GT7 features a number of racing classes, representing a broad amalgamation of real life categories that fit close together in terms of performance and spirit. Gr.B however is a bit of an oddball, considering it started as something that doesn’t currently exist.
What If Group B Never Died
The original idea of the class was pretty simple: take modern cars and turn them into hypothetical high power, high downforce all-terrain monsters in the spirit of the famous Group B rally cars from the 80s, as if that class never got banned.
The end result is, in their non adjusted specs, a set of cars delivering up to 550 horsepower through all 4 wheels, a weight generally between 1250 and 1300kg, and downforce levels nearly equivalent to Gr.4 cars. They sit around the 650 PP mark on the default provided racing hard tyres, with BoP only fine tuning the balance with small adjustments.
Of course, you’ll find the staple rally cars in that selection, like the Subaru WRX, Lancer Evolution and Ford Focus, accompanied by a Nissan R35 GT-R you wouldn’t be surprised to see become a thing would that class become a thing in the real world. But that sub-group also gets more unusual body choices, like the Peugeot RCZ, Ford Mustang, Honda NSX, Toyota 86 and even a Hyundai Genesis. Their bodykits are nicely made and extremely credible though, leaving not doubt about what they’re made for.
Note that this isn’t the first time a racing game goes with that “what if Gr.B still existed” idea: WRC II Extreme introduced a very similar idea, with each WRC car featured in the game being given an Extreme variant with similar power figures and aggressive aerodynamic upgrades to what Gran Turismo does nowadays.
The Come Back of The Elders
Content updates have brought existing real rally cars from ancient times after the fact, and Polyphony Digital found themselves in a bit of a predicament with them: they couldn’t exclude actual Group B rally cars for their own fantasy Gr.B class, could they?
Which is why the Audi Quattro S1 in its 1987 Pikes Peak configuration and the Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2 are now eligible to show the youngsters what they’re capable of in the same events. Unrestricted, they both benefit from a more favorable power to weight ratio, which is reflected with higher Performance Points. The BoP however gives them a bunch of extra weight, and in the case of the Audi, takes a good chunk of power away as well. With an older chassis conception, this puts them at a slight PP deficit, and a slight disadvantage overall.
But the old Group Bs are not alone. Working in chronological order, Polyphony added a couple Group A WRC cars from the 90s: the Toyota Celica ST205 from 1995 and the Subaru Impreza from 1998. With power restricted to 300 HP at the time, it would have seemed fair to create a new Gr.A rally class for them.
Not in the minds of Kazunori Yamauchi’s team, who decided to also include them in Gr.B by just bumping the power to about 500 HP under BoP. Their more modern chassis conception make them easier to handle than the older cars, but they lack the aerodynamic features and exaggerated track width of the GT7 made modern Gr.B cars.
How To Approach Gr.B
In most cases, the modern fantasy cars will have the edge in competitive BoP races. They are all quite close in terms of pace, each bringing a bit of personal flavor to the experience, but the trend has been to see the Focus and RCZ at the front, while the Mustang and Genesis were often a tad behind.
Sadly, they have pretty much been completely abandoned by whoever picks the Sport Mode and World Series race combos, which led the community to forget about these cars overall. Without the competitive incentive, there is currently a lack of data to support or infirm past observations in the Gr.B performance hierarchy following the 1.48 physics update.
Despite all that, you shouldn’t overlook Gr.B in GT7: they provide a fun and unique experience, be it on dirt or tarmac, and especially on more technical asphalt tracks. Using weight transfers to your advantage and relying on 4WD allows you to throw the car aggressively into slow corners and power out on a small slip angle while you cackle like an irresponsible child.
It gets even better if you run them on sport soft tyres, as they offer a more appropriate grip level and progressivity to what a tarmac rally tyre would provide. It’s a very enjoyable setup, and a very good way to acquire new skills as well. Get a bunch of friends and duke it out in short sprint races, you will not regret it.
Our Conclusion
Initially imagined as an alternate universe where Group B rally cars never ceased to be used, Gran Turismo’s Gr.B class now looks more like a rallycross grid. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the game’s dirt tracks always felt more like that anyways, and now even includes a proper rallycross circuit, so why not embrace it completely?
These cars are also fun to use on regular paved circuits, and we wish Gran Turismo would use them more in Sport Mode, even if that means restricting the selection to only modern cars for races under BoP. The older ones could be used in original specs in separate one-make races, or left to the players to be enjoyed in solo mode or lobbies. They bring a different flavor to race cars, so don’t be afraid to use them to organize your own races!
