The GT3 class of GT race cars have always been popular in both sim racing and real-world racing. The cars have a brilliant combination of power, downforce and handling that make them very rewarding to drive. However, they’re not necessarily the most accessible cars to learn to drive especially when it comes to learning how to deal with the relatively high downforce levels that they generate.
The GT4 class is one step down from GT3 with less downforce and slightly less engine performance. This reduced downforce means that the cars rely a lot more on low-speed mechanical grip and are more lively when pushed hard, but also often produce better racing, as is so often the case with slower vehicles.
The current list of GT4 cars
The most popular series on iRacing that the current five GT4 cars race in is the GT4 Challenge series. The cars vary in looks, handling characteristics, engine layout and so on, but due to the way the Balance of Performance (BOP) is managed, it results in overall similar lap times regardless of which car you choose.
The iRacing GT4 Challenge series is split into fixed and open setup series. The open setup series is aimed at the more experienced driver that can maximise the potential of fine-tuning the car’s setup to achieve the highest levels of performance, but if you’re not really up to speed with setting up your GT4, make sure you check out Coach Dave Academy’s variety of setups. Both series have no pit stops, and races are started from a rolling start. The fixed setup series is only 15 minutes long, with the open setup series being double that.
Ideally, you would need a car that’s fast, predictable when pushed hard and stable over the entire race distance. Some cars are better over kerbs, while others may have a slightly higher top speed. It would be best to pick the best car for each track during the course of the twelve-week season, but that can become expensive because you may end up having to buy all of the cars!
Aston Martin Vantage GT4
The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 debuted in real-world racing in 2008 and has seen several revisions over the years resulting in the car we see in iRacing today. It’s powered by a normally aspirated front-mounted V8 that drives the rear wheels giving it good straight-line speed, and it is decent over the kerbs.
It’s not the lightest of cars on this list, so being smooth with your inputs is essential. It’s considered one of the weaker cars on the iRacing grid, relatively speaking, of course, and therefore not ideal if you plan to finish races near the front.
BMW M4 GT4
In classic BMW fashion, the M4 GT4 has a front-mounted straight-six engine driving the rear wheels. The car handles kerbs well and is generally good on all tracks, but it also sounds amazing and is relatively accessible to beginners. Its success in real-world racing will make it very appealing to sim racers, having won several races and championships internationally.
McLaren 570S GT4
The Mclaren 570S GT4 is powered by a twin-turbo mid-mounted V8. It has had massive success in real-world racing, which carries over into iRacing. Mclaren has a long history of producing successful racing cars, and the 570S GT4 continues this tradition. It has balanced handling, rotates well under braking and sounds amazing.
The car can be a bit understeering, especially after the apex, but that’s easily dialled out with some setup adjustments. The 570s GT4 is a very good all-rounder that should see you having great results if it’s driven well with a good setup.
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 has a rear-mounted engine in classic Porsche style that powers the rear wheels. In keeping with Porsche tradition, the car has the classic Porsche styling cues and has the same handling characteristics you might expect from the manufacturer. It’s fast but needs to be driven carefully to be successful.
You will also need to be careful over kerbs, but overall, you will find that the Porsche has the potential to be a race winner.
The Mercedes-AMG GT4
Similar in looks to its GT3 big brother, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 has a powerful engine that produces massive power and torque. The V8 engine is front-mounted, with drive coming from the rear wheels. The car isn’t super nimble mainly due to that big V8 in the front, but it is really good over kerbs and has a huge amount of torque that can be utilised to give you good drive out of slower corners. It’s quite forgiving towards beginner drivers but has the overall pace to be a front-runner in the hands of experienced drivers on most tracks.
We recommend the Mercedes-AMG GT4 as the best GT4 car in iRacing due to its all-around abilities. A good setup that’s fast and stable, like the ones we offer at Coach Dave Academy, will help you extract all of the available performance from the Mercedes-AMG GT4. This setup package contains qualifying and race setups as well as Motec telemetry data and a best lap replay file that should aid you find the time on track that you need to compete at the front of the grid.
Final thoughts
With five GT4 cars from five different manufacturers available on iRacing, it’s quite easy to pick your favourite and just drive. Some people choose based on brand loyalty, and others choose, for example, based on looks or which car has the best sound. We think that you should choose the car that will give you the best chance of success during the course of the entire twelve-week season of the iRacing GT4 Challenge series.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR is tough to handle over kerbs, and we consider the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to be not the most competitive overall. These cars are still fast, though, due to BOP, with their disadvantages being minimal. However, in any series that uses BOP, you will need every advantage that you can get, and we think that the Mercedes-AMG GT4 will be overall the car that will give you that advantage.
