Just built my first race simulator. The Project CARS 2 has the SVR F-Type as an option (along with an XK-220 and racing XKE). I've equipped it with the Jaguar Recaro seats that wouldn't fit in my XKE resto mod. Force feedback wheel and full peddles, I have a full force feedback chair component coming. My first build, I think it turned out pretty good. (The platform on the left of the seat is for a handbrake for drifting, haven't found one I like yet). This has, and will be, a fun summer project.

First build, the Intel system was giving me issues.

Fixed the monitor stand (needed to be heavier)

This was setting up for the VR headset

Chair controls.

Got the AMD threadripper in with the NVIDIA RTX 2800 card. Note the XKR (this is a post race video, I was driving the blue SVR).

Another shot of the F-Type

Passing on the outside of the F-Type. Note I've ordered a Jaguar sticker to cover up the little yellow flying horse.

 

Looks awesome. How does the SVR drive on that game? I always find the R's (and Project 7's) very understeery in the games which hasnt been my experience in the metal, it takes a lot of the fun out of it.

I think I have found my next thing to obsess about.

 

Understeer is right, but I learned to modulate the throttle and stopped crashing. This was the car on the NASCAR track, pretty easy given the high bank. Laguna Seca not so much but that is a track I've actually driven on which made it a lot of fun as well. My actual track car is a GLA 45 AMG and they have one of those as well. It is deceptively fast and I've done well on track days, on this thing that little car screams. I really wanted one of the high end simulators but at $50K (or there about) my wife wouldn't go for it. I was able to build this in parts. With out the chair force feedback (which is $3K and wasn't on sale on Prime day darn it) I'm in around $3K on this build (plus the PC).

 

Cheers, I dont have the full rig though I have set up my gaming PC with a 42 inch TV as a monitor (not perfect actually, a bit grainy) and am using the wheel etc. Next is the proper simulator, we see quite a few on gumtree for a couple of grand as I think it is one of those things that a lot of people tire of, like a pool table. Maybe after my exhaust mods on my real car which my wife is giving me sharpei looks over. My favorite car on the games is the XJ220 with no assists, I must have been around the simulated Nurburgring over 100 times in my simulated XJ220. Not understeery at all, much more fun that the simulated modern jags.

 

Not going to lie, pretty jealous.

 

I was doing the 220 and the race XKE pretty much back to back on Nürburgring and, I agree, the 220 is AWSOME! Also agree the TV approach isn't ideal which is why I'm using a 32" Dell monitor (would use my 49" but I really like working on that monitor and the 43" monitor is too tall (and too heavy for this rig)). I'm impressed with the Thrustmaster wheel and peddles. Still sorting the VR rig (HP Reverb).

 

The hard thing about PC simulations is that you get to experience various cars back to back to back which most people don't get a chance to do in real life. An F-Type in the sim compared to a GT3 race car is going to be understeery. However, if you don't have a comparison directly in real life (how many of us get to drive a GT3 in real life), then you won't notice the understeer. i.e. it's all relative... All street cars understeer at their limits. Street cars are tuned for tire life and non-edgy street driving.

FWIW, I did physics consulting on Project CARS 2 (and PC1).

 

Sweet, an expert! I reckon what was missing from the available cars is the v6S RWD which is much lighter at the front than the R on a track in real life, I'd love the chance to see it in the sims. But on the Forza platform (yes I actually like Forza Motorsport!), even the XE S understeers like crazy. I've driven them on the track quite a few times in real life and and pretty decent speeds, really they dont understeer very much at all in fact I felt like you couldnt push them off the track if you tried (this was the 240KW version though). Maybe the designers took the driving dynamics from the f type R and applied it to the XE.

I'll have to get back on to PC2 and sample your work. I tend to get hot and heavy on the games for a few months then have a break for a few months.

 

Well, Forza, for all it's glory, doesn't really strive for realism. It does purposely make their cars understeer as it's easier to control than oversteer with a gamepad (since it's larger player base will be using gamepads rather than wheel setups). It's also a little hard on sims to tell your sense of speed. A lot of times we are driving faster in the sims than we would be in real life just due to the lack of sensation which makes it hard to judge how the cars should feel in the corners. They helps Forza a bit, but not much!

I did a back to back test with the Audi R8 street car in PC2 from a track day. I will say they got it nailed pretty good. The R8 I drove in real life had carbon ceramic brakes and the car had non-OEM tires, so braking was better than the simulated OEM setup in PC2 but it was pretty close. I won't say all of the cars are good, but most are pretty close. The sensation of the weight movement and controlling it under braking and cornering of the PC2 SVR was similar to my S. I've never been in a SVR at the track, but I have an R and PC2 does a good job (and the sounds are done really well for the SVR in game).

 

Hello all,

Nice to see some simulator builds here!

I have been involved in sim racing for almost 20 years and as an electronics engineer I have spent time developing professional grade electronics and software for sim racing, with focus on force feedback systems and motion control. I was actually one of the pioneers in developing high performance force feedback electronics and software for simulators almost ten years ago.

So, looking forward to sim discussions!

 

I see many are using TV's as monitors for the games, which is an inexpensive way to get a big screen, but let me tell you, having a high refresh rate on a gaming monitor is a GAME CHANGER... I am now using an Alienware AW3418 with 100mhz refresh rate, and it makes everything just come alive! If you have the chance, give it a try!

 

Agree, TVs just don't have the performance you need for fast action games. The AW3418 is a really nice choice for this. Not badly priced right now either (at least not on Amazon) around $615.

 

That is for the low res version

 

Boy, you are right, it jumps to closer to a grand when you pick the higher resolution version. And you sit close in this rig which would justify the higher resolution.

 

I always avoided sim racing, believing it gives you false sense of confidence when you actually end up on the track. Remember, in real life there is no "load last save" if you crash hard enough.

As I do have quite a bit of track time behind the wheel with my F-type, I can say that under-steer is not at all accurate for V6 F-type equipped with MP4S tires running at 40PSI warm - you have to go absolutely nuts for this to happen.

 

Nowadays there are plenty of monitors targeted for gaming with very low so called "input lag", which is the most important aspect for sim racing. There are also large TV sets designed for gaming which have decently low input lag. There are sites on the internet which list the input lag of different models. Also VR is advancing rapidly, and in a number of years most will probably use VR goggles for sim racing.

Regarding sim vs. reality: in my experience what you really can practise well in a simulator is learning tracks and learning how a car behaves on and over the limit. The simulations are quite accurate in these respects.

All younger and current professional race car drivers use simulators extensively for training and track practise. The teams also use them to experiment with car dynamics and setups. The simulator software is often the same or modded versions of the ones private persons can buy.

For maximum fidelity I recommend rFactor2, iRacing and Assetto Corsa, especially the latest version called ACC.

BR Fredric

 

I am sure some people might confuse sim racing with real life but that hasnt been my experience. The only thing that has improved my track times is time on the track. That said, I'd imagine that if I ever had a crack at a track I'd raced plenty on screen, once I'd done it in real life once or twice I'd be a lot more familiar with braking points etc for my ultra cautious driving. The tracks can be incredibly realistic with the dips and bumps.

I agree re understeer, the V6 F type is my favorite on the track though I havent tried the SVR which is meant to be lighter at the front end than the R, nor the 4 potter.

 

It depends on how you use the sim. If you do treat it like a "game", then sure there are bad habits that can be created. If you treat it like you would real life driving, then there is a lot of good sims can offer.

 

I found sims to actually be quite helpful in a number of ways. If you are just learning how to drive on the track (in real life) the sims help you understand what can happen when you make mistakes, and how to correct them properly. I think it also gives you a safe place to learn about the dynamics of racing and driving in general. I did Rally racing, and my sim was EXTREMELY helpful in understanding the counter-intuitive aspects of racing on gravel. Car control and recovery are a huge part of being fast, and the sim allowed me to test different scenarios without having to pay for repairs!

I think that real world seat time is the best for improving your actual abilities, but sims are cheap, convenient, and have many options that allow you to round out your experience.

Regarding input lag, I haven't really noticed a huge impact regarding moderate to fast speeds in driving sims.... I think that since the xbox and ps came out, this has been metered quite well (albeit new TV's are definitely quicker), but the big advantage in refresh rate is that as you look side to side, or turn the car, the screen is refreshing so much quicker, that the image appears much more life like.

For those that have never tried 100hz refresh rates, you probably are enjoying what you have, but if you do get to see what it is like, I'm sure you will be majorly impressed with the difference (I know I was!).

Cheers, and keep racing!

 

I wasn't much of a modern gamer. Sure NES 8-bit. If you're of that generation, this should give you nightmares:
But I do game now. I tried GTAV a few years back, and got addicted to it, but it's really all just hollow wastes of time.
Then I got into VR with an HTC Vive Pro. It's amazing. I absolutely love it. The Rick and Morty guys have done some great work, and the surreal "reality in reality in reality" aspect of "Virtual Reality Reality" is insane, like inception, and just amazing.
Other games are awesome... there's a future "outrun" style car game called Distance, and a weird arcade game called Thumper... it's just shocking to me how fun it is. I don't spend much time in it, but now I'm all about seeking out the spots that have full rigs like this. I really want to try these car sims, for precisely the same reasons you mentioned above.

But just wanted to compliment you on that rig. It's incredible, and I am sure it's a bunch of fun. Nice to make mistakes that don't impact other people, your car, you, or your insurance! =)