Categories
Racing Ephemera Video

Taking a Lotus 49 For a Spin in the Living Room

Classic Race Simulators rents out a variety of handmade replica mid-late 60s Formula 1 cockpits for use with racing simulators for what looks to be an incredibly immersive experience. I’ve long fantasized about crafting a racing simulator station for my home gaming needs but the boy-racer aesthetic of most of the rigs has never appealed… I don’t know why I didn’t think of something like this earlier.

It’s a shame that they only rent them out, because there is almost certainly a market for these on a sales basis. They look to be quite gorgeously executed but there would probably be opportunities for improvement that the incredibly crafty race sim community would leap on—that flappy paddle shifter on the Logitech G27 sticks out like a sore thumb. But the idea of the tube itself as a bare rig… it definitely gets the mental wheels turning. The racing sim community’s demands for realism are unlimited and steering hubs like those made by Fanatec (and I’m sure there are others) will allow you to modify the inputs to match the era and add any steering wheel. Equipped with a quick-release hub, you could even swap your Momo Prototipo or Nardi Classic right out of the sim racing rig and pop it into your car in the garage.
Check out a video of one in action at Race Retro a couple of years back.

Categories
Classic Sportscar

DIY DB4

Say what you will about the validity/heresy of a replica, I’m going to go ahead and give props to New Zealander Ivan Sentch for embarking on the not-unsubstantial quest of 3D printing an Aston Martin DB4.

Heck, I like it simply as an art object. If he does get her up and running, I’ll be truly impressed.

Complete story and photo gallery at GizMag.

Now where is my copy of 3D Studio Max?