Project CARS 3: What's your first page be like?

Congratulations to those who got their hands on Project CARS 3, the newest installment of the Project CARS series, which is made by the folks of Slightly Mad Studios (a Codemasters company) and Bandai Namco. As everybody knows, every good story begins with a choosing and for those who are starting Project CARS 3 for the first time get to choose one of three starter cars to begin with; a Toyota 86, a Lancer Evo VI, and a Civic Type R. Question is, which starter car is the best to start with?

To find out, let's examine the three Project CARS 3 starters.

First off, the Honda Civic Type R FK2. Made in Britain, the FK2 is based on the Euro-spec ninth-generation Civic and it's powered by a K20C 2.0L VTEC Turbo engine, which produces 310PS of power output and 400Nm of torque, while mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Incorporating its motorsports knowhow, the Civic Type R comes with race-inspired suspension system, Active Damper System, Dual Pinion Assist EPS, and the most advanced aerodynamics developed for this car. When it was launched in 2015, it lapped the Nurburgring in 7:51.42, which is the fastest lap time for front-wheel drive cars. It marked the return of the Civic name in Japan after a five year absence with only 750 units imported to Japan.

Next up is the Toyota 86. While this is the least powerful of the three starter cars, its rear-wheel drive layout makes its the most enjoyable to drive with and because it's the cheapest of the three, you can spend its change tweaking its car. It's powered by a 2.0L flat-4 engine producing over 200PS of power and thanks to its low center of gravity and the fact that it uses skinny tires rather than bigger, grippy, ones, it makes the 86 more lively to drive in the corners.

Lastly, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition, made in honor of the four-time WRC champion, the TME is a special Lancer Evolution VI model that is limited to 2500 units worldwide. Although the special livery wasn't made for show-offs, this model featured mechanical improvements identical to the base car. It comes with three variants ranging from the stripped-off RS model to the heavily-equipped GSR model.

These three starter cars will have their say with a quick lap round the streets of Shanghai to see which starter car is the best. I know this sounds rubbish but in the interest of car science, I stuck with it. So without further ado, let the experiment begin.

The Toyota 86 is much lively to drive in the bends because of its FR layout while the Civic Type R is all about serious grip and the Lancer Evo VI really shows its all-round capability as an all-wheel drive car. With their fun at Shanghai done, here are the results:

GT86 - 1:56.250

Lancer Evo VI - 1:50.185

Civic Type R - 1:50.915

As it turns out, the Lancer Evolution VI is the fastest of the three and I have no idea why I made the right decision choosing this as my starter car, although most disagree that the 86 is the best because like I said, because it's the cheapest of the three, you can spend its change tweaking its car. The Civic Type R is fairly nice but drivers may have hard time tinkering it.

Needless to say, whichever car you choose, your day at Project CARS 3 is officially begin and in its career mode, your goal is to win races while achieving several objectives to unlock new races. If you find it troubling, tune up or buy a new car. Simple.

Anyway, welcome to the world of Project CARS 3, drivers.