METROPOLIS STREET RACER: LONDON DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS GUIDE
by
Wolf Feather/Jamie Stafford
[email protected]
Initial Version Completed: November 15, 2002
FINAL VERSION Completed: December 1, 2002
====================================
====================================
====================================
CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Racing Tips: Braking
Racing Tips: Cornering
Racing Tips: Wet-weather Racing/Driving
London: St. James' Park: Short: Queen Victoria Memorial
London: St. James' Park: Short: Buckingham Gate South
London: St. James' Park: Short: Buckingham Gate North
London: St. James' Park: Short: Great George Street East II
London: St. James' Park: Short: King Charles Street West
London: St. James' Park: Short: House Guards East
London: St. James' Park: Short: St. James' Park West
London: St. James' Park: Short: Great George Street East
London: St. James' Park: Short: St. James' Park Bridge North
London: St. James' Park: Short: Birdcage Walk West II
London: St. James' Park: Short: Great George Street West
London: St. James' Park: Medium: St. James' Park West II
London: St. James' Park: Medium: House Guards South II
London: St. James' Park: Medium: St. James' Park North
London: St. James' Park: Medium: Birdcage Walk East III
London: St. James' Park: Medium: Birdcage Walk East II
London: St. James' Park: Medium: Cabinet War Rooms North
London: St. James' Park: Medium: House Guards North
London: St. James' Park: Medium: The Cenotaph North
London: St. James' Park: Medium: St. James Bridge South
London: St. James' Park: Medium: House Guards South
London: St. James' Park: Medium: Birdcage Walk West III
London: St. James' Park: Long: Birdcage Walk West
London: St. James' Park: Long: The Mall East
London: St. James' Park: Long: Whitehall South
London: St. James' Park: Long: St. James Challenge
London: St. James' Park: Long: The Mall West IV
London: St. James' Park: Long: Parliament Street South
London: St. James' Park: Long: The Forthcourt South
London: St. James' Park: Long: Birdcage Walk East
London: St. James' Park: Long: Parliament Street South II
London: St. James' Park: Long: St. James Circular
London: Trafalgar: Short: Charing Cross Road South
London: Trafalgar: Short: Lekester Square North
London: Trafalgar: Short: Nelson's Column South
London: Trafalgar: Short: Trafalgar South
London: Trafalgar: Short: Nelson's Column North
London: Trafalgar: Short: St. Martins North
London: Trafalgar: Short: Strand North
London: Trafalgar: Short: Trafalgar East
London: Trafalgar: Short: Cockspur Street East
London: Trafalgar: Short: Pall Mall East II
London: Trafalgar: Medium: The Mall West V
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Admiralty Arch East
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Pall Mall West
London: Trafalgar: Medium: St. Martins North II
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Pall Mall East
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Regent Street South
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Trafalgar Challenge
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Regent Street South II
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Charing Cross East
London: Trafalgar: Medium: Coventry Street West
London: Trafalgar: Long: Irving Street East
London: Trafalgar: Long: Regent Street North II
London: Trafalgar: Long: Regent Street South II
London: Trafalgar: Long: The Mall West III
London: Trafalgar: Long: Regent Street North
London: Trafalgar: Long: Charing Cross Road North
London: Trafalgar: Long: The Mall East II
London: Trafalgar: Long: The Mall West II
London: Trafalgar: Long: Trafalgar Circular
London: Westminster: Short: Parliament Square Circular
London: Westminster: Short: Parliament Square West
London: Westminster: Short: Parliament Square South
London: Westminster: Short: St. Thomas' North
London: Westminster: Short: Lambeth Bridge East
London: Westminster: Short: Houses of Parliament South
London: Westminster: Short: A23 West
London: Westminster: Short: Parliament Square West II
London: Westminster: Medium: Milbank South
London: Westminster: Medium: Parliament Square East
London: Westminster: Medium: Westminster Bridge East II
London: Westminster: Medium: Lambeth Palace Road North
London: Westminster: Medium: Lambeth Bridge West
London: Westminster: Medium: Westminster Bridge East
London: Westminster: Medium: Westminster Challenge
London: Westminster: Long: Bridge Street West
London: Westminster: Long: Old Palace Yard North
London: Westminster: Long: Westminster Bridge East IV
London: Westminster: Long: Westminster Bridge East III
London: Westminster: Long: New Palace Yard South
London: Westminster: Long: Abingdon Street South
London: Westminster: Long: Westminster Circular
Diagrams
Contact
====================================
SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers
and letters below line up:
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
====================================
PERMISSIONS
This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com,
PSXCodez.com, F1Gamers, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-
PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, gamesover.com,
CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru,
GameReactors.com, RobsGaming.com, cheatingplanet.com,
CheatHeaven, IGN, vgstrategies.com, hellzgate, Games Domain,
ps2fantasy.com, and neoseeker.com.
Permission is granted to download and print one copy of this
game guide for personal use.
====================================
====================================
====================================
INTRODUCTION
First, Metropolis Street Racer is definitely NOT for the
casual racing gamer; those who view racing as continually
standing on the accelerator until the race ends will
DEFINITELY fail miserably in this game. While speed is
needed to clear the many tasks in Metropolis Street Racer,
the game focuses much more heavily upon racing skill and
racing style, with Kudos (points) awarded or detracted based
upon the player's performance.
Even accomplished racing gamers will find Metropolis Street
Racer quite challenging. This is especially true for those
who are not drift specialists, as drifting is essential in
this game. Combined with the length of the game, this means
that players will be returning to this game for a LONG, LONG,
LONG, LONG, LONG time!!!
This guide is designed to present driving instructions for
the London circuits in Metropolis Street Racer. Information
has also been taken from my General Racing/Driving Guide with
appropriate modifications.
====================================
====================================
====================================
RACING TIPS: BRAKING
The first step in driving fast is knowing when, where, and
how much to slow down (braking). The braking zone will
differ somewhat for each car depending upon its strengths and
weaknesses. It certainly helps for the player to try a
Practice run to truly learn the circuits - including the
braking zones - before engaging in the actual events.
When looking for braking zones, try to find a particular
stationary object near the entry of each corner; it helps
tremendously if this object is far enough away from the
circuit that it will not be knocked over during a race. To
begin, try using the brakes when the front of the car is
parallel with the chosen stationary object. If this does not
slow the car enough before corner entry or if the car slows
too much before reaching the corner, pick another stationary
object on the following lap and try again.
Cars with a higher horsepower output will inherently attain
faster speeds, and will therefore require a longer braking
zone than cars with a lower horsepower output.
A final note on braking: To the extent possible, ALWAYS brake
in a straight line. If braking only occurs when cornering,
the car will likely be carrying too much speed for the
corner, resulting in the car sliding and/or spinning (a slide
or spin can mean the difference between winning and ending up
in last position at the end of a race.)
If nothing else, players should strive to become one of the
best 'breakers' they possibly can. This will essentially
force a player to become a better racer/driver in general
once the player has overcome the urge to constantly run at
top speed at all times with no regard for damages to self or
others. Also, slowing the car appropriately will make other
aspects of racing/driving easier, especially in J-turns,
hairpin corners, and chicanes.
====================================
RACING TIPS: CORNERING
Ideally, the best way to approach a corner is from the
outside of the turn, braking well before entering the corner.
At the apex (the midpoint of the corner), the car should be
right up against the edge of the pavement. On corner exit,
the car drifts back to the outside of the pavement and speeds
off down the straightaway. So, for a right-hand turn of
about ninety degrees, enter the corner from the left, come to
the right to hit the apex, and drift back to the left on
corner exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this
guide for a sample standard corner.
For corners that are less than ninety degrees, it may be
possible to just barely tap the brakes - if at all - and be
able to clear such corners successfully. However, the same
principles of cornering apply: approach from the outside of
the turn, hit the apex, and drift back outside on corner
exit.
For corners more than ninety degrees but well less than 180
degrees, braking will certainly be required. However, for
these 'J-turns,' the apex of the corner is not the midpoint,
but a point approximately two-thirds of the way around the
corner. J-turns require great familiarity to know when to
begin diving toward the inside of the corner and when to
power to the outside on corner exit. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample J-turn.
Hairpin corners are turns of approximately 180 degrees.
Braking is certainly required before corner entry, and the
cornering process is the same as for standard corners:
Approach from the outside, drift inside to hit the apex
(located at halfway around the corner, or after turning
ninety degrees), and drifting back to the outside on corner
exit. See the Diagrams section at the end of this guide for
a sample hairpin corner.
If there are two corners of approximately ninety degrees each
AND both corners turn in the same direction AND there is only
a VERY brief straightaway between the two corners, they may
be able to be treated like an extended hairpin corner.
Sometimes, however, these 'U-turns' have a straightaway
between the corners that is long enough to prohibit a
hairpin-like treatment; in this case, drifting to the outside
on exiting the first of the two corners will automatically
set up the approach to the next turn. See the Diagrams
section at the end of this guide for a sample U-turn.
FIA (the governing body of F1 racing, World Rally
Championship, and other forms of international motorsport)
seems to love chicanes. One common type of chicane is
essentially a 'quick-flick,' where the circuit quickly edges
off in one direction then realigns itself in a path parallel
to the original stretch of pavement, as in the examples in
the Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Here, the
object is to approach the first corner from the outside, hit
BOTH apexes, and drift to the outside of the second turn.
FIA also seems to like the 'Bus Stop' chicane, which is
essentially just a pair of quick-flicks, with the second
forming the mirror image of the first, as shown in the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide. Perhaps the most
famous Bus Stop chicane is the chicane (which is actually
called the 'Bus Stop Chicane') at Pit Entry at Spa-
Francorchamps, the home of the annual Grand Prix of Belgium
(F1 racing) and the host of The 24 Hours of Spa (for
endurance racing).
Virtually every other type of corner or corner combination
encountered in racing (primarily in road racing) combines
elements of the corners presented above. These complex
corners and chicanes can be challenging, such as the Ascari
chicane at Monza. See the Diagrams section for an idea of
the formation of Ascari.
However, in illegal street/highway racing, the positioning of
traffic can 'create' the various corners and corner
combinations mentioned here. For example, weaving in and out
of traffic creates a virtual bus stop chicane (see the
Diagrams section at the end of this guide). Slowing may be
necessary - it often is - depending on the distance between
the vehicles. See the Sample Circuit Using Some of the Above
Corner Types Combines in the Diagrams section at the end of
this guide; note that this is a diagram for a very technical
circuit.
At some race venues, 'artificial chicanes' may be created by
placing cones and/or (concrete) barriers in the middle of a
straightaway. This situation exists at numerous circuits in
Tokyo.
One thing which can change the approach to cornering is the
available vision. Blind and semi-blind corners require
ABSOLUTE knowledge of such corners. Here is where gamers
have an advantage over real-world drivers: Gamers can
(usually) change their viewpoint (camera position), which can
sometimes provide a wider, clearer view of the circuit, which
can be especially important when approaching semi-blind
corners; real-world drivers are obviously inhibited by the
design of their cars and racing helmets.
Also important to cornering - especially with long, extended
corners - is the corner's radius. Most corners use an
identical radius throughout their length. However, some are
increasing-radius corners or decreasing-radius corners.
These corners may require shifting the apex point of a
corner, and almost always result in a change of speed.
Decreasing-radius corners are perhaps the trickiest, because
the angle of the corner becomes sharper, thus generally
requiring more braking as well as more turning of the
steering wheel. Increasing-radius corners are corners for
which the angle becomes more and more gentle as the corner
progresses; this means that drivers will generally accelerate
more, harder, or faster, but such an extra burst of speed can
backfire and require more braking. See the Diagrams section
at the end of this guide for sample images of a decreasing-
radius corner and an increasing-radius corner.
For traditional road racing circuits, increasing-radius and
decreasing-radius corners may not be too much of a problem;
after several laps around one of these circuits, a driver
will know where the braking and acceleration points are as
well as the shifted apex point (should a shift be required).
However, for stage-based rally racing, where the roads are
virtually unknown and the driver knows what is ahead only
because of the navigator's instructions (which - based upon
notes - may or may not be absolutely correct), the unknown
can cause drivers to brake more often and/or more heavily.
This need for 'extra' braking is also tempered by the fact
that in much of rally racing, corners are either blind or
semi-blind, due to trees, buildings, and other obstacles to
clear vision all the way around a corner.
One particularly interesting aspect of cornering is one which
I honestly do not know if it works in reality (I am not a
real-world racer, although I would certainly LOVE the chance
to attend a racing school!!!), but which works in numerous
racing/driving games I have played over the years. This
aspect is to use the accelerator to help with quickly and
safely navigating sharp corners. This works by first BRAKING
AS USUAL IN ADVANCE OF THE CORNER, then - once in the corner
itself - rapidly pumping the brakes for the duration of the
corner (or at least until well past the apex of the corner).
The action of rapidly pumping the accelerator appears to
cause the drive wheels to catch the pavement just enough to
help stop or slow a sliding car, causing the non-drive wheels
to continue slipping and the entire car to turn just a little
faster. Using this rapid-pumping technique with the
accelerator does take a little practice initially, and seems
to work best with FR cars; however, once perfected, this
technique can pay dividends, especially with REALLY sharp
hairpin corners, such as several in London.
====================================
RACING TIPS: WET-WEATHER RACING/DRIVING
Almost everything written to this point in the guide focuses
solely upon dry-weather racing/driving conditions. In fact,
most racing/driving games deal ONLY with dry-weather
conditions.
Metropolis Street Racer simply will not allow a player to
drive a circuit the same way in wet-weather conditions as in
dry-weather conditions. The braking zone for all but the
gentlest of corners will need to be extended, or else the car
risks to hydroplane itself off the pavement.
Throttle management is also key in wet-conditions racing.
Due to the water on the circuit, there is inherently less
tire grip, so strong acceleration is more likely to cause
undue wheelspin - which could in turn spin the car and create
a collision. If a car has gone off the pavement, then the
sand and/or grass which collect on the tires provide
absolutely NO traction at all, so just the act of getting
back to the pavement will likely result in numerous spins.
====================================
====================================
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL
This is a purely circular 'circuit' encircling a tall white
statue. Those quite familiar with the Circle Track license
tests in Gran Turismo 2 (on the PlayStation/PSOne) and Gran
Turismo 3 (on the PlayStation2) will have absolutely no
trouble with this venue. The trick here is to get up to a
fast-yet-comfortable speed as quickly as possible, and then
maintain a steady turning angle to match the circumference of
the continual apex around the statue, lightly tapping the
brakes as necessary.
Should the car start to drift to the outside, apply the
brakes just slightly longer during the taps; should the car
come too close to the continual apex, wait just a little bit
longer between taps.
This is by far the easiest event venue in the game, and it is
also rather fun :-)
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: BUCKINGHAM GATE SOUTH
It may be best to consider this venue as a triangle with
rounded corners. The first corner is the sharpest of the
three turns here, and drifting the rear end of the car will
definitely be required to maintain a fairly good speed here.
The second and third corners are thus not quite as sharp, but
players will definitely benefit from drifting in these
corners as well. The raceway in the final corner is narrowed
by barriers on the left-hand side, so players should be
prepared to move through here single-file in a race if
necessary.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: BUCKINGHAM GATE NORTH
This venue effectively merges Queen Victoria Memorial with
Buckingham Gate South to form one single race venue. The
first two corners are from Buckingham Gate South, right-hand
turns which require drifting. Next is a semi-gentle left-
hand corner, but not too much speed can be carried through
here in order to set up the next section.
Now in the former Queen Victoria Memorial area, the raceway
is a LONG steady right-hand corner around the tall white
statue; this corner runs for well more than 270 degrees in
total curvature. On exiting here, the course curves gently
back to the left to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: GREAT GEORGE STREET EAST II
This venue can be considered as a rectangularized-oval, or as
a rectangle with rounded corners. The Start/Finish Line is
approximately halfway along the 'front straight.'
At the end of the 'front straight' is a statue atop a column
in the middle of the raceway. This is immediately followed
by descending STAIRS (?!?!?!?!?!?!?), then the left-hand
right-angle corner that is Turn 1. Shortly thereafter is a
similar corner for Turn 2.
About 3/5 of the way along the 'back stretch,' the raceway
narrows by nearly half, with all traffic forced to merge to
the left side of the raceway. Almost immediately afterward
is the third left-hand ninety-degree corner, whose middle and
exit are further narrowed by more barriers. The raceway then
widens for the 'short chute' to Turn 4.
The final corner is the trickiest, as this is where traffic
jams are most likely to occur at this venue. This is also a
left-hand right-angle corner, but the raceway passes through
a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY narrow archway through which only
ONE vehicle can pass at a time, thus forcing cars to pass
through single-file. Even in clear daylight conditions, it
is often difficult to truly spot the archway on approach, so
FLAWLESS knowledge of this area of the circuit is key to
winning. If any one car botches the approach to this
archway, it is highly likely that the car will block the
raceway, thus causing a massive pile-up of cars if there are
competitors trailing closely.
Drafting is not necessary for this venue. However, the
deeper a player gets into a lap, the more braking is required
to safely negotiate each of the four corners.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: KING CHARLES STREET WEST
This venue is largely 'L'-shaped, and uses much of Great
George Street East II with an additional segment. The
Start/Finish Line has also been moved to what would be the
'back stretch' of the Great George Street East II venue.
Beyond the Start/Finish Line, the raceway narrows nearly in
half, as at the Great George Street East II venue. However,
things differ here in that, almost immediately after the
narrowing of the raceway, this venue turns to the right
(ninety degrees) with a little more narrowing. After a very
brief straightaway, there are a pair of consecutive left-hand
right-angle corners through which the raceway widens a little
each time; these can be taken as a single wide left-hand
hairpin corner. This comprises Turns 1-3.
Turn 4 is identical to Turn 4 at Great George Street East II:
a left-hand right-angle corner through the VERY VERY VERY
VERY VERY narrow archway, and then onto the 'back stretch' of
this venue. The final two corners are identical to Turns 1
and 2 at Great George Street East II, in that the column with
the statue must be avoided and stairs descended at the entry
to this final section.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: HOUSE GUARDS EAST
This venue is more-or-less rectangular... mostly less. The
raceway is marked with narrow archways and various obstacles
which must be circumnavigated at high speeds and which will
almost certainly cause problems at night and in other low-
visibility racing conditions.
The approach to the first corner actually contains TWO
obstacles in the roadway. The first, a tall column, is easy
to see. Almost directly behind it, however, is a tiny fenced
area in the middle of the roadway directly at the entry of
Turn 1. Those who pass these obstacles on the left will have
a harder time getting through Turn 1, as the fenced-in area
will block direct access to the corner itself, so it is best
to pass these obstacles on the right; however, heavy braking
will be required, and drifting the rear end of the car will
certainly help. The exit of Turn 1 passes through a VERY
narrow archway.
Ahead, another stone column can be seen in the roadway.
Directly beyond it is a set of descending STAIRS, then the
raceway takes a J-turn to the right. Drifting here will help
to get through the corner faster, but may not be necessary if
passing the column on the left (which provides the optimum
racing line here).
The 'back stretch' has a dogleg to the left which can be
taken at full throttle - but it is so short that it is
possible to overshoot Turn 3, a right-hand J-turn which is
extremely wide and will easily allow for four-wide racing
action... but the next 'short chute' is too narrow for four-
wide racing.
The 'short chute' passes through another VERY narrow archway
just before the right-hand right-angle Turn 4. However, once
on the 'front stretch,' there is still one more statue in the
middle of the road way which must be avoided before reaching
the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: ST. JAMES' PARK WEST
This venue is essentially shaped like a long carrot (Ryo-
Ohki, where are you!?!?!), so players should expect trouble
at the 'point' of the circuit.
The 'front stretch' is the only lengthy section which can
truly be taken at full acceleration. Except with the fastest
of cars, the right-hand J-turn at the end of the 'front
stretch' (the beginning of the 'top' of the carrot) can be
taken with just a little braking if using a very wide racing
line which perfectly hits the apex.
Coming across the 'top' of the carrot, the raceway doglegs
slightly to the right. At this dogleg, smart players will
begin braking for Turn 2, which enters the most difficult
section of the circuit.
Turn 2 transitions from fairly wide roadway to fairly narrow
park path. Further, the exit of Turn 2 passes between two
metal columns or posts, as if a gate previously blocked
access to the park. This can be a prime overtaking area by
outbraking competitors, and it can also be a great place to
simply ram other cars to take their position(s) just before
entering the park. In any case, the columns/posts are so
close together that only one car may pass at a time.
Once in the park, the path is bounded by fencing and twists
back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming a severe dogleg
beside a building. Even worse, this building blocks the left
quarter of the raceway, making it even more difficult to
carry any significant speed while attempting to clear the
fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand dogleg.
The 'tip' of the carrot is the most difficult area. A large
part of the difficulty here comes from attempting to find the
proper braking point - which is made even more difficult
because the path is covered with gravel... whereas the cars
in Metropolis Street Racer are inherently equipped with
tires designed for driving on pavement and cannot be changed
under any circumstances :-( If the player can show the car
enough, drifting through this tight right-hand hairpin can
help to shed some time on a lap.
From here, it is time to power the accelerator up the 'front
stretch' to Turn 1!!!
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: GREAT GEORGE STREET EAST
This is the reverse/mirror configuration of House Guards
East.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: ST. JAMES' PARK BRIDGE NORTH
Races here begin by heading along the outer edge of St.
James' Park toward the tall white statue used at the Queen
Victoria Memorial venue. Once at the statue, the raceway
essentially makes a left-hand right-angle turn, follows
around the statue for ninety degrees, then makes another
left-hand right-angle turn; in reality, it is best to treat
this section as one LONG left-hand right-angle corner with a
WIDE racing line that brushes up against the fencing
surrounding the tall white statue. Shortly after passing out
of this section, there will be another left-hand corner, this
time opening onto a slightly-wider raceway with an angle of
about 135 degrees.
Turn 3 ahead is tricky. This is a left-hand J-turn onto a
narrow stone path through the park. While it is possible to
run through the park side-by-side, this is not recommended -
especially when passing over the short bridge (which narrows
compared to the stone-covered pathways).
Shortly after leaving the bridge, there is a final left-hand
corner, this time emerging onto pavement. This is another J-
turn, but definitely much gentler than Turn 3. Shortly ahead
is the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: BIRDCAGE WALK WEST II
This is essentially the reverse/mirror configuration of St.
James' Park Bridge North. However, the Start/Finish Line has
been moved much closer toward the tall white statue.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: SHORT: GREAT GEORGE STREET WEST
Events here begin on the section of House Guards East with
the dogleg. The dogleg to the left can be taken at full
throttle - but it is so short that it is possible to
overshoot Turn 1, a right-hand J-turn which is extremely wide
and will easily allow for four-wide racing action... but the
next 'short chute' is too narrow for four-wide racing.
The 'short chute' passes through another VERY narrow archway
just before the right-hand right-angle Turn 2. However, once
on the 'back stretch,' there are several statues and fenced-
in areas in the middle of the raceway which must be avoided.
After passing a small grassy square on the right, a pair of
consecutive narrowed right-hand right-angle corners brings
the traffic around to the opposite side of the square. The
narrowed Turn 5 then heads to the left, back toward the
'front stretch,' with Turn 6 leading to the right and onto
the 'front stretch' itself.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: ST. JAMES' PARK WEST II
Events here begin in St. James' Park, with the Start/Finish
Line positioned directly at the entrance to the narrow
bridge. This means that in races, since the player always
begins in last position, it would be wise to simply stay back
and wait for the other cars to slot onto the bridge at the
beginning of a race to avoid incurring Penalties and to
ensure that the car does not become stuck in a traffic jam.
Shortly after clearing the bridge, the path transitions to
pavement in Turn 1. This is a left-hand corner which is
trickier than it appears on approach (especially at nighttime
and in other low-visibility conditions) because the barrier
on the inside of the corner juts outward a bit at the apex,
meaning that those who are not paying attention will suddenly
find themselves either at a standstill against this barrier
or knocked askew in the raceway. For this reason, the
traditional racing line through Turn 1 will NOT be
productive. Slight braking is necessary to ensure avoiding
this projection of the inside barrier.
Turn 2 will require moderate braking. This is a left-hand
corner which is not particularly difficult, although the
fencing along the raceway can trick the eyes... and the
player's confidence. This opens onto a section which doglegs
to the right and to the left.
Turn 3 transitions from fairly wide roadway to fairly narrow
park path. Further, the exit of Turn 3 passes between two
metal columns or posts, as if a gate previously blocked
access to the park. This can be a prime overtaking area by
outbraking competitors, and it can also be a great place to
simply ram other cars to take their position(s) just before
entering the park. In any case, the columns/posts are so
close together that only one car may pass at a time.
Once in the park, the path is bounded by fencing and twists
back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming a severe dogleg
beside a building. Even worse, this building blocks the left
quarter of the raceway, making it even more difficult to
carry any significant speed while attempting to clear the
fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand dogleg.
Turn 4 is a tight left-hand J-turn to connect with the path
leading to the bridge and the Start/Finish Line. Because of
the narrowness of the paths, this is an extremely difficult
corner, and drifting will be required in order to carry any
semi-respectable speed through this corner. The Start/Finish
Line is almost adjacent to the exit of Turn 4.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: HOUSE GUARDS SOUTH II
Shortly past the Start/Finish Line, the raceway turns to the
right into St. James' Park, transitioning to the traditional
stone path. The 'mouth' of the path is fairly wide here,
about as wide as the paved raceway, but then narrows down
twice - first to regular path width, then to the bridge
width. Fortunately, this race circuit uses this same path
all the way to the other side of the park, so there is no
sharp turn after crossing the bridge.
Turn 2 is a right-hand corner which leads out onto a red
raceway which is much wider than the path; only minor braking
should be needed here... if any. After a fairly lengthy
straightaway, Turn 3 is a gentle right-hand corner which
leads onto a long section of flat-out acceleration with
several slight doglegs several times around the perimeter of
St. James' Park.
Turn 4 can be tricky due to all the speed gained through the
dogleg section. This J-turn requires at least moderate
braking, and perhaps drifting as well. Good speed is
required out of Turn 4 on the final lap, as the Start/Finish
Line is not very far beyond the exit of this last corner.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: ST. JAMES' PARK NORTH
Events at this circuit begin in St. James' Park itself. This
initial path twists a bit, with its major left-hand dogleg
blocked partially on the right by the protrusion of a
building; therefore, carrying a lot of speed through this
section is obviously necessary, but carries far more risk
than usual. This eventually leads onto red pavement at Turn
1, a right-hand J-turn which can take players by surprise.
After a straightaway which has several fades, Turn 2 is even
trickier. This is a blind left-hand right-angle corner which
seems fairly straightforward at first, but then the ascending
STAIRS and the stone column in the middle of the raceway are
revealed. A wide racing line is probably best here to gain a
few more milliseconds to spot the column and plan a driving
line around it.
Ahead, the raceway narrows and funnels traffic single-file
through a VERY tiny stone archway, beyond which the raceway
turns sharply to the right. Drifting will certainly help
with Turn 3 here.
After a VERY brief straightaway, the very barrier-narrowed
Turn 4 heads to the right, where the roadway momentarily
widens, then narrows, then widens again. Taking a wide line
out of Turn 4 will result in cars banging the narrowing
barrier beyond the corner exit; banging this barrier with
excessive speed will almost certainly force the car into a
spin. Drifting may help with Turn 4, but because the corner
is so incredibly narrow and tight, players may want to think
twice before engaging in drifting tactics here.
After a lengthy straightaway with several fades, the raceway
turns to the right back into St. James' Park, transitioning
to the traditional stone path. The 'mouth' of the path is
fairly wide here, about as wide as the paved raceway, but
then narrows down twice - first to regular path width, then
to the bridge width. Just beyond the exit of the bridge, the
raceway turns sharply to the right, with the Start/Finish
Line just beyond the exit of this final corner.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: BIRDCAGE WALK EAST III
The first turn is a left-hand right-angle corner leading
through a VERY narrow archway which can only accommodate one
car. Once through here, the raceway widens somewhat. Ahead,
the right-hand right-angle Turn 2 is preceded by a stone
column in the middle of the raceway, itself followed by
descending STAIRS; plenty of drift can be very beneficial
here for corner exit.
Almost immediately after the dogleg to the left, the raceway
itself makes a hard left turn (Turn 3) onto a stone path of
St. James' Park. Once in the park, the path is bounded by
fencing and twists back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming
a severe dogleg beside a building. Even worse, this building
blocks the left quarter of the raceway, making it even more
difficult to carry any significant speed while attempting to
clear the fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand
dogleg.
Turn 4 is a tight left-hand J-turn to connect with the path
leading to the now-familiar bridge. Because of the
narrowness of the paths, this is an extremely difficult
corner, and drifting will be required in order to carry any
semi-respectable speed through this corner.
Shortly after clearing the bridge, the path transitions to
pavement in Turn 5. This is a left-hand corner which is
trickier than it appears on approach (especially at nighttime
and in other low-visibility conditions) because the barrier
on the inside of the corner juts outward a bit at the apex,
meaning that those who are not paying attention will suddenly
find themselves either at a standstill against this barrier
or knocked askew in the raceway. For this reason, the
traditional racing line through Turn 5 will NOT be
productive. Slight braking is necessary to ensure avoiding
this projection of the inside barrier. Turn 5 opens onto a
lengthy straightaway.
After a dogleg to the left, Big Ben is visible ahead between
the buildings. Also visible are two sets of arrows: the
nearest arrows point to the right, while the next set point
to the left. It is easy to get confused here and assume that
the first set of arrows indicate that the raceway is
narrowing (this is especially true at night), but there
actually IS a right-hand turn here. In fact, Turn 6 is
extremely narrow, so extreme caution must be taken here,
especially given the speed attained along the straightaway
following Turn 5. After a very brief straightaway, there are
a pair of consecutive left-hand right-angle corners (Turns 7
and 8) through which the raceway widens a little each time;
these can be taken as a single wide left-hand hairpin corner.
The Start/Finish Line is located at the exit of this tricky
section.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: BIRDCAGE WALK EAST II
This is essentially the reverse/mirror of Birdcage Walk East
III, except that what would be the initial left-right section
(up the steps and through a tiny archway) has been removed.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: CABINET WAR ROOMS NORTH
Starting within St. James' Park, the first turn is indeed the
trickiest of this circuit. From the Start/Finish Line,
arrows can be seen pointing to the right, indicating a major
corner to the right; however, the raceway really only makes a
quick JOG to the right before continuing onward along a
nearly-parallel trajectory. This is a rather significant
jog, however, as the barrier blocks a direct path from stone
path to red pavement.
After a very brief straightaway, the raceway comes to the
tall white statue from Queen Victoria Memorial. The raceway
heads around the statue to the right, ultimately making a
total turn of roughly 270 degrees before continuing onward.
This is a great place to pass those cars which carry too much
speed into the statue area and find themselves sliding to the
outside of the raceway; passes can then easily be made close
to the continuous apex. After an all-too-brief straightaway,
there is a turn to the left which requires slight braking.
A long straightaway ensues, allowing cars to attain fairly
high speeds. This is a problem for the left-hand Turn 4,
which then requires rather heavy braking due to all the
speed. Cars which carry too much speed through Turn 4 will
almost certainly bounce off the barrier at corner exit and
spin violently.
After a few doglegs, Turn 5 transitions from fairly wide
roadway to fairly narrow park path. Further, the exit of
Turn 5 passes between two metal columns or posts, as if a
gate previously blocked access to the park. This can be a
prime overtaking area by outbraking competitors, and it can
also be a great place to simply ram other cars to take their
position(s) just before entering the park. In any case, the
columns/posts are so close together that only one car may
pass at a time.
Once in the park, the path is bounded by fencing and twists
back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming a severe dogleg
beside a building. Even worse, this building blocks the left
quarter of the raceway, making it even more difficult to
carry any significant speed while attempting to clear the
fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand dogleg.
The Start/Finish Line is just beyond this protruding
building.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: HOUSE GUARDS NORTH
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: THE CENOTAPH NORTH
Almost immediately beyond the Start/Finish Line, Turn 1 is a
left-hand corner likely requiring just light braking if a
fairly wide racing line is used. This opens onto a somewhat-
lengthy straightaway, at the end of which the raceway turns
to the left into St. James' Park, transitioning to the
traditional stone path. The 'mouth' of the path is fairly
wide here, about as wide as the paved raceway, but then
narrows down twice - first to regular path width, then to the
bridge width.
At the end of the path, the raceway exits St. James' Park and
turns to the left (Turn 3). This is a fairly significant
corner, but the apex cannot be cut due to a slightly-
protruding barrier.
After a dogleg to the left, Big Ben is visible ahead between
the buildings. Also visible are two sets of arrows: the
nearest arrows point to the right, while the next set point
to the left. It is easy to get confused here and assume that
the first set of arrows indicate that the raceway is
narrowing (this is especially true at night), but there
actually IS a right-hand turn here. In fact, Turn 4 is
extremely narrow, so extreme caution must be taken here,
especially given the speed attained along the straightaway
following Turn 3. After a very brief straightaway, there are
a pair of consecutive left-hand right-angle corners (Turns 5
and 6) through which the raceway widens a little each time;
these can be taken as a single wide left-hand hairpin corner.
This next straightaway is also fairly lengthy, and contains
three obstacles in the raceway. The third obstacle makes
turning left for Turn 7 very difficult, as it blocks what
would be the optimal racing line. Making things more
difficult is the fact that this blind corner turns and passes
underneath a tiny archway cut into a building, so only one
car can pass through at a time; this is a prime place for
traffic jams.
Shortly past the archway, the raceway again turns to the
right. This corner can be taken flat-out. Ahead, just
beyond the left-hand dogleg, is the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: ST. JAMES BRIDGE SOUTH
This is essentially the same as The Cenotaph North, except
that the left-right section through the building's archways
comes one city block sooner (thus avoiding the obstacles in
the raceway), and the Start/Finish Line is positioned just
about where Big Ben can first be seen.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: HOUSE GUARDS SOUTH
Launching off the Start/Finish Line, there are two obstacles
in the raceway which must be avoided. Immediately beyond the
second of these obstacles, however, the circuit turns sharply
to the right in an extremely narrow section which is likely
to cause bottlenecks if any one car makes a mistake here. On
corner exit, the raceway widens, then narrows, then widens
again.
Ahead, the circuit continues to the right on a corner (Turn
2) which should require light braking. After two doglegs
(one to the right and one to the left), the raceway itself
makes a hard left turn (Turn 3) onto a stone path of St.
James' Park. Once in the park, the path is bounded by
fencing and twists back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming
a severe dogleg beside a building. Even worse, this building
blocks the left quarter of the raceway, making it even more
difficult to carry any significant speed while attempting to
clear the fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand
dogleg.
Turn 4 is a right-hand tight hairpin turn which WILL require
drifting in order to carry good speed here and hopefully make
a few passes on corner exit. It may be extremely difficult
to judge the proper braking zone here, especially at night or
in other low-visibility conditions.
After a lengthy straightaway, the circuit holds a double
right-hand apex (Turns 5 and 6) followed almost immediately
by a left-hand J-turn (Turn 7) toward a tiny covered archway
through a building. Just beyond the archway, the circuit
makes a perpendicular turn to the right, where another stone
column must be avoided before attaining the Start/Finish
Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: MEDIUM: BIRDCAGE WALK WEST III
This event venue runs around the circumference of St. James'
Park. As such, the straightaways are rather lengthy,
requiring long braking zones before each corner. Also,
except for the entry to and the exit from the traffic circle
around the tall white statue, all corners are right-hand
corners. This is a great race venue for those who prefer
high speeds over technical driving.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: BIRDCAGE WALK WEST
The 'front stretch' is an excellent and lengthy high-speed
area. However, due to the incredible speeds attained here,
the braking zone for the right-hand J-turn at Turn 1 will be
EXTREMELY long. Once past Turn 1, there is a slight dogleg
in the circuit.
Almost immediately after the dogleg to the left, the raceway
itself makes a hard right turn (Turn 2) onto a stone path of
St. James' Park. Once in the park, the path is bounded by
fencing and twists back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming
a severe dogleg beside a building. Even worse, this building
blocks the left quarter of the raceway, making it even more
difficult to carry any significant speed while attempting to
clear the fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand
dogleg.
Turn 3 is a tight left-hand J-turn to connect with the path
leading to the now-familiar bridge. Because of the
narrowness of the paths, this is an extremely difficult
corner, and drifting will be required in order to carry any
semi-respectable speed through this corner.
At the end of the path, Turn 4 is a sharp right-hand J-turn
transitioning back onto the pavement. Drifting will be
required here to maintain some semblance of speed during this
transition.
After a somewhat-long straightaway, the circuit narrows
practically in half for the right-hand J-turn at Turn 5.
This leads to the traffic circle from the Queen Victoria
Memorial venue; this time, however, the raceway remains to
the right side of the traffic circle, so it is possible to
power out of Turn 5 and easily straightline this traffic
circle through the dogleg at its end to the immense
straightaway, with the Start/Finish Line appearing shortly
past the traffic circle.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: THE MALL EAST
A large part of this venue runs along the perimeter of St.
James' Park, where a lot of speed can be attained. However,
this is tempered by a technical section with obstacles in the
raceway.
From the Start/Finish Line, two obstacles (a stone column and
a fenced-in area) make the right-hand perpendicular Turn 1
rather difficult. It is best to clear these obstacles on the
left, as this provides a better (although certainly not
optimum) racing line into Turn 1; drifting is also certainly
a requirement here. However, the exit of Turn 1 passes
through a VERY narrow archway through a building, so traffic
jams can be quite common here.
Once past the archway, a stone column appears in the raceway
ahead. The best racing line is to pass this column on the
right, and descend the STAIRS while turning through this
left-hand right-angle corner. Shortly afterward, the circuit
turns again to the right with a J-turn, bringing the cars now
to the perimeter of St. James' Park.
After a lengthy straightaway, the next complex of right-hand
corners can be tricky. The fencing in this area can play
tricks on the eyes, causing the player to think the circuit
is narrower than it actually is here, and that the 'short
chute' between Turns 4 and 5 is longer than it actually is.
Once clear of Turn 5 (exiting the traffic circle), the
longest straightaway at this venue awaits, providing an
excellent opportunity to attain excessive speeds. It is
important to carry as much speed as possible through Turn 5,
or else competitors will be able to easily pass by. However,
due to the incredible speeds attained here, the braking zone
for the right-hand J-turn at Turn 6 will be EXTREMELY long.
Once past Turn 6, there is a slight dogleg in the circuit
before the wide left-hand Turn 7. This leads up to a narrow
archway, with the right-hand right-angle Turn 8 immediately
following.
On exiting the final corner, it is important to get to the
left side of the circuit as quickly as possible, both to
avoid the stone obstacle in the raceway (beyond which is the
Start/Finish Line) and to set up Turn 1 ahead.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: WHITEHALL SOUTH
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: ST. JAMES CHALLENGE
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: THE MALL WEST IV
This venue is a mixture of high-speed, lengthy straightaways
and technical cornering. Much of the raceway runs along the
perimeter of St. James' Park.
The opening straightaway is rather lengthy and contains a
dogleg to the right, where the raceway passes between
buildings. Just ahead are two sets of arrows to the left;
the first simply indicates that the circuit is narrowing in
half, whereas the second indicates Turn 1, a tight left-hand
right-angle corner which is extremely narrow on exit due to a
fenced-in area. Almost immediately upon exiting Turn 1,
there is a similar turn to the left passing through a VERY
narrow archway. Ahead, a tall stone column stands in the
raceway just before descending STAIRS and the right-angle
right-hand Turn 3.
The rest of this circuit now runs along the perimeter of St.
James' Park. This straightaway contains two doglegs to the
left, followed closely by an actual left-hand corner which
will require light or moderate braking. Strong power is
needed through and out of Turn 4 to set up passing
opportunities along this longest of straightaways at this
venue.
At the end of the immense straightaway, the trickiest section
of the circuit is at hand, as the raceway goes around the
traffic circle from the Queen Victoria Memorial venue. This
complex involves a 45-degree turn to the right, traveling
approximately 270 degrees, straightening out, a 'short
chute,' then a VERY narrow left-hand J-turn onto the
straightaway containing the Start/Finish Line. Most likely,
this tricky complex is where a race will be either won or
lost.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: PARLIAMENT STREET SOUTH
The circuit map for this venue looks incredibly similar the
circuit map for The Mall West IV, but there are indeed
differences here. The main differences are that:
1.) Parliament Street South actually runs through St.
James' Park.
2.) Parliament Street South is run in the reverse
direction compared to The Mall West IV.
The Start/Finish Line is at the dogleg leaving the area of
buildings (facing away from Big Ben) and heading alongside
St. James' Park. This opening straightaway is rather
lengthy, which makes the traffic circle complex incredibly...
complex.
The traffic circle complex involves a NARROW right-hand J-
turn, a quick turn to the left, approximately 270 degrees to
the right around the tall statue, and another turn to the
left to leave the area. The fencing in this area can play
tricks on the eyes, causing the player to think the circuit
is narrower than it actually is here.
The next straightaway appears (on the circuit map) to run all
the way to the end of St. James' Park along its perimeter but
that is not the case. About 1/3 of the way along this
perimeter, there is a NASTY right-left chicane onto a path
through St. James' Park; unsuspecting players will be stopped
in their tiremarks against a barrier while competitors fly
past onto the path and into the distance. This is most
likely where a race will be either won or lost.
Once on the path through St. James' Park, the first part of
the path is a straightforward sprint. Then, however, comes
the nasty dogleg with the protruding building. Shortly
beyond this, the path exits onto red pavement and the raceway
passes through a narrow archway, beyond which is a right-hand
right-angle corner. Exiting this turn requires a wide racing
line to get around a stone column in the raceway.
There are two more obstacles in the raceway. After passing a
small grassy square on the right, a pair of consecutive
narrowed right-hand right-angle corners brings the traffic
around to the opposite side of the square. The following
narrowed corner then heads to the left, back onto the 'front
stretch.'
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: THE FORTHCOURT SOUTH
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: BIRDCAGE WALK EAST
Shortly beyond the Start/Finish Line are two obstacles in the
raceway; a third appears later on this straightaway. It is
best to pass all three obstacles on the right, to see up the
best possible racing line for the left-hand Turn 1, which
passes through a narrow archway. Shortly afterward, the
raceway makes a right-hand turn through the widened Turn 2,
then a dogleg to the left, then an actual slight-braking turn
through the left-hand Turn 3 and onto the longest
straightaway of the venue (running along the outer perimeter
of St. James' Park), which in turns spills into the
aforementioned tricky traffic circle complex.
Exiting the traffic circle complex, another lengthy
straightaway ensues. After a dogleg to the left, Big Ben is
visible ahead between the buildings. Also visible are two
sets of arrows: the nearest arrows point to the right, while
the next set point to the left. It is easy to get confused
here and assume that the first set of arrows indicate that
the raceway is narrowing (this is especially true at night),
but there actually IS a right-hand turn here; in fact, the
corner IS extremely narrow, so extreme caution must be taken
here, especially given the speed attained along the
straightaway following the traffic circle complex. After a
very brief straightaway, there are a pair of consecutive
left-hand right-angle corners through which the raceway
widens a little each time; these can be taken as a single
wide left-hand hairpin corner. The Start/Finish Line is
located at the exit of this tricky section.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: PARLIAMENT STREET SOUTH II
After a dogleg to the left following the Start/Finish Line,
Turn 1 transitions from fairly wide roadway to fairly narrow
park path. Further, the exit of Turn 1 passes between two
metal columns or posts, as if a gate previously blocked
access to the park. This can be a prime overtaking area by
outbraking competitors, and it can also be a great place to
simply ram other cars to take their position(s) just before
entering the park. In any case, the columns/posts are so
close together that only one car may pass at a time.
Once in the park, the path is bounded by fencing and twists
back and forth, with a MAJOR twist forming a severe dogleg
beside a building. Even worse, this building blocks the left
quarter of the raceway, making it even more difficult to
carry any significant speed while attempting to clear the
fence-protected apex of the tight right-hand dogleg.
Turn 2 is a tight left-hand J-turn to connect with the path
leading to the now-familiar narrow bridge. Because of the
narrowness of the paths, this is an extremely difficult
corner, and drifting will be required in order to carry any
semi-respectable speed through this corner.
Ahead, Turn 3 marks a transition from narrow stone path to
wide pavement. A nice straightaway follows.
Next is a triple-apex right-hand complex (Turns 4-6) through
the right side of the traffic circle. The first corner is a
right-angle corner, with a 'short chute' up to the traffic
circle itself. There are two other right-hand corners here,
but the fencing can make it appear much trickier than it
actually is. This complex empties onto the longest
straightaway of the venue as it passes along the perimeter of
St. James' Park.
At the end of the massive straightaway, the right-hand Turn 7
requires a LONG braking zone. This empties onto a left-hand
dogleg, and then onto a widened left-hand Turn 8 to head
toward a narrow archway. Just past the archway, the right-
hand right-angle Turn 9 awaits.
This straightaway contains FOUR obstacles blocking the
raceway. It is best to exit Turn 9 rather wide to pass the
first obstacle on the left, then quickly cut to the right to
pass the second and third obstacles. At the fourth obstacle,
there is NO possibility of passing it on the left, so the
only option is to keep tight to the right while passing
through its narrow entry into the right-and right-angle Turn
10. Exiting Turn 10, the raceway widens, then narrows, then
widens again.
Ahead is the final corner, a right-hand perpendicular turn
which can be carried with great speed and only slight braking
(if any). This leads up to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: ST. JAMES' PARK: LONG: ST. JAMES CIRCULAR
Available ONLY in Time Attack Mode, this venue allows players
to roam freely along those routes used in the St. James' Park
sector of London.
====================================
====================================
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: CHARING CROSS ROAD SOUTH
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: LEKESTER SQUARE NORTH
This oddly-shaped 'circle' venue is not really a circle, nor
is it a square, nor is it an oval. However, it must really
be approached in the same manner as Queen Victoria Memorial.
There are also several buildings protruding away from the
barriers.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: NELSON'S COLUMN SOUTH
This is a highly-technical triangular-shaped venue with a
median in the raceway at the Start/Finish Line. DRIFTING IS
AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to even be somewhat competitive here.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: TRAFALGAR SOUTH
The circuit map for Trafalgar South shows that this is a
circular venue. The reality is that this is really a square-
shaped venue with well-rounded corners. Turns 1 and 2 are
somewhat narrow (not much, but enough to potentially surprise
players), while Turns 3 and 4 are rather wide.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: NELSON'S COLUMN NORTH
This is essentially an egg-shaped venue encircling Nelson's
Column, using all right-hand corners. The outside barriers
are NOT all flush together, which can create havoc for cars
which come too close to the outer barriers. Turn 1 is fairly
wide, while the other corners are all rather narrow.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: ST. MARTINS NORTH
Like Nelson's Column North, this is essentially an egg-shaped
venue. Each of the corners (to the left) are somewhat
narrowed, with further narrowing of the raceway before the
entry of Turn 2. A median appears between Turns 1 and 2.
Also, Turn 1 is the sharpest of the corners here, and will
likely require drifting.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: STRAND NORTH
This venue is almost identical to St. Martins North, except
that it is extended by one city block. Otherwise, everything
listed for St. Martins North (above) applies equally to
Strand North.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: TRAFALGAR EAST
This is almost identical to Strand North, except that the
westernmost end of the venue comes to a point. Just before
the point, the raceway narrows. The point itself is an
incredibly-sharp left-hand hairpin corner which will
DEFINITELY require drifting.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: COCKSPUR STREET EAST
For such a short event venue, this is indeed a tricky
circuit. Essentially trapezoidal in nature, this venue uses
all left-hand corners.
Ahead of the Start/Finish Line, a tall column stands in the
middle of the raceway, which narrows as it passes the column.
The column itself stands at the top of several groups of
STAIRS, then the circuit heads to the left for Turn 1.
Ahead, there are a set of three archways in the raceway. The
best racing line is to use the right-most archway, then
perform Turn 2 by hitting the apex EXACTLY, as Turn 2 narrows
tremendously. On exit, it is important to keep to the right,
as there is a median in the raceway on corner exit.
The raceway narrows again just before Turn 3. Ahead, Turn 4
can be seen, but it is easy to overshoot the corner at night
and in other low-visibility conditions. It is important to
keep wide to the right exiting Turn 4 to avoid the obstacle
in the middle of the raceway immediately before the
Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: SHORT: PALL MALL EAST II
Pall Mall East II is even trickier than Cockspur Street
East!!!
Here, the Start/Finish Line is located before the triple-
archway. Again, it is best to use the right-most archway,
then perform Turn 1 by hitting the apex EXACTLY, as Turn 1
narrows tremendously. IMMEDIATELY, drivers must get to the
left for the right-hand Turn 2, which is a tight J-turn.
Turn 3 follows almost immediately. This left-hand J-turn is
made even more difficult because of both the narrowness of
the raceway and the fact that the barrier at the apex
protrudes into the raceway itself, essentially forcing cars
to 'turn right' before they can finally turn left here. This
corner will DEFINITELY require drifting.
The ensuing straightaway narrows briefly and then widens
again. Ahead, the left-hand right-angle Turn 4 can be seen,
but it is easy to overshoot the corner at night and in other
low-visibility conditions. It is important to keep wide to
the right exiting Turn 4 to avoid the obstacle in the middle
of the raceway on corner exit.
Turn 5 follows very quickly after Turn 4. Here, a tall
column stands in the middle of the raceway, which narrows as
it passes the column. The column itself stands at the top of
several groups of STAIRS, then the circuit heads to the left
for Turn 1, and on to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: THE MALL WEST V
This is the reverse/mirror of Pall mall East II, with the
Start/Finish Line moved to before the tight corner with the
protruding barrier at the apex.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: ADMIRALTY ARCH EAST
This is a reverse/mirror version of Cockspur Street East,
except extended by one city block in its back side to include
a fairly tight hairpin corner.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: PALL MALL WEST
This is Admiralty Arch East with an additional hairpin
corner, and the Start/Finish Line moved to between the two
hairpins.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: ST. MARTINS NORTH II
Turn 1 is a left-hand perpendicular corner which must be
taken wide to avoid the column in the raceway on corner exit
and to properly set up Turn 2.
Ahead, a tall column stands in the middle of the raceway,
which narrows as it passes the column. The column itself
stands at the top of several groups of STAIRS, then the
circuit heads to the left for Turn 2.
Ahead, there are a set of three archways in the raceway. The
best racing line is to use the right-most archway, as the
circuit narrows and forces traffic to merge to the right upon
passing through the archways. Ahead, a gentle double-apex
left-hand section brings the traffic around Nelsons Column
onto the 'front stretch,' which contains two brief narrow
sections before the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: PALL MALL EAST
This is identical to St. Martins North II, except that the
Start/Finish Line has been moved to DIRECTLY before the
triple-archways, which are followed by a tight nasty left-
right-left chicane before going around Nelsons Column.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: REGENT STREET SOUTH
Regent Street South is fairly different from any of the
preceding event venues in the Trafalgar sector of London.
The first complex is a set of three gentle left-hand corners
which continually narrow the raceway and transition onto red
brick. Almost immediately, the raceway transitions to whiter
blocks and turns to the right rather abruptly, requiring at
least moderate braking. Almost immediately after that, the
circuit cuts back abruptly to the left around a building,
hiding an obstacle in the roadway, so a wide racing line is
required around this building; then the exit of the corner
narrows to force all traffic to merge to the left. (While
drifting may indeed be beneficial for much of this initial
complex, the worst part of the circuit has now been completed
- whew!!!)
After a short straightaway, the circuit edges to the right
just before a 135-degree left-hand J-turn (Turn 6).
Fortunately, the raceway is a bit wider here, but drifting
will still be quite beneficial through this corner.
Ahead, Turn 7 is a left-hand right-angle corner whose optimum
racing line is blocked by a statue in the raceway. By
entering Turn 7 from the extreme far-right and hitting the
apex flawlessly, it is possible to squeak by this statue
without incident. Ahead, the raceway narrows, merging all
traffic to the left at the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: TRAFALGAR CHALLENGE
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: REGENT STREET SOUTH II
This is the same as Regent Street South, except that the
right-left complex on the white blocks comes earlier. This
is good in that it makes it easier to spot and thus get
around the obstacle in the raceway at the end of this
section.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: CHARING CROSS EAST
This is the reverse/mirror configuration of Regent Street
South.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: MEDIUM: COVENTRY STREET WEST
This is Regent Street South II with an additional left-right-
left around a building. Plus, the Start/Finish Line has been
moved to the transition point from red brick to pavement.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: IRVING STREET EAST
This is the reverse of Coventry Street West, with the
Start/Finish Line moved to the area with the white blocks.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: REGENT STREET NORTH II
Almost directly beyond the Start/Finish Line is a lamppost in
the middle of the raceway. Avoiding this, players should get
to the far-left side of the raceway to set up the right-hand
Turn 1, then get back to the right side to set up the left-
hand Turn 2.
A number of gentle right-hand corners follow, sometimes with
the raceway narrowing somewhat. At the median, take the
right side, to better set up the following left-hand corner
(Turn 6).
Turn 7 follows almost immediately - and, due to the statue in
the raceway, there is almost no good way through this corner.
The best thing to do (which is definitely NOT the optimal
racing line thanks to the statue) is to approach from the far
left, then treat Turn 7 as a decreasing-radius corner to
squeak past both the apex and the statue.
When the Sanyo sign on the side of the building can be seen,
begin braking for the right-hand J-turn at Turn 8. Drifting
will be required to maintain some speed here. The raceway
fades slightly to the left on corner exit, and continues on
to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: REGENT STREET SOUTH II
This is the reverse/mirror of Coventry Street West with the
Start/Finish Line alongside the added building.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: THE MALL WEST III
This relatively high-speed circuit begins just before the
transition from pavement to red brick entering the section
with the white blocks. The first two corners are a right-
left complex through the white-block area, with the lightpost
in the middle of the raceway exiting the blind Turn 2. After
a straightaway, a quick fade to the right precedes the left-
hand J-turn at Turn 3, where drifting is probably a good idea
to maintain speed.
This opens onto a long straightaway where great speeds can be
attained. There are two obstacles in the raceway along the
latter half of this straightaway; it is best to pass these on
the right-hand side in order to have the best possible racing
line for Turn 4. Immediately after the second obstacle (the
tall stone column), the raceway descends STAIRS, then makes a
perpendicular turn to the left.
Ahead is the triple-archway. This time, the middle archway
is the best one to use, as the raceway narrows here from
either side, forcing all traffic to merge to the center.
Once past the triple-archway, the circuit makes three gentle
high-speed turns to the left. Due to narrowness from the
left side, it is best to keep to the right until the exit of
the third turn, where the circuit widens briefly but then
narrows from the right side at the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: REGENT STREET NORTH
This is essentially a reverse/mirror configuration of The
Mall West III with a shifted Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: CHARING CROSS ROAD NORTH
This is essentially The Mall West III with a clockwise trip
around Nelsons Column.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: THE MALL EAST II
At first glance at the circuit map, this appears to be just
like The Mall West III. However, this is much trickier,
especially at night or in other low-visibility conditions.
Turn 1 is a right-hand J-turn with a fade to the left on
corner exit. Drifting through Turn 1 should help to maintain
a semblance of speed, which can help in passing slower cars
on corner exit.
Immediately after the obstacle in the middle of the raceway,
the circuit makes its right-left bend through the white-block
area. It is best to pass the lamppost on the left to provide
a better racing line for Turn 2.
Now the circuit begins to get rather tricky (and,
unfortunately, not in an SSX way). There is a nasty fade to
the left immediately before Turn 3, which itself is a tight
and narrow J-turn to the right around a protruding barrier
(fencing) at the apex. Drifting is DEFINITELY required here
to maintain a little more speed than any competitors. The
circuit fades again to the right on corner exit.
Now at Nelsons Column, the circuit goes around it
counterclockwise. It is best to not gain too much speed here
for Turns 4 and 5, as Turn 6 is NASTY!!!
Immediately after Turn 5, the circuit heads back to the
right. This is another J-turn, which leads to a widened
raceway and the triple-archway. It is best to take the left-
most or center archway, then get to the left side of the
raceway to set up Turn 7.
This final corner must be taken wide, as it empties onto
ascending STAIRS with a tall stone column at its center.
After passing one more obstacle in the middle of the raceway,
cars pass the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: THE MALL WEST II
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: TRAFALGAR: LONG: TRAFALGAR CIRCULAR
Available ONLY in Time Attack Mode, this venue allows players
to roam freely along those routes used in the Trafalgar
sector of London.
====================================
====================================
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: PARLIAMENT SQUARE CIRCULAR
This is a circular venue with all corners to the left. The
first turn is greatly narrowed compared to all the others.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: PARLIAMENT SQUARE WEST
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: PARLIAMENT SQUARE SOUTH
This is a rather technical venue for such a short circuit.
Speed is definitely a detriment here.
The first 'corner' is actually made of multiple right-hand
corners in a wide sweep around a building. It is best to
keep to the left as much as possible here, as apexes tend to
extend out into the raceway. This entire 'corner' runs for
approximately 275 degrees, but it seems to go on for much,
much, MUCH longer than that!!!!! After the first 180
degrees, it is important to begin braking, for as soon as the
first 'corner' ends, an incredibly tight left-hand hairpin
challenges event the best technical drivers.
Immediately following the hairpin, the circuit begins an even
wider right-hand triple-apex 'corner' with narrow turns
through its long sweeping run. The end of this 'corner'
fades to the left to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: ST. THOMAS' NORTH
This circuit configuration will be repeated in similar
fashion throughout the Westminster sector (two loops around
buildings connected by a stretch of flat-out acceleration),
so players would be smart to come to grips with this
particular venue as similar tactics will come into use later
on in the game.
The initial straightaway heads in one direction while across
the left-side barrier, the circuit heads in the opposite
direction. If cars are passing in the opposite direction (on
the left), it may be difficult to hear if there are any cars
approaching quickly from behind.
At the end of the short initial straightaway, the circuit
makes three left-hand right-angle turns. The raceway is
rather narrow, both for the straightaway and for these
corners around a medium-tall building. After the third left-
hand turn (275 degrees around the medium-tall building), the
circuit continues to the right with another perpendicular
turn, heading back along the initial straightaway but in the
opposite direction. Throughout this entire segment, drifting
can be beneficial in these tight, narrow corners.
After the short straightaway, the circuit widens greatly as
it loops to the left around a larger building. This is a
great place - and really the only viable place - to pass one
or more cars, especially should they drift toward the outside
of the loop. This section around the building can really be
treated as a circular track similar to the Queen Victoria
Memorial venue (but in the opposite direction). After a
total radius of 360 degrees, there is another right-hand
right-angle corner which ends with the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: LAMBETH BRIDGE EAST
This uses a similar configuration to St. Thomas' North.
Events here begin on a bridge crossing the Thames River. At
each end of the bridge, cars must go clockwise around a small
traffic circle, then get back onto the bridge and head the
other way.
This is a rather straightforward venue overall.
Unfortunately, the only real chances of making any passes are
at the traffic circles, because the raceway over the bridge
(in either direction) is really too narrow for successfully
making passes.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT SOUTH
After a left-hand perpendicular turn, the raceway widens
briefly, then narrows greatly. Turns 2 and 3 are right-hand
corners around a small building; these should probably be
taken as a wide single hairpin corner.
Immediately following Turn 3 is a right-hand perpendicular
corner to the left, followed immediately by a right-hand
right-angle corner. Once the raceway narrows, another right-
hand right-angle corner follows.
After a quick fade to the left, the raceway doubles back on
itself to the right in an incredibly tight hairpin turn.
There is some good swing-out area for this corner on exit,
but the raceway narrows again very quickly for the
Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: A23 WEST
The initial straightaway heads in one direction while across
the left-side barrier, the circuit heads in the opposite
direction. If cars are passing in the opposite direction (on
the left), it may be difficult to hear if there are any cars
approaching quickly from behind.
At the end of the short initial straightaway, the circuit
makes three left-hand right-angle turns. The raceway is
rather narrow, both for the straightaway and for these
corners around a medium-tall building. After the third left-
hand turn (275 degrees around the medium-tall building), the
circuit continues to the right with another perpendicular
turn, heading back along the initial straightaway but in the
opposite direction. Throughout this entire segment, drifting
can be beneficial in these tight, narrow corners.
After the short straightaway, the circuit widens greatly as
it loops to the left around a larger building. This is a
great place - and really the only viable place - to pass one
or more cars, especially should they drift toward the outside
of the loop. This section around the building can really be
treated as a circular track similar to the Queen Victoria
Memorial venue (but in the opposite direction). After a
total radius of 275 degrees, there is another right-hand
right-angle corner which leads onto a straightaway where
speed can be attained... but this is not wise due to the
nasty left-hand hairpin as the circuit doubles back upon
itself and returns toward the large building circled
previously. Once at the building, the circuit makes a final
right-hand perpendicular turn to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: SHORT: PARLIAMENT SQUARE WEST II
The initial left-hand right-angle corner allows for some
swing-out room, but then the circuit narrows greatly again
and leads onto a straightaway where speed can be attained.
Speed is not a benefit here, however, as the circuit soon
doubles back upon itself (to the right), allowing some
generous swing-out room.
Shortly, the circuit turns to the left, then makes two turns
to the right around a grassy square. The raceway around the
square is rather wide, except for the second of these two
right-hand corners. On exit, the raceway widens, then
narrows again.
Speed can once again be attained, but is not suggested due to
the tight hairpin ahead as the circuit doubles back upon
itself (again, to the right). There is NO swing-out room
here, however, to drifting is DEFINITELY a necessity here.
The Start/Finish Line awaits upon corner exit.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: MILBANK SOUTH
Again, this is a circuit with a configuration similar to St.
Thomas' North. The main difference here is that the traffic
circles are rounded counterclockwise, and the straightaways
are longer, wider, and contain multiple fades.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: PARLIAMENT SQUARE EAST
This is essentially Milbank South with an additional left-
right chicane at one of the ends of the circuit (the end
encircling a building and a grassy square).
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: WESTMINSTER BRIDGE EAST II
This is essentially Milbank South running in clockwise
fashion around a building and a grassy square.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: LAMBETH PALACE ROAD NORTH
This is essentially Milbank with a bus stop chicane around a
building just following the traffic circle (the other end
loops clockwise around a wide building).
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: LAMBETH BRIDGE WEST
This time, the Start/Finish Line is on a bridge over the
Thames River. Once on the other side, there is a traffic
circle, but the raceway turns to the right and onto a long
straightaway with numerous fades. At its end, traffic
circles a grassy square in a counterclockwise direction, then
heads back along the same straightaway in the opposite
direction to the traffic circle, which is also taken
counterclockwise before crossing the river via the same
bridge. After encircling the traffic circle on the other
sound (again, in a counterclockwise direction), the cars get
back on the bridge to meet the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: WESTMINSTER BRIDGE EAST
This is a TRUE circuit - no traffic circles, no doubling
back, etc. This venue runs along both sides of the Thames
River, making use of two bridges.
The initial 'straightaway' is almost constantly in movement.
It is four lanes wide, so there should be no problems in
making passes. However, there are several medians along this
initial 'straightaway,' and these are incredibly difficult to
spot at nighttime and in other low-visibility conditions;
therefore, it may be best to try to keep to either the left
or the right on this 'straightaway.'
The other straightaways are much more STRAIGHT, especially
the bridges. The four left-hand corners, however, can be
tricky, with some narrowing and others fairly wide.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: MEDIUM: WESTMINSTER CHALLENGE
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: BRIDGE STREET WEST
This odd venue is roughly shaped like a yoke that might be
put on a beast of burden to help with plowing on a farm. The
ends of the 'yoke' can be rather tricky, although high speeds
can be attained on the bridge over the Thames River.
Quickly after the Start/Finish Line, the circuit doubles back
upon itself (to the left). Once alongside Big Ben, it turns
to the right and heads out across the Thames River.
On the other end of the bridge, the circuit turns to the
right and narrows. After a brief straightaway, the raceway
loops 275 degrees counterclockwise around a medium-tall
building before turning to the right back upon itself and
heading for the now-familiar wide building, where the circuit
loops around counterclockwise for 275 degrees before heading
to the right again, back across the bridge.
On the other end of the bridge, the circuit makes a 180
degree loop around the grassy square, then a right-hand
right-angle turn to the Start/Finish Line.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: OLD PALACE YARD NORTH
This is another TRUE circuit. In fact, this is Westminster
Bridge East with two main changes:
1.) The circuit is run in reverse/mirror configuration.
2.) The traffic circles, building, and grassy square at
each of the four corners of the circuit are now looped
in a clockwise direction.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: WESTMINSTER BRIDGE EAST IV
This is Westminster Bridge East with several changes:
1.) The most significant change is that the raceway uses
only HALF the actual roadway. The positive aspect of
this is that there are no medians with which players
must contend.
2.) There are several 'switches' between halves of the
roadway. This is essentially a precursor to the
events held in Tokyo.
3.) Only two buildings and one traffic circle are
looped (counterclockwise).
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: WESTMINSTER BRIDGE EAST III
This is Lambeth Bridge West run in reverse configuration
(taking the traffic circles and buildings in a clockwise
direction).
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: NEW PALACE YARD SOUTH
***Forthcoming***
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: ABINGDON STREET SOUTH
This odd venue is roughly shaped like a yoke with long
extensions and a short bar over the shoulders. This is run
with the loops taken in a clockwise direction.
====================================
LONDON: WESTMINSTER: LONG: WESTMINSTER CIRCULAR
Available ONLY in Time Attack Mode, this venue allows players
to roam freely along those routes used in the Westminster
sector of London.
====================================
====================================
====================================
DIAGRAMS
This section contains the diagrams referred to earlier in the
guide.
Ascari Chicane (at Monza):
*
*
*
*
*
***
*
*****************
Bus Stop Chicane (Variant I - Wide Chicane):
******************* *******************
* *
*********
Bus Stop Chicane (Variant II - Narrow Chicane):
******************* *******************
***********
Decreasing-radius Corner:
->*******************
*
*
*
*
*
*
<-*************************
Hairpin Corner:
->*****************
*
<-*****************
Increasing-radius Corner:
->**********************
*
*
*
*
*
<-*******************
J-turn
*******************
*
*
*
*
Quick-flicks (Variant I - Wide Chicane):
*************
*
*************
Quick-flicks (Variant II - Narrow Chicane):
*************
**************
Sample Circuit Using Some of the Above Corner Types Combined:
******|****** *****
* |-> * * *
* ** *** *
* * ** *
* * * * *
* * * * * ****
* ** * * *
* * ********
******* *
*******
Standard Corner:
*******************
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
U-turn:
->*****************
*
*
*
<-*****************
Virtual Bus Stop Chicane:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Car #1 ->->->->->-> Car #3
Player Path: ->->->->->->-> Car #2 ->->->->->->->
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
====================================
====================================
====================================
CONTACT
For rants, raves, etc., contact me at
[email protected];
also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has
been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small
donation via PayPal (
http://www.paypal.com/) using the above
e-mail address.
To find the latest version of this and all my other
PSX/PS2/DC/Mac game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
http://feathersites.angelcities.com/
====================================
====================================
====================================
