Yeah. I was thinking about why GT3 and other gt cars are so popular. I think it comes down to a couple of things. For once, they look like cars you can actually drive. It is all very nice to see a formula car but you don't get that feeling of actually being in control of a car you can actually buy or that decorates your wall in the form of a poster. Sure GT3s are anything but common cars but they are recognizable and a lot of love that people have for certain brands or cars gets easily transferred there. When I was a kid my favourite class (after group C for other reasons) was the BPR GT Championship as it had the F40 in it. I would rather watch that than formula 1 and it has never really gone away. The GT cars of the 2000s were also my favourite class because they looked like real cars in part.
I love driving formulas mind you. Just not a fan of watching them.
Then comes the simulation part of it. Until recently I didn't own a separate gear lever so I was using the paddle shifters for everything. It sucks. You struggle to find details in the car that are immediately apparent with the stick. Gt cars nowadays are all flappy paddle affairs so with a T150 you get all the buttons and knobs you need to simulate them precisely. Also with ABS and TC they correct misrakes you make abd are more forgiving givibg you the confidence to be faster sooner without owninga decent set of pedals. Wit the accelerator and brake of said T150 you can drice a GT3 competently.
Driving a classic like a Group C car on the same setup becomes the same as a GT3 only harder because it doesn't grip so well, no traction control and ABS etc etc.
Also, because these classic cars aren't racing anymore, it is hard to find a connection to them. My dad was a huge motorsports enthusiast and I grew up with stories about Jim Clark, Fangio, Mario Andretti and cars like the 917, the 908, the ferraris 512, the GT40 DRM (which my dad told me were close to F1 in erms of speed) as well as watching Senna do incredible stuff in F1 (some of my first motorsport memories). So when I do a 1967 Gran Prix or a 1991 there is an emotional link that makes me want to try it. Same with Group C. The first time I saw a group C car on TV (Sauber C9 1989 Le Mans) I remember asking my dad if that car was a spaceship and I was fascinated by them since then. They just looked awesome and to a 4 year old exactly what a race car should look like. By comparison Formula 1 looked fragile and uncool. I honestly thought they had to be the fastest car ever because they looked like it. Sadly Bernie thought so too as he finished group C shortly thereafter so they wouldn't overshadow F1...
So yeah, I think a mix of easiness to simulate, easiness to drive and a lack of contact with the previous generations of cars is responsible for the overall enthusiasm for the newer GT series and lack of enthusiasm for participating in an historical championship.
Btw, I would be up for a Group C drive
