Today saw the release date for the first of the DLC car packs. For those of you who have the season pass the release date will be Tuesday January 13th (more specifically, the evening of Tuesday January 13th) and for those without the season pass it will be Tuesday January 20th. So lets cast an eye over the available vehicles and see if we can devise what specs will be available for them at launch.

ASTON MARTIN V12 ZAGATO

A grand tourer concept car first unveiled in 2011. For those interested Zagato is an Italian coachbuilders and this was unveiled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their collaboration on the DB4 Zagato.

Based on the V12 Vantage the Zagato has a 6 litre V12 and pushes out 510 horsepower.

Thinking about the specs that it is likely to come in, lets do some percentage guesses…

Street – 5%

Dirt – 1%

Perf – 80%

Raid – 1%

Circuit – 100%

It was designed to be an endurance race car so if it does not emerge with a circuit spec I will be flabbergasted. I would say 0% for dirt and raid, but I never expected to see a perf spec Hummer, so never say never. For handling I would imagine, given its FR setup and the base being the Vantage I can see similarities in handling, perhaps slightly more understeer based due to its racing pedigree.

Next up we have another Viper…

2013 SRT VIPER GTS

The 2013 Viper GTS offers an alternative to those who did not get the Uplay unlockable 2010 SRT-10 Viper.

While technically branded as the SRT Viper it is based off the fifth generation Dodge Viper. It retains the brands hallmarks such as the exceptionally long bonnet, wide track and earth shattering power. In this trip the SRT GTS has an 8.4 litre V10 producing 640 horsepower and a top speed of 205mph.

Street – 5%

Dirt – 1%

Perf – 95%

Raid – 1%

Circuit – 80%

They specifically mention the road going SRT Viper and not the racing version. This leads me to believe it will certainly come in Perf spec and most likely a Circuit variant as well. Street seems unlikely due to balance difficulties. Handling will almost certainly be akin to a slightly more controllable SRT-10 Viper.

Last, and given this company, least, we come to the final of the 3 DLC cars releasing this month…

ABARTH 500

The performance version of the 2007 Fiat 500. With a tiny 1.4 litre turbocharged inline 4 the Abarth 500 manages to squeeze out 133 horsepower and 152 pounds foot of torque.

This car represented the rebirth of the Abarth brand first founded in Turin in 1949 and they first started their association with Fiat in 1952.

Street – 100%

Dirt – 50%

Perf – 30%

Raid – 10%

Circuit – 1%

I would say this is an absolute stick on to come in Street spec. I do hold out some hope of a dirt spec as well to make up for the lack of cars in that class. Perf is also a possibility due to Abarths sporting heritage but we already have a glut of Perf spec cars so its only an outside possibility. Raid and Circuit I see as no hopers.

Handling wise I would imagine given its high power to weight ratio and FF setup I imagine it will handle in a similar manor to the Street spec Mini Cooper S.

Overall I cant say I am too excited about this set of DLC. An Aston Martin that is based off an existing car, another Viper and a Fiat 500 with a prom dress on doesn’t exactly set my world on fire, however, if they can make these feel like individual cars, add in some nice customisation options then they might prove to be worthwhile additions to the roster.