Le Mans Ultimate: Hands-on with the 2024 Pack 5 DLC and LMGT3 tyre improvements

Le Mans Ultimate’s final slice of 2024 World Endurance Championship content is here at last, and just in time for the series’ blue riband event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Set to take place over the coming weekend, Le Mans is the jewel in the crown of endurance racing, so it seems fitting that LMU’s developer has chosen the track to make a big announcement this Friday. It could be something to do with the distinctive Aston Martin Valkyrie teaser showcased last week…

Regardless, we have a host of game improvements, two new LMGT3s and the Lusail International Circuit to evaluate ahead of their release on the 10th of June, so check out my thoughts on LMU’s latest content below.

Please note, I was given access to an early version of the update and DLC, so some aspects of the DLC and update may change ahead of release.

Lamborghini Huracán LMGT3 Evo2

The Lamborghini Huracán LMGT3 Evo2 only appeared in WEC for one season alongside its SC63 Hypercar stablemate, with both absent for 2025. However, its sonorous V10 exhaust note makes it a welcome addition to LMU, and will surely make it a favourite among the game’s community.

After witnessing Barwell Motorsport’s pair of Lamborghinis at Oulton Park recently, MSG and Studio 397 have captured the essence of the car’s external sounds beautifully, with the internal audio as polished as the other cars in-game. 

LMU’s audio is right up there in terms of accuracy with Assetto Corsa Competizione, but the sound of the car vibrating over Lusail’s Toblerone-like kerbs overpowers the mix at times. The same kerbs led to the car bottoming out occasionally, too, which is perhaps something to consider on other tracks.

In terms of handling, being a mid-engined car the Huracán feels less natural to drive from the get-go. It requires a light touch – you simply can’t barrel into corners and expect it to stick.

This makes it especially difficult to negotiate Lusail’s slow, late-apex turns, as any mid-corner adjustment in speed or direction can result in an unsaveable spin. And that’s the extra challenge of the Lamborghini: once it slips beyond a certain threshold, a spin is practically impossible to save.

Still, LMU players who have already mastered the likes of the Ferrari 296 LMGT3, McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R will feel right at home.

There are only two livery choices, however, with Iron Dames and Iron Lynx flavours. However, LMU is rolling out custom livery functionality in future, which should help immeasurably.

Lexus RC F LMGT3

The Lexus, in stark contrast, feels eminently chuckable. Where I had to second-guess my inputs in the Lamborghini, I simply bludgeoned corners into submission in the RC F.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the Lexus is the oldest GT3 model racing in WEC, but it feels so easy to drive, like it’s had nearly a decade of development to iron out its handling quirks (because it has). 

Obviously, the Balance of Performance calculation, where organising bodies the FIA and ACO match each car in WEC’s power, weight and aero numbers to create close racing, has a hand in keeping the Lexus relevant, has a part to play here, but when the car is so enjoyable to drive it doesn’t matter.

The RC F’s huge 5.4-litre V8 is typically thunderous, with the sound emitted from two side-mounted exhausts. The internal sound is fulsome too, but the car lacks a meaty gear change audio sample at this stage.

In many ways, the Lexus feels like the LMGT3 Ford Mustang: approachable yet potent, and it’s definitely my favourite of the two new cars.

Lusail International Circuit (Qatar)

Although Lusail doesn’t normally feature on sim racers’ top 10 track lists, it possesses a surprisingly flowy layout. At first glance, it looks flat and featureless, but the Qatari venue features subtly banked corners that allow you to put the power down much earlier than you’d expect.

There are two layouts; one is the International Circuit, which traditionally opens the WEC season, while the other is the 3.7 km long Short Circuit, providing a snappier version of the track.

Although Lusail features a lot of asphalt run-off areas, most are preceded by narrow gravel traps. These punish mistakes but also eliminate the possibility of gaining time from cutting the track, and they have a profound effect on car behaviour, especially with LMU’s Hypercars.

Speaking of which, Lusail is a different beast with the extra aero of the prototypes; where the LMGT3s feel slow and ponderous through some high-speed sections, the Hypercars are confidence-inspiring and lively.

The prevalence of wide, slow-speed corners should create plenty of hard racing online, with plenty of space for traffic to filter through the chaos.

New LMGT3 tyre mode and HUD improvements

LMU’s LMGT3 tyre model has undergone some changes in the new update, with the developers utilising feedback from real-world WEC drivers to refine the driving experience further.

The changes have moved the general balance of grip forwards in the class, negating the advantages of sliding the rear axle into and out of corners. Steering should now feel weightier at low speeds, too, with tyre heating characteristics adjusted to compensate.

In my short time with the new build of LMU, I felt the changes have been extremely subtle, but I did notice that at slower speeds, I felt more in tune with the car, especially the Lexus. 

The midship Lamborghini was a slightly trickier prospect, however, and I felt like it was much snappier, which, although a characteristic of its engine layout, was slightly alarming at times. However, I’m confident that after finessing the set-up and getting more seat time will alleviate most of these issues.

Players will no longer be able to clutch-in to save fuel now, with the clutch disabled outside first gear, with fuel saving now easier to track thanks to updates to the fuel tab in the game’s MFD.

Driver swaps, team management, custom liveires

Perhaps the most important feature of LMU’s latest update is the addition of driver swaps, custom liveries and advanced team management mechanics. Unfortunately, I was unable to test these features in any detail as they are online only and set to go live on the 10th of June.

For more detail, check out our preview article here, but suffice it to say that some of the more involved aspects of the above features will be available to subscribers of RaceControl Pro or RaceControl Pro+.

However, all players can create their own teams online and invite up to six drivers to it, assigning different roles depending on preference, including engineer, driver and manager. Larger teams require one of the RaceControl subscriptions, increasing your driver and team pool to 100 and 10, respectively.

Driver swaps will only be available initially in selected Special Events, before eventually being rolled out more widely at an unspecified time in the future, so it may be some time before you get your hands on this feature.

Custom liveries are also somewhat restricted, in that to create and upload your own ,you will require a RaceControl subscription. However, if your team owner has a subscription, you will be able to use a custom livery online, with all players being able to see paint schemes regardless of subscription level.

Although these additions are undoubtedly exciting, the caveat is that it’ll take some time for them to filter through into day-to-day LMU racing.

Le Mans Ultimate Pack 5 DLC release date and price

Le Mans Ultimate’s 2024 Pack 5 DLC and accompanying update will be available on the 10th of June 2025 from 1 PM UTC. 

The DLC will cost £9.99 / €11.99 / $12.99. Players can also purchase a season pass to gain all the 2024 content for £39.99 / €46.99 / $49.99.

Are you liking the look of Le Mans Ultimate’s Pack 5 DLC and accompanying update? Let us know if you’ll be buying it in the comments below.

Le Mans Ultimate Update 5 changelog

Headlines – Game 

• Added Team Events and Driver Swaps 

• Added support for Custom Liveries 

Headlines – Content 

• Added Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 GT3 as part of DLC Pack 5 

• Added Lexus RCF GT3 as park of DLC Pack 5 

• Added Lusail Circuit as part of DLC Pack 5 

• Added Showroom Environment for Custom Liveries 

Driver Labels 

• Fixed driver labels not fading in and out smoothly online. 

Gameplay 

• Fixed rain lights not showing correctly when the track is wet but it’s not raining. 

• Fixed various issues around best sector reports in results files 

• Prevented the use of time acceleration when the user is driving. 

• Refined behaviour for changing to wet tyres for both AI and player recommendations. • Removed auto pit request for worn tyres and added an Engineer message instead • Updated classification so that DNFd cares are classified below everybody else who finished the race. • Updated race length calculations to use accurate pitlane time loss predictions and median lap times 

Graphics 

• Fixed flashing weather/sky issues at start of sessions online 

• Fixed headlight pulse not functioning when the previous session completed with the function activated. 

HUD 

• Fixed an occasional game crash when clearing HUD notifications 

• Fixed chat input box remaining on screen after being used. 

• Fixed fastest lap time always displaying as a split when sector is selected in the MFD • Fixed HUD race lap length occasionally showing an extra lap when the leader has finished • Fixed standings panel showing lap differences by one too many laps when behind. • Fixed time differences on standings panel being incorrect once cars have finished a race. • Fixed VE colours on HUD are not applied for opponent cars in multiplayer 

• Improved robustness of tracking fastest laptimes online when clients leave 

• Removed lap target from Electronics menu as it’s now configurable in the Fuel menu

• Updated Fuel MFD tab with improved fuel saving information 

• Updated strategy panel to show required fuel when requesting a pit stop 

Input 

• Fixed input interpolation to reduce noise, resulting in significantly lower FFB noise when turning the wheel • Interpolate inputs per axis and corrected input sample time stamps to reduce aliasing 

Java Removal 

• Endpoint to view DLC in Steam overlay is missing 

Limited Tyre Rules 

• Don’t change tyres when returning to garage when tyre limits are enforced 

Online 

• Fixed chat messages not outputting to results files anymore 

• Fixed limited tyres are always shown as unlimited on all online registration pages • Fixed practice servers loading a new practice session after ending 

Physics 

• Added clutch protection 

• Updates to the way brake bias migration is applied 

Protests 

• Added 2h cooldown to Protests Creation 

• Updated front end protest options and made timestamp mandatory 

RaceControl 

• Added event caching to race control 

• Added Maintenance Mode Notifications 

• Implement Updated Profile Component Navigation 

• Updated Daily Race Screens 

• Updated RC Panel Online Menu Design 

Race Starts 

• Added start groups to formation lap 

• Always enabled driving guide for first row 

• Lock controls during formation until the game tells the player to start driving 

Race Weekend 

• Fixed right click not adjusting available tyres in larger steps. 

Save & Load 

• Fixed a set of tyres being lost when loading a backup or manual save 

Settings & Profiles 

• Added PXN default controller profile

Sound 

• Fixed some sound effects sometimes permanently breaking if the game is paused and unpaused • Updated OpenAL to fix spatial perception of reverb 

Track Limits 

• Added pit lane cut detection 

• Added Track Limits investigation resolutions to results files 

• Extended return illegal pass duration to 20s 

• Increased relative speed other cars need to travel at register an illegal pass 

• Reduced threshold to receive a warning in Race Sessions on Strict Mode 

User Interface 

• Added new background images 

• Fixed Next race title clipping on the online screen 

• Fixed selecting hosted servers removes the daily race tabs 

Track Updates 

• Added new sound profile to flat curbs on all tracks. 

• Standardized fast rolling starts on all tracks to be 1km or 1.5km from finish line depending on grid capacity. • Updated all tracks so that crowds are in race capacity in all sessions. 

Circuit de la Sarthe  

• Added crowd underpass at Tetre Rouge 

• Added secondary crowd fences 

• Added small chalet at Tetre Rouge 

• Added various tents, flags and props at various areas around the circuit. 

• Barrier corrections outside Corvette Cruves 

• Corrected pit exit cone materials 

• Corrected Porsche bridge location 

• Corrected various building colours down the Mulsanne straight. 

• Extend pitwall security walls near podium 

• Fixed finish line decal floating slightly 

• Fixed Light Pole positioning outside Corvette curves 

• Fixed light poles not rendered on low circuit detail settings 

• Fixed missing barrier collisions on Mulsanne straight 

• Fixed nightlighting not working correctly on pit exit marshals 

• Fixed some floating crowds before Tetre Rouge 

• Fixed some minor uvw issues on some road skidmarks 

• Reviewed camera men placement 

• Reviewed crowd placement, increased density in some areas. 

• Reviewed various marshal placements such as before Tetre Rouge 

• Reviewed VIP stands approaching T1 and Ford Chicanes 

• Tweak foliage materials 

• Update 24h fencing graphics 

• Updated advertising to 2024 

• Updated fencing and assets in spectator area to the left after Dunlop bridge

• Updated secondary fencing / view blockers at Arnage 

• Updated secondary fencing in general such as near Tetre Rouge 

• Updated some grandstand seat colours 

• Updated terrain accuracy near Corvette Curves with support pitlane and other minor details • Updated terrain and road materials 

Spa-Francorchamps  

• Added Ferris Wheel opposite Endurance Pitlane 

• Fixed crane pop in when approaching final chicane 

• Fixed fast rolling start locations being off track in the right lane 

• Fixed mesh smoothing on distance markers at T1 

• Fixed sign clipping through armco 

• Fixed some foliage placement issues 

• Fixed various pop ins 

• Updated generic assets opposite Endurance Pit lane 

Bahrain  

• Fixed car specular lighting issues when inside pit building 

• Fixed various asset pop ins 

Fuji  

• Fixed various asset pop ins 

Circuit of the Americas  

• Fixed various asset pop ins 

Sebring  

• Fixed various asset pop in 

Monza  

• Fixed various asset pop ins 

Imola  

• Fixed various asset pop ins 

Car Updates 

• Corrected cockpit flag display texture 

• Fixed various cars cockpit displays being too dim at night time. 

• Made wiper LOD out the same for all cars, and pushed it further out to reduce popping • Standardized certain car headlight settings 

• Added clutch restriction which disallows use of clutch above 2nd gear and above 60kph • Adjusted GT3 ABS maps to latest tyre iteration 

• Adjusted GT3 traction control ranges to latest tyre iteration 

• Adjusted tyre slip sound thresholds to latest tyre iteration 

• Fuel consumption should correlate better now across GT3s and at different RPM values. Short shifting has  slightly less benefit.

• Hypercar BOP: Alpine -10kg, BMW -5kg, Cadillac -5kg, Ferrari +15kg LM & +10kg elsewhere, Peugeot  Wingless -5kg, Porsche -10kg 

• Removed delay in pit stop time when pit stop has not been requested 

• Review GT3 engine heating/cooling parameters 

• Revised FFB Equalization for GT3 & new tyres 

• Revised GT3 AI for physics updates 

• Updates to GT3 Tyres, shifting forward balance, adjustments to reduce the benefits to sliding, heating  adjustments and increased steering weight at lower speeds. 

Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 

• Added missing steering wheel adjuster 

• Corrected font issues 

• Fixed too bright Porsche GT3 brake glows 

• Correcting setup labelling of Front and rear brake duct blanking to show a % symbol. 

Cadillac V-Series.R  

• Added missing suit and helmet for 2024 #311 

• Fixed Cadillac headlights popping in 

• Fixed missing driver suit and helmet for #2 Cadillacs 

• Fixed z fighting on headlight glass 

• Updated steering animation 

BMW M4 LMGT3  

• Adjusted lap amount clipping outside box when hitting triple digits 

• Fixed gaps on hood 

• Fixed headlight and tail light LOD distances 

• Fixed object poking through roof 

• Updated Gear Ratios 

• Updated to Include proper aero data and engine BSFC maps (more accurate fuel consumption vs RPM). 

Lamborghini SC63 LMDh  

• Corrected #63 Le Mans logos 

• Improved rpm light texture 

Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3  

• Corrected flag display 

• Fixed gap in shadow mesh 

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R  

• Fixed carbon fibre not showing on body 

Ferrari 499P  

• Fixed driver suits not showing on #50 and #51 

• Fixed hybrid status light not being centre

McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo  

• Fixed gap on side intakes 

• Improved rain light visibility 

• Updated physics from new data on aero and suspension 

Oreca 07  

• Fixed gaps in shadow mesh 

• Updated LMP2 tyre physics with balance adjustments and slightly more aggressive slip curve. • Tweaked idle sound 

Ferrari 488 GTE EVO  

• Fixed LOD3 smoothing issues 

Toyota GR010  

• Fixed missing ERS light 

BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh  

• Fixed missing glove textures on #20 LM 

Alpine A424 LMDh  

• Fixed number plate not being masked on dirt map 

Porsche 911 RSR -19  

• Fixed Rexys wing supports not being green 

Ferrari 296 LMGT3  

• Fixed wiper LOD out distance 

• Fixed draft Issues with Ferrari 296 at Eau Rouge 

• Reviewed damper setting ranges 

Porsche 963  

• Removed front brake disk cover