car set-up for a specific course, save the car set-ups when satisfied with it, then go back to the game's main menu (where the selection between Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode is made) and reload game progress. In this manner, the car 'will not have been used' as far as the CPU is concerned, but a saved car set-up will still be available for use later :-) Unfortunately, F1 cars can only use Medium Tires (and are the only cars in Gran Turismo 3 which are limited to just Medium Tires). This means that the tires will usually wear out after six or seven laps. Therefore, pit strategy is very important for each race. It is necessary to try to make the tires last as long as possible between pit stops, thus resulting in fewer pit stops. In general, a pit stop will cost 20-25 seconds (shorter at Test Course, since Pit Lane is essentially non-existent; longer at Super Speedway, since Pit Lane - including Pit Entry and Pit Exit - is essentially a full lap long), so if a player can make one or two fewer pit stops than the CPU-controlled cars, that will certainly give the player a significant advantage time/distance. It is possible to use non-F1 cars in Formula GT, with the advantage that ANY tire compound can be used, including the longest- durability/lowest-grip Super-slick Tires; however, there are NO other cars in Gran Turismo 3 which are inherently as fast AND agile as the F1 cars, so success through the Formula GT series with non-F1 cars is very slim (some individual races, such as the Test Course race, can easily be won with non-F1 cars, such as the 1,000,000Cr Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version). On the Out Lap (Warm-up Lap) in qualifying, it helps to purposely drive off the pavement and/or slide the tires a bit, especially on the shorter circuits such as Super Speedway. This will raise the tire temperature faster, so that the tire indicators should show all four tires as green by the time qualifying begins; this will provide maximum tire grip. Since most players should only need one or two qualifying laps anyhow to attain Pole Position if they have followed the strategy of pre-determining car set-ups before entering the Formula GT series, tire durability is not really an issue in qualifying, so it is best to make use of this fact to attain the best possible pavement grip for qualifying. Note that the off/slide tactic is not needed at Test Course, where tires are not an issue. For each race, I have specified the laps on which I made my stops to change tires. However, this often means that the last 1-2 laps before stopping will be very harrowing, as the tires will be EXTREMELY worn. This pit strategy is largely based upon trying to either stop on the same laps as the toughest competitors, or one lap LATER than the fastest competition. Those with extensive experience driving with Super-slick Tires will likely have less difficulty with these final laps before stops, as they will already be quite familiar with driving with severely-reduced pavement grip; those without extensive experience driving with Super-slick Tires may wish to delay participating in Formula GT until they feel comfortable driving at high speeds with the lowest- grip tire compound. Just prior to entering the Formula GT series, it is important to change the oil and wash the car. Changing the oil will provide a temporary boost in horsepower (thus delaying the time at which horsepower reduction due to dirty oil begins), while washing the car should help slightly with the aerodynamic flow around the vehicle (thus assisting with acceleration and top-end speed). There is a formula which dictates when it is possible to cancel out of Formula GT and still win the bonus money and one of the bonus cars. If the player's lead is AT LEAST (10 x the remaining number of races) + 1, then the player can safely cancel out of the remaining races and still win the series. Should a player and a competitor both end the series tied for the points lead, the player WILL NOT receive the bonus money and one of the bonus cars; therefore, the 'extra' one point is a crucial advantage, one which players must take strides to achieve. This also means, however, that if only the final single point is required to guarantee winning the series, then a player need only participate in and COMPLETE one of the remaining races, as finishing in last place in Gran Turismo 3 still results in attaining a single point (this is not the case in some other racing games, such as Newman-Haas Racing). ==================================== FORMULA GT: SUGGESTED CAR SET-UPS These are the car set-ups which worked for me in Formula GT using the F686/M. Note that only the default/stock parts were used. In most cases, I was able to qualify on Pole Position (P1). Race 1: Midfield Spring Rate Front: 14.4 kgl/mm Rear: 14.3 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 38 Downforce Front: 0.56 Rear: 1.07 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 2: Seattle Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 33 Downforce Front: 0.78 Rear: 1.34 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 3: Grand Valley Spring Rate Front: 13.5 kgl/mm Rear: 13.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 46 mm Rear: 46 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 43 Downforce Front: 0.51 Rear: 0.95 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 4: Super Speedway Spring Rate Front: 13.5 kgl/mm Rear: 13.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 45 mm Rear: 45 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 48 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 40 Downforce Front: 0.45 Rear: 0.75 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 7 TCS Controller: Level 2 VCD Controller: N/A Race 5: Rome Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 47 mm Rear: 47 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 38 Downforce Front: 0.51 Rear: 0.93 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 6: Test Course Spring Rate Front: 18.2 kgl/mm Rear: 18.2 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 45 mm Rear: 45 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 55 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 56 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 45 Downforce Front: 0.45 Rear: 0.75 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 3 TCS Controller: Level 1 VCD Controller: N/A Race 7: Laguna Seca Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 50 mm Rear: 50 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 21 Rear: Level 21 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 33 Downforce Front: 0.77 Rear: 1.29 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 8: Apricot Hill Spring Rate Front: 12.4 kgl/mm Rear: 12.4 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 50 mm Rear: 50 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 40 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 30 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 35 Downforce Front: 0.77 Rear: 1.29 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 9: Tokyo R246 Spring Rate Front: 16.1 kgl/mm Rear: 16.1 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 46 mm Rear: 46 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 15 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 48 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 43 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 44 Downforce Front: 0.61 Rear: 1.08 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A Race 10: Cote d'Azur/Monaco Spring Rate Front: 16.1 kgl/mm Rear: 16.1 kgl/mm Ride Height Front: 58 mm Rear: 58 mm Shock Absorbers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Shock Bound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Shock Rebound Front: 5 Rear: 5 Camber Angle Front: 2.0 Rear: 1.0 Toe Angle Front: 0.0 Rear: -3.0 Stabilizers Front: N/A Rear: N/A Brake Balance Front: Level 23 Rear: Level 23 Limited-slip Initial Torque Front: 0 Rear: 30 Limited-slip Acceleration Front: 0 Rear: 54 Limited-slip Deceleration Front: 0 Rear: 55 Gear Ratio (Auto Setting): Level 32 Downforce Front: 0.82 Rear: 1.33 AYC Controller: N/A Active Stability Management: Level 10 TCS Controller: Level 5 VCD Controller: N/A ==================================== FORMULA GT: ADJUSTING CAR SET-UPS Gran Turismo 3 allows for significant car customization. However, I find that there are just a few things which will provide great changes in car handling when adjusted: Brake Balance: Brake strength for each axle can be adjusted independently. I personally like strong braking ability (Level 20 or higher), to allow for late braking zones to pass other cars on corner entry. Downforce: This is the single most important item which can affect car handling in corners. Downforce on an F1 car makes use of the front and rear wings; thus, downforce can be adjusted for the front and rear of the car independently. The downforce can be raised to improve cornering ability, but this will result in lower top-end speed and slower acceleration. Conversely, lowering downforce will make cornering at high speeds more difficult (thus requiring slower cornering speeds), while improving acceleration and top-end speed. Gear Ratios: Gran Turismo 3 provides two methods for adjusting gear ratios: the auto setting (the lowermost slider on the Gear Ratios screen) and manual setting (the smaller sliders on the Gear Ratios screen). In general, using the auto setting slider is good enough; experts may prefer to fine-tune each gear using the smaller manual setting sliders above. Raising the gear ratios (moving a slider toward the right) will result in higher speeds before gear changes, and thus a higher top-end speed overall; however, acceleration will be slower. Lowering the gear ratios (moving a slider toward the left) will result in lower speeds before gear changes, and thus a lower top-end speed overall; however, this creates faster acceleration. Those using the smaller manual setting sliders can essentially mix-and-match gear ratios; perhaps the lower gears can be set for faster acceleration while the higher gears can be set for faster top-end speed. Note that Final Gear affects all the other gears in addition to how each individual gear has been set. Caution: Using too high a gear ratio in the higher gears can cause a car to have some difficulty climbing into the highest gear, and/or drop from the highest gear to the next-lowest gear very quickly. This is due to the engine not being able to keep up enough revs to climb into or stay in the highest gear. If such a high gear ratio is important, try lowering the front and rear downforce and ride height as much as possible while still attempting to maintain car control in cornering; if this does not work, then the gear ratio will need to be lowered. Ride Height: Ride height is adjustable for both the front and rear axles. Whereas downforce controls the flow of air over the car, ride height handles airflow underneath the vehicle. As with downforce, raise ride height to improve cornering at the sacrifice of acceleration and top-end speed; lower ride height to improve acceleration and top-end speed while sacrificing high-speed cornering ability. Often, making adjustments in one aspect of a car's set-up will require adjusting other aspects as well in order to maintain a good balance for car handling. Adjustments will almost certainly be necessary; the set-ups provided in this section are simply suggestions based upon my rather- aggressive driving style, and will likely require some fine- tuning for use by others. ==================================== FORMULA GT: SAMPLE RACE PERFORMANCE Here is my sample race performance in Formula GT. For Start and Finish, I designate positions in FIA style: P1 for First Place/Pole Position, P2 for Second Place, P3 for Third Place, P4 for Fourth Place, P5 for Fifth Place, and P6 for Sixth Place. Also, points are awarded in FIA style: ten points for P1, six points for P2, four points for P3, three points for P4, two points for P5, and a single point for P6; in order to receive points, a car must finish a given race (in other words, canceling out of a race is not permitted). Race Start Finish Pit Strategy Fastest Lap ---------------- ----- ------ -------------- ----------- Midfield Raceway P1 P1 8, 16, 23 0'55.692 Seattle P1 P1 8, 16, 24, 32 1'12.806 Grand Valley P1 P1 6, 12, 17, 24 1'29.584 Super Speedway P1 P1 10, 20, 30, 40 0'26.564 Rome P1 P2 10, 19 1'06.462 Test Course* P1 P1 No stops* 1'42.108 Laguna Seca P1 P2 8, 16, 22, 28 1'03.171 Apricot Hill P1 P1 7, 14, 21 1'01.112 Tokyo R246** P3 P6 5, 10, 15, 20 1'17.868 Cote d'Azur/ *** *** *** *** Monaco*** * For the 25-lap Test Course race, it is best to NEVER make any stops to change tires. The course is so wide that there is always enough room to make passes (especially when drafting), and the banked turns are so incredibly gentle that there is to reason to worry about needing tires for braking and cornering. However, with the suggested car set-up for Test Course, the left-rear tire will wear down far faster than any of the other tires, meaning that for three or four laps, the car will constantly want to edge to the left until the other three tire indicators also show red; near-continuous countersteering will be required for the straightaways, and extra care will be needed if running high on the banking. ** Entering the race at Tokyo R246, I only needed one more point in order to guarantee winning the Formula GT series (the next closest car in the series was exactly 20 points behind entering the penultimate race of the series). Therefore, I did not bother truly trying to compete, as finishing in last place would grant me the single point I needed. This accounts for finishing in last place and making so many pit stops in comparison with the length of the race (25 laps); going six or seven laps between stops would have made driving rather difficult on the back side of the course with its many high-speed twists and corners. *** Since the series was won following the penultimate race (at Tokyo R246), I purposely canceled out of Cote d'Azur/Monaco. The series having been won, I instead intend to complete this race as an individual race at a later date. This will also allow me to participate in the Cote d'Azur/Monaco race with a car fresh from the Car Wash and with fresh oil. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== GENEAL Q&A This section focuses upon questions that newcomers to Gran Turismo 3 often ask, as reflected on the GameFAQs Gran Turismo 3 message board. These questions are not presented in any particular order. Q: What is the best car to start with in GT3? A: Check the section Initial Car Selection above. Q: Can I change the car's oil during a series or championship? A: No. Therefore, it is important to change the oil BEFORE entering a series or championship, to ensure that the oil will last as long as possible before it begins to degrade the car's horsepower output. For the series and championships in Beginners League, it may be possible to not change the oil before entering, and not suffer any loss of horsepower as the Beginners League races are quite short; however, in this case, if the oil is already rather dark or murky, change the oil anyway before entering the series or championship. Consider this: An oil change only costs 250Cr. Except for the Beginners League events and Rally Events, even finishing in last place will result in gaining more money than was spent on an oil change. Q: Are there codes for ? A: There is only one true code in Gran Turismo 3, and it adds another difficulty level to Arcade Mode events. To enter Professional difficulty, go to Arcade Mode and select Hard difficulty. Hold the L1 and R1 buttons simultaneously, and Hard will switch to Professional. While not a code per se, there is a 'trick' that can be used with an automatic transmission. To keep the car from automatically shifting gears, press and hold either the shift-up or shift-down button (which buttons are assigned to these functions will depend on how you have set your controller). This may or may not be very useful, depending on driving style. All other codes are actually GameShark2 codes, and require GameShark2 version 1.4 or greater. These codes are available on appropriate GameShark2 discs, and at the GameShark Web site (http://www.gameshark.com/). Q: What is the best car in the game? A: This is largely an inherently idiosyncratic question. For pure speed, the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version is by far the best when given maximum turbo parts, resulting in over 1800HP. However, in great contrast to Gran Turismo 2, the Escudo is virtually impossible to control in GT3. Thus, there are really only two places where the Escudo is a viable car choice. At Super Speedway, the Escudo can be forced to corner by bouncing off the walls; this tactic can be used at any other circuit, obviously, but most other venues are so tight and twisty that this tactic then backfires. However, the best place to use the Escudo is at Test Course, where the corners are so incredibly gentle and the banking steep enough that there is really no reason for touching the barriers at all. Overall (meaning great turning capabilities AND fast speeds), any F1 car is the best option. The low center of gravity combined with the light weight of the F1 cars make them a prime choice; however, car control can be quite twitchy for the same reasons. See my Gran Turismo 3: F1 Guide for details on the F1 cars. Beyond the Escudo and the F1 cars, the 'best car' in the game depends upon several factors. The primary factor is the level of comfort with a given car's drivetrain; myself, I really dislike FR cars, but love 4WD and FF drivetrains. Another issue is horsepower; in other words, how well can a player handle cars with 100HP, 300HP, 800HP, and 1800HP? Finally, how well a player can TUNE a given car will definitely affect which cars are the 'best' in the game. Q: How does Gran Turismo 3 compare to Gran Turismo 2? A: The first difference (other than the console for which each game was designed) is in the area of graphics. In general, GT3 uses very photorealistic graphics, which made it a groundbreaking game when initially released. Of course, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was supposedly a photorealistic film, but there were really only a few scenes which truly seemed photorealistic. Not surprisingly, some new circuits have been added to GT3, while some circuits from GT2 have been removed. All returning circuits have received cosmetic facelifts to become photorealistic. However, the biggest chance is in the cars themselves. Not only are there just 1/3 the number of cars compared to GT2, there are also NO used cars in GT3. This makes the initial car selection both much more limited and much more important than in GT2. Finally, there are no racing modification options available in GT3. Q: Which races offer F1 cars? A: Every Endurance Race offers an F1 car as one of four potential bonus cars. Polyphony Digital Cup and Dream Car Championship also offer F1 cars. However, in these cases, there are non-F1 cars offered as well; since bonus cars in these events/series/championships are assigned at random, there is a 25% change that you will actually win the F1 car. To guarantee receiving an F1 car, win Formula GT, for which ALL bonus cars are F1 cars. Alternatively, winning ALL Endurance Races results in receiving the F094/H. Note that this information is for the NTSC (Never Twice Same Color) version of GT3. The PAL version (primarily used in Europe, and in some other parts of the world) only has two F1 cars, Polyphony 001 and Polyphony 002. I would assume that for the sake of consistency, the game developers would make F1 cars in the PAL version available in the same manner as in the NTSC version, but this is simply a guess on my part as I do not have access to a PAL console/game. Q: Can I choose which bonus car I want? A: For those series or events with only one potential bonus car, no. Further, once the bonus car has been acquired, it cannot be won again. For those cars which are not available in the car dealerships, this means that there is only one chance to acquire those cars. For series or championships with more than one possible bonus car, there is a memory card trick which can be used to acquire a specific car. After the penultimate race of the series or championship, save game progress. Then, either compete in the final event or (if you already have a lead of at least eleven points) skip the final event. Once the final race has been cleared, collect the bonus money, and wait to see which bonus car you are given. If it is a car you want, then you are done; if you do not want/like the car assigned, go back to the Main Menu (where the selection between Simulation/GT and Arcade Modes is made) and reload game progress to be taken back to the end of the penultimate race and try again. Each Endurance Race offers four potential bonus cars. However, if you do not receive a car you are trying to acquire, your only option is to rerace. To that end, the Endurance Races at Seattle and Super Speedway are the easiest, as they can be won in under sixty minutes with a fast car (the F1 cars are especially adept at these two Endurance Races). Q: How are the final events in Professional League unlocked? A: These events - Dream Car Championship, Polyphony Digital Cup, Like the Wind, and Formula GT - are unlocked upon the acquisition of a Super License (S-License). Q: Can I have multiple game saves for Gran Turismo 3 on a single memory card? A: No. 'Multiple game saves' requires two different memory cards. However, when the game is initially loaded, the game data in Memory Card Slot #1 is the game data which will be automatically loaded; to instead use the game data from another memory card, either swap memory cards in Memory Card Slot #1, or insert a second memory card into Memory Card Slot #2 - in either case, then use the Load Game option from the main menu, select the appropriate Memory Card Slot, and press OK to load. Q: Can Arcade Mode cars be used in Simulation/GT Mode, and vice versa? A: Arcade Mode cars are only available for Arcade Mode. However, completing the Complex String Time Trial in Arcade Mode will add a bonus car to the garage for Simulation/GT Mode; this is the only exception. Simulation/GT Mode cars, however, CAN be used in Arcade Mode, except for Time Trials. This is accomplished by selecting an event, then at the Car Select screen, loading the Garage present on the memory card (look for the memory card icon to load the garage). Any car in the garage which can be used at the chosen venue can then be selected; the only time in Arcade Mode that cars from the garage cannot be used is if a dirt-based venue has been selected (such as Swiss Alps or Tahiti Maze), in which case only those cars from the garage which have Dirt Tires (standard equipment on rally-intended cars; purchased specially for other cars) can be used. Q: How do I acquire cars which are shown in the car dealership but are not available for purchase? A: These cars can be won by winning certain events in Simulation/GT Mode. Also, some of these cars are awarded for reaching 50%, 75%, and 100% game completion; for winning ALL events in a league; and for completing certain difficult tasks (such as attaining ALL Gold Medals in the tests for any one license). Q: My car reaches a given speed, then drops in speed before climbing again, and this happens repeatedly. How can I fix this? A: Most likely, the car does not have a Full Racing Transmission. Buying this part (approximately 11,000Cr) allows for gear customization, and also often adds another gear to the transmission. Adjusting the gears should resolve the problem, unless racing at Test Course. Using automatic transmission, a trick which works with some cars is to press and hold either the Shift Up or Shift Down button before the transmission climbs into the car's highest gear. In some cases, this will allow for a higher top-end speed than if the car were to climb into its highest gear. This trick, as mentioned in a previous question, prevents the transmission from shifting up or down, which is what creates the higher sustained speed. In reality, this would likely cause a massive engine failure; fortunately, that aspect of reality is missing from Gran Turismo 3. Q: How do I get ? A: In the Tuning Shop, parts are shown only if they can be purchased for the current car. Therefore, if a car cannot handle Level 4 Turbo, then Level 4 Turbo will not be offered. Note that if you acquire a racing-dedicated car, many parts cannot be 'added' or are listed as 'Purchased' because they come standard with that car. Along those lines, all racing-dedicated cars come with Medium Tires as standard equipment; rally-dedicated cars also include Dirt Tires as standard equipment. Q: What is the best car for ? A: There are a number of factors which affect which is the 'best' car for a given event. If there are no limitations on horsepower, drivetrain, or car model, then the F1 cars are generally a good bet, except for the Like the Wind event (in this case, the Suzuki Escudo is likely the best car to use). Otherwise, factors such as tire compound, comfort level with a given drivetrain, horsepower, and driving style will influence the decision of a 'best car.' If there are restrictions beyond the acquisition of a specific license, things obviously change. Ask friends or post on Gran Turismo 3 message boards for opinions, but take the responses with several grains of salt; what works well for one player - especially in the area of car set-ups - could be an absolute nightmare for another person. Q: Which is better, automatic or manual transmission? A: Automatic transmission is 'easier' in that there is no worry about shifting gears; as such, it may be the best choice for those just starting with Gran Turismo 3, and is definitely the best choice for young children. However, manual transmission provides an extra measure of control over the car by choosing exactly when to shift gears. While not a code per se, there is a 'trick' that can be used with an automatic transmission. To keep the car from automatically shifting gears, press and hold either the shift-up or shift-down button (which buttons are assigned to these functions will depend on how you have set your controller). This may or may not be very useful, depending on driving style and race venue. Q: Are there any cars with seven gears in Gran Turismo 3? A: No. Although there are slots for customizing seven gears with the Full Racing Transmission, no car in GT3 has seven gears. This appears to be a holdover from previous games in the series. It is also possible that there were plans to include at least one car with seven gears, but that such cars were removed in the development phase (likely due to licensing issues). Q: How do I qualify? Is qualifying necessary? A: Once a race has been selected, qualifying is done by choosing the Qualify button (second from the left) at the bottom of the Pre-race screen. For qualifying, players begin in Pit Lane, and must make one complete lap and come back around to the Start/Finish Line to begin the actual qualifying attempt. There is no limit to the number of qualifying laps permitted; however, the more qualifying laps you make, the better the CPU-controlled cars qualify, so once you attain Pole Position, exit Qualifying immediately to ensure that you keep Pole Position. Those who do not choose to qualify automatically start each race from P6 (the last slot on the grid). Qualifying is never 'necessary,' but starting on the front row can be especially advantageous at Cote d'Azur/Monaco due to the massive bottleneck which often occurs at Turn 1. Unfortunately, there is no bonus money awarded for qualifying on Pole Position, as there was in the original Gran Turismo. For this reason, many players may wish to simply skip Qualifying and start each race from P6. Q: What is the purpose of the Car Wash? A: Aesthetically, as you use a car, it loses its showroom shine, dulling the color. Washing the car will return the showroom shine to the vehicle. This really only affects how light sources are rendered in relation to the car. In terms of car handling, there is a slight aerodynamic advantage to having a newly-washed car. As a car is used, it gets dirty, which disrupts the optimum flow of air over and around the car. A newly-washed car, however, provides a much smoother surface, thus allowing better airflow and thus faster acceleration and higher top-end speed. Some players have reported, however, that repeated use of the Car Wash can slowly change the color of the car. While I have not encountered this phenomenon; any such color change would be purely aesthetic and not affect car handling. Q: Where can I save my game progress? A: There is a Save Game option on the Main Menu, and another in Home; once in Simulation/GT Mode, players will likely use the Save Game option in Home. However, once entered in a series or championship, game progress can be saved following all but the final race; in this case, reloading game progress or restarting the console will result in automatically being returned to the point at which the game progress was last saved. Q: What is involved in attaining 100% game completion? A: In Arcade Mode, all Single Race events must be won and all Time Trials must be passed with a Bronze Medal or better. In Simulation/GT Mode, players will need to have attained ALL licenses (B, A, IB, IA, Rally, and Super) in order to sweep through every event, series, and championship. However, simply acquiring all six licenses does not result in a higher game completion percentage. In Simulation/GT Mode, there is a 'shortcut' to gaining 100% game completion. Series and championships have a given number of individual races; to gain 100% game completion, ALL series/championships AND ALL individual races must be won. However, winning a race within a series or championship also grants a win for that same race on the individual scale, thus killing two stones with one bird. (However, for long series/championships, once a significant points lead has been attained and the series/championship can be won even with canceling out of the remaining races, it helps the oil situation to cancel out of the rest of the races. The win for the series or championship will be used toward game completion percentage, as will the individual wins for the races won within the series/championship. Once having exited the series/championship, save game progress and change the oil to prevent any further loss of horsepower, then go back and INDIVIDUALLY complete the rest of the races in the series/championship. This is also a good way to selectively skip races within a series/championship where the current car may not perform well enough to be very competitive, thus allowing a return later with a different car which will have a better chance of winning at a specific venue.) Similarly, in Arcade Mode, each Single Race event must be won at all three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard) to attain 100% game completion. Winning a race at a given venue on Hard difficulty also grants wins for that same venue on both Easy and Medium difficulties. This is another time-saving 'shortcut.' In the effort to attain 100% game completion, a bonus car is awarded for beating all events in Arcade Time Trials, as well as the 50%, 75%, and 100% milestones of game completion percentage. Bonus cars are also awarded for winning ALL events in each of Beginners League, Amateur League, Professional League, Rally Events, and Endurance Races. Therefore, it is possible to win multiple bonus cars at once; for example, upon winning the Super Speedway 150 Miles Endurance Race, a player could win one of its four potential bonus cars, PLUS the F094/H for defeating all Endurance Races with that win, PLUS another bonus car for attaining 50%, 75%, or 100% game completion with that win. Q: How many sets of tires do I need to purchase? A: One nice and somewhat-unrealistic element in GT3 is that once a type or compound of tire has been purchased, THAT CAR has an unlimited supply of those tires. Therefore, it is possible to NEVER buy tires for racing-dedicated cars, which all come with Medium Tires as standard equipment; likewise, there is no reason to buy tires for rally- intended cars, which include Dirt Tires as standard equipment. Note that F1 cars can ONLY use Medium Tires. For non-racing cars, Normal Tires (street tires) are standard equipment, and are utterly useless for racing purposes. Sports Tires are better, and generally cost around 7,000Cr, but even these are far interior to the racing compounds. Therefore, if using non-racing cars, it is best to buy at least one tire compound; of these, Super-slick Tires are the cheapest at approximately 11,000Cr, but it takes extreme skill to safely drive a car with Super-slick Tires at high speeds, especially when cornering. Obviously, non-racing cars will require Dirt Tires for the dirt-based Rally Events. Q: The F1 cars are SO good, is it 'cheating' to use them in races? A: This is an inherently subjective question. My opinion: WHY would it be 'cheating' to use F1 cars in any event for which they are legal entries (i.e., not non-tuned- only events, etc.)? Certainly, some feel that because the F1 cars are so fast and agile, they should not be used except in select races (primarily the Formula GT series) where the competition is much tougher, or at F1 circuits (such as Cote d'Azur/Monaco), but there is absolutely nothing prohibiting players from using F1 cars to work through Beginners, Amateur, and Professional Leagues - as well as the Endurance Races. F1 cars can even compete in Rally Events, but only in the six wet-based races. There are also players like myself who simply adore F1 racing, so the possibility of using F1 cars as often as possible is great. Also, Gran Turismo 3 (North American version) presents some historic F1 cars, which are unavailable in the F1-dedicated games currently on the market. See my GT3: F1 Guide for details on the F1 cars and their histories. Q: What is the rubber band trick used at Super Speedway? A: I have never tried this myself, but there has been plenty of discussion on the Internet about easy ways to complete the Super Speedway 150 Miles Endurance Race. Granted, this is the easiest of the Endurance Races, but apparently some are not content with running 100 laps on their own. The rubber back trick steps in to make the chosen car continually run laps until the race has ended; the best car for this is the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version. The following is from TIME X's post on instructions for the rubber band trick, as posted on the GameFAQs GT3 message board on May 31, 2002: OK, This is how you do the RUBBERBAND TRICK!!!!! There are 2 ways. TAPE and RUBBER: 1. Just get a rubberband and a piece of tape. At the countdown screen, tape down the accelerator button and wrap the rubberband over the TWO analog sticks. Now just leave it alone for one hour. You WILL crash into the wall but that's okay. You will just 'ride the wall' to win. ONLY RUBBER: 1. Go to Options and go to the Controller Setup Screen. 2. Go to the Accelerator and set the accelerator so that if the RIGHT ANALOG STICK is push to the LEFT, then it will accelerate. 3. Go to Super Speedway Endurance with an Escudo. 4. Get a rubberband and wrap it around the TWO analog sticks at the countdown. When you start, your car WILL crash to the right wall but that is OKAY! You will then RIDE the wall and pass everyone. Just stay for a little bit for like 2-5 laps and make sure nothing happens so that your car gets stuck. If it goes well without getting stuck, then turn off the TV, put your controller in a safe spot, and take a ONE HOUR sleep. When you wake up and check it, then you would have won and lapped the CPUs about 20 times. Q: Is it possible to cancel out of a series or championship and still win the bonus money and one of the bonus cars? A: It is definitely possible to cancel out of a series or championship and still win the bonus money and one of the bonus cars. This is because series and championships in Gran Turismo 3 use the FIA-style points system, so that in each race, finishing first grants 10 points, finishing second grants 6 points, finishing third grants 4 points, finishing fourth grants 3 points, finishing fifth grants 2 points, and finishing sixth (last) grants a single point. Armed with this information, there is a formula which dictates when it is possible to cancel out of a series or championship and still win the bonus money and one of the bonus cars. If the player's lead is AT LEAST: (10 x the remaining number of races) + 1 then the player can safely cancel out of the remaining races and still win the series or championship. Should a player and a competitor both end a series or championship tied for the points lead, the player WILL NOT receive the bonus money and one of the bonus cars; therefore, the 'extra' one point is a crucial advantage, one which players must take strides to achieve. This also means, however, that if only the final single point is required to guarantee winning the series or championship, then a player need only participate in and COMPLETE one of the remaining races, as finishing in last place in GT3 still results in attaining a single point (this is not the case in some other racing games, such as Newman-Haas Racing). Canceling out of a series, however, can have negative consequences for those attempting to attain 100% game completion. Each race won in a series is also considered an individual race win, thus requiring less overall work from the player. Canceling out of a series or championship will mean that the player must come back at a later time/date to win the individual races not completed during the series or championship. On the other hand, canceling out of a series or championship can be of great benefit. Gran Turismo 3 does not allow for a car's oil to be changed once a series or championship is underway, which means that as the events wear on, the car's oil becomes dirtier and dirtier and the car's performance decreases noticeably; this is especially important in the super-difficult Formula GT series, where car performance is a top priority, especially in the latter races of Formula GT. Should a player attain enough points to safely cancel out of remaining races in a series or championship, car performance degradation can be terminated and the car's oil changed. This still requires returning to complete the individual races not won during the series or championship itself; however, the car will be able to perform at its best, and will not be hampered by poor performance due to extremely dirty oil. However, there is no easy way to cancel out of a series or championship in GT3. Using the Exit button will cause the player to leave the series or championship outright, with no bonuses given if appropriate. Instead, players are forced to go to each of the remaining races, enter each race as normal, and then press Start, then select Exit and confirm. The player is then presented with the post-race results screen, and the player MUST select Next to either go to the next race (if any remain in the series or championship) or the bonus money/car screens. Remember that once a series or championship is won, it is possible to 'select' the bonus car desired. See the question 'Can I choose which bonus car I want?' above. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== OTHER GUIDES OF INTEREST There are numerous other guides for Gran Turismo 3 available on the Internet. Here are some of my favorite guides - plus my own GT3-related guides - available from GameFAQs (http://www.GameFAQs.com/); some are also available elsewhere on the Web. The guide title/topic is followed by the author(s) in parentheses. Advertisers Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) This guide will not help with gameplay in any way. However, for those who wonder what the various advertisers do - the products they make or the services they offer - this guide can provide some useful information. Arcade Mode FAQ (Jim Phillips) Arcade Mode is simpler and has relatively less to do than Simulation Mode, but there are still MANY aspects to Arcade Mode. This guide covers the many race venues (most which must be unlocked), hidden/unlockable items, strategies, and information on iLink competitions. A-License Guide (Dallas) This guide presents strategies and even maps for the successful completion of the tests for the A License. A monowidth font is EXTREMELY important due to the included maps. B-License Guide (Dallas) This guide presents strategies and even maps for the successful completion of the tests for the B License. A monowidth font is EXTREMELY important due to the included maps. Car Database (AdrenalineSL) Quite simply, this guide lists every car in the game and its statistics. What is truly nice is that this guide also lists all the prize cars in the game, including the cars won for successfully completing various aspects of the game (all Gold Medals in all the tests for a given license, attaining a particular game completion percentage, etc.). Finally, the guide presents information on various driving issues, such as braking, acceleration, drivetrains, and drift racing. Car Power Rankings (Palfy) This guide uses come theoretical mathematical formula I simply do not understand to determine a ranking order of car power for the cars of Gran Turismo 3. Explanations are given for how the results were achieved, but it is still difficult to comprehend (at least for me). What really matters is the car power list, with the most powerful listed first. Certainly, anyone who has driven an F1 car in GT3 knows firsthand why the F1 cars are at the top of the list. This guide can be useful for selecting the first few cars in the game to try to gain an advantage over the competition. Cote d'Azur Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) GT3 introduces several new venues to the series, including this world-famous F1 circuit used annually for the Grand Prix of Monaco. This guide presents detailed driving instructions for making a clean lap at Cote d'Azur/Monaco, as well as sample lap times with a variety of cars, and venue-specific racing tips. Drifting FAQ (FoUnDShoGo) While the Gran Turismo series is primarily based on grip racing, it is possible to engage in drift racing. The Ridge Racer series is perhaps the best-known series for PlayStation and PlayStation2 for drift racing; those adept at drift racing in the Ridge Racer series may wish to read this guide to try it in Gran Turismo 3. IA-License Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) This guide specifically covers the eight IA License Tests in Gran Turismo 3. These are some of the trickiest license tests in the game, using mid-powered normal and race cars. The IA License is required to participate in Endurance Races, and permits entry to all events in the game except Rally Events and the final events in Professional League. IB-License Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) This guide specifically covers the eight IB License Tests in Gran Turismo 3. These are some of the trickiest license tests in the game, using mid-powered normal cars. Laguna Seca Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) This is yet another venue-specific guide, again with detailed driving instructions and sample lap times for a variety of cars. Rally License Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) This guide is designed to provide tips in acquiring a Rally License in Gran Turismo 3; the goal, therefore, is to assist drivers in earning a Bronze Medal. The Rally License is actually the easiest of the six licenses to earn (but just as difficult as the others for obtaining Gold Medals in all eight tests), but those new to driving on dirt are nonetheless likely to find rally racing a bit tricky. Experience with rally-dedicated games, such as the Colin McRae series or World Rally Championship, can be of tremendous use in working the tests for the Gran Turismo 3 Rally License. S-License Guide (Zero360) Without question, the S-License is the most difficult of the licenses to acquire, and is necessary to enter the final events in Professional League, including Formula GT. Zero360's guide lists the Gold, Silver, and Bronze times, general tips, and circuit-specific tips for each of the license tests (consisting of a hot lap at one of the circuits in the game). Tokyo R246 Guide (Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather) Here is another venue-specific guide, as the Tokyo R246 circuit was added to the series in GT3. This is actually a thinly-veiled tribute to anime, perhaps the most popular cultural product to come from Japan in recent years. The various areas of the circuit are given names after anime characters (using both well-known and obscure characters) while driving instructions are also given. Sample lap times for a variety of vehicles are also included in this guide. Tuning Guide (Minesweeper) This is my favorite guide on the Internet for explaining the various parts involved in tuning cars in GT3. Tuning Presets (Big D) This is different from Minesweeper's Tuning Guide in that Big D's Tuning Presets actually gives suggested settings to achieve particular feats with a car, ranging from Pure Speed to Endurance to Stable Turning and beyond. However, the decision of which of the presets to use will be largely dependant upon the venue in question. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== THANKS A big thanks to TIME X from the Gran Turismo 3 message board on GameFAQs for allowing me to copy his post explaining the rubber band trick. Thanks also to other guide writers for allowing me to point to their guides. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== 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 game guides, please visit FeatherGuides (http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/). The latest version will always be posted at FeatherGuides, while other Web sites may lag behind by several days in their regularly-scheduled posting updates. ==================================== ==================================== ==================================== ======================================================================= 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_ =======================================================================