The Best Beginner GT3 Car on iRacing: Full Guide for New Drivers

When you take your first steps into the world of GT3's on iRacing, it can be a difficult experience as you test out different cars with varying characteristics trying to find the best one. We all know that the top 0.1% of drivers can find the 'meta' for each track, but what is the best car for beginners? Which car will help you stay on track, be fast at a majority of circuits and gain you iRating?

The bad news is: There is no such car in any sim or in real life (maybe aside from the W11... what a beast!). The fact is that each driver has their own unique driving style which may gel better with a specific car, layout, or setup. I'm sure you've heard this many times before, "just pick any GT3 until you get fast enough for it to make a difference".

The good news is: You don't have to worry. I have driven every GT3 car on iRacing as a beginner and now (without wishing to boast...) verging-on-intermediate driver. I've documented below the pros, cons, and characteristics of each car and have a definitive recommendation, so you don't have to waste countless hours of testing.

When I speak about each car, I am talking primarily about when using fixed setup, as most beginner GT3 drivers will either be driving fixed setup races or not have the knowledge yet to set up their own cars.

Before we get started... Yes, it is always best practice for you to test out each car and find what you're most comfortable with. There is plenty of good reason behind better drivers advising you to just pick whatever car you want until you get fast enough for it to matter. However, as hobbyists, many of us don't have that sort of time to spare without giving up valuable race time. Some of us may not even want to test. Sometimes it's better to just be told what you want to know and get started from there. So, please enjoy this guide, but understand its limitations and what the purpose of it is.

Right, let's get started.

Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22

The Acura NSX is a stable and predictable car on iRacing thanks to its mid-engined layout. The balance does side slightly towards understeer, however, that makes it much safer to drive for beginners. Small amounts of understeer can also be cured by efficient trail braking, which is an essential skill for any racing driver to learn.

Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO

Aston Martin's Vantage GT3 car is perhaps the most beautiful on the grid. It's also relatively easy to drive and get to grips with right out of the box, which can make it a good choice for beginner GT3 drivers. Although, it does lack a little bit of straight line speed with the fixed setup and doesn't feel as nimble as some of the mid-engine entries.

Audi R8 LMS EVO II GT3

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Audi on iRacing. It certainly sounds incredible, sharing the same 5.2 litre V10 as the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 (more on that shortly), but it doesn't have quite the same feel provided by the Lambo and tends to 'snap' quite easily. Unless you're feeling particularly brave, it won't be the car for you.

BMW M4 GT3 EVO

Yes, I love this car. Particularly in real life, it's one of the most striking-looking GT3s on the grid with that long nose and aggressive grille, and has a mean-sounding twin turbo V6 to boot. Although it is technically front-engined, and does still get good traction over the front tyres due to this, the engine sits so far back in the chassis that it is closer to a mid-engined layout, meaning it also has excellent car balance. As an all-rounder, this would be my number 2 pick.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R

To be honest, this is the GT3 I've driven the least over my time on iRacing. It has a nice V8 engine in a mid-engine configuration but the main reason I've not driven it a lot is that it doesn't really have too many defining characteristics. It is almost uninspiring and is rarely ever the best overall performer. For this reason, I think there are better options.

Ford Mustang GT3

One of the newest additions to the iRacing grid, Ford's GT3 Mustang is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a growling V8 matched by some of the best brakes on any GT3, so it goes and stops like no other. It also rides kerbs well, meaning it might skip past more cautious drivers in front. However, it can feel like a bit of a boat with the enormity of the body, especially in smaller, narrower tracks, and certainly isn't as nimble as some of the mid-engined cars.

Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO

The best sounding GT3 car on iRacing without a doubt. I've had the pleasure of hearing this car in real life and it is even more incredible in person. That screaming 5.2 litre V10 is mounted in the middle of the car, making the Lambo nicely balanced across a variety of corner types. It's not the most stable of the mid-engined cars though, so it's not my top pick.

McLaren 720S GT3 EVO

Whilst the McLaren 720S deals with corners beautifully, its 4 litre V8 engine is twin-turbocharged and suffers from a significant power spike on acceleration. All cars will spin the rears if you have too much steering lock on, accelerate too hard, or both, but the McLaren is particularly sensitive to this as the turbos tend to kick in as a big lump of power. The McLaren is a brilliant car if you're careful, but I wouldn't recommend it for first-timers.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020

The Mercedes, based on the road-going AMG GT, is a car that I don't race particularly often. For me, it's a bit 'vanilla ice cream' - good for everyone but great for no one. Despite the immense V8 under the extraordinarily long bonnet, I don't find the power too much to handle. It tends to be pretty strong on the straights, but it's not the best option for a good through-corner balance.

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

One of the most distinctive cars on the grid in terms of driving style, the Porsche is the only rear-engined GT3 car on iRacing and has a lot of traction out of slow corners thanks to that extra weight over the rear wheels. However, this layout is also conducive to understeer, especially when the fuel tank, located at the front, empties during a race and takes more weight off the front tyres. I used the Porsche a lot during my first forays into GT3 racing because the understeer is a safe characteristic for unconfident drivers, but I wouldn't recommend this as it taught me some bad habits in driving.

Ferrari 296 GT3

Finally, the prancing horse gallops into the frame. For me, the Ferrari 296 GT3 is the best car for beginner GT3 drivers on iRacing. I have been using it exclusively as of late and it took me from 1.6k to over 2.0k iRating in just 4 days. The 2.9 litre V6 is naturally aspirated and mounted centrally, providing both smooth power delivery and excellent through-corner balance. It is by far the most stable GT3 platform, meaning newer drivers won't be as harshly punished by small mistakes. It can still spin, like any car, if you're too aggressive on any of your inputs, but this is the best way to learn to modulate your throttle, trail brake properly, and execute smooth steering manoeuvers. The Ferrari, in my opinion, is the best car to learn the fundamentals of GT3 racing, which can be later transferred to other cars once you can feel the balance and predict how a car is likely to react based on your inputs.