Virtual Le Mans Is On: Forza Motorsport 3 confirms Circuit De La Sarthe
Circuit De La Sarthe in Forza Motorsport 3 - Click above for high-res image gallery
The real 24 Hours of Le Mans just ended, but thanks to the upcoming release of Forza Motorsport 3, you'll be able to recreate the battle between Audi and Peugeot any time you want. Turn 10, the developers of FM3, have confirmed the game's inclusion of Circuit De La Sarthe, including every famous turn and that most monster of straights, the Mulsanne. We're told that the entire 8.5-mile course and its 21 famously named turns have been painstakingly recreated - even the shorter Bugatti circuit will be playable.
La Sarthe is no stranger to being virtually recreated in video games. Most recently, the extremely addicting racer GRiD offered up Le Mans in between seasons while playing in career mode. The third installment of Forza, however, will be the most detailed recreation yet.
Turn 10 has also announced a partial list of race cars with which you'll be able to tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans in your living room. In addition to this year's Le Mans-winning Peugeot 908, Audi's R8 and diesel-powered R10 will be available. There's no mention of the newer R15, but we expect Turn 10 to complete the roster of Audi LMP1 cars with some downloadable content later on.
Check out the gallery below to view the rest of the recently announced Le Mans racers and see how well Turn 10 recreated La Sarthe.
[Source: ForzaMotorsport.net via Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ronEbear 7:36PM (6/16/2009)
Looks like i`ll be spending some cash in October. A new wheel is in order.
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why not the LS2LS7? 9:37PM (6/16/2009)
There's no wheel worth having for 360 unless the Fanatec is it. I ordered a Fanatec, they took my money two weeks ago but won't be delivering until October. They didn't even acknowledge my order until I sent them an email last Friday.
Sinnix 10:11AM (6/17/2009)
The Xbox wheel isn't THAT great (and yes, I own it). It certainly doesn't hold a candle to the great wheels you can get on PS3 and PC. The Logitech G25 + GT5 Prolog is just about the most fun I've ever hand playing a racing game.
Also, why all the hate for GRID? It was a great arcade-style racer! I don't think they ever claimed it was supposed to be a sim. For what it was, it was a fun game.
Ryan McGrory 7:45PM (6/16/2009)
Gran Turismo 4 had this...what's the story...
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Xa 7:52PM (6/16/2009)
there's no 908 or r10 in gt4, but i do agree, 24h at the circuit de la sarthe is not anything new.
jon 7:57PM (6/16/2009)
i agree... nothing new...
Beastage 8:06PM (6/16/2009)
What GT4 has to do with this?! GRID has that track as well , looks and handles better than GT4...
You clearly missing how good that looks.
Jason 8:13PM (6/16/2009)
@Beastage: Grid...
Looks better than GT4? Sure.
Handles better? HAHAHAHA
Ryan McGrory 8:14PM (6/16/2009)
LMAO!
Erm, even if your GRID is supposedly better than GT4, wait till GT5.
mcampasini 9:12PM (6/16/2009)
grid is great game but its no sim like gt4 or what gt5 will be.
Smeagle 10:19PM (6/16/2009)
@Beastage: Maybe you should hold off until you are old enough to drive before you decide which game handles better. Grid is about as realistic as Space Invaders.
Ben 9:09AM (6/17/2009)
/offtopic
I'm with Beastage. I actually have more fun with GRID than I do with GT5 or GT4. Even though GT4 has more variety, its AI isn't that competitive.
GRID has better racing, is more engaging, and much better than GT5 Prologue. GT5 still feels like a demo game and while it may be a better simulator, it's not as engaging.
/ontopic
Instead of buying Forza, buy a PS3 and get GRID now. =]
Kiiks 9:22AM (6/17/2009)
Who said GRID!? GRID was crap. I felt that my $59.99 plus tax would have been better spent eating sixty 99¢ double cheeseburgers from McDonalds all in one sitting and then throwing them up shortly thereafter. Same "not quite real" feeling, same buyer's remorse and same indigestion. At least I would have gotten some sustenance at McDonalds.
Before some of you go "STFU HATER, you didn't even play it!" I did play it. I got my team to the top, I had all the stupid cars, all the okay cars and even the R10. I won "Le Mans" many times, I had millions in sponsorship deals and a really cool livery. Driving in it is like driving a Camry in gravel, and I hate driving Camrys on asphalt.
As for the GT vs FM thing, I loved GT4. I'm finally doing my diligent grind through FM2, as I only recently got an Xbox360. I always felt like you could cheat the engine in GT4 by tossing the car into the corner and letting the default 4-wheel drift put you where you needed to be, much sooner than you deserved. 200-point race wins became regular exercise.
FM2, I've noticed doesn't reward jack-ass driving with lower lap times. It usually ends with my car in the wall, a bent steering tie-rod and missing bodywork. Forza rewards smooth, consistent driving with the added element of damage, which is a huge deterrent to bullying your way through the field.
As for GT5 vs FM3, I'm gonna get both. I'm sure Polyphony will give me plenty of time to beat FM3 before I dust my Logitec wheel off and put it to regular use.
d4rklit3 1:06PM (6/17/2009)
Kiiks,
I am not going to say stfu hater. BUT, i think you missed the point of GRID. GRID was a great game mainly for the following reasons. Career mode was great because you get some idea of managing a racing team. which i thought would be great in a sim. It was also really fun to play, it had a lot of different game modes, a competant AI (Team Raven was always a challange). unfortunately i did not play it with my wheel becuase i have GRID for PC not xbox and the wheel doesn't give any Force feedback in windows. I really dont understand what all this animosity towards GRID is. Despite being tedious at times, it is a great game.
tcc3 4:31PM (6/17/2009)
Yes, GT5 fans are good at waiting.
I hear it'll ship with a copy of Duke Nukem Forever.
ropeburn 7:49PM (6/16/2009)
the driving games have got graphics soo good it's crazy.
I seriously need to find a way to mount my steering wheel
securely for game play..... I won't buy a chair rig thing.
I'm a gamer, but not super gamer.
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Protzenegger 9:12PM (6/16/2009)
For a moment there, I thought "wow, nice photo!" Then I got sober.
Nighthawk 8:00PM (6/16/2009)
I like the forza2 better than GT4, it's much more fun to drive the cars in forza2 than GT4!?
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Ryan McGrory 8:15PM (6/16/2009)
Forza is probably the most annoying game in history for handling, how can you justify this opinion.
joegibes 9:10PM (6/16/2009)
@Ryan McGrory: It's a sim game. Don't hate just because you don't appreciate the need to brake before corners.