Closest car to Suzuki Swift in Forza 4

So, it's now pretty much 100% set that I will be going to Europe in June- and on our schedule is a day trip to the Nürburgring from Cologne where I'll hopefully be taking a car from Rent4Ring out for a few laps.

As such, I want to prepare as much as I can- and pretty much the only way to do much in the way of learning the track is via video game. I picked up Forza 4- but unfortunately it does not have the Suzuki Swift that Rent4Ring has and I'll almost certainly be driving on the 'Ring. So, I need to find a close enough car that IS in the game and outfit it similarly.

As near as I can tell from the specs that Rent4Ring has posted about the Stage 2 car I'm considering, it's a race-prepped ZC32S. According to R4R it's 1.6l has 136hp and the Wiki page says it has 118 ft-lb of torque.

I just don't know cars overall well enough to be able to pick what is closest. At the moment I'm using a heavily modified Toyota Ayga which matches it pretty closely in power and torque but is likely much lighter than the Swift would be.

GT5 has a Swift.

I'd suggest the 2009 Renault Twingo Renault Sport Cup

http://www.myforza.net/f4/car_sheet.php?id=4

Won't matter too much. You'll just be trying to get a feel for the sections and flow of the track. Learn where the hazardous corners are. When you get to the ring, treat it like a closed back road more than a full on race track. You may have limited liability on the car, but any damage to barriers on the track, they will charge you full.

Oh, and enjoy Cologne. I liked it there. Hang out at the Fruh Biergarten. If there are no empty tables, just ask to share with someone. This is normal custom, and you will probably meet some cool new folks. The Kolsch tradition is to keep refilling your glass unless you put the coaster on top of it. If you're looking for an awesome cocktail bar, I highly recommend Capri Lounge. The best cocktail bar I have ever been to in my life. Ever. The guys are artists. He used an antique, sterling silver perfume ball to spread a mist of absinthe over my glass for one cocktail he prepared for me.

What Baron said. The most important thing you're doing is learning the turns. The vehicle doesn't necessarily have to be THAT similar, but learning where the lefts and the rights are should be the best training you can get on Xbox.

MCarp22 wrote: I'd suggest the 2009 Renault Twingo Renault Sport Cup http://www.myforza.net/f4/car_sheet.php?id=4

Doh- that was one of the cars I had the option to take after winning a race yesterday, but I think I picked the Mitsubishi option instead since it looked closer. I wish they would give actual SPECS (stock engine size/power/torque, weight, etc.) on the cars when they come up to choose from them and not just the stack of bars they have. May be wrong though about which I picked...

Yeah unless you want to set to set a blazing time (probably not a good goal for your first time on a track...especially one notorious for its lack of runoff room) it's not that important. The Renault Twingo Sport Cup should be pretty similar to the modded Swift.

N Sperlo wrote: What Baron said. The most important thing you're doing is learning the turns. The vehicle doesn't necessarily have to be THAT similar, but learning where the lefts and the rights are should be the best training you can get on Xbox.

Oh, I fully understand that- even if they had a Swift outfitted exactly like the Rent4Ring one it would still be a universe of difference between driving in the game (even with a really nice controller setup, a huge TV, and Kinect head-tracking) and in the car for real. Hell, the Swift will be a 6-speed stick, and I just CANNOT drive manuals properly in a game- I'm just too used to being able to FEEL the engine telling me when to shift in a real car. But I'd like to get somewhat close just to get a better feel for what the limits of the car may be. I'm sure I will be driving INFINITELY more cautiously, especially on the first run, than in the game. I am after all the one who got mocked by the announcer at the last Challenge for taking my first Auto-X run at a 'leisurely pace'...

Also, it's just fun trying to tweak the cars in the game.

Beer Baron wrote: Oh, and enjoy Cologne. I liked it there. Hang out at the Fruh Biergarten. If there are no empty tables, just ask to share with someone. This is normal custom, and you will probably meet some cool new folks. The Kolsch tradition is to keep refilling your glass unless you put the coaster on top of it. If you're looking for an awesome cocktail bar, I highly recommend Capri Lounge. The best cocktail bar I have ever been to in my life. Ever. The guys are artists. He used an antique, sterling silver perfume ball to spread a mist of absinthe over my glass for one cocktail he prepared for me.

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately I won't be taking advantage of many of them- blasphemous as it may be for a GRMer, I don't drink- but I will certainly pass them on to the friends I'll be traveling with who DO drink.

I'm really looking forward to this trip- I've not been back to Germany since my parents were last stationed here in the mid-90's, but I lived there for about a third of my childhood including graduating from HS there (from a DOD school) and have many fond memories of my time there.

GameboyRMH wrote: Yeah unless you want to set to set a blazing time (probably not a good goal for your first time on a track...especially one notorious for its lack of runoff room) it's not that important. The Renault Twingo Sport Cup should be pretty similar to the modded Swift.

I don't even know if there will be a good way to track my time. I'd love to know what it is, and try and improve on it on successive runs, but I don't have nearly enough track experience to be that worried about it- I'm going for the fun and the experience of doing it, not for any kind of bragging rights beyond having actually done it. That and being able to give my friends that are coming along a fun ride- they seem almost as excited about riding shotgun as I am about driving...

If you can rent a camera you can get your times after the fact from the video. They won't be super-accurate but within a second is close enough to be meaningful on a track this size. If you want to get them live you'll need to put some kind of timer in the car and many tracks don't allow those for anything resembling a track day/HPDE.

Do you want to pick up my GoPro before the trip?

I agree with the posts above, the big thing with playing on the XBox is getting a feel for the track. If you practice enough, the corners will start getting familiar, which will be nice once you are actually there.

eastsidemav wrote: Do you want to pick up my GoPro before the trip? I agree with the posts above, the big thing with playing on the XBox is getting a feel for the track. If you practice enough, the corners will start getting familiar, which will be nice once you are actually there.

It unfortunately sounds like you can't use your own cameras and only ones you rent from them there are allowed on the track, if any are at all... so sadly I likely won't need the GoPro.

Yeah, learning where the hard/surprising curves are has helped (I've run through the 'Ring twice in the Aygo, both times unfortunately pushing it a bit too hard on a few turns). Some of the reading I've done about watching the treeline for clues as to what is coming up has also helped too, even just within the game.

Ashyukun wrote: Doh- that was one of the cars I had the option to take after winning a race yesterday, but I think I picked the Mitsubishi option instead since it looked closer. I wish they would give actual SPECS (stock engine size/power/torque, weight, etc.) on the cars when they come up to choose from them and not just the stack of bars they have. May be wrong though about which I picked...

If you are in the game while choosing the car to drive, hit the Y button and it will display power, torque, weight, weight distribution, and displacement.

yamaha wrote: If you are in the game while choosing the car to drive, hit the Y button and it will display power, torque, weight, weight distribution, and displacement.

Will it do that too when you're offered one of a selection of cars as a reward? If so, that's very useful info!

I'm a bit annoyed at the game though for a few of the races it's thrown at me. You're putting my FF Fiat Punto up against a field of 60's and 70's FR musclecars, including a C2 Corvette and a few Cudas? On a track that is much more fast straightaway or long banked curves than technical turns, and calling this fair? Really?

In reply to Ashyukun: It should do that then as well, although its been a long time since I was under lvl 50. Are you new to the game? If so, add me and I'll gift you whatever cars you need/whatever else to help you out. GT is, mtx95sho

Ashyukun wrote: But I'd like to get somewhat close just to get a better feel for what the limits of the car may be.

Not going to happen. So don't worry about it. I would try to find something sort of similar in terms of FF with similar weight distribution and see where on the course the chassis can get upset.

Limits in the game will not translate to limits on the track.

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately I won't be taking advantage of many of them- blasphemous as it may be for a GRMer, I don't drink- but I will certainly pass them on to the friends I'll be traveling with who DO drink.

Can't help as much then. Good drinking spots were a big highlight of my trip through Germany. Other sights to see you can find out from most any tourist guide. I would still visit the Fruh biergarten even if you just drink non alcoholic beverages. It is in a very nice square in the city. There was good ice cream at a shop on another corner too.

yamaha wrote: In reply to Ashyukun: It should do that then as well, although its been a long time since I was under lvl 50. Are you new to the game? If so, add me and I'll gift you whatever cars you need/whatever else to help you out. GT is, mtx95sho

Yeah, I only got the game a few weeks ago and am like Level 4 or 5. Mine is (IIRC) the same as my account here, 'Ashyukun'. Thanks!

Beer Baron wrote: Not going to happen. So don't worry about it. I would try to find something sort of similar in terms of FF with similar weight distribution and see where on the course the chassis can get upset. Limits in the game will not translate to limits on the track.

That's what I'm doing the most with the game besides learning the track itself- learning better how the FF behaves. What little time I've had on a track (course, more accurately) has been in either a FR or a MR, so how the FF handles in turns is a good bit different. Not that I'm wholly unfamiliar with it- my DD is a FF, albeit just a DOHC Saturn sedan. And, as I said, I expect I'll be pushing the real car FAR less than I do on the track in the game.

Can't help as much then. Good drinking spots were a big highlight of my trip through Germany. Other sights to see you can find out from most any tourist guide. I would still visit the Fruh biergarten even if you just drink non alcoholic beverages. It is in a very nice square in the city. There was good ice cream at a shop on another corner too.

Oh, no worries- my friends will likely be quite happy for the tips on drinking places, and I'll be enjoying myself regardless. I expect I'll be most interested though in stopping in any bakeries I come across- I think what I miss most from my time in Germany food-wise is good, fresh Brotchen. I should probably just not eat for the few weeks before the trip for as much food as I'm likely to eat while I'm over there.

In reply to Ashyukun:

OK, if you don't add me before I get home tonight, I'll add you.

Ashyukun wrote: I'm a bit annoyed at the game though for a few of the races it's thrown at me. You're putting my FF Fiat Punto up against a field of 60's and 70's FR musclecars, including a C2 Corvette and a few Cudas? On a track that is much more fast straightaway or long banked curves than technical turns, and calling this fair? Really?

They're trying to get you to acquire more cars, and play "the whole game". I've actually been trying to outsmart it..I like low displacement production cars, and I'll hop from one car to another trying to get it to offer me a C or D class race. Sometimes it works, but other times there's no alternative to an S class race on the Nurb North Course. Those times are usually when I don't play career mode for two months.

I looked at my stats the other night, I think I'm only about 12.5% complete in career, even though my level's over 250 and I have millions of credits. Full disclosure: I don't race in the "hoppers", so most of my online races only have about 4-5 guys in the lobby. Pretty easy to score podiums with car counts that low..

In reply to friedgreencorrado:

BTW, I've build a '71 3.0csl to do battle with you.....its freaking quick.

yamaha wrote: In reply to friedgreencorrado: BTW, I've build a '71 3.0csl to do battle with you.....its freaking quick.

(eyebrow twitch)

Gonna kick my ass with my own "dream car"? Them's fightin' words, bro.

In reply to friedgreencorrado:

Don't worry, I'll gift you the tune.......that's the point of it all. Nananananananananananana BATMAN!!!!!

yamaha wrote: In reply to friedgreencorrado: Don't worry, I'll gift you the tune.......that's the point of it all. Nananananananananananana BATMAN!!!!!

Ah, ya gotta let me try to build my own first. I'll download your tune after mine fails, tho.

In reply to friedgreencorrado:

The lag + damage on = Rage quit.....