Category: Toys

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Cutting It Close

I love Gran Turismo.
It can be a frustrating game but it is beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. I have crashed a few times because I looked at the scenery!
I like the Goodwood Festival of Speed section but I have found the course tricky. Although a basic layout the shadows and look of the course change depending on the time of day. The sun has been modelled brilliantly (pun recognised but not intended), the shadows move and change how the course looks depending on the simulation time. This makes finding the braking point quite tricky. I need to find other track markers for braking points. Also turn-in points change because of the shadows. It takes a few runs on the track to find my pointers.
Such an excellent game and I haven’t even mentioned the fireworks and star maps.
I beat this particular trial by 0.004 seconds. Well done me.

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Devil’s Interval

So, firstly I’m ashamed of the placing in this result table from Gran Turismo 6. Sixth place is pretty shocking. I hate the Kart races, the tracks are generally tight and small and the Karts are somewhat twitchy. Anyway, I’m glad I snapped this one with the phone because I don’t think it’ll happen again.

6th Place with a time difference of 6.666 seconds.

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Suck on that!

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One Of My Favourites

Ever since I raced this car in Gran Turismo I have always started the game with the Honda Integra Type R as my first car. I love it. Here’s my latest one from GT6 [just after a car wash]

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I seem to remember one game in the series where I had to get a Civic Type R initially but soon bought my Integra.

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Not Sensible

Made a coffee earlier and also needed to get into my “race seat” [a sofa and Logitech Driving Force GT Wheel].
Placed my coffee on the steering wheel stand which is not sensible given the way the wheel calibrates itself and checks the force feedback systems!
Luckily I didn’t get covered!

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New Driving Tricks

When I was in hospital waiting for my first son to be born I went to the book shop to see if there was anything decent to read. I was not really expecting much but I did come across a gem.

Sports Car and Competition Driving – Paul Frere

This book has lots of pictures and diagrams but more importantly it has force diagrams and mathematics to explain the behaviour characteristics of cars. I haven’t finished reading it but I do intend to. I essentially hope it will make me a better racer in Gran Turismo.

Anyway, one paragraph has particularly stuck in my mind:

There is a strong tendency among drivers to use the steering wheel as a brace against the centrifugal force on bends and corners – a habit which prohibits any sensitivity for the steering. Instead, the driver should sit well back, and if necessary actually dig himself into the seat-back by pushing his body into it with his left foot, so as to get firm lateral support without the aid of the wheel.

So, now I am trying to change my driving habits. When I think a number of gear changes are needed in succession I tend to hover my left foot over the clutch pedal. If I am not using my left foot then I rest in on the floor.

NO MORE

I am now trying to place my left foot on the “rest” bit to the left of the clutch pedal so that I can (even if rarely needed) push my body into the seat-back so I can resist the lateral forces without hampering my steering.

Why?

Because I want to try and see if I can improve my driving technique. That’s why.

 

Oh, by the way, I already heel-and-toe.

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Awesome Drive

Wow, wasn’t expecting this from GT6! I got to drive on the moon!
Here are some screen grabs from my replay.

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And another:

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Kaz has done a brilliant job.

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December 6 2013

Only one week after the release of the Playstation 4 Sony released the latest in the Gran Turismo franchise for the PS3. I understand their decision and applaud it.

I am most looking forward to the GPS tracker uploading app when it arrives so I can drive some routes around my village and then create tracks within the game. It’s just a shame that a Passat Estate isn’t in the car list. I might also upload a route to work and see how quickly I “could” drive that.

How to be happy
How to be happy

What you don’t want to see when you want to play a game. A 1GB update and rural broadband speeds!

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A welcome return to the GT series: Apricot Hill circuit. I always really enjoyed this one.

Apricot Hill
Apricot Hill

And here’s the track:

Apricot Hill
Apricot Hill

And my first win:

Winner
Winner
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Lego 16 Model 60019

Reno, baby. That’s where I’d like to go one day, but not for the gambling but the air races. I love the idea of P51s racing 200ft off the deck. It would be a seriously sexy sport to watch. In the mean time I will satisfy my air racing passions with this little Lego racer.

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