Shift 2 TRACK TIPS. All Episodes

The one and only NFSDrew put out his Hot Lap this week on the Nurburgring GP circuit using a BMW Z4 with the WORKS package. For those of you having a bit of trouble trying to beat him, check out the Track Tips above. The BMW Z4 is extremely tricky to keep on the track, but hopefully knowing the corners will help you focus on the car's handling.

As always, please leave any questions I left unanswered in the comments.

Enjoy!

The one and only NFSDrew put out his Hot Lap this week on the Tokyo Dockside track using the beautiful Porsche GT3 RS. If you find yourself having a bit of trouble trying to beat him, check out the Track Tips above. The Porsche is a great overall car and handles very well, which is needed on this tight and technical track. There's nearly no run-off if you make a mistake, so watch the video and make sure you're flawless!

As always, please leave any questions I left unanswered in the comments.

Enjoy!

SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED Track Tips: Miami Biscayne Blvd



Last week the winner of the Hot Lap was Killjoy, and because of his great driving, he was able to choose this week's Hot Lap. NFSDrew threw down the gauntlet on Miami Biscayne Blvd in a Mazda MX-5 with the Works package. As usual, if you're having trouble dropping into the low 1:28's, NFSCoulter is has got another Track Tips video to help you beat Drew.

Check it out.

From May 26,2011




This week I'm taking you for a lap around Road America in SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED. This is meant to help those struggling to beat NFSDrew in the Hot Lap Challenge or anyone looking to bring down their lap times.

Definitely take a second to watch it, as I really appreciate your feedback. Last week I heard a lot about how I was recording from a TV, but the benefit of that is I can point out references which some found really helpful. This is entirely meant to help you, so if there's anything I can do to improve it, or any cars and tracks you want to see, leave them in the comments!

From May 18,2011
Original Article



With the release of the Speedhunters DLC pack for SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED yesterday came two new race modes, along with a 14 new cars. The former features a drag strip, allowing you to channel your inner Vin Diesel and live your life a quarter-mile at a time. The other new race mode is similar, but still very, very different. The “Standing Mile” is a one-mile speed trap where you try and achieve the highest MPH possible. It’s not about who reaches the one-mile marker in the shortest amount of time, it’s about who is going the fastest when they cross it.

Knowing this, the car you’ve tuned perfectly for Laguna Seca or the Nordschleife isn’t necessarily going to be the best here. It’s all about maximizing your top end speed in a straight line.

In my limited time with the DLC pack, I’ve been trying to get the Pagani Huayra Speedhunters Edition to top out right as I hit the finish line. On my first pass I was only going a paltry 210mph. Immediately I went to tune the Pagani’s drivetrain. As mentioned in a previous blog, the drivetrain adjusts the gearing, allowing you to have more acceleration or more top speed. I maxed-out the final drive to 8.00 and instantly my speed reached 222mph. The Pagani was just barely beginning to stretch its legs though. I went gear-by-gear and maxed them all out, resulting in 249mph.

To show what a difference a minor adjustment can make, I took 7th gear down one notch on the Pagani and my trap speed plummeted 15mph.

I wouldn’t recommend maxing out your gears for all cars though. Ideally, you’d want to be about to redline in your final gear as you cross the finish line. For some, that may mean adjusting individual gears to get the most out of their car. As a general rule, if your revs are dropping anywhere below half of the redline when you shift, that gear is too tall. Adjust it toward acceleration (one notch is usually plenty) and you should be able to carry your power through to the next gear, instead of feeling a lull in acceleration.

Having found the sweet spot in the gear ratios, I started looking for other ways to increase speed. I lowered my downforce completely, which boosted me to 257mph. Combine that with increasing negative camber and raising tire pressure and I was approaching a much more respectable 265mph.

Each individual car will require a bit of trial and error, but getting the Drag Pack (instead of the Works package) is a good place to start. Follow that with your gear ratios, camber adjustments and tire pressures, and you’ll be squeezing out more mph with every pass.

General Rules:

-Set your Gear Ratios to a much taller setting than stock
-Individual gears may need to be tweaked in order to maximize performance. When you shift, if the revs drop too low, try adjusting that gear more toward acceleration
-Downforce should be very low
-Negative camber should be increased
-Tire pressure should be increased

From May 13,2011

Original Article



As the Tuning Tips come to a close, here's a new experiment we're trying out: Track Tips. Each week I'll take a track recommended by the community and break it down turn-by-turn to help improve your lap times. Feel free to leave your suggestions for the next track/car in the comments!

In what was the most difficult Track Tips yet for technical reasons, this week NFSCoulter takes an American icon to the European circuit of Riviera Monte Grande. The Corvette C6.R GT1 is the definition of raw power, making it the worst match possible for the Riviera track, which maintains numerous tight corners.

NFSDrew ran his Hot Lap in a blazing 1:51. If you're having some trouble beating him, check out the video above. You might pick up a few tips!

NFSDrew ran his Hot Lap last week on Oschersleben and threw out a beatable time for those that want to enter! Here are the Track Tips!