But like I said, the Delta is easily controllable out of corners. When I raced it in the European regionals, I used a Stage 3 turbo with computer, sports intercooler, and sports muffler/filter (376 hp) with a semi-racing suspension and medium slick tires. The front end became a hell of a lot more sticky with the slicks, tucking into corners instead of understeering, so I switched the front to hard slicks and added extra camber and STILL had problems with heading towards the inside of corners. It took more fiddling, but I finally had what I wanted: understeer! Well, just a bit of understeer, anyways. I won all 3 races (using all medium slicks at Rome since this is a tighter course) with no weight reductions, but had to fight off the TVRs and RUF Porsches, which had better top-end speed. Good thing this Delta keeps on its toes!


GT4
Somewhat different story here. I may have eschewed Simulation tires during my GT2 days, but tried N-tires here, and my first testing was at Apricot Hill.

First of all, let me say how frustrating it was just trying to locate a Delta HF in GT4, which is a very rare used car in this game. Rarer than a Jensen Interceptor or '67 Mercury Cougar somehow. It wasn't something I was expecting because the Delta appears in so many GT4 events as an Ai car. Perhaps the computer has taken all the available HFs, leaving just three cars per each 700 day used-car cycle! That is not a joke. Anyways, let's get to testing.

On N2 tires, there is all of the expected 4-wheel drive understeer. The car also feels very sluggish in those corners. It gets into the corner (brake-tap after brake-tap) and all a sudden feels very un-confident, its steering very unsure. Aiming this thing on these all-season tires in and out of corners takes a lot of work, despite such lowish power! Then the Delta has to struggle out of turns, since stock power just feels so slow. We can't take full advantage of this car's massive traction when exiting turns, mostly because there's also massive understeer as any blip of fuel gets added.

...Maybe I'm conditioned by all the Lancer Evolutions I've driven *smile*.  I expected more from the Lancia on these tires? Hmm..

Then I put some N3 tires on, doing more testing at Apricot Hill. These are the best radials, of course. The Delta was driven first in B-spec mode, and I'm noticing Bertilino (my Italian driver) was getting some oversteer as he drove around, somehow managing to swing the car slightly into some of Ape Hill's curves. This gets me excited. At best, he posts a 1:49.739.

As I take over, I find some things to my liking. First of all, there's that 1:46.609 I posted after just one lap, sending Bert into a red-faced tizzy. Secondly, the car now feels 10x more confident on these tires. Understeer is removed (assuming braking is proper) and the butt-kicking moments of push into turns are almost gone. Remove the throttle mid-corner, and most pushing immediately goes away. The entire car feels grippier, its rear definitely does start to swing a bit with oversteer. That understeer while exiting is just about gone, too, although just enough remains that we can't get too confident. Add a Sport suspension, and the car starts to finally get that "riding on rails" feeling. 1:45.713 now.

And with Sport tires, well, we're finally able to compare this car with the Delta HF of GT2. 1:43.760. :) I'm not saying any of these lap times are phenomenol, by the way, I'm just doing some casual track laps, here. Anyways, with S2 tires understeer is just about gone. Like a puddle of water on a sidewalk during a hot summer's day, any understeer that shows up doesn't get to stick around for very long. Lifting off the throttle immediately sends understeer back to its cage. The entire car has poise! And feels ready to attack any corner it sets foot into.

Again, all this assumes proper braking; yet it's notable that even with improper braking how damage-control becomes an option. Brake too late? It won't always mean you'll be scrubbing grass or a wall. The only time I noticed prolonged periods where I couldn't stab the throttle (lest understeer show up again) is during some of those longer curves, like the long left at Apricot Hill past the grandstands. That would be Turn 6 I think.

Braking is improved, also. The car now trail-brakes into corners with full confidence. I have yet to see any massive front-end grabbing (like from GT2) but the reality is we could possibly get this to happen as well, it probably just takes tuning. Plus, I was using slick tires when I described the front-end as "grabby" in this game. That's not really a fair comparison. I have seen some smaller moments of grabbing in GT4 with Sport tires, especially on-entry, and at these moments the Delta HF does finally start to feel a bit confused. Not much to worry about, though. I'd rather have a bit of grabbing than loads of understeer.


Well, that's all for now on the Delta, but stay tuned for more on this one. I'm sure I'll race some of the other versions after I'm done with the other 137 cars on my agenda...