Automobilista 2 is due for historic Le Mans content, and three specific years are already in the works, according to Reiza Studios.
2025 will be a year of more frequent updates for Automobilista 2, which will also include more frequent content drops. Renato Simioni confirmed as much when speaking with OverTake in late January - now, the Reiza Studios Founder and Lead Developer revealed slighlty more concrete information on what is yet to come.
When the Endurance Pack Pt. 1 DLC dropped on New Year's Eve of 2023, it did so alongside an additional Le Mans pack. So far, it simply features a modern version of the iconic Circuit de La Sarthe plus its smaller Bugatti Circuit configuration. But historic versions of the track are also planned, as mentioned around the release of the packs.
This left sim racers guessing: Which years could be coming up? Simioni had hinted at rough time frames, namely the early 2000s, the late 1980s or early 1990s, and the 1970s. Since the track underwent quite significant change throughout the decades, this could have meant a few different possible configurations for each of the three versions.
Image: Reiza Studios
Now, however, Simioni confirmed in Q&A thread in the AMS2 beta forums that are not publicly visible - including permission to share info from the thread - that the three variants of Le Mans Reiza are working on are 2005, 1988 and 1971.
The 1971 version will probably bring back memories of the Steve McQueen movie 'Le Mans' of the same year, which portrays the 1970 event. As divided as opinions on Project CARS 2 may still be, the inclusion of a Le Mans variant of the same era in the 'Spirit of Le Mans' DLC is still remembered fondly by many, also as it was accompanied by the Porsche and Ferrari prototypes of that era.
As Simioni also mentioned that "each of them will come with a car pack featuring some of the main contenders in that respective year", some rather exciting machinery should be on its way as well. As the track variants are supposedly set to release in reverse order, 1971 would be the final one - and as the main contenders in 1970 and 1971 were the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 variants entered that year, we can only hope that this gives Reiza enough time to strike a licensing deal with the legendary Italian manufacturer.
The Circuit de La Sarthe as it was raced in 1970 and 1971. Image: racingcircuits.info
For the 1988 version, there might not be much content coming car-wise as the Group C class is already in place, but 2005 could be one to watch as well. It was the final Le Mans 24 Hours of the all-conquering Audi R8 (the prototype, not the road car, obviously), and the era also had exciting GT1 cars on the grid, such as the Aston Martin DBR9, the Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello, or the Chevrolet Corvette C5R.
While the 2005 layout of Le Mans does not look much different compared to the modern one, the main differences are the different profiles of the Dunlop Chicane and Tertre Rouge, which makes the first sector a bit different compared to today's track - plus, the surroundings looked a bit less modern.
Currently, oval racing content is relatively scarce in Automobilista 2, although four classes of IndyCar/CART open wheelers as well as Indianapolis, Fontana, Gateway, Rio and Daytona as venues. Adding more would be a fitting addition to supposed pack.
As it stands, the Brazilian Stock Cars and Super V8s plus @TomLehockySVK's NASCAR skins serve as a good alternative for those who are looking to take to the speedways in tin tops.
'Days of Thunder' liveries on the Super V8 cars in AMS2.
Furthermore, Simioni did neither confirm nor deny other possible content pieces when asked, such as a historic version of Monte Carlo (called Azure in AMS2) or more touring cars, instead opting to respond to these questions with a whistling emoji.
As mentioned, the forum thread is not visible to everyone on the Reiza boards, but if you are in the Paddock Club program, you can check out the AMS2 Q&A thread with Renato Simioni here.
What are your thoughts on the three chosen years for additional Le Mans content in Automobilista 2? Which cars would you like to see for these packs? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AMS2 forum!
2025 will be a year of more frequent updates for Automobilista 2, which will also include more frequent content drops. Renato Simioni confirmed as much when speaking with OverTake in late January - now, the Reiza Studios Founder and Lead Developer revealed slighlty more concrete information on what is yet to come.
When the Endurance Pack Pt. 1 DLC dropped on New Year's Eve of 2023, it did so alongside an additional Le Mans pack. So far, it simply features a modern version of the iconic Circuit de La Sarthe plus its smaller Bugatti Circuit configuration. But historic versions of the track are also planned, as mentioned around the release of the packs.
This left sim racers guessing: Which years could be coming up? Simioni had hinted at rough time frames, namely the early 2000s, the late 1980s or early 1990s, and the 1970s. Since the track underwent quite significant change throughout the decades, this could have meant a few different possible configurations for each of the three versions.
Image: Reiza Studios
Now, however, Simioni confirmed in Q&A thread in the AMS2 beta forums that are not publicly visible - including permission to share info from the thread - that the three variants of Le Mans Reiza are working on are 2005, 1988 and 1971.
Automobilista 2 Le Mans Historic - Full-throttle Throwbacks
For the average classic content enjoyer in sim racing, the two older ones in particular should be excellent news, as the portray Le Mans in all its high-speed glory, including the full, uninterrupted Hunaudières straight before chicanes were introduced in 1990.The 1971 version will probably bring back memories of the Steve McQueen movie 'Le Mans' of the same year, which portrays the 1970 event. As divided as opinions on Project CARS 2 may still be, the inclusion of a Le Mans variant of the same era in the 'Spirit of Le Mans' DLC is still remembered fondly by many, also as it was accompanied by the Porsche and Ferrari prototypes of that era.
As Simioni also mentioned that "each of them will come with a car pack featuring some of the main contenders in that respective year", some rather exciting machinery should be on its way as well. As the track variants are supposedly set to release in reverse order, 1971 would be the final one - and as the main contenders in 1970 and 1971 were the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 variants entered that year, we can only hope that this gives Reiza enough time to strike a licensing deal with the legendary Italian manufacturer.
The Circuit de La Sarthe as it was raced in 1970 and 1971. Image: racingcircuits.info
For the 1988 version, there might not be much content coming car-wise as the Group C class is already in place, but 2005 could be one to watch as well. It was the final Le Mans 24 Hours of the all-conquering Audi R8 (the prototype, not the road car, obviously), and the era also had exciting GT1 cars on the grid, such as the Aston Martin DBR9, the Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello, or the Chevrolet Corvette C5R.
While the 2005 layout of Le Mans does not look much different compared to the modern one, the main differences are the different profiles of the Dunlop Chicane and Tertre Rouge, which makes the first sector a bit different compared to today's track - plus, the surroundings looked a bit less modern.
AMS2: US-style Stock Cars Coming?
There has been talk about content based on the other side of the Atlantic as well. Avid AMS2 racers have found data in the game's files that pointed at three generations of NASCAR-style stock cars, which would be a good fit for the supposed fourth Racin' USA DLC. While not confirming that they are coming anytime soon, Simioni did say that they are based on the 1980, 1992 and 2023 years.Currently, oval racing content is relatively scarce in Automobilista 2, although four classes of IndyCar/CART open wheelers as well as Indianapolis, Fontana, Gateway, Rio and Daytona as venues. Adding more would be a fitting addition to supposed pack.
As it stands, the Brazilian Stock Cars and Super V8s plus @TomLehockySVK's NASCAR skins serve as a good alternative for those who are looking to take to the speedways in tin tops.
'Days of Thunder' liveries on the Super V8 cars in AMS2.
Furthermore, Simioni did neither confirm nor deny other possible content pieces when asked, such as a historic version of Monte Carlo (called Azure in AMS2) or more touring cars, instead opting to respond to these questions with a whistling emoji.
As mentioned, the forum thread is not visible to everyone on the Reiza boards, but if you are in the Paddock Club program, you can check out the AMS2 Q&A thread with Renato Simioni here.
What are your thoughts on the three chosen years for additional Le Mans content in Automobilista 2? Which cars would you like to see for these packs? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AMS2 forum!
