Haven't run this game in a while so figured I'd provide my notes. High probability this route is actually faster than current WR, as I was brainstorming a faster path but didn't nail it in a run. These are shorthand notes - I'll explain them in more detail in square brackets, [like this].

*Prerequisites: Load prerequisite Memory Card! [I had a memory card that had the sound turned off and some other in-game option tweaks - let me know if you want to know what these changes were, I don't remember them being anything essential TBH. I didn't know about Gran Turismo 4's secret options when I did these runs so there's no Widescreen or FOV hacks, just default on those - you're free to change those if you want!]

Keys, and other miscellaneous notes:

Whenever I say DEFAULT in my notes, all in caps, it means go to the tuning shop, and buy Weight Reduction Stage 1, a Racing Flywheel, and a Racing Chip.

In tourneys, it doesn't have to be all W's! If you lose a tournament race, don't worry - as long as the points at the end place you in 1st, the game will register that as you completing that Cup.

PRESS START ON RACE RESULTS, NOT X! You can press START on the Race Results screen after a race is over to skip the end-of-race standings.

PRESS L1 TO GO HOME, R1 TO GO TO MANUFACTURER! These handy shortcuts will save you time navigating the main world menu by immediately jumping your cursor to those areas.

Alright, with all that out of the way...

LET THE GUIDE BEGIN!

Used MR2 G-Limited [In the 80's Used Car store], Change oil, Weight Reduction Stage 1, Racing Chip World Compact Car Race: 5 Pace, 4 IN 1st, Skip Twin Ring Motegi [In B-Spec trophy competitions, it's quicker to skip races the AI struggles with] S800 Race Car [That you win from World Compact]: Sports Soft, Turbo 2, Kei Cup, 5 Pace Ginetta G4 [That you win from Kei Cup]: Default, No Weight Reduction, Turbo 2, Sports Soft World Classic, Skip Nurburgring, 2 Pace, NO BUICK! [If a Buick Special '62 appears in the grid, restart the race until there isn't one] Leguna Seca: 1 Pace before, during and after the Corkscrew! [if you don't do this your AI driver will send himself flying, and can sometimes get stuck even.]

EMPTY GARAGE! [Sell every car you've got.]

BMW M5 [Go to the BMW Dealership and buy this new]: Default + Stage 2 Weight Reduction, Sports Soft, NA Stage 2, Exhaust, Brakes, Driveshaft GT AUTO: Buy a wing, Pan Euro Championship: Settings -> Set downforce to full, 4 Pace, 3 in 1st, no Elise, Skip Opera Paris XL220 [That you win from Pan Euro]: Sports Soft, Turbo 4, -=[BOA TUNING]=- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fb585gIZaWhW8sCSSufT0TcjmATTbSKQ38qEaFHhiiA/edit#gid=1766924083 [Tuning done by Boa in the community. Set the car's settings to match this.] 4 Pace: Sunday, MR, Clubman, Tuning Car (Skip Tsukuba), Turbo Championship Dodge SRT-10 (buy): Full Upgrade (NA), Sports Soft Buy a wing and set Downforce to full, same as we did for the M5 4 Pace: FR Challenge, Spider & Roadster, NA, Change Oil Supercar, 5 Pace, 3 IN 1ST, No Cien or ZZII in 1st [If your grid RNG puts either a Cadillac Cien or Tommy Kiara ZZII in 1st, restart until you don't have them] New York: 4 pace, 3 Pace in top 3 - Infineon: 3 Pace, 2 in 1st

EMPTY GARAGE EXCEPT XJ220!

Toyota Tacoma (buy): Default, NA Stage 2, Sports Soft Sport Truck, 5 Pace, No Silverado in 1st Dodge SRT-4, Default, Turbo 2, Sports Soft, FF: 3 on pace Tuning Car Village - HPA Autosport -> buy Golf Stage II R32 4WD: 4 Pace Any Used 90's Subaru Impreza, Oil, Upgrade everything to full, Sports Soft Boxer Spirit - 4 Pace, 3 on Podium

RESTART CONSOLE! [We restart the console to reset the RNG Grid Placement, as the Grid Placement lookup table is reset to 1 by doing this.]

XJ220: Super hard tyres rear, Hard tyres front Oil, GTWC, Shuffle until Golden Grid [The "Golden Grid" consists of BMW Mclaren F1, Nissan R390, Gillet Vertigo, Chapparal 2D, and Chevrolet Camaro. This is the easiest grid to win GTWC against, and should take about 13 shuffles of the grid before you get it. It might be less, so just keep an eye on who the game puts you up against before you start the championship.] Skip Hong Kong, Opera and New York, 4 pace on all circuits, Except Seoul: 5, Suzuka: 3 If not skipping Hong Kong / New York, use Medium Tyres El Capitan: EXIT, CHANGE OIL, CONTINUE Suzuka: 3 pace, 4 on the finish straight Grand Valley: 4 Pace, 3 pace on finish straight and T1

GG!