Rear View Mirror 4/9/12

Rear View Mirror is your look back at the week in racing, both in the real world and in Forza Motorsport. This past weekend, real world racing series’ took a break for the Easter weekend. So this week will be entirely focused on the world of Forza as well as a couple of treats. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Community Bounty T10TailHappy 

This week’s Bounty was Peter, Gamertag T10TailHappy, who is one of the tools guys here at Turn 10. He writes applications that process art for Forza and he’s also a contender on the track. His event, which ends tomorrow at 8 a.m., is “Cone Killer Mugello,” which can be found in the Community Monthly channel of Rivals Mode. Peter threw down a 3:06.733 in a Nissan GT-R R34. As of this writing, a little more than 2,000 players have beaten him.

In the thread, Peter asked the Forza community to tell him why he should choose the MINE’s R34 Skyline GT-R, the Shelby GT500, or the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera unicorn to give to those that beat his time. I’ve seen everything from song lyrics to classic TV themes put to use to try and convince him. After chatting with Peter, I can tell you he took it easy on you all; this guy has a lot more stink he could have put on his time. He would love to see the thread reach 100 pages; you’re almost there, so check out the thread  and post something quippy, if you haven’t already. Personally, I think the Shelby GT500 is going to win.

One of my favorites from the community photo contest D1SL CHR1STO 

King of the Tunes 

While our King of the Track series of Rivals Mode contests is taking a hiatus, Community Manager Brian Ekberg (Gamertag: Mechberg T10) has put out the call to the Forza community for tunes to help him improve his time in another event. This month he is racing a 2011 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S, in the Open Time Attack Rear Wheel Drive Event in Rivals Mode, an event for B-Class RWD production cars. While Brian’s intent is not to be competitive here, I like to think the event is two-fold: First, build him awesome tunes to improve his time and then try to put a whoop on him in your own Masi GT S. This was my immediate instinct. Let’s see just how many times you can add to this event’s leaderboards with his car. It’s not a real obvious choice for a time attack, but I was surprised how well it performed, and not surprised how superb that Ferrari-built engine sounds! Post your thoughts and tuning suggestions in his thread. He’s also trying to figure out what to call it, so suggest a name for the competition. Mine is the title of this section.

Community photo contest favorite darkticmotion 

Game with Dev – Back in Session 

We are getting in the rhythm again with our Game with Dev events; the next opportunity to play with us is this Thursday, April 12 from 10 a.m. – noon Pacific. I had a lot of fun last time and am psyched to go again. I plan to be even better prepared for this event. I’m also taking suggestions on what type of races you would like to compete with me in. What class, track, and type of event would you like to see? What should the criteria be to give away unicorns? Post your ideas in the RVM thread and I will do my best to utilize your suggestions.

Community photo contest favorite from TheSuperstar801 

Heavy Metal Affliction – Coming this Thursday 

The name of my new Thursday column is Heavy Metal Affliction. Look for it this Thursday. After a ton of suggestions from the community, much brainstorming, and spinning every cool thought that came to mind, this seemed just right. HMA is defined as: The enduring need and passion to seek, purchase, and fix-up cars that speak to us, without regard for investment value or resale. It also reeks of musical influence, and I like that. Most people that work on cars in their shop jam some kind of tunes. To each their own, but mine has always been heavy, from AC/DC to Kid Rock to Tool to Soundgarden. Call it metal, grunge, hard rock, whatever you want. I like to feel my music, when I feel it; I know it’s real to me.

Got a cool ride you have been working on? Just find the project of your dreams in a dusty barn. Work for a shop with an awesome client car in the works? Please share it in my request for community rides thread.

Community photo contest favorite from Demetrius 81 

 

Eye Candy 

Last week the sun finally made its way out here in the Pacific NW, and with it came some sweet cars enjoying dry pavement and sunshine. When I was driving home last Thursday, I was next to a Porsche 911 GT3 RS just like this one. Unfortunately, the pic I snapped while driving was too blurry to share. I know, I shouldn’t even have been trying to take a picture while driving. Saturday however, I parked my 911 (which has made its way back out onto the road too) away from other cars at the mall and, when I returned, I found this stunning Ferrari F430 Spider parked next to me. I had to take a couple shots, since I may never see a car like this in person again. It had a compound effect on me and my Porsche.  It made the 911 look even sweeter, since the cars both share a robust red (Guards Red and Rosso Corsa) but at the same time it made me feel small and insignificant being next to something worth more than ten times my car’s highest book value. In any case, it really made my day that much more awesome. 

 

 

 

All Together Now – Projekt GDF (German Drift Fighters) 

I came upon this YouTube video of some awesome team drifting. Tremendous work, Projekt GDF, I particularly like the part where all five cars drift around the cones in unison. Amazing! Great editing job too! Take a look and see if you agree. 

 

This is part two, check out part one(which has been out for a while) if this whets your appetite for more. If you’ve got a great video you or your team has made, point it out in the RVM thread, maybe I’ll feature it.

 

See ya Thursday or next week!