Idea Info Name: Gran Turismo J-Spec Pro Index: Primary Category: Sequel Submitted: 9/14/2003 12:25:35 PM Written By: S13

  You start out in the game very much like any other Gran Turismo game, where you have a smallish amount of cash and you choose a car. Ideally the racing physics would be very much like GT3, with a few notable improvements. Graphically nothing significantly new, just an overall polish of GT3 like the early screenshots of GT4. This game will feature over 150 Japanese only cars for makers such as Nissan and Toyota, to more obscure companies like Tommy Kaira. Cars built by famous Japanese tuning garages such as Top Secret and Signal will be available as prizes for winning. Other possibilities in the future could include similar games with only European Supercars or American Muscle cars.
 
  Now where this game will be most changed would be in the Garage and Parts menus. The idea of this game is to appeal to an older target audience, who have mastered previous GT games or have a strong interest in motorsports or auto modification. As such, parts selection will be much less generic and vastly bigger than in GT3- this is too deter people from simply buying everything available for their vehicle like you tend to do in other GT games. For example, instead of four "stages" of turbocharger, there will be a choice of brands such as HKS or TRUST; and you will be able to select real model items from their catalogs (each with over 15 models of turbocharger). The goal here is to give the player a huge option of parts, so they will have to finely tune their vehicle setup over time and work out the best items for the specific model of car they have chosen. An example of this, one model of exhaust might work beautifully on a Skyline, but the same product on a Supra may have an adverse effect. So there is that sense of trial and error, and a level of playability in that tuning no two cars will ever be the same.
 
  Another significant difference will be the advent of a chassis dynamometer, and you will no longer see how much horsepower a part will add to your overall horsepower when buying it. Turbochargers or Superchargers will have a "flow rating" that shows how much HP each model is approximately capable of producing. The way things will work is you will have to choose a product, then go to the dyno and only then will you have a HP rating for your vehicle. Playing with things like air/fuel ratios, boost levels and timing before a dyno run will make it possible to gain (or possibly loose) HP. Furthermore, this makes for a highly realistic method of developing a racing car, rather than just buying the most expensive part available for all of the cars alike.
 
  Apart for an extensive range of mechanical parts, there will be a varied range of aerodynamic body parts (both practical and flamboyant) from actual brands like Bomex, GP Sports etc at your disposal. Much of this is purely for aesthetics (its only right that a 1000HP car doesnt look like it did when stock, as in all previous GT games), but things like canards and rear spoiler wings will be adjustable for various downforce settings. Also included will be a Re-spray paint shop where an infinite range of colours can be selected via "hue" and "saturation" sliders like in games such as Tokyo Extreme Racer. Decals will also be available as part of a "sponsorship" option, for example if your car is moddified with 90% parts from HKS, then you will be entitled to the bigger range of decals, less than 50% will have half the variety. So it will be possible to create a fully sponsored car by using 100% of parts from that company.
 
  Now that the main premise of the game is out of the way (the huge customisation options) some actuall gameplay fixes. Firstly, no longer will a 1000HP car with a huge turbocharger act the same way as a 500HP car does. For example, in a car with the biggest turbocharger upgrade available, you will most likely experience lag in the lower RPM range. This means that say, under 4000 RPM there will be a flat spot in the power band, before kicking in with an insane rush of power- this is how modifications like this function in real life so it is only fitting they do so in this "ultimate sim" game too. Graphically, elements such as tyre smoke and skid marks will also be greatly improved, as well as things like backfires and things added.
 
  As far as sound goes, nothing overly impressive (it is a racing game, no music tracks are needed) but car sound effects will be greatly improved. In all of the previous GT games, the majority of cars have the tendancy to sound alike. This is a definate 'no no' in this game. A naturally aspirated 2 litre car should sound different to a 3 litre turbocharged car, and again cars like the Subaru WRX should have the characteristic sound they are known for.
 
  Tracks- Some of the classic GT tracks will be included, as well as a lot of new tracks including Tsukuba and Motegi Twin Ring tracks in Japan. Another difference in tracks will be more meduims of racing. There will be tracks specifically for drag racing, tight tracks for auto crossing and steep mountain passes for touge and hillclimb events. Due to the huge popularity of "drifting", token drift tracks such as the DEC (driving enjoy circuit) track and nikko quarry courses in Japan will also be added.
 
  To wrap things up, this game is for the ultimate Japanese or general car fanatic. This game is for anyone who thinks, "building is half the fun!"