Pirelli brings World Challenge Series, motorsport tech to Project CARS 2 game

Pirelli has joined simulation company Slightly Mad Studios’ Project CARS franchise in a technical, promotional, and marketing partnership. The agreement brings Pirelli’s motorsport and tyre technology, and North America’s premier GT production series, the Pirelli World Challenge, to the second iteration of the game. The series will come with Project CARS 2’s release on 22 September, playable in the in-game career mode, and featuring GT3 cars and their specific liveries. Tracks include Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Road America, and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The technical partnership with Pirelli will deepen the authenticity of Project CARS 2, gamescom’s Best Simulation Game winner for 2017. Slightly Mad Studios states that the tyre manufacturer’s “enormous” technical insights have been brought to the handling and feel of all 180-plus cars in Project CARS 2. Pirelli has provided its expertise to simulate carcass construction, tyre-slip angle curves, tyre heating and the cut and wear experienced through their rubber thermomechanics, meaning that the partnership helps players to get closer to real-world motorsport.

“We have been working with Project CARS 2 for many months,” said Pirelli World Challenge president and CEO Greg Gill. “We believe that the opportunity for our Pirelli World Challenge fans to become fully immersed in their favourite cars and tracks experience will lead to new ventures that the fans and series can look forward to. We are excited for the introduction of the Project CARS2 game with our PWC cars in action.”

“Working alongside Slightly Mad Studios and seeing how their processes echo ours in many respects has been an interesting experience for us,” said Mario Isola, Pirelli head of car racing. “Bringing our technical and sporting solutions to Project CARS 2 has been a unique challenge, and ensuring our tyres simulate our real-world tyres in-game was a key element in our technical relationship. Knowing Project CARS 2 drivers will feel the sporting technology that underpins Pirelli’s motorsport heritage is important to us.”

“Pirelli coming onboard during the development cycle of Project CARS 2 yielded instant results for us,” said Stephen Viljoen, game director on Project CARS2. “Comparing their data to ours using very similar processes meant we could get live comparisons, and could instantly see where our ‘in-game’ Pirelli tires were differing from the real tires. Matching their data to ours means we now have an incredibly accurate model of slip, grip, tear, heat, and dozens of other tire-related parameters, all of which will translate to even more authenticity for our drivers.”