Discipline Focus // Touring

Touring cars are back. We love them. You love them. And you’ve definitely let us know you love them! So, at the top of the ‘GRID Autosport’ ideas list we had when we were coming up with the game was TOURING CARS. And yes, that’s right, we broke out the CAPS. We don’t usually like to shout, but it seemed appropriate.

…the opportunity to really invest in making each experience really authentic.

So Touring Cars gets a whole discipline experience in GRID Autosport, with different series that sit underneath it. One of the central design ideas about taking a multi-disicplinary approach was to give us the opportunity to really invest in making each experience really authentic, to reflect the different specifics, demands and challenges that makes each so unique and exciting for the drivers and the fans.

So what can you expect from our Touring racing experience?

• Large grid sizes (up 16 cars offline, 12 players online)
• Aggressive AI that won’t be afraid to attack or protect the racing line
• Cars of similar or pre-defined specification
• Multiple round races
• Practice and Qualifying
• Races held at day
• Loads of trading paint!

As you progress through the single-player campaign you’ll make your way through various classes of cars from a number of your favourite Touring Car championships. And we chuck in a few breakaway events (in the form of cups) for good measure. Here are your cars and categories:

Cat C Touring Cars

• CHEVROLET CRUZE TOURING CAR
• BMW 320 TOURING CAR
• FORD FOCUS ST TOURING CAR
• HONDA CIVIC TOURING CAR

Super Utes

• FORD RACING UTE
• HOLDEN VE COMMODORE UTE

Cat B Touring Cars

• AUDI RS 5 (CAT B SPECIAL)
• MERCEDES-BENZ C 63 AMG (CAT B SPECIAL)

Super Tourers

• FORD FALCON FG
• HOLDEN VF COMMODORE

Cat A Touring Cars

• PEUGEOT 408 SCB
• ADC PRESTEZA-14

Classic Mini Cup

• MINI MIGLIA

Mini Cup

• MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS CHALLENGE

Classic Touring Car Cup

• FORD SIERRA RS500 COSWORTH GROUP A
• NISSAN 1991 (R32) SKYLINE GT-R GROUP A

To talk Touring in more detail, I caught up with James Conway, one of our Car Handling Designer aces, and demanded detail on what you can expect when you get behind the wheel in the Touring discipline –

“Grippy and lightweight, but without a heavy reliance on downforce, the touring cars of Grid Autosport are designed to for thrilling bumper-to-bumper pack racing, from the front wheel drive machines of Category C all the way to the top tier Stock Cars and Super Tourers.

These vehicles have a positive turn in and a lot of stability, , giving drivers the confidence to power through the corner and survive the occasional bump with their rivals.

These vehicles have a positive turn in and a lot of stability, giving drivers the confidence to power through the corner and survive the occasional bump with their rivals; rubbin’s racing here and the longer stopping distances on some of the more powerful cars will make bravery on the brakes a vital skill to make overtakes stick.

When front and rear wheel drive go head to head it’s also a battle of styles; the rear drive cars will have better traction off the start and a straight line advantage, but this is negated by a good slipstream and the cornering stability of the front wheel drive cars that don’t have to worry about power oversteer but can understeer wide if the driver is too greedy on the throttle.

Players who can adapt their driving style and play to their chosen car’s strengths will find themselves with an edge over the pack.”

So we have cars and handling, but of course Touring Cars need great circuits to race around. Well, you’re in luck, because GRID Autosport has a fair few of them. You’ll be racing Touring Cars on every circuit in the game (that isn’t an oval) so expect lots of action at the likes of Sepang, Hockenheim, Yas Marina, Jarama, Brands Hatch, and many more!

Are you a Touring Car fanatic? Can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a V8 Supercar at Hockenheim? Let us know over on the forums to continue the discussion on Touring Cars and everything else GRID Autosport.

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