Polyphony Digital has become known for picking some of the best racetracks in the world for its Gran Turismo franchise, and Gran Turismo 6 is no exception. A number of favorites from around the world are here, including Australia’s own Mount Panorama. This is easily one of the toughest courses in the game, due to its unpredictable track design and its numerous corners.
However, once you learn the basics and just what corners you’ll need to watch out for, you’ll be able to take the checkered flag in no time.
Mount Panorama is nearly four miles of corner-related track. Some of it is pretty straightforward, but once you get to the turns, especially in the middle of the course, you’ll want to be at your best, or get left in the dust.
First up is a half corner, which will pop up right after you start. Make sure you take this in a decent amount of speed, around 40 to 50 miles per hour. Any more and you could wind up eating the rail on the right side of the corner. Don’t worry about passing cars at this point, you’ll get your chance.
After this, you’ll head into the Mountain Straight part of the track. This lasts for about a half to three quarters of a mile, and, if you’ve got a speedy little roadster, it will allow you to catch up to your racing opponents. Don’t get too comfortable on that gas pedal, though – a real test lies ahead.
You’ll come across a very sharp right turn, the Quarry, after the straightaway. You’ll see your opponents braking, and you’ll want to follow suit, or you’ll run right into them. Once you get out of the right turn, you’re going to have a sharp left turn called the Cutting following immediately after. Again, don’t get too crazy on speed, and use your handling to get through it.
Following this, you’ll have a small right curve leading into a quick right turn. You can take this at around 70-80 miles per hour, depending on the car, and that will lead you into a gradual left turn. This, too, can be taken at a good speed, although you might want to watch for faster cars trying to come up from behind you. Make sure you block them out, but don’t set yourself up for an easy collision along the wall. Stay along the driving line as much as you can.
Getting through this small turn, Mount Panorama becomes tricky. You’ll enter a section called the Dipper Esses, which is a series of very small, tight turns that you’ll have to take in succession, going right, left, right, left, and through a tiny bit of quick right and left paths. If you go too fast on any of these turns – even the last ones – you could very well lose control and run right into a wall.
The key here is patience. Don’t be in too much of a hurry taking these small turns, and find the right acceleration mark. For some cars, this is usually at about 40 to 50 miles per hour – and maybe even less depending on the model. Keep a finger on your braking, but don’t pump it too much. The turns aren’t nearly as deep as the other corners you took with the Quarry and the Cutting.
That said, you still want to maintain some control coming in and out of these turns, so don’t forget to get back up to speed as you roll out, only to prepare for the next small corners. The key here is staying in the race, not necessarily dominating it.
After you get out of the Dipper Esses, you’ll come up to the Forrest’s Elbow, which is just as bad as The Cutting in terms of sharpness. Take it at a good speed, and make sure you avoid a collision along the walls. It helps to have your driving aid arrows turned on, so you know just what kind of miles-per-hour rate you’ll need going into it.
Once you get through that, the rest of Mount Panorama is rather easy. You’ll have about a mile of straightaway that you can cruise through, although you do want to watch out for cars coming from behind. You’ll have one more quick bend to get through near the end of the road, the Chase, which will have you take a slight right before quickly going left. Decelerate and get through this section, and you’re almost free and clear.
The last thing you have to worry about is one more sharp left, along the same degree as the first one you took when you started the race. Get through that, then put the pedal to the metal for the finish line.
Even though conquering this course is easier said than done, you can practice it in the game’s arcade mode to get used to it, before tackling it in the Championship run. Have at it, and tell your fellow drivers, “G’day!” as you pass them for the checkered flag.
Gran Turismo 6 is available now for PlayStation 3.
