I've finally had a go on 1.50 with VR and the wheel (G29), going through the weekly challenges. I'm unimpressed.
At Spa I used my R32 GT-R. This was my default ride for the Tokyo WTC600. It's on SH tyres and tuned up to 600PP with all engine modifications and is running on standard suspension. It was always a car that moved around on its suspension but this was controllable and could be used to change the car's line or attitude mid corner and it was still easy to be precise. Now it's a wobbly mess. It feels like the reactions to all the control inputs have been amplified in magnitude, but not in duration. So under braking it immediately dives hard and as soon as the brakes are released it sproings back up almost instantly. While cornering throttle or brake manipulation will have the nose darting in or out by a couple of feet instead of a few inches. The steering felt too sensitive, too. It would dart into the corner when the wheel was turned. Spa is a fast, flowing track but I couldn't get into a rhythm. I was always chasing the car.
Next up was the Porsche challenge, which I've done in the past in a widebody 996 GT3. I used the same car now. At first it felt no different, it certainly didn't feel softer or wobbly like the GT-R, but as I started to relearn the track and approach my limits, the car became much less malleable than it used to be and much more brittle. The steering felt too sensitive. It would dart into a corner, suddenly oversteer, and was much harder to catch because it now snaps the other way, much more violently and less progressive than it was.
Final event for comment was the WTC800 which I used a 787B for. It felt fine, and little different to what I was used to.turn in felt good. Slides were progressive and catchable. For the last lap it dried up a lot and then the car started feeling darty again, like the steering is too sensitive... seems to be a theme now.
I've never driven the BAC Mono nor the car I used at Tsukuba before today so I can't comment on changes to those.
To me, 1.48 wasn't perfect but it felt polished, refined, balanced. 1.50 feels like someone's gone to a 7 band graphic equalizer (google it if you're under 30..), pushed the lowest bass and highest treble up to max and left the rest flat. 1.48 gently fed me clues to the car's balance. 1.50 is hosepiping me with it. It's lost its organic subtlety and now feels artificially enhanced. I know, not the popular view, but that's my conclusion so far.
I feel like I need to turn the sensitivity down on all the controls... the brakes, steering, and maybe the throttle. I don't even know if that's possible without just adding deadzones, which I don't want. I've always played with the G29 settings all standard.
I'll have to mess with it and see if I can bring back some progression to my driving experience.
I'll also try the 787b at Sardenga, where I'm used to driving it, and see how it feels there, plus I'll be giving my favourite GT3 car (the Ferrari 456) a go on the TT. Maybe with time things will change, but I didn't need much time to get used to the 1.4x physics that were current when I got the game.
Rallying feels much better now though, even if I think the turn-in response on dirt is now a bit too strong.
Anyway those are my thoughts so far.