Curious about some differences between the two leading console simulators, and knowing that both games have the iconic DeLorean DMC12 to compare on the same tracks, I thought I would take a trip back into, the future! But hold on to your “Flux-Capacitors” just a minute, these two cars are not exactly the same it turns out.
Turn10 chose the original version cir. 1981, you know, the Michael J. Fox/Marty McFly version used in the popular 1985 movie, “Back To The Future.” Polyphony had to be different of course, and went with a later iteration from 2004 known as the, “S2” which adds another 60hp, or around 200hp in total, as the original car had intended to be, –before the smog Nazi’s got a hold of it in the US.
Compared to the respective real car versions, the simulated versions are for whatever reasons faster cars. Not just faster, but quicker, and with better road holding ability. Lateral g on the original car was about .77, but on the sim cars, closer to .90. Even so, the original DeLorean in its day was a slightly above average performer in its class despite its mass and puny 130hp V6.
To do this experiment we had to build the FM3 DeLorean up to match the S2 GT5 version, since you can’t downgrade the newer GT5 DeLorean. We did this without increasing the size of the V6, and came up with a good compromise of hp/tq/wt to match the GT5 version. The FM3 DeLorean still ended up being slightly heavier, and less powerful than the GT5 version, depending on the state of tune of the GT5 version. As many of you know the GT5 cars are not static models, they vary in their performance depending on how fresh the car is. A car with a fresh tune-up and oil, with some break-in miles, will produce the best hp/tq numbers.
The real S2 version of the car was rated at 197hp, a number that we could hit with the FM3 car easily. The GT5 car would range from 192hp to 202hp depending on the mileage.
Aside from the hard numbers you see below, the two versions of Laguna Seca are perhaps even more different than the cars. GT5’s Laguna is a wider track that feels bigger than the FM3 track. The FM3 track feels almost cramped, and has a smoggy hazy look to it, whereas GT5’s Laguna Seca is a crystal clear day with a few puffy white clouds, and blue sky in the distance.
The handling manner’s of both cars is oddly similar to a point. Both cars exhibit a rear heavy unbalanced feel with strong front to back body movement much like the real car. Both cars have a light front end and noticeable nose dive under braking, and lift under acceleration. But the GT5 car seems to have more body roll and action in general. It’s a bit busier than the FM3 car even though both cars have what feels like the same road adhesion. The FM3 DeLorean likes an inside line and feels like it is better able to hold it. The GT5 car has no favorite cornering line, and behaves the same way no matter what line you use. The GT5 DeLorean is indifferent to rumble strips, but is sensitive to track camber, which is the opposite for the FM3 DeLorean.
Graphically both cars look great, and even though the GT5 car is a much hated “Standard” car as opposed to the beloved “Premium” cars, it is still more detailed than that of the FM3 version. Driving them back to back you start to get the feeling that the FM3 DeLorean is more cartoon-like even though it has an added interior view that the GT5 car doesn’t have.
Sound quality goes to the Forza product for the engine, but tire sound goes to the Gran Turismo product for the tire screeching. The GT5 car can tend to have too much gear whine and not enough muffler/exhaust notes too.
Speed sensation is very close to the same for both cars. I ran both cars without any assists or tuning, and never felt there was a need to do otherwise. Braking was vastly different. The FM3 DeLorean was quick to brake, but the GT5 car took a more progressive style to slow down.
Gearing was very different too. The stock GT5 gears were perfect, but the gears for the FM3 car were too tall, bogging down in 3rd gear especially.
But when the dust settled and the stop watches were stopped, everyone was scratching their heads like the “Doc” in the movie, wondering how the slower car went way faster than the faster car? Our only conclusion is that the FM3 Laguna Seca track is somewhat shorter than the GT5 version of the famous track. Either that, or the FM3 Delorean has a hidden Flux-Capacitor.
FM3 DMC12 “S2”
(Class E-232)
197hp/210tq
2,843lbs
0-60 6.7sec as tested
0-100 17.4sec as tested
Top speed 147mph as tested
Laguna Seca 1:42.600
GT5 DMC12 S2
202hp/217tq
2,839lbs
0-60 6.4sec as tested
0-100 16.1sec as tested
Top Speed 150mph as tested
Laguna Seca 1:48.108
Full Throttle,
AAR GTDon
It’s interesting that Turn 10 went for the BttF DeLorean, whereas Polyphony picked the later, and better, version to use in GT5. It almost sums up the differences between the games in some ways. Turn 10 going the more populist approach, and Polyphony going for the driver approach (whether or not you believe either game is better).
Either way, the DeLorean is such an interesting car – as much for the history of the company as anything else…
Yeah, it was fun to define the differences. Enlisting the help of some of the AAR boys was cool too. Those guys are sim-racing nutz! lol
Brilliant!! Not many people could come up with a comparison like that. Nice job!
Very interesting GTDon. I like the way you matched the Deloreans’ and came up with vast differences around Laguna Seca!
It just goes to show that Game Devs for consoles will have to pay more and more attention to creating tracks that are as close as possible to their real life counterparts in order to give us a more true to life simulation rather than cover it up with bells and whistles to cover their oversites.