Tame the Aston Martin Vulcan to Win Two Million GT7 Credits

But I need to renew my insurance to make that happen. I decided against doing so a month ago when I realized I needed several parts to make it work properly again. Knowing its situation, it's painful to see it outside my window as I'm typing this. But I'm still happy to be part of the process instead of just dreaming about owning one.

Once again, I can at least enjoy playing a bit of Gran Turismo 7. As it's Thursday today, we have a new Online Time Trial to take on! Only a few days ago, I put in a few more runs with the Genesis X Gran Racer Vision Gran Turismo Concept, trying to secure the Bronze Record Reward. It was perhaps one of the most difficult events I took on this year, and I barely earned the 250,000 credits even though I was slower than 100,000 people (out of almost 130,000 competitors).

We are back in Brazil at Autodromo de Interlagos in Sao Paolo this week! You may remember the April Time Trial with the Jaguar XJ13, which was fun. Given that the weapon of choice for the new event is an Aston Martin, I figured I'd also go for a British-exclusive line-up for practice.

Jaguar F-Type R

The Jaguar F-Type R would have been one of the last cars on my list for Gran Turismo 7. I would love to drive one in the real world, but I'd be equally happy to drive a Honda Del-Sol for the first time.

I paid 128,600 credits at Brand Central for this British Racing green example, as I was curious to see what the 542-hp Coupe can do on the 2.67-mile (4,309-meter)-long track. The problem is that I lost track of how heavy it was at 3,600 lbs (1,650 kg), and I couldn't stop in time for the first left corner.

You can expect a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph) down the main straight, but you will need good braking skills to slow down for what's up ahead. The F-Type R feels heavy everywhere, understeers a lot, and is generally quite difficult to drive. I improved at it after three laps, with a record of 1:50.070. But I can't say I'm eager to drive this thing anytime again soon.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

I just had to get an Aston Martin for practice, and the V8 Vantage S is the cheapest one at Brand Central. It cost 180,000 credits, and I enjoy how it looks in Sunburst Yellow.

It's slightly lighter than the Jaguar but has less power to play with. I could only hit 149 mph (240 kph) down the main straight, but I liked everything else. It has a much sportier character and won't surprise you mid-corner.

At one point, I thought it could be faster than the Jaguar, which might be true on a more technical track, but not here. My best time was 1:52.547, and I moved on to the next car. I might still revisit this vehicle, perhaps at Brands Hatch shortly.

McLaren MP4-12C

I knew the McLaren MP4-12C would feel like a huge leap forward compared to those two cars. And part of me thought it could easily break into the 1:40 area. After all, the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V8 delivers 600 BHP, is mid-mounted, and only weighs 2,976 lbs (1,350 kg). The MP4-12C wasn't that much more expensive than the Aston Martin, at 225,000 credits.

Do you like this McLaren Orange finish? It becomes obvious you've moved into supercar territory by the time you've gone up through the gears: this thing is fast! I took it up to 167 mph (270 kph) and thanked the Lord for the excellent brakes. But there's so much sideways action with it that you'd think you're in a drift car.

Naturally, using the controller doesn't make the throttle and turn-in as smooth, but I didn't feel like plugging in the Logitech G29 for this event. Despite dealing with so much oversteer, it's all easily manageable. However, you'll still lose time fooling around, as I quickly found. My optimum lap was 1:47.925, but I was slightly slower than that overall.

Online Time Trial

When I went out for my first practice lap at Interlagos, only one competitor had been faster than 1:26 per lap. As I'm writing this, three people are in the 1:25 zone. User Laporty is the quickest with a 1:25.801, but we might see even better results within the next few days. I think today may have been my first contact with the Aston Martin Vulcan, and I wasn't certain what to expect of it.

At the heart of this track-focused hypercar, you'll find a 6.9-liter V12 with 820 BHP and 590 lb-ft (799.9 Nm). This vehicle is slightly heavier than the McLaren but much lighter than the previous two. You get the sense you're inside a race car once you get going, and the sound is cool. Wheelspin is an issue up until third gear, so that's one thing you must remember before going all out.

I ended up with some snap oversteer in a few situations but was happy to see a top speed of 181 mph (292 kph). I would much rather save my money for the Porsche 911 Strassenversion than pay 3.3 million credits for the Vulcan, though. I stopped pushing after a 1:33.145 fast lap, which may only be good enough for the Bronze Record Reward for a limited time.

I might revisit this Time Trial soon, though, as I could score Silver using the steering wheel. But before that, I plan on taking on another exciting challenge I have been waiting for for a long time. But more about the snow-racing trial soon! Oh, good luck following Tidgney's recommendations for a Gold Record Reward!