Overview
This is a comprehensive breakdown of each car currently in the game – covering its stats, feel, track preferences and overall viability. It is based on empirical testing alongside extensive ingame experience, and should hopefully help new players to choose a suitable vehicle to start off with while also offering useful insight to more experienced ones.
Introduction
Greetings! My aim with this guide is to offer as well-informed and complete a breakdown of the vehicles in GRIP as possible. As such, I’ll be basing my points on a series of performance tests and weapon tests on top of far more ingame experience than is probably sane. The cars in GRIP cover a fairly wide range of statistical archetypes and which one you pick can have a massive impact on your experience in a race. Particular vehicles will perform better or worse on particular tracks, and not all cars were quite created equal in the first place. Additionally, what you see on paper might not tell the whole story.
Cars in GRIP are divided into three categories: ‘Speedster’, ‘Aggressor’, and ‘Tank’. Speedsters are lightweight machines which typically sport high acceleration off the line, high agility and lower top speeds. Tanks on the other hand are heavy, unruly monsters with the highest speeds in the game but poor initial acceleration and low grip. Aggressors cover the range in between the two extremes with good all-round stats. If a track has few straights or a lot of sharp corners, a speedster might be your best bet. On the other hand, if a track is all straights you’re probably looking at a tank. Aggressors can be expected to perform well no matter where you take them, but can be perhaps slightly less well-suited to tracks at the extreme ends of the spectrum than specialised options.
You can get a basic idea of how the cars compare to each other in the garage, from the bars showing their relative acceleration, maximum speed, grip, brakes and ‘strength’ – which governs how well they do in collisions as well as their resistance to weapon hits. However, the bars are more of a rough suggestion than something to be taken as gospel. The minutiae and nuance are what this guide is for!
Note: Performance testing was done on the ‘Wild’ engine class. Expect lower values if running on medium or low classes.
Speedsters
The lightest cars in GRIP, speedsters are quick off the line and quick to change direction, but hit the lowest unassisted top speeds. Their high grip makes them generally quite easy to control, but on many tracks they struggle to compete due to those low top speeds.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.12s
0-100kph 1.78s
0-150kph 2.38s
0-200kph 3.25s
0-250kph 3.92s
0-300kph 4.85s
0-350kph 5.79s
0-400kph 7.09s
0-450kph 8.76s
0-500kph 11.28s
Top Speed 538kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 100)
Analysis
The oldest car in the game, Dominator (affectionately referred to as ‘Dom’) presents an incredible all-round package. Sporting top of class speed in addition to dreamy handling, its only downside is somewhat mediocre acceleration – a small price to pay for the sheer pace and consistency it achieves. This car will work wonders for new and experienced players alike – being easy to handle even on rough terrain allows it to find incredible pace.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier – A handling update has taken Dominator from mediocre to godlike. Best in class on most if not all tracks, and very fun to drive.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.01s
0-100kph 1.66s
0-150kph 2.23s
0-200kph 2.95s
0-250kph 3.58s
0-300kph 4.40s
0-350kph 5.25s
0-400kph 6.33s
0-450kph 7.81s
0-500kph 10.27s
Top Speed 537kph
HP (destructible cars) 100 (was 110)
Analysis
Ictus was originally the highest grip car in the game, with the lowest speed. Many changes later it has morphed into an acceleration monster with one of the best speed stats in the speedster class. This car hits racing speed quicker than anything else in the game, with fantastic performance in a relevant speed band. It suffers noticeably in stability and cornering, but still comes out with good pace and the ability to rapidly recover from weapon hits. Ictus has finally achieved relevance, at the cost of its identity.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top tier – Repeated buffs have given Ictus a great combination of pace and recovery ability, placing it as one of the best speedsters for raw lap time while still being extremely good at mitigating time loss.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.01s
0-100kph 1.66s
0-150kph 2.24s
0-200kph 2.98s
0-250kph 3.62s
0-300kph 4.47s
0-350kph 5.36s
0-400kph 6.49s
0-450kph 8.10s
0-500kph 11.02s
Top Speed 528kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 100)
Analysis
Rogue has struggled for a long time. As other, much better cars have been added and its peers have been tweaked to compete with them, Rogue has remained oddly untouched despite being most in need. Reasonable – but far from best in class – acceleration is its only redeeming feature, and it otherwise sports the worst speed stat in the game on top of poor grip and bad handling making for a slow, inconsistent car.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Bottom Tier – Fair acceleration fails to make up for mediocre grip and poor top speed, Rogue lacks in every area of performance.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.03s
0-100kph 1.67s
0-150kph 2.49s
0-200kph 3.27s
0-250kph 4.12s
0-300kph 5.07s
0-350kph 6.09s
0-400kph 7.46s
0-450kph 9.05s
0-500kph 11.63s
Top Speed 537kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 110)
Analysis
Bandit is another winner in the buff roulette, having received a substantial boost to its top speed. Coupled with reasonable grip and good handling, it’s able to put down fairly impressive lap times – though it’s harder to drive than competitors such as Atom, Ictus and Dominator in part due to its somewhat punishing acceleration.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Mid Tier – Great top speed for its class and capable of solid times on most tracks, but a bit of a handful compared to its direct competitors.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 0.85s
0-100kph 1.47s
0-150kph 2.06s
0-200kph 2.91s
0-250kph 3.55s
0-300kph 4.47s
0-350kph 5.38s
0-400kph 6.63s
0-450kph 8.30s
0-500kph 10.96s
Top Speed 531kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 100)
Analysis
Mirage was unquestionably the best car in the speedster class upon its introduction. Relentless power creep since then has left it behind, however. It retains an excellent acceleration curve and fantastic grip, but low top speed limits its pace compared to current best picks. Still enjoying great consistency and recovery ability, it’s not bad per se – simply outclassed.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Mid Tier – Once setting the benchmark for both consistency and pace in the class, Mirage has since been surpassed in both areas by Atom – and more recently, the newly buffed Dominator and Ictus.
Speedsters (cont.)
Performance Overview
0-50kph 0.83s
0-100kph 1.45s
0-150kph 2.04s
0-200kph 2.87s
0-250kph 3.51s
0-300kph 4.42s
0-350kph 5.32s
0-400kph 6.55s
0-450kph 8.18s
0-500kph 10.73s
Top Speed 534kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Atom is a DLC car, part of the Artifex pack.
Very similar in performance profile to Mirage, Atom finds itself in the same position. Taking a best-in-class spot on release and seeming to define the upper bound of what is reasonable for a speedster’s performance to look like, balance changes have pushed other cars past even this point. What was once the second best top speed in its class is now beaten by two more cars, and the title of best-in-class acceleration has been stolen. Thanks to starting from such a strong position, Atom remains competitive on handling-centric tracks where its mediocre top speed is less of a burden.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier/Situational – Still able to compete on highly handling centric tracks but lacks the versatility afforded by the higher top speeds of Dominator, Ictus and Bandit.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.07s
0-100kph 1.75s
0-150kph 2.36s
0-200kph 3.19s
0-250kph 3.86s
0-300kph 4.80s
0-350kph 5.73s
0-400kph 7.02s
0-450kph 8.72s
0-500kph 11.39s
Top Speed 533kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Marengo is a DLC car, created by community member OhNo76 and added in a free update.
A solid offering from Vintek, Marengo couples middling straight line performance with great handling to produce a car which does the job and does it well, no fuss. Very comparable to Atom in terms of pace and drivability, though lower acceleration makes it a little less forgiving.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Mid Tier/Situational – Great on handling tracks (though not quite able to compete with the very best) but struggles on faster tracks. This would have been a top tier car before Dominator and Ictus went super saiyan.
Airblade Speedsters
0-50kph 0.57s
0-100kph 1.13s
0-150kph 1.73s
0-200kph 2.57s
0-250kph 3.23s
0-300kph 4.17s
0-350kph 5.10s
0-400kph 6.37s
0-450kph 8.03s
0-500kph 10.47s
0-50kph 0.53s
0-100kph 1.07s
0-150kph 1.63s
0-200kph 2.40s
0-250kph 3.03s
0-300kph 3.90s
0-350kph 4.77s
0-400kph 5.97s
0-450kph 7.53s
0-500kph 10.03s
0-50kph 0.53s
0-100kph 1.07s
0-150kph 1.63s
0-200kph 2.37s
0-250kph 3.00s
0-300kph 3.87s
0-350kph 4.73s
0-400kph 5.83s
0-450kph 7.43s
0-500kph 10.23s
0-50kph 0.57s
0-100kph 1.13s
0-150kph 1.73s
0-200kph 2.53s
0-250kph 3.20s
0-300kph 4.13s
0-350kph 5.07s
0-400kph 6.37s
0-450kph 8.07s
0-500kph 10.90s
0-50kph 0.53s
0-100kph 1.10s
0-150kph 1.70s
0-200kph 2.53s
0-250kph 3.17s
0-300kph 4.10s
0-350kph 4.97s
0-400kph 6.23s
0-450kph 7.87s
0-500kph 10.47s
0-50kph 0.57s
0-100kph 1.10s
0-150kph 1.70s
0-200kph 2.53s
0-250kph 3.17s
0-300kph 4.07s
0-350kph 4.97s
0-400kph 6.20s
0-450kph 7.83s
0-500kph 10.33s
Aggressors
The Aggressor class harbours the jacks of all trades. Cars which don’t have any outstanding features, but get by on doing pretty well in all categories. As it turns out, a balanced set of properties is a really good thing to have and the cars in this class are among the most reliable in the game.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.10s
0-100kph 1.87s
0-150kph 2.60s
0-200kph 3.60s
0-250kph 4.40s
0-300kph 5.50s
0-350kph 6.57s
0-400kph 8.04s
0-450kph 9.94s
0-500kph 12.72s
Top Speed 541 kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 140)
Analysis
Rhino is a curious beast, almost more speedster than aggressor. With the joint lowest top speed in its class – only 3kph faster than Dominator – as well as sporting very poor acceleration, Rhino appears weak. It attempts to compensate with a high grip stat, to mixed results. A reasonable pick on handling tracks such as Signal Static, this car simply fails to present a situation where it isn’t outclassed by a less punishing car – its large size and sometimes iffy handling can make it difficult to actually apply that good grip, while terrible acceleration means it loses a lot of ground when hit by weapons.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Mid Tier/Situational – Rhino simply can’t achieve useful pace on the majority of tracks when compared to many other cars. Just about keeps up on the most handling-centric courses, but poor acceleration makes it quite punishing for no payoff.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.05s
0-100kph 1.82s
0-150kph 2.52s
0-200kph 3.49s
0-250kph 4.25s
0-300kph 5.32s
0-350kph 6.36s
0-400kph 7.76s
0-450kph 9.53s
0-500kph 12.03s
Top Speed 548 kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 120)
Analysis
A poster child for the sheer importance of a car’s suspension setup in how it drives. Eversor began life as one of the best cars in the game, but suffered severely from physics updates and the power creep going on around it – leaving it as one of the worst. Now, with no changes to its core stats, these problems have finally been addressed. Eversor is now a top contender thanks to fair straight line performance coupled with excellent cornering and stability. Very consistent, and very fast on handling-centric tracks while not sacrificing too much on speed tracks.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier – Went from almost impossible to steer to one of the most stable, agile cars in the game in the space of a single update. Gained several seconds of pace on most tracks in the process, making it extremely competitive – though its mediocre straight line performance sometimes holds it back.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.07s
0-100kph 1.83s
0-150kph 2.57s
0-200kph 3.47s
0-250kph 4.27s
0-300kph 5.24s
0-350kph 6.27s
0-400kph 7.55s
0-450kph 9.29s
0-500kph 12.36s
Top Speed 541kph
HP (destructible cars) 120
Analysis
Long, long ago, Warlander and Eversor were generally considered the two best cars in the game. Coupling workable handling with good speed, they challenged tanks on speed tracks (while being less risky) and dominated speedsters on handling tracks with their strong, versatile statlines. Those times are over, and where Eversor has finally cast off its shortcomings Warlander has… not. Abysmal acceleration, worst in class top speed and poor grip come together in a package of pure sadness which may well represent the weakest car in the game. Fairly well behaved in corners or over bumps, Warlander has to corner so slowly due to its grip that this one redeeming feature does little to help it.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Bottom Tier – Straight line stats similar to Rhino’s, none of the grip to compensate. Warlander has no pace on any track, losing multiple seconds per lap to more competitive picks – which is most of them.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.10s
0-100kph 1.87s
0-150kph 2.57s
0-200kph 3.57s
0-250kph 4.33s
0-300kph 5.44s
0-350kph 6.47s
0-400kph 7.91s
0-450kph 9.78s
0-500kph 12.42s
Top Speed 544kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 135)
Analysis
With top speed and acceleration in the middle of the aggressor class, Jackal ‘s straight line performance is middling – comparable to the excellent Delorean, though a bit slower to accelerate. It fails to compensate this, however, in any other area. Poor grip leaves it taking corners at a snail’s pace while its stability – though passable – is nothing to write home about either when compared to more competitive cars. Jackal not only fails to compete, it fails to excite in any way as so many of Grip’s bad cars do – lacking defining stats that could possibly make it at least interesting. Its engine SFX are its best feature.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Bottom Tier – Simply fails to compete in any area. Marginally quicker than Warlander and Rogue, Jackal still trails far behind most everything else.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.03s
0-100kph 1.78s
0-150kph 2.48s
0-200kph 3.45s
0-250kph 4.21s
0-300kph 5.24s
0-350kph 6.27s
0-400kph 7.60s
0-450kph 9.35s
0-500kph 11.93s
Top Speed 547kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 115)
Analysis
Much like Mirage in the Speedster class, Phantom set a new bar for Aggressors when it was released. Matching Eversor’s straight line performance while beating many speedsters through the corners, this thing clearly outclassed its alternatives. Fast forward to now, and multiple even better aggressors have been added. Other cars have been adjusted. Phantom remains where it was – not bad, but suddenly finding itself in the position it placed so many other cars in – outclassed in every area. Still a solid all-rounder with no significant weaknesses to point to, Phantom simply doesn’t stand out any more.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Mid Tier – Strong stats in every area are backed up by a stable handling model. Phantom achieves fair times on both handling and balanced tracks, but is now straight up outpaced on all tracks by several other cars which lose nothing in terms of consistency.
Aggressors (cont.)
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.02s
0-100kph 1.75s
0-150kph 2.44s
0-200kph 3.39s
0-250kph 4.14s
0-300kph 5.15s
0-350kph 6.15s
0-400kph 7.44s
0-450kph 9.12s
0-500kph 11.54s
0-525kph 13.95s
Top Speed 551kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Stinger is a DLC car created by community member Meg.A.Byte, added in a free update
Stinger takes everything that was strong about Phantom in its heyday and pushes it even further with best in class speed, best in class acceleration and very solid grip. The only thing keeping Stinger remotely in check is a somewhat lively handling model which is prone to fishtailing or slight bouncing. Achieving excellent potential pace on a huge variety of tracks while not having any substantial statistical weaknesses, Stinger competes at the very top of the aggressor class – held back only by its consistency. Even after several other cars received buffs, Stinger’s position remains untouched.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Broken Tier – Gets the best lap times out of the speedster and aggressor classes on almost all tracks, outpacing reasonably strong cars like Phantom and Fury by as much as a second. Doesn’t lose much if any consistency for the performance it has.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.02s
0-100kph 1.77s
0-150kph 2.47s
0-200kph 3.44s
0-250kph 4.20s
0-300kph 5.22s
0-350kph 6.26s
0-400kph 7.58s
0-450kph 9.32s
0-500kph 11.88s
0-525kph 14.59s
Top Speed 548kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Fury is a DLC car, part of the Artifex pack.
Very much mirroring Atom’s relationship with Mirage, Fury’s performance is near identical to Phantom making it a strong – if now outclassed – aggressor. It enjoys excellent grip for its class while also managing solid top speeds – and even sports a better acceleration curve than Phantom. Once a top contender, Fury now joins the club of ‘great all-rounders which have been surpassed by even greater all-rounders’ as a solid but not remarkable pick.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier – Slightly beating Phantom all-round, Fury is rarely a bad pick thanks to its amazing all-round capabilities. Outclassed by Stinger and the ZS-X in every meaningful way, it still competes at a reasonably high level.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.02s
0-100kph 1.77s
0-150kph 2.47s
0-200kph 3.41s
0-250kph 4.17s
0-300kph 5.16s
0-350kph 6.19s
0-400kph 7.45s
0-450kph 9.13s
0-500kph 11.67s
0-525kph 14.15s
Top Speed 551kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
ZS-X is a DLC car released for free as a promotion with the MG Motors company.
A bizarre sight for sure, this dumb SUV nevertheless turns out to be one of the best cars in the game. Go figure. With a very similar statline to Stinger, the ZS-X is a bit stiffer in the corners but as might be expected achieves comparable lap times. That stiffness does leave it a little harder to stay consistent with than Stinger, and it generally plays second fiddle as far as lap times and desirability go as a result.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Broken Tier – The ZS-X is very close to being a carbon copy of Stinger, and similarly outclasses all other non-tanks in the game.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.02s
0-100kph 1.79s
0-150kph 2.51s
0-200kph 3.47s
0-250kph 4.23s
0-300kph 5.26s
0-350kph 6.03s
0-400kph 7.66s
0-450kph 9.44s
0-500kph 12.09s
0-525kph 15.00s
Top Speed 545kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Delorean 2560 is a DLC car, added for free as a promotion with DMC.
The DMC may well be the quintessential aggressor – sitting more or less right in the middle of the aggressor class’ speed range while sporting fair but not exceptional acceleration and good grip. A little slower flat out than Eversor, Fury and Phantom it keeps up on the back of its great handling. While losing on lap times to Eversor on all tracks, it competes more or less on-level with Fury, making it a solid pick.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier – Very comparable to Fury on many tracks, the DMC is a joy to handle while getting reasonable pace. Low speed hurts it a little on straighter tracks, but it remains competitive more or less anywhere.
Airblade Aggressors
Tanks
Despite their name, tanks sport the highest top speeds of all cars while being by far the least stable. With relatively low grip, tanks are a high-risk, high reward option. When the track and situation suits them, they can be nigh untouchable. If something goes wrong, though, they are least equipped to handle it. All that said, high strength stats can often mean that tanks survive weapon hits that would force other cars to reset.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.31s
0-100kph 2.19s
0-150kph 3.85s
0-200kph 5.06s
0-250kph 6.53s
0-300kph 8.04s
0-350kph 9.05s
0-400kph 10.63s
0-450kph 12.31s
0-500kph 14.10s
0-525kph 15.66s
Top Speed 576kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 155)
Analysis
Dreadnought, or ‘Dread’, was the first tank to be introduced. Losing out in top speed and acceleration (with the worst overall acceleration in the game), Dread tries to make up its time in handling. Unfortunately, a relatively unstable handling model negates any advantage its reasonably high grip stat may offer leaving it lacking pace compared to other tanks while also being one of the slowest cars to recover in the game. A buff to top speed improved it slightly, but failed to help it compete with top tanks.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion on this car: Mid Tier – Dreadnought automatically beats slower cars on speed tracks, but is outclassed by all the other tanks in almost every setting due to iffy stability and atrocious acceleration.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.11s
0-100kph 1.92s
0-150kph 2.65s
0-200kph 3.79s
0-250kph 4.56s
0-300kph 5.74s
0-350kph 6.78s
0-400kph 8.07s
0-450kph 9.66s
0-500kph 11.62s
0-525kph 13.19s
Top Speed 581kph
HP (destructible cars) 150
Analysis
Even after multiple nerfs, Tempest’s top speed is the highest in the game (just about). It couples this with surprisingly solid acceleration – particularly at and around typical racing speed. Suffering poor stability and bad grip, Tempest now struggles to compete with several similarly fast but much more consistent tanks.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top tier/situational – Too unruly to trust on many tracks, and its top speed isn’t as untouchable as it used to be after multiple balance changes. Still destroys anything that isn’t a tank on tracks that suit it well.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.07s
0-100kph 1.85s
0-150kph 2.56s
0-200kph 3.66s
0-250kph 4.41s
0-300kph 5.54s
0-350kph 6.55s
0-400kph 7.81s
0-450kph 9.35s
0-500kph 11.28s
0-525kph 12.84s
Top Speed 578kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 160)
Analysis
Juggernaut is remarkably quick off the line for what it is, holding very solid acceleration all the way up to racing speed and beyond. Once amongst the slower tanks and suffering many stability complaints, Juggernaut has been BUFFED in both the top speed and stability departments, leaving it one of the best cars in the game – achieving competitive lap times even on handling-centric tracks. Very resilient thanks to high strength and even has good recovery ability due to its acceleration.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Broken Tier – ridiculous acceleration plus the top speed advantage that comes with being a tank make for a top contender on fast tracks, and stability improvements have made this car competitive in places most tanks would never dare to go.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 0.83s
0-100kph 1.53s
0-150kph 2.23s
0-200kph 3.37s
0-250kph 4.10s
0-300kph 5.30s
0-350kph 6.30s
0-400kph 7.73s
0-450kph 9.37s
0-500kph 11.30s
0-525kph 12.97s
Top Speed 571kph
HP (destructible cars) 180
Analysis
With pretty average straight line performance for a tank – a lowish top speed notwithstanding – Renegade is immediately off to a good start. To make up for lower acceleration than Juggernaut, it has significantly better handling while its acceleration is still substantially better than that of Dreadnought. As such, it’s a very solid car. No super flashy outstanding stats, but well rounded. High strength makes it extremely resistant to weapon hits.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Top Tier – As with all others in its class, Renegade automatically outpaces other classes on fast tracks by virtue of being a tank. Its balanced combination of speed, acceleration and handling make it a good choice on the bumpier speed tracks such as FIC Outpost.
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.08s
0-100kph 1.89s
0-150kph 2.60s
0-200kph 3.70s
0-250kph 4.45s
0-300kph 5.60s
0-350kph 6.62s
0-400kph 7.89s
0-450kph 9.45s
0-500kph 11.41s
0-525kph 13.00s
Top Speed 577kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (was 140)
Analysis
Rounding off the Nyvoss lineup, Spectre is a top of class offering, or close to it. With tanks being compressed into a tiny range of speeds, acceleration, handling and stability become the deciding factors in how they compare to one another. Spectre does well in all of these deciding areas – while not top of class in acceleration, it beats out Tempest to most relevant speed milestones. While not quite as stable or good at cornering as Juggernaut, it gives Titan a run for its money there too. In all, this results in a reliable ‘all-rounder tank’ which puts down good times without risking too much.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Broken Tier – Spectre achieves top lap times on any fast track with a semblance of needing to steer while remaining somewhat effective even on balanced or handling tracks. One of the most reliable tanks as well as sporting great recovery ability, Spectre is ridiculously good.
Tanks (cont.)
Performance Overview
0-50kph 1.05s
0-100kph 1.85s
0-150kph 2.56s
0-200kph 3.64s
0-250kph 4.39s
0-300kph 5.51s
0-350kph 6.51s
0-400kph 7.75s
0-450kph 9.28s
0-500kph 11.18s
0-525kph 12.70s
Top Speed 579kph
HP (destructible cars) 150 (default)
Analysis
Titan is a DLC car, part of the Artifex pack
The biggest car in the game, Titan comes with highly competitive stats which slot it in between Spectre and Tempest performance-wise. Sporting an excellent acceleration curve which beats out even Spectre and topping out just below Tempest, Titan also enjoys great stability which helps it out on the more offroad speed tracks – though a low grip stat still limits its maximum corner speeds. With such favourable performance and handling characteristics for a tank, it immediately takes a place amongst the best cars in the game – likely even claiming the top spot of best tank.
Mostly’s completely arbitrary opinion of this car: Broken Tier/situational – Being close to the highest top speed in the game means Titan automatically beats almost every other car on any of the speed-focused tracks, while good stability helps it out offroad compared to other tanks.
Airblade Tanks
THEY’RE ALL BROKEN, HELP
Hitpoints, Weapons and Weapon Damage
NOTE: Currently, all cars have 150HP in race modes, and 100HP in arena mode.
A car’s HP value is only relevant when the ‘destructible vehicles’ option is enabled. As a rule speedsters have the least health, aggressors slightly more and tanks more again. But what does this mean in practice? Hitpoints don’t mean much until we know how much damage weapons do. Well…
There is an array of pickups in GRIP that racers can use against each other, each with its own quirks and unique functionalities. These – and what aspects of a car will help you against them – will be documented here. Additionally, weapons can be charged at the cost of some speed by holding the input in order to provide different or increased functionality.
Scorpion – Basic missile pickup, will lock on to any racer in your sight and attempt to track them when fired. It inherits your momentum, so avoid using them when in corners or caves as you’re likely to fling them into the wall. It deals a single explosive blast which can knock cars into the air. The charged version fires a second missile which targets a random racer. If there’s only one racer in view, both missiles will hit them dealing a whopping 60 damage if they have no shield.
Damage: 30
Weapon Type: Explosive
Impact: High
Mitigating Stats: Strength
Charge Effect: additional missile
Counterplay: A relatively reliable counter to the scorpion is to brake a second or so before impact. This will cause the hit to be greatly reduced and if executed correctly will allow you to get away with just some speed loss. An alternative solution if on a wide straight is to launch just before the scorpion hits. This will cause it to blast you along the road and into a recoverable slide, keeping much of your speed. Finally, scorpions can be persuaded to hit terrain if you are able to put it between yourself and the missile – but this is quite situational.
Spearhead – a hitscan, short range ‘shotgun’ which fires three darts that stick to a target for a short time before exploding. This will cause a hefty kick to both the user and the target, and if not dealt with properly the explosion can cause a car to flip over or lose control. When charged, this weapon is one of the most potent in the game, applying an EMP effect that disables the target’s engine and weapons for a moderate period of time and ignores shields.
Damage: 30
Weapon Type: Physics + Explosive
Impact: Low + Medium
Mitigating Stats: None
Charge Effect: EMP bombs
Counterplay: The initial impact of the spearhead is likely to cause devastating spins and there’s very little you can do about it. The explosion can be countered by performing a small launch hop just before it happens, which will cause it to slam you into the ground preventing disruption. Airblades must also pitch down during this launch in order to successfully mitigate the explosion. A charged Aegis can mitigate the EMP effects of the charged spearhead.
Raptor – A medium range machine gun. Very potent against airborne cars, and can destroy environmental barrels. Reliable and simple, but can require sustained fire to upset tanks. The charged variant fires faster and has less randomisation in the impact of its bullets, almost guaranteeing that the target spins while dealing immense amounts of damage – the highest possible damage to a single target in any single pickup.
Damage: ~39 total over 4 seconds
Weapon Type: Physics
Impact: Low, continuous
Mitigating Stats: Grip, Strength
Charge Effect: Higher fire rate, higher damage (93), less random impact
Counterplay: Not much that can be done – just try to counter-steer the spin caused by bullets hitting you and if possible break line of sight from the attacker. Aegis is effective at blocking Raptor damage. Charged raptors are currently one of the most devastating weapons in the game, causing even the heaviest cars to go into costly spins and dealing the highest potential damage of any one pickup – a charged Aegis is the only good way to avoid being obliterated by them.
Hydra – A guided swarm missile that flies straight ahead and tracks cars in its vision. It moves fairly fast and is surprisingly hard to evade. The Hydra can only deal 45 of its 150 total damage to a single target, even if all missiles hit. When it lands, it applies a strong rotation force to the target, impairing steering or causing a spin if enough of the swarm manages to hit. The charged version flies faster and causes a long-lasting HUD distortion if it hits.
Damage: 15 per rocket * 10 rockets. 150 damage total. 45 damage cap per target hit.
Weapon Type: Physics
Impact: High
Mitigating Stats: Grip
Charge Effect: Faster Rockets, HUD distortion
Counterplay: Listening for their distinctive ‘clicking’ deployment sound can alert you to someone about to deploy a hydra. Performing a launch jump as the hydra approaches will allow you to evade it, even with a relatively small jump. Alternatively, if enough warning is given it is very possible to swerve out of the way of a hydra.
Assassin – Will seek out the leader of the race. This missile has a very long firing delay and ignites its thruster late, so you need to be very careful when launching it – more so than with scorpions. It can take a while for this to travel around the track, and it sometimes doesn’t make it at all. When it does hit, it has a very large splash radius and a heavier impact than that of a scorpion. When charged, the missile gains a huge area EMP effect.
Damage: 30
Weapon Type: Explosive
Impact: Very High
Mitigating Stats: Strength
Charge Effect: EMP
Counterplay: What works for scorpions will work for assassins – brake or launch just before impact to either mitigate or ride the blast. Additionally, you can try to hand it off to 2nd place if they’re nearby.
Weapons(continued)
Ram Raider – A close-in repulsion field which pushes cars away from you. Effective when large numbers of players are close together, or just when you need someone out of the way. Generally won’t have much impact when used on an open road but in corners, on jumps or in narrow spaces it can be devastating. Deals no damage. When charged, turns into a very fast travelling, unguided beam weapon which launches targets straight into the air at long range.
Damage: None
Weapon Type: Physics
Impact: Low, continuous/ High (charged)
Mitigating Stats: Grip, Strength
Charge Effect: Magnetic Railgun
Counterplay: Slam on the brakes and try to regain control. If you’re on the edge of the effect, high grip cars can sometimes hang on but it can be very dangerous to fight a ram raider since if you go airborne it can pick you up and throw you very easily. The charged version cannot be reacted to preemptively, but will often throw the player on a trajectory which allows them to continue driving with minimal time loss. You must judge whether to reset or keep going based on the track ahead.
Disruptor – A time warp effect which slows players in the front positions while speeding up players in lower positions. Generally harmless, but handling changes when you’re under its effects so you need to be ready for that – and be very careful what inputs you give, since it can be hard to see what exactly it is that you just did until the time distortion ends and you discover that you just slammed yourself into a wall. Higher grip cars tend to be better at dealing with that sort of thing since they can correct for errors more easily. The charged version functions much the same, but will teleport the user a substantial distance ahead when it ends.
Damage: None
Weapon Type: Ketchup
Impact: Very High
Mitigating Stats: Grip
Charge Effect: Teleport
Counterplay: Be very cautious with any steering input you give, especially if you’re driving a tank since they can easily get upset and go into an unrecoverable spin. If you’re a player that gets boosted, you’ll find you have greatly increased control rather than decreased so again, just be aware of your altered physics and you should be fine.
Closing Thoughts and Summary
Something I implore readers to remember is that my opinion on cars is not gospel. I can only look at their stats, report on how they feel to play and say which of them I have found to perform best for me. If you have a car you want to try or if you have a car you prefer – don’t let this guide stop you.
If destructible cars is on, the HP values of cars can of course play into their viability. Renegade suddenly becomes very attractive when it can take so much more of a beating than other cars, and perhaps that +10 health on Ictus and Bandit is worth considering. Bear in mind the amount of damage that some common weapons can do, and also that it’s possible to hurt yourself if you aren’t careful with scorpions or assassins.
The cars that I recommend to new players are Dominator, Eversor, Phantom and tentatively Stinger. These cars are consistent, reliable and well behaved while maintaining a solid level of performance across a good range of tracks. Dominator is an excellent car which handles well while still being extremely competitive at high levels. Phantom and Eversor are both great all rounders which similarly scale well and get more and more rewarding as you improve your play. I recommend staying AWAY from Tempest and tanks in general if you’re new to the game, as quite apart from requiring greater track knowledge to get the most out of they can be extremely temperamental on rough terrain.