Gran Turismo is the ultimate driving simulator. What is that, you ask? A driving simulator is basically a reflection of real life driving. That means, whatever you do on the road, you do in the game as well. Professional race car drivers even use Gran Turismo to practice for their races: that's how realistic it is. 

Some people, however, have a difficult time driving in GT because of the realism; they tend to spin out, hit walls, drive across sand or grass, etc.. they are:

1.) People who are used to arcade style racing games (GRID, Need for Speed, etc.) where you can make sharp turns at 100kph using an ordinary road car have trouble adapting to more realistic driving.

2.) Teenagers who have never driven a real car before, and thus have no experience on what to do behind the wheel.

3.) Experienced drivers who, because of their time driving an ordinary car under the speed limit, do not realize that speed is a determining factor in a car's ability to turn.


So if you are one of the three, read up! This is a simple beginner's guide to getting better at driving in Gran Turismo. I will try to make the points as simple as possible.

1.) Get Friendly With Your Brakes - The most classic problem of beginners is that they overestimate their car's ability to turn. In the real world, we cannot go full acceleration into a turn unlike in most arcade racers. The brakes are the most necessary tool for survival in GT. You must first become comfortable using them in order for you to avoid spinning out or hitting walls.

The best way to learn your brakes is to drive around a track slowly at first, and gradually go faster as your confidence develops. The game comes with a driving line, with blue meaning accelerate and red meaning brake. Following that driving line will enable you to make things easier.

2.) Get A Racing Wheel - It may be quite an investment, but trust me and the millions of other GT fans out there that it's worth it. The problem with racing with your Dual Shock is that the turn and gas buttons are far too sensitive and it's difficult to get just the right amount you want. Using a controller will make you often oversteer because it does not give you enough room to maneuver.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStation-Driving-Force-Racing-3/dp/B0015HYPOO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1261243111&sr=8-2 is one of the best ones out there, and is relatively cheap as well. However, if you're looking for a more realistic wheel, the

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-941-000045-G27-Racing-Wheel/dp/B001NT9TK4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261243111&sr=8-8 is the one for you. This model is complete with a numbered gearbox and a clutch pedal for the ultimate racing experience.

3.) Relax - Two big problems that beginners experience with regards to cornering are too much steering and too much correcting. People have the tendency to approach a turn with all their might, and thus they turn too much and then try to correct too much, which makes the car spin around. The key to driving a simulator is the same as the key to driving in a real car: you don't see people on the freeway going crazy with their steering wheel. Just relax with the steering, and try to put as little input as possible.

4.) Learn The Car - Every car is different in Gran Turismo. The makers at Polyphony made sure that they capture every car's smallest nuances and tendencies, such that you can't have the same experience with two different cars. To be able to master your chosen car, you must understand it's fundamental characteristics and put in hours of practice.

For example, if your car is heavy but has very high horsepower, you will experience high top speeds on the straight lines but you will need to brake earlier on corners and accelerate later. If, however, your car is light but has only moderate horsepower, your top speeds won't be so high but you can brake much later and accelerate much earlier. Mastering your car is essential to making your lap times shorter.

5.) Learn The Track - As is with the cars, every track is different as well. Some have very sharp corners that require heavy braking, and some have long straights that require high top speeds. Taking the time to examine a track is a good idea when it is your first time going through it; for example, when making your turns, memorizing the necessary speed to go through it will enable you to go faster the next time you go past.

So there you go, a guide written all by myself! I'm no expert at this game (actually I can't even scratch the top lap times in GT Academy), but I hope that this guide will enable beginners to appreciate the beauty of this game. In the end, the only way you can really become good at this game is to Practice, Practice, Practice! See you all on the track!

awesome for beginners. +1

practice makes you better

Nice guide!

Thanks :) I hope more people read it.

i still think trial and error is the best practice.

Ghost helps A LOT!!

The only racing sim I've ever played was F1 2001 (or was it 2002?). Anyway, all the above points are spot on, except I'd have to differ on the limitations of the dual shock. I found the analog stick for the PS3 plenty subtle enough once I got the hang of it, same with acceleration and braking.

The problem I found was the analog stick wasn't able to handle the tightest of hairpin corners. I'd always have to bump around the tightest hairpin at Monte Carlo no matter how slow I was going.

You're never going to win the GT driving academy without a wheel. But you'll still be able to achieve good results and have a satisfying time without making the driving wheel investment. And given this is a beginner's guide I'd suggest true beginners for driving sims have a go with the standard controller and decide if they like the sims, or prefer the arcade style games before deciding to buy a wheel.

Very nice thread.

I wish I had this advice way back when I tried GT2 for the first time.

What a bullshit/frustrating day that was.

I hope they have a good sale on the wheels. I want one so BAD!

It's more that I don't want to brake.  The walls call to me, the grass seems so inviting...