Reiza Studios has detailed the upcoming Automobilista 2 v1.6.9.95 update, which will add the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 as a free car alongside substantial AI improvements, new qualifying controls and several performance and multiplayer fixes. The developer published its September 2026 development update on September 10, with the new build described as being close to release.
Reiza says Automobilista 2 v1.6.9.95 is designed to further refine the simulation ahead of the larger v1.7 milestone planned for later in 2026. While the update will not introduce the Formula cars currently affected by licensing complications, it includes one notable new vehicle and some of the most significant AI changes Reiza has outlined in recent updates.
The full details were published in Reiza Studios’ official Automobilista 2 September 2026 Development Update.
Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Joins Automobilista 2 for Free
The headline content addition is the Panoz Esperante GTR-1, which will be available to Automobilista 2 players as free content. It joins the game’s GT1 category, expanding what Reiza describes as the fastest GT class in the simulator to five different models.
Developed by Panoz together with Reynard Motorsport, the Esperante GTR-1 is one of the more distinctive GT1 machines from the late 1990s. Instead of following the increasingly common mid-engine approach of its rivals, the Panoz retained its characteristic long-hood layout, with a 600 hp Ford V8 positioned behind the front axle.
The GTR-1 competed on both sides of the Atlantic between 1997 and 1999 and became one of the most recognizable cars from the GT1 era. Its arrival also expands Panoz’s representation in AMS2 following the addition of the later Esperante GT-LM as part of the Historical Endurance content.
Major AI Changes Coming in v1.6.9.95
The larger development focus of v1.6.9.95 is the AI. Reiza has outlined three major changes that will debut in this update and continue to evolve toward Automobilista 2 v1.7.
The first is an overhaul of how AI drivers detect and understand track edges and usable racing space. Reiza expects this to reduce unnecessary off-track excursions, curb and wall clipping and other situations where AI-controlled cars fail to properly account for the available road.
The system should also produce smoother positioning when AI cars are following the racing line or negotiating traffic, with Reiza targeting improved racecraft both against the player and between AI opponents.
A second development changes the way AI racing lines work. Previously, drivers tended to gravitate around common dry and wet fast lines. The new system allows AI drivers to use distinct alternative racing lines, including lines that can be generated from existing recorded data.
This also expands the wet-line technology introduced previously. Reiza says the earlier implementation depended on manually created wet lines and was therefore limited to a relatively small number of circuits. The new approach should allow more varied AI behavior as conditions move between dry and wet.
Reiza cautions that the feature is still developing, with its more mature implementation expected as part of v1.7. Even in v1.6.9.95, however, players should begin seeing AI drivers behave with greater variety instead of following nearly identical paths around the circuit.
Two additional parameters are also being introduced: AI Traction Skill and AI Brake Skill Scalars. These settings allow players to separately adjust how effectively AI drivers perform under braking and acceleration.
That should offer more control when matching AI behavior to an individual player’s strengths. For example, someone particularly strong under braking could increase the AI Brake Skill setting without necessarily making the computer-controlled drivers equally stronger on corner exits.
Qualifying, Performance and Multiplayer Improvements
Beyond the AI changes, v1.6.9.95 includes several smaller but useful additions covering race configuration, performance and stability.
- Qualifying rules can be configured outside presets in all game modes, including multiplayer.
- Parc Fermé becomes user-configurable outside presets in all single-player modes.
- A new Same Class private qualifying option will be available across game modes, including multiplayer.
- CPU performance during weather-slot transitions has been improved to reduce associated hitches and frame-rate drops.
- Reiza has addressed multiple critical multiplayer crash sources.
- The update fixes an issue where Live Track state could be lost in single-player sessions after using Instant Replay.
The Same Class qualifying option should be particularly useful for multiclass racing, allowing qualifying sessions to be managed without necessarily placing every category on track together.
McLaren Licensing Situation Remains Unresolved
Reiza also provided another update on the licensing complications affecting officially licensed Formula content. The studio previously discussed difficulties surrounding the extension of its agreement with McLaren Racing.
According to Reiza, it agreed to a requirement that would leave Automobilista 2 with a single officially licensed Formula 1 manufacturer, and a revised agreement was subsequently presented. However, Reiza says there has been no further progress toward that agreement being signed into effect by the other party.
As a result, the affected Formula cars will remain in their current state for another update.
Reiza says that if the issue is resolved shortly after the upcoming release, another update could reflect the change. If the situation remains unresolved, development attention will instead move toward Automobilista 2 v1.7, which is currently targeted for later in 2026.
Does Reiza’s Screenshot Tease Historic Le Mans?
There is also an intriguing final image in Reiza’s development update. The screenshot appears to show a Porsche 917K in a historic Le Mans-style pit-lane environment, raising the possibility of further classic endurance content.
For now, however, this should be treated strictly as a teaser. Reiza did not identify the circuit in the accompanying text, did not announce a historic Le Mans configuration and did not confirm that the content shown will be part of v1.7.
The image therefore offers an interesting hint about where Automobilista 2 could be heading, but the confirmed content for the upcoming v1.6.9.95 update remains the free Panoz Esperante GTR-1, the new AI systems and the collection of gameplay, performance and stability improvements.
Reiza has not provided an exact release date for Automobilista 2 v1.6.9.95, describing the update on September 10 as being on the verge of release.
See you on the track!
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