SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Preview: Behind the Scenes: The GPL 1969 Mod

With the tire-model deficiency corrected, and being even faster than the 1967 cars, I was wondering if the ´69 cars would feel more like the ´65 cars, or if they would turn out to be even beastlier than the ´67 cars?

My first impressions were that they are a bit of both. Although the cars are faster, usually 2 to 3, or even 4 seconds per lap on the average 4 or 5 km circuit, they were also not quite so tricky to drive as the 1967 cars that came with the sim in the first place. Mind you, GPL a lá ´69 is still very good and heart-stopping fun.

Despite only having approximately 430 bhp, the weight of one of these cars makes for a power to weight ratio that is only a little shy of 1:1. This makes the cars seem very fast, and you'll have to be quick to keep up with them, at least that is my impression after trying the latest version of the mod.

When I first drove a car with working wings in GPL my impression was; this is amazing! This reminds me of the feel from the later Papy sims in terms of clues or feedback from the car to the driver. It's brilliant. You can almost feel the air buffeting against the car.

In my first test drive I set the front wings at their maximum value, and I will never ever again complain of a car not wanting to turn in!

With 0 wing front and rear, the car seems to jump just a bit further at Nürburgring's Flugplatz, but rest assured, it doesn't feel like the car is about to take off and entirely leave Planet Earth. Power is nothing without control though, and one has to land again, in control and without loosing too much momentum, so I'd advise some caution before deciding to push the pedal all the way down, even with some wing added!

During some problems I had, I once accidentally started GPL thinking I had selected the '69 physics. In reality I was unwittingly driving the stock '67, and what a total shock it was! Having been away from GPL '67 for some time, I really had difficulty keeping the cars on the road under braking and acceleration.

And perhaps this illustrates the main difference between an unmodded GPL, and GPL modded with either 1965 or 1969. The mods give you a lot more control, yet without dumbing-down GPL, and it manages to maintain that "GPL-feeling" that is so loved about GPL.

Imo the 1969 mod is as challenging and rewarding to drive as the unmodded GPL. The biggest difference is that you feel much more in control now.

The real drivers of 1969 commented about the early winged cars that they were understeering, or pushy by nature, and found that a quick stab at the throttle would be the right remedy to bring the car into oversteer.

This tactic I found worked quite well in the ´69 cars, especially when helping this characteristic along a bit by putting on 4 degrees of front wing and 0 degrees of rear wing.

And so, before you take out your new cars for the 1969 Formula 1 season — please try not to break them, they were lovingly prepared and tested — let me introduce you to the line-up of cars.

Wide rear tire equal lots of grip

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