LFS S1 (and S2) is a serious racing simulator. No arcade modes, no steering aids - YOU have to do the driving. It is therefore highly recommended to play the sim with a wheel, because even though you can use keyboard and/or mouse, a wheel is what you use in a real car, so a wheel should be used in a serious racing simulator. Especially when going online, where fast reactions are required.
In S1 and S2 you can race alone or against the AI, but the real fun is to be found online, in multiplayer mode. Racing against real people is simply the best thing and LFS makes it easy for you to do so. There are also several online racing leagues you can take part in, if you are looking for something with a more competitive edge.
A serious simulator obviously requires a very good physics simulation to provide the thrill and fun of real racing. This is done by simulating all aspects that are important to racing. LFS S1 is the first step towards our vision of what the sim must become and already does a very good job in simulating real racing. But as said, S1 is the first step, so it's only logical that there will be a next step: S2.
S2 will significantly improve the simulator; important features have been added. For example dynamic camber (improved simulation of suspension and different suspension types), highly detailed tyre physics and a damage model have been introduced. Also the additional content in S2 should be noted - where S1 mostly contains the 'medium' fast cars and tracks, S2 introduces several 'fast' classes (and 'slow').
In S2 you will also wear your tyres and fuel and as said earlier, you can damage your car, so pitstops have been added to the sim. This, in turn, introduces tactics to LFS racing, making races and especially league races a lot more interesting.
So when will S2 be available!!
Well, we can't give an exact date, because you never know what problems arise during any stage in development. But we definitely want S2 to be released as soon as possible. We are working on all final content and features at the moment, after which an extensive testing period will start. But all in all, it won't be THAT long anymore ;).
