GEAR SHIFTING

Learn the optimal gear shifting points in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. Understand horsepower curves and RPM drops for maximum acceleration and performance.

The best time to upshift is when you will be making more power in the next gear than you are in the current gear. Horsepower is usually charted like an arch. On the left of the arch, you have low horsepower and low RPMs. The power climbs linearly (in a naturally aspirated car) until it peaks, then it starts to drop off. The drop-off is usually slower than the climb.

For example, consider a car that makes peak power at 8000 RPM and has a rev limiter at 10,000 RPM. At 8000 RPM, the car makes 400 horsepower, and by 10,000 RPM, it drops to 300 horsepower. If shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear drops your RPMs by approximately 1500, and at 7000 RPM the car makes 350 horsepower, staying in 2nd gear until redline would be a waste of time. At 9500 RPM, where you might be making 325 horsepower, you could upshift and hit 7000 RPM in the next gear, making 350 horsepower.

If you know approximately how many RPMs you drop with a gear change (which is usually consistent for a given car setup) and you know the car's power curve, you can precisely set mental shift points for optimum power at all times.

In real life, a car produces peak torque before it produces peak horsepower. For instance, a 2002 Corvette Z06 produces 400 lb/ft of torque at 4800 RPM but peaks at 6000 RPM for horsepower. Usually, you base your shifts on peak horsepower. In Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, you'll want to shift after peak power, somewhere between the peak and the rev limiter. Experiment with different cars. If a car is barely accelerating 1000 RPM before redline, go ahead and upshift. If it's still pulling hard, push all the way to redline.

Naturally aspirated cars can often be shifted before redline, whereas forced induction cars usually pull hard all the way to redline. However, this is a generalization and not an absolute rule.