This issue has persisted since the first Forza Motorsport on the original XBox, despite an attempt at amending it in Motorsport 5. The Lancer Evo VIII in Forza Motorsport shares all of its inaccuracies with the Lancer Evo IX, really including the aspects that changed between the generations, such as bumpers, as those are still inaccurate on the Evo VIII. Just that there’s no ridiculous panel gap between headlights and the front bumper.
The entire front is too small and drops too low, headlights are too small, the bumper is deformed. The side line is also wrong, where A and C pillars are slightly too thick. Wheels are incorrectly silver and have no BBS logo.
Rear end is also inaccurate, the boot is too wide which causes the tail lights to be too small. The rear bumper is also too small, mostly just placed too high. While the IRL car I used features an aftermarket exhaust, the exhaust on the Forza model is off centre. Side skirts aren’t profiled correctly.
As mentioned in the Evo IX Bug Report, the Evo VIII model uses Motorsport 3’s Evo IX shell and Motorsport 1’s Evo VIII body ends adjusted to fit the FM3 model. It is mostly recognizable because the Evo VIII and IX in FM share aftermarket body kits with the FM1 Evo VIII.
So I compared the models between the Evo VIII and the TA Evo. I confirmed the model is different.
The pillars are thin
Rear quarter panels are a bit differently shaped, came from a real Lancer Evo model
Side window panels are more flat, which is a real thing
Taillights look accurate, just like how it should be
Same thing when comparing with the Evo IX model. I’m glad they didn’t reuse the outdated Lancer Evo model when they added the Time Attack version.
So, the Evo VIII in FM4 looks close to accurate? concerning that I think in FM5 beyond, they changed its model to the disproportionate Evo IX bodyshape so they both look the same and share custom bodyparts together. That way, I think they “De-modeled” it. It’s a term where they downgraded a car model to make it accurate first minute, and then next minute, deform it.
Now someone just has to line up images from FM and GT7, then we’ll see what exactly is wrong, though I believe my initial assumptions aren’t far from the truth
Before we discuss the accuracy of the modeling, we need to determine the reference model. Is it the North American spec Evo VIII MR, or the Japanese spec Evo VIII MR?
I speculate that the T10 was modeled based on a North American-spec Evo VIII MR. This is why many errors can be found just by comparing it with the catalog without even seeing the real thing.
Gran Turismo, which is often compared in these discussions, is an accurate reproduction of Japanese cars based on Japanese-spec cars.
Forza tends to mix different market versions together, if not within the same brand then within a singular model. To determine what happened here, you need to go back to the first Forza game which featured the Lancer Evo VIII - the first Forza Motorsport on the original Xbox. Back then, we had two trims of this generation Evo VIII - the LHD GSR, and the RHD FQ-330. Since Motorsport 2 also featured the GSR, you can already guess which model was used for later titles…
This isn’t even a singular case, as many Japanese icons in Forza have had the same fate - look at the Mazda RX-7 FC, it’s supposedly a Savanna model, yet has the appearance of a USDM Turbo model, down to the side mirrors and even LHD windshield wipers!
I don’t know the details of how the Evo VIII MR ended up with strange modeling, but I hope to correct it. I have argued in other threads that the original specifications should be included first. Therefore, I believe that Japanese cars should be included with the Japanese specifications first.
I thought you’d guess based on what I described there. It’s that the USDM GSR model was used to make the ““JDM”” MR that’s in Forza currently. They scanned none of it, at most maybe the parts that it shares with the Evo IX version that debuted in Motorsport 3, but even that model was far from spot on accurate
I appreciate that you told me about the history of the modeling mistake, but is it that important? I don’t think there is any need for users to discuss why the T10 modeled incorrectly. It is far more important to me whether the incorrect modeling will actually be corrected.
For T10 and PGG, it is important to know the reason for the modeling mistake. However, for users, nothing is more important than whether the modeling is correct or not.
Personally speaking, I have a special attachment to the CT9A because I owned the Evo VIII GSR. I would like the Japanese-spec Evo VIII MR and Evo IX MR, which are particularly important models of the CT9A, to be accurately modeled.
(Note) This is an Evo VIII MR thread, so I will avoid talking about other car models.
