The best Gran Turismo 7 starting cars and how to get them

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars toyota aqua s header
(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Knowing about the Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars will really help you get off to a good start in your first few hours of racing. You won’t be getting in any Porsche GT racers or Ferrari supercars at the start of Gran Turismo 7, so get comfortable and ease into the racing world with these regular road cars for some Sunday driving down the track. As you complete Menu Books, you’ll expand your car collection and get gradually get better cars and access to higher-speed races, but these starting cars are some of the best you can pick for your first few races in Gran Turismo 7.

Best Gran Turismo 7 starting cars:

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars toyota aqua race

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

In just your first few hours of racing in Gran Turismo 7, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to unlock and buy a variety of lower-end cars to compete in. We reckon these are the best ones to look out to add to your garage, and you can find details on how to unlock each one further down:

  • Toyata Aqua S ’11: All-rounder hot hatch for your first few hours of racing at lower PP levels. This car is one of the three you can afford at the Used Car dealership right at the beginning of the game.
  • Honda Fit Hybrid ’14: A slightly cheaper alternative to the Toyota Aqua S with only marginally weaker stats. This car is one of the three you can afford at the Used Car dealership right at the beginning of the game.
  • Mini-Cooper S ’65: A spry, classic 1960s car that’s great against cars from a similar era but can be outperformed by anything more modern.
  • Suzuki Swift Sport ’17: A sportier step up from the Toyota Aqua S with a turbo engine and slightly more power in a similar hatchback form.
  • Honda Integra Type R (DC2) ’98: One of the most powerful cars that you’ll get within your first few hours of racing and definitely one to master early on.

Toyata Aqua S 2011

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars toyota aqua s

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Toyota Aqua S is a great all-rounder for your first choice of car – when you first go to the Used Car dealership as part of the tutorial, you can buy this car for 14,300 Credits. If you don’t pick it at this stage, you’ll be able to win it as a gift car for placing third or better in one of the races in your first Menu Book.

Out of your three starting options, it’s the most expensive, but has the highest PP rating. It’s got good acceleration thanks to it’s hybrid engine and handles nicely. This car can easily serve you all the way through your first few hours of Gran Turismo 7, and can go further with additional tuning parts.

Honda Fit Hybrid 2014

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars honda fit hybrid

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Honda Fit Hybrid in Gran Turismo 7 is pretty similar to the Toyota Aqua. Its 1,300 Credits has a lower PP, but still has good stats that won’t make it a bad pick at the Used Car Dealership – it’ll also save you 1,300 Credits over the Aqua. You can unlock this car as a gift if you place in the top three of the Autodrome Lago Maggiore Sunday Cup race.

Mini-Cooper S 1965

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars mini cooper s 1965

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

You’ll unlock the Mini Cooper in Gran Turismo 7 by placing third or higher in the Goodwood Sunday Cup Classic race as part of the European Classic Compacts Collection Menu Book. Of the three cars in this collection, it is by far the best with a default PP rating of 251.10 compared to the classic Volkswagen Beetle PP of 177.02. Obviously, that’s quite a bit lower than any of the three starting Japanese Compacts, so this is definitely a car to reserve for classic races only, but it’s still good to have.

Suzuki Swift Sport 2017

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars suzuki swift sport 2017

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

This Suzuki Swift Sport from 2017 feels like the next step up from the Toyota Aqua S that you may have started you Gran Turismo racing career with. It’s got a bit more power and a lighter body, making it nimbler overall. You have a chance of unlocking the Suzuki Swift Sport as part of a random card draw after winning the High Speed Ring Track Day Championship, or you’ll unlock it by placing in the top three of one of the Japanese FF Sports Cars Collection Menu Book.

Honda Integra Type R (DC2) 1998

Gran Turismo 7 best starting cars honda integra type r

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Honda Integra Type R is a classic 90s Japanese sports car that combines good speed with solid handling. This definitely makes it one of the trickier cars to drive when starting out, particularly for new Gran Turismo players – although we’ve got some Gran Turismo 7 tips to help you out. Mastering its cornering abilities will allow you to outmanoeuvre the competition and get that top podium spot.

Like the Suzuki Swift Sport, you have a chance of unlocking this car as part of a random card draw after winning the High Speed Ring Track Day Championship, or you’ll unlock it by placing in the top three of the Japanese FF Challenge 450 race at the High Speed Ring. After unlocking this car, you’ll start to get more modern sports cars with higher PP ratings through the Menu Books, but the Integra Type R can really hold its own and will be great with extra tuning.

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Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at GamesRadar+ who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.