Hong Kong 5

Hong Kong 5
Class	Sports
Weather	Sunset
Laps	3
Lap Length	6.1
Direction	1
Hong Kong Levels
Previous	Hong Kong 4
Next	Hong Kong 6

Hong Kong 5 is the fifth level of the Hong Kong track, reintroducing the sports car with a substantial speed upgrade. It takes place under sunset weather conditions and follows the same direction as Hong Kong 1 and 4. The starting positions have undergone a unique rearrangement, swapping the spots of Ivanov, Baptiste, and Roberts.

A new route is opened at the midpoint of the track, guiding racers through a narrow, meandering stretch of sand spanning 1.3 miles, enclosed by lush rice fields. Upon rejoining the highway, competitors encounter an expansive ramp spanning the road's width, followed by a sharp left turn that concludes the track. This new route extends the lap's length by an impressive 1.8 miles, extending the total to 6.1 miles.

In this level, there is an orange orb that teleports the player to Hong Kong's extra level, Hong Kong 7. The player can locate the orb as they progress towards the conclusion of the sandy path, positioned beneath a small bridge that spans the river.

Starting Positions

1	Xu	2	Roberts	3	Ivanov	4	Ahmed
5	Lumiere	6	Baptiste	7	Rossi	8	Morgen

Race

Hong Kong 5 delivers a high-speed and action-packed race, encompassing both urban and countryside landscapes. Among the Level 5 races, it stands out as one of the most challenging, owing to a combination of increased speeds, dynamic AI behaviors, and the complicated latter half of the racetrack. The task of overtaking opponents becomes intricate in such conditions. Given the race's duration of just four minutes, a single mistake can have dire consequences for the player, with limited opportunities for recovering lost ground.

Similar to the dynamics of Moscow 5, sports cars in Hong Kong 5 experience a substantial boost in their top speeds, ranging from 170 to 230 mph. While slower than their Indy counterparts, these sports cars possess distinct characteristics, offering a unique driving experience that can either challenge or aid the player. For instance, cars with slow acceleration suffer major setbacks when required to restart from a standstill, while those with weaker stability struggle when colliding with stronger vehicles, often leading to crashes.

The stretch preceding the rice fields emerges shortly after the forked path, where racers forgo the right turn onto the narrow grassy stretch. Instead, they proceed through a linear tunnel before encountering the water-laden rice fields. This segment, composed of twists and turns across sandy terrain, poses a challenge for vehicles with poor handling. The majority of this path is bordered on both sides by short fences, except for two small bridges spanning streams of water. Losing control and falling into these streams can prove disastrous, resulting in a Game Over if the car is fully submerged. The expansive ramp following the rice field section demands traversal at an appropriate speed and angle, but racers have the alternative option to bypass the ramp by simply driving beneath it via the left-hand route.

At the start of the race, the player is bound to encounter a pileup, often triggered by the slow-accelerating AI Roberts and other rivals attempting to overtake him. As Roberts begins in 2nd place, the pileup can involve any car except AI Xu, the frontrunner. Despite the potential slow start, both AI Roberts and particularly Lumiere emerge as dominant contenders, frequently challenging Xu for the lead position. AI strengths are influenced by both assigned speeds and turning capabilities in Hong Kong 5, and those adept at navigating corners, such as Lumiere and Roberts, can easily surpass their slower rivals at critical turns. Even during the final lap, where the frontrunners throttle back to their predetermined moderate speed, Lumiere and Roberts maintain dominance due to their skill at maneuvering the track's twisty and winding layout.

Any mistake by these two AI drivers, particularly during overtaking attempts, works in the player's favor due to their slow acceleration and subsequent struggles in regaining momentum from a standstill. Given the likelihood of pileups involving various cars, the player's chances of victory notably increase if they can break ahead of the pileup with Lumiere and Roberts jammed behind. If the player finds themselves caught in an early pileup and trailing either Lumiere or Roberts, it's advisable to simply restart the race. While staging a comeback in such a scenario is attainable for experienced players, success often hinges on a blend of skill and luck, relying on the top AI contenders to falter while overtaking weaker rivals.

AI Speed Table

Below are the AI speeds in the Grand Tour Racing '98 version; speeds may differ in Total Drivin or other versions. The table represents the AI's straight-line speeds and does not account for individualized behaviors or specific car mechanics, such as driving accuracy, turning speed, and acceleration.

	Lap 1 (mph)	Lap 2 (mph)	Lap 3 (mph)
1st HT	189*	163	147
2nd HT	189*	189*	157
3rd HT	189*	170*	157
4th HT	174*	152	152
5th HT	163	152	152
6th HT	177*	177*	177*
Rossi	175	180	185
Morgen	177	177	177

*Roberts can only reach a top speed of 167 mph.

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