Hi guys, I thought maybe we could use this thread to give our first impressions of the changes introduced with the new build for S1 2012.

Some of the major changes:
- Improvements to the NTM on all cars
- NTM now also on Star Mazda, Radical SR8, Riley DP and Williams F1
- New sounds, more talkative spotter
- Brake modeling, including glow visual effect
- New drafting
- etc.

NTM
I ran the Radical last season so I was especially eager to try it with the NTM. My first mistake was to load a setup I was using last season for a practice session at Watkins Glen which is the first race of this season. My second mistake was trying to exit the pits as usual with this set, I immediately spun out. Generally, the old setup is absolutely junk and virtually undrivable.
Then I tried the "medium" iRacing setup and I had a very drivable car. It will take a lot of getting used to, but it does feel very nice indeed. It's got a lot more of a snap back (which I heard is big on the real car) and the rear end is much more difficult to keep in check. Feels like this is going to be a lot of fun.

Riley DP: I tried it out at Daytona of course. Old setup from PJ wouldn't even pass the technical check, so I loaded the baseline. Difficult to compare with the previous set I was using of course since they were so different on the OTM, but it feels like the NTM has got a lot more grip at low speeds. I've only done a couple of laps so far so I don't have much more to say about it.

Ford GT: They've made improvements to the NTM on this one, I was also eager to try it since I've always been struggling quite a bit with this car. Once again, they've messed with the FFB somehow and I could hardly feel anything in the wheel. It's easily fixed of course. I did a couple of laps at Watkins Glen, also the first race of the season for the prototype/GT series. There are subtle differences that I can't quite describe after only such a short time testing, but I like it better now.

Spotter
The "You've got wheel damage" will get old very, very soon, especially doing testing on those cars that now have the NTM, resulting into quite a few off tracks. I will have to have a look in the options to make him/her less talkative again.

New sounds
There are new sounds when changing gear, new "crack" sound when you try to force a gear from N to 1 or 1 to N, new wind effects, new tire/squeal sound (that I noticed on the Ford GT but not on the DP or Radical).

Brake model
Haven't had time to have a look at this yet, might make a few screenshots later on today.
EDIT: Just found this video here:


Daytona is still the old daytona for now, though they have changed the lighting and sky which I like better. Wonder when they are going to roll out the new one, they did say by end of January, which doesn't leave them much time now

I tried the DP last night and the Radical this morning.

I found them both very good. The radical worked very well on the baseline set (just dropped the ride height in the back to make it understeer a little more to my liking)

I have tested some old setups, and it's not that much I need to change to get decent laptimes for both DP and Rad.
Mostly break bias I had to change, and then some rear arb or toe in/out.
However, I have not checked the weare on the tires with this. It might chew it up quicker.

I noticed in options you could activate your spotter calling out lap times... cool for practice, but might getting annoying during races, lol...

Be nice to have a wheel button that would activate it calling out the last lap for you.

and I noticed alot of brake smoke now...which my GT has alot of, lol.

I did quite a few more practice laps this evening with the Radical and managed a 1:05.6 at Watkins Glen in the short configuration without the chicane. It's actually quicker than my best time of last season, but that's not due to the NTM, that's just because I got better in the meantime.
It feels really nice, you can take a bit of curb without immediately spinning. The steering feels much more responsive and sensitive.
A good improvement in my opinion.