Reiza Studios Inks Partnership With IMSA For Automobilista 2

Automobilista-2-IMSA-Partnership-2024-1024x576.jpg
With endurance racing set to be a focus for 2024, Reiza Studios have announced a sizeable partnership with none other than IMSA: Automobilista 2 will see the arrival of additional tracks and cars run in the series.

Reiza Studios ended 2023 on a high note, releasing Le Mans and the Endurance Pack Pt. 1 DLC on New Year’s Eve. The December Dev Update talked about how endurance racing would be a focus moving forward, including historic Le Mans content. First was the present, however, with three IMSA GTP and four current-gen GT3 cars being introduced to Automobilista 2.

If you liked this content already, get ready for more like it: Reiza has struck a partnership with IMSA for Automobilista 2, meaning more cars and tracks are inbound. “Content is always the big flashy thing. We are happy to have closed the partnership with IMSA”, said Reiza Founder and Lead Developer Renato Simioni to OverTake/RaceDepartment.


Automobilista 2 IMSA Content: “Pretty Much Entire 2024 Season Represented”​

This means that “we’ll have pretty much the entire 2024 season represented”, Simioni continued. “And we are closing in on some deals with manufacturers to have most of them represented.” A rather exciting outlook, considering the rising popularity of the real series and the circuits it runs on.

As for cars that are currently running the IMSA season, only the Acura ARX-06 and the Lamborghini SC63 are missing from the GTP category in AMS2. For the GTD – so GT3 – classes, additions could include the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Lexus RC F GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3 and Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. Meanwhile, none of the Oreca 07 or Ligier JS P217 LMP2 racers are in the sim.


Simioni is excited for the IMSA partnership, stating that “it is looking good that we’ll have a sizeable representation of the grid throughout the year.” When can sim racers look forward to new content, features and other goodness? “The plan is for v1.6, with more coming after that”, said Simioni. The next milestone update looks to be on track “towards summer”, according to Simioni, who adds with a smile: “My New Year’s resolution was not to give time estimates, because I tend to fail miserably with that. They are hard to assess at the best of times.”

IMSA Content With Next Milestone Update​

The next big update to Automobilista 2 is not only going to introduce new content, however. Simioni shared a few improvements and features to look forward to, including a revamped UI, which is set to be “a big step up, more powerful and customizable as well as more aesthetically pleasing.” More physics improvements (Simioni: “They are always a priority, and there is always room to make things better”) and “developments on the audio front and the shader front to make the game look fresher” are also underway.

Automobilista-2-2023-IMSA-Liveries-Porsche-963-Mercedes-AMG-GT3-Evo-Daytona-1024x429.jpg


Circling back to the endurance-based content, AMS2 should also see new features catering to the discipline. Specifically, the option for limited tire sets and delays after crashing out (meaning you cannot simply teleport back to the pits and go out immediately again) are in the works.

But hold on – wasn’t there classic Le Mans content also coming up? That is indeed still coming up, but most likely a little further down the road, as the Automobilista 2 IMSA partnership takes priority for now. The fact that sim racers can look forward to the most in-depth first-party representation of IMSA outside of iRacing should absolutely make up for this, however.

Meanwhile, AMS2's Formula Ultimate Gen 2 is due for a refresh in the upcoming v1.5.6, and the 2024 Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series will arrive with v1.6's physics improvements. To find out even more details, check the latest Dev Update on the Reiza forums.

Are you looking forward to the Automobilista 2 IMSA updates? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
About author
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

Comments

It's funny that local users consistently place high demands and expectations on AMS2 in every new development-related news. No other sim has the same "hype".
Just be happy for the success of others, don't be so stubborn.
After all, we, "AMS2 fanboys", are glad for your long-awaited rain physics in iRacing as a new step in sim-development. ;)
 
Last edited:
It's funny that local users consistently place high demands and expectations on AMS2 in every new development-related news. No other sim has the same "hype".
Just be happy for the success of others, don't be so stubborn.
After all, we, "AMS2 fanboys", are glad for your long-awaited rain physics in iRacing as a new step in sim-development. ;)
to be fair i have to say that rain in iracing feels vastly different from any other rain i tried in other sims. can't speak on whether or not its realistic since i have never driven a racecar in the rain but there is something about it that makes it stand out for me
 
I've been thinking about this lately, that in order to differentiate themselves from LMU, the most logical step forward would be to bet on the IMSA content (either official or enabled by the liveries from the community). And there you go! Great move and I cannot wait to drive the Lamborghinis around Sebring.

(my gut tells me we won't see the Ferrari)
 
They can ink all they want, the driving experience still sucks big time.
I've just finished testing the latest update, and it boggles my mind why they chose the Madness Engine.
I'm not hating here, I'm entitled to my own opinion.
Everybody's praising this title like it's the next best thing after sliced bread.

But no, it's not.
AMS1 rules.
Nothing evokes the feeling of driving a real race car like that thing.
Must agree AMS1 rules strictly simwise.
Even though just 1-point tyre modelling (compared to rF2 3-point ditto), the detailed response even for the vanilla content is still top notch. Then add the vast number of mods doing sim-job even better. Moreover easy conversion of my biggest mod database for the rF1 title to AMS1.
Then add easy CrewChief VR-plugin for AMS1. And you have it all.
FFB AC is imo still on top, followed by rF2. But AMS1 tad ahead of rF1 and then the AMS2 FFB+ working for most modern race cars.

That said, Reiza should be credited for their mastodon battle against any Madness on AMS2. My 2020-2022 season pass ran out, but already tempted to add more extra DLC's.
And then AMS2 VR details and performance is unmatched.
(Though AMS1 CC VR experience seems to outperform any other sim, though with lesser details compared to AMS2).

When/if Reiza succeeds in 2024 regarding the well known mid-corner issue and other differential issues caused by pure Madness, and if the mod conversion really gets going, AMS2 would be my primary sim choice.

However, I'm still having massive blasts VR racing AMS2 multi classes just with vanilla content. It's still improving, that's why I've not left this sim.

BIG Kudos to Reiza for this extraordinary licensing focus!
 
Last edited:
Really happy for the growth Reiza has got in the past year and the IMSA deal is petty nice. However as many have said, for it to be truly successful the grid size has to increase and some form of mid race save/checkpoint is a must and continue to improve the AI hesitation to overtake.

Renato wrote that there are a lot of new developments coming with 1.6 and that several dev updates are needed, so hopefully those essential features are being worked on. When we tested the bigger grids for LeMans it was a bit of a mess and got shelved.

Also interesting is the overall direction the game will take now that they got the IMSA license, you have to assume Reiza will have some obligations to prioritize for such license and it will undoubtedly hurt a bit the other content developments they had, although they are hiring so that's a good sign.
 
Last edited:
Congratulations Reiza on IMSA licence .....

As usual, trolls faces light up as soon as they see AMS2 threads and hurry down to derail the thread ... must be troll holiday season becase the usual suspects havent shown up :whistling:
 
Last edited:
I would have preferred to read that le mans ultimate aco-wec has a licensing agreement with imsa for endurance racing, which would have made more sense than ams 2. AMS2 is nice, it's beautiful, but it's not really simulation...

I agree...

LMU has all the on track elements pumping that are needed for Endurance racing... AMS2 doesn't even have proper fuel maps...

Luckily there's rF2 were both can be combined... But an LMU IMSA DLC would of been epic...
 
They can ink all they want, the driving experience still sucks big time.
I've just finished testing the latest update, and it boggles my mind why they chose the Madness Engine.
I'm not hating here, I'm entitled to my own opinion.
Everybody's praising this title like it's the next best thing after sliced bread.

But no, it's not.
AMS1 rules.
Nothing evokes the feeling of driving a real race car like that thing.

Going from AMS1 to AMS2 is such a hard thing to do these days...

You go from hell yeah this is great, this is living... To what the hell, how do I fix this?...

It's not hate when it's a passion, it's just how it is for us that are used to the chocolate goodness of AMS1 and now deal with the vanilla of AMS2... I thought I was buying more chocolate dammit... lol
 
Premium
I would have preferred to read that le mans ultimate aco-wec has a licensing agreement with imsa for endurance racing, which would have made more sense than ams 2. AMS2 is nice, it's beautiful, but it's not really simulation...
I don't think it's stated to be an exclusive license, so LMU may well do something but S397 have got a bunch of work to do with what they have already before the start expanding the franchise
 
Even though just 1-point tyre modelling (compared to rF2 3-point ditto)

Source?

I don't think it's stated to be an exclusive license, so LMU may well do something but S397 have got a bunch of work to do with what they have already before the start expanding the franchise

LMU is the official game of the WEC. There is no interest for WEC/ACO to put another championship in this game to reflect this beside maybe what is running under this organization. Thus IMSA will not happen in LMU.
 
Premium
Why all the 'I would love to drive at Sebring' comments? It was available as an excellent laser-scanned version in RF2 in 2018, and everyone knows the physics and FFB in RF2 are better than AMS2.
I love RF2, I also really enjoy AMS2 and in a ideal world I'd have all the content on both Sims.

If you're playing in VR it tends to be far less of a pain to spin a race up in AMS2 than it is in RF2 even when using a fairly high end PC.
 
Premium
Excited for the IMSA partnership, but endurance racing needs to support more than 32 cars on track, mid race saves and driver swaps. So far the Madness engine has not supported this. If Reiza can manage this, we have a winner!:)
I am stoked for it, too.
As a head up, the telemetry was updated to support 64 cars - two of those will often be used for a safety car and broadcaster, but they do not need to be. The game already supports 36 cars at several tracks which have the space for them.
Driver swaps are in-progress but there is no confirmed date, even for the closed beta. Right now you can swap to an AI driver to give yourself a rest. However, I would not recommend it in multiplayer!

The Madness Engine does not do many things which were features in PC2; the reality is the ME framework is not meant to get in the way of game development. Just because PC2 did not have a feature, it does not follow the reason for its absence is because ME did not have the feature. Many features are down to the devs to add.
 
Last edited:

Latest News

Article information

Author
Yannik Haustein
Article read time
3 min read
Views
14,692
Comments
148
Last update

What would make you race in our Club events

  • Special events

    Votes: 42 26.3%
  • More leagues

    Votes: 31 19.4%
  • Prizes

    Votes: 30 18.8%
  • Trophies

    Votes: 17 10.6%
  • Forum trophies

    Votes: 10 6.3%
  • Livestreams

    Votes: 27 16.9%
  • Easier access

    Votes: 87 54.4%
  • Other? post your reason

    Votes: 27 16.9%
Back
Top