acnomad
Premium
First time poster here. I have never had a sim racing rig, so I am seeking advice before taking the plunge.
My goal is to improve my real-life track driving. I have a 2015 BMW M3 (F80) that is essentially 100% stock, which I drove 50K miles on regular roads over five years before finally putting it through its paces at Sebring a couple times. With work and travel, I don't have the time to go to the track frequently enough to achieve real continuity or momentum in the learning process. Simulation seems like the obvious solution.
Based on what I've read and seen so far, here's what I know (or think I know) about what is needed for a high-fidelity sim racing rig:
Along the same lines: How close can I get a sim rig to feel like the F80? Is the software (iRacing, Assetto Corsa, etc.) capable of doing this accurately?
And, needless to say, I want to be sensible about the financial impact of the project, which looks like it will exceed USD 5,000. Obviously, I would be happy to spend less, so any thoughts in that regard would be appreciated.
My goal is to improve my real-life track driving. I have a 2015 BMW M3 (F80) that is essentially 100% stock, which I drove 50K miles on regular roads over five years before finally putting it through its paces at Sebring a couple times. With work and travel, I don't have the time to go to the track frequently enough to achieve real continuity or momentum in the learning process. Simulation seems like the obvious solution.
Based on what I've read and seen so far, here's what I know (or think I know) about what is needed for a high-fidelity sim racing rig:
- A solid chassis that is flex free. It appears that units constructed from 80mm or 120mm aluminum stock fit the bill. I have considered ASR, Trak Racer, 6 Sigma, and Sim Lab so far.
- Accurate pedal feedback. Heusinkveld Ultimate+ seems to be a good choice.
- Sufficient resistance capability in the wheelbase. Simucube 2 Pro looks like it will do the job.
- Sufficient refresh rate in the monitor. 140Hz seems to be the minimum, with 240Hz preferred.
- Stick. Everything in this area looks like it gets the job done, but nothing appears to simulate the feel of a real shifter in a car. The Moza HGP or Fanatec Clubsport SQ V 1.5 seem OK.
- Immersion considerations. Three monitors vs. a single 49" unit, VR, haptic feedback, and even keeping the option open to add motion in the future. I don't know much about these things, but was thinking I would begin with a single monitor mounted directly to the chassis.
- Future-proofing. I would be keen to design the rig in such a way that any improvements that come along in the future can be easily made.
Along the same lines: How close can I get a sim rig to feel like the F80? Is the software (iRacing, Assetto Corsa, etc.) capable of doing this accurately?
And, needless to say, I want to be sensible about the financial impact of the project, which looks like it will exceed USD 5,000. Obviously, I would be happy to spend less, so any thoughts in that regard would be appreciated.