Will Future Corvette Enthusiasts Learn their Passion from Video Games?

Corvettes are being run around world famous race tracks by the next generation of sports car enthusiast, from their living room.

The video above comes to us from the Turbo_ONE YouTube channel and it features footage of a C7 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray roaring around Laguna Seca Raceway in California. We get to ride along as the driver carefully steers the car through turns and pops through the gears, giving us the perfect perspective to experience the modern Vette racing around a legendary track. We can see the gauges, watch the track disappear in the rear-view and see everything that the driver sees.

The catch is that none of it is real. This Corvette, the driver and the track are all part of the racing game Assetto Corsa. With titles like this one and others such as Forza Motorsport and the Gran Turismo series, gamers have unlimited access to the greatest cars and the greatest tracks in the world without spending any more than it costs to buy the gaming system and the game itself. In providing young computer-savvy car-lovers access to these vehicles, these high-resolution videos games are teaching the next generation of supercar drivers to love and respect sports cars, like the Corvette.

Video Game Technology

For many people who don’t have any experience with modern video games, it might seem absurd to suggest that “driving” a car on a video game can come anywhere close to representing the actual act of driving, but driving simulators have come a long way over the course of the past decade. In the earlier days of driving and racing video games, the graphics were crude and the vehicle dynamics were as unrealistic as possible. However, as time has gone on, many video game companies have gone to great lengths to offer true driving and racing simulation.

Graphics are better than ever, giving the footage the most life-like appearance possible, but more importantly, the key focus for the leading titles has been to introduce the most realistic driving feel possible. As a result, gamers can get a feel for the real handling characteristics of these vehicles from the comfort of their own living room.

For those who still question the suggest that video game technology offers realistic driving dynamics, keep in mind that programs like the Nissan GT Academy have found skilled racers by monitoring their progress on the Gran Turismo video games. When these gamers were put in real cars on a real track, they showed that they had picked up driving and racing skills from the simulation.

The video above is a fine representation of the quality of graphics, and keep in mind Assetto Corsa is a four-year-old game. Newer games offer further improved graphics and driving dynamics.

Corvette Shines Bright

In the early days of the video game industry, the hottest models were cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini or other European automakers and that makes sense, since those cars typically offered the greatest performance of any road cars in the world. However, the modern Corvette has proven itself many times over to be one of the greatest sports cars in the world. In games like Assetto Corsa, Forza Motorsport of Gran Turismo, the C7 Corvette is one of the best vehicles available, with performance figures that rival far pricier machines.

Also, since the Corvette costs far less in real life than the top dogs from Ferrari or Lamborghini, the Chevy supercars are also more affordable on the video games. As a result, young gamers can get into a Corvette in the simulators more quickly than they can get into a Ferrari, making cars like the C6 ZR1, the C7 Z06 and the C7 ZR1 some of the very best cars on these games.

Young gamers succeed on video games with a Chevrolet Corvette and their passion for the brands grows. Over time, some of those young gamers grow up and eventually, they buy a Corvette. Sure, the video game didn’t lead directly to the purchase, but there is no question that these advanced video games are drawing young drivers to sports cars, like the Corvette.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com