The car roster of Assetto Corsa Competizione offers a great amount of choice for the GT3 afficionado: Different engine layouts and characteristics make it possible for everyone to find a good match in theory - and yet, even public lobbies are usually filled with the same two to three cars that are supposed to be the fastest at that point of BOP adjustments. However, a lot of drivers might leave their potential unfulfilled as a result.
As of version 1.8.11, an abundance of McLaren 720S GT3s and BMW M4 GT3s can be spotted on ACC's tracks. The two vehicles are acknowledged to be the fastest across all tracks, and because of that, players tend to flock to them, resulting in timing sheets leaving the impression of a two-make championship. This tends to change with major BOP updates - for a while, the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo were in much of the same position as the McLaren and the BMW are now.
While it may be easy to set relatively competitive lap times, ACC drivers might leave precious tenths on the line that way. The cars may be the fastest among the sim's roster, but extracting the small advantages of their performance is something only top-level drivers are able to do on a regular basis. As a result, many drivers could be faster in other cars that suit their driving style and skill much more.
Of course, this is always a very individual element - everyone has a different way to throw a virtual race car around a circuit. It might be worth your while to revisit cars you used to drive a lot, but do not anymore. Recently, after running the Porsche 911 II GT3 R for months and the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo as well as the Aston Martin AMR V8 Vantage for a few endurance events, I figured I might give the 2018 Nissan GT-R GT3 a spin again, as I had mained the car for a year and a half.
This choice might seem counterintuitive, especially considering that the Nissan is not run anymore in GTWC and rarely in other GT3 series, due to it not being very competitive anymore. And if you were planning to enter a high-profile event or series as a top-level esports racer, you would probably be at a disadvantage against the best of the best. However, as I soon figured out, the car suits me very well somehow, and even though its understeery characteristics have not really gotten any better, I was able to set faster lap times than I had set with the other aforementioned cars immediately. It was also possible for me to push like I rarely had been able to with the other cars - meaning I felt right at home again. It will not be easy to find team mates to run an endurance race with the GT-R - the turbo brick seems to be a bit of an acquired taste.
While this experience is very subjective, of course, it is very likely that there are tons of ACC drivers who are doing well enough in one of the current "meta" cars but are missing out on a more competitive and more fun experience. There is truth to the rule of thumb that feeling comfortable in a car is the most important thing to do well in endurance racing. I recommend giving your old favorites another try and see how you stack up against the McLaren and BMW armada. You might rediscover something you did not know you missed.
What are your favorite cars in Assetto Corsa Competizione? Are you a fellow oddball vehicle enthusiast? Let us know your experiences in the comments!
As of version 1.8.11, an abundance of McLaren 720S GT3s and BMW M4 GT3s can be spotted on ACC's tracks. The two vehicles are acknowledged to be the fastest across all tracks, and because of that, players tend to flock to them, resulting in timing sheets leaving the impression of a two-make championship. This tends to change with major BOP updates - for a while, the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo were in much of the same position as the McLaren and the BMW are now.
While it may be easy to set relatively competitive lap times, ACC drivers might leave precious tenths on the line that way. The cars may be the fastest among the sim's roster, but extracting the small advantages of their performance is something only top-level drivers are able to do on a regular basis. As a result, many drivers could be faster in other cars that suit their driving style and skill much more.
Of course, this is always a very individual element - everyone has a different way to throw a virtual race car around a circuit. It might be worth your while to revisit cars you used to drive a lot, but do not anymore. Recently, after running the Porsche 911 II GT3 R for months and the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo as well as the Aston Martin AMR V8 Vantage for a few endurance events, I figured I might give the 2018 Nissan GT-R GT3 a spin again, as I had mained the car for a year and a half.
This choice might seem counterintuitive, especially considering that the Nissan is not run anymore in GTWC and rarely in other GT3 series, due to it not being very competitive anymore. And if you were planning to enter a high-profile event or series as a top-level esports racer, you would probably be at a disadvantage against the best of the best. However, as I soon figured out, the car suits me very well somehow, and even though its understeery characteristics have not really gotten any better, I was able to set faster lap times than I had set with the other aforementioned cars immediately. It was also possible for me to push like I rarely had been able to with the other cars - meaning I felt right at home again. It will not be easy to find team mates to run an endurance race with the GT-R - the turbo brick seems to be a bit of an acquired taste.
While this experience is very subjective, of course, it is very likely that there are tons of ACC drivers who are doing well enough in one of the current "meta" cars but are missing out on a more competitive and more fun experience. There is truth to the rule of thumb that feeling comfortable in a car is the most important thing to do well in endurance racing. I recommend giving your old favorites another try and see how you stack up against the McLaren and BMW armada. You might rediscover something you did not know you missed.
What are your favorite cars in Assetto Corsa Competizione? Are you a fellow oddball vehicle enthusiast? Let us know your experiences in the comments!
