The Test Course is an extremely large oval circuit that appears in all Gran Turismo games up to and including Gran Turismo 4. Starting from Gran Turismo 5's Speed Test Pack DLC, it is replaced by Special Stage Route X. The course is very long, with two high speed straights and two wide banked turns. Many players use this course to find out the top speed and acceleration of their cars and is notable for hosting the Stopping and Starting license tests.
Lap Description[]
Please note that the lap description provided is for the original variant (GT1-GT2).
Sector 1[]
You start off near the pit lanes and a couple of stands. As soon as the race begins, you'll want to get to top speed as fast as possible. The 400m mark ends the first sector.
Sector 2[]
Keep going full throttle until you reach the 1000m mark.
Sector 3[]
After passing the 1000m mark, should you reach the first turn, keep holding the gas and don't let go, mainly because the turn is very wide. The tunnel entrance concludes this sector.
Sector 4[]
Continue holding the gas until the entrance to the second and last corner.
Sector 5[]
Continue going full throttle on the second and last turn and the start/finish line.
Note that on Gran Turismo 2, the HKS Drag 180SX and R33 GT-R are capable of reaching around 430 km/h (270 mph) and 390 km/h (240 mph) respectively on the straights, but due to their poor turning performance, the player needs to slow down to around 320 km/h (200 mph) in order to make the turns.
In Gran Turismo[]
Events[]
Gran Turismo[]
- License Tests B-1 and B-2
- Megaspeed Cup
Gran Turismo 2[]
Special Events[]
- Tuned Turbo Car No.1 Cup; 3 Laps - Race 2
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec[]
Beginner League[]
- Spider & Roadster; 3 Laps - Race 2
- Race of Turbo Sports; 2 Laps - Race 2
- Legends of the Silver Arrow; 2 Laps - Race 1
- Beetle Cup; 2 Laps - Race 4
Amateur League[]
- Race of Turbo Sports; 3 Laps - Race 2
- Gran Turismo All Stars; 5 Laps - Race 4
- Dream Car Championship; 5 Laps - Race 5
Professional League[]
- Race of Turbo Sports; 10 Laps - Race 2
- Gran Turismo All Stars; 15 Laps - Race 4
- Dream Car Championship; 15 Laps - Race 1
- Gran Turismo World Championship; 10 Laps - Race 6
- All Japan GT Championship; 15 Laps - Race 3
- Vitz Race (Yaris Race); 10 Laps - Race 3
- Tuscan Challenge; 10 Laps - Race 5
- Like The Wind; 20 Laps - Race 1
- Formula GT; 25 Laps - Race 6
License Tests[]
Gran Turismo 4[]
- Gran Turismo All Stars
- Dream Car Championship
- Like the Wind
- Driving Missions 21, 22, 23 and 24
- License Tests B-1, B-2, B-6 and B-7.
Gran Turismo (PlayStation Portable)[]
- Driving Challenge A-1
- Driving Challenge A-2
- Driving Challenge A-3
- Driving Challenge A-4
Reverse Variation[]
Gran Turismo 2 - Test Course Reverse
- In Gran Turismo 2, an unused reverse version of Test Course exists. The track is mostly complete with the AI driving line almost finished, however the opponents will crash into the wall on the second turn. It also features its own unique replay cameras, except for the third lap which has no cameras at all. The AI cannot overtake each other on this track, and the pit lane is not functional. Due to the unfinished state, textures on some vehicles may flicker or load the color palette incorrectly, resulting in oddly-colored cars.
Trivia[]
- In GT5, GT6, GTS, and GT7, the Test Course was replaced by Special Stage Route X for high-speed testing.
- In all games where it is featured, the first 400m and 1000m of the track are used to conduct the Starting and Stopping license tests. In Gran Turismo 5, the Top Gear Test Track was used to conduct these tests, while Special Stage Route X is used in Gran Turismo 6 instead, and High Speed Ring was utilised in Gran Turismo 7.
- In Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2, Test Course's turns are tighter and less banked than those featured in the later games. The layout from the original PlayStation games has a narrower shape than that featured in the PlayStation 2 games. The original PlayStation games also have cloudy, slightly dusky skies, while the later games' version has clear, mostly sunny skies. Other differences in the later track include no vegetation within the vicinity of the track both inward and out, inward tile walling, and a tunnel on the back stretch of the track.
- The early demos of Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec include a hidden and unused version of the Test Course featuring turns with rather progressive banking, getting steeper towards the middle of the turn. It is heavily incomplete, so only the track and skybox are drawn, and the player has to physically find the road that makes the track.
- For unknown reasons, on Gran Turismo PSP races at Test Course will start the player in 3rd place, despite the pre-race menu listing them as 4th.
- In GT2, although the normal and Max Speed Test variant of the track has visual modifications (such as addition of pit garages and a building at 400 m point; the starting line is also moved there), the variation used in acceleration/braking tests, as well in 400 m and 1000 m machine tests (named internally l_start&stop) appears to be based on GT1 version of the track.
- Although Gran Turismo 5 had this track replaced with Special Stage Route X, Test Course was also hidden in the game, but can't be accessed by normal means. A modification to the game would be needed to use this course after the Spec II update. It was a direct port from Gran Turismo PSP with no changes made.
- When a saved GT3 replay on this track is viewed on the PlayStation 2 memory card browser, the track is referred as "YATABE", referring to a similar, now-defunct high speed test oval in Japan.