IFRL Two settings decide whether a Gran Turismo 7 race is fair: Performance Points and Balance of Performance. They sound technical. They are not. Here is what each one does and why your league uses them.
Performance Points (PP)
Performance Points, or PP, is a single number the game calculates for your car based on its power, weight, grip, and aero. A stock economy car might be 400 PP. A tuned Gr.3 race car sits around 775 PP. The higher the number, the faster the car, roughly.
The reason PP matters is the PP limit. A race can be set so no car above a certain number is allowed. If the limit is 775, a 776 PP car cannot enter. This is how a league keeps a field of different cars roughly even: everyone builds up to the same ceiling, so a Porsche and a Toyota can race each other closely instead of one running away.
The catch is that PP is not a perfect measure of speed. Two cars at the same PP can be quite different on a given track, one better in a straight line, one better in the corners. That is part of the fun, and it is why car choice within a pool is a real decision.
How you tune to a cap
Because PP is calculated from your parts and settings, you tune up to the limit, not past it. Add power and your PP rises. Add weight reduction and it rises. Fit more downforce and it rises. Your job is to get as close to the cap as you can without going over, because leftover PP is leftover speed you did not use.
In our league you check your PP on the car settings screen before you submit qualifying, and the number has to be at or under the limit. Over the cap and the run does not count.
Balance of Performance (BoP)
Balance of Performance, or BoP, is a different tool. Instead of a single ceiling, BoP is the game's own per-car adjustment: Polyphony, the developer, tweaks each Gr.3 and Gr.4 car's power and weight so they are all competitive with each other straight out of the box, no tuning required. Turn BoP on and everyone in a given car is identical; the only variable is the driver.
BoP changes with game updates, which is why a car that felt strong one month can feel ordinary the next. Leagues that run BoP re-check their car pools after big patches for exactly this reason.
PP or BoP: which should a league use
Both are valid, and they answer different questions.
- BoP is simplest and most equal. Everyone in the same car is the same. Good for a spec race.
- A PP limit allows tuning and car choice, which rewards drivers who put in garage time and adds a layer of strategy. Good when you want the setup to be part of the skill.
We run a PP limit with tuning allowed, within modification limits, because our drivers like that the garage is part of the game. Your league might prefer the simplicity of BoP. Neither is wrong.
The IFRL runs Gr.4 at 675 PP and the Gr.3 main event at 775 PP. Our full car pools and rules are on this site. Related: Gr.3 vs Gr.4 · glossary.