A Lap of the Highlands Circuit in Assetto Corsa

[Paul Jeffrey]

With Kunos Simulazioni winding up to full swing promoting new content coming to Assetto Corsa this February, Marco Massarutto has leaked the first moving images from the new 'Highlands' race track.

Based in Scotland and due to be released with four unique configurations, Massarutto has given fans a first glimpse of the track in action as he pilots a Ferrari 488 GTB around the circuit in a video just short of three minutes in length. We can see from this short video the level of detail that has gone into this track is simply mind-blowing, with painstaking attention to detail on the roadside objects best illustrated in the incredibly well created rock formations that line certain sections of track as well as the beautifully rendered housing assets seen early in the lap.

What's more we can be safe in the knowledge that at least one variation of the track is mammoth in size, with the video beginning at a standing start and running to three minutes in length despite not actually completing the lap, meaning we might have our very own mini Nordschleife coming to the game...

When looking at the initial images I suspected the track would mainly consist of tight and twisty round the houses sections, however it appears that at least one configuration will feature some exceptionally high speed open road sections with dangerous off-camber road surfaces lined with obstacles and street furniture just waiting to write off your expensive supercar.

Assetto Corsa is available to buy for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. 'Highlands' should be available to download this February.

One of the best ways to experience Assetto Corsa is to race against your fellow players online. You can do that here at RaceDepartment in our League and Club Racing section of the Assetto Corsa sub forum. We hold professionally run club events that cater for all different skills and experiences, as well as host regular high quality league racing events. Alongside our commitment to bring you quality racing we also host a large number of mods for the game. Jump over to our modding archive to have a browse at what is on offer, or even share details of your WIP project in our Modding Discussion forum.



Now we've seen it in action, do you think the new Highlands Circuit will be a positive addition to the sim? How do you feel about fantasy content being added by the devs? Do you like these kinds of "road" circuits in racing games? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[James Robertson]

None of the roadside houses or buildings looked very Scottish to me, nitpicking, but it's a fact...

 

[GT VIRUS]

To elaborate on my previous comment, there are 2 main issues I am seeing so far:
1. Every corner is basicly the same. They are all 3rd gear, with a similar radius and almost the same camber on all of them. And there aren't any combinations to add any form of interest.
2. No overtaking point. Even the T1 in the video isn't sharp enough to create an overtaking opportunity, and the slight kinks before the end of the straight ruin any chance of setting up a pass there.

 

[guidofoc]

I haven't been driving on Black Cat County for ages, although graphically impressive the layout just does not feel like a real road, and Assetto Corsa is about real stuff. I don't have high expectations for this one either, but I'll wait and see. Thanks god there are tons of mod tracks out there. Waiting for Laguna Seca.

 

[Radu Oros]

To elaborate on my previous comment, there are 2 main issues I am seeing so far:
1. Every corner is basicly the same. They are all 3rd gear, with a similar radius and almost the same camber on all of them. And there aren't any combinations to add any form of interest.
2. No overtaking point. Even the T1 in the video isn't sharp enough to create an overtaking opportunity, and the slight kinks before the end of the straight ruin any chance of setting up a pass there.

The thing is that they announced four different layouts, city track, standard, drift, endurance. So if the layout in this video is the endurance one you'd expect a track with medium-high speeds, which is what we've seen in the video. But of course this is more inspired in real world scenarios and not really a race track like Spa-Francorchamps.

But since the game is open to adding modded content, you could create the track of your dreams with the perfect layout and road challenges. Who knows, maybe they will include your fantasy track in the game as well.

 

[Knoxstar]

My first impression was the look and feel of the old Spa circuit. As for passing I think the issue with the configuration shown is that there are a lot of high speed corners. Great from a pure driving sense but less chance of overtaking under braking and usually one line through the quick stuff. But a shorter configuration may deal with that. Hope so. I like that they're trying.

 

[antirussia81]

Looks very attractive, I love the scenery (although @James Robertson is right - buildings don't look very "Scottish"), but there could be more elevation change. It's supposed to be Scottish Highlands, right?

 

[Tonoppa]

Yes, there is ever so slight inspiration taken from old Spa. I think I like it. And if you drive down that long straight section with MX5 cup car, you might have a good chance getting into 6th gear! Oh, joy!

 

[DreadNaughT]

reminded me of nfs prostreet

 

[Scottt]

Noone at Kunos is a circuit designer that's for sure. Looks pretty, but will be horrible for any real racing.

Yes, I wouldn't imagine anyone there is a circuit designer since there would be no reason for them to hire a circuit designer... Nor would I imagine Hermann Tilke is sending out his resume to software companies. But I'd also say that most of the world's greatest circuits weren't created by professional circuit designers. Any many times the professionally designed circuits are pretty boring.

 

[Celestiale]

Would have much preferred it if there would not have been any AI in this vid.
This vid just showcases - again - that for offline, AC is nothing but a driving/hotlapping simulator.
AC would definitely be my favourite Sim if the AI would be like R3E, PC, or even Forza Motorsport. Or any of the GRIDs....

But the way it is, it will stay my to-go car-testing simulator for street cars. Nothing wrong with that..... but i'd really like to see an empty road for this, without any "obstacles".
Scenery doesn't look too bad...but i would have preferred something like this

 

[gamer19]

...Scenery doesn't look too bad...but i would have preferred something like this

As an avid hiker, I must confirm that scenery really doesn't look bad but the track is more of "stop n go" type. Bad, bad, bad. We need... flows. The more flowing the better. Which means that this latest Kunos experiment wasn't that bad.

 

[Vincent.C]

Would have much preferred it if there would not have been any AI in this vid.
This vid just showcases - again - that for offline, AC is nothing but a driving/hotlapping simulator.
AC would definitely be my favourite Sim if the AI would be like R3E, PC, or even Forza Motorsport. Or any of the GRIDs....

But the way it is, it will stay my to-go car-testing simulator for street cars. Nothing wrong with that..... but i'd really like to see an empty road for this, without any "obstacles".
Scenery doesn't look too bad...but i would have preferred something like this

Transfăgărășan ?
The best openroad in the world for me.

 

[Celestiale]

Transfăgărășan ?
The best openroad in the world for me.

For me it is second best after the Nords
Laser scanned Transfăgărășan with scenery in Nords/Red Bull Ring (not Trento) quality would be something i'd surely pay 10 quid for it alone.

 

[Andy_J]

Would have much preferred it if there would not have been any AI in this vid.
This vid just showcases - again - that for offline, AC is nothing but a driving/hotlapping simulator.
AC would definitely be my favourite Sim if the AI would be like R3E, PC, or even Forza Motorsport. Or any of the GRIDs....

But the way it is, it will stay my to-go car-testing simulator for street cars. Nothing wrong with that..... but i'd really like to see an empty road for this, without any "obstacles".
Scenery doesn't look too bad...but i would have preferred something like this

Applecross. The Bealach na Ba Pass. Quality. Did this last year on my motorbike.

 

[Celestiale]

Applecross. The Bealach na Ba Pass. Quality. Did this last year on my motorbike.

Hah. Didn't know at all that this was some special pass, just googled Scotland road and looked out for a beautiful picture.
Luckily we have those kind of roads in the Bavarian forrest as well (with a lot more trees on the side though ). No passersby, no houses, barely other cars and no speed cameras...guess you can imagine the rest i am a 4-wheeler (well, and 3-wheeler if you count airplanes ) -only though.

As an avid hiker, I must confirm that scenery really doesn't look bad but the track is more of "stop n go" type. Bad, bad, bad. We need... flows. The more flowing the better. Which means that this latest Kunos experiment wasn't that bad.

I love stop n go, hairpins, kicking the a*s out stuff more of a rally driver, then race track so i like road tracks and hillclimb more then racetracks. Racetracks are for racing against other cars

 

[gamer19]

My first impression was the look and feel of the old Spa circuit...

I wouldn't go THAT far...

...I love stop n go, hairpins, kicking the a*s out stuff more of a rally driver, then race track so i like road tracks and hillclimb more then racetracks. Racetracks are for racing against other cars

You should drive DiRT then. Last time I checked... Assetto Corsa was exactly that - a game with classic racetracks. Build for racing against other cars.

 

[Celestiale]

You should drive DiRT then. Last time I checked... Assetto Corsa was exactly that - a game with classic racetracks. Build for racing against other cars.

As a matter of fact i do. Like Dirt
But as for single player i wouldn't call AC that. Well game with classic racetracks, definitely. But racing against other cars? Nope, not so much. In SP it's only for driving...
And AC is second to none, when it comes to (modded) road tracks, hill climbs, tarmac rally etc...a whole lot of great roads out there, and a lot of interesting street cars to drive them...
In my opinion, as long as you do single player, AC is a very good road/hillclimb simulator.
The second you go online it becomes a good GT3 racing simulator..or single car grid racing simulator, of which i am not the biggest fan.
Nah, when it comes to racing, R3E with it's several fully licensed classes is more of a racing simulator for me
The GT3 online races in AC are very enjoyable however, the grid by now is really huge

 

[gamer19]

Mate, until you can tell me that there's a solution for going off the track (and I'm not talking about cuting damn track), like I said here l about those I really hate that when I go off and then being catapulted into damn pits, especially in rally stages, it's a disaster when you pass like 95% of the track, set a good time then make a small mistake and all that was in vain - sit in a pit for a while.
So, until you tell me a solution for this ...nonsense, please don't tell me that Assetto Corsa is made for rallying. Cause it's simply not.
They should catapult you back on the track, not in damn pits.
Or, better, don't catapult you at all. Hey, how about that for an idea ??

 

[bondyboy]

Transfăgărășan ?
The best openroad in the world for me.

Oh I don't know, there are some cracking mountain passes all over the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps, plus they have the benefit of not suffering massive holes in the road surface as Transfăgărășan does

If you want high speed flowy roads then I'd recommend Grimsel pass and Gotthard pass

(can't embed to start at certain point, jump to 1:00 to start the fast stuff)

I've driven quite a few of the well known roads in europe, some of the lesser known ones too, and the best road yet has to be San Bernardino pass, maybe too tight and a little too stop start in places for AC but IRL you have such good visibility you can really go for it, stunning views too

( 9:00 on to avoid all the switch backs, 13:30 in is the start of the really good stuff)

any track builders willing to take on the challenge?

 

[Stuart Gillard]

I'm not at all a fan of fictional tracks, I much prefer something based on real-life locations which Kunoz has done extremely well so far.

I'd rather have seen an official Isle of Man road course or something similar to this:

The issue I have with the Highlands Circuit is, it seems to Forzaish, don't get me wrong I have played pretty much all of the Forza titles and have had some great fun playing them, but for me Assetto Corsa is something more than Forza especially when you add the online element.

Maybe it's just how it looks on the grid with all the banners and road side boards and buildings...I don't know, or maybe it's just me, but I can't say I'm that impressed by this road course, I'd have much preferred a new real-life road/circuit location.