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Virtual Racing Chassis by Bob Earl |
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Final Assembly, Usage, Conclusions
Fortunately the niggles pretty much end there. The seat cover is nice, with a thick shaped foam pad and a draw-cord to hold it securely onto the seat shell.
 
I use a Logitech G25 wheel, pedals and shifter and it was nice to see the mounting plates have holes and bolts to let you really securely mount the controls. In fact you can mount the pedals in one of two positions, depending on whether you favour left-foot or right-foot braking. I prefer left-foot braking when racing, so I lined up the pedals with the centreline between the right and middle pedals. It's worth noting that you have to remove the mounting block from the G25 shifter to attach the VRC's mounting plate - this is easy enough as it's only held in place by four screws, but the photo included in the documentation is a shapeless black blob which doesn't help much.
Before you know it, the Virtual Racing Chassis is complete. I didn't have too much trouble assembling it by myself.
 
There are a few adjustments available, including:- distance to pedals (I'm 6'3, or 189cm, and there is more legroom available than I need, so tall folk needn't worry too much)
- height/distance of steering wheel
- height of shifter
- distance from shifter to seat
So overall you should be able to find a comfortable driving position. The seat is pretty good, although possibly a little narrow if you are particularly wide of bottom/hips. The same issue exists in the karting world so you could possibly get a larger seat fitted. Still, I'm not a small person (about 95kg) and was able to comfortably race in the VRC for over two hours straight. The VRC of course is not platform or game dependent in any way, but for the record I mostly played Colin McRae Dirt 2 on the PS3, which for those who haven't played it is something of a cross between a rally game and an eXtrEmE skateboarding game. Duuude!
The controls are firmly mounted once the adjusters are screwed down hard and you can put a fair bit of pressure onto the wheel or pedals without any drama. The seat flexes a little - I tend to push back into the seat quite firmly while driving but again it doesn't feel flimsy or move around annoyingly.
I need to tidy my cables a bit - velcro cable ties are provided with the kit for this purpose but I haven't used them yet. Helmet and gloves not included, and indeed, not really recommended for indoor use. :) Moving the VRC from one room to another is probably a two-person job - you CAN do it singly as it's not particularly heavy, but it's large and awkward to manhandle through doors. Be prepared for lots of eye-rolling from your wife or girlfriend if you get them to help. I'm thinking of mounting some lockable castors on the bottom of this one to help with moving it about, and also giving it a little height to make it easier to climb in and out of. You shouldn't be putting all your weight onto the wheel or seat when getting in or out, so I find a little table nearby to be handy, and also a good place to put your eXtrEmE energy drinks - or in my case a cup of coffee.
Overall I have to say the Virtual Racing Chassis by Bob Earl is pretty good. There are some minor finish issues and my main complaint would be that the documentation needs a serious overhaul. But the end result is certainly a big step up from my previous dodgy setup and some of the other efforts we've seen recently. It feels solid and comfortable when assembled and really adds to the racing experience. I guess the highest praise I can offer is that, once I'd settled into my racing, I barely noticed the VRC. I was focussed on hitting the apexes, feathering the throttle and nudging my opponents out of the way. That kind of immersion into the game is what you're hoping for when you buy a cockpit setup, and the VRC certainly delivered.
Pagnian Imports retail the Virtual Racing Chassis by Bob Earl for $349 AUD plus shipping.
Update: Hess from Pagnian Imports let me know that there are now updated instructions on Bob Earl's website here and a printout of those will be included with all future VRC's sold.
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