That R10 lap also has tire wear off. You would probably need low fuel to get a 3:30 @ 600hp. Even if the lap times are close, that doesn't mean that the car handles appropriately.
I'm not saying that GT5's R10 handles as they do in real life.
But one thing I discovered using the two available steering wheels on the T500RS wheel- the regular GT rim and the F1 rim- is that the latter gives you not only a more direct feel to almost all LMPs (and of course, the Formula cars) but also a much better control of the car (I still prefer to use the GT rim for older GroupC car like the 787 or the Jag).
Personally, I think it has less to do with the shape of the rims than how weight is distributed on the regular road car/GT rim which is more towards the outside and on the F1 rim there's more weight towards the centre.
Both as basically the same width (where you place your hands). And both wheels are bigger than the stock G25 wheel although the G25 and the DFGT, the weight distribution mimic that of the GT rim.
I don't know if it has made me faster driving LMPs (including the R10) with the F1 rim but it has definitely made it easier. I can turn, re-adjust and counter-steer with more confidence because I can feel the car much better. Still, I'm not saying it's realistic but using Racing Hard (or Medium; I find Soft makes it a bit too easy), there's a more tangible sense of immediacy.
mykem, that video is tuned with a high rpm turbo.
I'll say it again: the real 2006 R10 did 3'30.4 in qualifying, nothing else. The ingame version is almost a perfect match to it's real world performance, just a slightly higher top speed. Regulation changes and improved aerodynamics led to faster laps in 2007 and 8, but that's not the car we have in the game.
You're right about the regulation change. The R10 in the game is the 2006 winning car of Frank Biela, Pirro, Werner (it says so on the side of the car in the game).
I always believe (although I might be wrong) that if the physics is right and the track is properly modelled, the virtual version of a car should under the right driver, be faster than the real life version. That's because unlike in RL where you are faced with life/death decision and also external elements (like wind direction), in a sim/game there's none of that. So in all probability, you're bound to be faster.
Which is why this car (which I believe is not turbo-charged like the above video) is abut 2 seconds faster:
