I have to agree completely with the article from the perspective of a hardcore racing fan. Also the comments about the community aspects are quite troubling. It would be good for Turn 10 to front up and say "We designed it this way, and we are sorry you don't like it" or "We're working to fix it, heres a free (large) DLC pack coming up to make ammends to you". I think what this article really proves is that a racing game cannot be made in two years. You can make an arcade game in two years but a simulator would take a lot longer.
From the perspective of someone who isn't quite so into hardcore racing its hard to say how this would effect them. Do people want realism or surrealism?
I guess this is the value of GT5. Its not because the game is hardcore, its just that they can thread the line between hardcore and casual and not make anyone upset whilst delivering a good experience for both.
