rF2 | Ferrari 488 GTE DLC Released!

[Paul Jeffrey]

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

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.

 

[IceColdBeard_24]

GTE !! LMP2 !! any hope for LMP1s ?

 

[sbabb]

GTE !! LMP2 !! any hope for LMP1s ?

it has been said multiple times: No LMP1 will be made, because it is a class that will not be used come next year, same deal with Ford GTE, it is gone since last year

 

[sbabb]

it has been said multiple times: No LMP1 will be made, because it is a class that will not be used come next year, same deal with Ford GTE, it is gone since last year

to add: Hypercars and or LMDh is a possibility tho

 

[pcraenme]

to add: Hypercars and or LMDh is a possibility tho

We already have the McLaren Senna GTR.

 

[muzikant]

the Ferrari is a really nice car to drive. Rfactor 2 has surpassed itself with this car although ... I am not a real Ferrari fan (I prefer to drive the M8 GTE .. it will be difficult to choose which car nice details in the cockpit. Super ffb. more than worth the 5 euros! Zandvoort 2020 also looks great.

Thank you Studio 397

 

[Case_]

We already have the McLaren Senna GTR.

Don't forget the Senna is technically not a hypercar, just a concept of one.

 

[IceColdBeard_24]

it has been said multiple times: No LMP1 will be made, because it is a class that will not be used come next year, same deal with Ford GTE, it is gone since last year

what about lmp2 for the new regulation ? are they still going to race ?

 

[sbabb]

what about lmp2 for the new regulation ? are they still going to race ?

there will be new P2 cars, but they will come 2023 in real life, so still a bit to wait, but definetly cars that would fit in rF2 as a endurance focused sim

 

[Durge Driven]

ha! We're getting a torrent of content and minimal fixes to the "beta UI" issues so may as respond in kind

It's like the devs don't seem to realize that people spend a lot of time in the UI setting up sessions etc, and IS an important element of the overall game UX. Any glitches in the UX become annoying AF very quickly as a result, as much as glitches in the driving experience do.

IMHO

In your opinion, frankly I could not care less about the UI
I would swap UI for properly updated Historic in a heartbeat !

And that is what is wrong with these type of sims try to cater for all cars and tracks
you have never ending fixes these days

Every time ISI developed tyres and things for other series it impacted Historic feel
Mind you still good enough to wipe the floor with same vehicle in any other sim

rF2 Historic that is where ISI shone brightest IMHO

WOW, rf2 blows my mind ........................ the FFB in this game is unbeatable, no other sim comes close.

Many people been saying that since first build it always drove good that has nothing to do with S397 .....unfortunately way back when they were shouted down even by people never drove it so I firmly blame the majority that bagged everything about rF2 which in turn lost the physics guru "who made models come alive "

IMHO

 

[rallysmo]

5 pounds, alv

 

[franserq]

I was anxiously waiting for the launch of this car, after trying it I was a little disappointed, I appreciate that it was launched quickly and some details are missing. I bought almost all the DLCs and I have to say that the resistance pack and the gt3 pack are fantastic, but this car doesn't feel the same, maybe it lacks work and will improve in the future

 

[Case_]

(Edit: If you think most of those shots look a bit desaturated and washed out...yes. I was tweaking gamma and saturation while I was taking them and apparently have gone a bit too far, as I can now see, so...yeah. Will fix.)

 

[dreamer al]

I am wondering how the Studio 397 version compares with the recent Ferrari 488 GTE workshop version from Real Series Simulation?

 

[sonicviz]

IMHO

In your opinion, frankly I could not care less about the UI
I would swap UI for properly updated Historic in a heartbeat !

And that is what is wrong with these type of sims try to cater for all cars and tracks
you have never ending fixes these days

Every time ISI developed tyres and things for other series it impacted Historic feel
Mind you still good enough to wipe the floor with same vehicle in any other sim

rF2 Historic that is where ISI shone brightest IMHO

Many people been saying that since first build it always drove good that has nothing to do with S397 .....unfortunately way back when they were shouted down even by people never drove it so I firmly blame the majority that bagged everything about rF2 which in turn lost the physics guru "who made models come alive "

IMHO

No, it's not "my opinion".

The UI/UX of the app is a core part of the app design and experience.
For you to pitch that as optional to the overall value proposition of the app is just ridiculous.

Furthermore, the devs have indicated that soon they will be removing the old UI so you won't even have the option to go back to that.

The "beta UI" has been out for ~7 months (after years of in house development) and despite some updates (mainly to the broadcast UI part it seems) still has multiple issues that make it way less functional than the current UI, despite the nice design aesthetic.
. Performance is glitchy and slow
. Car and Track info is missing or incomplete
. Too many clicks to do things

None of these are "opinion". They are basic features of how an app should work.

I'm just gobsmacked the devs keep pumping out complex context yet don't appear to be addressing the thing that is literally sitting right in front of you and eases the workflow when creating, modifying, and running different types of sessions during a time block of play time.

I love rF2. The current content is great, however a great app UX is the sum of its parts. Releasing a beta UI and then appearing to not address any of the issues many users are giving as feedback, while pushing out yet more paid DLC, is a backward strategy. Especially when they have just indicated you're going to have to use it soon whether you like it or not.

Fine, I'll just vote with my wallet then!

 

[Chris Alfveby]

No, it's not "my opinion".

The UI/UX of the app is a core part of the app design and experience.
For you to pitch that as optional to the overall value proposition of the app is just ridiculous.

Furthermore, the devs have indicated that soon they will be removing the old UI so you won't even have the option to go back that.

The "beta UI" has been out for ~7 months (after years of in house development) and despite some updates (mainly to the broadcast UI part it seems) still has multiple issues that make it way less functional than the current UI, despite the nice design aesthetic.
. Performance is glitchy and slow
. Car and Track info is missing or incomplete
. Too many clicks to do things

None of these are "opinion". They are basic features of how an app should work.

I'm just gobsmacked the devs keep pumping out complex context yet don't appear to be addressing the thing that is literally sitting right in front of you and eases the workflow when creating, modifying, and running different types of sessions during a time block of play time.

I love rF2. The current content is great however. Releasing a beta UI and then appearing to not address any of the issues many users are giving as feedback, while pushing out yet more paid DLC, is kind of backward strategy imo. Especially when they have just indicated you're going to have to use it soon whether you like it or not.

Fine, I'll just vote with my wallet then!

you do understand what opinion means right?

 

[tpw]

The DLC was worth the $ just for the novelty value of seeing an rF2 car look just as good on the inside as the outside. It is actually quite disorienting after years of driving rF2 cars with cockpits that look like drab overlays rather than part of the 3D world. Now I'll just wait for the PBR cockpit shaders to be backported onto the existing S397 content...

PS The 488 itself is a really nice drive and sounds fantastic. Well done S397!

 

[Alex Townsend]

Seems like subject has derailed... in an rF2 thread? Must be the first time eh?

Anyway, back on topic, awesome news and instabuy for me, unfortunately I only saw the news after I came out of the ACC race early this morning. Will be giving it a blast at some point today for sure

 

[fireballr18]

Must be implemented as far as I know.

(Edit: If you think most of those shots look a bit desaturated and washed out...yes. I was tweaking gamma and saturation while I was taking them and apparently have gone a bit too far, as I can now see, so...yeah. Will fix.)

Wow! It looks so good. Pretty happy S397 sticks with their graphics engine, even if things takes a bit longer to improve.

Do you have these Porsche liveries from here or the steam workshop?

 

[Case_]

Wow! It looks so good. Pretty happy S397 sticks with their graphics engine, even if things takes a bit longer to improve.

Do you have these Porsche liveries from here or the steam workshop?

I was going to say it was all stock content, but I think the game might've thrown in some VEC liveries in there as I simply selected for the AI to choose any of the GTE class cars. The 88 Porsche is stock, though, I use that livery quite often when I drive that car.

Also, note that the screenshots are with my ReShade preset, as always, so it's not *completely* stock. (Though the last update improved things, I'm still not completely happy with how the game looks. But it mostly just involves color tweaks, not much else.)

 

[Flip-Flop Driver]

Where can we see a changelog for store items? In the inventory I only see last update date.