A Super GT: The AVR 500-R

 

If you're a fan of endurance racing, or even just a Gran Turismo veteran, chances are you've heard of Super GT. Japan's top-tier tin-top racing series (formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC) sees GT racing cars do battle on some of Japan's greatest racing circuits. Fuji Speedway, Suzuka, Twin Ring Motegi, and let's not forget the overseas round at Thailand's Chang circuit. You have the GT300 cars; a mixture of European GT3 cars and home-grown GT300 and Mother Chassis racers. Then there's the GT500 cars; the pinnacle of GT racing cars and some of the fastest closed-cockpit racers on the planet.

GT500 cars may look like road-going sports cars, but they're actually tube-frame silhouette racers that share very little if anything in common with production models. There are three cars found in this class: the Honda NSX-GT, Nissan GT-R Nismo and Toyota GR Supra. All of these cars are front-engined (even the NSX), with 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines cranking out 650 horsepower. The aero kits produce immense downforce, giving these cars similar cornering speeds to prototypes. In that opening image, I was going around the 130R curve at Suzuka at 175 miles per hour without lifting. These cars are fast. Faster than GT3s, faster than IndyCars, as fast if not faster than a 2014-era LMP1. Trust me, I checked.

So if you want to try out one of these beasts for yourself, then you're in luck. Japanese modder Natsuki offers the AVR 500-R, based on the 2020-spec GT-R Nismo GT500. It's a pay mod that costs ¥500 (around £3.70 at current exchange rates), although that price has been cut to ¥399 (around £3.00). I'm not sure if that reduced price will last, so bear that in mind. Once you get your hands on the car, you might want to swap out the generic liveries for some authentic Super GT replica paint schemes, which can be sourced from RaceDepartment (and which can be seen in these photos).

The vehicle is highly-detailed, with actual telemetry being used to create a highly-accurate simulation of the GT500 car. That also extends to the visuals, with both the interior and exterior boasting exquisite detail. This bodes well for the driving experience, since you don't get the sense that your money has gone to waste.

True enough, once you get out on track, you know you're in for a good time. The steering is somewhat heavy, though not excessively so, and allows for precise control through the corners. At slow speeds, you need to be careful with the throttle, as this kind of power in a light frame makes it easy to spin out. As you build up speed, however, the downforce starts to build up, and you can carry serious speed through the curves. Essentially, the faster you can enter a curve, the more grip you'll have and the better off you'll be coming out of it. It might sound counter-intuitive, and indeed there is still a limit to just how fast you can corner before you just spear off the road, but this car suits a driver who is not afraid to push. If you can race and be successful with a Formula One car or a Le Mans Prototype, then you'll do just fine with a GT500 car. Just ask Jenson Button.

So now it's time for the verdict, and since this mod costs money, there's greater pressure to get this right. I can unequivocally say that the AVR 500-R is worth the money. It has no graphical flaws, and although it replicates a racing series that is somewhat niche, the driving experience is sublime. In fact, the only complaint I have with this car is that it has no competition. Having the GT-R is great, but having an NSX and a GR Supra joining it would be even better, and I really hope Natsuki uses their talent to bring us these other GT500 cars. Considering how they've nailed this Nissan, I believe their future releases will be something to behold.

If you want to buy the AVR 500-R, then you can do so from this site. As mentioned before, it costs between £3.00 and £3.70.

As with other paymods, this car uses a generic name and liveries. You can source user-created replica liveries from RaceDepartment (as seen in these photos), including the #23 Motul Autech, #12 Calsonic Team Impul, #3 Craftsports Motul and #24 Kondo Racing (which is driven by Wales' own gamer-turned-racer, Jann Mardenborough) GT-Rs. As with all files from RD, you will need an account to download them.

The Toyota Alphard... And The Sam's Sim Corner Alphard Van Race

Hi everyone! I know it's been a little while since I've posted something here. Truth is, I wanted to take a little break from Assetto Corsa and modding. After months of collecting, installing, testing and reviewing mods, I think I could be forgiven for wanting to pursue other (non-sim-racing) projects for a little while. So what has convinced me to return to Assetto Corsa and start writing blog posts again?

It's a van.

Specifically, it's the Toyota Alphard. Now, those of us in Britain might not be familiar with the Alphard. It's a van produced by Toyota for Japan, some Asian countries and Russia. It's a front-wheel drive, with either a 2.5 litre four-cylinder engine, a 3.5 litre V6 or a 2.5 litre hybrid model. Inside, you'll find space for seven or eight people, and a very spacious and well-appointed interior. And that's the thing about the Alphard; this isn't a budget family-hauler like European MPVs. This is intended as high-end executive transport, for markets that haven't fallen head-over-heels for SUVs. Toyota also produces a restyled version of the Alphard, the Vellfire, to appeal to a different crowd.

As for performance, the Alphard isn't really what you'd call a performance car. The 3.5 litre engine in this particular version produces nearly 300 horsepower, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox provides slick shifts, but the long gearing stifles acceleration, and a front-wheel drive van isn't really going to have the sharp handling of a Honda Type R (especially not when it's roughly the size of a short-wheelbase Transit Custom). It's not particularly light either; the lightest Alphard weighs in at over 1,900 kilograms, and I'm guessing the top-of-the-line Executive Lounge trim with the V6 is going to be a bit heavier than that. So the Alphard is by no means a race car.

All the more reason why I wanted to race it.

A grid of ten Alphards on the small Tsukuba circuit may seem like a recipe for disaster, but it actually made for some good racing. At 1.85 metres wide, they're a bit too big to go three-wide around here, but I had a lot of fun trying to wrestle the big van around and pass the other racers. I've often found that the slower and more unlikely the race cars, the closer and more exciting the racing, and this is a prime example of that. A ten lap race didn't feel boring, and I reckon there's quite a few racing series that could be improved by sticking the top drivers in large, unwieldy vans for a not-so-serious race every once in a while.

So, would I recommend this Alphard for Assetto Corsa? No, I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I had fun racing this vehicle, but I cannot ignore the fact that the interior is quite rough and needs a bit of work. OK, it needs a LOT of work. Still, I love the fact that this van is now in Assetto Corsa. There's a lot of supercars, racing cars and classic cars available, but sometimes, you want to let loose with an everyday car. I have no idea what compelled someone to take a large luxury van and stick it in Assetto Corsa, but I'm glad they did and I salute them. If they put some effort into fixing the interior and the cockpit driver (you can probably tell that the driver sits VERY low in these photos), then this could be a great mod.

If you're a similar kind of madman to myself, and are willing to put up with the low-quality interior, then you can download the Alphard from here. That download also includes a modified VIP-style version with massive wheels and slammed suspension.

The Tsukuba I used in this race is a conversion from Gran Turismo Sport, and can be downloaded here.

The Next Western Star in American Truck Simulator... and a quite-long history of virtual car debuts

 

We are honoured to announce the arrival of the The NEXT Western Star® for American Truck Simulator shortly after its real-world release on 9/29.

We are humbled to be able to work closely with the @WstrnStarTrucks team on this project.

Pictures & more at: https://t.co/J0wO0VAFsm pic.twitter.com/VogPchddxF

— SCS Software (@SCSsoftware) September 10, 2020

American Truck Simulator is getting a new vehicle soon, and it's an interesting one. It's the next generation Western Star truck, and as I write, it hasn't actually been revealed yet. When ATS was released in 2016, it only had a handful of trucks from Kenworth and Peterbilt (both manufacturers having the same parent company), and since then, SCS Software have been working on getting trucks from other brands into the game. Volvo, International and Mack are now represented as well, and Western Star is next in line. It's good to know that SCS Software have such a good working relationship with Daimler Trucks North America that they're allowed to look around a prototype of a new unreleased truck to model it for the game.

That got me thinking. Truck games getting brand new vehicles is pretty much unheard of, but there have been a few cases of car manufacturers working with game developers to give players an early-access preview of their new models over the years. I thought I'd take a look through the history books to dig up a some of these cases. Be warned, there are a lot.

Gran Turismo is one of the biggest names on the market. The first game had cars that creator Kazunori Yamauchi wanted to include, but as the games proved more popular, car manufacturers figured out that including their cars in Gran Turismo provided great advertising, and so were more willing to license their cars. Case in point: Nissan, whose large number of Skyline/GT-R variants provided a bit of a running joke in the GT community. For 2007's Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo, players were able to drive a camouflaged test prototype version of the then-new R35 GT-R (nicknamed the "Black Mask"). When the production GT-R was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, the finished, non-camouflaged version replaced the Black Mask in the full release of the game. Back to the demo, and the second generation Mazda6, Lexus IS F and Subaru Impreza STI hatchback would also be unlocked in the demo as they were unveiled in reality.

Jumping ahead to 2010 and Gran Turismo 5, and it would be the brand-new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG that would grace the cover of that game. About a year after launch, Toyota also collaborated with Polyphony Digital to give gamers the chance to test drive the new GT86. That wouldn't be the most exciting new car launch of GT5, however. In late 2012, a mysterious camouflaged Corvette started appearing on the game's "screen-saver," and it was soon announced that players would get to drive the next-generation Corvette Test Prototype before the actual car had even been unveiled. In January 2013, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray made its grand debut, and was almost immediately added to Gran Turismo 5 for players to drive.

That wouldn't be the last time that a new car made its debut in Gran Turismo. 2013 saw the release of Gran Turismo 6, and the BMW M4 was added shortly after release. At that time, the in-game car didn't even have an interior or a full description; both elements were added later when the production car was unveiled. The current game in the series, Gran Turismo Sport, continues the tradition of co-operation with car manufacturers, as Polyphony Digital worked closely with Porsche to include the Taycan Turbo S electric car in GT Sport.

So what about other games? Forza Motorsport has had their fair share of debuts. Back in 2009, Turn 10 and Audi teamed up to make the R8 V10 the hero car of Forza Motorsport 3. In 2012, the 2013 SRT Viper was unveiled at the New York Auto Show, and was also announced to be coming to Forza Motorsport 4 in a free promotional pack (not to mention becoming the cover car for the original Forza Horizon).

Since then, Forza's cover cars have always been the latest and greatest. The McLaren P1 in Forza Motorsport 5. The Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 in Forza Horizon 2. The Ford GT in Forza Motorsport 6 (and the 2017 F-150 Raptor and Shelby GT350R also in the game). The Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4 in Forza Horizon 4. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS 991.2 in Forza Motorsport 7 (and E3 2017 actually marked the debut of that car!). And the McLaren Senna in Forza Horizon 4. Going back to FM7, there's also the 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo and Veloster N, which were made available to players just a day after the debut.

Need For Speed may not be the most realistic game series out there, but it's a big name with its finger on the pulse of the automotive world. In 2008, Electronic Arts teamed up with Nissan to bring the brand new 370Z to Need For Speed: Undercover, along with a web video miniseries to promote the car. That wouldn't be the last time that NFS would get first dibs on a new model, as the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S 991 was made available to players in Need For Speed: The Run, and the 2015 Ford Mustang GT was included in Need For Speed: Rivals. In more recent times, BMW has used NFS to preview its new sports models, with the M2 Coupe making its first appearance in Need For Speed 2015. Two years later, the F90 M5 was unveiled at Gamescom 2017, and included on the cover of Need For Speed: Payback.

This deep-dive into virtual car debuts has been quite long, so I'll wrap things up with a name that should be familiar to sim-racers: Project CARS 2. When developing that game, Slightly Mad Studios worked with McLaren to make their new 720S the star of the game. The 720S was still under development at the time, so SMS had to create the virtual car from manufacturer-supplied CAD data, changing certain aspects as McLaren fine-tuned the design, and had to do it in complete secrecy. The collaboration also saw then-McLaren test drive Chris Goodwin providing feedback on the car's handling for the game developers.

So there you have it. That was a look at the cars that players have been able to experience first in driving games, and it was quite a bit longer than I was expecting. Personally, I love it when car manufacturers and game developers team up. It really puts the spotlight on the latest and greatest cars, and makes them feel a bit more special. I make no secret of my love for the current BMW M5, and its appearance in NFS Payback is a big part of that. I also feel like the chance to become a Chevrolet test driver and drive a camouflaged C7 Corvette prototype was one of the coolest things to happen in Gran Turismo 5. Long may these special collaborations continue!

All's Fair... The Lost Heaven Racing Circuit

 I'm not sure how many sim-racers have also played/heard of a game called Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. Released in 2002, Mafia is a game that puts you in the shoes of a mobster in Prohibition-era 1930's America. Naturally, there is driving in that game, and the driving is actually really rather realistic. The cars are appropriately slow (particularly the 1930 base-model cars in the early parts of the game), handle very poorly, and the brakes... they don't. You'll also have to contend with crash damage and running out of fuel, and yes, the police will pursue you and pull you over for minor traffic offences.

One mission in the original Mafia game is particularly infamous: the fifth mission, "Fairplay." Your boss has a big bet on an upcoming race, taking place at the Lost Heaven Racing Circuit just outside of town, but this hotshot from Europe threatens to dominate the competition. The mob-boss stands to lose a lot of money, not to mention the confidence of the mobsters who follow their boss' lead with their own bets. You sneak into the race track (with the help of a paid-off guard) under the cover of darkness to steal the rival's race car, and take it to a mob-affiliated garage in town so that the mechanic can give it a tune-up (in other words, sabotage it). You'll then have to return the car to the paddock before the guards change their shift, all while avoiding damage to the car. The mission doesn't end there as the next day, you're recruited to drive in the race yourself, with the goal of winning. With fast cars and faster AI, combined with the 1930's bar-of-soap vehicle handling, it's not hard to see why this mission is regarded by many as the hardest in the game.

The original Mafia game has been completely remade, with Mafia: Definitive Edition set to release near the end of this month. In the meantime, for those who wish to re-enact Fairplay or simply to drive a car of their choice around the Lost Heaven Racing Circuit, __EASY__ of assetto-fr.tk has brought this circuit to Assetto Corsa. I myself have never played Mafia, but I have watched videos and found myself wanting to drive this circuit, so I just had to grab some inter-war racing cars and try it out.

The Lost Heaven Racing Circuit is just over two miles long, with a layout that reminds me quite a bit of Laguna Seca. The road is nice and wide for all but a couple of sections, and there's a chicane which can be taken at some speed. A couple of the turns are steeply banked, allowing you to carry a fair bit of speed through them, though I doubt you'll exceed 110 miles per hour around here in vintage race cars. There is plenty of elevation, giving the feeling of the track flowing with the landscape, and the atmosphere is completed with some vintage-style trackside advertisements.

Just like the Goodwood Revival, I made the effort to immerse myself in the atmosphere of a bygone era. In addition to the sepia filter that you can see in these photos, I went to the always-great Legion blog to get their inter-war racing cars. I tried out their 1939 3.0 litre Grand Prix cars, 750kg Grand Prix cars, 1.5 litre Voiturettes and 1930 Le Mans racers. Of these, I found the Voiturettes the nicest to drive. They were powerful enough to make them quick for the day, but not so much that the throttle was an instant-wheelspin button. They didn't have much grip, but I found them to be nice to drive, and I really enjoyed racing and drifting them around the circuit. The 1930 Le Mans cars were similarly enjoyable; not as tail happy, but the Blower Bentley and Mercedes SSK were still decently quick. The late-'30s GP cars on the other hand, were downright diabolical to drive, with way too much power and almost no grip whatsoever. The drivers who actually raced those cars must've been a different breed to be able to control those beasts.

While I mostly enjoyed my time in Lost Heaven, I do have to say a couple of negative points about the track as well. The textures aren't perfect, particularly with the rocks, and the trees are somewhat see-through at long-range. I'm not sure whether this track is scratch-made or a convert from Mafia, but these points do slightly betray the fact that this track was originally seen in a game from 2002. I do also remember one of the crash barriers (basically two metal tubes at waist-and-chest height) being rather easy to get your car wedged in, or even crash underneath and fall through the map. Then again, 1930's motor racing was hardly the safest pastime to begin with...

Would I recommend Lost Heaven Racing Circuit? It's a hard one to call, this. I get that the mod is free, and so I can't complain too much about the visuals. At the same time, I cannot ignore how this track isn't the best-looking I've come across. However, in terms of layout, it's a fast and fun track, especially in a car that is somewhat controllable. I really enjoyed racing the supercharged 4.5-litre Bentley and the Bugatti Type 51A around here, and even felt like I was playing that mission in Mafia. Is it possible to get nostalgic for a game I've never played? I don't know... If you're looking for a vintage race track, and are willing to prioritise layout and driving experience over visuals, then this could be worth checking out.

If you want to drive the Lost Heaven track for yourself, then you can download it from assetto-fr.tk.

While you are free to drive whatever you want on this track, for the best results, I'd recommend some inter-war cars from the Legion blog. In particular, I'd recommend the Alfa Romeo 158/39, Bugatti Type 51A, ERA Type B and Maserati 6CM from the Voiturettes 1.5 litre class, and/or the Bentley 4.5-litre Blower and Mercedes-Benz SSK from the Le Mans circa 1930 group. There's also the Grand Prix 750kg and Grand Prix 3 litre cars if you're feeling particularly insane.

iRacing Gets The New Corvette C8.R

 I don't really talk much about iRacing. It's not a platform I'm signed up to. I do, however, keep an eye on it and the new content that gets added. Yesterday, Corvette Racing announced that the new Chevrolet Corvette C8.R will be added to the platform this month. This latest-generation, mid-engined GTE car will join the BMW M8, Ferrari 488, Ford GT and Porsche 911 RSR in iRacing's GTE lineup, and will likely be a part of numerous endurance races on the platform, such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and (possibly) the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

I have no doubt that the users of iRacing will be excited to get another GT car to play with, especially one that is so new. The C8.R has run six races in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and taken four victories already, so it will be taken seriously when it comes to iRacing. So, apart from iRacing, what other games/simulators does it appear in? Well, there's the recently-released Project CARS 3, which doesn't really seem to be a simulator. There's CSR Racing 2 and Real Racing 3, which are mobile games... There is a C8.R mod for Assetto Corsa, but it's a paymod from a... less-than-reputable source. The C8.R is one of my favourite race cars right now; I just hope that one of the legit groups will work on a mod for the car, and do a proper job of it...

Surprise 🎉 We've got some more content for the new season!

The Corvette C8R joins the fray! pic.twitter.com/kFwZXBX9FI

— iRacing.com (@iRacing) September 2, 2020

Tokyo Nights: The Shutoko Revival Project

 It feels like a large part of the racing game community are obsessed with recreating The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Every game has to have a Supra or a Skyline with massive amounts of customisation, winding mountain roads and long stretches of expressway, and any game that doesn't have all of these things isn't worth bothering with. OK, I may be exaggerating... just a bit... If you happen to be one of those "Supra, or we riot" people, then today's blog post is about an Assetto Corsa mod that could be one of the greatest things ever (according to JDM fanboys).

The Shutoko Revival Project is a group of mod-makers that have recreated the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo. If you've played the Tokyo Xtreme Racer games, read the Wangan Midnight manga and/or are familiar with the legend of the Mid Night Club (the Japanese street racer crew, not the Rockstar game series), then you'll know that the expressway network is one of the ultimate havens for street racing, and the chance to experience these roads (about two hundred miles of driveable road) without traffic, in any direction and at any speed you wish is not one to be missed.

The Shuto Expressway can be divided into a few areas, as seen on the map above. The first area I'll talk about is the C1, the Inner Circular Route. This route is like an extended racing circuit; about nine miles long and with a mixture of high-speed sections, tight curves and a few tunnels. It really feels like it would make the ultimate street circuit. Trying to achieve the fastest time around this section of the expressway is surely one of the ultimate tests of man and machine. Keep an eye out for Tokyo Tower near the southern end of the loop.

Branching off from the C1 loop is the Shibuya route, an elevated part of the expressway that offers a decent chance to take your car towards its top speed, before peeling off the expressway towards the city streets, making a wide 180 through a junction and heading back onto the expressway. Admittedly, there's not much to this section of road, but it makes a nice addition to the existing road network.

Heading east away from the C1, you'll find yourself on the Belt-Loop. This loop incorporates part of the Bayshore route, Route 9 (which connects the Bayshore Route to the C1) and Route 11 (which runs across the Rainbow Bridge towards the Haneda route). This particular loop is much faster than the C1, with high-powered, stable cars doing well here. At night, the Rainbow Bridge is lit up with colour, and blasting across it at more than 140 miles per hour is a unique experience.

Get on the Belt-Loop and keep heading westbound, and you'll find yourself on the Bayshore route. The Wangan (as the Bayshore Route is called in Japan) is surely one of the most infamous stretches of road in all of Japan; long straights and high speed curves that are all about pushing your car to the absolute limit. By the time you get through those curves (and past the tollbooth), you'll likely be pushing at least 180 miles per hour, and the long straight that follows will have you keeping your foot nailed firmly to the floor as you blast across the Tokyo bay. Seriously, that straight is more than six miles long. No wonder the Mid Night Club chose this area as the location of their speed runs. You can just imagine a Bugatti Chiron exceeding 250 miles per hour across the bridge, and thanks to this mod, you can do just that.

All good things must come to an end, and at the end of the Bayshore Route is the junction for the Daikoku Parking Area. You can keep going into the Mirai section in Yokohama, or turn off and head towards the Yokohane. In contrast to the wide Bayshore Route, this stretch of road is much tighter. It's two lanes wide and with a number of curves that restrict your average speed. Racing here is sure to be a challenge, even with no traffic to inhibit your progress. This section also includes the Haneda Route, linking the eastern section of the Yokohane and the southern-most part of the C1.

So now I've gone over the different areas of the Shuto Expressway (and remember, each road can be driven in either direction), now it's time for me to actually review this map. If I could sum it up in one word, it's this: Epic. Every time you drive on the map, whether you're just cruising or going for a full-speed time attack, it's awe-inspiring. The massive area means that there's always somewhere else to go if you find a section boring, and each area has its own challenges. The visuals are also great, with road signs accurately replicated and the buildings and landmarks getting lit up as the sun goes down and night looms. Starting a drive in the late afternoon and driving along into the night, the atmosphere changes, and you start to feel the spirit of those street racers come to life.

If I had to pick a drawback, it's that this map is rather resource intensive. This is a very large map, with a much larger area than the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and Assetto Corsa wasn't really designed with such large areas in mind. You will find the car quivering, particularly as you get away from the centre of the map. You'll also need a decent-spec computer to be able to run it. Finally, as this is a free-roam map, you won't be able to drive on it with AI, at least not at first. You can find AI lines on RaceDepartment, though the one I tried has a couple of areas where the AI won't go, and it also takes ten minutes to load the map with the AI line.

So, would I recommend the Shutoko Revival Project? Absolutely, yes. Fans of street racing, Japanese cars, or just speed in general will find much to like about this map. Increasing traffic and police enforcement has largely put a stop to street racing on the Tokyo expressway network, but this mod allows speed freaks to experience the Shuto Expressway with no limits. One upside to racing game players' JDM obsession is the large number of tuned Japanese car mods, and this map is the perfect environment to push your NSX/RX-7/GT-R to the limit. If you are looking for a modern-day Tokyo Xtreme Racer game, Wangan Midnight simulator or just an interesting free-roam map, then I'd say this is one of the must-have mods for Assetto Corsa.

If you can't wait to hit the highways for yourself, then you can download the map from the Shutoko Revival Project Discord. You will need a Discord account to sign up, though you can also get technical support, chat with like-minded individuals and even organise meet-ups and races on the SRP free-roam server.

To complete the street-racer atmosphere (and join the official SRP servers), you'll need some tuned cars. You can find the official SRP car pack on their official Discord server, containing a mix of modified cars with varying levels of tuning.

If you're looking to expand your car collection beyond the SRP pack, then Assettoland has a large number of tuned cars (including some that used to be in earlier editions of the SRP pack). Just keep in mind that the quality of cars on Assettoland can vary, and that a large number of the modified cars are tuned for drifting. You can find some good cars there; just be prepared to sort the wheat from the chaff.

To round out the car collection, I would like to recommend SutaTheRunner's cars. He's made a Ferrari Testarossa and a Porsche 911 Turbo, both of them modified and fitting in perfectly with the Wangan Midnight theme. If you want a European exotic that's right at home on the expressway, they are worth checking out.

What's The Deal With... TCR Cars

 I've already talked about how great touring cars and the races they provide, are. For this episode of What's The Deal With, I've decided to take a look at TCR cars, the class of car used in the FIA World Touring Car Cup, as well as numerous touring car and endurance championships across the globe. I'll primarily be looking at the cars that competed in the 2018 season of the FIA WTCR, though other TCR cars also exist.

TCR cars are based on hatchbacks and hatchback-sized saloons. There are no manufacturer entries; instead, the cars are sold to customer teams who run them in racing series. For 2018, the seven types of car that competed in the FIA WTCR were the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR, Cupra León TCR, Honda Civic Type R (FK8) TCR, Hyundai i30 N TCR, Peugeot 308 TCR and Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.

The body shell is the same as the road-going car the TCR car is based on, though this body shell is reinforced and the wheel-arches are widened to accommodate wider wheels and tyres. The body also features a standardised front splitter, and an adjustable rear wing for downforce. The minimum weight is 1285 kilograms including the driver, though this falls to 1250 kilograms for cars with a production gearbox.

Regardless of the car, the engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder of between 1.6 and 2.0 litres, producing 350 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent through a six-speed gearbox: typically a racing sequential gearbox, although production-spec paddle-shift automatics can also be used. TCR cars are strictly front-wheel drive; contrary to popular belief, the Audi RS 3 LMS TCR is NOT four-wheel drive.

The vehicle suspension has to use the same design as the road-going vehicle, but with modified and reinforced component parts. TCR cars use disc brakes all-around, with six-piston brake calipers up front and two-piston calipers at the back, and production anti-lock braking systems can be used. The wheels are a maximum of 18 inches in diameter, wrapped up in slick tyres (the provider of which depends on the series).

In my experience, these cars are great fun to drive and race. Front-wheel drive makes them very stable and rewarding to throw down a twisty piece of racetrack, safe in the knowledge that you won't spin out under power. Be mindful of braking from high speeds, as the lack of ABS and the front-biased weight distribution means the rear wheels are liable to locking up under hard braking, sending the tail swinging out. Also, you need to be mindful of the throttle in the middle of corners, as going on the throttle too early will result in wheelspin and understeer. The key to maximising corner exit speed is to be patient with the throttle, and figure out when you can roll onto full throttle. Get it right, and the car will drag itself out of the corner and launch itself down the next straight.

Before I go, I would just like to quickly mention the PURE ETCR Touring Car Series; the FIA's new Electric Touring Car Cup, using TCR-type vehicles outfitted with electric powertrains. Having already driven the Formula E car in Assetto Corsa, I reckon an electric touring car with instant power (and no need for energy saving) will provide thrilling low-emission racing. How long until us sim-racers get the chance to experience an electric TCR car for ourselves?

What's The Deal With... The Tatuus FA01

Hello, and welcome back to my blog! I've decided to take a deep dive into the Tatuus FA010 (known in Assetto Corsa as the FA01), a car used in SimRace1's Fast & Furious Pro event last weekend, and which will be used in the forthcoming Intermediate event. I'll be taking a look at the technical specifications to hopefully give racers a better understanding of their machinery.

Tatuus is an Italian constructor specialising in open-wheel cars. They've primarily built cars for the Formula Renault series, though they have also built cars for other manufacturer Formula series, Formula 3 and 4 championships and the W Series. The FA01 was built in 2010 for the Formula Abarth series, which lasted until 2014, and a few other regional entry-level championships. It was developed as a safe, high-quality and low-cost single-seater for entry-level racing. 120 FA01 chassis were built before the type was replaced by the Tatuus F4-T014 for 2014.

The chassis and bodywork are made of carbon fibre, contributing to a kerbweight of just 525 kilograms with the driver onboard. The front wing has adjustable flaps, and the rear wing can be adjusted to provide three aero profiles. The vehicle uses double-wishbone suspension, a layout that is common on sports and racing cars. For the braking system, the vehicle uses cast iron ventilated discs with four-piston calipers all around. Tyres are provided by Kuhmo, wrapped around 13 inch wheels front and rear.

The engine is a 1.4 litre inline-4 with a turbocharger, a modified version of the engine found in the Abarth 500 road car. It produces nearly 200 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Power-to-weight ratio is approximately 377 horsepower-per-tonne, making this car quite rapid for an entry-level racer.

I will now quote Aristotelis Vasilakos, dynamic modeler for Kunos Simulazioni (the developers of Assetto Corsa):

“From a driver’s point of view, this car is a delight to drive. It has plenty of both mechanical and aero grip and can carry incredible amounts of speed into turns. It is very stable under braking and acceleration and you can safely drive it around any circuit without problems, making it the perfect single seater for youngsters starting out in racing. Still, it is a very sensitive racing car and the more you push to find the limits the more difficult it becomes to find lap time. The driver ends up braking very late into every curve, turning in very fast and stepping on the gas pedal as soon as possible. When you reach this kind of limit, then you’re really on the edge, and being so fast in any corner can make the car reactions tricky to handle, so try to not upset it as it might turn around and bite you.

We think this is the perfect car to start learning the secrets of car setup and racing against others. Do not expect to be able to drift everywhere around the circuit with this car, but do expect to be able to carry out brisk manoeuvres while surrounded by your opponents without fear of losing control of the car.”

Hopefully this post has given you a greater understanding of the Tatuus FA01 and its engineering. I intend to do more of these What's The Deal With... posts, taking a look at the other kinds of racing vehicles that you'll find in Assetto Corsa and/or at SimRace1, so please do let me know what you thought of this post, and if you want me to do more like this!

Moving in Circles: The RSS Formula Americas 2020

Yesterday was the 104th running of the Indy 500; a race rich in history and tradition, and one of the jewels in the Triple Crown of Motorsports. It is without a doubt the flagship event of the IndyCar series, and the one they all want to win. Who's they? Pretty much a list of who's who in American open-wheel racing. Alexander Rossi, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti, Fernando Alonso, Max Chilton, Marcus Ericsson, Santino Ferrucci, Takuma Sato, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. All of these drivers ran in the Indy 500 this year, and I think you'll agree that there are some big names in that list. So what if you want to follow in their footsteps and experience what it's like to pilot quite possibly the fastest single-seater racing car out there?

Race Sim Studios has gained a reputation as one of the top mod makers for Assetto Corsa. Their work is of a very high quality, and well worth the prices they charge. Their primary area of expertise is in open-wheelers, Formula One cars in particular, though they've also worked on Formula Two and Four cars, a next-generation 2022-spec F1 car, and a line of 2000's GT cars. One of their more recent releases is the Formula Americas 2020, which is based on this years' IndyCar racer, the Dallara IR 18.

The IR 18 is an evolution of the previous DW12 IndyCar, with all teams using the same aero-kits, and 2.2 litre turbocharged V6 engines provided by either Chevrolet or Honda. There are three specs depending on the track; the Road Course spec (what the Americans call a racing circuit) has high-downforce bodywork with multi-element wings and larger brake ducts, and the engine produces 660 horsepower, with an extra 40 horsepower available with Push-to-Pass. By contrast, the Oval spec has low-drag bodywork with single-element wings and smaller brake ducts for maximum speed on the super-speedways, and the engine is detuned to 550 horsepower. IndyCar also has a Short-Oval spec with the Road Course aero-kit, though the RSS Formula Americas omits this version. Notably, the chassis is the same across all specs with the differences being aerodynamics and turbocharger boost pressure, reducing costs for the teams.

The IndyCar is rather different to a Formula One car. The biggest difference is that there is no Drag Reduction System or Hybrid powertrain in the IndyCar, making for a relatively simple driving experience without the need to juggle these systems. Also, the bodywork is very different, particularly with the large sidepod extending right to the rear wheel, preventing wheels from locking together and causing a crash. For head protection, the IndyCar eschews the Halo used by most open-wheel cars, instead using a wrap-around windscreen called the Aeroscreen, a new addition for the 2020 season. The top speed of an IndyCar (in Oval specification) is 235 miles per hour, compared to a Formula One car which tops out at around 200 miles per hour.

Driving the RSS Formula Americas takes a lot of precision in Road Course trim. You need to be very careful with the throttle when exiting a corner, and going on the brakes too hard in the middle of the corner (particularly with a full fuel load) will cause the car to rotate without hesitation. I feel like it takes more skill to drive aggressively than Formula One cars I've driven on Assetto Corsa, though this makes it more rewarding once you get a feel for the car. Certainly, as you push harder and get the downforce working, the car really sticks to the road and allows you to carry so much speed through sweeping curves. The carousel at Road America is a good example of this, while slower tracks like Long Beach demand much more skill to avoid spinning out.

The Oval spec is used only for speedways such as Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa; of which I only have Indianapolis. Driving at Indianapolis in the Oval-spec Formula Americas, the car sticks to the tarmac even with the low-drag aero-kit, turning a lap of Indianapolis into a full-throttle affair where the only time you lift off is to go into the pits or avoid a crash. Even so, you still need a very steady hand to keep the car from running over the kerbs and unsettling the aerodynamics. Another point to note is that first gear is very long, and so standing starts can be somewhat lethargic (something that also applies to the Road Course version). In fact, all of the gears for the Oval-spec are very long, so you may want to adjust the gearing for shorter ovals.

So, should you buy the RSS Formula Americas 2020? If you're an IndyCar fan or you're looking for a different experience, I'd say it's worth a look. The car costs €3.80 (around £3.40), though RSS' reputation for quality should ease your concerns. Unlike VRC, RSS only has the 2020 car with the Aeroscreen, though you can make the central pillar transparent (like with the Halo-equipped RSS Formula cars) to improve visibility in the cockpit. As with other paymods, RSS has had to sell the car with a generic name and liveries, though the users of RaceDepartment are always on hand to provide replica liveries of the IndyCar field for those who crave authenticity. All in all, the RSS Formula Americas 2020 provides a unique challenge that gives you a lot of respect for the real IndyCar drivers, and an exhilarating experience when you nail a perfect lap. If you want to experience the fastest single-seater race car in the world, then the RSS Formula Americas is definitely one to keep in mind.

If you want to buy the Formula Americas 2020, you can do so from Race Sim Studio for the price of €3.80.

As mentioned in the review, the Formula Americas 2020 has generic liveries as standard. You can source authentic replica liveries from RaceDepartment, such as this pack of 2020 IndyCar paint schemes. As with all files from RaceDepartment, you will need an account to download.

As for the tracks used in these photos, I used Indianapolis by Legion and Mid-Ohio by Zwiss, which combines the detail of the original Terra21 conversion with NAGP's smoothed tarmac. I also used Lilski's Road America, which can be downloaded from RaceDepartment.

When The Sun Goes Down... SimRace1 Comes To Life

 Sorry for not posting in a little while. I previously posted about SimRace1 Swansea and their Fast & Furious events. The Pros event was last night, and I took part in that as one of the racers, so I was busy putting in practice laps throughout the week beforehand. So now that the dust has settled, I have the chance to process what happened.

I came second in the points.

I wasn't expecting to come second. I'd like to think I'm a good racer, but I wasn't expecting to do so well against the people in the Pros category, so to get a few third place finishes and two wins, I'm pretty happy with that. The races were livestreamed on the SimRace1 Swansea Facebook page; they had some technical issues but they did at least capture most of the races. I've included links to the streams of my race wins below: I was in a Hyundai for the touring car race at Brands Hatch, and had a pretty good battle or two in the Tatuus Formula Abarth at Red Bull Ring.

Assetto Corsa

Posted by SimRace1 Swansea on Saturday, 22 August 2020

Assetto Corsa

Posted by SimRace1 Swansea on Saturday, 22 August 2020

 With the Pros event out of the way, my attention turns to the Intermediates event taking place at the same time next week. My performance in these Pro races should tell you that I'm not actually allowed to take part in the Intermediates events anymore, but I have instead been recruited to provide live commentary for this event. Hopefully the technical issues that plagued last night's streams will be sorted out, and I'll be able to provide an entertaining and informative description of a thrilling night of racing!

If you're interested in recreating these races for yourself, the tracks used were all standard Assetto Corsa tracks. We raced at Red Bull Ring, Mugello, Monza and Brands Hatch.

The touring cars are from Tommy78's TCR 2018 pack. They are paymods, and can be bought individually or as a pack.

The Tatuus FA01 is from the base game, with a skin pack to provide extra liveries for all of the racers. You can pick up the skin pack from RaceDepartment, though you will need an account to download.