Le Mans Ultimate’s HUD, UI and Glickenhaus Showcased In Fresh Gameplay

Le Mans Ultimate Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH RD.jpg
Additional Le Mans Ultimate footage has been released, with gameplay showcasing the sim’s user interface and HUD in action for the first time.

Images: Motorsport Games/Studio 397

Following yesterday’s unveiling of the Cadillac V-Series.R and Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTE, it is now time to hit the track with the latest Le Mans Ultimate gameplay.

Not only do we witness Sebring in action within a multi-class practice session, but this is also the first time we can see the user interface being used (outside of still images) and the HUD expected at launch.

Menus In Action​

When rFactor 2 Online – the ranked multiplayer system for the venerable simulator – launched last year, the segmented menu system looked noticeably different from the rest of the platform.

Le Mans Ultimate is seemingly a progenitor of those foundations, with a UI that looks nothing like Motorsport Games and Studio 397’s previous offerings.

Le Mans Ultimate Car Selection screen


The options such as track and car selection look to be in large, clear, blocks with the livery selection displayed through a three-quarter perspective car shot.

The latest footage shows a cursor navigating through the various options – while an improved driving experience with a gamepad has been touted, initially, you will not be able to navigate the menus with a controller.

At the top right, you can see both ‘DR’ (driver rating) and ‘SR’ (safety rating) scores, reflecting the ranked online system functional from the title’s release.

Le Mans Ultimate Race Weekend options


Conspicuously, only the surface-level menus are showcased, with items such as advanced options and car setup omitted so far.

The home screen highlights how bereft of modes LMU will be at launch, with just the simple race weekend (practice, qualifying and race) and ranked online initially available. But hey, this platform is now somewhat inoculated by the early access moniker.

Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH​

Ticking off the last box in the Hypercar category for the embryonic roster is the Glickenhaus SCG 007. The LMH car was briefly spotted lining up at the back of a grid during last week’s early access reveal trailer, but now the non-hybrid entry has been fully showcased.

That means in-sim images of all aspects, front, rear and inside. Based on these depictions, it looks as accurate as the other LMH and LMDh representations shown, replete in its 2023 blue design.

Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH interior Le Mans Ultimate

Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH interior. Image: Le Mans Ultimate

The gameplay footage for this car isn’t direct capture, but rather genial rFactor 2 expert and esports competitor Michi Hoyer. You can see he locks the front right heading into Turn Two, immediately flagging a red tyre icon on-screen. Towards the end of the lap, power-on oversteer is prevalent.

Also visible is the functioning rear-view camera and the tyres working away through the front wing’s cut-outs.


To date, the engine sounds have been exemplary. The sim racing equivalent of the Pepsi Challenge, the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Ferrari 499P sounds so lifelike it would be hard to spot the virtual version and the real-world version when played back-to-back.

The onboard footage of the V-Series.R is possibly a little less convincing, with FIA WEC clips sounding a tad more guttural than Le Mans Ultimate so far.

The HUD Exists!​

We were getting slightly worried there. Apart from a very basic on-screen rev and gear indicator at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans preview event, the heads-up display has been absent.

Mercifully, this has now been ‘displayed’ with a sleek new design. Top left are the standings, top right lap time information and bottom right revs, temperatures, gears, fuel and energy meters.

In the lower-left corner looks to be a display that the driver can cycle through, showing relative timings in these clips, but with what looks to be repair, fuel and electricity icons among others.

Just above here is an on-screen track map, and note the option of a virtual rear mirror.

Le Mans Ultimate HUD


The main takeaway is perhaps that, like the main menus, this is something refreshing compared to the development team’s prior efforts.

Aside from in trailers, this is also the first time the spotter is heard during gameplay footage – voiced by motorsport commentator and competitor Piers Prior. He provides your lap time, but also seemingly updates about the session and items like tyre temperature.

Today’s footage also marks the first on-board video captured using a steering wheel input. Any definitive judgements about the performance of AI-powered rivals will be reserved for later this month.

Le Mans Ultimate Porsche leaves Sebring pitlane


Outside of the smaller details, the broadcast-style footage as the sun sets released on social media is atmospheric. A relief to see vehicles from the three categories mixing on track as opposed to just the single-car on-board clips released earlier in the year.

With just 11 days until the early access release, the deluge of information has been a welcome challenge to keep pace with. Now all that remains is for people outside of the responsible company to go hands-on…

What do you make of the recent Le Mans Ultimate gameplay? Let us know in the comments below, or discuss in the forum.
About author
Thomas Harrison-Lord
A freelance sim racing, motorsport and automotive journalist. Credits include Autosport Magazine, Motorsport.com, RaceDepartment, OverTake, Traxion and TheSixthAxis.

Comments

D
  • Deleted member 526227

10 days left:)

If I were the ACO, I'd be quite happy with how this studio presents my product. The presentation seems to be top notch.
Sure...still many questions left but I have a good feeling and one can see how much passion and work went into it.
Also those guys from S397 and MSG who are working on the game are so communicative and answering 1,000s of questions on discord I absolutely appreciate. Never seen this on that level in Sim-Racing before.

Absolutely looking forward to dive in a raceweekend and although I wanted to start with Le Mans I will perhaps change my mind and go to Sebring first for the opener.
 
Nothing to do with this game at all - the game looks fine - but rather a rant-comment about real life but...my oh my, I don't think I've ever heard such a large group of boring, sleep-inducing, uninspiring, adrenaline-sapping, vacuum cleaner sounds in my life.

And, no, electric motors - the future tech - has nothing to do with it, it's mostly (but not only) due to using lame-ass turbos.
 
Last edited:
really surprised how good looking the game is and the sounds are really good. the physics are always realistic in rfactor games and maybe even the best in the world. I'm waiting to test it
 
buy faster internet provider to get better video resolution :)
:):):):thumbsup:
Na, the video is poor. Not the "visuals" themselves. The 4K res and bitrate look fine for a youtube video. The problem is the massive stutters / frame skipping. It's not my PC (12900KS + RTX 4090) and I confirmed there are no skipped frames according to youtube's "nerd stats" either. It's purely down to the actual video itself. Not as easy to see during the fast motion of gameplay but almost headache-inducing during the slow motion shots.

Compare it to the buttery smooth Asetto Corsa Competizione GT2 cars' videos released over the past few weeks - completely different.
 
Last edited:
Looks promising, but....
But would expect a bit more people next to the road, being the most popular event of the year there and seeing the huge amount of campers next to the track.
And why there still is no 3d grass, looks so flat next to the track.
Writing a shader for it should not cost a lot in money/resources or model it in the old kunos/ams way. Works fine.
With a bit of proper lodding it wont bring the system down.
but gives so much more atmosphere, between the hard road and soft surfaces next to it.
Just my 3 cents...
Yeah, no 3D grass, original track from rFactor 2, they need to do a litle bit more. So I will still stay with rFactor 2! :thumbsdown:
 
A racing title can really live and die by the strength of its sounds, I do hope they come through on this one. I remember when RREE came out years back and the back fires and crackles, and suspension creak was like nothing I'd heard before. They really pushed things forward.
 
Ok did someone notice the NRG bar on the cadillac video? I'm guessing thats the total amount of energy left? If thats the case why is that bar also present on Michi Hoyer's video driving the Glickenhaus? The Glickenhaus doesn't have hybrid..
 
Na, the video is poor. Not the "visuals" themselves. The 4K res and bitrate look fine for a youtube video. The problem is the massive stutters / frame skipping. It's not my PC (12900KS + RTX 4090) and I confirmed there are no skipped frames according to youtube's "nerd stats" either. It's purely down to the actual video itself. Not as easy to see during the fast motion of gameplay but almost headache-inducing during the slow motion shots.

Compare it to the buttery smooth Asetto Corsa Competizione GT2 cars' videos released over the past few weeks - completely different.
lets hope that we are wrong and the game is absolutly pretty ,perfect and awesome
 
D
  • Deleted member 526227

Ok did someone notice the NRG bar on the cadillac video? I'm guessing thats the total amount of energy left? If thats the case why is that bar also present on Michi Hoyer's video driving the Glickenhaus? The Glickenhaus doesn't have hybrid..

Because it's part of the general HUD. And if you take a deeper look and compare it to the Caddy e.g., you can also see that the battery is activated in the Caddy while the bar and symbol in the Glickenhaus are grey out.
 
Nothing to do with this game at all - the game looks fine - but rather a rant-comment about real life but...my oh my, I don't think I've ever heard such a large group of boring, sleep-inducing, uninspiring, adrenaline-sapping, vacuum cleaner sounds in my life.

And, no, electric motors - the future tech - has nothing to do with it, it's mostly (but not only) due to using lame-ass turbos.
One of the largest crimes against racing fans was Ferrari abandoning the NA V8 in the 458 for that Hoover Vacum turbo in the 488.
 
still cautiously optimistic and will wait for early adoptors opinions before I make a final decision (but it's looking a likely purchase if I'm honest).
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Thomas Harrison-Lord
Article read time
4 min read
Views
19,022
Comments
125
Last update
Back
Top