By setting up a 43-inch LCD monitor,
Sparco Racing Cockpit Pro seat and
GT4 force
feedback steering wheel, along with bringing on 2004 Champ Car Rookie of the Year AJ Allmendinger and
IGN.com’s Justin Kaehler, Inside Line did a test the rest of us only dream about — pitting Gran Turismo 4’s leading
stars against their real counterparts.
AJ and Justin tried out a number of different types of cars in addition to the Ford GT: the Dodge SRT-4, Ford
Mustang GT, Mazda RX-8 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution RS. The verdict? Reality is scarier than the virtual world — the
potential of plowing a Ford GT into a wall or entering the braking zone at upwards of 100 mph looks a lot better
when you have the option of a do-over. All drivers averaged 5-9 seconds slower on the real asphalt.