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Special Condition Events

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overcome severe conditions like walls and sliding and stuff 

EASY

* In all Easy League Special Condition races, use sport or semi-racing suspension. In some cases, you can even use stock parts.

* Don't forget to buy tires appropriate for the road surface you'll be racing on, too (dirt tires for off-road, snow tires for ice/snow tracks). Some racing will be done on pavement, too. I have no idea what tires the Ai uses, but I've calculated each race so that you'll be driving on S3 (soft sport tires) if you are driving a front-drive car, or S2 (medium sports) if you are driving a rear or 4-wheel drive. This is not set-in-stone, however. 

In some cases, you can modify these requirements, like putting medium sport tires on a front-drive if it has too much prowess, or using N3 radials for a rear-drive. And sometimes, a combo of these tires (S2 up front mixed with S1s on the rear, for instance)  are appropriate to combat understeer or other issues. 

* Most cars should also typically have racing brakes (but no controller), but trucks & SUVs, or certain cars that stop on a dime like Evos and STis often can have stock brakes.

* In addition to all the things listed in this orange text, any additional part requirements are listed for various races below.   

Please note the following abbreviations:

FF= Front Engine / Front Drive
FR= Front Engine / Rear Drive
MR= Mid Engine / Rear Drive
RR= Rear Engine / Rear Drive
AWD= All Wheel Drive
4WD= Four Wheel Drive


Rally d' Umbria
(Citta di Aria)

FWD
10.34 (1,500) = 145 hp
13.48 (2,400) = 178 hp
14.88 (3,200) = 215 hp

Other drivetrains (AWD, FR, MR, & RR)

11.07 (1,650) = 149 hp
17.75 (3,000) = 169 hp


*The ratios above are useful for both directions of the Citta di Aria track.

Possible competitors include a 1980 Renault 5 Turbo, 1991 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione, 1986 Toyota Celica 2000GT-four and 1982 Audi Quattro. Out of these, the Lancia is the least clumsy, so you may need to boost your power slightly by just a few horses (no more than 5 bhp) if you are racing against it.

The Renault 5 Turbo makes a major mistake in the reverse direction...running head-first into a wall near the tight hairpin on the west side of the track...you can choose to seriously limit your power against this car when running the Reversed direction. Or not run against the 5 at all.

 

If you get a 5 second penalty during the very first (very sharp) turn of the reversed track, don't worry. It's very easy to get a penalty in this turn, yet still be able to get ahead of the enemy. It's hard not to get clumsy here, oftentimes they screw up worse than we do, and as they get back on their feet (smashing into us), that's when the penalty happens.   


͸ A Fiat Panda stage 3 weight redux + a few pounds of ballast was used to get the 1,500 flyweight Front-Drive category. I used a Chrysler PT Cruiser with stage 3 reduction + 22 pounds to get the middle-weight class (2,400 pounds), and a Ford Taurus SHO with stage 1 + 275 pounds to get the heavy weight class (3,200). I used a Triumph Spitfire with stage 3 + some ballast to get the lightweight (1,650) class, and a BMW 120i to get the 3,000 pound weight class.


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Costa di Amalfi
(Capri Rally)

FWD (normal direction)
10.56 (1,500) = 158 hp
14.28 (2,400) = 195 hp
15.61 (3,200) = 205 hp
 
FWD (reverse direction)
9.74 (1,500) = 154 hp
11.82 (2,400) = 203 hp
13.61 (3,200) = 235 hp

Other drivetrains (normal direction)
13.31 (1,650) = 124 hp
18.86 (3,000) = 159 hp

Other drivetrains (reverse direction)
11.46 (1,650) =144 hp
16.95 (3,000) = 177 hp

This is an important one to win since our prize (the Toyota RSC Raid Rally Car) awards a lot of money after selling it. Countless hundreds of thousands of players have fattened their bank account by doing these 2 runs over and over.

Again, we have the same 4 competitors found at Citta di Aria plus a new one: the Toyota Celica RC. Capri is no easier to drive around than Aria, but the Ai isn't quite as clumsy here. Instead, they tend to drive with more care...less wall-banging. The Toyota Celica RC tends to drive with more conviction than the other 3 here, so give a few extra horses if you can't keep up with it.

I used the same cars to get ratios for this course as i did at Citta di Aria

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Grand Canyon 2003

Front (Engine/ Rear Drive)
6.03 (2,400) = 398 hp
9.25 (2,900) = 400 hp
8.81 (3,700) = 420 hp

Cars (AWD. MR, & RR)
8.81 (2,000) = 227 hp
10.15 (2,700) = 266 hp
11.42 (3,300) = 289 hp

4WD Trucks & SUVs
12.14 (3,350) = 276 hp
12.29 (4,475) = 364 hp

*note: it is also possible (but tricky) to drive a rear-drive truck here. Add 50 to 75 horsepower if you do so. 50 if your truck manuvers tightly, and up to 75 if it manuvers more sloppily.


Get ahead early at Grand Canyon, Ice Arena, Chamonix, and other off-road tracks, unless you feel very confident that you can pass them later. But if you don't feel confident, it won't hurt if you pass the Ai just seconds after you start these races...in many cases you'll still be challenged thruout the rest of the race, your opponent just a few car-lengths behind. The reason to get ahead early is those dreaded 5-second penalties. You'll have much less risk of "earning" them as long as you know each course well and can stay ahead. If you're driving a good-handling all-wheel drive car that can keep up with the Ai, it's not as mandatory to get ahead early, but otherwise, follow my advice.

To be safe, it is best to drive an all-wheel drive (AWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle, however, it is also possible to run at Grand Canyon in a rear-drive car or truck if you have some skills! Old muscle cars and some vintage machines do surprisingly well at this and other off-road courses.

The rear-drive Renault 5 Turbo can show up here, and is the worst opponent you'll face. Remove some power if it shows up. The rear-drive '74 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR rally car can also show up here and drives Grand Canyon very well, and you won't need to remove as much power. The other Ai are the exact same guys we saw in the first 2 events (Lancia Delta, Audi Quattro, etc.) 

͸ At Grand Canyon, and many other off-road tracks, many cars & trucks of all types can use close or super-close gearing, sometimes with an assortment of other drivetrain parts like a better clutch, flywheel, and/or driveshaft. These recommendations include racing at Ice Arena, Chamonix, Swiss Alps, and any other Easy races, because these tracks are so tight and require short-throw gearboxes. 

͸ Some all and 4-wheel drive cars and trucks won't need differential help, but rear-drive models usually need a fixed differential (1-way, 1.5-way, or 2-way).

͸ Semi-racing suspension another good buy, so we can adjust both springs & ride height. Some cars (like STis, Evos, and other stellar AWD performers) can go with all stock parts in Easy Special Condition events.

͸ In many modern trucks, SUVs, and all-wheel drive cars, brake upgrades of any kind are not an absolute necessity off-road.



Cars i used to get the above ratios:
'85 RX-7 GT-Limited: (2,400 front-engine/rear drive car)
'69 Camaro Z/28 (2,900 FR cars category).
'69 Dodge Charger: (3,700 pound FR cars).
'92 Mitsubishi Lancer: (2,700 pound 4WD cars).
Mitsubishi Airtrek: 1-1/2 ton (3,350) SUV category.  Dodge Ram: (4,475 pounds) truck-class above. 


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Whistler Ice Race
Ice Arena

AWD-Cars **

9.01 (2,000) = 222 hp
10.67 (2,700) = 253 hp
11.83 (3,300) = 279 hp

4WD-Trucks & SUVs
12.14 (3,350) = 276 hp
12.29 (4,475) = 364 hp

**: 
For mid-engine and rear-engine cars, calculate using the Cars/AWD ratios above, but add 15 to 20 extra horsepower. 


The W2P ratios are currently useable in both directions. An all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive is highly recommended unless the rear-drive '74 Mitsubishi Lancer shows up. I tried to make a front-engine/rear-drive category, but got too frustrated trying to control my rear-drive RX-7 to calculate a workable ratio here. Some mid-engine or rear-engine cars can tackle these. Keep in mind: MR cars have the necessary traction, but are very spin-happy on snow & ice.

⊸ You might not need a limited-slip for all-wheel drives (then again, you might). You will need at least a 2-way unit for mid-engine cars, tho.
----------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Chamonix Rally
AWD, MR, & RR Cars
11.42 (2,000) = 175 hp
11.25 (2,700) = 240 hp
11.83 (3,300) = 279 hp

Trucks & SUVs
13.34 (3,350) = 251 hp
12.93 (4,475) = 346 hp

**it is possible to run front-engine/rear-drive models (cars and trucks) here at Chamonix. Add 50 horsepower in the normal direction and 70 in the reversed.

I've grown to like Chamonix more than Ice Arena, simply because Chamonix has more of a flow. The Arena is not a very fun track, like Chamonix can be. Chamonix also has more sensible braking points--less chance of the dreaded 5-second penalties for this reason.

Some of you may balk at the thought of using a truck here, but in reality, keeping such a huge vehicle going in the direction you want takes discipline. The 5-second penalty also removes any chance of cheaters simply bashing the Ai into oblivion.

͸ The Lancia Delta and Toyota Celica do better than other Ai that show up, probably because both Lancia and Toyota are on lower suspensions with an all-wheel drive layout.

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George V Rally
 
(Paris/George)

FWD
9.74 (1,500) = 154 hp
10.92 (2,100) = 192 hp 
13.44 (3,200) = 238 hp
15.59 (3,850) = 247 hp

Other drivetrains (FR, MR, RR, AWD)
11.96 (1,650) = 138 hp
13.10 (2,175) = 166 hp 
17.36 (2,500) = 144 hp


So many people hate this track, it's astounding. I dig George V/Paris, but would have prefered PD bring back Rome Night (from GT2) instead, which is just as pretty but has more of a flow.

The ai consists of the same cars we've seen before, minus the '74 Lancer rally car. If the '80 Renault 5 Turbo or '91 Lancia Delta don't show up, you may need to subtract a few horses.
 

Cars I drove to acheive ratios
* Flyweight FWD (1,500 pounds): Fiat Panda 1000S
* Lightweight FWD (2,100 pounds): Honda Civic CRX
* Middle-heavy FWD: (3,200 pounds) Ford Taurus SHO,
* Heavyweight FWD (3,800 pounds): Volvo S80 T For

* Flyweight RWD (1,650): '74 Triumph Spitfire
* Lightweight RWD (2,175): ?
* Middleweight RWD (2,500): '91 Nissan Silvia Q's 

Weight reductions and/or ballast was added or removed to acheive various weights.


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Swiss Alps Rally

Cars--Front Drive
10.50 (3,100) = 295 hp

Cars--Front Engine/Rear Drive
6.66 (2,000) 300 hp
7.99 (2,900) 323 hp
 
Cars--AWD, MR, & RR
8.81 (2,000) = 227 hp
10.15 (2,700) = 266 hp
11.91 (3,300) = 277 hp

Trucks & Suvs
14.82 (3,750) = 253 hp
12.46 (4,800) = 385 hp

*you may notice the reversed direction at Swiss Alps is harder than the normal direction. Unless otherwise noted, all ratios are for the reversed direction. When racing in the normal direction, remove 70 horsepower or more, if you can.


Here we finally have some new ones to race against. The '92 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR, '95 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR Evo III, '95 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti II, and '03 Ford Focus RS show up along with other cars which previously made appearances. For best results, race against AWD (all-wheel drive) cars. You'll need to remove even MORE power if you choose to race against rear or front-drives. Here's why....

Swiss Alps is by far the easiest of the Easy league, especially in the normal direction. I had to add lots of weight to the trucks & suvs i've driven here just to make things competitive, but sometimes i still wound up getting ahead.

͸ Use stock, close or super-close gearing with single-plate clutch for cars, unless you've got way too easy a win. Stock, sport or semi-racing suspension, too, depending on if your car has qualities you want to downplay or exalt. Sports brake package (no controller).

͸ Lighter RWD historic or classic cars may need ballast located towards the rear to help them gain traction in the slippery dirt. I usually move the ballast pointer 25 towards the right. Be careful with this. Too much rear ballast will cause the front of the car to lift up too much, losing control over the hillock jumps.
 
͸  If you drive an all-wheel drive car, truck, or SUV that kicks too much ass, you might want to enter it completely stock except for a more appropriate transmission. Mid-Engine or Rear-Engine/ Rear Drive cars.might need a fixed differential (1-way, 1.5-way, or 2-way). This goes for Rear-Drive trucks, too.
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Tour of Tahiti
(Tahiti Maze)

FWD Cars (against '74 Lancer)
8.50 (2,100) = 247 hp

FR Cars
7.78 (2,000) = 257 hp
6.79 (2,900) = 427 hp
8.88 (3,900) = 439 hp

AWD, MR, & RR Cars
10.31 (2,000) = 193 hp
11.45 (3,000) = 262 hp
11.91 (3,300) = 277 hp

Trucks/SUVs-4WD 
12.74 (3,350) = 263 hp
15.32 (5,300) = 345 hp

*the above ratios allow for some cat-and-mouse type battles with multiple lead-changes possible, while still keeping somewhat of an edge. You can remove more power if you want an even closer fight, but you'll be forced to get ahead of the enemy as early as possible, and STAY ahead. 

͸ Some mid or rear-engine/ rear drive cars, especially those that need plenty of off-throttle moments in corners, may need an additional few extra horses (no more than +10) after calculating from above.


Everyone remembers Tahiti Maze, right? If you race against the '74 Mitsubishi Lancer, it is possible to use a front-drive car. I used a Civic SiR. In all other cases, you'll need a rear-drive or 4-wheel drive of some sort. Notice that the Truck/SUV category lists 4WD models. If you choose to race a rear-drive truck, you'll need to add about 75 horsepower (possibly more).

͸ A new hotshot kid shows up in a '85 Peugeot 205 Turbo at Tahiti. The 205 often drives badly in GT4 pavement races, but really kills this course. The '91 Toyota Celica GT-FOUR RC is slightly slower than the Peugeot, perhaps because of its weight. These two cars drive better than the other Ai that are still showing up (Audi Quattro, Toyota Celica 2000GT, Lancia Delta HF Integrale etc), and this Peugeot will try to murder us in those hairpins. 

͸ If someone other than the Peugeot 205 or Toyota Celica RC shows up, remove 10 to 100 horsepower. For instance, if you're driving a tricky-handling rear-drive car, and want to race against the Lancia Delta Audi Quattro, or '86 Celica, remove a small amount of power. But if you're in an Evo or an Audi or some other confident all-wheel drive, remove as much power as you can to get a closer race.  

͸ i used a '71 Datsun 240Z-G for the lightweight historic class (2,000 pounds) a '69 Chevy Camaro Z/28 for the middleweight (3,000), and a '69 Dodge Charger R/T for the heavyweight (3,900). For truck/SUV category, i used a Mitsubishi Airtrek (3,350) and a Dodge Ram (4,500). In all cases, weight was reduced and/or ballast was added to get exact weights.


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Tsukuba (wet track)

Cars--Front Engine/RWD
10.13 (2,400) // 12.72 (3,500)

Cars--AWD, MR, & RR

11.63 (2,000) // 12.77 (3,000) // 15.48 (3,700)

Trucks & SUVs--AWD or 4WD
13.24 (3,350) // 16.47 (5,700)

It has rained at Tsukuba, and we get to race. Oddly, it never seems to rain anywhere else in GT4. Or perhaps they wait till it's absolutely dry at other locations? Whatever the reason, i hate the fact that we can race a wet track at Tsukuba, but nowhere else. :grumpy:

The Ai is upgraded. The superior Nissan Skline GT-R V-spec II Nur, Lotus 111R, Mazda RX-8 Type S, and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. VIII RS take over; apparently all the other drivers previously seen get a day off. If the Lotus shows up, remove 10 horsepower. If the Mazda shows up, remove 20.

͸ In most cases, all-wheel drive or mid & rear engine cars have an easier time than front-drive or front-engine/rear-drive cars, but it is possible to win with an FF or FR car.

͸ For superior handling AWD, FR, MR, or RR cars & trucks, S2 medium sport tires or a combo of S2 and S1 tires. Sport supsension. Close or super close gearing if you need it.  

͸ For poor-handling front drive or FR cars, use S3 soft sport tires or a combination of some sort. All other parts can be as listed above. Although tires don't heat up in Special Event races, it's nice to have just a bit more grip & traction for those that can't handle the wetness.

͸ 2-wheel drives of any sort (including mid or rear-engine autos) will probably need one of the fixed differentials (1-way, 1.5, or 2-way), unless they manuever well in the first place. Most all-wheel drive cars and trucks, however, shouldn't need any "help" here. 
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Cathedral Rocks Trail I & II
(Yosemite Rally I & II)

Front-Drive
11.86 (2,100) // 14.66 (2,800) // 15.25 (3,400)

*driving lightweight front drive cars is nearly impossible (which means possible) in the reverse direction, but heavier FF cars do better since they can get better traction. add 40 horsepower in reverse to any front-drive.

Historic Cars--Front Engine/RWD

8.13 (1,650) // 11.26 (3,300)

Post '80s Cars--Front Engine/RWD
15.06 (2,500)

*basically, any car that handles relatively well can be classed in the "Post '80s" group, even if it's technically a "Historic" car. The BMW 2002 is a good example. Cars that handle poorly, don't have good traction, and are hard to control with excessive sliding can also use "Historic" ratios, even if they are post '80s.

Cars--AWD. MR, & RR
12.27 (2,000) // 13.70 (2,700) //

Trucks & SUVs
14.82 (3,750) // 12.99 (5,000)

* I've found that the Dodge Ram (which is a 4x4) kills this course, even with maximum ballast and minimum power. So the mega-weight class above (5,000 pounds) features rear-drive trucks instead. Some of you may find that even rear-drive trucks are overkill! The middleweight (3,750) class was created with an AWD SUV, however.


Now this is interesting. I've had GT4 this long, and there's an off-road track on the inside of El Capitan? I did not know that. 

One of the best things about this track is that it's tricky and technical, yet offers plenty of areas to get a good, clean pass. You DON'T need to worry about getting ahead early here. Even with reduced power, it's very possible to pass your opponent much later in the race. Some tasty cat-and-mouse type battles are also possible at Cathedral Rocks (front-drives being the only exception), so long as you're good about staying in the right place so no annoying 5-second penalties are activated.

The original quintet of Ai found in other Easy races appear at Cathedral. Follow the guidelines below.

>The '91 Toyota Celica GT-Four RC drives best. Use the above ratios with no modifications if you race against it.

 >The Lancia Delta Integrale HF and Audi Quattro are slightly slower so remove 5 horses or more if they show at the Cathedral Rocks I tracks. You might not need to remove this at the all off-road Cathedral II, though. 

>The Renault 5 is (again) slightly slower, so remove 10 to 20 horses from the above calculated ratios if it shows up. 10 if you're driving a front-drive, 20 if you're driving anything else.

>Finally, the '86 Toyota Celica 2000GT does poorly at Cathedral Rocks I (the track that is both on and off-road), so if it shows here, remove 20 horses or more. The Celica does drive Cathedral Rocks II (100% off-road version) better, so don't modify any ratios here.
 
͸ Use the same parts here recommended at other Easy off-road tracks. In case you've forgotten, this includes: semi-racing suspension. If your car handles extremely well off-road, you can use sports or even stock suspension parts. Use a stock, close or super-close gears with an assortment of drivetrain parts as you need.

͸ The sports/racing brake kit is not absolutely needed at tighter off-road tracks for trucks & suvs, but a good buy here at Cathedral Rocks, since some of the braking distances are longer at Cathedral Rocks than they are at other off-road tracks. Limited slip upgrades are optional, especially for many AWD cars, but mandatory for most rear-drive cars.

Cars i used
*Front Drive light (2,100): '90 Honda CR-X SiR
* Front Drive mid-weight (2,800 pounds): Ford Focus ST
*Historic rear drive (1,650 pounds): '74 Triumph Spitfire 
*Historic rear-drive (3,300 pounds): '69 Camaro Z/28
* Post '80s mid-weight (2,500): '91 Nissan Silvia Q's
*AWD/MR/RR class lightweight: (2,000) '80 Renault 5 Turbo & Alpine A310 1600VE
* AWD/RR/MR class mid-weight: (2,700):  '86 Toyota Celica 2000 GT-Four 
* SUV/Truck mid-weight (3,750 pounds): Mitsubishi Airtrek
*SUV/Truck heavyweight (5,000): Ford F-150 SVT

weight reductions and/or ballast was added or reduced to create exact weights.

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