Blue Dragon Racing | ALR Journey | ACC Before the First Race

Every GT7 racer has heard the whispers:

“Gran Turismo is simcade. If you want the real thing, move to ACC.”

So I did. I decided to see how deep the rabbit hole really goes.

At first, the idea was simple — just find out how big the gap actually is between GT7 and ACC. But the moment you open Assetto Corsa Competizione on console, you realise… this isn’t a friendly playground anymore. This is the wild paddock where nobody holds your hand.

---

The First Shock: Less Shiny, More Serious

ACC’s menu feels like stepping into a workshop after years in a luxury showroom.
Where GT7 spoils you with livery editors, photo modes and setup presets, ACC expects you to figure things out on your own. Want your own custom livery? You’ll need third-party tools. Want all tracks and cars? Pay extra.

Coming from GT7’s polished and supportive environment, ACC feels like a place where the grown-ups hang out — but you’re the new kid with a plastic wrench.

---

Learning the Hard Way

To race in ALR, I needed 80 SA (Safety Rating). Sounds easy? It wasn’t.
I started grinding at Catalunya — 22-minute races from the back of the grid, praying not to crash. The AI, however, had other plans. Especially at the last chicane, where they loved to throw surprise dive-bombs like they’d been watching TikTok tutorials on chaos.

The real difference started to show only once the tyres wore down.
Temperature and pressure suddenly mattered. The car began to live — every push made it sweat, every slide cost you pace. GT7 never warned me when the rear end was about to go; ACC gives you that little nudge of warning, if you’re listening.

---

The Setup Abyss

Then came the setup shock.
In GT7, setups are comfort food — you tweak a few sliders and go race.
In ACC, it’s an engineering degree. My first laps at Catalunya were around 1:51, and I thought I was doing fine. Then I learned the fast guys were six seconds quicker. Six!

A €4 setup from the internet later, I suddenly hit 1:47.3.
Same car, same driver, just a new understanding. That was when I realised ACC isn’t unfair — it’s unforgiving. The knowledge gap is the skill gap.

---

Steering Feel & Physical Fatigue

Force feedback on ACC is rawer. You feel the bumps, the grip, and even the temperature shifts through your hands. After a session, your forearms know it. But that’s not where the challenge lies — driving itself isn’t the hard part.

The hard part is everything else: setups, pit strategy, managing pressures, fuel, and yes… remembering to manually drive into your pit box. In GT7, you relax when the pit animation starts. In ACC, that’s when your stress just begins. Forget to confirm tyres? Enjoy your slicks in the rain.

---

The First Week Verdict

ACC doesn’t feel harder because of its physics — GT7’s physics hold up surprisingly well.
The difference is accountability. GT7 gives you the tools and comfort; ACC gives you responsibility. You manage your car, your setup, your pitstops, and your mistakes.

Would I recommend switching?
Yes — but only if you’re ready to work for it.
And be prepared: you’ll probably spend more money on setups than you planned.
And somehow… you’ll still end up owing someone.