A solid Gran Turismo guide can transform a frustrated beginner into a podium contender. The franchise has built its reputation on realistic physics, detailed car models, and demanding skill progression. Whether players are launching Gran Turismo 7 for the first time or returning after years away, the learning curve can feel steep. This guide breaks down the essentials: driving techniques, car tuning, credit farming, and license tests. Each section delivers actionable tips to help drivers shave seconds off lap times and build a garage worth showing off.
Key Takeaways
- Start with the Café mode in Gran Turismo 7 to learn game systems through structured menu books and guided races.
- Master smooth braking, throttle control, and trail braking techniques to shave seconds off your lap times.
- Prioritize weight reduction, engine tuning, and sport tires when upgrading cars for the best performance gains.
- Farm credits efficiently by targeting high-reward races with short completion times and maintaining clean driving bonuses.
- Use Circuit Experiences and license tests as training tools—they teach optimal racing lines and build essential skills.
- This Gran Turismo guide emphasizes consistency over aggression: smooth inputs always beat jabbing at controls.
Getting Started With Gran Turismo
New players should begin with the Café, Gran Turismo 7’s structured campaign mode. The Café assigns menu books that guide drivers through car collection, races, and tutorials. It’s the fastest way to learn the game’s systems without feeling lost.
Choosing a starter car matters less than players might think. Early vehicles handle similarly, and the game provides chances to acquire better machines quickly. Focus on completing initial races and saving credits for more impactful purchases later.
Controller settings deserve attention from the start. Turning off traction control entirely can make cars unmanageable for beginners. A setting between 2 and 3 offers a good balance, enough assistance to prevent spins while still rewarding smooth inputs. Steering sensitivity adjustments help too, especially for players using a DualSense controller rather than a racing wheel.
The driving view affects performance more than many realize. Cockpit view offers immersion but limits peripheral vision. Hood or bumper cameras provide better spatial awareness. Players should experiment during early races to find what feels natural.
This Gran Turismo guide recommends spending the first few hours just learning tracks. Memorizing braking points and corner entries pays dividends throughout the entire game.
Mastering Driving Techniques
Speed in Gran Turismo comes from consistency, not aggression. Smooth inputs on throttle, brake, and steering produce faster lap times than jabbing at controls.
Braking Fundamentals
Brake in a straight line before the corner, not during the turn. Trail braking, gradually releasing the brake while entering a corner, transfers weight to the front tires and improves grip. This technique separates average drivers from quick ones.
The racing line matters, but it’s not always the obvious path. Enter wide, hit the apex, and exit wide. This approach maximizes corner speed by straightening the arc. The Gran Turismo guide overlay in Sport Mode shows the ideal line in real-time for players still learning.
Throttle Control
Applying full throttle too early causes wheelspin and lost time. Players should roll onto the gas progressively as they unwind the steering wheel. Rear-wheel-drive cars punish aggressive throttle applications, especially on corner exit.
Countersteering and Recovery
Oversteer happens. When the rear steps out, players should look where they want to go and steer in that direction. Quick, small corrections work better than dramatic wheel movements. Practicing in time trial mode builds muscle memory without race pressure.
Understanding Car Tuning and Upgrades
Tuning transforms a sluggish car into a competitive machine. The Gran Turismo guide to upgrades starts with power and weight. Adding horsepower and reducing weight improves performance across every category.
Priority Upgrades
Players should buy the following parts first:
- Weight reduction (Stage 1-3): Lighter cars accelerate faster, brake shorter, and corner better.
- Engine tuning: Increases horsepower without major handling changes.
- Sport tires: Grip improvements affect every aspect of driving.
- Transmission: Close-ratio gearboxes keep the engine in its power band.
Suspension and Handling
Suspension tuning gets complicated, but basic principles apply. Lowering ride height improves stability. Stiffer springs reduce body roll but can make the car nervous over bumps. Anti-roll bars balance front and rear grip, stiffening the front reduces understeer while stiffening the rear reduces oversteer.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Maxing out every upgrade doesn’t always help. Overpowered cars become difficult to control. Players should match upgrades to their skill level and the event’s requirements. Sometimes a well-tuned slower car beats a poorly driven faster one.
Earning Credits and Progressing Faster
Credits fuel progress in Gran Turismo. The best farming methods change as Polyphony Digital patches the game, but several strategies remain effective.
High-Reward Races
The World Touring Car events and certain endurance races offer excellent credit payouts. Players should look for races with short completion times relative to their rewards. A 10-minute race paying 500,000 credits beats a 30-minute race paying 800,000 credits.
Daily Workouts and Roulette Tickets
Logging in daily and completing the workout rewards roulette tickets. These tickets occasionally drop rare cars or significant credit bonuses. Consistency matters, skipping days means missing opportunities.
Clean Race Bonuses
Racing cleanly without collisions or penalties awards bonus credits. This Gran Turismo guide emphasizes clean driving not just for rewards but for skill development. Aggressive contact slows lap times and builds bad habits.
Sport Mode Rewards
Online Sport Mode races provide credits and increase Driver Rating. Higher ratings unlock better rewards and more competitive lobbies. Players should enter online races even if they’re nervous, experience builds confidence.
Tackling License Tests and Missions
License tests intimidate many players, but they teach essential skills. Each test isolates a specific technique: braking, cornering, or car control. Passing them unlocks new content and makes drivers measurably faster.
Approach Each Test Methodically
Players should watch the demonstration video before attempting a test. The ghost car shows the intended line and timing. Matching that ghost’s braking points provides a baseline.
Gold times require near-perfect execution. Players shouldn’t expect gold on their first attempts. Bronze unlocks progress: gold can come later after skills improve.
Missions and Circuit Experiences
Missions offer varied challenges: drag races, drift trials, and specific car events. Circuit Experiences break down each track into sections, teaching the optimal line for every corner. Completing these pays credits and builds track knowledge.
This Gran Turismo guide recommends treating Circuit Experiences as training. Players who gold every section of a track will dominate races there.
Persistence Pays Off
Some tests feel impossible at first. Taking breaks helps. Returning with fresh focus often produces breakthroughs. The skills learned in license tests transfer directly to race performance.
