GT3 Challenges Pack Released for rFactor 2

[Paul Jeffrey]

Four of the five new GT3 cars for rFactor 2 have been released today!

Released just 24 hours after the final car reveal yesterday, the five vehicle 'GT3 Challengers' DLC for rFactor 2 is here! Although containing five cars, players will have to wait for a little while yet until we get access to the brand new 2019 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, that one is undergoing final manufacturer approval and hasn't quite managed to sneak into the pack ahead of the release deadline today.

Even without the Aston, the new car pack from Studio 397 is an incredibly impressive achievement and in my opinion at least, really showcases the exceptional potential of what is one of the finest racing simulations currently available. The new cars, the BMW M6, McLaren 720s, Audi R8 LMS and Porsche 911 GT3 R are quite literally the highest quality Studio 397 have released to date, and represent the first pieces of content to be developed with the much anticipated new materials shaders for the title.

Although joining the sim as a standalone DLC, the new cars have received suitable BOP settings to allow them to race competitively with the current crop of GT3 machines, meaning rFactor will have a very impressive collection of no less than 10 recent GT3 cars within the sim (plus the older Camaro GT3 from the ISI era).. not bad going in the space of just over one year..

For me, these new cars that form part of the 'GT3 Challengers' DLC are testament to the quality Studio 397 are capable of delivering, and could, quite possibly, be some of the finest content in sim racing....

The Studio 397 announcement notes:

With a great heritage in GT class racing, we are proud to announce the next pack released for rFactor 2 – The GT3 Challengers Pack. Featuring not just one, but two world firsts! GT represents much of what rFactor 2 stands for, and fits into our feature set of day/night transitions, weather and driver swaps. We hope you enjoy this pack that also features our latest graphic engine technology.

With our existing GT3 Pack and the Endurance Pack we now have 13 GT class cars that can race on track – add a couple of LMP’s and we have one of the most diverse grids in sim racing.

Once again we are proud to have great support from partners to help us make this happen.

Download on Steam right here!

Now let’s take a look at what’s in awesome pack!

McLaren 720s

To bring one of their new incredible cars onto race tracks, McLaren developed the stunning 720S GT3.

Modern design, impressive aerodynamics and years of experience in Motorsport should help this car to claim wins among several premier GT3 events in 2019.

Porsche 911 GT3 R

It probably wouldn’t be called motorsport if the iconic brand Porsche aren’t part of a class.

The 911 GT3 R is once again a very balanced, race-proven car by the German manufacturer, reinforcing their image as being amongst the highest rated contenders in a series.

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Considered as one of the all-time favourites, this midship RWD car by Audi has been competing in GT3 since the beginning, winning significant races around the globe for a variety of teams. A demanding but rewarding choice.

BMW M6 GT3

From the very start, the BMW M6 GT3 hit the grids all over the motorsport world and proved the V8 concept to the German manufacturer. Leading several Endurance events in different series and also claiming the 2018 FIA GT World Cup title, this car is a winner.


Aston Martin Vantage 2019

The second generation of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is ready for some serious racing action. It will enter GT events in 2019 and beefs up the already stunning road version of the Vantage. With the prestige and expertise Aston Martin brings into racing, it’s a challenger you always have to keep an eye on.

*Please note this car will be released as part of the pack once approved


Final Notes
These cars are built with our new graphic technology, based on PBR lighting. We are converting more of our older content and yes, we are bringing more liveries to you shortly!

For painters, we are finalising the templates and the technology behind it, trust us, it will be a game changer for you! In the meantime, please read more on our December Roadmap here https://www.studio-397.com/2018/12/roadmap-update-december-2018/

rFactor 2 is available exclusively for PC from Steam now.

Check out the rFactor 2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for all the latest news and discussion with regards to the simulation. You can take part in lively debates with fellow rFactor 2 fans and take part in some great Club and League racing events..! Head over to the forum now!

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[Balazs Flossmann]

We enjoy what we have! Thats why We have so happy life!

 

[thepharcyde]

yes they are there but they look absolutely awful

There is a bug with your install chap, mine are showing in the Porka at least

 

[Oldzeb]

yes they are there but they look absolutely awful

the interiors are always made with the old shaders! let time S397 go little by little be patient...

 

[Balazs Flossmann]

yes they are there but they look absolutely awful

If You record from replay...there isn't data on screen!

 

[whip]

If You record from replay...there isn't data on screen!

ah ok, that makes sense

they still look pretty bad though with incorrect fonts and text not fitting right by the looks of it, like the other guy said they charge premium price you'd expect premium quality

 

[tlsmikey]

Here's my review of the pack. I wasn't going to buy it until they updated the old GT3 cars as they needed some fixes, optimization and to make the Mercedes handle like a real car before I purchased anything else...but in a moment of weakness last night I plopped down $15 for this pack.

Handling/FFB: The handling of the cars is consistent and very good across all vehicles. Each one is a little different in how they react, although I don't get enough of the Porsche understeer that I'm used to....but i've never driven it in real life, just comparing to other sims. Sounds are also good across all vehicles and up to rF2 standards. The sounds aren't going to set the world on fire but they're good.

Graphics: No difference in the internal cockpit view, but the replays seem a little more polished. I was testing at Lime Rock so the track is fairly old, but the cars do look better. Still not earth shattering, but it is early days

Issues: So...here's where i'm disappointed. This is a $15 pack for four cars with one livery each. Yes...one livery each. They've explained that more are coming because of shader work, but that's a steep price. Sitting inside the cars, the dashes are blurry unless you have player detail=full. The dashes do not have multiple pages like other sims. The dashes for the Audi has blank boxes. I do not see any wheel lockup lights in the Porsche like you see in real life or other sims (flashes blue lights). The Porsche wheel has a missing chunk at the top where they forgot to render the yellow stripe on the wheel. It just feels very incomplete and rushed. The BoP is terrible at the moment as well, although that's not a deal breaker for me.

This feels more like a beta release than a premium product that they should be charging $15 for. I think the better approach here would have been to A)wait until they're done or B)offer this as a Beta for a reduced amount. In its current state, it's a very unfinished product compared to the competition.

Oh...and the older cars (merc) are still not updated.

 

[mr Sw1tchblade]

Cell shading? Are you kidding me? Also no shadows/reflections/backlights.https://imgur.com/a/NKvHQJJ
I better back in AC or even ACC with 40 fps.

 

[farjam]

So i can't buy the pack right now but i can buy one of them now , which one do you guys found the best one? in term of fun and good feel
My heart say 720s but my brain is telling me wait another week and buy the whole pack

 

[thepharcyde]

So i can't buy the pack right now but i can buy one of them now , which one do you guys found the best one? in term of fun and good feel
My heart say 720s but my brain is telling me wait another week and buy the whole pack

Porka - try Botniaring soooo much fun

 

[McKiernan]

So i can't buy the pack right now but i can buy one of them now , which one do you guys found the best one? in term of fun and good feel
My heart say 720s but my brain is telling me wait another week and buy the whole pack

Wait a week and drive them all

 

[Dobermann92]

While I don't doubt that the pack is great (and because of the two exclusives is a must buy), but this constant sh*tting on ACC makes me vomit. ACC is an early access title and it is promising, a bit unoptimized right now, but heading in the right direction. Both are good games with flaws.

 

[pcraenme]

@tlsmikey You know this pack will contain a 5th car soon? That makes it $3 per car, which is a fair price if you ask me. E.g., I think a new car in RRRE is more expensive and they charge extra for each livery? And some people seem to forget that S397 also release free DLC cars and tracks regularly (e.g. like the 3 classic McLaren F1’s not so long ago and several others in 2018). And yes, the cars in the Challengers pack may have some bugs, but I am confident S397 will try to fix them asap. What company releases content that is bug free on release lately?

 

[Steve Bird]

Loving the internal sounds and external sounds.

 

[thepharcyde]

Loving the internal sounds and external sounds.

Is Bird the Word?

 

[Case_]

I think a new car in RRRE is more expensive

Yes, it is way more expensive. It costs a whopping 4 euro on average.

 

[M D Gourley]

(empty Audi dash, what the hell?)

Yes, Sorry, I did those screen shots from a replay...here is the difference showing Dash numbers while in Race and then during Replay...
Audi cockpit Screen Shot taken during Race...

Audi cockpit screen shot during Replay...

 

[whip]

half the info isn't even centred, does the game engine only allow 1 font?

 

[After_Midnight]

New shaders are awesome, cockpits look much more real than ACC.

...and you lost me

 

[Slowdive]

No cars in rf2 have shifting animation unfortunately

The cars are so hyper-realistic they have those new mind control units installed.

 

[Slowdive]

yeah i mentioned the dashes looked bad on the other thread and got downvoted to hell by fanboys

I'm surprised a mod didn't delete your account for being critical of RF2. Count yourself lucky.