- "The thrill of a revival. Fireworks illuminate the night sky as racing cars from a bygone age compete in this special race!"
- ―In-game text
The Neo-Classic Competition is a 3-race event that appears in Gran Turismo 7, where it was added as part of Update 1.19, released on July 28, 2022. The races are located at the World Circuits menu and the tracks are unlocked by progressing through the GT Café.
Races[]
| Circuit | Time | Race Length | Credits (1st) | Credits (2nd) | Credits (3rd) | Fuel Wear | Tire Wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Springs International Raceway: Big Willow | 16:55 | 10 laps | Cr. 121,000 | Cr. 72,600 | Cr. 48,400 | 10x | 12x |
| Red Bull Ring | 16:00 | 10 laps | Cr. 154,000 | Cr. 92,400 | Cr. 61,800 | 8x | 9x |
| Fuji International Speedway | 16:00 | 10 laps | Cr. 168,000 | Cr. 100,800 | Cr. 67,200 | 10x | 9x |
Typical Opponents[]
These are the typical opponents of this event:
Note: Opponents highlight in bold are marked World Series drivers.
| Driver | Car |
|---|---|
  D. Solis
|
Suzuki V6 ESCUDO Pikes Peak Special '98 |
  T. Miyazono
|
Nissan R92CP '92 |
  M. Hizal
|
Porsche 962 C '88 |
  M. Grady
|
Jaguar XJR-9 '88 |
  V. Gallo
|
Sauber Mercedes C9 '89 |
 R. Kokubun
|
Mazda 787B '91 |
  S. Bishop
|
BMW McLaren F1 GTR Race Car '97 |
  M. Mendoza
|
AMG Mercedes CLK-LM '98 |
  C. Lopez
|
McLaren F1 GTR - BMW '95 |
  P. Blazsan
|
Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 '84 |
  A. Wilk
|
Nissan GT-R GT500 '99 |
  F. Portilla
|
Audi Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak '87 |
 T. Yamanaka
|
Toyota Supra GT500 '97 |
  B. Beauvois
|
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2 '86 |
 N. Rubilar
|
Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 TI '93 |
Strategy[]
The Neo-Classic Competition races are considered some of the hardest in the game as they have fuel and tire wear enabled, along with the difficulty of earning a podium due to Gr.1 cars mixed along with Gr.2, Gr.3 and Gr.B being added to the mix, with Gr.1 cars being difficult to catch up, along with having to severely reduce the HP output from the settings. Because a grouped race car's fuel economy is generally better than that of a road car, using a race car is recommended, preferably a Gr.1 or a Gr.2 (detuning may be needed), or even the Suzuki V6 ESCUDO Pikes Peak Special '98. Due to the nature of the event, the player may need to purchase their cars from the Used Car Dealership or the Legend Car Dealership in order to participate.
As with the New Tire Physics Update, chances are high for the drivers to run out of tire grip and run wide on some of the corners at Willow Springs or sometimes be too aggressive on the other tracks; therefore going off track or spinning out giving an advantage to the player. Rain can play a part at the Red Bull Ring and Fuji Speedway respectively; which means that while they can technically get through those races without pitting for fresh rubber or even fuel despite being set between 8x to 10x, it's vital for Intermediate Tires to be bought in case it rains on any of those tracks.
Finally, it is possible for some of the drivers to get to the end without pitting for any fuel; most notably being the Group C cars (especially Ryota Kokubun's 787B, which has the best fuel economy in the race), but the chances of that are slim.
For Fuji International Speedway, considering as how the weather is heavily randomized, it's reliant on luck so there is a chance for heavy rainfall. Keep an eye on the Weather Radar for potentially heavy rainfall to approach. If this happens, pit before the rainfall arrives and change to Wet tires. Assuming opponents have not made any pit stops yet, they can spin out very easily due to having no grip on the track and even be forced to slow down, allowing you to overtake them easily. Be mindful about fuel usage and tire wear so try not to get overconfident, especially if the rainfall were to stop at any moment so it is vital to monitor the Weather Radar throughout.
If the player has access to certain racing engine swaps, it is possible to beat the event using a road car, potentially at a lower cost (but also at cost at downforce disadvantage, even with full GT Auto aero parts). The following swap combinations are recommended for the event for those desiring to do so:
- Honda NSX Type R '92 with HR-414E-NSX engine
- Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC) '90 with R26B-787B engine
- Nissan SKYLINE GT-R V • spec II (R32) '94 or Nissan SKYLINE GT-R V • spec (R33) '97 with VRH35Z-R92CP engine
- Porsche 911 Turbo (930) '81 with M97/80-911 engine
- BMW M3 '89 with V8-Suzuki-VGT-Gr.3 engine
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR '95, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR '96, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR '98, or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR T.M. EDITION Special Color Package '99 with Evo-Final-Gr.B engine
- Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth '87 or Ford Escort RS Cosworth '92 with L4-Focus-Gr.B engine
Trivia[]
- Despite the in-game text, there are currently no night races featured in the event that would feature such fireworks.
- Certain cars that seemingly fit the mold, but not actually set as a car from the eligible time period, such as the F1500T-A (despite being modeled as an 80s Formula One car), or the Toyota SPRINTER TRUENO GT-APEX (AE86 Shuichi Shigeno Version) '00 (model year changed to 2000 from the original's 1983), are ineligible for the event.