What's the latest in PC racing sims?

[Jeremy Cottrell]

Just got GT Legends working on my new Vista loaded Dell laptop. Having a blast with it, but am looking for something else. I hear about GTR2, GTR Evolution, and rFactor. What do you guys think?

I may even break down and subscribe to Iracing too.

[stomachmonkey]

rFactor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr5zu4bE3jw

[emcon5]

iRacing is supposed to be excellent. Upside is real drivers are much better than any AI, and the fact that it costs money keeps the griefer asshats out.

I haven't tried GTR-EVO yet, but been racing GTR games ever since it was a mod for EA F1-2002.

The cool thing about the GTR series is there is always a ton of community developed mods for it. There are a ton of tracks and cars available. Want to race a single marque series of first gen VW Rabbits on the Nordschleife? You can.

[nynor]

i just looked at the iRacing specs. there are only 12 cars listed.... that doesn't seem like very many to me.

[carmad]

I started with GTR2, and had a good time with it, due to lots of mods which can be added on. Never raced online with it only against the AI which sucked.

I am a member of Iracing, and find it to be more realistic than GTR2, the physics are much better, the laser scanned tracks are excellent, and many of the real life pro racers comment on the cars and tracks being accurate compared to the real world. However, it is still a work in progress, if you want to drive lots of different cars the choices are limited, but new cars and tracks are being added every few months.
I have raced Solstice, Star Mazda, Radical and Daytona Prototype, and have progressed up the ladder from Rookie to B-licence, which has taken about 9 months.
Iracing is a subscription service, and costs about $13 a month, plus you have to buy extra cars and tracks, the subscription puts a lot of people off, but in my opinion, you get what you pay for. The racing gets better as you progress through the licenses, and is as intense and competitive as real life, much better than racing against AI. On the whole the racing is clean, and there are penalties for poor driving, and a protest procedure to weed out the persistent wreckers.
As in everything different strokes.

[Jeremy Cottrell]

I'm bumping my own thread.

I've been running GT Legends, and have been really happy with the realistic feel of the cars, obviously, the Porsches being my favorites. Love the differences in the wail of the 2.0 in the 914-6 vs. the 2.8 in the RSR.

I just got Rfactor last night, and I gotta say, I'm very disappointed with it. The realism is terrible. Anybody else run it, and have any advise? Are there some sites where all the good cars and circuits are hiding?

[Mericet]

Go to rFactor Central - Community Driven Sim Racing Resource for rFactor | rFactor Car mods, rFactor Tracks, Car Setups, rFactor Screenshots for all the tracks and cars. If you use a force feedback wheel, they also have a plugin to make it feel very realistic. Me and a few of my friends (who race in summer) always run a short winter series against each other. A lot of fun.

[Tom '74 911]

Jeremy -

Take another look ay iRacing. The track selection is pretty darn good and while there are no Porsches, there are some good GT car options w/the Corvette GT1, Australian V8 Supercar, Mustang GT, Mazda MX-5 etc... plus a Daytona Prototype and some open wheel cars. I've only dabbled in rFactor so I can't really compare the two, but iRacing is about a realistic a driving sim as I have seen in terms of track accuracy, car response and general feel. I bet they have a trial vis which you could check it out.

Tom

[Paco Anton]

What about Live for Speed?

Live for Speed - Online racing simulator

Tried it some months ago and found it very realistic. No 911 but there is a car similar to the 944.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by Paco Anton

What about Live for Speed?

Live for Speed - Online racing simulator

Tried it some months ago and found it very realistic. No 911 but there is a car similar to the 944.

is it well set up?

[t6dpilot]

What are you guys using for a wheel and pedals?

[jtfreels]

Logitech driving force gt, about $100 works just great with iracing, rfactor and on the ps3.

Jay

[Paco Anton]

Originally Posted by jtfreels

Logitech driving force gt, about $100 works just great with iracing, tractor and on the ps3.

Jay

Same here. Comes bundled with PS3 but works 100% with the PC via USB.

[Mericet]

I use an older Logitech Momo. Can also be used for GT5 for driving (have to use a PS controller for navigation).

[dewolf]

Bring back Grand Prix Legends!

[emcon5]

Giving this a bump, 3 years later to note that Power and Glory 3 was released at the tail end of 2012.

http://www.gtlw.co.uk/

Just in case nobody remembers, it is a mod for GTR2 that brings in a bunch of classic/vintage FIA race series from the 1960s and 70s. Unlike GT Legends, which was old cars with modern tires, they modeled the (crappy) period tires, (~30-odd compounds from Firestone, Goodyear and Dunlop from the early 60s to 1976)

Included cars:

1960's FIA Group 2
    Abarth 1000TC Gr2
    Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior
    Alfa Romeo GTA 1600
    Ford Cortina GT
    Ford Mustang BSCC Gr2
    Ford Mustang TransAm
    Jaguar MK I 3.4L
    Jaguar MK II 3.8L
    Jaguar MK II 4.2L
    Lotus Cortina Works
    Lotus Cortina Mann
    Mini Cooper 1275 S Gr2
    Mini Cooper 970 S Gr2
    Shelby Mustang Trans-Am


1960's FIA Group 3 (U2L/O2L)
    Alpine Renault A110 1.1
    Alpine Renault A110 1.3
    Austin Healey 3000 MkI
    Austin Healey 3000 MkII
    Austin Healey 3000 MkI/II Roadster (runs in own separate class)
    Chevrolet Corvette C2 L72 Coupe
    Chevrolet Corvette C2 L76 Roadster
    Chevrolet Corvette C2 L88 Coupe
    Chevrolet Corvette C2 L88 Roadster
    Chevrolet Corvette C2 Z06
    Chevrolet Corvette C3 L88 Hardtop
    Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
    Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione
    Ferrari 275 GTB/C
    Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale
    Ford Mustang Boss 302
    Jaguar E-type Coupe
    Jaguar E-type Lightweight 4spd
    Jaguar E-type Lightweight 5spd
    Jaguar E-type Roadster
    Lotus Seven S1 (also runs in own separate class)
    Lotus Elan 26R
    Lotus Elan 26R Roadster (runs in own separate class)
    Lotus Elite
    Shelby Cobra 289 Coupe
    Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster
    Shelby Daytona Coupe
    Shelby GT-350R CASC
    Shelby GT-350R SCCA
    Triumph TR4
    Triumph TR4A
    Triumph TRS


1960's FIA Group 4 (U2L/O2L)
    Chevrolet Corvette GrandSport (377ci Coupes)
    Ford GT40 MkI 289
    Ford GT40 MkI Gulf
    Porsche 906
    Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster


1960's FIA Group 5
    Abarth 1000TC Gr5
    Alfa Romeo GTA 1600 Volumetrico
    Ford Escort TC
    Ford Falcon Mann
    Ford Falcon Sprint
    Ford Falcon Weslake Heads
    Ford Mustang ATCC
    Ford Mustang BSCC Gr5
    Ford Mustang NTK Gr5
    Mini Cooper 1275 S Gr5


1960's FIA Group 6 (U2L/O2L)
    Chevrolet Corvette GrandSport (427ci Roadsters)
    Ford GT40 MkII
    Porsche 906
    Porsche 906E
    Porsche 906 LangHeck
    Porsche 906/8


1970's FIA Group 2
    Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior WB
    Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm
    Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm
    BMW CSL 3.3 12v
    BMW CSL 3.5 12v
    BMW CSL 3.5 24v
    BMW CSL 3.5 24v IMSA
    Ford Capri RS 2600
    Ford Capri RS 3100
    Ford Escort RS 1600 1.8L
    Ford Escort RS 1600 2.0L
    Ford Escort TC
    Ford Mustang Boss 302


1970's FIA Group 4
    Chevrolet Corvette C3 L88 Hardtop
    Chevrolet Corvette C3 ZL1 Coupe
    Chevrolet Corvette C3 ZL1 Hardtop
    DeTomaso Pantera Gr.4 (Boss)
    DeTomaso Pantera Gr.4 (Modena)
    DeTomaso Pantera Gr.4 (Stock)
    Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8
    Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0
    Porsche 911 ST 2.5
    Porsche 914/6 GT


1974 International Race of Champions
    Porsche 911 Carrera RSR IROC (also runs in own separate class)

In other news, some clever folks with way too much time on their hands released a Targa Florio track for GTR2. The whole Targa Floria, all 72KM of it.

Combined with P&G 3 and a Ferrari 275 GTB/C, it is reasonably awesome. It is also a good indication of how insane racers (and organizers) were back then.

I downloaded it from drivingitalia.net, which is being flaky right now, but I still had the browser window open, so here is the link. You need to register, but it is free, and the download speed is good:
http://www.drivingitalia.net/forum/i...&showfile=4579

There is some video here, not great graphics by current standards, but they are modeling a ~45 mile track, there is only so much you can do.

There is also a pretty good classic DTM mod for GTR2, lots of fun.

Haven't broke out the steering wheel in a while, forgot how enjoyable (and frustrating) it can be.

If you don't have GTR2, it is only $8 though Steam, and there is still a load of excellent free content available.

[cstreit]

There are Porsches in iRacing now. Racing is better than any other sim because of the licensing. Get the Fanatec GT3 wheel...

[jtfreels]

FYI check out Champion Motorsports - Headlines we run a Wednesday IRacing series with the ruf and Mclaren. Also power and glory, rfactor and rfactor2 series as well.

Jay

[intakexhaust]

Snapshot of the laptop.



Haven't taken a hot lap in 6 or 7 months! For awhile was with an online league speedgeezers... a riot with Grand Prix Legends and R-factor.

Have no idea how good the sims are today but imagine impressive. I try to avoid the 'arcade' feel sims. The ones I have take a bit of configuring but rewarding. Good feedback and can relate to many of the tracks in reality. Even smaller, less known tracks can be found and you're off!


Primarily - GPL. R-Factor including add-on packs Historic GT & Touring Cars. Richard Burns Rally for a bit more of nostalgia. Like the 1930's - 1950's period. 1960's - 70's any open wheel, sports prototype, sports production, 80'-90's CART too.

Portable hardware - Have a Porsche GT3RS Fanatac wheel / pedal set-up. 17" laptop i5 proc. w/ dedicated graphics card to whatever big screen is in a room. Have fun -