Preview: High-end GT Wheels

[SIMON]

Hello Everyone,

I've been working on a line of custom GT wheels, and it's now time for me to show them to you all and get your thoughts and feedback. I'd like to gauge the level of interest in these wheels so I can tailor the production plans accordingly.

Please bear in mind that these are still prototypes and as such I don't have any concrete prices yet, but I'll let you all know them as soon as possible.

My plan is to have them compatible with the Logitech G25 and G27, the Thrustmaster T500, and possibly Frex and ECCI wheels as well if there is the demand.

In the mean time have a good look at them and let me know if they pique your interest!

There will be three models to choose from:

GT3 Wheel:








Here's the complete photo set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89928288@N08/sets/72157631966467211/


GT2 Wheel: (Preview Renders)






Featuring Leo Bodnar's (unreleased) Sli-F1 display.


GT1 Wheel (Preview Renders)





Featuring a 4.3" LCD touch screen display running Russell Hodgson's Z1 display software.


All of the wheels will feature the following:

-6 Knitter Buttons, 2 Toggle Switches, and 2 rotary encoders with custom Aluminium knobs.

-Genuine carbon fibre face plate.

-Aluminium paddle shift units.

-Anodised Aluminium enclosure and wheel spacer.

-Wired USB Quick-release and wheel adapter.


Here's a quick video of the paddle shifters, I'll do a more in-depth one soon...

Thanks for checking them out, if you have any questions please feel free to ask them here or PM me.

I'll update this post as things develop...

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Nice wheels, good luck with this!

Btw, what are the costs for every model?
Edit: saw that one slip from the first post, sorry.

 

[Rui F. Martins]

the wheels look really good, i wouldn't mind trying one of those

 

[Vito Lombardi]

GT3....please....more info,
Also, adapters to fit G27 ect...will they be part of your wheel kit

 

[William Geuze]

Looks great, think the shifters are very interesting as well.

 

[hwangm]

Hi Simon, , very very cool , do you provide just the back 'box' with the shifters?

 

[SIMON]

Thanks for the questions everyone,

Vito Lombardi: The complete package will include an adapter to fit your choice of wheel base. I'm aiming to cover the G25, G27, T500rs, ECCI, AND FREX wheels.

hwangm: Not at this time I'm afraid. I've designed the rear pocket to fit the custom Sparco wheel that I'm using for these wheels. It has a unique bolt layout that wont fit other wheel rims...

Thanks for your time...

 

[Butch Davis]

Just as a thought, you should consider adding the Logitech DFGT to your list of supported wheels.. Since it is one of the easier wheels to find and not as expensive, it is used by a lot more drivers, many who might not mind spending the money for a wheel like this to bolt onto their existing DFGT..

 

[William Geuze]

is it even possible to fit other wheels on the DFGT?

 

[Butch Davis]

Absolutely.. I personally have the SRW-S1 mounted to the DFGT.. Awaiting the arrival of a Pro-Race Display to add that to the setup, too.. I have ECCI pedals, and have owned both a G25 and G27, neither of which I ever bothered to remove from the boxes.. The thing I always liked about the DFGT is the number of buttons directly on the wheel, and it's the reason I know a lot of others have stuck with the DFGT instead of getting a G25/G27.. Addon wheels almost always have a slew of buttons and knobs and such, so that's right in line with what a lot of people who own the DFGT are looking for..

 

[diesirae]

Looking fantastic,but how's the weight, say compared to a G27 or T500RS stock wheel?

We've already seen how extra weight can affect the speed and detail of FFB with the Clubsport BMW wheel compared to the F1 wheel and I'm certainly looking for a replacement on the T500 if isn't any heavier.

 

[Chris Dawson]

Simon, these look fantastic.

Any idea on outline prices or availability, even if these are just broad ranges at the moment?

 

[SIMON]

Thanks for your interest everyone,

diesirae: Let's compare them to the two Fanatec CSW rims. The CSW Formula rim weighs 1.25kg, and the BMW GT2 rim weighs 2.2kg, My wheels weigh between 1.7kg and 1.8kg depending on the model. When you hold them, they don't feel heavy, the mass is centralised and the wheel rim itself is very light. With the increased weight come more functionality, better feel and better finish, combined with a solid build quality that will handle anything you can throw at it.

I'll have some things to share later in the week, I'll post the photos up here.

I appreciate your patience while I continue to develop these wheels.

Cheers,
Simon

 

[Beef36]

Simon, you have certainly piqued my interest. I'm interested in the GT1 Logitech version.


Cheers

 

[Chris Dawson]

Simon, just a couple of follow up questions!

I am thinking about eventually getting a GT wheel and an F1 wheel (in addition to the standard one) for my G27, as those would pretty much cover all of my sim racing needs, and it would be really nice to be able to swap them around depending on what game I am playing.

The question I have is about the quick release mech and mechanical and electrical compatibility. The Roso F1 wheel uses a custom quick release that is different from yours, but would you be able to supply an additional wheel-side quick release mech and would that be able to be fitted (possibly with some modification) to another wheel to allow compatibility with the base? Is the electrical connection just USB through a different plug and so easily wired in? Alternately, are you thinking of producing an F1 wheel using the same quick release?

Might be a while before I am able to get all of this, but just like to plan ahead!

Cheers

 

[SIMON]

The Moog: I understand what you're saying, but sadly the wheel-side USB connector is built into the spacer and the quick release boss fits on top of it. So it's not a case of being able to give you a spare quick release to fit onto your Roso wheel.

However, my G27 adapter is very easy to install, it's just uses 3 bolts and connects directly to the internal wiring with a snap-in connector, so you could easily remove it in 3 minutes and fit your Roso adapter when you want to use your Roso wheel.

I am in the early stages of designing an F1 style wheel, and it will use the same quick release system. However there's a lot to do on the GT wheels before I get around to really working on it.

Thanks for your interest,
Simon

 

[aawick1970]

Simon

Wheels look like art!! My one and only thought was to do with the size of the paddle shifters, they look to me from the pics to be too small, you have obviously had a chance to test them ingame, have you had any issues? Am thinking only during a tight turn they may be difficult to reach in the heat of the moment, especially if you have been cursed with short fingers!!

cheers

 

[Chris Dawson]

SIMON: Thanks for the info,

I look forward to seeing the GT wheels progress, and having a look at what you are doing with an F1-style wheel!

 

[SIMON]

Hello Everyone,

I took the GT3 wheel over to Leo Bodnar's Silverstone workshop for a quick test session using his wrist-snappingly powerful FFB wheel. As you will have probably heard, the shaft torque is incredibly strong. As such, It served as the perfect stress-testing platform. Also it was great fun, so thanks to Leo and John for their time.

Here's a couple of shots of John trying it out.






Also, I've now seen the SLI-F1 for myself up close, (trust me it does exist!). So I've adjusted the design of the GT2 wheel to better accommodate the actual aluminium enclosure.




The Logitech G25 / G27 and the Thrustmaster T500 adapters are both finished and I'll post up some photos of them soon. Both are quick to install and have solder-free connections that run the USB line through the wheel.

Lastly, I'm waiting on some machining samples to be made up. Once I've seem them all and verified their quality, then I can release the final pricing information for the wheels.


Thanks to everyone for checking this thread out,
Simon

 

[Kevin Cordice]

Wish mighty success in the bid to create a work of art to share amongst the Sim community