Question: What Cars Do You Want in Assetto Corsa EVO?

The keynote video by Kunos Simulazioni, which premiered on April 11th, showed off several features releasing in the next stage of AC EVO‘s early access. The highlights are the removal of the need for a constant online connection, the introduction of modding tools early on instead of only after the full release, and finally, a bunch of cars that got many of us on the team very excited.

Undoubtedly, the ones that stood out were the McMurtry Spéirling and what we believe is the Ferrari F2004. The former is a fan car that generates so much downforce that it can stick to the ceiling even when stationary, and is, of course, the all-time record holder at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It has also recently become the top of the Top Gear test track. The latter? Of course, it needs no introduction.

EVO has already firmly established that it will not be like its predecessor, Competizione, in that it will primarily focus on one type of car, instead setting itself up as a variety sim akin to the first Assetto Corsa. That’s why we on the OverTake team have decided to think of some cars that were not in either of the other two AC titles that we really want to see when EVO is released in full.

Luca: Convertible Supercar, V12 F1 and Entry Level Open Wheeler​

Ferrari SF90 XX Spider – Considering the emphasis on road cars and the upcoming free roam map, there would be no more fitting car to add than the 1,016 horsepower Ferrari SF90 XX. With it being the first XX program car to be road legal, taking it on the open road with the roof folded away would be fulfilling one of Luca’s dreams. Plus, with how nice the 296 GTB feels on EVO, can you imagine just how incredible the SF90 XX would be?

Ferrari 641 – Back in 2017, when Kunos added the Ferrari 70th Anniversary Pack to Assetto Corsa, they held a public vote to decide which car to include in the pack. The 2017 SF70-H won, but the 1990 641 was among the selection, and it’s a shame that it didn’t get added. With the F2004 representing V10s, the 2013 F138 representing V8s, and the turbo-hybrid V6s represented by the SF70-H and the SF15-T in the original game, hopefully, the most recent V12-powered Ferrari to contend for the title can be in EVO.

Formula Predator – Being a fan of iRacing‘s license progression system, Luca believes that this car would be perfect for an entry-level single-seater. Powered by a 1,000cc 200 hp Yamaha engine and weighing a mere 360kg, the Formula Predator is an immensely inexpensive way of going open-wheel racing, as a season in these cars costs a mere fraction of what it does in Formula 4. This type of car is criminally underappreciated, and if AC EVO were to introduce tiered online racing licences in ranked online, this car is perfect for rookie-level single-seater racing.

The 641 has been in the F1 and Forza Motorsport games, but not as first-party content in Assetto Corsa. Image: Codemasters

Yannik: American F1 Winner, Six-Wheeler and Front-Engined Prototype​

Eagle-Weslake T1G – First up is the only American-built car to win a Grand Prix, when Dan Gurney took victory in the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix for the Anglo American Racers team. That was only one of two finishes the car managed that year, so it may not be the most renowned, but hey, the car has a whacking great Weslake V12, so it is both pretty and sounds amazing. The Lotus 49 is everywhere in sim racing, and the Ferrari 312/67 is, of course, in AC, so it would be great to finally see the Eagle represented within a title.

Tyrrell P34 – After previously being spotted as a model car in Kunos’ office within the first reveal trailer, this six-wheeled Grand Prix car competed in the 1976 and 1977 F1 seasons, driven by future champion Jody Scheckter and winning the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix. Having the six-wheel tech authentically recreated in a sim racing title would be amazing. We may not have seen it in the game, but hopefully, featuring it as a model in that video was not a red herring to throw us off.

Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S – The successor to the original Batmobile that ran in GT1, Panoz’s LMP900 entry was no less cool, in fact, even cooler. It ditched the roof of its predecessor, a more radical design, thanks to the prototype rule set, and a loud, powerful V8 made this car a firm fan favourite. Competing in the American Le Mans Series, it won three races and the Manufacturers Championship in 1999 and then won an additional five races in all remaining seasons. It is not exactly well represented within sim racing, but Yannik did drive it a lot in Forza Motorsport 4, and would love to see this front-engined beast roar to life in AC EVO.

Could this brief shot in the first AC EVO announcement trailer indicate that the P34 will be added? Image: Kunos Simulazioni

Angus: GT1 Convert, Classic Sportscar and A Personal Anecdote​

Maserati MC12 – At the top of Angus’ bucket list is essentially a Ferrari Enzo with a Group C bodykit that competed in GT1 racing. Powered by a detuned version of the Enzo’s 6.0-litre V12 producing 631 horsepower, it actually ended up lapping the Top Gear Test Track a tenth quicker than its sister car. The MC12 is a rather underappreciated member of the early 2000s supercar golden era and deserves a bit of love through an AC EVO inclusion.

Alpine A110 1600 S – Growing up in France, these cars were a common sight when dominating local rally events. In fact, the car took six World Rally Championship victories in the 1973 season, with Alpine-Renault subsequently winning the Manufacturer’s championship. Light, agile, and yet underpowered, the A110 1600 S would not be the typical car to use on a wide-open racetrack that is usually featured in racing games. However, with the open-world map in the Eifel region, this little French weapon would really suit open-road driving.

Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo – Many may recall an article Angus wrote a year or so ago about having your own car present in sim racing games, claiming that his beloved Fiat Coupé 20v Turbo is nowhere to be seen outside of old Forza titles. When it was new, the 20v Turbo car’s 2.0-litre turbocharged Inline-5 Engine produced 217 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds, and reached up to 149 mph. Not hugely fast, but sentimentality clearly is important to Angus.

The MC12 certainly has a lot of presence, and Maserati is one of the top names in the business. Image: P7284236 via Wikimedia Commons, available for redistribution under the CC BY-SA 3.0 deed

Connor: Old-Gen Roadster, Striking Sportscar and Drift Icon​

Mazda MX-5 (NB) – Like Angus, Connor would like his own car in AC EVO, even though there is already a Mazda MX-5 in the game, but theirs is a second-gen model. Even back then, the MX-5 was a byword for nimble and grippy, while not sacrificing pure driving enjoyment for going quicker. A philosophy that has served Mazda well to this day, with the MX-5 remaining a strong favourite among many.

TVR Sagaris – The name TVR is iconic in the UK, known for its loud and challenging-to-tame sports cars. But the Sagaris came along, and well, it was much of the same, but it looked absolutely amazing with its side-facing exhausts and slashes in its front fenders. It was stupidly fast as well, with a 4.0-litre Inline-6 producing 400 horsepower, 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 180mph, even if the speedometer only went up to twenty.

Nissan 180sx – Known as a 200sx in Europe and a 240sx in the US, this car is a mainstay in the drifting scene, and much like one of the choices of our next OverTake member, being able to take it to an open road and launch it sideways is a boyhood dream. The car is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged Inline-4 Engine producing 203 horsepower. Although many drivers added unique modifications, making this car very special, this may or may not be a factor in AC EVO.

Connor’s Mk2 MX5

René: A Soon-To-Be Classic, JDM Tuner and A Shameless Reference​

Porsche 997 Carrera S – Trying to specify a Porsche 911 is like trying to ask for a coffee. Do you want a Carrera, Carrera 4, Carrera S or 4S, Turbo, GT2, GT3? Well, René seems to have an idea as to which one he wants, the 997 Carrera S, which is powered by a 3.8-litre 355 hp Flat-6, meaning 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 182mph. Plus, in spite of the 911 design philosophy not changing that much, the 997 was a step up from the 996 in terms of looks, and René is certain that it will become a future classic.

Toyota MR-S (W3/Spyder) – While we don’t know if Assetto Corsa EVO will feature such places, wouldn’t it be cool if you could customise cars in a way that many real-life tuning shops do, and allow for more representation of those motoring subcultures? If that does happen, René would love to see JDM and tuner culture, with the third-generation MR-S (or the MR2, as it was mostly known outside Japan), and be able to supercharge it, equip a huge body kit, and throw it around sideways up and down a hilly road.

Opel Astra Cup Car – Finally, a car that has a lot of personal meaning to René, the one that he raced himself in the final round of the 2020 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie OPC class, taking class pole ahead of former DTM champion Volker Stryczek, who developed the car. He also got a class win in the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring. If for nothing else, René just wants to replicate driving it from his house near the Nürburgring and then lapping it for old time’s sake.

René enjoyed some success in the Astra OPC Cup car. Image: BRFoto – Dirk Walter Reiter

Michel: An Impreza Homage, Rally Legend and NOT a GT4​

Prodrive P25 – If you saw this car, you would be forgiven for just assuming it was a first-generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Well, it is in a way, but it has been completely done out by the same company that ran Subaru’s incredibly successful rally program for many years, with a 2.5-litre turbocharged Flat-4 that produces 450 horsepower. Plus, because of its incredible launch control, it can go from 0-60mph in under three seconds! Yes, please, definitely add this one to AC EVO.

Lancia Stratos HF – From one car paying tribute to a rally icon to one that literally is one. This low-slung Italian sports car won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a row between 1974 and 1976, also winning the Manufacturers’ Championship in the latter two seasons. It needs no introduction, and Michel, being a keen rallyist, hopes that off-road courses are part of the base content in EVO.

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS – Final choice of Michel’s and many of you are probably thinking “But the Cayman GT4 is in the original Assetto Corsa and in ACC as well!”, but this is not a GT4 racecar. This is a track-focused sports car and the first Cayman to receive Porsche’s RS treatment, powered by the same 4.0-litre Flat-6 from the 992 GT3, producing 500 horsepower! In a car that is a bit smaller than the 911, 0-60mph is therefore done in 3.4 seconds, and its top speed is 196mph.

A Cayman powered by a 500 horsepower engine from a 911? Shut up and take my money! Image: Alexandre Prevot via Wikimedia Commons, available for redistribution under the CC BY-SA 3.0 deed

Chris: Icons of Rally, Touring Cars and F1​

Audi Sport Quattro S1 Pikes Peak – Starting off Chris’ selection of entirely racing cars is Audi’s revolutionary car that kickstarted the move to all-wheel drive in the entirety of rallying. But specifically for Chris, the Pikes Peak version, as he hopes that means AC EVO could get Pikes Peak in an official capacity, even if that is probably unlikely. 2-time WRC champion Walter Röhrl took victory at the event in 1987 after Audi had withdrawn from rallying, signalling a last hurrah for the car.

Austin Mini Cooper S MkI Group 2 – Now for an icon in the world of touring cars. Back in the 1960s, big American muscle cars had the advantage down the straight against the tiny hatchbacks, but then they would regain that advantage in the corners. Since an old-shape Mini has already been confirmed to be included in EVO, this race-ready version is one Chris is particularly keen on, as it also exists in rFactor 2. Being able to replicate those David v Goliath battles would be incredible!

McLaren MP4/4 – Now for the car that won all but one race in the 1988 F1 season, where Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost teamed up and the former won his first of three world championships. The MP4/4 is one of the most beloved F1 cars to ever exist, designed by Gordon Murray and was so dominant that McLaren won the driver’s title before either of their drivers actually won it, since they were both that far ahead. It is already in many games, so it is a no-brainer, surely?

The Mini shape is one of the most recognisable in motoring, and it is already confirmed to feature in some capacity in AC EVO. Image: Studio 397

Which three cars would you like in Assetto Corsa EVO, and what do you make of the OverTake team’s choices? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our AC EVO forum!