The latest DLCs brought to Automobilista 2 by REIZA Studios are a trip down the nostalgia route, with Historical Endurance Pack Part 1 going specifically to 2005 and bringing some of the iconic racing sportscars that marked their place in history 20 years ago, while the Historical Track Pack Part 3 is a compliment to the car based DLC and to the DLC series of track layouts coming straight from the past.
The Historical Endurance Pack Part 1 essentially brings five classes based in the 2005 sportscar season, with prototypes and grand touring cars of different specifications, with a total of 11 manufacturers being represented, which made their names in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans Endurance Series, American Le Mans Series, Japan Le Mans Challenge, FIA GT Championship and other multiple national GT championships and races, but in special, 2005 was the year before Stéphane Ratel, whose SRO Motorsport Group was in charge of FIA GT Championship, had the brilliant idea to bring to life a class that exists until this day, as GT3s are almost 20 years old.
Looking at the prototypes, the LMP1 and LMP2 classes of that era were brought in, with the center of the stage being solely for the all conquering Audi R8 LMP, which at the time had four outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, being so restricted by the ACO that it would have difficulties to deal with slower classes in the corners. While Audi wouldn’t feel the need to replace the R8 LMP due to how dominant it was, the ongoing “hybrid” regulations were slightly driving away the cars from the LMP900/LMP675 era, as Dallara had their SP1 chassis with Nissan power, while Courage adapted the good old C60 to the transitioning era, which became the C60 Hybride.
In the LMP2 class specifically, there is only one model with two engine configurations, as Lola’s B05/40 was a continuation of a line that was specifically built for the LMP675 and LMP2 needs, which started on the B01/60, while still keeping the adaptability for a broad range of powerplants, as the Turbo and V8 variations present in Automobilista 2 represent a little part of the range of different V8 and turbo inline 4 engines. Think of Lola as the Oreca of that time with some more liberties thanks to the regulations, as the B05/40 and other models from the BXX series were the reliable choice for the class as the competition wasn’t as mass produced as the Lolas.
By the way, Oreca was still just a racing team at the time, fielding one of the various Audi R8 LMPs at Le Mans and at the LMES, as the program was much more reliant on customer teams in the last year of the prototype.
In the GT department, the GT1 and GT2 classes had a clearer division than the succeeding LMGTE and LMGT3 classes, with works teams racing against customers, while the GTR class from 2004 appears in Automobilista 2 for a very specific case.
The GTS era of the GT1 regulations was already in AMS2 thanks to the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT, but now the REITER Engineering bult machine gains the company of the Aston Martin DBR9, Le Mans’ GT1 polesitter in 2005, and the outgoing Corvette C5.R and Dodge Viper GTS-R, which were the first choice of many Belgian and French teams for the 24 Hours of Spa in their final years of racing.
The car that would become the symbol of the late 2000s GT1 era is also present, as the Maserati MC12 GT1 was the king of the FIA GT Championship and a triple winner of the 24 Hours of Spa, with the first win being exactly a 1-2 finish in 2005. Although it was this decorated, the MC12 never found its way to Le Mans due to measurement regulations, but it found its way into ACO competition via the ALMS, thanks to special permissions by IMSA and some controversy, which made it a non-points scoring car most of the time.
The GTR class in AMS2, which actually points to 2004, is solely for the BMW M3 E46 GTR, as the ALMS conqueror sneaked into the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Spa after its ALMS eligibility being cut off by IMSA, mostly related to the grey area that was its homologation once it moved to the well known P60 V8 engine. This post-ALMS quest saw the M3 GTR win in Belgium and in Germany, and other successful side quests involved a class win in the Mil Milhas Brasil in 2005, with a certain Toto Wolff on driving duty, as well the inaugural 24 Hours of Dubai in 2006.
The lower GT class was also in transition, but the GT2 class was keeping almost the same scenario from previous years, as Porsche would attract a horde of customers with their 996 GT3 RSR model, with GT2 wins at Le Mans in 2004 and 2005, as well dominant FIA GT campaigns in the same years, with only one shadow nearing them, as the Ferrari 360 GT, which will appear in AMS2 as Milano GT36 GT2 due to licensing reasons.
The Historical Track Pack Part 3 brings three of the most important sportscar circuits in their 2005 layouts, as the kinda narrow Spa-Francorchamps retained their normal road connections and the original Bus Stop chicane, Road Atlanta had barely minimal changes compared to today, but the Petit Le Mans had its importance as a qualifying race for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Circuit de La Sarthe needs no introduction, as most sportscars of the era converted to Le Mans, which was a bit slower with way more grass and gravel than the asphalt seen in the current escape roads.
Both DLCs will remain available for everybody during the weekend before being locked for purchase, and Automobilista 2 itself got a range of improvements as it hits version 1.6.8.5, with the full changelog being on the game’s Steam page.
IMAGES: Automobilista 2 screenshots
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