I would have to say, and I’m venturing to guess that pretty much everyone will agree with me, that the next best thing to actually DRIVING the Porsche of your dreams like a GT3 RS is driving a gaming version of the car. For me, though, one of the rubs of playing racing games is the wonky controllers you have to use that don’t even come close to replicating the driving experience.
We need something more akin to what Guitar Hero has done with their controllers. One of my favorite gaming experiences to date is firing up Guitar Hero and playing “I Love Rock and Roll” cranked up through the Bose Lifestyle system. I swear, I feel like a rock star for three and a half minutes. “GOODNIGHT HOUSTON!!!”
Well, for all you racing fans, Fanatec has done it once again. They’ve upped the ante with their new Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel Clubsport Edition. This thing looks freakin awesome! So much so, that I’m trying to figure out how to convince my wife we need a Playstation 3 so I can start some “real” racin.
What makes this wheel and pedal setup so amazing? Get this. The wheel itself is covered with genuine Italian Alcantara leather. Just like the real GT3 RS wheel. What’s more, the wheel features belt driven Force Feedback, a built-in display and clubsport pedal shifters. Reviews of the wheel mention that when you open the box, instead of smelling the usual plastic and electronics, this one actually smells like a new car!
The clubsport pedals included in the package are made from solid aluminum and offer brake vibration feedback to indicate locking-up tires as well as pressure sensitivity to better simulate brake force rather than simply pedal movement. The pedals are all adjustable in terms of height and distance to match your foot size and allow for the heel-toe technique.
Bottom line this is one amazing setup. It’s definitely raised the bar for consumer level setups. The next step up would be into the professional grade products that stretch up into the thousands of dollars.
I’ve always wanted to make sure my kids knew how to drive a stick shift. One of those life skills that always seems to come in handy at some point. Short of letting them drive the Porsche, or buying a manual transmission car, there really is not much opportunity for them to learn though. I’ve long thought though that a racing simulator could be a decent way to get the motion down without ruining a transmission. Hey! Maybe that’s the angle on the PS3! “Honey, we need to buy the kids a new Playstation 3 so they can be better drivers.”
Check out thePorsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel here: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel – Clubsport edition.
I would love to pick up a set of those. They look like they’d be a really good time. Alas, my wife has put the kibosh on any gaming system in the house (a la Ryan’s wife and the Porsche poster in the bedroom). Too bad. Maybe they’ll let me convert my office at work into a gaming room.
well, im not a gamer, so it doesnt appeal to me. i;ll just take the real thing, lol.
ain’t nothing like the real thing,baby…..
fun and a lot less expensive if you crash.
At least you could use your kids as an excuse to get one these bad boys 🙂
i would be interested to try this out. i’m very picky on how realistic the wheel and pedal set-up needs to be before i’ll buy one.
guys with the wife’s that are saying no to the gaming system. ask them how much their shoes cost and how many pairs they really need.
for $170, that’s a nice set up, but The Rennsport Cockpit is the ultimate:
http://www.fanatec.de/html/index.php?id=240&lang=
This is TRICK! I dont even think you need a PS3 to want it! No kidding i have to get this. I`m all set for an excuse, I already collect die cast, models , posters and literature…A must have for me !
I`ll help you out Ryan, Tell your wife you need this and the PS3 because you run PorschePerfect….You have a lot of readers who depend on you for reviews of all Porsche related products…What will we all do without you to review it? ! (Dont tell her most of use getting it anyway!) So its a business expense! 🙂
@Brad – That’s a great idea! Although I beat the “business expense” one to death as is. Maybe I’ll just buy it and hope she doesn’t notice it.
That is a pretty sweet set up. Just promise to keep the lawn mowed if you buy a new gaming system and that will make her happy.
The paddle shifters would mess me up for a while, I’m used to the conventional shifters….if anyone has a driving set up, can you confirm if any of the games accommodate heel/toe shifting? this would be a great way to learn that technique
I want to drive the real thing
I like it. I would cough up the bucks for it