rF2 | Ferrari 488 GTE DLC Released!

Paul Jeffrey

Premium
Studio 397 have dropped their second piece of new content within 48 hours, as the very first Ferrari to officially join the simulation has been introduced as a new DLC offering.

rFactor 2 has always been a racing simulation with a focus on GT and endurance racing, and despite the many impressive GT3 and GTE style machines already available within the title, the lack of content from the Prancing Horse has always been a bit of a hole within the roster of cars - but not anymore!

As of this morning, Studio 397 have released the excellent Ferrari 488 GTE - available from the Steam Store for around £4.48.


From the release notes:

The first Ferrari in rFactor 2 is no doubt a real milestone, it underscores our dedication to the evolution of ‘simracing’ for those that want the best and most accurate experience. We know you share that same excitement and anticipation, so with that we very proudly welcome the Ferrari 488 GTE to join the grid.

With the official 24 Hour of Le Mans right around the corner, it is time for us to welcome the newest addition to the grid. With its 4,0-l-V8, the Ferrari 488 GTE will be a true contender for the win in the GTE class.

The Ferrari 488 GTE is Maranello’s choice for the world of endurance racing. Scoring 490 HP on the dyno, the 4 litre V8 engine features a bi-turbo setup to create even power across the entire band of revs. Plenty of power to compete for the top position at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. But power isn’t everything when it comes to the Ferrari, a fully tricked out aero package makes sure that the airflow is helping the 488 GTE to build as much down-force as possible, sending the air across the only 1.160 mm high bodywork right onto the rear wing and below through the diffusor, balanced out with a prominent front splitter, spanning across the entire width of 2.045

rF2 Ferrari 1.jpg


The Italian race car produces 650 nm in the GTE configuration while weighting in at 1.260 kg, making it a nimble and high revving option for endurance drivers around the world.

The Ferrari 488 GTE program began in 2016, when the car was entered in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as in the GTLM class in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. At the 24 hours of Daytona where the 488 made its competitive debut, it made a promising start, taking home a 4th and a 6th in a strong field of GTLM machinery. A further 4th position in Sebring and a first podium with a 3rd place in Long Beach marked a good opening phase to the American program.

Meanwhile in Europe the factory outfit was about to start it’s first World Endurance Championship season with the new 488 platform. In incredible fashion the Ferrari 488 GTE took home a 1-2 finish at the opening round of the season at Silverstone. An incredible start to the season, that was followed with 2 more wins, 4 more second places and 4 third places across the two cars entered by Ferrari! This took Ferrari and the 488 GTE to the top of the World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers by the end of the season. In 2017 Ferrari once again scored most points of any manufacturer. Taking home 5 race victories, two of them being a 1-2 finish, and scoring a further 6 podiums marked a very successful season in WEC. Furthermore, Ferrari also took the GT World Endurance Drivers’ Championship in 2017, with James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi taking the 488 GTE to 3 wins and 4 podium finishes!

Since the switch to a summer to summer calendar in 2018, the Ferrari 488 GTE added 3 more wins and 4 more podium finishes to it’s resume. Coming out of the 2017/2018 season, the defending champion went slightly changed into it´s first shakedown in Fiorano for the 18/19 season, the 488 GTE evo was born. With just minor details that had been touched, the endurance version of the 488 remains one of the high prospects no matter which grid it enters.

We will be making further physics and Balance-of-Performance updates for the car over the next couple of weeks.


Original Source: Studio 397

rFactor 2 is available exclusively on PC.

Want to know how to get the best from the sim? Start a thread in the rFactor 2 sub forum and let our community offer you the benefit of their massive combined experience.

rF2 Ferrari 3.jpg
rF2 Ferrari 2.jpg
 
So the market has spoken. People crave for GT3/GTE red cars.
This is nothing new.
But to be fair, rF2 is one of the endurance racing sims, where a full GTE field is definetly fitting well. If they would "just" fix the introduced tail happyness and low engine inertia after the last BoP patch in several GTE and the AI, fearing draft, then the endurance pack would be awesome again....
I wanna live where you live :D
I don't know where he lives, but:
Around 5-6€ you can get around 6 beer at pretty decent quality in germany. Alcohol is dangerously cheap here...even with bottle-deposit...
 
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is anybody driving this on a server without AI?
My first thought was there must be a online server with lots of people driving GTE on LeMans or Sebring... but nope, only mod cars on modded tracks again, this is frustrating xD

rF2 has all these very good detailed tracks and cars and nobody is driving there and using them, at least online.

It's probably too expensive for studio to rent a few official servers for a game that so few people are playing at the same time.
 
If we would have online server (the normal one like AC at least) it would bring rf2 to life, and developer would get a lot of incomes to develope the game, guys, just make normal online servers, as everytime i try to search for any race it is private or just AI servers, i really like ffb and tyres feeling! Thinking about of buying Lemans, but if no online competition it will eats dust again, like gt3 pack which is great! Ok will give a try on Sebring with porche GTE, and will compare the same combo on iR if there are improvements, you ll have my money :D if no please listen to your clients :p
 
is anybody driving this on a server without AI?

My first thought was there must be a online server with lots of people driving GTE on LeMans, Sebring or Nordschleife... but nope, only mod cars on modded tracks again, this is frustrating xD

rF2 has all these very good detailed tracks and cars and nobody is driving there and using them, at least online.

One word mate! POTATO
 
It's probably too expensive for studio to rent a few official servers for a game that so few people are playing at the same time.

Yeah I understand that, but I don't understand the community who are not using any of the official stuff.
rF2 should stop this modding and Server with AI stuff, you can't find any server with just normal content and therefore online racing is pretty much dead. Unlike ACC, where you have lots of servers where you just jump in and don't have to download any weird modded stuff.
 
Online without AI for me is just full of racing yellow boxes, whenever I have tried because of skin mismatch.
Online for general population is just pointless.
Why they could not just have two/three official servers is beyond me?
GTE
GT3
Formula
Then again this is RF2.

Not paying to test drive a Ferrari, that won't have any non AI race servers
 
I think this is great and I will most likely buy this, but I hope they try to optimise the game more, as the FPS sufferers sometimes, and fix the current gt3 cars overly aggressive ai ( no matter what aggressive setting) I always think there’s something special about rfactor 2, which keeps me coming back. There Le Mans and nordschleife is some of the best tracks in sim racing in my opinion
 
Have you tried to compare RSS' mod with s397? Can you give more info (better/worse etc.)?

I have only driven both cars for a few laps, but RSS is slower on default setup, and easier to drive, just like other official GT3 and GTE cars. This 488 is closer to WEC Community 488 car. It goes faster, but oversteers quite a bit. Makes it more fun. Try RSS and WEC 488. S397 is between them, but closer to WEC. And better interior modeling.
 
397 should do a deal with Toyota to bring us the TS050 as it being the final LMP-H every going to be produced, as rF2's hybrid system is pretty decent
Not sure of the battery regeneration modes etc are possible in rF2, like the modes developed in the original Assetto Corsa for F1 that they also implemented in LMP1. They have modelled the Formula E something well but not sure if pure hybrid for F1 or LMP1 is possible yet or maybe I've missed something...
 
So is this a game wide update or just on a car and track ?
I noticed lighting and due to that general graphical dependent improvements already.

With light clouds, you get noticeable swelling light, when the sun comes out behind the clouds and the colour palette is not as blue-ish anymore, also cars seem to me, as if they're not made of chrome anymore. Le Mans looks better in my personal opinion, than AC with SOL. Also improvements on Sebring. I noticed more "sharpness" on the textures due to the different colour perception.

I would call it as somewhat significant. I'm not lying, i was blown away by the optical quality especially on Le Mans.

It should receive further tweaks, as written in the update blog.
 
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