Ultimate car / racing sim? Options

[DArenberg]

I know their is a passion for racing games from people on here, so I pose the question:

I am looking for the ultimate driving sim for the PC. I hear people bashing GT5 all the time as it is a console game; so I want a sim that will put all others to shame from eye candy to realism. whats the go?

I come from an FPS or RTS background and the last racing game I had for a home computer was Revs on the BBC in 86, and on console Mario Kart . I bought GT5 for the PS3, as I use the PS3 as a media server and have really enjoyed it, next step I bought a G27 and now I need more racing to quench my first.

[Ezkaton]

iRacing is where it's at. It's multiplayer only though... and much like real life, you're in a set class, and you race and practice one car per class. Of course you can run more than one, but that makes it hard on you 'cause you can't really get to know your chosen car properly. Races are sanctioned once per hour, with open practice sessions in between. Races in C class and higher are once every 2+ hours 'cause there's more emphasis on practice... as the races are more important.

There's also a safety rating sysem in place to stop people driving like asses without consequence.
The initial monthly subscription fees grant you access to all cars and tracks needed for your Rookie season, then from D-class upwards you need to buy your cars and tracks. It can get pricey if you try and run more than one car. Also, tracks change once per week, so you don't need to lash out lots of money straight up front. It's not too bad if you think about it logically.

If you're not interested 'cause of the costs, you're going to have to wait for GTR 3 and/or rFactor 2.

On the off chance you do get into iRacing, post your profile on here and I'll add you to my friends list.
I'm C-class, but racing the MX-5 series (Rookie) 'cause I love the car.

Also, my personal car suggestions for the first three classes;
Rookie - Mazda MX-5 Roadster
D-Class - Ford Mustang
C-Class - Star Mazda

(...and Hello Commander!)

[DArenberg]

Thanks for the post, been toying with Iracing but was not sure of the commitment level required to do any good, I only get to have serious time on weekends due to the baby.

How much on a weekly basis does it cost to run to be competitive? and how many hours a week to do a season?

I saw there is a 14$ 3 month trial that sounds cheap, so did the free 30 day trial of WoW at the time

For the moment I have gone back in time, I tried some demos and I finally bought Race 07 and GTR Evolution it was going cheap off steam.