Simulator racing, or sim racing, has been around since the 1980s. Over 40 years, the virtual form of motorsport has grown in popularity and both the hardware and software have advanced tremendously. Today’s sim racing software is so realistic that even F1 drivers use them for training and they are used for championships with global participation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when countries went into lockdown and people were confined to their homes, sim racing became even more popular. While real-world racing activities had to be stopped, sim racing took off as an alternative for motorsports lovers.
Almost anyone can get into sim racing. The basic requirements are a computer/game console, sim rig, large monitor and a fast internet connection. Players can compete against computer rivals or real human rivals around the world.
At this year’s final round of the ‘League of Legends’ World Championship (a multiplayer online videogame) this weekend in San Francisco, Mercedes‑Benz will present details of its purely virtual showcar for the first time. Known as the Mercedes‑Benz Project SMNR (Summoner), the design of a sculptural two-seater coupe is characterized by its semi-transparent materiality.
Mercedes‑Benz will be the central part of the Riot Games Fan Village in San Francisco with the Mercedes‑EQ House. On an area of 250 square metres, the German carmaker will not only provide exclusive insights into the world of Mercedes‑Benz but also have the EQS SUV alongside the virtual showcar and the Championship Ring.
Logitech, the well known Swiss computer company computer peripherals, has introduced the PRO Racing Wheel and PRO Racing Pedals under its Logitech G sub-brand which specialises in gaming technologies and gear. These are professional-grade products aimed at professional sim drivers in a sport that had seen rapid growth over the past few years.
The racing wheel and pedals are said to be engineered for the most realistic and immersive racing experience possible with technologies like a new, high-performance Direct Drive engine along with TRUEFORCE feedback technology.
Genesis has announced its debut in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Gran Turismo 7 (GT7) sim racing videogame series as an official manufacturer partner of the Gran Turismo World Series, an online global motorsport championship. GT7 is developed by Polyphony Digital Inc. and was recently released on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles.
The luxury brand of the Hyundai Motor Group will make available to championship competitors the Genesis X GR3 and G70 GR4 concept vehicles, as well as the G70 Sport Sedan for the Manufacturer’s Cup.
“Genesis is pleased to be presenting the dynamic G70 sport sedan and our ambitious GR3 and GR4 concepts in Gran Turismo 7,” said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice-President and Head of Genesis Global Design Centre. “This platform allows fans of racing to get behind the wheel and discover the bold designs and performance ambitions of Genesis as we continue to explore the brand’s entry into motorsport.”
The X GR3 and G70 GR4 are concept vehicles which were shown last year when Genesis revealed the vehicle design process at an ultra-modern experiential installation called ‘The Performance of Design’ during Monterey Car Week. The two concept vehicles were part of a trio of models developed in collaboration with the creators of the Gran Turismo videogame series.
The X GR3 is based on the Genesis X Concept shown last year and reinterpreted in the Gr.3 racing specification. It is powered by a 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo engine with 555 ps.
The G70 GR4 Gran Turismo, is a California-built 420 ps racing car derived from the Genesis coupe. It is a completely reimagined G70 sport sedan for competition with a GT-inspired racing package. Building on the existing G70 model to create a bold, yet elegant, high-performance racing car, it showcases the motorsport intent of the brand.
Other concepts under study are the GR1 Alpha_DB, GR1 Bravo_GB, and GR1 Charlie_ET, all of which are potential designs for a future Vision Gran Turismo Concept that will be an elite racing car.
Gran Turismo 7, the super-realistic sim racing videogame by Polyphony Digital/Sony Interactive Entertainment received its latest update recently. This follows the update in April which saw the addition of 3 new cars (2 Subaru BRZs and the Suzuki Cappuccino) and the 24-hour layout of Spa-Francorchamps.
With this update, players get another 3 new cars – the Roadster Shop Rampage, Toyota GR010 HYBRID ’21, and Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo. Additionally, new events have been added to the World Circuits, namely the Lightweight K-Cup, Vision Gran Turismo Trophy and Gr. 1 Prototype Series.
Toyota GR010 HYBRID ’21
Roadster Shop Rampage
Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo
Of the 3 new cars, the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo has been much anticipated. It showcases Suzuki’s expertise in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel products, highlighting the company’s involvement in both motorcycles and automobiles. Only a handful of companies can lay claim in mastering the two genres, and fewer still can boast international racing success in both.
Suzuki’s Vision Gran Turismo, which joins a number of other Vision Gran Turismo models from other many carmakers, was developed as a unique all-wheel drive super sportscar which fuses the company’s motorcycle and automotive know-how.
The 2-seater in the familiar yellow colour of the brand has a convertible bodystyle with a front-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout. It has a very powerful hybrid drivetrain consisting of the 1340 cc inline-4 petrol engine taken from the company’s flagship sports bike, the Hayabusa, and electric motors.
There are 3 electric motors – 2 in front and 1 at the back. The combined system output is shown as 318 kW/432 ps at 9,700 rpm with 610 Nm of torque.
During development of this virtual supercar, Suzuki employed much of its racing technology in the construction, using as many lightweight components as possible. As a result, the car weighs just in 970 kgs.
As for the styling, the Vision Gran Turismo’s low stance and flowing lines were inspired by popular Suzuki production sportscar models like the Swift Sport and Cappuccino.
This isn’t the first time Suzuki fitted its powerful Hayabusa engine into an automobile. In fact, the company used it to power the GSX-R/4, a mid-engine sportscar concept that was shown in 2001. With the Vision Gran Turismo, Suzuki is recalling memories of that legendary showcar while introducing the latest technology.
According to Polyphony Digital, there will also be a Gr.3 version of the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo soon. That would certainly raise this classic sportscar formula to the next level.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic kept people in their homes and racing activities came to a standstill, Lamborghini started a one-make championship online. Not surprisingly, the event known as ‘The Real Race’ was a success as driving enthusiasts took to racing virtually. More than 2,500 drivers from 109 countries participated in the first edition of the Lamborghini eSports championship.
Huracan GT3 EVO for all participants
The immersive competition had the Huracan GT3 EVO for use by all participants. Each car had exclusive race livery created by Centro Stile, Lamborghini’s in-house design department. Participants could customize the looks in 12 different versions, with each car displaying the trademark logos of long-standing Lamborghini Squadra Corse partners – Pertamina, Pirelli and Roger Dubuis.
The competition returned in 2021 with 10 races and a new and upgraded regional format. The new format had a more global approach as racers competed both in traditional Grand Prix and in three Endurance races to earn points within their regional tournaments in Europe, America and Asia. As in 2020, they all drove a Huracan GT3 EVO in Assetto Corsa Competizione, the advanced racing simulation game.
Assetto Corsa Competizione was developed alongside car manufacturers and provides a dynamic platform for Lamborghini’s latest racing series. It has photorealistic weather conditions and graphics, night races, motion capture animations, reaching a new standard in terms of driving realism and immersion. The game is also used by official Lamborghini Squadra Corse test and race drivers in their real-world preparations.
The winners of the 6-month long championship enjoyed a track experience with the Lamborghini Squadra Corse and a VIP experience at Lamborghini Headquarters. Additionally, the top-ranked player of each regional series would be invited to become a Lamborghini Official Sim driver.
Creation of a ‘factory team’
Lamborghini decided to create its own official team – a ‘factory team’, just as in real life competition – to build on the valuable experience gained with The Real Race. The eSports Team represents a further opportunity to expand the brand’s presence in a sector that is constantly developing, highly competitive, and also strengthen its commitment to the eSports scene.
The three sim drivers chosen to represent the brand in the major international eSports competitions are Jordan Sherratt, Gianfranco Giglioli and Giorgio Simonini. Sherratt (South African, 23) and Giglioli (Italian-Venezuelan, 24) will compete together in the GT World Challenge Esports Sprint Series Europe, and Simonini (Italian, 22) will join the pair to form the crew for the 2022 Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Endurance Championship.
The Sprint calendar consists of 5 races and started last weekend with the Misano race. The last round is set for August 3, with the grand finale scheduled in the virtual version of the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.
The Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports series starts next weekend (April 16) with the 12 Hours of Bathurst, the famous Australian endurance race. Here too, there are 5 rounds on the calendar, with the competition concluding on August 27 with the 9 Hours of Kyalami at the famous circuit in South Africa.
Support from Squadra Corse
The three sim racers have been training hard, sharing important information on driving and set-up. They will be supported during the season by the Squadra Corse staff who are dedicating a team principal, driver coach and engineers to offer their expertise in the development and analysis of telemetry data, from the track to the virtual simulation.
“Sim racing is an important platform in today’s motorsport scene. Videogames were born to allow those who didn’t have opportunities for real-life racing to be like the professional drivers. Now, after several decades of development in the industry, sim racing is getting closer and closer to its real-life counterpart. Moreover, sim racing is an additional tool for us to develop some of the fundamental aspects of real racing, such as car set-ups and software applications that will play an important role in the future of our brand,” said Automobili Lamborghini’s Head of Motorsport, Giorgio Sanna.
The Vision Gran Turismo (Vision GT) project began 9 years ago when Polyphony Digital, the Japanese videogame developer famous for its Gran Turismo series, invited carmakers to design cars with no limits on technical specifications. The designers jumped at the opportunity and created some amazing cars which were close to fantasies and very futuristic. These cars were incorporated in the virtual world of Gran Turismo 6, which later became Gran Turismo Sport.
Since 2013, many carmakers have provided their designs and gamers around the world have chosen their favourite models to use in races. Jaguar has been among the participating companies, with two cars submitted – the original Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupe and the extreme Vision Gran Turismo SV endurance racer.
Third Vision GT model
The British carmaker has now added its third all-electric virtual gaming sportscar – the Vision Gran Turismo Roadster. This is an all-electric single-seater which combines the race-proven powertrain from the Coupe with a taut, sculpted form inspired by the iconic, timeless Jaguar D-type.
The flowing surfaces, dramatic lines and perfect proportions of the first two Jaguar Gran Turismo Vision cars are instantly recognisable but, in place of a deployable canopy, the Roadster has a swept-back aero screen directly in front of the driver.
Behind, there’s a modern interpretation of the fin synonymous of the 3-time Le Mans-winning D-type, aerodynamically-optimised using the latest computational fluid dynamics tools to be deployable at speed for enhanced stability with minimal drag.
The fin also features one of the beautiful details to be found throughout the Roadster, the form of a Union Jack etched – using the Jaguar monogram pattern – into the fin itself, and subtly illuminated by LEDs. The theme continues with the hand-crafted leather straps on the front fenders and iconic roundel lights in the front grille.
Open-cockpit racing experience
The dramatic, driver-focused interior combines lightweight, luxurious materials and finishes with stunningly intricate details. Looking out onto the gracefully long bonnet with the unmatched all-round visibility inherent to open-cockpit racers, gamers will be fully immersed in the action.
The Roadster’s light, stiff monocoque body is expertly and meticulously crafted from carbon-fibre composites and advanced aluminium alloys. A state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery pack is packaged as low down in the structure as possible, contributing to the low centre of gravity, low roll centre and near 50:50 weight distribution that are fundamental to the car’s outstanding driving dynamics.
3 motors, 1,020 ps/1,200 Nm
The Roadster is designed to bring gamers the pure, visceral driving experience of an open-cockpit Jaguar sportscar. It is powered by 3 electric motors generating a total power output of more than 1,020 ps and instant, maximum torque of 1,200 Nm. Power from the battery is fed to the light, powerful and compact motors, developed using learnings from Jaguar Racing’s Formula E experience. Acceleration from 0 – 60 mph (96 km/h) is said to be under 2 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 320 km/h is possible.
“As a car designer, being part of the team that has delivered three virtual cars for the Gran Turismo series has been a dream project. Since the reveal of the Vision GT Coupe in 2019 and Vision GT SV in 2020, we wanted to curate the perfect way to present the full line-up of the three cars together when we revealed the Roadster,” said Oliver Cattell-Ford, Exterior Designer, Jaguar Advanced Design.
Available in Gran Turismo 7
The Vision Gran Turismo Roadster is now available in the new Gran Turismo 7 for PS4 and PS5 consoles. In recognition of Jaguar’s three versions of their Vision GT car, the design team created new bespoke liveries of these cars, which are not directly available in GT7. These new liveries feature specially developed black and grey paints and subtle graphics which emphasise the cars’ inherently dramatic, beautiful designs. In GT7, players can re-create these new liveries using the Livery Editor feature.
The excitement of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship returns this weekend with the top 20 simulator racers in Malaysia vying for the honours of winning a share of the total prize pool of RM70,000. Additionally, the top three winners will go on to represent the country in the GR GT Cup Asia qualifiers organized by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.
Most lucrative local online racing series
Billed as one of the most lucrative local online racing series in the country, the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship offers a cash prize of RM20,000, RM10,000, RM7,000, RM5,500, RM4,500 to the top 5 overall winners. The 6th to 10th finishers will receive RM4,000, RM3,500, RM3,000, RM2,500 and RM2,000, respectively.
There’s also a prize of RM500 each for those who finish in 11th to 20th positions. Additional cash prizes of RM450 and RM200 will be awarded to the first and second place winners in each of the two individual races.
Prior to this weekend’s semi-finals and finals, more than 800 participants from around Malaysia participated in the championship which began with qualifying rounds last month. Then came the quarter-finals which were held on September 4 and 5 to select the top 20 racers who will compete in the semi-finals on September 18. The 10 best racers will then move to the final challenge on Sunday.
The semi-finals and finals have been held in public spaces in previous years. This year, due to the pandemic and need for social distancing to be maintained, the racers will connect from their homes using Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport platform.
Unlike previous years when the events were held in public spaces, this year’s finale will be run completely online from each competitor’s home, with the race utilizing Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport platform. Spectators can follow the race action which will be broadcast on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Facebook and YouTube pages and also over Astro eGG, the first eSports channel in Southeast Asia.
The Toyota 2000GT is one of the cars the sim racers will use. Only 351 units of Japan’s first supercar were produced between 1967 and 1970. Being of an earlier era, its driving dynamics will be different from the modern racing cars like the Le Mans-winning TS050 HYBRID (below) which will also be used.
Racing at famous circuits
In the semi-finals, all the racers will first pilot the Toyota 2000GT (the first Japanese supercar) in a 15-minute race around the 73-year old Goodwood Motor Circuit in England, and afterwards another reversed-grid order race of the 3.8-km circuit. The third race behind the wheel of the GR Supra Racing Concept for a 30-minute race at Australia’s 6.2-km Mount Panorama-Bathurst circuit, well known for its annual 12-hour race.
One of the tracks will be Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
The final is also a 3-race format. The first two races will see a 15-minute sprint race with racers competing in the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo GR.3 at the 7-km Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The championship decider will be a 40-minute finale at Fuji Speedway, behind the wheel of the Le Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid, during which they must make at least one pit-stop.
The two-day semi-finals and finals will see 4 previous GR Velocity Esports Championship winners returning. They include defending champion Taj Aiman, and last year’s runner-up and third place winner Iqbal Suji and Mior Hafiz, as well as 2018 winner Muhammad Uzair. Last year, Taj finished second overall in first-ever GR Supra GT Cup Asia.
The finals will also see several racers currently competing in the Vios Challenge Promotional, Sporting, Super Sporting and Rookie classes, in an exhibition race. Having challenged each other in the first round at Sepang earlier this year, they will now have a chance to continue the duels while waiting for the series to be resumed.
Some of the racers from the Vios Challenge, in Season 4 this year, will also participate in an exhibition race online.
During the broadcasts on the two days, there will also be interviews with the racers as well as GR Ambassador, Tengku Djan Ley and the event’s Race Director, former F1 driver Alex Yoong. The broadcast times will be 10:30 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 3 pm to 6 pm on Sunday.
Fourth year of championship
First held in 2018, the number of participants in the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has grown from 400 to more than 800 this year. Last year’s event drew more than 1 million online spectators who watched the 2-day event via the Facebook and YouTube channels. Until today, UMW Toyota Motor remains the first and the only Malaysian car company to be associated with e-sports, a fast-growing activity which has even been recognised by the FIA, the world motorsport governing body.
“The momentum and the level of interest for the GR Velocity Esports Championship have grown tremendously in just 4 years. This is a huge boost for both e-sports and motorsports and we are glad that we persevered to keep the championship going despite the restrictions faced due to the pandemic,” said President of UMW Toyota Motor, Ravindran K.
The Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has been run since 2018.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama, said the company remains committed to its aspirations of establishing a bigger footprint in Malaysian motorsports.
“In the 4 years that the GAZOO Racing brand has actively been in Malaysian motorsports, we have seen the eco-system dynamically transform. At one point, we experienced young racers joining the Vios Challenge street racing series, and then it evolved to having simulator racers not only joining the event but proving they are also capable of winning a real race. Today, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see a growing population of professional racers not just globally but also domestically, migrating to compete online in the absence of physical events. This is a fantastic evolution for both esports and motorsports and I believe moving forward one will be dependent on the other in order to produce racers of exceptional quality,” said Mr. Takeyama.
Towards the end of last year, Ford’s Team Fordzilla esports team unveiled a full-scale model of the P1 racing car that had been designed in collaboration with gamers. Now, it’s giving people the chance to get behind the wheel and take to the virtual track by turning it into the ultimate racing simulator.
The P1 racer – now with vivid new gaming-inspired livery – is powered by an HP Z4 Workstation Intel Xeon W2295 3.00Ghz with 18 cores and the graphic card Nvidia RTX A6000 48GB. Players control the game via a built-in gaming steering wheel and pedals. Upgraded lighting, both front and back, pulses gently like the breath of a sleeping person when the P1 is waiting for the next race. They then come alive during race time as the rear lights synchronise with braking moments during gameplay to connect viewers outside with the action
Aural stimulation is also catered for, with a built-in audio system channelling a realistic, bespoke sound design to the driver to take the racing simulator experience to a completely new level.
Following the success of the P1 project, Team Fordzilla is now also launching a second series as it looks to work with gamers and Ford’s designers once again to create a new Supervan. Ford has a tradition of building race-inspired Supervans based on its Transit models, with the first appearing 50 years ago in 1971.
A Ford Transit Supervan at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
The new Supervan Vision Concept, will imagine what an extreme performance model of future Transit vans may look like as it takes the Supervan story into a new dimension. The project will follow a similar format to the P1 racer, with gamers asked to vote on the different elements of the design throughout the process. This will be kicked-off during Team Fordzilla’s live show at gamescom 2021, with viewers polled whether they want a track-focused racer or an off-road rally van.
This all comes as Ford’s involvement and dedication to gaming is highlighted by the announcement that a Ford Bronco model – the 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands – will be one of two vehicles to feature on the cover of the new Forza Horizon 5 game. The Forza franchise by Xbox Game Studios is one of the most popular for racing fans globally; in 2016, Ford of Europe went to gamescom with Forza and set a new Guinness World Records title for ‘Longest video marathon on a racing game’ using Forza Motorsport 6.
Latest Bronco appears as one of the vehicles available in Forza Horizon 5 game.
“For the past 50 years, Supervan has been the most extreme expression of what a Transit Van can be. So we thought, instead of developing the next Supervan on the existing Transit, why don’t we create the Transit Supervan of the future? It should be a fascinating project and I can’t wait to see how the gaming community helps to shape it,” said Hans Schep, General Manager, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe.
With most countries having movement restrictions of one kind or another over the past year, many driving enthusiasts have taken to racing online – sim racing. It was therefore not surprising that the first edition of Lamborghini eSports ‘The Real Race’ in 2020 was a major success, attracting more than 2,500 drivers from 109 countries.
The competition returns with 10 races for its second year in 2021 with a new and upgraded regional format. Once again, the world’s leading sim racers will compete driving a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO in the simulation racing game, Assetto Corsa Competizione.
More global approach
Following 2020’s inaugural competition won by German sim racer Nils Naujoks, this year’s event offers a more global approach to ‘The Real Race’. Racers will compete both in traditional Grand Prix and in three Endurance races to earn points within their regional tournaments in Europe, America and Asia.
The competition will take place from June to November in which racers around the world can sign up for the open qualifiers, running weekdays Monday to Friday (to sign up, go to https://esports.lamborghini/). The top 40 players from the open qualifiers go to the closed qualifier hosted every Saturday. Finally, the top 20 participants from the closed qualifiers will enter ‘The Real Race’ on Sunday, competing twice on the same track. The 10 weekly qualifiers for each region will offer participants the chance to earn points for their respective regional ranking and climb the ladder to become the next regional champion.
6 months long
“eSports is a field where we want to play a major role,” said Federico Foschini, Lamborghini Chief Marketing & Sales Officer. “’The Real Race’ is 6 months long, allowing players to live the thrill of true competition through the preparation and participation in races against some of the best sim racers in the world. We’re proud to host this competition and to offer the winner the opportunity to live a real-life immersive experience in the world of Lamborghini and be provided with the prospect of a career in eSports.”
For ‘The Real Race’, the Huracan GT3 EVO, a 3-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours, has received an exclusive race livery from Lamborghini’s Centro Stile, its in-house design department. The livery is customizable in 12 different versions by competitors, with each car and displaying the trademark logos of partners, Kaspersky and Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Lamborghini Official Sim driver
The winners will enjoy will a track experience with the Lamborghini Squadra Corse and a VIP experience at Lamborghini Headquarters as well as a chance for the TOP 1 player of each regional ranking to become a Lamborghini Official Sim driver.
Assetto Corsa Competizione was developed alongside car manufacturers and provides a dynamic platform for Lamborghini’s latest racing series. The game is also used by official Lamborghini Squadra Corse test and race drivers in their real-world preparations.
This second edition of ‘The Real Race’ strengthens Lamborghini’s support and commitment to the eSports scene. After launching its first digital competition last year, Lamborghini has signed partnerships with major gaming brands on the eSports scene including Rocket League and Asphalt 9: Legends, which now offer players the opportunity to drive Lamborghini models including the Huracan STO and the Essenza SCV12.
