Simracers: Why not just a missile car?

[GregButcher]

So hello all who find this topic.

 

So, yesterday I stumbled upon a video about a simracing pedal, with hydraulic brakes, that costs 1400$(!?!?!) with mounting brackets and such, without a steering wheel, or cockpit. Also as i seen a cockpit costs around 1k$ as well, and a wheel is several hundred or I dunno. Now i get it that this is probably a very high end setup, and i'm guessing that not a lot of people have these, but my question still stands:

 

Why do you guys buy high end, several thousand dollar setups for simracing, instead of going out buying a very cheap crappy car and taking it to a track? Cost wise you will probably come even, and from my (small) experience driving a real car is always a better experience and fun.

 

Now don't get me wrong I'm not judging, I have a logitech momo steering wheel from waay back as well(altho i almost never use it nowadays), I'm just interested in the reasoning or the points behind having a simracing setup.

From what i understand some advantages: 1. Safety(Honestly tho, if you go out to a proper track with a basic 100hp-ish car you'll not crash it to the point of damage) 2. No maintenance and no fuel cost 3. you can do it from the comfort of your home, on many tracks.

So how do you guys feel? Is it worth making the tradeoff, or you have some other reasoning behind it? Discuss!

 

Edit: some grammar

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

I think some people don't have the time to drive to the track or a track isn't available. 

[dragoon20005]

Prices of car in singapore are not that simple to understand and you need tons of cash to get a set of wheels

 

your typical Toyota car cost from 120K onwards and thats not including taxes and running cost

 

so the only way to exp the joy of driving with the car seat and driving wheel is cheaper

[GregButcher]

Prices of car in singapore are not that simple to understand and you need tons of cash to get a set of wheels

 

your typical Toyota car cost from 120K onwards and thats not including taxes and running cost

 

so the only way to exp the joy of driving with the car seat and driving wheel is cheaper

 

Oh god yeah, i heard about that once a long time ago. Fair enough.

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

Think of this like, why do people play paintball and airsoft, instead of spending hundreds or thousands on toy guns they could join the army and use real guns

 

or play a flightsim and not get a pilots licence

 

sure you can get a car for £1000, but it will A, be crap, B you need road tax and insurance, the vehicle needs a yearly MOT and service, you have to pay for track days, tyres, maintenance, oil and fuel, and it costs time and money travelling to the track site and you cant do it on an evening after work in your dressing gown with a mug of coffee on anytrack in the world in any car

[GregButcher]

Think of this like, why do people play paintball and airsoft, instead of spending hundreds or thousands on toy guns they could join the army and use real guns

 

or play a flightsim and not get a pilots licence

 

sure you can get a car for £1000, but it will A, be crap, B you need road tax and insurance, the vehicle needs a yearly MOT and service, you have to pay for track days, tyres, maintenance, oil and fuel, and it costs time and money travelling to the track site and you cant do it on an evening after work in your dressing gown with a mug of coffee on anytrack in the world in any car

 

Well I wouldn't agree on the paintball/military comparison (one leaves you scarred for life the other's a fun time, like fps in real life), but otherwise you have some points that I agree with.

[PlayModeOn]

What if you want to drive a race car you are a fan of? You can't!

 

Unless you got connections.

 

I love the Nismo and Gran Turismo racing team and I follow their races. But does it look like me typing on a keyboard with no driving experience will be able to drive one of those without fear of death?

 

And yes that is another thing, you don't fear of dying in a controlled environment of a sim.

[ShadowCaptain]

Well I wouldn't agree on the paintball/military comparison (one leaves you scarred for life the other's a fun time, like fps in real life), but otherwise you have some points that I agree with.

 

Ok well replace army with "buy a real gun and go to a shooting range" still the same things applies

 

Racing sims are still firmly in the video game category 

[Tygron]

Well I wouldn't agree on the paintball/military comparison (one leaves you scarred for life the other's a fun time, like fps in real life), but otherwise you have some points that I agree with.

People have died in Nascar and the like. It's not a perfect comparison no, but I thought it worked alright. *shrugs*

[dandrix]

I think some people don't have the time to drive to the track or a track isn't available. 

Or simply cant afford million dollar race car.

[Blue fellow]

Driving a car at a track regularly is in no way even comparable to the cost of a racing sim set up. Tyres alone will set you back far more. Even go-karting is far more expensive than a racing sim set up.