iRacing | A Surprise New McLaren 570s GT4 Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

iRacing have dropped another new piece of content to the simulation today, making available the GT4 specification McLaren 570s in something of an unexpected move from the developer.

We already had the pleasure of a bumper collection of new content as part of the last big build update from earlier in the week, however it seems like the American team over at iRacing had a little surprise hiding up their sleeves for fans to get all excited about, and today they announced, then released a brand-new GT4 car to the title - the potent little McLaren 570s GT4!

Having kept this pretty well under wraps during the development phase, the new car will certainly represent a refreshing change of pace for players of the simulation, with GT4 being one of the less populated classes currently available, and should produce some good opportunities for close and hard fought racing within the title.

The new car has been made available this morning, and is available to purchase now from the iRacing store.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1370038843374776328

Original Source: iRacing

iRacing is a multiplayer racing simulation, available exclusively on PC.

 

[Will Mazeo]

With over 12k online I would expect that every series is populated, but like I said, many series are dead. Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Kamel GT (Audi GTO & Nissan GTP), GT1, V8 Supercars, both Indycar-series, McLaren MP4-30 are empty all the time and most of them since years. I have a far better chance getting into a decent populated vintage race in AMS2 than iRacing even it's not on a daily basis. iRacing should do something about it if it's through making those cars 'for free' or with a different iRating-logic. I certainly don't buy those cars just to use them during week 13 lunatic races, which seems to be the only opportunity to drive a Lotus 49 or 79 online.

You are complaining because unpopular cars are.... well... unpopular. There is nothing any sim can do to make these popular really. It's a sad fact of simracing. Even Supercars are not very popular, it was rather disappointing to manage a league with these cars in AMS back then, you'd get full grids for GT3, more than the server could handle and then just a few guys would show up for these.
And then exposing these contents to daily races have a bad effect on them. Empty grids tend to breed empty grids.

 

[Leynad777]

First off, you can't only count people racing in the "main" races (the 850 mentioned) and forget that:
1) lots of people are racing or practice in the hosted servers section. Right now there's at least 600 in that section alone.
2) I'll bet that lots of people are doing AI races for various reasons.
3) lots of people are running hotlaps/hotstints offline in prep for the next season.

Most importantly, Steam counts anyone that opens a game, for whatever reason (online race, offline AI race, practice, career mode, open but idle, customising car/character etc.) as an "online" player as well. So you can't imply that iRacing advertising 10K racers online is false/misleading, when all other Steam stats report for all other titles in the same way. Forza might have 20K "online" but with at least 25% of them designing a character or customising a car...not racing online or offline...so same thing.

As for which cars are active: what you're saying is partially true, but it doesn't tell the whole story, there's so many facets to it. First off, iRacing is practically the only game in town in all of sim racing if you want to do online oval or dirt road/dirt oval racing with the proper flags/rules and don't have time for the time restrictions of finding buddies to race or leagues...Oval is also the most promoted discipline where, if you're alien good, you have a chance of racing for actual money. So it's not surprising that's a large chunk of the subscriber base.

Also related to that, there's a big reason why GT3 and similar cars are all the rage in all online sim racing: they're easy to pickup (not saying easy to master) compared to vintage cars and fast open wheelers. I love the fast open wheelers (the iR-01 has become my primary focus), but not many people can handle it; it's not something you pick up and are capable of getting on the pace in a few mins. I want them to be popular, and I don't think sim racing should ever be made arbitrarily more difficult than the real car, but let's face it: Driving a Lotus 49, Lotus 79 or a V10 F1 car without TC or ABS has never been easy. How many online races do you see for similarly difficult cars in other sims? Even when you do enter one, it's usually a wreckfest unless you're in a league of drivers at a reasonable level. Also compounding the problem is tuning iRacing's FFB to feel like it should isn't as intuitive as other sims, and that's extremely necessary to keep those more difficult cars under control.

Finally, the big difference between other sims and iRacing is that there's a ratings system and championships for each series and many people care to keep their rating at a certain level, either for the quality of racing, the higher points you get in championships, or both. If you're highly rated due to being an excellent GT driver, but then jump into the top level open wheelers, you're expected to be at that same rating level over there too...and as I said, it's not easy for everyone to switch over from GT to Formula...so most try them out, can't keep the car on track after 15 mins of trying (or not up to the level they expect), crash into others (or get crashed into) and then give up and go back to GT3/MX5/skip barber etc. Same for the primarily oval guys who want to dip their feet in road racing...oval racing definitely has its many challenges, but going from Ovals to a road track in 300kph capable open wheelers is a big ask.

Having said all of that, multiclass road races in iRacing are almost always packed 24/7 as well as F3. Also, if you read the iRacing subforums for each series, they'll tell you when are the most packed times so you'll know when to look for a race (helpful for the vintage and fast open wheeler races). Road racing far from dead.

The Aston Martin GT1 and Lotus 79 are super easy to drive, far easier than the F3. The Audi GTO is super easy with a setup I found in the forum, but empty servers since years. The default for the Lotus 49 is horrible as well and a setup makes it controllable, but in this case the tyre-model in iRacing is really failing in allowing enough slip-angles like with the faster open wheelers. The rating-system is one major reason why those series are empty, but iRacing could change the system in favor of that series, nothing is carved in stone, or reduce the prices/making it free content.

I don't care at all for the oval-racing, since it seems as boring as it looks and dirt isn't my cup of coffee as well. The official road-series must be less than 10% of the total numbers that iRacing is showing online or they make this number up. Whatever it is for real, it's still a lot compare to other titles, but the quote "last night, 13,404 were on line racing" can't be accurate.

PS: My favorite car in iRacing is the Spec Racer Ford because it's challenging to drive. In online-races the people usually have enough control over the car to avoid contacts since bad drivers just don't go there. If the car wouldn't be 'free', the servers would be empty as well, but since it's included, there are always one or two splits, which is enough for my taste.

 

[Spinfluencer]

I'd really love to see a 'Try Before You Buy' system in iRacing where you're allowed to take any car out on track for a single test drive session. Could even be time limited to 15 minutes.

 

[AW106]

With over 12k online I would expect that every series is populated, but like I said, many series are dead. Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Kamel GT (Audi GTO & Nissan GTP), GT1, V8 Supercars, both Indycar-series, McLaren MP4-30 are empty all the time and most of them since years. I have a far better chance getting into a decent populated vintage race in AMS2 than iRacing even it's not on a daily basis. iRacing should do something about it if it's through making those cars 'for free' or with a different iRating-logic. I certainly don't buy those cars just to use them during week 13 lunatic races, which seems to be the only opportunity to drive a Lotus 49 or 79 online.

iRacing and the community both take steps for these cars
I've seen iRacing provide increased participation credits to some of these classes if I remember right.
And the community on the forums for less popular classes arrange a time that they're going to try and get a good size field. It's not perfect but it does mean that series like the classic F1 & GT1s get a consistent time slot for a full race

 

[kart1]

after having tested GT4 (McLaren & Porsche) on acc we are disappointed to drive on other simulated GT4s ... no acc set the bar too high on the GTs, I am coming back to F3 and Nascar!

 

[Caleb Lee]

With over 12k online I would expect that every series is populated, but like I said, many series are dead. Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Kamel GT (Audi GTO & Nissan GTP), GT1, V8 Supercars, both Indycar-series, McLaren MP4-30 are empty all the time and most of them since years. I have a far better chance getting into a decent populated vintage race in AMS2 than iRacing even it's not on a daily basis. iRacing should do something about it if it's through making those cars 'for free' or with a different iRating-logic. I certainly don't buy those cars just to use them during week 13 lunatic races, which seems to be the only opportunity to drive a Lotus 49 or 79 online.

IndyCar Oval goes official basically every single race. IndyCar road typically does as well, though with that you are more likely to race on the weekends with guys who practice. You've picked out a very select few series that don't go official and disregarded the fact that there are over 40 series. The vintage series are unpopular. So what? That has never been the main draw of iRacing and if the people don't want it, they don't want it. If you like those cars, that's perfectly fine. Nothing at all wrong with that. But you are in the minority and that's just a face. Vintage racing is probably the smallest thing on iRacing.

 

[Karstenve]

The Aston Martin GT1 and Lotus 79 are super easy to drive, far easier than the F3. The Audi GTO is super easy with a setup I found in the forum, but empty servers since years. The default for the Lotus 49 is horrible as well and a setup makes it controllable, but in this case the tyre-model in iRacing is really failing in allowing enough slip-angles like with the faster open wheelers. The rating-system is one major reason why those series are empty, but iRacing could change the system in favor of that series, nothing is carved in stone, or reduce the prices/making it free content.

I don't care at all for the oval-racing, since it seems as boring as it looks and dirt isn't my cup of coffee as well. The official road-series must be less than 10% of the total numbers that iRacing is showing online or they make this number up. Whatever it is for real, it's still a lot compare to other titles, but the quote "last night, 13,404 were on line racing" can't be accurate.

PS: My favorite car in iRacing is the Spec Racer Ford because it's challenging to drive. In online-races the people usually have enough control over the car to avoid contacts since bad drivers just don't go there. If the car wouldn't be 'free', the servers would be empty as well, but since it's included, there are always one or two splits, which is enough for my taste.

There is a difference between iRacing Road being dead and the series you want to drive being dead. There are some series that are dead indeed but that doesn't mean anything for iRacing Road as a whole. iRacing is all about mastering a class or car so in constrast to other sims and games people don't drive the less popular cars as much. Why would you buy a car like that for $10+. It's sad some of these series aren't populated because they could be awesome though. I'd rather have a few really competitive and popular classes than everything being spread out but that might just be me

 

[Leynad777]

There is a difference between iRacing Road being dead and the series you want to drive being dead. There are some series that are dead indeed but that doesn't mean anything for iRacing Road as a whole. iRacing is all about mastering a class or car so in constrast to other sims and games people don't drive the less popular cars as much. Why would you buy a car like that for $10+. It's sad some of these series aren't populated because they could be awesome though. I'd rather have a few really competitive and popular classes than everything being spread out but that might just be me

Do I speak Chinese? Including the content within the subscription and problem solved. The series are not dead because nobody want to drive them, they are dead because they are dead. Most people don't go to empty pubs either, doesn't matter how good they are.

I just paid 150 Euros for 2 years and without the SCCA, Radical and GT4 I don't see anything I want to drive. For allegedly 12k+ online this is pathetic.

 

[Jonny Austin]

I'd really love to see a 'Try Before You Buy' system in iRacing where you're allowed to take any car out on track for a single test drive session. Could even be time limited to 15 minutes.

There is a window to do just this test drive every 3 months when the race servers are down

 

[Shovas]

With over 12k online I would expect that every series is populated, but like I said, many series are dead. Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Kamel GT (Audi GTO & Nissan GTP), GT1, V8 Supercars, both Indycar-series, McLaren MP4-30 are empty all the time and most of them since years. I have a far better chance getting into a decent populated vintage race in AMS2 than iRacing even it's not on a daily basis. iRacing should do something about it if it's through making those cars 'for free' or with a different iRating-logic. I certainly don't buy those cars just to use them during week 13 lunatic races, which seems to be the only opportunity to drive a Lotus 49 or 79 online.

Yeah, I agree. I'm not sure what you can do. People go where the racing is. It's 80/20 playing out.

Honestly, if there's a chink in iRacing's armour, it was moving away from hourly races for many series, and requiring combined qualifying+race sessions (previously qualifying was optional and done outside the race session). This results in players not being able to bounce to the next hourly race but having to wait most of an hour to get to the next time.

Pro Tip for Competitors: HOURLY races for all series and don't require qualifying. Have qualifying optional and external to the session. Grid based on outside qualifying or by some kind of rating if they hadn't qualified before.

 

[Dont Panic]

There is a window to do just this test drive every 3 months when the race servers are down

iRacing TestDrive are open (3-5 hours normally, sometimes longer) always when iRacing has a maintenance, not just every 3 months!
Although it would be nice, if they keep it up always or even few hours a day.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Just as a clarification on my post since it seams it was misunderstood. It was not about comparing player attendance in respective titles.
it is about having a news about an additional gt4 in IRacing, a good news but nothing really important but not getting any news about an addition of a game on steam that impacts thousand of racing game enthusiast and pulverized number Of peak players for the genre after 2 days despite being 3 years old.

 

[Cheesenium]

Always nice to see that my favourite GT4 is coming to more games.

Hope rF2 and R3E will get it too.

 

[Spazo]

Do I speak Chinese? Including the content within the subscription and problem solved. The series are not dead because nobody want to drive them, they are dead because they are dead. Most people don't go to empty pubs either, doesn't matter how good they are.

I just paid 150 Euros for 2 years and without the SCCA, Radical and GT4 I don't see anything I want to drive. For allegedly 12k+ online this is pathetic.

Lol.. even if you give the cars that are part of dead series for free, people would still not race them...

I know I wouldn't.

You have to understand that MANY people on IR only do practice, hotlaps, AI and leagues.

Many people don't like to race official race. IR is not only about official races.

 

[Spinfluencer]

There is a window to do just this test drive every 3 months when the race servers are down

I did not know that was a thing, thanks!

 

[Spazo]

I did not know that was a thing, thanks!

testdrive.iracing.com

 

[RCHeliguy]

With over 12k online I would expect that every series is populated, but like I said, many series are dead. Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Kamel GT (Audi GTO & Nissan GTP), GT1, V8 Supercars, both Indycar-series, McLaren MP4-30 are empty all the time and most of them since years. I have a far better chance getting into a decent populated vintage race in AMS2 than iRacing even it's not on a daily basis. iRacing should do something about it if it's through making those cars 'for free' or with a different iRating-logic. I certainly don't buy those cars just to use them during week 13 lunatic races, which seems to be the only opportunity to drive a Lotus 49 or 79 online.

You are missing where many races are happening.

There are a LOT of team races that are not series and that don't show up on the iRacing Listing. iRacing hosts non-series races with any cars on any track. These are organized by racing groups(teams) and the drivers are by invitation.

One time Barry from Sim Racing Garage was asked why iRacing hasn't shown him in a race for a long time and he said that he mostly just races in team races these days.

With team races you know your competitors and many people spend all their time running in these.

So if you have a bunch of guys who want to race a lotus 49, they can setup a team race.

The group I hang with set up team races periodically, sometimes they do them to help teach drivers who are learning and sometimes they do them just for fun. They just don't count for points.

 

[Leynad777]

You are missing where many races are happening.

There are a LOT of team races that are not series and that don't show up on the iRacing Listing. iRacing hosts non-series races with any cars on any track. These are organized by racing groups(teams) and the drivers are by invitation.

One time Barry from Sim Racing Garage was asked why iRacing hasn't shown him in a race for a long time and he said that he mostly just races in team races these days.

With team races you know your competitors and many people spend all their time running in these.

So if you have a bunch of guys who want to race a lotus 49, they can setup a team race.

The group I hang with set up team races periodically, sometimes they do them to help teach drivers who are learning and sometimes they do them just for fun. They just don't count for points.

I can have league races in other titles like AMS2 and rF2, that are also more fun to drive, but I don't like schedules and duties in sim-racing. And when iRacers think it's okay, that all vintage series are dead since years, they suffer from Stockholm Syndrom. Just make them free or at least for 2,50 bucks and we see, that they will revive. It just needs a spark to put on the fire. But it seems not only the iRacing stuff is stubborn and refuse innovation and more diversity.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I would expect that iRacing goes where the people go and where they see demand, but I understand that isn't satisfying what you want and I don't have a clue what the majority of their community want.

Once their AI offerings are fully flushed out hopefully that will scratch a lot of people's itch. That said, I'm not big on AI racing.

 

[Isaac Chavira]

It's a welcome addition however are we still racing on ice?