Assetto Corsa EVO Update 0.9 is getting closer, with KUNOS confirming the Audi R8 LMS GT2, Audi R8 V10 Performance quattro and Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R (Type A) as its first three announced cars.
KUNOS Simulazioni has revealed the first confirmed content for Assetto Corsa EVO Update 0.9, with three new cars heading to the Early Access simulator.
The upcoming update will add the Audi R8 LMS GT2, Audi R8 V10 Performance quattro and Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R (Type A). Assetto Corsa’s official channels describe Update 0.9 as “almost here”, although KUNOS has not announced an exact release date or detailed the rest of the update.
The selection combines two very different interpretations of Audi’s naturally aspirated V10 platform with one of the most celebrated final versions of Mazda’s rotary-powered RX-7.
Two Audi R8s join Assetto Corsa EVO
The Audi R8 LMS GT2 expands Assetto Corsa EVO’s growing selection of GT2 machinery.
Audi Sport developed the race car for SRO’s GT2 regulations around a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 producing 470 kW, or 640 hp, with more than 550 Nm of torque. Unlike the road-going R8’s quattro system, the LMS GT2 sends its power to the rear wheels.
The car joins an increasingly substantial GT2 selection in EVO, with machinery such as the KTM X-Bow GT2 already available in the simulator. Update 0.8 introduced the KTM alongside Kyalami in July, continuing KUNOS’ gradual expansion of the game’s dedicated racing content.
Alongside the competition car comes the Audi R8 V10 Performance quattro, giving players the road-going counterpart to the LMS GT2.
The production R8 uses the same basic 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 formula but combines it with quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed S tronic transmission. In Performance quattro specification, Audi rated the engine at 620 PS and 580 Nm, with the Coupé capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and reaching 331 km/h.
Having both versions in the same update should provide a particularly interesting comparison between a high-performance road car and a purpose-built GT2 racing machine derived from the same R8 family.
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R brings the final FD evolution
The third addition is very different.
KUNOS has selected the Mazda RX-7 FD Spirit R Type A, rather than a standard version of the third-generation RX-7.
Mazda introduced the Spirit R range in 2002 as the final limited-production series of the RX-7, shortly before FD production ended. Only 1,500 Spirit R cars were planned for the Japanese market across the Type A, Type B and Type C specifications.
The Type A coming to Assetto Corsa EVO was the most driver-focused of the three. It was configured as a two-seater with a five-speed manual transmission and the 13B-REW rotary engine producing 206 kW, or 280 PS.
Mazda also fitted lightweight Recaro full bucket seats that reduced vehicle weight by approximately 10 kg, larger drilled ventilated brake discs, stainless-steel mesh brake hoses and Bilstein dampers. BBS 17-inch wheels completed a package Mazda itself described at launch as offering the best driving performance in RX-7 history.
That makes the Spirit R Type A a particularly significant addition for EVO’s road-car roster, representing the final factory evolution of the FD rather than simply another variant of the RX-7.
Assetto Corsa EVO Update 0.9 release date remains unknown
For now, the three cars are the main confirmed pieces of Update 0.9.
KUNOS has not announced a release date, and there is no confirmation yet that the Audi R8 LMS GT2, R8 V10 Performance quattro and RX-7 Spirit R represent the complete vehicle lineup for the update.
No new circuit has been announced either, while details regarding physics changes, multiplayer improvements, VR, AI, modding or other core systems have yet to be outlined for version 0.9.
The current public version is Assetto Corsa EVO 0.8.1, released on July 22 as a smaller corrective patch following the larger Update 0.8 on July 9. That release introduced three cars, Kyalami, further user-generated content functionality and a substantial VR rework.
With KUNOS now describing Update 0.9 as “almost here”, more details should follow before release. For the moment, however, the only new content officially confirmed consists of the two Audi R8s and Mazda’s final RX-7 Spirit R Type A.
If you do not own the game yet, Assetto Corsa EVO is available on PC, and the original Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition remains the reference point for what a mature modding scene looks like.
See you on the track!
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