Lancer Evolution VI GSR

I put out a Forza Horizon 4 Lancer Evolution X GSR video a short while ago, now it's time to take the VI GSR for a spin.

Shift 2 Unleashed - Career Events 5 and 6....Twice

I think I am playing too many racing themed games at the same time, I am starting to confuse myself on what I am driving....

Real Racing 3 - Nissan/Alfa Romeo Double Feature

As you might be able to tell from the picture above, I have collected a couple of new additions to my Real Racing 3 garage.

The first was a bit of a surprise. A free R3 Spec car?

I suppose that is a good thing, since I needed it for the Anniversary livery (and I don't already own it, another bonus).

Anyways, here's a compilation video of the final events for how I acquired both of them....

Real Racing 3 - Condensed Cloudmusiq Battle Of Maranello

In Real Racing 3, I have two "progress maker" cars that not only advance my leveling goals, but help along in collecting much needed Gold and credits. One of them is the Ferrari F50, the other it's predecessor, the F40.

Both cars get their best returns (at my stage of progression) inside the Classic Ferrari Showdown Series, found in Master. The track with the best payouts is found at the end, Cloudmusiq Battle Of Maranello.

For almost guaranteed, maximum results, have one (or if you can afford it, both) of these legendary Ferraris upgraded fully. However, I only have a top tuned F40 to play with here.

There is one major downside to this particular track, it takes a long time to finish. From the green light to the checkered flag, expect around 16 minutes to complete all 4 laps. However, here's a condensed version of that event....

Shift 2 Unleashed - First Car Choice and Career Events 3 and 4

So, without any input from anybody, I went with this Hot Hatch Legend, the 5th Generation Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Shift 2 Unleashed is from 2011 and oddly enough, this version of the GTI is from the 2006 model year (I wonder why they didn't go with the 6th Generation that entered into production for the 2008 model year?).

Anyhow, here's the next chapter of my Shift 2 Unleashed story....

The Monthly Mag - Feb/March 2020

A new feature I am toying with and if you can guess by the title, then I am covered til the end of next month!

Looking for issues or a subscription? Check out this link! 

Mitsubishi Memories

At one point recently in my life, I came so very close to buying a Mitsubishi Lancer (there was this black Evo X at a local dealer that kept me up late at night for many days....). However, I passed on that opportunity and purchased my RVR Limited Edition instead.

There have been a few times over the last nearly two years of ownership I believe I almost regretted that decision.

First, I will talk about power.

My RVR is equipped with the 2.0 4B11 Inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16v pushing out 148 horsepower and 145 ft/lbs of torque. For a vehicle that weights just over 3,200 lbs (over 1450 for you other folks), the powerplant can get the RVR moving along quite nicely. Passing at highway speeds or climbing a steep graded hill is where I notice the lacklusterness starting to kick in (however, this is mitigated with the paddleshifters for the CVT to a degree).

On the flip-side, the Evo X left the stage with a 2.0 4B11T Inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16v exploding with 291 horsepower and 300 ft/lbs of torque (North America market specs). Matted with either a five speed manual or six-speed twin-clutch "automated manual," I think the fun factor was waiting for me there.

The main reason the RVR won out over the Evo X is shown in the above picture.

The written explanation is this; I am still spooked about what that boulder did to my old Dodge Dart and my nerves, trading performance for ground clearance (that 8.5 inches pops it's ugly head when I go into a corner to fast and the "heavy leaning" starts).

I could go on and on, but will sum it up as a real life missed opportunity.

Thanks to the power of video games, I can play out that ignored dream (and a few others), in a virtual way....

....especially in Forza Horizon 4.

L'incroyable Citroën Aircross

With the recent merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, there could be a possibility of seeing the Citroën C3 Aircross on North American roads in the near future.

Although FCA already offers a similar subcompact crossover SUV in the form of the Fiat 500L, this vehicle has been in the North America market since 2013, with a minor update in 2018. Of course, there's the long discussion about reliability issues that come modern Fiat products that I want to avoid here....

Nevertheless, I think the idea of bringing the C3 Aircross over here could be a smart move, since it would be something fresh for the showrooms and roads (besides, when was the last time you saw a French vehicle roaming about?). Another plus would be for the consumers, adding a "new" vehicle to the subcompact crossover SUV segment and I have been a firm believer in choices.

Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the Citroën C3 Aircross on the Season 3 The Grand Tour episode called Aston, Astronauts and Angelina’s Children. Despite the expected shenanigans, there were a few nuggets of useful information I got out of the program.

Thanks to The Grand Tour Game, I was able to try out the Aircross' road manners at high speed....

Real Racing 3 - Nürburgring Multiplayer

Okay, under other circumstances (namely another single player race), it might have been too soon for another Real Racing 3 Audi R8 LMS Ultra video.

However, with the other choices I had available to me for this next event, I thought it was the best option I had....

Now, if you just sat through that, let me explain.

The final result was rather obvious at a certain stage of the race and the best I could hope for was just to finish. As a free-to-play player, the Gold I will earn might not be much, but every little bit that can be banked up towards one of my slowly gained goals.

If you noticed the other players have either learned to have superior control over their cars, or they are using hacks of some kind (I can't prove/disprove it, just saying what I saw). To me, it doesn't really matter, I am in it for whatever rewards I can collect (don't get me wrong here, I want to win, but I have a pretty good idea that won't be happening anytime soon).

Return to Shift 2 Unleashed

While I was uninstalling Armored Warfare and cleaning up all those extra files (including a ton of screenshots I will never use), I stumbled across this old picture of me standing next to a modern legend.

"Hmmm," I thought to myself and dug around my hard drive and found an archived ISO of Shift 2 Unleashed.

Now, the last time I played this title was over three years ago (the last video I uploaded was in connection to my obsession of the time, an old  Mercedes 190E I had just bought) and I must have uninstalled it from my laptop somewhere between shortly after that and I can't remember when. Since I had some freed up space, perhaps it's time to put the game back into the system.

However, I will be starting over....

Help me with my first car choice? Cast your vote in the comments for one of the following to restart my career;

Ford Focus ST

Honda Civic Si

Scion tC

Seat Leon CUPRA

Volkswagen Golf GTI

La-La-La-LaFerrari

The Ferrari LaFerrari is the latest "Halo" car from the legendary Italian car marker, starting back in 1987 with the F40, to 1995 and the F50, and 2002 with the Enzo.
 

However, The LaFerrari is just a stepping stone closer to a goal I had set for myself in Real Racing 3 a long time ago and inching ever so nearer to achieving.

Burning Around Barcelona

Welcome to my second return race in GRID Autosport!

This time around I take out a Ford Mustang Boss 302 which looks a lot like a car I drove in the long defunct Need for Speed World....

....on a Spanish track, where the gameplay also reminds me of some of the same NFSW action I used to suffer through ....

Personal Thoughts and Community Request