RaceRoom's Driver Pack costs £8.58 ($10.64) and is available to purchase from the R3E store; content can also be purchased separately, at £3.00 a pop.
The Driver's Pack, part of RaceRoom's yearly 'big December update', was highly anticipated, with all cars included being new, exciting prospects in the simracing scene.
Mazda MX-5
For most people, the MX-5 in sim racing is automatically partnered with iRacing's rookie-ranked servers. Indeed, these races are often some of the most populated over the entire sim, and now RaceRoom has added the MX-5 too.
Compared to iRacing's model, the car seems much more stable and less on edge. When I drove it at Laguna Seca, it felt more complete, and, well... more realistic. There is much more feeling in the FFB compared to iRacing, and through the steering, you can feel both what the front and rear are doing. It is very easy to place on the track, making it a perfect race car. It will race on the rookie servers in RaceRoom, and for this purpose, it will be perfect. It is very predictable, and the rear grip is lost progressively, whereas iRacing is more like a switch: grip or no grip. When you do get it sideways, it is always manageable (so long as you aren't a helmet).
Crossle 90F & 9S
Crossle produce race cars, taking inspiration from the '50s and '60s. They are perfect cars to learn the dynamics of racing. RaceRoom has added two cars from this Bristol manufacturer: the 90F and 9S.
The 90F is a 60's style single seater and is very enjoyable on a tight twisty race track, such as Brno. It has armfuls of lift-off oversteer, but understeers if you floor it midway through a corner. The rear does move around under braking (but could be adjusted through BB) and would be perfect for learning how to heel and toe. It probably wouldn't be an interesting car for someone who isn't interested in this period of racing, but if you've no idea of race car dynamics and mechanics, it would be perfect. The suspension is soft and you can see the mechanics of the suspension arms from behind the wheel. The engine revs to a shade under 7k, maybe 6,850.
The 9S is more like a '60s endurance racer, with a sleek body that wraps over the chassis. Same as the 90F, it is designed as a period-correct racer but is much more powerful and heavier than its single-seater brother. It has more lift-off oversteer, and with the extra power, it means you must fluctuate the throttle through a corner, otherwise it will bite. Obviously, without modern systems like TC or ABS, it is a visceral driving experience. You can hold some kind of slip angle, but it is challenging once you go over a certain angle. It is rawer than the 90F, but ultimately more engaging, and will keep you learning for longer.
Praga R1
Now, the one we were most hyped for; the car that propelled YouTube sensation and degenerate sim racer, Jimmy Broadbent, to his first title: the Praga R1. RaceRoom is the only sim to have this car, in any kind of modern generation.
It is a GT3 speed pocket rocket; however, the R1's strengths lie elsewhere from the GT3s. For instance, at Spa, the Ferraris and McLarens walk away in the final sector up until the bus stop, where you are foot to the floor, whereas the R1 excels in the twisty middle sector. This creates very close and exciting multi-class racing.
The R1 is a rawer experience than the GT3s too. It has no ABS or TC, and the power curve is nowhere near as linear. The turbo can only be found at the top third of the power band, and so through slow 2nd gear corners, it can take a minute for you to launch out onto the straight. It also has an open differential, so if the turbo power hits on corner exit, it is very, and I mean very, easy to loop. Under braking, the rear wants to rotate, and so if you turn in under any kind of braking, it will spin - no chance of survival there. This means at somewhere like Pouhon, where the Praga is light years ahead of the GT3s in terms of high speed corners, if you begin to turn in while braking to avoid a lumbering Mercedes, the barrier will appear out of nowhere.
However, to me at least, I enjoy a car that wants to rotate and excel in a car like the Praga. I virtually haven't driven anything else since it was released! Out of all the content released in the pack, this is the one I enjoyed the most; not because the others aren't great, because they are, but because this one is fantastic - in my opinion, one of the best cars in the sim, and possibly in the entire simracing scene.
Well, that was the Driver's Pack in RaceRoom's December Update - will you be buying and driving this new content? We certainly recommend it!
GOATed game. Also huge W for "Jimmer's car"