iRacing 720S GT3 McLaren Vehicle User Manual
- September 28, 2024
- iRacing
Table of Contents
720S GT3 McLaren Vehicle
“`html
Specifications
-
Chassis: Double-wishbone front and rear
suspension -
Length: 4664 mm (183.6 in)
-
Width: 2040 mm (80.3 in)
-
Wheelbase: 2696 mm (106.1 in)
-
Dry Weight: 1300 kg (2932 lbs)
-
Wet Weight with Driver: 1494 kg (3293
lbs) -
Power Unit: Twin-turbocharged, flat-plane
V8 -
Displacement: 4.0 Liters (244 CID)
-
RPM Limit: 8000 RPM
-
Torque: 492 lb-ft (667 Nm)
-
Power: 531 bhp (396 kW)
Product Usage Instructions
Getting Started
1. Select an appropriate setup from the Garage menu.
2. Start the car by selecting the upshift button and pressing
the accelerator pedal.
3. The car uses a sequential transmission; no clutch input is
needed for shifting.
4. Be mindful of downshift protection to prevent engine
damage.
Loading an iRacing Setup
To load an iRacing setup:
1. Upon session entry, the baseline setup will load
automatically.
2. To use a pre-built setup, navigate to Garage > iRacing
Setups and select the desired setup.
3. Customize your setup in the garage and click apply to save
changes.
4. Save your setup for future use by clicking Save As and
providing a name.
5. To access all saved setups, click My Setups in the garage
menu.
Dash Configuration
The McLaren 720S GT3 EVO features a three-page digital display
in the dash. Set the default display page in the garage and change
pages via the In-Car Adjustments black box.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How do I access baseline setups for different tracks?
A: Open the Garage, click iRacing Setups, and select the
appropriate setup for your desired track.
Q: Can I share my customized setup with others?
A: Yes, you can share your setup with other drivers by selecting
the Share option in the garage menu.
“`
USER MANUAL MCLAREN 720S GT3
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CLICK TO VIEW A SECTION
GENER AL INFORM AT ION
A Message From iRacing » Tech Specs » Introduction »
Getting Started » Loading An iRacing Setup » Dash Pages »
ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
Tires & Aero » Tire Data » Aero Balance Calculator »
Chassis » Front » In-Car Dials » Front Corners » Rear Corners » Rear » Gears /
Differential »
Dampers »
SETUP TIPS
Setup Tips » Aerodynamic Targets and Adjustments » Chassis Adjustments »
Differential Adjustments »
MCLAREN 720S GT3 | USER MANUAL
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DEAR iRACING USER, Congratulations on your purchase of the Mclaren 720S GT3!
From all of us at iRacing, we appreciate your support and your commitment to
our product. We aim to deliver the ultimate sim racing experience, and we hope
that you’ll find plenty of excitement with us behind the wheel of your new
car! The following guide explains how to get the most out of your new car,
from how to adjust its settings off of the track to what you’ll see inside of
the cockpit while driving. We hope that you’ll find it useful in getting up to
speed. Thanks again for your purchase, and we’ll see you on the track!
3
MCLAREN 720S GT3 | TECH SPECS
CHASSIS
DOUBLE-WISHBONE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION
LENGTH
4664 mm
183.6 in
WIDTH
2040 mm
80.3 in
WHEELBASE
2696 mm
106.1 in
DRY WEIGHT
1300 kg
2932 lbs
WET WEIGHT WITH DRIVER
1494 kg
3293 lbs
POWER UNIT
TWIN-TURBOCHARGED, FLAT-PLANE V8
DISPLACEMENT
4.0 Liters
244 CID
RPM LIMIT
8000 RPM
TORQUE
492 lb-ft
667 Nm
POWER
531 bhp
396 kW
MCLAREN 720S GT3 | USER MANUAL
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The information found in this guide is intended to provide a deeper
understanding of the chassis setup adjustments available in the garage, so
that you may use the garage to tune the chassis setup to your preference.
Before diving into chassis adjustments, though, it is best to become familiar
with the car and track. To that end, we have provided baseline setups for each
track commonly raced by these cars.
To access the baseline setups, simply open the Garage, click iRacing Setups,
and select the appropriate setup for your track of choice. If you are driving
a track for which a dedicated baseline setup is not included, you may select a
setup for a similar track to use as your baseline.
GETTING STARTED
After you have selected an appropriate setup, get on track and focus on making smooth and consistent laps, identifying the proper racing line and experiencing tire wear and handling trends over a number of laps.
Once you load into the car, getting started is as easy as selecting the “upshift” button to put it into gear, and hitting the accelerator pedal. This car uses a sequential transmission and does not require a clutch input to shift in either direction.
However the car’s downshift protection will not allow you to downshift if it feels you are traveling too fast for the gear selected and would incur engine damage. If that is the case, the gear change command will simply be ignored.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | INTRODUCTION
LOADING AN iRACING SETUP
Upon loading into a session, the car will automatically load the iRacing
Baseline setup [baseline.sto]. If you would prefer one of iRacing’s pre-built
setups that suit various conditions, you may load it by clicking Garage >
iRacing Setups > and then selecting the setup to suit your needs.
If you would like to customize the setup, simply make the changes in the
garage that you would like to update and click apply.
If you would like to save your setup for future use click “Save As” on the
right to name and save the changes. To access all of your personally saved
setups, click “My Setups” on the right side of the garage.
If you would like to share a setup with another driver or everyone in a
session, you can select “Share” on the right side of the garage to do so.
If a driver is trying to share a setup with you, you will find it under
“Shared Setups” on the right side of the garage as well.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | DASH PAGES
DASH CONFIGURATION
The McLaren 720S GT3 EVO features a three-page digital display mounted in the
dash to provide information to the driver as clearly as possible. The default
display page can be set in the garage and the page can be changed from within
the car via the In-Car Adjustments black box.
RACE 1 DASH CONFIGURATION
Top Row Map TC1 & TC2 ABS FUNC
Center RPM
Current Throttle Shape Setting Current Traction Control system setting. These
values are linked and will show the same value Current Anti-Lock Brake System
setting Inoperative
Engine RPM is shown at the top of the center column
Gear
The currently selected gear is shown in the center of the display
Speed Left Cluster Predicted Laptime Lap Delta Last Lap Laps Water Temp
Battery Volts Right Cluster
Tire Pressure Text
Tire Carcass Temperatures Fuel Used Fuel Level Fuel Last Lap
Vehicle speed, in kph or mph, is shown beneath the gear indicator
The estimated lap time for the current lap, shown live, based on previous laps
and current time delta. Current time difference between the current lap and
the previous best lap time The previously completed lap time Number of laps
completed since leaving the garage Engine cooling water temperature (°C or
°F). This value is color-coded: Blue is cold, white is optimum operating
temperature, and red is overheated. Current electrical system voltage
Within the “Tyre Data” section, the live Tire Pressures are shown as the upper
number for each corner of the car. These values are color-coded: Blue is low
pressure indicating a new, cold tire, White is optimum pressure, Red is over-
inflated. In the center of the Tire Data cluster are four blocks serving as
visual representations of the Tire Pressures, Blue is a cold, low-pressure
tire, Green is optimum pressure, Orange indicates the high pressure of a hot
tire. Live tire carcass temperatures are shown beneath the pressures, color-
coded in the same way as the pressures: Blue is too cold, White is optimum,
and Red is over-heated. Amount of fuel used since leaving the pits Amount of
fuel currently in the fuel tank Amount of fuel used on the previous lap
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | DASH PAGES
RACE 2 DASH CONFIGURATION
The Race2 page is similar to the Race1 page, however the cluster of information on the right displays information about the braking system.
Right Cluster Brake Temperature
Tire Pressure Icons Brake Balance F
The brake rotor temperatures are shown on the right side, in °C or °F, in
color-coded values: Blue is cold, white is optimum, and red is overheated.
As with Race1, the tire pressures are shown as color-coded blocks to convey
when the tires are at optimum pressures or are under- or over-inflated.
The current brake bias setting, in % to the front, is shown below the Brake
Temperatures and Tire Pressures.
QUALI DASH CONFIGURATION
The QUALI page strips away most of the information from the race page and gives the driver only the essentials needed for Qualifying sessions. The upper and center sections are the same as the Race pages, however the left and right clusters change.
Left Cluster Time Delta Bar Last Laptime
The current time delta is shown as both a graphical bar and a value beneath
the bar, comparing the current lap against the fastest lap of the session.
The lap time for the previously completed lap
Right Cluster Predicted Laptime
Tire Pressures
The estimated lap time for the current lap, shown live, based on previous laps and current time delta. The live Tire Pressures are shown for each corner of the car below the Predicted Lap time. These values are color-coded: Blue is under-inflated, white is optimum pressure, red is over-inflated.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | DASH PAGES
PIT SPEED LIMITER
Whenever the Pit Speed Limiter is activated the display will automatically switch to a dedicated screen to assist with pit road entry and maintaining pit road speed.
Dash Information Speed
The car’s speed is shown at the top of the screen in the center
Tire Pressures
Tire pressures are shown below the speed in the center of the display
Gear Brake Balance F Fuel Used Pitlane Timer Coolant Temp
Screen Color
The currently-selected gear is shown at the bottom-center This shows the
current brake bias setting The amount of fuel used since the last time the car
left the pits Time spent on pit road since the limiter was activated
Engine cooling water temperature (°C or °F). This value is color-coded: Blue
is cold, white is optimum operating temperature, and red is overheated. The
Pit Limiter Screen will change color based on how fast the vehicle is
traveling in relation to the pit road speed limit for the current track. If
the speed is much faster than the pit road speed limit the screen will be
black, changing to red when the speed is 10-20kph above the limit, yellow when
the speed is 3-10kph above the limit, and green when the speed matches the pit
road speed limit.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | DASH PAGES
SHIFT & STATUS LIGHTS
Surrounding the digital display is a series of LED lights to quickly convey
information about car performance and assist with shifting.
When the optimum RPM for an upshift is approaching, the entire set of LEDs
will illuminate in blue. Drivers should initiate the upshift when these solid
blue lights appear.
The goal is for the shift to occur when the blue/red LEDs appear (driver
reaction time considered).
In the event of wheel lockup, LEDs on the side of the display will illuminate to represent which wheel is locking. Front wheels are indicated by yellow LEDs and rear wheels are indicated by green LEDs. Whenever the Traction Control system is on and attempting to reduce wheelspin, a blue LED will illuminate on the left side of the display.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
This section is aimed toward more advanced users who want to dive deeper into
the different aspects of the vehicle’s setup. Making adjustments to the
following parameters is not required and can lead to significant
changes in the way a vehicle handles. It is recommended that any adjustments
are made in an incremental fashion and only singular variables are adjusted
before testing changes.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | TIRES & AERO
TIRES & AERO
TIRE DATA
TIRE TYPE
Tires fitted to the Mclaren 720S GT3 car can be changed based on weather
conditions. The Dry option fits a slick tire intended for dry track conditions
while the Wet option fits a treaded tire for wet track surfaces.
COLD PRESSURE / STARTING PRESSURE
The air pressure in the tires when the car is loaded into the world. Lower
pressures will provide more grip but will produce more rolling drag and build
temperature faster. Higher pressures will feel slightly more responsive and
produce less rolling drag, but will result in less grip. Generally, higher
pressures are preferred at tracks where speeds are higher while lower
pressures work better at slower tracks where mechanical grip is important.
LAST HOT PRESSURE
When the car returns to the garage after an on-track stint, the tire pressure
will be displayed as Hot Pressure. The difference between cold and hot
pressure is a good way to see how tires are being loaded and worked while on
track. Tires seeing more work will build more pressure, and paying attention
to which tires are building more pressure and adjusting cold pressure to
compensate can be crucial for optimizing tire performance.
LAST TEMPS
The tire carcass temperatures (measured within the tread) are displayed after
the car returns from the track. These temperatures are an effective way to
determine how much work or load a given tire is experiencing while on track.
Differences between the inner and outer temperatures can be used to tune
individual wheel alignment and the center temperatures can be compared to the
outer temperatures to help tune tire pressure.
TREAD REMAINING
The amount of tread on the tire, displayed as a percentage of a new tire, is
shown below the tire temperatures. These values are good for determining how
far a set of tires can go before needing to be replaced, but don’t necessarily
indicate an under- or over-worked tire in the same way temperatures will.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | TIRES & AERO
AERO BALANCE CALCULATOR
The Aero Calculator is a tool provided to aid in understanding the shift in
aerodynamic balance associated with adjustment of the rear wing setting and
front and rear ride heights. It is important to note that the values for front
and rear ride height displayed here DO NOT result in any mechanical changes to
the car itself, however, changes to the rear wing angle here WILL be applied
to the car. This calculator is a reference tool ONLY.
FRONT RH AT SPEED
The Ride Height (RH) at Speed is used to give the Aero Calculator heights to
reference for aerodynamic calculations. When using the aero calculator,
determine the car’s Front Ride height via telemetry at any point on track and
input that value into the “Front RH at Speed” setting. It is advisable to use
an average value of the LF and RF ride heights as this will provide a more
accurate representation of the current aero platform rather than using a
single corner height.
REAR RH AT SPEED
The Ride Height (RH) at Speed is used to give the Aero Calculator heights to
reference for aerodynamic calculations. When using the aero calculator,
determine the car’s Rear Ride height via telemetry at any point on track and
input that value into the “Front RH at Speed” setting. It is advisable to use
an average value of the LR and RR ride heights as this will provide a more
accurate representation of the current aero platform rather than using a
single corner height.
REAR WING ANGLE
The Rear Wing Angle refers to the relative angle of attack of the rear wing,
this is a powerful aerodynamic device which has a significant impact upon the
total downforce (and drag) produced by the car as well as shifting the
aerodynamic balance of the car rearwards with higher settings. Increasing the
rear wing angle results in more total cornering grip capability in medium to
high speed corners but will also result in a reduction of straight line speed.
Rear wing angle should be adjusted in conjunction with front and rear ride
heights, specifically the difference between front and rear ride heights known
as “rake”. To retain the same overall aerodynamic balance it is necessary to
increase the rake of the car when increasing the rear wing angle.
The Wing Angle value in the Aero Calculator section is tied directly to the
Wing Angle in the Chassis page’s Rear section. Changing one will automatically
change the other. Information on how much to adjust ride heights for a given
wing angle change can be found in the Setup Tips section of this guide.
FRONT DOWNFORCE
This value displays the proportion of downforce acting at the front axle for
the given wing and ride height combination set within the calculator
parameters. This value is an instantaneous representation of your aero balance
at this exact set of parameters and it can be helpful to pick multiple points
around a corner or section of track to understand how the aerodynamic balance
is moving in differing situations such as braking, steady state cornering and
accelerating at corner exit. A higher forwards percentage will result in more
oversteer in mid to high speed corners.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
CHASSIS
FRONT
ARB BLADES
The ARB Blades (or arms) can be adjusted to further tune the suspension roll
stiffness beyond only the ARB size setting. This option changes the
orientation of the ARB blades and are given numerical values for simplicity,
with #1 being the softest option and the blades becoming stiffer as the value
is decreased to the minimum setting of #8. Stiffer blade settings will
increase front roll stiffness and induce understeer while softer blade
settings will reduce front roll stiffness and reduce understeer.
TOTAL TOE-IN
Toe is the angle of the wheel, when viewed from above, relative to the
centerline of the chassis. Toe-in is when the front of the wheels are closer
to the centerline than the rear of the wheels, and Toeout (Negative value in
the garage) is the opposite. On the front end, adding toe-out will increase
slip in the inside tire and decrease straight-line stability while adding toe-
in will reduce the slip and increase straight-line stability.
FRONT MASTER CYLINDER
The Front Brake Master Cylinder size can be changed to alter the line pressure
to the front brake calipers. A larger master cylinder will reduce the line
pressure to the front brakes, which will shift the brake bias rearwards and
increase the pedal effort required to lock the front wheels. A smaller master
cylinder will increase brake line pressure to the front brakes, shifting brake
bias forward and reducing required pedal effort to lock the front wheels.
REAR MASTER CYLINDER
The Rear Brake Master Cylinder size can be changed to alter the line pressure
to the rear brake calipers. A larger master cylinder will reduce the line
pressure to the rear brakes, which will shift the brake bias forwards and
increase the pedal effort required to lock the rear wheels. A smaller master
cylinder will increase brake line pressure to the rear brakes, shifting brake
bias rearward and reducing required pedal effort to lock the rear wheels.
BRAKE PADS
The vehicle’s braking performance can be altered via the Brake Pad Compound.
The “Low” setting provides the least friction, reducing the effectiveness of
the brakes but allowing the most modulation, while “Medium” and “High” provide
more friction and increase the effectiveness of the brakes but allow the least
modulation.
ENDURANCE LIGHTS
An extra set of headlights can be installed for night racing to increase
driver visibility. Installing these will not affect vehicle performance.
NIGHT LED STRIP COLOR
The color of LED strips over the doors. These are used to quickly identify the
car during a night session.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
IN-CAR DIALS
BRAKE PRESSURE BIAS
Brake Bias is the percentage of braking force that is being sent to the front
brakes. Values above 50% result in greater pressure in the front brake line
relative to the rear brake line which will shift the brake balance forwards
increasing the tendency to lock up the front tires but potentially increasing
overall stability in braking zones. This should be tuned for both driver
preference and track conditions to get the optimum braking performance for a
given situation.
ABS SETTING
The current ABS map the car is using. Twelve positions are available: Position
2 has the least intervention/support, position 12 has the most support, and
position 1 disables the ABS completely. More intervention reduces the
possibility of and the duration of lockups during braking but can result in
longer braking distances if the system is set overly aggressive for the amount
of available grip. Positions 2-7 should be used in dry conditions with
settings 8-12 for wet conditions. This can be changed in-car via the ABS
setting.
TRACTION CONTROL SETTING
The Traction Control setting determines how aggressively the ECU cuts engine
torque in reaction to rear wheel spin. Twelve positions are available:
Settings 2-12 range from least intervention/sensitivity (position 2) to the
highest intervention/sensitivity (position 12) while position 1 disables the
traction control completely. More intervention will result in less wheelspin
and less rear tire wear but can reduce overall performance if the traction
control is cutting engine torque too aggressively and stunting corner exit
acceleration. Settings 2-7 are for dry conditions and settings 8-12 are for
wet conditions. This can be changed in-car via the TC1 & TC2 settings. TC1 and
TC2 are linked together at this time.
THROTTLE SHAPE SETTING
The Throttle Shape setting will adjust how linear the torque delivery is based
on the throttle pedal position. There are 3 Settings. Setting 1 is purely
linear, with a given percent of throttle delivering a similar percentage of
max torque (25% throttle = 25% torque). Setting 2 is a more aggressive, it
provides more torque at low throttle angles. Setting 3 is a gradual torque
request for use in wet conditions.
DISPL AY PAGE
Changes the currently selected digital dash page. Three options are available
as previously described in the dash configuration section of this manual.
CROSS WEIGHT
The percentage of total vehicle weight in the garage acting across the right
front and left rear corners. A setting of 50.0% is generally optimal for non-
oval tracks as this will produce symmetrical handling in both left and right
hand corners providing all other chassis settings are symmetrical. Higher than
50% cross weight will result in more understeer in left hand corners and
increased oversteer in right hand corners. Cross weight can be adjusted by
making changes to the ride heights at each corner of the car.
NOSE WEIGHT
The percentage of total vehicle weight on the front two tires. This always
includes the driver. It varies with fuel load.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
FRONT CORNERS
CORNER WEIGHT
The weight underneath each tire under static conditions in the garage. Correct
weight arrangement around the car is crucial for optimizing a car for a given
track and conditions. Individual wheel weight adjustments and crossweight
adjustments are made via the ride height adjustments at each corner.
RIDE HEIGHT
Distance from the ground to the floor of the car at the front axle centerline.
Adjusting Ride Heights is key for optimum performance, as they can directly
influence the vehicle’s aerodynamic performance as well as mechanical grip.
Increasing front ride height will decrease front downforce as well as decrease
overall downforce, but will allow for more weight transfer across the front
axle when cornering. Conversely, reducing front ride height will increase
front and overall downforce, but reduce the weight transfer across the front
axle.
BUMP RUBBER GAP
The distance the damper will travel before engaging the bump rubber. This will
result in a much stiffer suspension and will provide better aerodynamic
platform control and better stability in highspeed corners but it will reduce
grip in low-speed corners and over rough surfaces. Lower values will engage
the bump rubber sooner and higher values will delay engagement to allow for a
more compliant suspension.
SPRING RATE
This setting determines the installed corner spring stiffness. Stiffer springs
will result in a smaller variance in ride height between high and low load
cases and will produce superior aerodynamic performance through improved
platform control. However overly stiff springs will result in increased tire
load variation which will manifest as a loss in mechanical grip. Typically the
drawbacks of stiffer springs will become more pronounced on rougher tracks and
softer springs in these situations will result in increased overall
performance. Corner spring changes will influence both roll and pitch control
of the platform and ARB changes should be considered when altering corner
spring stiffnesses in order to retain the same front to rear roll stiffness
and overall balance. When reducing corner spring stiffness the ARB stiffness
should be increased to retain the same roll stiffness as previously.
CAMBER
Camber is the vertical angle of the wheel relative to the center of the
chassis. Negative camber is when the top of the wheel is closer to the chassis
centerline than the bottom of the wheel, positive camber is when the top of
the tire is farther out than the bottom. Due to suspension geometry and corner
loads, negative camber is desired on all four wheels. Higher negative camber
values will increase the cornering force generated by the tire, but will
reduce the amount of longitudinal grip the tire will have under braking.
Excessive camber values can produce very high cornering forces but will also
significantly reduce tire life, so it is important to find a balance between
life and performance. Increasing front camber values will typically result in
increased front axle grip during mid to high speed cornering but will result
in a loss of braking performance and necessitate a rearward shift in brake
bias to compensate.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
REAR CORNERS
CORNER WEIGHT
The weight underneath each tire under static conditions in the garage. Correct
weight arrangement around the car is crucial for optimizing a car for a given
track and conditions. Individual wheel weight adjustments and crossweight
adjustments are made by changing individual corner ride heights.
RIDE HEIGHT
Distance from ground to the bottom surface of the car’s floor at the rear axle
centerline. Increasing rear ride height will decrease rear downforce as well
as increase overall downforce and will allow for more weight transfer across
the rear axle when cornering. Conversely, reducing ride height will increase
rear downforce percentage but reduce overall downforce while reducing the
weight transfer across the rear axle. Rear ride height is a critical tuning
component for both mechanical and aerodynamic balance considerations and
static rear ride heights should be considered and matched to the chosen rear
corner springs for optimal performance.
BUMP RUBBER GAP
The distance the damper will travel before engaging the bump rubber. This will
result in a much stiffer suspension and will provide better aerodynamic
platform control and better stability in highspeed corners but it will reduce
grip in low-speed corners and over rough surfaces. Lower values will engage
the bump rubber sooner and higher values will delay engagement to allow for a
more compliant suspension. Engaging the bump rubbers on the rear can keep the
chassis off the track in high-load situations to keep the car from bottoming
out on the track, like Daytona, but due to the increased stiffness it can make
the car more difficult to control when cornering or during throttle
application.
SPRING RATE
Similar to the front axle, stiffer springs will result in a smaller variance
in ride height between high and low load cases and will produce superior
aerodynamic performance through improved platform control at the expense of
mechanical grip. This can be particularly prominent when exiting slow speed
corners with aggressive throttle application. Stiffer springs will tend to
react poorly during these instances especially so on rough tracks which will
result in significant traction loss. Spring stiffness should be matched to the
needs of the racetrack and set such that the handling balance is consistent
between high and low speed cornering. As an example case, a car which suffers
from high speed understeer but low speed oversteer could benefit from an
increase in rear spring stiffness. This will allow for a lower static rear
height which will reduce rear weight transfer during slow speed cornering
while maintaining or even increasing the rear ride height in high speed
cornering to shift the aerodynamic balance forwards and reduce understeer.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
REAR CORNERS
CAMBER As with the front of the car it is desirable to run significant amounts
of negative camber in order to increase the lateral grip capability; however,
it is typical to run slightly reduced rear camber relative to the front. This
is primarily for two reasons, firstly, the rear tires are wider compared to
the fronts and secondly the rear tires must also perform the duty of driving
the car forwards where benefits of camber to lateral grip become a tradeoff
against reduced longitudinal (traction) performance.
REAR
TOE-IN
Toe is the angle of the wheel, when viewed from above, relative to the
centerline of the chassis. Toe-in is when the front of the wheel is closer to
the centerline than the rear of the wheel, and Toe-out is the opposite. At the
rear of the car it is typical to run toe-in. Increases in toe-in will result
in improved straight line stability and a reduction in response during
direction changes. Large values of toe-in should be avoided if possible as
this will increase rolling drag and reduce straight line speeds. When making
rear toe changes remember that the values are for each individual wheel as
opposed to paired as at the front. This means that individual values on the
rear wheels are twice as powerful as the combined adjustment at the front of
the car when the rear toes are summed together. Generally, it is advised to
keep the left and right toe values equal to prevent crabbing or asymmetric
handling behavior; however, heavily asymmetric tracks such as Lime Rock Park
may see a benefit in performance from running asymmetric configurations of
rear toe and other setup parameters.
FUEL LEVEL
The amount of fuel in the fuel tank when the car is loaded into the world.
ARB BLADES
The ARB Blades (or arms) can be adjusted to further tune the suspension roll
stiffness beyond only the ARB size setting. This option changes the
orientation of the ARB blades and are given numerical values for simplicity,
with #1 being the softest option and the blades becoming stiffer as the value
is increased to the maximum setting of #7. Stiffer blade settings will
increase rear roll stiffness and induce oversteer while softer blade settings
will reduce rear roll stiffness and reduce oversteer.
REAR WING ANGLE
The Wing Angle refers to the relative angle of attack of the rear wing, this
is an aerodynamic device which has a significant impact upon the total
downforce (and drag) produced by the car as well as shifting the aerodynamic
balance of the car rearwards with increasing angle. Increasing the rear wing
angle results in more total cornering grip capability in medium to high speed
corners but will also result in a reduction of straight line speed. Rear wing
angle should be adjusted in conjunction with front and rear ride heights,
specifically the difference between front and rear ride heights known as
`rake’. To retain the same overall aerodynamic balance it is necessary to
increase the rake of the car when increasing the rear wing angle.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
GEARS / DIFFERENTIAL
GEAR STACK
Gear Stack changes the forward gear ratios in the transmission. Two choices
are available: FIA and IMSA Short. The FIA gear stack is suited to the
majority of tracks, including high-speed/low-drag tracks like Daytona and Le
Mans. The IMSA Short gear stack is suited to some very high-downforce tracks
with top speeds under 240kph.
FRICTION FACES
The number of friction faces in the differential affect how much overall force
is applied to keep the rear axle locked. Treated as a multiplier, adding more
faces produces increasingly more locking force. For example, 8 friction faces
will have twice the locking force of 4 faces, which will have twice the force
of 2 faces.
DIFFERENTIAL PRELOAD
Diff preload is a static amount of locking force present within the
differential and remains constant during both acceleration and deceleration.
Increasing diff preload will increase locking on both sides of the
differential which will result in more understeer when off throttle and more
snap oversteer with aggressive throttle application. Increasing the diff
preload will also smooth the transition between on and off throttle behavior
as the differential locking force will never reach zero which can be helpful
in reducing lift-off oversteer and increasing driver confidence. Typically
diff preload should be increased when there is noticeable loss in slow corner
exit drive and/or over-rotation during transition between the throttle and
brake in low to mid speed corners.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | DAMPERS
DAMPERS
FRONT DAMPERS
LS COMP DAMPING
Low speed compression affects how resistant the shock is to compression
(reduction in length) when the shock is moving at relatively low speeds,
usually in chassis movements as a result of driver input (steering, braking, &
throttle) and cornering forces. On the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, setting 40 is
minimum damping (least resistance to compression) while setting 0 is maximum
damping (most resistance to compression). Increasing the low speed compression
damping will result in a faster transfer of weight to this corner of the car
during transient movements such as braking and direction change with increased
damping usually providing an increase in turn-in response but a reduction in
overall grip in the context of front dampers.
HS COMP DAMPING
High speed compression affects the shock’s behavior in high speed travel,
usually attributed to curb strikes and bumps in the track’s surface. Higher
compression values will cause the suspension to be stiffer in these
situations, while lower values will allow the suspension to absorb these bumps
better but may hurt the aerodynamic platform around the track. At smoother
tracks more high speed compression damping will typically increase performance
while at rougher tracks or ones with aggressive kerbs less high speed
compression damping can result in an increase in mechanical grip at the
expense of platform control. Setting 0 is maximum damping while Setting 50 is
minimum damping.
LS RBD DAMPING
Low speed rebound damping controls the stiffness of the shock while extending
at lower speeds, typically during body movement as a result of driver inputs.
Higher rebound values will resist expansion of the shock, lower values will
allow the shock to extend faster. Higher rebound values can better control
aerodynamic attitude but can result in the wheel being unloaded when the
suspension can’t expand enough to maintain proper contact with the track. When
tuning for handling, higher front low speed rebound can increase on-throttle
mechanical understeer (but reduce nose lift) while lower values will maintain
front end grip longer, helping to reduce understeer, but will allow more
splitter lift. Excessive front rebound can lead to unwanted oscillations due
to the wheel bouncing off of the track surface instead of staying in contact.
Setting 0 is maximum damping (most resistant to extension) while Setting 40 is
minimum damping (least resistance to extension).
HS RBD DAMPING
High-speed rebound adjusts the shock in extension over bumps and curb strikes.
Higher values will reduce how quickly the shock will expand, while lower
values will allow the shock to extend more easily. Despite not having as much
of an effect on handling in result to driver inputs, High-speed rebound can
produce similar results in terms of aerodynamic control and uncontrolled
oscillations if set improperly. Setting 0 is maximum damping while Setting 50
is minimum damping.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | DAMPERS
REAR DAMPERS
LS COMP DAMPING
Low speed compression affects how resistant the shock is to compression
(reduction in length) when the shock is moving at relatively low speeds,
usually in chassis movements as a result of driver input (steering, braking, &
throttle) and cornering forces. On the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, Setting 40 is
minimum damping (least resistance to compression) while Setting 0 is maximum
damping (most resistance to compression). Increasing the low speed compression
damping will result in a faster transfer of weight to this corner of the car
during transient movements such as braking and direction change with increased
damping usually increasing the cars tendency to understeer on throttle
application.
HS COMP DAMPING
High speed compression affects the shock’s behavior in high speed travel,
usually attributed to curb strikes and bumps in the track’s surface. Higher
compression values will cause the suspension to be stiffer in these
situations, while lower values will allow the suspension to absorb these bumps
better but may hurt the aerodynamic platform around the track. At smoother
tracks more high speed compression damping will typically increase performance
while at rougher tracks or ones with aggressive kerbs less high speed
compression damping can result in an increase in mechanical grip at the
expense of platform control. Setting 0 is maximum damping while Setting 50 is
minimum damping.
LS RBD DAMPING
Low speed rebound damping controls the stiffness of the shock while extending
at lower speeds, typically during body movement as a result of driver inputs.
Higher rebound values will resist expansion of the shock, lower values will
allow the shock to extend faster. As at the front, high rebound stiffness will
result in improved platform control for aerodynamic performance and overall
chassis response but it is important to avoid situations where the shock is
too slow in rebounding as this can result in the tire losing complete contact
with the track surface. Provided this is avoided,, an increase in rebound
stiffness can help to `slow down’ the change in pitch of the car as the brakes
are applied, increasing braking stability and off-throttle mechanical
understeer. Setting 0 is maximum damping (most resistant to extension) while
Setting 40 is minimum damping (least resistance to extension).
HS RBD DAMPING
High-speed rebound adjusts the shock in extension over bumps and curb strikes.
Higher values will reduce how quickly the shock will expand, while lower
values will allow the shock to extend more easily. Despite not having as much
of an effect on handling in result to driver inputs, High-speed rebound can
produce similar results in terms of aerodynamic control and uncontrolled
oscillations if set improperly. Setting 0 is maximum damping while Setting 50
is minimum damping.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | SETUP TIPS
SETUP TIPS
This section is aimed toward helping users who want to dive deeper into the
different aspects of the vehicle’s setup.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | SETUP TIPS
SETUP TIPS
Baseline is a 50% fuel load setup which is intended solely for loading the
car. As such, this setup should always pass tech inspection at every fuel load
and track (Except Nürburgring Nordschleife configurations where
nuburgring_sprint/endurance’ should be used) but will not provide ultimate performance. Setups labeled
_wet’ have wet tyres pre-fitted and setup adjustments to suit
wet conditions.
Setups labeled `_sprint’ have a 50% fuel load, a more aggressive balance and
are intended for use where there is either a fuel limitation OR race lengths
are approximately 25 to 30 minutes in length. These setups are intended to be
used in competition.
Setups labeled _endurance’ have a 100% fuel load and are for use where no fuel restriction is present and/or race lengths are approximately 1 hour or more in length. The setup titled
fixed’ is the setup used in the fixed setup series and is
similar to the high_downforcesprint setup.
Setups labeled `nurburgring’ are built with 70 mm minimum ride heights and
are for use solely on Nürburgring Nordschleife configurations.
While most tracks will trend towards favoring more downforce there can be some
instances where reducing rear wing angle for less drag may be beneficial. As a
rough guide, you can expect the following downforce trims at the following
tracks:
Tracks Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Autodromo Nazionale Monza Brands Hatch
Circuit
Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Circuit des 24
Heures Du Mans Daytona International Speedway Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle
Fuji International Speedway Hungaroring Indianapolis Motor Speedway Lime Rock
Park
Downforce Level High/Medium Medium High
High
High/Medium Medium Medium Low/Medium High High/Medium High Medium High
Tracks Long Beach Street Circuit Motorsports Arena Oschersleben Mount Panorama Circuit
Downforce Level High High High/Medium
Nürburgring Grand-Prix-Strecke
High
Okayama International Circuit Road America Sebring International Raceway Silverstone Circuit Sonoma Raceway Virginia International Raceway Watkins Glen International WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca
High High/Medium High High/Medium High High/Medium High/Medium High
Should you wish to drive at a track not listed it is recommended to start out with the High Downforce setup first before evaluating the other downforce level options. A good indicator of if a track may benefit from a reduction in downforce trim is the maximum speed reached.
The following boundaries are suggestions for what trim level may be optimal but please note that other factors such as track design (number of high speed corners, etc), altitude and ambient conditions will also impact your decision here with higher altitude tracks and hotter ambient conditions favoring more downforce.
Speed Max Speed under 250 km/h (155 mph) Max Speed 250 to 270 km/h Max Speed over 270 km/h (167 mph)
Downforce Level High Downforce Medium Low to Minimum Downforce
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | SETUP TIPS
AERODYNAMIC TARGETS AND ADJUSTMENTS
GT3 cars are very sensitive to small variations in ride heights at both the
front and rear axle and this must be kept in mind when making setup
adjustments such as static ride heights, corner spring rates and rear wing
angle.
The optimal configuration for most total downforce is as follows: Rear Wing
Angle: +10.5 Dynamic Front Ride Height: 35.0 mm (+/-2.5 mm) Dynamic Rear Ride
Height: 70.0 mm (+/-2.5 mm)
Should you go over or under the ride height targets stated above you will
begin to lose overall downforce. It is very important to consider all aspects
of the track when aiming for this maximum downforce target. Consider that if
the rear ride height increases beyond the target during braking, you will
experience both a balance shift forwards and a loss in overall downforce
resulting in a destabilizing situation. It is these braking considerations
that will govern how closely you can approach this maximum in a real world
situation.
The optimal configuration for the least total drag is as follows: Rear Wing
Angle: +0.5 Dynamic Front Ride Height: 17.5 mm (+/- 2.5 mm) Dynamic Rear Ride
Height: 17.5 mm (+/- 2.5 mm)
For the majority of tracks, it will be difficult to achieve ride heights low
enough to hit these drag targets; however, it is possible at a track such as
Daytona. Please keep in mind that your absolute minimums are governed by the
road surface and that while aerodynamic drag will decrease as you approach
these targets, overall drag may increase if the car starts to make ground
contact. It should also be stated that this low drag trim is neither optimal
for total downforce nor handling balance.
When adjusting the rear wing angle, the following adjustments should be made
to retain aerodynamic balance:
Rear Wing Angle: +1 Front Ride Height: -1.5 mm OR Rear Ride Height: +4.5 mm
Rear Wing Angle: -1 Front Ride Height: +1.5 mm OR Rear Ride Height: -4.5 mm
These adjustment sensitivities are not the same in all parts of the aeromap
nor are they valid for all rear wing angles. For this reason, it is strongly
suggested that one use the Aero Balance Calc tool on the Tires/Aero tab: ·
Start with a setup that is known to have good high speed aero balance. · Note
the % Front Downforce and dynamic RHs at speed. · Add or subtract Rear Wing
Angle for the desired overall downforce change · Adjust the Rear RH at speed
until the target % Front Downforce value is reached · Apply the difference in
dynamic Rear RH needed to retain balance to the static Rear RHs on the Chassis
tab.
It is also possible to combine adjustments of front and rear ride height
together if necessary (such as when lower rear heights cannot be easily
achieved), this can result in more overall downforce being retained when
reducing wing angle without detrimentally impacting the balance but at the
cost of slightly increased aerodynamic drag.
These reference values are provided as targets to aim for, however, overall car balance should remain the priority. It may not be possible to achieve a good balance at these targets in certain situations and as such, you should elect to sacrifice some raw performance for a better balance.
Lower Rear Wing Angle = More oversteer, less downforce, less drag, lower cornering speed, higher straight line speed.
Higher Rear Wing Angle = More understeer, more downforce, more drag, higher cornering speed, lower straight line speed.
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MCLAREN 720S GT3 | SETUP TIPS
CHASSIS ADJUSTMENTS
Should you wish to adjust the underpinning balance of the car without
impacting the aero platform significantly in pitch and heave, or adjusting the
differential then front and rear adjustable anti-roll bars are available.
Stiffer front ARB -> More Understeer
Softer front ARB -> More Oversteer
Softer front AND rear ARB -> Reduced aerodynamic performance, more mechanical
grip (good for rough surfaces) and slower response to inputs.
Stiffer front AND rear ARB -> Increased aerodynamic performance (good for fast
sweeping corners), less mechanical grip and increased response to inputs.
Stiffer rear ARB -> More Oversteer
Softer rear ARB -> More Understeer
DIFFERENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS
Two adjustment options are available for the differential.
More friction faces -> More off throttle understeer, more on throttle
oversteer, less inside wheelspin-up on rough surfaces and kerb strikes.
Preload is additive to the total locking torque of the differential and acts as an offset torque which is always present, even at zero input torque. This means that it is more dominant during transition behavior where the differential input torque is near zero, such as at throttle lift and/or during initial trail braking.
Less friction faces -> Less off throttle understeer, less on throttle
oversteer, more inside wheelspin-up on rough surfaces and kerb strikes.
Typically better at tracks like Spa or those with smooth surfaces and flat
kerbing.
Friction faces are dominant at high input torques such as full throttle,
sustained braking or pure coastdown.
More preload -> Less liftoff oversteer, more corner entry stability, more off
throttle understeer, more on throttle oversteer.
Less preload -> More liftoff oversteer, less corner entry stability, less off
throttle understeer, less on throttle oversteer.
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