Leading modders in the community ... who are they?

It is definitely not true.
Car may behave like you wrote, if some of data are taken from RL but other not (ie, copied from other mods, guessed etc). It must be said, main part of sim is tire definition. If mod fails in this area - every other part of sim is just a guess. But in overall whole car physics is complex and incorrect value of any part of car physics may change car behavior to unwanted.
But on other side if you put values as close as possible to RL for any part of car - it will behave correctly.

I also doesn't rely on works of drivers who test sims. I heard that RBR is realistic but also CMR, iR with OTM is realistic even if is suxx comparing to NTM. Finally Cars on rF also may be realistic. But driver's opinion is very subjective and cannot be taken as proof of correctly made car physics. It means, that you may arrange tests putting 2 drivers to simulated cars: one with exact physics and second with modified one. I bet both will say that cars behaves the same as real cars.

So, I would like to get cars which are based on realistic data and behave as real cars. Not to find that car has doubled aero-drag just to trick some unneeded behavior. Who cares that such car is able to unrealistically speeding-up in slip-stream, may some one ask. I do.

I know it requires a lot more work than just guessing. Sometimes it including begging for data. But it is only way to deserve to use 'simulator' therm. Otherwise it turns into arcade. Or at least to simulate some not existing vehicle. Which would be problem if there are no more the same cars (released by other modding groups) which behave totally different

 

Johnsclander already made a great post here. I only added some of my fav. mods to it:

-Armaroli...Reiza Studios

-V8 Unleashed...Team ORSM

-Touring Car Legends...RaceDepartments WTM

-Historic GT&TC...HistorX Team

-VLN 2005...NLC Team Players

-Formula BMW...iDT Racing Simulations

-F1 1979...Grand Prix Classics

-Enduracers...Enduracers Modding Team

-DRM...DRM Modding Team

-Toyota AE86N2 Club...Gonzo-kool/Batvill

-Fia GT3 Mod...Apex Modding

-207 S2000 Mod...XXX Team

-WRC Subaru...Stigg & Goibaka

-CARTFactor...RacingLine Developments

-F12006...CTDP

-Supra Mod...Niels Heusinkveld, Some1

and many more

 

+1....and Formula Nippon & F1 1967

 

Thanks folks, It is great to see the mods that people hold up as good stuff.

It's great to see the mod groups get some mention for their hard work and also to tell them that they are being noticed.
Surely there is one or two not mentioned yet and this can be corrected if anyone realizes an omission.

Important Note:
This thread was never started to ask the subjective and disruptive topic of what mod team is 'better' than another and so on .....
Thanks for not taking the thread in that direction and please let's no go down that ugly road.