GT7 Online Time Trial: Lexus RC F at Dragon Trail Seaside Reverse (17 September 2026)

The new Gran Turismo 7 Online Time Trial goes live on 17 September 2026 and runs for the usual two weeks, ending on 1 October 2026. This round is a one-make, the Lexus RC F '14 on Sports Medium tyres around Dragon Trail Seaside, run in reverse.

Seaside is the long layout at Dragon Trail, 5.21 km with 18 corners along the Croatian coast, and walls are never far away. Running it backwards changes more than you'd expect. Braking points you know by heart now come at you from the other side, corners you used to exit become entries, and the views you normally use as markers no longer line up with your inputs. It's a proper test of whether you know a circuit or just remember it.

Lexus RC F at Dragon Trail Seaside Reverse: What to Expect

Gold is set at 1:56.0. The world-best will settle over the first few days, and on a lap this long the small mistakes add up, so the gap between a tidy run and a great one will be spread across every sector.

It's a one-make, so there's no car choice to chase. Everyone's in the RC F, which makes the whole Time Trial about driving rather than meta-hunting. And the RC F is a road car. Lexus unveiled the RC F at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, with a 5.0-litre V8 producing 467 bhp and the power going to the rear wheels. Put that on a Sports Medium and you have a heavy, powerful coupé with a lot less grip than the Gr.3 and Gr.4 cars that usually race here.

That's the whole challenge. The RC F will lean on its tyres through the long corners and start to slide if you ask for too much, and with all that power going to the rear, getting on the throttle too early out of the slow corners will have the back end stepping out. Brake in a straight line, get the car turned before you ask for power, and be patient with the throttle. With walls this close, one moment of overconfidence usually ends the lap rather than costing a tenth.

The chicane that gives this layout its reputation is still there, and arriving at it from the opposite direction means relearning exactly where to brake. Expect to bin a few laps there before it clicks.

It's also worth remembering that update 1.71 brought significant changes to tyre behaviour, steering geometry and throttle response. If your last proper run in a road car on Sports tyres was before the update, give yourself a session to recalibrate before you start chasing tenths in earnest.

Final Thoughts

The Lexus RC F at Dragon Trail Seaside Reverse looks like a proper grinder. A heavy road car on a road tyre, a long lap lined with walls, and a familiar layout run the wrong way round. Gold at 1:56.0 will reward patience more than bravery, and a clean lap will be worth more than a fast one you can't finish.

Let us know what you think about this combination. It looks like it could be a very interesting one.