My 2020 Supra (sim racing newbie questions)

[2020 Supraman]

Hey everyone! I am brand new to sim racing. I bought a 2020 Supra a few months back. I do some work overseas, and have been stuck in the Middle East since February (country I am in is very strict). Anyway, I’ve been dreaming of my car, looking up HPD schools, autocross, etc and came across the world of sim racing. I’m all in (see my post in hardware “help me build my $6k rig). The last gaming platform I used was Sega Genesis in the 90s and the only thing I know about PCs is how to boot them up, use internet/email, and Microsoft office lol. To say the least, I am overwhelmed by how much is out there.

My goal with sim racing is to get better at driving my Supra in real life. What game(s) do you recommend? What other suggestions would you give me starting out? Thanks!!

 

[2020 Supraman]

 

[Isaac Chavira]

Assetto Corsa is about as close as you will get. There may even be a Supra MOD in the works as I type this. Forza, Granturismo and iRacing are arcade games.

Oh look:

 

[Daniel R.]

Even though there is no modern Supra, Rfactor2 is the king in driving dynamics...
So if you wanna learn car control, it's the way to go

 

[Wolfy.cs]

Before we get too far, just remember that there is no replacement for real life seat time, being able to feel the car in real life is a different skill when compared to sim racing.

rFactor 2 is considered the gold standard when it comes to the "feel" of the car, even with low end set ups. I would recommend getting the BMW M2 CS RACING DLC, it will be the closest style car to your supra that is high quality. It focuses on the mechanical grip of the car due to little areo, it makes similar HP and torque to the supra, and has a similar(ish) chassis.

Tips for starting out in sims:

-Learn to build up speed; don't throw the car around the corner hoping it sticks, take the corner MUCH slower than you think you need to and build up per lap. When you throw the car around you can build bad habits that you will have to overcome later.

-You will crash, spin, and break things. A lot. Learn from the mistakes and improve. Don't compare yourself to people how have done this for 1000's of hours, compare your current best to your past best.

-Learn about how weight moves around the car with different inputs. This is one of the most overlooked things by beginners.

-Going fast isn't just about being able to brake later than everyone else, or being able to put the throttle down earlier. The ability to keep the car in control while going at a fast pace and setting consistent laps will lead to more wins. Lewis Hamilton doesn't win because he sets one fast lap over 70, he sets laps that are all within .5 seconds of each other over the course of the 2 hour race.

-Smooth is fast. Quick inputs will upset the car, be it from the brakes, steering, or suspension. Once you start getting more comfortable you will learn about trail braking and how to use the throttle in corners.

Tips for IRL racing:
-HPD will be the best way to learn, nothing replaces having a coach that can pin point problems and train on how to fix them

-When you go to a autocross don't be afraid to ask questions, from how to drive the track to driving tips. The vast majority of the drivers are in the same position as you, wanting to learn how to fast fast in their cars.

-Keep the car stock until you are comfortable with going fast and learn about where the downfalls the car are. Throwing 15k in go-fast parts doesn't help when most of it goes to improving the wrong parts