Race Driver: Grid Video Highlights on Extreme

This is the highly acclaimed original Codemasters Grid game released world wide in 2008. It still stacks up pretty well against modern race game releases despite being 14 years old. I also feel it has the best multi view replay of any race game I've played.

I'll be posting these one region of one tier at a time. I won't however be posting any of the Drift events, because I suck at drift, and since I play on keyboard, I don't stand much of a chance at it anyway. This is why I'm calling it highlights vs a full game walkthrough.

I'm also sticking to Career events only, with no Driver Offers, or 24 Hours of Le Mans races, the latter of which is an option at the end of each season. 24 Hours AI can see in the dark just as well as day, but what my old eyes CAN handle showcases the game well enough.

As the title mentions, this is on Extreme, the hardest difficulty. I am however using full assists, which includes Auto Transmission, ABS, Traction Control, and Stability. Without being able to feather gas and brake on keyboard, it's just too hard without them.

Some of the game's signature features are AI will lose traction and start squealing tires at times when you approach them going into turns. It can be hard to predict whether they'll recover before the turn, spin out, or slide into a wall. There's also often lots of tire smoke where there's been a spinout or a crash, making it hard at times to see a line through it. AI will also at times swerve into you or weave back and forth in front of you, but this is more likely to happen if you or AI in front of them take radical lines.

Another key feature to note with this game is the events are not always on the same tracks, and your starting position won't always be the same. In fact, your grid starting position can change just by choosing to Quit to Garage if you don't have time to finish a race. Quit to Garage WILL save your finished race progress, but you're generally put farther back in the grid in the one you're currently on upon return. I'm pretty sure track venues only change after you've completed or retired from an event though, as far as I've seen anyway.

---ARL Rookie Badge---

Lucas Oil Bay Bridge Trophy

Class - Classic Muscle
Car - Ford Mustang Boss 302


This is an event on walled off streets of San Francisco. These are the shorter San Fran tracks, without the iconic steep, stepped hills. There's still plenty of challenge in these older cars though due to them leaning when hitting curbs and unweighting in turns. I managed to do both races pretty clean, but I'd rather the AI be a bit less cautious and more worried about winning than spinning. The stepped hills tracks come later in the game, so there's plenty of that Steve McQueen Bullitt vibe for those looking to really slam pavement.


Michigan Demolition Derby

Class - Stock Car
Car - Jupiter Eagleray MK5 (fictitious)


This is a crazy figure 8 style race on tarmac with dirt jumps at the intersections. The cars are sort of jalopy stock car-like, with pretty slippery handling. At times I narrowly avoided a free haircut at the intersections, with cars flying close overhead crossways. I also had trouble at times running into DNF cars, and smacking walls head on, the latter of which made it look like I was trying to turn my ride into a compact car in the 2nd race. This was a fan favorite event of many due to the pure unpredictability and sky high fun factor.


Cobra Pro Tuned Tour

Class - Pro Tuned
Car - Nissan Skyline G-TR Z-Tune


This is an event on walled off streets of Long Beach California and Detroit Michigan. The car selection is an odd mix of everything from Japanese tuners, to American classic muscle. Since the lead AI are always in Japanese tuners though, I picked one as well. I learned the hard way you can't afford to take your time carefully picking your way through the grid, as the lead AI can be hard to catch. There's two turns however that allow passing with some sneaky slithering, so I managed to finish both races clean. Who says snakes are dirty? :giggle:


Quickshift DC Challenge

Class - Touring Car
Car - Chevrolet Lacetti


This an event on streets of Washington DC. The first race is walled off and rather madcap, as you have to pass a lot of cars and the lead AI gets off the front fairly far. Plus you only have 3 laps to get in front, so there's a bit of contact going on. I also said screw it on the final lap when I caught the lead AI, choosing to take my normal route skipping across a turn curb the AI drive around, He had just prior nearly spun out anyway, so I thought I'd help him with that. The 2nd race is more park-like, with a lot of grass areas you need to avoid sliding onto. I was able to drive it much cleaner though, not that I was feeling guilty.


Dodge Motor City Cup

Class - Pro Muscle
Car - Dodge Challenger Concept


As the name implies, this is a Detroit Michigan based event, in which you can choose the Dodge Viper SRT-10, or the Dodge Challenger Concept. The Viper has a bit better top speed and acceleration, but I prefer the handling of the Challenger. This is another walled off city street event, with some tough chicanes to negotiate. There's not a lot of room to pass, but I managed both races with an acceptably minimal amount of contact, especially considering the type of cars, traffic slowing obstacles, and fairly narrow track sections.


Direzza Club Trophy

Class - Club GT
Car - TVR Tuscan Challenge


The TVR Tuscan Challenge is the only car available for this event. It has a bit of a classic Euro sports car feel, and it bounces a fair bit on curbs, and can spin unpredictably out of tight turns (at least on keyboard not being able to feather gas) . Thus it was a handful racing it on these venues, which were once again, the San Fran short tracks. With a lot of perseverance and several passing tactics tried, I finally managed to finish both races pretty clean. That isn't to say it didn't require some really next level sneaky slithering again. :cool:


Head 2 Head Classic Muscle

Class - Classic Muscle
Car - Ford Mustang Boss 302


This is the bonus event at Long Beach California that unlocks when you win all events in this tier's region. It's a one on one race against Ravenwest, where both drivers are in the Ford Mustang Boss 302. Obviously there's less stress in this event just due to not having to work your way through a grid. The AI you're up against is a bit faster, but it's really just a matter of braking a bit deeper into the first turn, and avoiding a mishap after you're free and clear.

 
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nice, you could post this over at codemasters too right? 🤔
Thanks, actually I used to post all my GRID 2019 videos there, in fact I posted my whole video walkthrough of that game a few videos at a time. Anymore though the screenshot and videos thread for GRID has a Toca Race Driver subheading, with just really dated looking stuff from that game. I asked why it's only showing TRD content now, and if it's OK to post Race Driver Grid stuff there, but still no reply. I found out the Toca one is a newer thread a forum member posted, and after searching literally every page of Grid General Discussions, the other one is now gone. That thread was many pages long too and had a lot of contributions from the community.

I think since EA bought Codemasters the Codemansters forum is pretty much dead and not maintained. There's daily posts that look to be by spam bots that don't get removed. In fact I can't even find my GRID 2019 video posts anywhere. I looked on EA's forums, but for GRID they only have a GRID Legends forum. I have to wonder if EA felt GRID 2019, being less arcade of a game than Legends, was keeping many from buying Legends.

If you somehow manage to find any GRID video content more current than TRD on that forum though, please link it here.

 
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Sorry for the long delay, I got hung up playing Spider-Man Remastered. Or actually it was the enemies that got hung up! :ROFLMAO:

---Euro R License---

Bilstein Festival Milano

Class - Classic Muscle
Car - Ford Mustang Boss 302


This is an event on walled off streets of Milan near a beautiful cathedral on the Castello Circuit both directions. It can be hard to avoid contact with other cars, especially on narrow sections. There's a left turn shortly after the tunnel that has a glitch I call "rocket curb", a curb that boosts speed. I prefer not to use it for better control, but it's the best line to pass AI.


BMW Challenge

Class - Touring Car
Car - BMW 320SI


This is an event at Nurburgring on the Grand Prix and Sprint Circuits. With just 2-3 laps and all cars being capable, it helps a lot to draft on the fast sections. This event is difficult to do with no car contact, especially as far back in the grid as you're placed, but I managed to race the second one quite a bit cleaner with some careful passing in the turns.


BMC Formula 1000

Class - Open Wheel
Car - JRC - FJ1000


This is an event at the Jarama Grand Prix and Istanbul Park Intermediate Circuits in Spain and Turkey respectively. I had a lot of fun with this one because these cars can very precisely carve through the grid. They can spin out easy so you must let off gas before turns though. I managed to race both of these tracks very clean and it wasn't too hard to take the lead.


Dunlop Spa Challenge

Class - Pro Tuned
Car - Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune


This is a one race event at the Spa Francorchamps Sportscar Circuit in Belgium, with all drivers using the same car. This is a very fast, beautiful and fun track to drive. It takes careful maneuvering to pass due to the speed and AI zig zagging for position. I managed to race it completely clean with no car contact though, which was not easy by any means.


Firestone TVR Showdown

Class - Club GT
Car - TVR Tuscan Challenge


This is an event at the Donington Park Grand Prix and National B Circuits in England. These cars are tough to drive as they lean, can spin tires, and are fast. It's therefore hard to drive with no contact, but I managed with an acceptable amount on the first race and hardly any in the second. It's certainly not one of my favorite cars to drive though.


Goodridge Trophy

Class - Touring Cars
Car - Chevrolet Lacetti


This is an event at the Istanbul Park Grand Prix and Grand Prix B Circuits in Turkey. The AI drive fast here, which combined with being placed far back in the grid and having only a 2-3 lap race, makes it hard to catch up. I managed to race both pretty clean with very little contact though, and had barely enough time to take the lead in the second.


Head 2 Head Club GT

Class - Club GT
Car - TVR Tuscan Challenge


This is the bonus event for winning all races in this tier's region, which takes place at Milan Italy on the Circuito Di Milano. Again, it's a one on one race against Ravenwest, where this time both drivers are in the TVR Tuscan Challenge. This is much easier than weaving through a grid, so I took the lead pretty early and there was no car contact at all.

 
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Took a few weeks off to play Mafia 3 and more Spider-Man Remastered.

---J-Speed Rookie---

Champion Touge Shield

Class - Pro Touge
Car - Dodge Challenger Concept


This is an event on the twisty roads of Mt Haruna. The best car by far is the Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune, but it was a bit too easy with that one so I went with an American muscle car. The only real challenge here is the semi and final rounds, where my main goal was to get as good a gap as possible the first run, then stay as close as possible on the 2nd.


Jun Street Series

Class - Pro Tuned
Car - Nisan Skyline GT-R Z-Tuned


This is an event at the Yokohama Docks track a different direction each race. It's a pretty fast race with lots of turns and you drive through a building at one point. It's very hard to avoid contact but I managed with only one light tap each race.


Viper vs Skyline Challenge

Class - Pro Touge
Car - Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tuned


Again, a Pro Touge event on the winding Mt Haruna track. As the name suggests, you have to choose the Dodge Viper or Nissan Skyline. Since the Skyline handles and accelerates far better, it was an easy decision. It's so much better in fact that unlike the end of the Champion Touge Shield event, I was easily able to take the lead in the 2nd race.


Nissan Cup

Class - Pro Tuned
Car - Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune


This is a 4 lap event on the Okutama Sprint track, racing each direction. Starting at 9th and 12 positions, it was hard to avoid contact with that many AI to pass, but I managed to get through both races pretty clean.


Head 2 Head Midnight Touge

Class - Midnight Touge
Car - Nissan 350Z


This is the bonus event for winning all races in this tier's region. It's a much longer Touge event than the daytime ones, and is held in the dark of night on a mix of very winding, but also fast terrain. I'm not the greatest at night driving at my age, so I had to memorize the track after several attempts one half of it at a time. I was so glad when this one was over.

 
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