Straight4 Studios has revealed more details about Project Motor Racing ahead of its launch next month, as well as presenting a new version of the game at the Sim Racing Expo and highlighting the dynamic track surface technology in a new trailer.
Taking True2Track first, the trailer features more slo-mo shots than Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon (accompanied by the appropriately sedate Lacrimosa from Mozart’s unfinished Requiem), as a variety of cars — many of which are also announced today — drive and slide over surfaces of varying dampness.
It’s a first real look at how the feature functions, with Straight4 adding that the tech is GPU-driven in order to limit the impact on the CPU in more intensive conditions. As well as simply providing a wet surface, T2T features full 24-hour cycles, dynamic weather systems, realistic puddles and draining, and drying lines.
As we saw from the on-board direct capture gameplay earlier in the week, rubber plays a major role in how T2T evolves the track surface during racing. Rubber builds up on the racing line, while marbles — chunks of hot rubber — are flung off the tires and onto other parts of the track, reducing grip if you run off line and pick up a bunch on your own tires.
You won’t have to look at the trailer long to pick up a couple of new car classes and indeed additional new vehicles either.
Right from the start you can see a Porsche 911 964 Carrera, which is the center of its own class in the game: 964 Trophy. However there’s also another new category with multiple entries that you can see clearly from the 38-second mark as IMSA GTO is now confirmed for PMR too.
A pretty wild era for motorsports generally, the IMSA GTO class merely required that cars resembled showroom models and in most cases were just spaceframe chassis with a close-enough fiberglass body stretched over the top, and whatever engine they could get 700hp+ from. For PMR this four-car class features the Audi 90 quattro, Chevrolet Camaro Z28, Mazda RX-7, and Mercury Cougar XR-7
For those keeping track, that’s now 12 of the game’s 13 car classes at launch that have now been revealed, and the final entry is set to be announced over the weekend at Sim Racing Expo in Dortmund.
That’s not quite all of the content revealed in the trailer, with four more new vehicles and a new circuit in the Daytona International Speedway’s road course.
Daytona is the 11th officially announced circuit of what Straight4 says is 18 locations in the game, adding up to a total of 28 different layouts. Alongside the circuit, there’s also reveals of some new prototypes by way of the Group C Sauber C9, LMP-class Cadillac Northstar LMP-02 (as glimpsed in the earlier on-board footage), and the Acura ARX-06 and Toyota GR010 LMDh machines.
Those in attendance at Sim Racing Expo in Dortmund will have the opportunity to play PMR on the GIANTS Software stand — look out for the JCB Fastrac 4000 tractor, or the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo if you prefer — with Daytona, True2Track, and a first look at a multiplayer game mode all available. There’s also a “Beat a Developer” competition on offer.
After that, there’s only a month to wait until Project Motor Racing launches on November 25, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles.
