The Official Car Simulator Thread | FerrariChat
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The Official Car Simulator Thread

Discussion in 'Tracking & Driver Education' started by SoCal to az, Jan 22, 2021.

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  1. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #1 SoCal to az, Jan 22, 2021
    This is such a rapidly changing field that I thought with all the reading Ive been doing, there wasn't a place to consolidate information. Id like to use this thread to document some of my findings and Im hopping others can do the same so that as more and more people get into this, there is somewhere they an go for information. Im by no means an expert- in fact totally illiterate on the subject- however collectively we should be able to put together a pretty good resource. Hoping others will chime in.

    From what Ive seen, there are a couple of different categories. DYI and Prebuilt. Ill tackle the prebuilt stuff first. With prebuilt, you have to decide if you want motion or no motion. Adding motion gives you a more immersive feel but its more expensive, more stuff to break down potentially but it is absolutely more realistic.

    Motion Simulators
    Here are some of the motion companies that Ive run across. For the most part these companies build their own chasis and use off the shelf components for the build.

    https://www.simcraft.com - Located in Georgia. Prices range from 30k to 130k with most of the difference in pricing coming from how much motion do you want?

    https://www.cxcsimulations.com - Located in California. prices range from 57k to 120k. Lots of configurable options

    https://www.force-dynamics.com - If you want motion- this looks like the mother of all motion simulators. Very robust. Pricing ranging from $50k to 120k. Again just depends on hw much motion you want/need

    https://www.vesaro.com/ - A UK based company- really good looking sims. Can configure for as little as 20k all the way up to 120k. The more expensive ones you can get an actual F1 car replica that you sit in and drive. This can be done with or without the different levels of motion.




    Stationary Sims
    These are companies that build static sims- no motion. you can equip them with motion with after market parts but for those that dont want to deal with excessive moving parts, this might be the way to go.

    https://digital-motorsports.com - UK based company that takes off the shelf components and puts them together with a ready to go simulator. They can supply a pretty kick ass model for around 15k.


    coolperformace.com - really nice looking sims. Base price is 23k pounds for the GT model or 24k pounds for the F1 model. The difference is the seating position. GT version you are sitting more upright whereas with the F1 version you are in a more reclined position. You can add options such as different sized monitors, steering wheels etc

    https://www.baseperformance.net - this is the company that is building the sexy looking Aston Martin sims. Those run about 60k are static but have top of the line components. If you dont want to spend 60k on a static sim, they make a version called the Blade. Very nice looking with a carbon fiber seat. Rock solid construction that looks great. Roughly 18k pounds. You can add additional components for an extra fee.


    So these are the main companies that Ive found that offer a turnkey solution with racing sims. All the parts and pieces come prebuilt and they function as one cohesive unit. If you want to build your own, we will cover that later and the different options available. Hope this helps.
     
    danielinCO2, lzplayer, Thecadster and 1 other person like this.
  2. bwshihtzu

    bwshihtzu Formula Junior

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    #2 bwshihtzu, Jan 22, 2021
  3. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #3 SoCal to az, Jan 22, 2021

    cool. I wish there was a way I could edit the original post as I would add your info to that. Let me check with the mods.
     
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  4. Scudmsl

    Scudmsl Formula Junior

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    #4 Scudmsl, Jan 22, 2021
    Agree. Should be on the list.
     
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  5. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #5 SoCal to az, Jan 22, 2021
    I tried to ask mods to let me add it. They said no. Said it’s the second post it won’t get lost. Yeah but what about later?
     
  6. Scudmsl

    Scudmsl Formula Junior

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    #6 Scudmsl, Jan 22, 2021
    Great list nonetheless. I wish I had it when I started my journey.
     
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  7. SoCal to az

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    #7 SoCal to az, Jan 25, 2021
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  8. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #8 SoCal to az, Jan 26, 2021
  9. Scudmsl

    Scudmsl Formula Junior

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    #9 Scudmsl, Jan 26, 2021
    Interesting on the first one...”over 60 years of designing and literally hundreds of hours of track time between us”...doesn’t seem like a lot of track time. Cool system though.
     
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  10. JBlack002

    JBlack002 Karting
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    #10 JBlack002, Jan 28, 2021
    Sim Seats is another turnkey sim provider. Based in Richmond, VA. Their customer base includes several NASCAR drivers that live in this area (I’m near Charlotte, NC). Their higher end rigs use D-Box motion.

    http://www.sim-seats.com/
     
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  11. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #11 SoCal to az, Feb 2, 2021
  12. bjwhite

    bjwhite F1 Rookie
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    #12 bjwhite, Feb 3, 2021
    Mine is static, but I use a Hyper Stimulator chassis with triple 27s, Fanatec ClubSport v2 wheel basse, and HPP pedals.
     
  13. JBlack002

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    #13 JBlack002, Feb 6, 2021
    I considered a turn-key option, but ultimately decided on a DIY build. Reasons were: 1) I thought it would be a fun project during the virus lockdown and 2) it seemed the turn-key options (in the price range I was considering) do not include the “best-of-breed” with respect to sim equipment. I planned my build last summer and began placing orders in late June. Sim racing popularity has exploded this past year and the demand has caused long delays. The P1-X ordered in late June arrived in early September. I had to start and stop the build a few times to wait for additional items. I finally had the sim up and running in late November and in its current state per the photos a couple weeks ago. I think I went through the height of the supply chain issues. Things are not back to normal, but it seems delivery times are coming down. I encountered a few little snags with the build along the way (to be expected), but nothing difficult.

    Overall, an extremely fun project and the result is fantastic. The emersion, fidelity and addictiveness has made the effort worthwhile. In my opinion, there is a level of realism that translates to real driving skills. For example, the motion does a good job of replicating the sensation of car balance and the effects of braking and accelerating on weight transfer and front end/rear end grip. It’s not just the motion though, the additive effects of the Simucube2 direct drive wheel, GTPro3 pedals, Pro-Sim H pattern shifter, Cube Control wheel and the solid base of the P1-X chassis combine to deliver the sense of realism. I bet I’ve put more miles on the sim in 2 months then I have on my Ferraris in the past year! Not sure if that’s good or bad.

    Whether you go turn-key or DIY, you’ll spend a lot of time learning, experimenting with and dialing in the myriad of software settings for the equipment and simulation programs. And then there are the individual car settings that are customizable (e.g., tire pressures, camber, car height, brake bias, etc.). It’s daunting, but thankfully there are tons of resources via forums, YouTube videos, etc. I’m currently running Assetto Corsa (the original) and iRacing. I’ll probably add Assetto Corsa Competizione soon (focus on GT3/GT4 racing). Hope to begin my rookie class races in iRacing soon and begin the career progression through the license classes.

    Below is my build. I spent around $35k. The most expensive item is the D-Box motion (around $12k). I also splurged in a few areas. e.g., The Cobra seat was custom ordered and the sound system is over the top, to name a couple. If you forego the motion (maybe add it later) and stick with the essentials, you can build a really good rig for $12k - $15k.

    1. Chassis/Seat
    • Sim-Lab P1-X Cockpit (w/ PC keyboard tray, mousepad, sim floor panel, 4 speaker brackets)
    • Sim-Lab Triple Monitor Stand (w/castor wheels and shelf attachment)
    • Cobra Noguro Seat (w/Cobra seat brackets and seat sliders)
    2. Motion
    • D-Box Gen3 4250i (3 DOF: Pitch, Roll, Heave)
    • Aluminum profile and other materials to mount actuators and control boxes to P1-X were sourced from 8020.net
    3. Sim Specific Equipment
    • Wheelbase: Simucube2 Pro (25Nm torque, direct drive)
    • Wheel #1: Cube Controls GT OMP Wireless
    • Wheel #2: Cube Controls GT-X
    • Pedals: GTPro3 Extreme Tilton (Ricmotech)
    • H-Pattern Shifter: Pro-Sim Professional (Ricmotech)
    • Button Box #1: Apex Sim Racing Race Deck w/Elegato Stream Deck (on order, not installed yet)
    • Button Box #2: Apex Sim Racing Sim-Lab P1-X Dashboard insert (on order, not installed yet)
    4. Monitors (triple)
    • Samsung 32” Odyssey G7 (2560 x 1440 resolution, 1000R curve, 240Hz refresh, 1ms response, VA Panel, G-Sync)
    5. PC (Windows 10)
    • CPU: Intel Core i9-10900 10-Core (3.7GHz native, 5.4GHz overclocked)
    • CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i XT75 CFM (all-in-one)
    • Cooler Fans (3): Corsair LL120 43.25 CFM 120
    • RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB DDR4-3200 RAM
    • GPU: NVIDEA RTX 3080 FE
    • Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z490-E
    • Storage #1: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME
    • Storage #2: Samsung 860 EVO 4 TB 2.5” SSD
    • Power: EVGA P2 1000 W 80+ Platinum
    • Case: Corsair Obsidian 500D RGB SE ATX Mid Tower
    6. Sound System (5.1 Surround)
    • James Loudspeaker 43 Cube 4” speakers (set of 4)
    • James Loudspeaker EMB8DF 8” Down-firing Subwoofer
    • Alpine X-A90V amplifier
    • Aluminum profile and materials to mount amplifier and power supply to P1-X sourced from 8020.net
    • Realtek Audio Driver (compatible with the Z490-E motherboard)
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  14. JBlack002

    JBlack002 Karting
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    #14 JBlack002, Feb 6, 2021
    Replay of a fun little spin on the Nurburgring.

    https://1drv.ms/v/s!AiXbdl7aX-geg-wYjzRFkleYthMNxQ

    A few more pics.

    P1-X finally arrives!

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    The start of the journey.

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    Making progress.

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    D-Box arrives.

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    Mounting the D-Box actuators and control boxes to the P1-X was DIY. Found a good how-to video on the Sim Racing Garage YouTube channel.

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    Mounting the stereo amp, power supply and speakers. Goal was to have the components out of the way.

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    The Samsung G7 monitors, with a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response and 1000R curve are great for sim racing. Along with the PC build (and RTX 3080 graphics card) I’m getting 150-200 FPS (frames per second).

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  15. Scudmsl

    Scudmsl Formula Junior

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    #15 Scudmsl, Feb 6, 2021
    Great write up! Congratulations and thanks for sharing. I am addicted too!
     
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  16. JHBHOPE

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    #16 JHBHOPE, Apr 4, 2021
  17. Gh21631

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    #17 Gh21631, Apr 18, 2022
    Have you decided on one? I am looking now as well and so far the ones Ive tried just dont feel real enough to me. They will help with learning a track but the braking and steering just feel so different.
     
  18. Scudmsl

    Scudmsl Formula Junior

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    #18 Scudmsl, Apr 18, 2022
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  19. Gh21631

    Gh21631 F1 Veteran
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    #19 Gh21631, Apr 18, 2022
  20. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #20 SoCal to az, Apr 18, 2022
    I have not yet. My entire schedule for my home build has been delayed. We are anticipating summer 2023 move in. Will pick this up at that time. Lots of new players so I probably need to update this thread.

    I have decided that I don’t want motion and I don’t want multiple screens. A single curved screen abs be glasses is what I’ll probably do. The esthetics of the Aston Martin sim are just perfect for my taste. Just need to find a cheaper version of that.
     
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  21. Gh21631

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    #21 Gh21631, Apr 18, 2022
    There is a guy that handles our live video for the Challenge events that builds these as well. I got to use one while at Daytona and it was OK, I am going to reach out to him to see if they can mod the brakes so they are ore real feeling. I am not sure what he can do about the steering. Otherwise it would work for me. Price point is reasonable.
     
  22. SoCal to az

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    #22 SoCal to az, Apr 18, 2022
    Im not looking for an exact replica of racing feel. I just want something fun for the mancave that the boys can have fun with when they are over using the golf sim and racing sim. Grab a few beers.
     
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  23. wthensler

    wthensler F1 Rookie
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    #23 wthensler, Apr 18, 2022
    A few years ago I’d have laughed at the very suggestion, but I’m told by many whose opinion I respect these simulators are quite good and representative of the real thing. I started tracking the 458 in the beginning of the year, and something I’ve learned is it’s really time consuming to track your car. Track time is a precious commodity, especially at the bigger venues. And one can get rusty quickly without seat time.

    So a simulator might be in my future as I will have a brand new man cave (The Motor Enclave) by years’ end. Financially, I’ve probably spent more on mods, maintenance, hotels, travel. track fees, etc. than a simulator. And I haven’t had any events with the car. But the real thing is fantastically fun!
     
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  24. Gh21631

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    #24 Gh21631, Apr 18, 2022
    I'll update this thread as work through this. I hope to pull the trigger on one within a few weeks.
     
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  25. SoCal to az

    SoCal to az F1 World Champ
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    #25 SoCal to az, Apr 18, 2022

    As much as I would love to get into hardcore tracking....my wallet but more importantly my marriage wont survive. Ive taken up golf and have gotten my self to a 10.4 handicap despite starting to play 3 years ago. I play a couple times a week and try to practice daily. my wife tolerates it just fine. But if I now add a weekly/biweekly tracking session, she will leave me. A simulator is as close to where I want to go with tracking. Its just a fun video game for me right now. Nothing more.
     
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