Assetto Corsa Free Bonus Pack 2 Details Revealed

[Paul Jeffrey]

Coming on March 31st, Kunos Simulazioni have today revealed details of the second free bonus car pack to hit the popular Italian racing simulator, Assetto Corsa.

Featuring the Corvette C7 Stingray, Ford Mustang and Fiat Abarth 595 alongside a new desert style 'Black Cat County' track, Bonus Pack 2 is a nice addition for fans to enjoy alongside all the promised goodies due to come in the Version 1.5 release on the same date.

Black Cat County is a new and attractive-looking fictional circuit that will come in three configurations and could well prove to be a wonderful playground for those with a leaning towards sideways drift-style action in the game.

The Fiat Abarth will form part of the Xbox One and PS4 release content due to launch on June 3rd in Europe and June 7th in North America with the C7 Stingray and Ford Mustang coming to console in the ‘Prestige Pack’ pre-order incentive at select retailers.

Don't forget to have a look at our recent exclusive interview for discussions around the console release and check out our Assetto Corsa forums and Racing Club for great online racing against your fellow sim drivers.

Looking forward to version 1.5 and the free bonus content? Enjoying the game so far? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Glaurung]

Relax guys, it's content given for free.

 

[Gergo Panker]

I don't quite get why some people are worried about AC going down the GT route, speaking of content and the proportion of road cars, did you notice that 7 out of the 8 cars released in the previous DLC were racing cars? And a race track, you know, to race on.

 

[PATR10T]

You...are clearly a troll who gets a hardon from hating on Kunos.

looooooool why i hate them? the game is just going more and more away from what await from a sim or better to say since the ea i just opened my eyes... so for you everyone is a hater just because he dosnt like some things? great logic...

i have ac and im registered on their forum, you ever read a bad comment by me there or here that i hate kunos? i just told here i dont like some things how they are go thats all... fanboy

quality sim like AC

i think its the graphics you mean? because there still too much things what keeps ac away from beeing a 100% quality sim... graphics isnt all...

AC hasn't become what I expected from it (the natural successor of GTR2).

As a paying customer and supporter I am fully entitled to say that and so are others. We can debate how some people give their feedback but that is a different discussion imo.

cant say it better... hype was huge to be the next gtr2 but... no


anyway... i will go back to mod my prefered SIM now, called automobilista

 

[Ben Lee]

I am not all that bothered by the content of the bonus pack, im not really into AC for road cars, ive always been more interested in race going machinery, I mean its the stuff of legends, the stuff of dreams, I don't dream about owning a FIAT, but thats just my viewpoint. I view the roadcars as an interesting distraction, so to do comparisons between the road car and the race car, like the M3 or the 458, thats kinda interesting, but its only really interesting for a brief moment, at the end of the day, I just want race cars.

 

[fastracer]

I agree with you ben just want to race the racing cars on race tracks, It is a race sim at the end of the day.Little bit worried that bonus pack is the start of forza horizon.

 

[Brandon Wright]

I am not all that bothered by the content of the bonus pack, im not really into AC for road cars, ive always been more interested in race going machinery, I mean its the stuff of legends, the stuff of dreams, I don't dream about owning a FIAT, but thats just my viewpoint. I view the roadcars as an interesting distraction, so to do comparisons between the road car and the race car, like the M3 or the 458, thats kinda interesting, but its only really interesting for a brief moment, at the end of the day, I just want race cars.

This is a very sensible and civilized way to express an opinion. If other people would behave this way these forums would be a far more enjoyable place to visit. The "I don't like it so I'm going to toss my toys from the pram and ridicule those who do like it" attitude is better suited to school yard arguments.

 

[InsaneOzzie]

It's nice to see some Dev's still appreciate the community for their ongoing support, and show it with free bonus content, I may never drive any of these 3 cars, but I still appreciate the gesture.

I think this issue here is easily solved, if you don't like the game/sim then "don't drive it". Whats so hard about that.

We are all individuals and have individual tastes, that's what makes us all unique, if we were all the same and liked everything the same, the world would be extremely boring, imagine if we all drove the same cars, lived in the same style houses, wore the same clothes, went on the same holidays etc etc, no thank you, not my cup of tea, (would rather it be a keg of beer) not fond of tea.

So there's nothing wrong with having an opinion and expressing it, it's what forums are for, but how you express that opinion is the key, and usually determines the type of response you get in return.
And as my granny use to say, "If you've got nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all".

Cheers

 

[Brandon Wright]

So there's nothing wrong with having an opinion and expressing it, it's what forums are for, but how you express that opinion is the key, and usually determines the type of response you get in return.

Winner.


Oh, wait, I spelled "fanboy" wrong.

 

[Radu Oros]

So if you have nothing with road cars you are swimming against the tide? Then I'll happily swim along as I have nothing with road cars either. I bought in on a racing simulator with good physics and the focus on .... racing. Not on a virtual garage with a collection of road cars.


So because of my preference of having real racing cars I need to bugger off and discuss other sims? I am just as passionate for the (original) game (idea) as you are but down the line when development progresses I am getting disappointed with the end result. AC hasn't become what I expected from it (the natural successor of GTR2).

As a paying customer and supporter I am fully entitled to say that and so are others. We can debate how some people give their feedback but that is a different discussion imo.

This may sound harsh Bram, but I don't buy a pizza expecting it be a kebab. Nor vice versa.

You don't need to "bugger off and discuss other sims" if you don't like road cars racing. AC gives you enough race car racing content to race and discuss these categories.

So I counted, without including stage versions, but with some needed exceptions, and plus the three dreamapacks:
41 race cars.
- I included lotus gtc and gx as two cars, because gtc does gt3 lap times and gx does gt2, although maybe not as good as their respective classes.
- Huracan gt3 and Huracan trofeo are meaningfully different too.
- BMW group A and BMW DTM as two race cars, because are too different from the street car and also different enough from each other.
- Lotus exos 125 and its S1 variant are meaningfully different in their specs and handling, as race cars.

37 road cars (40 if we consider the upcoming mustang, corvette, abarth 595).
I included giulietta qv and its launch edition as two different, bmw m4 and akrapovic as two cars as well, ruf rt12r rwd and awd as two different cars.

1 public road (or 3 if we consider the different layouts, from their article, short, intermediate, long).
12 race circuit locations (or 20 if we consider the different variations, or 13 if we consider temporal locations as two different, modern and '66 monza.).

In my opinion we have 80+ cars to race (without counting stage upgrades for some cars), in others opinion we have 41 cars to race.

 

[burrito]

Well at least kunos have realised who their core audience is and are now catering for them. Kudos

 

[Radu Oros]

Well at least kunos have realised who their core audience is and are now catering for them. Kudos

But why this negativism? Does AC only need to please competitive racers? It can't please more types of racers/drivers at the same time? Only talking in respect of content. Most or almost all cars and tracks are focused for circuit racing. The article "2015 and beyond" also showed signs of more race cars and circuits.

You don't see a 'group' telling Kunos to dismiss racing content, but we see plenty of signs from some people of the 'other group' telling Kunos to dismiss non race cars. What happened to tolerance?

If Automobilista would put in the game 20 road cars, would that make the game less enjoyable? Would it take away the race cars already there? No, neither in the case of AC. The presence of road cars (mostly track focused though) removes the experience of racing race cars? That is something I don't understand and no one gave a clear argument on that so far.

 

[burrito]

I said "kudos". Why are you attacking me?

Edit in case it wasn't clear enough

 

[Keith_G]

Well at least kunos have realised who their core audience is and are now catering for them. Kudos

Just curious (not attacking you) but could you expand on who you think the core audience is.
It appears that the core audience for this new content is really a specific or perhaps several car manufactures who use the software to entertain clients at their events. Having been in the event industry for some time I understand this and also understand that you need to use cars that are easier to drive and an open road so that it is just "fun" rather than competitive.
Their other core audience are sim racers who want a "real" life experience in cars that they can't usually drive but that is where it gets fractured. Some of these sim racers want to 1. only use race cars. (this group can be broken down into those who love GT cars, Open Wheel, Karts, and on and on) 2. drive all types of cars 3. race online only 4. race offline only or primarily 5. use consoles and controllers 6. use pc with ultimate realism and physics etc.
So just curious as to what you think their core audience is.
@Chris Stacey is probably right that the most interesting part of this new release is the 1.5 updates to core functions! Although I do look forward to driving an open road course with the RUF rt12r!!

 

[burrito]

Just curious (not attacking you) but could you expand on who you think the core audience is.
It appears that the core audience for this new content is really a specific or perhaps several car manufactures who use the software to entertain clients at their events. Having been in the event industry for some time I understand this and also understand that you need to use cars that are easier to drive and an open road so that it is just "fun" rather than competitive.
Their other core audience are sim racers who want a "real" life experience in cars that they can't usually drive but that is where it gets fractured. Some of these sim racers want to 1. only use race cars. (this group can be broken down into those who love GT cars, Open Wheel, Karts, and on and on) 2. drive all types of cars 3. race online only 4. race offline only or primarily 5. use consoles and controllers 6. use pc with ultimate realism and physics etc.
So just curious as to what you think their core audience is.
@Chris Stacey is probably right that the most interesting part of this new release is the 1.5 updates to core functions! Although I do look forward to driving an open road course with the RUF rt12r!!

Well I would say that in Early Access AC set out to be (from an outsider's perspective) a racing simulation (as per the tag line). However since the arrival of 1.0 we have a slower rate of addition of features devoted to hardcore racing. Which is fine. Some people like hardcore competitive racing, some don't, opinions we all have rights to. But now with this latest free DLC we are seeing even more shift toward what I would call a cruising simulator that focuses more on driving rather than racing. Once again, before the inevitable fanboys attack me, this is fine. Some people like it, some won't. I am personally disappointed it has changed course like this but I am also glad they have found a path they want to pursue. There seemed to be a lot of indecision between 1.2 and 1.4 and now they are molding AC into what they want; a driving simulation. Honestly I think they would have garnered mush less negativity from parts of the community if it had been labelled as such from the beginning but that is hindsight for you.

So in short, AC (in my opinion) is becoming more about a driving experience (joining a server with friends and cruising around a track chatting) rather than a competitive racing simulation.

 

[Keith_G]

I think I agree with you that the focus has changed (or maybe we didn't understand it correctly in the first place). As @Bram said, it seemed to be a GT simulator at first but has definitely expanded in ways I didn't anticipate. It is obviously a difficult task to make a sim that appeals to enough people so you can make money but at the same time retains enough focus that you don't turn off your original customers! I am happy to use the parts I like and hope they make enough money to keep improving the core game. It appears that modders can really focus the content to be what a segment of the customers want and I applaud their efforts!

 

[burrito]

They need to fix AWD and tyre camber physics if they want high quality mods to continue being made. Still no word about either in 1.5 sadly.

 

[Radu Oros]

But now with this latest free DLC we are seeing even more shift toward what I would call a cruising simulator that focuses more on driving rather than racing.

We knew since 2014 that corvette c7 stingray would come as free addition to the game. From the time they announced the Corvette license, with the c7r race car.
Making a Mustang from a not long ago announced Ford license, would be a missed opportunity. However this is the only road car from Ford, in the present. We have ford gt40, ford escort rs1600. These don't count? The addition of a single road car overshadows your enjoyment of racing the race cars available?
From Abarth we have 2 road cars and 2 race cars, the 500 esseesse, with road and race version, the formula abarth, and now the road car 595.
Where does this show a change of focus to road cars?

So in short, AC (in my opinion) is becoming more about a driving experience (joining a server with friends and cruising around a track chatting) rather than a competitive racing simulation.

True, AC is good for driving experience, but is also true that is for racing experience. You may think people who race in public servers is just for chatting with friends. I'll let you know they take the racing very seriously, too serious though, since in some servers is hard to make past the first corners intact, but has been improving over the months.

For league racing, is also very much possible, there are apps in game and apps outside the game. Things like Stracker, pit app, pit lane penalty, etc..
Would native support for several of these things help? Yes. But if you don't use them and still saying you can't league race because no support, example RD, then idk....
RD could very well make a league race in AC, make use of apps they host in the Downloads section, or from AC forum.

 

[burrito]

Where does this show a change of focus to road cars?

I said a driving experience compared to a racing simulation. Please read before you senselessly attack anyone who expresses an opinion about a kunos game. These are open forums and anyone can state their opinion.

True, AC is good for driving experience, but is also true that is for racing experience. You may think people who race in public servers is just for chatting with friends. I'll let you know they take the racing very seriously, too serious though, since in some servers is hard to make past the first corners intact, but has been improving over the months.

For league racing, is also very much possible, there are apps in game and apps outside the game. Things like Stracker, pit app, pit lane penalty, etc..

The thing is though, we the consumer are having to create those core features of a racing sim. Modding is great but it is just free labour when the game lacks rolling starts, time limited racing, fuel tank restrictions, punishment for cheating pitstops in races. There is less effort by the devs into racing compared to other sims. RD admins have previously said AC is one of the most difficult sims to organise a server and set up a race. I've never done it myself but I tend to believe an admin from RD after all the races they put on in the weekly club races that span a variety of sims. Clearly they have the experience to state things like that.

 

[Radu Oros]

I said a driving experience compared to a racing simulation. Please read before you senselessly attack anyone who expresses an opinion about a kunos game. These are open forums and anyone can state their opinion.

If you're gonna mention DLC, then you're mention cars and tracks, not mentioning game features. So when you say "But now with this latest free DLC we are seeing even more shift toward what I would call a cruising simulator that focuses more on driving rather than racing." it means that this latest free dlc focuses on road cars and not race cars. That's why my previous reply to that was discussing the type of content and not the type of game AC is or which racing features it has.

Please read before you senselessly attack anyone who expresses an opinion about a kunos game. These are open forums and anyone can state their opinion.

I think this part is excused. And I never attacked your opinion or person, but I discussed your ideas in that opinion.

The thing is though, we the consumer are having to create those core features of a racing sim. Modding is great but it is just free labour when the game lacks rolling starts, time limited racing, fuel tank restrictions, punishment for cheating pitstops in races. There is less effort by the devs into racing compared to other sims. RD admins have previously said AC is one of the most difficult sims to organise a server and set up a race. I've never done it myself but I tend to believe an admin from RD after all the races they put on in the weekly club races that span a variety of sims. Clearly they have the experience to state things like that.

If RD admins said that, is because they are trying to do everything manually, because the community created tools for it. Whether the community or the devs should have created that, is another type of debate. In my opinion, the devs could have made more support/tools for league racing, because this game is in the sim racing genre and people in this genre like/need that type of things for organized racing.

 

[burrito]

If you're gonna mention DLC, then you're mention cars and tracks, not mentioning game features. So when you say "But now with this latest free DLC we are seeing even more shift toward what I would call a cruising simulator that focuses more on driving rather than racing." it means that this latest free dlc focuses on road cars and not race cars. That's why my previous reply to that was discussing the type of content and not the type of game AC is or which racing features it has.


I think this part is excused. And I never attacked your opinion or person, but I discussed your ideas in that opinion.


If RD admins said that, is because they are trying to do everything manually, because the community created tools for it. Whether the community or the devs should have created that, is another type of debate. In my opinion, the devs could have made more support/tools for league racing, because this game is in the sim racing genre and people in this genre like/need that type of things for organized racing.

Ok. If it makes you feel any better you win.

I was merely replying to a person who asked me a question but you felt the need to write a few paragraphs picking apart my thoughts that in no way were derogatory to Assetto Corsa.