Any Year, Any Series: Which Retro Sim Would You Love to See?

F1 1986 Automobilista 2.png
Sim racing offers an almost infinite number of content combinations, spread across multiple titles. Today's grab bag approach has not always been the go-to for racing simulations, however, as dedicated titles for certain series' seasons used to be the norm. We want to know: If this approach was revived, which season of which series would you love to see get a dedicated sim?

A well-working platform with a plethora of content to choose from is great to have variety in your sim racing life, and many of them succeed in getting the immersion just right whether the scenario is a current-day one or a throwback to years past. Assetto Corsa Competizione does this well for modern GT3 racing, while Automobilista 2 keeps adding classic content that make the sim seem more like a digital museum with each update.

Focusing on a certain year of a certain series has the added bonus of developers being able to nail every series-specific aspect: Although it is turning 25 years old this year, Grand Prix Legends is still a beloved title as it simulates the 1967 Formula One season like no other, including the full grid and calendar, as well as the rules of that year.

Potential for Unique Content​

For some series, the full grids and accurate locations element would be a great, unique element for a dedicated game. Take the 1992 DTM season, for example: The series was at the height of its popularity and raced on classic tracks like the Nürburgring, Norisring or Hockenheimring, but also on numerous airfield circuits like Diepholz, Kassel-Calden or Wunstorf, plus the Alemannenring street circuit in Siegen. These may partially be available as mods, but imagine them being part of a dedicated sim as fully fleshed-out versions - these things can make sim racers dream.

Automobilista 2 Porsche 962C Sauber-Mercedes C9 Group C.jpg

Group C cars are available in many sims like Automobilista 2, but a dedicated sim featuring one or more full seasons could be on another level. Image credit: Reiza Studios

Possibilities are endless: Late 1980s Group C, the World Rally Championship at the height of the mighty Group B cars, IndyCar in 1993, including Mansell Mania gone Stateside and all circuits of the time - maybe even a 1950s Formula One sim that shows how different the world of motor racing used to be. There are countless great scenarios that would make for highly-interesting sim content.

While mods do make parts of these scenarios available, they usually have to make compromises, whether that means the rule sets or game mechanics - Assetto Corsa, for example, does not feature rolling starts, and AMS2 still lacks the ability to adjust boost pressure for turbocharged cars from inside the cockpit.

Your Thoughts​

We could go on and list potentially exciting scenarios to have their own sim, but we would rather hear your opinion: If you could wish for a specific series and season to be accurately portrayed in its own sim, which would it be? Let us know your deicison and your reasons in the comments below!
About author
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

Comments

USAC/Indycar/CART game covering the the 60s to 90s.

Also a WRC classic game with proper physics and all the rounds, 1970s to 2000s.
 
Grand Prix Legends also simulates the complete 1955, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969 F1 seasons, the 1967 SportCars season, the 1967 F2 season, the 1966 and 1971 CanAm. And the 1937 Grand Prix, 1951 F1, 1965 to 1969 Tasman Cup, 1971 Sport Prototypes and 1970 F1 are in the making atm.
Yeah but the FFB isn't that good and it only runs with 30 FPS if you want to race the AI. I love GPL, but I can't drive with 30 FPS
 
The problem with the 1972 Can Am series is that Porsche was a dominant car that year, especially by the end of the year. McLaren won races because of reliability issues with the 917. If you had a sim series based on that year, Porsche would probably win every race.
Then it wouldn't be a very good game as the Porsches should of course also be having reliability issues in the game just like it was in real life.
 
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As much as i love AC the AI is a mess and makes singleplayer not really enjoyable.
Unbelievable while there are so many AI mods for AC available. :whistling: If not, then ask for it, like on the GTplanet forum.

Longford67 as a sample, were originally all the cars are crashing after the bridge, does have +/- 4 AI mods to cope with that. Just test them and use the AI-mod you like for your specific car set.
 
Premium
Unbelievable while there are so many AI mods for AC available. :whistling: If not, then ask for it, like on the GTplanet forum.

Longford67 as a sample, were originally all the cars are crashing after the bridge, does have +/- 4 AI mods to cope with that. Just test them and use the AI-mod you like for your specific car set.
I've made many AI lines myself for AC in the past years (just look at my mods here), nevertheless it does not change the fact that the AI is imo not good to race against. You can improve an AI line but the AI itself is not really capable. Wish it would be different because as you mentioned the content is great for AC with all the mods available.
 
Club Staff
Premium
Easy as F.
Rallycross Legends: The golden years of rallycross.
Starting out in the early to mid 80's when the 4WD boom started in European rallycross. I think it was 1984 when both classes in rallycross got properly filled up for every event, and it got a proper boost.
There was some leaner years in the slower class in the late 90's at the end of the Group N era though, but should be included.
Ending with at the end of 2001. As something happened between 2001 and 2002 that caused full-time drivers to drop to just 12 in total over the two main classes.

Proper online solutions with dedicated servers etc. Not P2P or anything like that. rFactor/rFactor 2 style servers with loads of freedom.
Career mode where you start in 1984 (or even better, start a couple of years earlier as a part-timer or in a national series). As there's no manufacturers in rallycross, you have a budget, have to buy a car, develop it yourself. Maybe just buy a car from another competitor, while slowly working on a new car yourself.
While it follows the real life rule changes, there should be some variation to make it replayable. It might be that Group B cars doesn't arrive for 1987 after all, or do you manage to get a Group B car for 1986?
Do you have a spare car, and if so, do you dare to rent it out at some events?

It would be a dream game for me, but it would cost way too much as the research would be insane.
 
Given AMS2 has nailed my #1 with group C...

BTCC from '98 is excellent (as a mod in AC), as is 1938 racers too - which really surprised me as they're just not a class of car racing that I enjoy.

But to pick one, ATCC from the 80's.
Exhibit A:
 
Then it wouldn't be a very good game as the Porsches should of course also be having reliability issues in the game just like it was in real life.
If you're talking about multiplayer, I think it would be difficult to simulate reliability issues. Not that it's technically difficult, but I could just imagine the insane amount of whining there would be when someone has a reliability issue and the game is out to get them. On top of that, the reliability issues progressed throughout the season, so you would then need to simulate that as well.

And regardless, if I was a top level racer, I would still have to take the risk and pick the fastest car knowing that is the only chance of winning.
 
Not a real year or series

But a complete remake of the Classic Infogrames's Le Mans 24 Hours (Test Drive Le Mans) would be my 2 cents

A version that could have all cars from both versions (Ps1/PC | PS2/DreamCast/PC) + some bonus cars (like the Factory McLaren F1 from 1997, Porsche 911 GT1-98)
And all real world tracks of the original games + new ones

 
Macau GP from Formula Pacific and Formula 3 era.

Macau Guia Race from all era.

1980's &1990's Japanese & Europian Formula 2 & Formula 3000.

Formula Nippon.
 
Formula One 1971-80, the Simulator: every season, every track, every team, every car, every driver, all meticulously detailed.

This would be my dream game.
+1, especially FULL 1978 season, FULL car grid, ALL circuits used of that era!
 
To the aforementioned, I will also add the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car endurance series, where Daytona Prototypes of several generations and GT cars raced together. Today, the series continues as the IMSA Weather Tech SportsCar Championship. The series first appeared in the sim in rFactor with the Grand Slam 2006 mod. Later, Corvette Daytona Prototypes appeared, unfortunately alone in Raceroom Racing Experience, and the mod in Assetto Corsa
 
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Wrong. GPL can run at 60FPS atm, and we are testing a patch to make it run at 144FPS.
Last time I tried (last year), 60 FPS didn't work in single player races against the AI. With 60 FPS patch, the computer opponents behaved very strangely, animations played too fast, etc.

I'm not interested in multi player races.
 
Mentioned here:
--50's sports cars with long point to point road races. Full career with car development.
--86-89 IMSA GTO and Trans-am

And I'd add:
--'71-'82 USAC and Indycar circuit with career
--40's Argentinian long-distance racing which were like the Carrera Panamerica, the stuff Fangio cut his teeth on
 

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