It’s a good thing there’s a holiday weekend coming up – it means there’s extra free time to drive the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo car in Gran Turismo 6 on the Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console.
We first showed you the SRT Tomahawk Vision Grand Turismo a few weeks ago, our vision of unbridled performance 20 years in the future. The car looks amazing and its performance is beyond amazing. Here are a few reminders:
- Three versions: Street-ready Tomahawk S; track-focused Tomahawk GTR-S; and ultimate performer Tomahawk X.
- Power ratings ranging from 1,007 to 2,590 hp from a hybrid powertrain that combines a 7.0-liter wide-angle V-10 engine with a pneumatic drive system for the front wheels.
- Active aerodynamic panels, driven pneumatically, boost downforce for extra traction under braking and stow for ultra-low aero to reach maximum speed of 404 mph in the Tomahawk X.
Now, it’s in Gran Turismo 6 with the release of update 1.20.
How do you get the car?
Yes, you can buy it in the game. But what fun is that?
The SRT Tomahawk Vision Grand Turismo’s launch is being celebrated with a Seasonal Event, an official Gran Turismo online event that lets you earn the car and post your best lap times for the community to see. The Seasonal Event runs until July 24.
Players can earn the entry-level SRT Tomahawk S Vision Gran Turismo simply by successfully completing a lap of the 2.5-mile Big Willow track at Willow Springs International in the Seasonal Event.
To earn the SRT Tomahawk GTR-S Vision Gran Turismo, players much complete a lap of the 3.6-mile Daytona International Speedway Road Course in at least the Bronze award time of 1 minute, 28 seconds.
Then there’s the SRT Tomahawk X Vision Grand Turismo. To win the car, players must complete a lap of the 13-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife in at least the Bronze award time of 6 minutes.
Be warned: It’s not easy to earn the higher performance versions of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo. The designers and engineers at FCA US who worked on the project (many of them die-hard Gran Turismo players), and their counterparts at game maker Polyphony Digital, wanted a car that would challenge them.
So we went to Mike Shinedling, Manager – Advanced Concepts, SRT Engineering, for some tips on conquering the Nürburgring:
For the Beginners: Do not attempt yet! This will just demoralize you. Go earn the Tomahawk S and keep playing Gran Turismo until you consider yourself ‘Intermediate’. If you play long enough to earn your Super License you will have no problem, provided you have spent some time learning the track first.
For the Expert Players: You probably already have your Tomahawk X with a gold trophy next to it. Congratulations. Now go back and improve your time!
For Everyone Else: We could have just given away the Tomahawk X but thought it would be a lot more fun to create a diabolical challenge for you all. If you’ve already given up and purchased the Tomahawk X, go back to the Seasonal Events and give it another try, but read these pointers first:
- Wear comfortable and cool clothing. You might also want to turn on a fan or put the air conditioner to a colder setting. There is a good chance you will be sweating.
Use the best controller possible. A suitable force-feedback steering wheel controller is much preferred. If you were looking for an excuse to upgrade your hardware, this might be it. - Take your mind to that “happy place.” The Tomahawk X demands the focus of every synapse in your brain. You will need to recalibrate your sense acceleration, stopping speed and steering reaction.
- Start out slowly. Drive the Tomahawk X the same way you would drive a 2,000+ hp car in real life. Show it some respect and don’t push maximum throttle until you hit the long straightaway. If you try to run 10/10ths from the get-go you’ll end up in the fences and invalidate your lap … over and over and over again. The Nürburgring is a long track. Be patient. Limit yourself to 7/10ths on your first few laps and chances are that you will earn the bronze trophy sooner than you think.
- If you feel like you’re going to give up and you’re not a rabid “no-assist purist,” consider changing the settings on your controller. You can change this in the Options section of the main menu. Changing the Active Steering setting from “Off” to “Strong” will make a big difference. It won’t steer the car for you but it will desensitize the reaction against the curbing and the run-off patches. If you are using a force-feedback steering wheel, you might also want to reduce the force-feedback settings.
Bottom line: If you can get Bronze or Silver in other events, then you are skilled enough to get Bronze with the Tomahawk X. Follow the tips and enjoy the rush! Once you see how easy Bronze is, and start getting a feel for the car, you’ll be itching to improve your lap time.
Good luck!
