iRacing Reveals Upgraded BMW GTP for Upcoming Season

iRacing has revealed an upgraded version of the BMW GTP, showing its commitment to the premium prototype category as the competitive season approaches. This update focuses on one of the sim’s key endurance-class vehicles, which participates in GTP-class events that reflect real-world IMSA WeatherTech Championship racing.

The development team at iRacing consistently updates licensed content between seasons. The revision of the BMW GTP is just another example of this trend. The car first joined the sim’s lineup as part of iRacing’s effort to keep up with the real-world rise of LMDh machinery, a class that’s changed prototype racing since 2023. Traxion.GG first highlighted the showcase, pointing out improvements to the visual model and physics.

This timing is crucial for competitive players. iRacing organizes its content around quarterly seasons, so updated car specs can directly influence how drivers develop setups and strategize for races. Depending on the extent of the physics changes, a revised BMW GTP could shift the competitive balance within the GTP class.

Currently, iRacing holds a score of 79 on Metacritic and boasts 84% positive reviews from 4,163 Steam users—solid ratings for a sim that operates on a subscription model, along with separate purchases for cars and tracks. This business model remains a hot topic among its user base, affecting how subscribers perceive the impact of individual content updates.

With 672 concurrent players on Steam as of now, the visible player count doesn’t fully represent its user base. iRacing predates Steam integration and keeps many players engaged through its standalone launcher. The $9.99 entry price on Steam serves as a gateway to the subscription, not a complete product purchase.

By The Numbers

Metacritic Score	79
Steam Positive Reviews	84% (4,163 reviews)
Current Steam Players	672
Steam Entry Price	$9.99
Platform Launch Year	2015 (Steam)

The community’s feelings about iRacing’s ongoing costs are quite strong. One Steam reviewer remarked: “A game that you pay a monthly sub to then have to buy each track and car you need for each season so you can compete in the class you have earned is a joke. You then get crashed into almost every race.” This frustration is a common sentiment—players need to consider the extra cost of the BMW GTP, as it’s a premium purchase on top of the base subscription.

What To Watch

• Whether the BMW GTP physics revision changes the competitive landscape in GTP-class official series once the new season starts—any significant performance differences will quickly show up in session data and community lap time comparisons.
• How iRacing tackles ongoing driver conduct issues in conjunction with content updates; better content won’t matter much if incident rates in lower-license races stay high enough to deter new subscribers.
• The overall LMDh content roadmap across other competing sims—Assetto Corsa Competizione and Le Mans Ultimate are also targeting the same audience hungry for prototypes, increasing pressure on iRacing to keep its licensed vehicles up to date.