Gnade Esperanza

Gnade Esperanza
The second generation of Gnade Esperanza
Manufacturer	Gnade
Also called	Gnade Erstlanze (Slipstream)
Appearance	Rage Racer Ridge Racer (PSP) Ridge Racer 2 (PSP) Ridge Racer 6 Ridge Racer 7 Ridge Racer Accelerated Ridge Racer Slipstream Ridge Racer Drift Ridge Racer Draw & Drift
Engine	1.6 L SOHC inline 4 (Rage Racer) 1.8 L DOHC inline 4 (Rage Racer) 2.0 L DOHC inline 6 (with optional turbo, Rage Racer) 2.6 L DOHC inline 6 turbo (Rage Racer) 3.2 L DOHC inline 6 (Ridge Racer 6, class 2) 4.0 L DOHC inline 6 (Ridge Racer 6, class 4)
Drivetrain	FR
Handling type	Mild (PSP titles, 6, and 7) Dynamic (Slipstream)

The Gnade Esperanza is a machine manufactured by Gnade, first appearing in Rage Racer.

Design and performance

The Esperanza first appears in Rage Racer as the player's first car, and the only Grade 1 car available in game. The Esperanza takes cues of European boxy luxury sedans of early nineties such as the BMW M3 (E30 and E36 generations) and Alfa Romeo 155 as well as their Japanese contemporaries such as the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. The car's body have touring car aesthetic to it, starting out as a Supertouring-specification car in early three classes and evolving to DTM-style bodykit in fourth grade, where the resemblance to Alfa Romeo 155 is more visible, at fifth grade, the Gnade Esperanza looks a lot like the Nissan Skyline GT-R LM race car which raced in the JGTC at the time Rage Racer's release. As the player's first car, the car has a well-balanced handling and speed, enough to take the opposition in Grade 1. This particular design was carried over to Gnade Dignistar in Ridge Racer Vita, with the Esperanza nameplate switching to a sportier look in later years.

In Ridge Racers, the Esperanza was dramatically changed to a more curvy bubble-top look resembling an Audi TT with wheel arches resembling the ones of the Audi Rosemeyer concept and is positioned as a mid-end, mild-drift machine in the later games. The machine received a facelift in Ridge Racer 6, looking more like the 2003 Audi Nuvolari Quattro concept.

In Ridge Racers, Ridge Racers 2, Ridge Racer 6 and Ridge Racer 7 incarnations, despite it being front-engined, the rear section is somewhat long enough to be mistaken for a mid-engined machine, and that the body is also even wide enough to determine.

The Esperanza is a rear-wheel drive car and uses a straight-six engine. This specification is called Gnade Erstlanze in Ridge Racer Slipstream, where the car has Dynamic handling instead.

Performance chart

Rage Racer

The upgrade chart for all the car's available configurations in Rage Racer.

Grade	Power	Gears	Engine	Max speed (MT)	Price (eg)
1	70 ps	4	I4 SOHC 1600cc	163 km/h 101 mph	Given at start
2	140 ps	4	I4 DOHC 1800cc	187 km/h 116 mph	1,600
3	200 ps	5	I6 DOHC 2000cc	196 km/h 122 mph	13,200
4	240 ps	5	I6 DOHC 2000cc Turbo	217 km/h 135 mph	61,900
5	280 ps	5	I6 DOHC 2600cc Turbo	245 km/h 152 mph	310,000

• All maximum speed numbers correspond to the car when driven with manual transmission. Please note that not all cars in Rage Racer can be equipped with automatic transmission.
• The price that appears in the first row indicates the car purchase price from the car shop. All other prices are prices for upgrading the car.
• All versions of Rage Racer uses ps (metric horsepower) as unit of power.
• Data taken from rr-ken.net (Japanese only), except for top speeds, which is taken from Sal_89's GameFAQs entry.

Ridge Racer 6

Class	Engine	Top Speed
2	3.2 liter DOHC inline 6	247 km/h
4	4.0 liter DOHC inline 6	312 km/h

Ridge Racer (PSP), Ridge Racer 2 (PSP), Ridge Racer Accelerated

The Gnade Esperanza, as seen in Ridge Racer Accelerated

Specifications for the 3 main variants of the Gnade Esperanza are as follows:

Class	Type-S	Type-R	Type-Z
2	239 km/h	241 km/h	243 km/h
5	314 km/h	316 km/h	318 km/h

Each variant of the Gnade Esperanza is quick, with a high top speed and acceleration, with a stable handling yet sharp drift angle. The Esperanza is best for twisty tracks due to its larger emphasis on handling.

Gallery

Rage Racer

The Esperanza in Rage Racer, Class 1 specification. The player begins with this car.

The Esperanza in Rage Racer, Class 2 specification, with new front bumper and rear wing.

The Esperanza in Rage Racer, Class 3 specification, featuring a different rear wing, but otherwise visually similar to Class 2 spec.

The Esperanza in Rage Racer, Class 4 specification, featuring a DTM-style bodywork not dissimilar to Alfa Romeo 155 DTM.

The Esperanza in Rage Racer, Class 5 specification, with an Le Mans GT1 bodywork-style, similar to Nismo Skyline GT-R LM.

An advertisement of the Esperanza.

Ridge Racer (PSP)

Official concept art of the Esperanza in Ridge Racer (PSP)

Ridge Racer 7

Nebulasray

Naviway

Starluster

Zasalamel

FinalLap

Ridge Racer Slipstream

Front view of the Erstlanze in Ridge Racer Slipstream

Rear view of the Erstlanze in Ridge Racer Slipstream

Trivia

• Esperanza is Spanish for "hope".
  • In Ridge Racer Slipstream, the name "Erstlanze" is German for "first lance".
• The Rage Racer incarnation of the Esperanza in Grade 1 specification may probably have the lowest horsepower output of any car in the series.
• In Rage Racer, if the Esperanza is un-bought using a cheat device when at Grade 1, the car will be revealed to have a 0 eg purchase price.
• If listened to at night, the radio host in We Ski, another title by Bandai Namco Games for the Wii console, mentions a Gnade Esperanza having been left with its headlights on.

Cars in Rage Racer
Class 1	Gnade Esperanza
Class 2	Lizard Acceron · Age Erriso
Class 3	Lizard Bayonet · Age Abeille · Assoluto Fatalita
Class 4	Lizard Hijack* · Age Pegase* · Assoluto Istante*
Class 5	Assoluto Ghepardo*
Class 6	Lizard Bulldog* · Age Vainqure · Assoluto Squaldon*
* denotes car only available with manual transmission