Project CARS 3: The heroes of the game

The Mercedes-AMG GT R, the Acura NSX, and the Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray are the stars of Project CARS 3 and these machines deserve the respect it needs because these cars truly defined what makes Project CARS 3 great.

Without further ado, let's get to know more about the heroes of Project CARS 3.

First off is the Acura NSX, known as the Honda NSX in the rest of the globe. Ever since Honda revived the NSX after its 2005 discontinuation, the world rejoiced and by many surprises, the modern-day NSX shares nothing in common with the old NSX, although it retains the midship engine layout from its predecessor. Although Japanese in spirit, it was built in the USA, and powering it is a revolutionary Sport Hybrid SH-AWD where the 3.5L V6 DOHC Twin Turbo engine is connected to three electric motors that take care of the Power Drive Unit and a li-ion battery that takes charge on the Intelligent Power Unit, resulting to a total power output of 581PS of power. In its updated version, the NSX features refined chassis components, tires, and software tuning to make it more engaging than before.

Next is the Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray. For the first time in Corvette history, the eighth-generation model is now a mid-engined sports car, which most purists call sacrilege. Matching the best of Europe in terms of performance, the mid-engined C8 Corvette is powered by an all-new 6.2L LT2 V8 engine, producing up to 495HP of power and 470lb-ft of torque, while mated to a Corvette-first double-clutch gearbox. With the Z51 Performance Package, the C8 Corvette is armed with Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 which reads the road every millisecond and adapts in about 10 to 15 milliseconds.

Lastly, the Mercedes-AMG GT R. Served as the high-performance version of the AMG GT sports car, it's powered by a specifically-tuned version of the AMG 4.0L V8 BiTurbo engine that produces 585HP of power and 700Nm of torque while mated to a 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT. It does 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 318kph. In the recent update, the AMG GT R was made even better with the special PRO variant with improved suspension, lightweight construction, aerodynamics, and appearance.

Now that we get to know about the three hero cars, it's time to find out which of the three PC3 hero cars is the best and with that, it's time to conduct my little experiment at a Tuscan vineyard, which was displayed on the game's official key visual.

Let the experiment begin.

After a quick lap around the vineyard, here are the results;

Corvette - 1:19.593

NSX - 1:18.168

AMG GT R - 1:18.893

The mid-engined, four-wheel drive, hybrid-powered NSX emerged is the winner of this experiment and as a result, this is the best of the three PC3 hero cars. Score another one for the Japanese carmakers.

There is a clear reason why the NSX, the C8 Corvette, and the AMG GT R are the hero cars of Project CARS 3 because these three cars represent the world of motorsports we live in. The NSX represents Asia, the Corvette represents America, and the AMG GT R represents Europe, therefore Project CARS 3 features the world's best cars and racetracks for everyone to take on.

This is the brave new world of motorsport we live in and only the fastest will come out on top.

Good luck and welcome to the world of Project CARS 3.

Project CARS 3: Beyond and Revival

By some unexpected twist of fate, the all-new Toyota GR Supra managed to make its way to the Project CARS 3 car roster, surprising fans of Japanese sports cars many. So, what is it you want to know about the revival of Japan's most iconic sportscar?

Toyota unveiled the long-awaited GR Supra at the 2019 North American International Auto Show after a 17-year absence from the lineup and by shock, this new car is built in collaboration with BMW so most speedo boys call this Supra a BMW because it runs on the same specs as the BMW Z4 G29. Built on the same factory where the said BMW is made as well.

With the design borrows inspiration from the FT-1 Concept, the GR Supra shares most of the engines from the BMW Z4 such as the 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine and the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine for the range-topping RZ variant producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque. All of the engines are mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.

The recent update gave the GR Supra's 3.0L BMW-derived TwinPower Turbo engine on the flagship RZ variant has been boosted by 47PS, resulting in a 387PS power output. In addition, the GR Supra 2020 Model features a revised chassis consisting of lightweight aluminum braces, front and rear bump stops, and new damper tuning. The EPS, AVS, VSC, and Active Differential have been reprogrammed in time with the hardware changes to make it more stable through quick transitions.

The GR Supra, despite having the BMW connection that caused a lot of speedo boys to tease and taunt this car a lot, is one of the best sportscars ever made because of the dynamics this car values over performance. It wasn't made to take down the NSX and the GT-R like its predecessor but as a real sports car, it's all about getting the job done. I've spent countless hours getting to know more about the GR Supra's dynamics in this game and it never fails to impress me.

Because the GR Supra's dynamics are big business, it's time to head back to Fuji Speedway to do some more.

This place takes me back because a long time ago, I conducted a little experiment with this improved GR Supra at this place to see if the added power proves it better than it was first launched at the start of the Reiwa era. It was but since we're in a Project CARS game, it's time to recreate the little experiment I did a while ago without explanations. Roll the tape.

That little experiment re-enactment I did in Project CARS 3 turned out to be even better than I expected! I managed to pull a 1:59.147 lap time as well, which is a big surprise for me because...who would have thought that the people who made the GR Supra made it even better? It's a secret.

The phrase "Beyond and Revival" truly fits the GR Supra mantra rather well because despite being made in the same factory as its BMW relative, the new model is by no means one of the best sports cars to emerge at the end of the decade. As the birthright sportscar of the Reiwa era, the GR Supra sure knows how to pen the first page with a smoky thrill fans are looking for after almost two decades of disappearance.

The GR Supra is getting a lot of attention since it made headlines at the 2020 Super GT season as well as being used as Han's car for the upcoming F9 film (yes, really). This comeback kid deserves the sonorous respect it needs.

Project CARS 3: What's your first page be like?

Congratulations to those who got their hands on Project CARS 3, the newest installment of the Project CARS series, which is made by the folks of Slightly Mad Studios (a Codemasters company) and Bandai Namco. As everybody knows, every good story begins with a choosing and for those who are starting Project CARS 3 for the first time get to choose one of three starter cars to begin with; a Toyota 86, a Lancer Evo VI, and a Civic Type R. Question is, which starter car is the best to start with?

To find out, let's examine the three Project CARS 3 starters.

First off, the Honda Civic Type R FK2. Made in Britain, the FK2 is based on the Euro-spec ninth-generation Civic and it's powered by a K20C 2.0L VTEC Turbo engine, which produces 310PS of power output and 400Nm of torque, while mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Incorporating its motorsports knowhow, the Civic Type R comes with race-inspired suspension system, Active Damper System, Dual Pinion Assist EPS, and the most advanced aerodynamics developed for this car. When it was launched in 2015, it lapped the Nurburgring in 7:51.42, which is the fastest lap time for front-wheel drive cars. It marked the return of the Civic name in Japan after a five year absence with only 750 units imported to Japan.

Next up is the Toyota 86. While this is the least powerful of the three starter cars, its rear-wheel drive layout makes its the most enjoyable to drive with and because it's the cheapest of the three, you can spend its change tweaking its car. It's powered by a 2.0L flat-4 engine producing over 200PS of power and thanks to its low center of gravity and the fact that it uses skinny tires rather than bigger, grippy, ones, it makes the 86 more lively to drive in the corners.

Lastly, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition, made in honor of the four-time WRC champion, the TME is a special Lancer Evolution VI model that is limited to 2500 units worldwide. Although the special livery wasn't made for show-offs, this model featured mechanical improvements identical to the base car. It comes with three variants ranging from the stripped-off RS model to the heavily-equipped GSR model.

These three starter cars will have their say with a quick lap round the streets of Shanghai to see which starter car is the best. I know this sounds rubbish but in the interest of car science, I stuck with it. So without further ado, let the experiment begin.

The Toyota 86 is much lively to drive in the bends because of its FR layout while the Civic Type R is all about serious grip and the Lancer Evo VI really shows its all-round capability as an all-wheel drive car. With their fun at Shanghai done, here are the results:

GT86 - 1:56.250

Lancer Evo VI - 1:50.185

Civic Type R - 1:50.915

As it turns out, the Lancer Evolution VI is the fastest of the three and I have no idea why I made the right decision choosing this as my starter car, although most disagree that the 86 is the best because like I said, because it's the cheapest of the three, you can spend its change tweaking its car. The Civic Type R is fairly nice but drivers may have hard time tinkering it.

Needless to say, whichever car you choose, your day at Project CARS 3 is officially begin and in its career mode, your goal is to win races while achieving several objectives to unlock new races. If you find it troubling, tune up or buy a new car. Simple.

Anyway, welcome to the world of Project CARS 3, drivers.

Project CARS 3

The Project CARS series was known to be quite a worthy contender to the sim racing genre since the first one came put and with the arrival of their latest installment, titled Project CARS 3, the folks from the Codemasters-run Slightly Mad Studios and Bandai Namco are at it again to deliver the most enjoyable Project CARS game to date.

First up, the newest installment features over 200 vehicles to choose from. Ranging from JDM street racers, American muscles, European exotics, and a slew of racing machines including those from IndyCar and for the first time, Formula E, these machines can't wait to be driven.

To make it more unique for the players, Project CARS 3 allows them to buy, tune, and customise their cars to their liking. 

This is true in a newly revamped career mode as players need to get through specific driver levels to unlock new vehicles to buy for future events to take on such as championships, hot laps, regular races, and new modes such as Breakouts (score points by hitting boards within the time limit) and Pace Setter (set the fastest average time within three laps).

Gain experience by racing regardless on which position you're on, drifting, mastering a corner, overtaking, and so much more. As you gain enough experience, you can win cash prizes as well as discounts on upgrades for cars even you haven't owned. When you gained enough experience, your Driver Levep goes up, unlocking new rides to purchase.

In tuning side, players can upgrade their cars by purchasing upgrade parts to boost the car's speed, handling, and performance. Mind the performance index, though, because when this is way over the required index, it can't participate so think carefully on how you tune your car.

There are some road cars that can be converted to race cars but also be mindful to that because once done, you can't revert it back unless you buy another one.

Also new is the ability for players to personalize their cars with the new livery editor, which is nice, but unlike other racing games, the livery editor is a bit limited and you can't freely make designs you want. Bad mark to this game, though.

In tradition, Project CARS 3 features the most authentic race tracks spanning across different continents with new additions such as Laguna Seca, the streets of Havana, Shanghai, and others. These tracks can adapt through numerous weather conditions so if you're playing on a Custom Race, feel free to experiment various weather conditions while racing.

To further up the ante, Project CARS 3 gives players a chance to shine by taking on numerous multiplayer online races and rivals events that can change from everyday to every month, giving them plenty of opportunities to take on.

So, what can I say about this game? Although the car list seems too small on sim racing standards while the livery editor feature's a bit too limited, not to mention the choppy graphics, the same Project CARS science is still working on this new installment and this is a must play for people who want to race at home in the midst of the new normal.

Project CARS 3 is available to download on PC via Steam and Xbox One. PS4 version available on the 10th of September, both download and physical.

Project CARS 2: Remembering the "French Kiss of Death"

As much as you're enjoying Le Mans right now, here's something worth enjoying at home because thanks to the new Spirit of Le Mans pack on Project CARS 2, players got the chance to relive the rivalry as depicted from the legendary Le Mans film that starred Steve McQueen on it.



Coined as the "French Kiss of Death", the Le Mans film sees Steve McQueen reenacting the legendary rivalry of the Porsche 917 and the Ferrari 512 at Le Mans and many years later, that rivalry is still regarded as a legend in the history of motorsports. With the rivals now at hand, I wonder what is like to be with them?



We are already familiar with the tale of the Porsche 917 but the one that I drove earlier was the shorter K version. This is the LH version and it translates to "long tail" due to its longer rear shape compared to the K. Whereas the K can take on numerous races like Sebring or Monza, it was made specifically for Le Mans and this version generates more downforce than the previous 1969 one. They fitted it with the 4.9L engine but it was proven to be unreliable during endurance races. While it was capable of reaching 240mph at the Mulsanne, it was proven to be quite difficult to drive and it's clear that they prefer the 917K because they're much stable to get through.



Nicknamed the "Coda Lunga", the Ferrari 512S the result of three months of creation penned by Mauro Forghieri. Powering it is an all-alloy V12 engine which produces slightly more than the 917 while it uses the same tubular space frame as the P4 and the 612. Its only shot at fame was winning Sebring and Kyalami at the Manufacturers' World Championship in 1970 and 1971 but because the 917s were proven to be a dominant force to be reckoned with, Ferrari thrown the towel on their 512 S and replaced it with the 312PB in 1972. Although not one of the most dominant Group 5 race cars ever built and not as successful as the 917, it remains a beauty to drive, despite the feeling that that's somewhat twitchy to drive.



Checking through the stats, the Ferrari's got 10 more horsepower than the Porsche but because the Porsche is surprisingly lighter than the Ferrari, that said the 917 LH is faster than the Ferrari 512 S but this is no time for silly talks because while on the subject of the French Kiss of Death, the producers managed to provide drivers a 1970's recreation of Le Mans, just to give them what is like to drive at Le Mans during the 1970's and although the turns were unfamiliar for millennials like me, doing a historical reenactment with these machines are a sure fire way to get to know Le Mans from a different timeline and for historians, this is a welcome treat worth giving a try.

Having my Le Mans vibes on, I decided to take these two for a quick lap round 1970's Le Mans to see if that legend proves any point and here goes...



And here are the results...

1970 Ferrari 512 S - 3:29.144
1971 Porsche 917 LH - 3:23.780



There is a clear saying that when times change, legends never die, and in the case of the rivalry between the Porsche 917 and the Ferrari 512 as reenacted by Steve McQueen in the Le Mans film, it all makes perfect sense why it was regarded to be one of the most iconic moments in both cinema and motorsports alike and it's great to have the 1970's layout of Le Mans provided so drivers can have some historical reenactment using cars like these. Looking back time, you'll know that these cars are worth beauty to behold and by reenacting the past, history goes like smooth clockwork and it really makes them believe at the stuff they love about motor racing.

Enjoy what remains at Le Mans right now, folks. You'll need it.

Project CARS 2: The legendary Porsche 917K

Gearing up for the upcoming Le Mans race and while in the process of celebrating 70 years of Porsche, the producers of Project CARS 2 were so kind to us to provide us one of the most iconic Porsche racing machines part of the Porsche Legends Pack. So iconic, you may have recognized it from the Le Mans film starring Steve McQueen.



Called the 917K, it is known as an the short-tail version of the legendary 917, a sports prototype race car, and it gave Porsche their first overall wins at Le Mans for two straight years since 1970. Due to its Le Mans success, Steve McQueen took behind the wheel on the 1971 film, Le Mans, and forever catapulted to the motoring hall of fame.



There is a major story about Porsche's Le Mans winner. Since March 21 1969, the eve before Sebring 12 Hours, Porsche racing director Rico Steinemann presented John Wyer, manager, an offer they can't refuse and that is if Porsche can make it to the next two racing sessions. Upon witnessing the 917 at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, Wyer believed that this has a potential future in the world of motorsports but the GT40, in pairs, dominated Sebring with Porsche ended up second place. In 1970, JW Automotive decided to swap their prize-winning Fords with Porsches but due to the longtail's poor stability which is deemed dangerous, they gone off with the 908s instead. Besides, it managed to killed driver John Woolfe on the first lap of Le Mans. Such pitiful result let Wyer gave the dismal machine a new lease in life and after a few alterations, the 917K was born.



The advent of the 917K made John Wyer's masterpiece scored a 1-2 finish at the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona while smashing the record distance of 190 mils in just 724 laps. One of the most dramatic moments of this machine was in Brands Hatch while in the middle of the heavy rainfall where the #004 car and the #016 car as well as the other one driven by the de facto Porsche works team driver were present at that time. The #004 car is gone when a Ferrari driver nudged him out in lap 177 while the #016 car won the race by five laps.



Early variants were powered by a 4.5L flat-12 engine but it was increased to 4.9 liters and then, five liters, their maximum they did to the 917K. Through out its tenure, it won 7 out of 10 races ever participated and despite being used in most races except Le Mans, its numerous improvements made the 917 range one of the most successful racing machines ever to emerge from Porsche.



Given the opportunity, I am one of the many people who got the desire to try out Porsche's legendary racing prototype at Le Mans and see if it lives up to its legend. Given the layout of this machine, I find that the 917K was difficult to handle even at slow speeds but when you get your foot hard on the accelerator, you can really hear the magic of the flat-12 engine that makes you hear like it's the 1970's again and experience the car that propelled its way from victor to superstardom. Although the 917K is more of a challenge of me to master but it's a dream come true to get to know the greatest heroes of Le Mans history in a rather amusing way and as part of remembering 70 years of Porsche, this one takes the spot as one of the best racing machines from Porsche.

With that, I've prepared a little clip to see how it feels to drive the 917K.





The Porsche 917K really is one of the all-time greats in Porsche's 70-year history and no matter how hard to try and get things right with this machine, you should be thankful that you have been given the chance to drive the machine popularized by Steve McQueen from the Le Mans film and taking a bite on this machine, this racing prototype is just one of the many reasons why we love Porsche.

Be sure to check out the 917K and all the other Porsche greats in Project CARS 2's Porsche Legends Pack, available now.

Project CARS 2: Indianapolis science

The oval course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is starting to come alive right now but before getting excited about the high-speed oval racing event of the summer, time to do some Project CARS 2 experiment on this famed oval course of the legendary American racetrack.



Before doing the experiment, let's get to know about oval racing because most drivers believe that oval racing is all about turning left, go flat out, and it's easy to win because it's oval but the reality of this oval racing scenario is whether if you're with the pack of cars bearing the same amount of power, real skill is needed to master oval racing.



Oval racing, especially in this segment of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is different than road racing because it involves racing side by side and taking advantage of the cars' aerodynamics to do some slipstreaming, making it a close-quarters combat between one driver to another. The cars used in such format are modified for oval racing use and it involves stiffening the right side of the car because left turns shift the weight to the right of the car, making it very challenging to master even when you got overtaken by the next person or trying to avoid the inevitable "big one". Even if you're in the lead, concentration is a must in oval racing because it's hard to predict the outcome when your rivals are closing in fast on you.



Oval racing has become America's pasttime next to MMA, American football, and Baseball, and whether if you're a fan of such sport, there's a clear difference between the cars I've lined up for this experiment. Here, I have a Ford Fusion stock car that was used on America's popular oval racing series and a Chevrolet-powered IndyCar that was modified for, you guessed it, oval racing, especially the prestigious INDY 500. Yes, both these machines are made for this kind of format but the question is, how different are these machines? To find out, I did a little experiment on these two oval-focused machines, just to get a glimpse on their differences.



Driving on what is known to be the venue for the legendary INDY 500 race event, the stock car I'm driving is all fast on straights but struggling to keep up on corners and as I went to the bottom half of the track, I did some braking to make sure it goes through or risk getting stuck in the walls like a fly in a flypaper. The IndyCar, made for this track on the other hand, is surprisingly fast and lighter than the stock car and with that, no braking is necessary on the bottom half of the oval track, although there are some parts of the corners that requires slowing down. Mastering these oval-focused cars can be downright rough, especially if you're in a pack of other cars, but in the process of this experiments, there are differences between these machines and by such demonstration, the difference between a stockcar and an oval-focused IndyCar is almost five seconds apart. A five-second gap is a clear difference between the two on an oval track like this.

With that little experiment taken care off, time for me to get some rest because I got some two oval race events to catch up while in a middle of a certain Grand Prix race happening somewhere.

Project CARS 2: The Ferrari 488 Challenge

The recent update on the Project CARS 2 game gave us a new racing Ferrari in our stable called the Ferrari 488 Challenge but before explaining the latest vehicle ever to emerge from Ferrari's answer to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo racing series, just what is the Ferrari Challenge?



Since its establishment in 1993, the Ferrari Challenge is an FIA-approved one-make race series where Ferrari dealerships and distributors from across the globe compete in three different categories such as the Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli Am, and Coppa Shell. For the year 2017, they are using Challenge-spec Ferrari 488s for this one-make race series, which is the first Ferrari Challenge machine to have a turbocharged engine producing 670HP of power from the V8 3.9L engine sourced from the 488 GTB, making it the most powerful car in the Challenge history. To differentiate it from the normal 488, it's been given race-derived aerodynamics that stays true to its design. They've improved the front radiator layout which is now inclined towards the rear, resulting to better air flow over the radiators in racing conditions whilst reducing drag. This new layout requires new vents below the bumper ahead of the wheels.



The Ferrari Challenge has three series such as Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Project CARS 2 got not one but three 488 Challenge machines as provided from their respective series and while they boast the same performances, their liveries vary from each region. I went for the one used in the Asia-Pacific series because of that interesting livery that got me noticed because one of them used in the Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific series is a Filipino. Yes, I can tell why one of them is from the Philippines is because of the suspicious-looking logo which came from a hotel chain Victoria Court, the Philippine flag, and the name of the team that used it which is none other than the official Ferrari distributor of the Philippines, Autostrada Motore. Wish I want to talk more but since this is a Bandai Namco game, I've gone for the one used by the Rosso Scuderia Tokyo dealership and the venue I just pick for my run with the 488 Challenge is none other than Long Beach.



I never thought that the streets of Long Beach felt so alive right now in the weekends. We have the IMSA and the IndyCar that spices this Californian port city with vigor and now, here I am, trying out the Ferrari 488 Challenge round the city center to see what is like. I once tried the GT3 variant of the 488 but the Challenge spec is far more different because while it's got more power and faster than the GT3 version, it's slightly heavier and you can slightly tell the difference when you handle them both. However, despite bearing different aerodynamics and performance, they're still a blast to drive and driving the 488 Challenge on Project CARS 2 is a stepping stone to introduce players the latest generation of the Ferrari Challenge machines. Speaking of which, would you like to see how I did with it?






The Ferrari Challenge maybe only reserved for official Ferrari dealerships and distributors worldwide but with Project CARS 2, you can sample what is like to be part of Ferrari's one-make race series with the 488 Challenge. With practice, you can get your hopes up that one day, your nearby Ferrari dealer will enlist you to be part of the team and the next thing we hope for is to see the world's best Ferrari Challenge drivers compete around the globe in unity. While it sounds irrational, an introduction to Ferrari's one-make race series with Project CARS 2 makes it worth a shot to understand how the 488 Challenge works. The more you know.