With the release of the GT2 pack for Assetto Corsa Competizione, sim racers have been given a whole new class to understand and dissect. With some cars being similar to GT3 or GT4 counterparts, and some coming from left-field with their own unique blends and tastes, it’s hard to determine the pecking order in GT2s by simply eyeballing it.
That’s where we at Coach Dave Academy come in. Join us as we take a deep dive into the GT2s, what makes them tick over and turn in, and determine which car is the best for you in the ACC GT2 pack.
How Do We Determine What The Fastest Car Is?
To ensure that our choices are as accurate as we can possibly be, we spend countless hours testing each and every car within ACC on a host of different track combinations. This allows us to collect gigabytes of data on every car and turn a very subjective decision into one that’s clearer and more objective.
Of course, Balance of Performance can always play a role too. The artificial means of adding and removing weight, or increasing and decreasing the size of a restrictor plate, is used by Kunos like it is in the real world to reduce the field spread and make it a more competitive field overall.
Some cars will still have natural advantages in particular situations, such as how a mid-engined or rear-engined car will be better at cornering but a front-engined car will be far more stable over kerbs, but these advantages aren’t universal and they don’t make it so that one track is completely dominated by a particular car.
What Is The Fastest Car?
Maserati MC20 GT2
The Maserati MC20 GT2 took the top billing and the hearts of fans when it was announced as part of the GT2 pack. The Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 sits up at the top of the list of its class, and likewise the Maserati MC20 GT2 is at the top of ours!
One thing that serves the Maserati well is its cornering ability. As we discussed in our dive Under the Hood of the Maserati, one of the greatest features of it is the fact that it rotates more than its rivals and in some ways it performs more like what you’d expect from the rear-engined Porsche 992.
This makes it an excellent option on circuits where you find more slow-speed corners, such as at Laguna Seca or Donington Park. As you can see on our leaderboards, the Maserati is the car to beat around tracks like these.
In addition to this, the Maserati is a very dependable and consistent car. The centre of mass of the car lends itself nicely to being driven in a similar way to the Ferrari 296 GT3 or the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, arguably the two most popular GT3 cars in ACC at the moment.
Much like with the McLaren and the Ferrari in the GT3 class, the Maserati is great at holding its speed through the corner but in contrast struggles more than some of its rivals in a straight line. Whilst it means that the Maserati isn’t entirely dominant, it means that it’s still comfortably the cream of the crop.
Possibly the most-loved part of the Maserati is its engine. A three-litre twin-turbocharged V6 comes with plenty of pull and plenty of power, helping it to power through every phase of the corner and assisting with great launch. Not only that, it also sounds incredibly amazing. The car is quick, it looks great, and it sounds astounding. What else is there to love?
Audi R8 LMS GT2
On its day, the Audi R8 LMS GT2 is just as good as the Maserati MC20 GT2. It serves as a great starter car in the GT2 pack, especially if you’re someone who drives its GT3 or GT4 equivalent. It might be easier to get up to speed on compared to the Maserati, but it doesn’t have quite the same potential.
As we covered with our peek Under the Hood on it, the Audi R8 LMS GT2 is one of the longest-running cars in its class. Having made its competition debut in 2021, it’s a favourite of Am and Pro drivers alike. Part of it is because the car is mid-engined, meaning that it has fantastic weight distribution.
Another part is that it isn’t as downforce-dependent as other cars in its class. That means that it’s easier to find the limit with the Audi compared to some of its competitors, but in return it means that the car can be more understeery compared to the top-dog Maserati.
One of the greatest aspects of the R8 LMS GT2 is how similar it is to the GT3 and GT4 equivalents. Not only is the engine the same, the electronics themselves are relatively similar too. What this could mean is that this would be the ideal choice of car for somebody who is completely new to ACC, as you can not only carry this car through all classes but you can also expect something similar across the classes too.
Alternative Choices
If those two aren’t the ones that take your fancy, that’s not to worry. Some of these other picks may suit your driving style more and it is important to become comfortable with your car as this is what will allow you to perform at your best.
Mercedes-AMG GT2: The Most Similar Experience
Another car that shares a platform with GT3 and GT4 cars, the Mercedes-AMG GT2 is part-GT3 and part-GT4. Sharing the newer platform with the GT3, it carries the same engine as the GT4. This is because of the specific regulations surrounding the different classes, namely around which engine is allowed to be used. The GT2 and GT4 run the four-litre engine that you get in the road car, whereas the GT3 uses the older 6.3-litre architecture that dates back to the old SLS GT3.
However, much like with the GT3 and GT4, the Mercedes-AMG GT2 is the class of the field in a straight line. Twin-turbocharged with a six-speed gearbox, you’re getting the very most out of the powertrain compared to the rivals in its class which have more gears that you’re rarely going to get any use out of. This means that there is consistency across the Mercedes-AMG platform, much like you will find with the Audi R8 LMS GT2.
The greatest strength that the Mercedes has is that it’s a typical front-engined car in a lot of ways. Perhaps the most important one is in terms of how forgiving the car is, especially over the kerbs.
As we got into when we got Under the Hood of the Mercedes-AMG GT2, it has good handling at circuits such as Monza even though the front-heavy car will typically struggle through higher-speed corners. It’s also great over the kerbs, meaning that it’s a forgiving car as well.
Only The Best GT2 Setups For You
Extracting the most from your favourite GT2 cars couldn’t be easier with Coach Dave Academy. Always kept up to date with the latest versions of ACC and all developed by professional ACC drivers and engineers, our setups allows you to focus purely on your on-track performance. And, with access to our free Coach Dave Delta app, installing them couldn’t be any easier.
- Race setups
- Qualifying setups
- Onboard laps
- Data packs
- All crafted by professionals
You can now also make use of the brand-new telemetry tool – Delta Data – with reference laps and data points added for every car and track by our pros for you to compare your laps against the best to improve your times exponentially.
KTM X-Bow GT2: The Best At Going Fast
Much like with the Maserati, KTM’s X-Bow GT2 was a long-awaited follow-up to the GT4 that released 4 years ago. The Austrian manufacturer, perhaps best known for their two-wheeled machines that have won in MotoGP and the Dakar, looks at home at the famous Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. And, much like its famous motorcycles, the X-Bow carries great top speed and acceleration as you would expect of something lightweight.
When we jumped Under the Hood of the KTM X-Bow GT2, we found that the car is very easy to get up and running with. It handles very smoothly, and is especially reliable in the wet. It’s a nice, lightweight, efficient machine. The main compromise that you find with the KTM is that you need to carry lower speeds through the corners, and that you need to brake earlier because of the tradeoffs that come from performing better in a straight line.
Porsche 911 GT2 & Porsche 935 GT2: The Unique Challenge
The two Porsches are a fantastic duo to round off the GT2 pack. Both of them perform in a relatively similar way, even though they look fairly different. The main difference between the two is in fact the bodywork, with the 935 paying homage to the historic Porsche whilst the 911 is firmly rooted in the current-day designs of Porsche.
Looking Under the Hood of the Porsche GT2s, you’ll find a rear-engined twin-turbocharged flat-six. It’s good for a whopping 700 horsepower, meaning that you’ll find great benefits in driving this car down long straights at circuits such as Paul Ricard. It’s a bit similar to the current-generation Porsche 992 Cup car in this regard, with the reduced downforce also reducing the drag on the car on the straights.
The compromise that comes with driving a car with less downforce is, most noticeably, a drop in cornering performance. However, with the traditional rear-engined formula that Porsche is best known for, the fantastic rotation thanks to the rearward weight distribution means that you’re not losing much of the feeling that you would typically expect of a Porsche GT racer.
Remember that this car is designed for the gentleman driver, one who’s picking Stuttgart’s finest because of their amazing record and how easy their cars are to drive – and this one more than lives up to both regards.
How Should You Pick A Car?
Although there are some cars that are a step above the rest, one of the best parts of ACC is that there is a host of different cars that are viable for the average sim racer. The top spot cars do give you an extra little edge but the most important part of car choice is what you as the driver feel the most comfortable and consistent. Use this guide as a starting point but make sure that you choose what is best for you and your driving style.
- To ensure you stay updated with all the updates, new cars or general tips and tricks make sure that keep an eye on the Coach Dave Academy Resource page, with new articles posted every week.
