We come back with analysis, with reviews or whatever you prefer to call them. Today we have Victor Moro, who already wrote an analysis of GTEYE springs for Logitech pedal, and in this case he will give us his impressions on the assembly and sensations of the cockpit GT1 EVO from Sim-Lab.
First of all, thanks to all the Sim-Lab team and to Richard Schouteren in particular for being kind enough of sending me a GT1 EVO cockpit for analysis. As introduction, Sim-Lab is a Dutch company founded in 2015, and what started as something new in a small garage gradually became one of the reference sites for simracing related products, especially for cockpits, thanks to its close ties with the aluminum industry.
Shipment of the cockpit consists of 3 packages. Try to be present when they arrive so you don’t have to pick them up from the parcel service, because they are neither small nor light (30 kg aprox.). As Sim Lab reports through its website, shipping usually takes between 2 and 3 weeks, and in my case it did.
The different materials that go in this box, are separated and protected from each other by paper, which at first might seem not enough, but somehow all the elements are protected individually, and we are talking about screws and nuts, seems sufficient. The weight, 13kg.
Let’s proceed with the assembly. For this, and first of all, we need the assembly instruction manual which can be downloaded here. Yes, it is a little scarce. There are no references or suggestions of almost any kind. In the cockpit’s own web in Sim Lab you also have available a video in which they mount one.
As tools we will need a pair of Allen keys and a big screwdriver. The assembly in general is quite simple and repetitive, which less skilled people will appreciate, as is my case.
The elements that will keep all of this together are the screws, the corner brackets and the nut slots (or sliding nut).
The cockpit has a bar to anchor to the “bridge” and where we would place our theoretical shifter. I don’t have it, and to put it to make a test in the world of simRacing seems to me a little risky. The assembly would be the same as we have done so far, with our corner brackets, our sliding nuts and … well, you get an idea.
Finally the seat and the slider, which will allow us to regulate the distance of the seat at any time. It is undoubtedly the assembly process that has a little more difficulty, but not too much, it is just tedious.
Finally the seat and the slider, which will allow us to regulate the distance of the seat at any time. It is undoubtedly the assembly process that has a little more difficulty, but not too much, it is just tedious.
Like everyone else, the cockpit I started with was a little rudimentary. It consisted of a G27 anchored to the table and an Ikea chair. I had to anchor and unhook the steering wheel to the table every time I wanted turn a couple of laps, since it was my simRacing/Desktop table. It wasn’t the paradigm of comfort. From that, I went on to a Playseat Challenge, much more comfortable, but it lacked something. Besides, I still had the problem of mounting/dismounting because of space issues. The logical evolution seemed like a cockpit of this kind.
The cockpit gives a sensation of considerable solidity and robustness. True, I have tried it with a G27, whose FFB should not threaten the integrity of the cockpit’s structure, but I find it hard to imagine that even an OSW would be able “break” this mountain of aluminum. It is a possibility to explore in the future.
Immersion
This is ultimately a bit subjective and depends on the other hardware you have, but with the seat, the SPEED 1, already in place and with the distances well set, the feeling is similar to sitting in a GT competition car. You can endure sessions of several hours without having back pain or discomfort in the twins or ankles, and I think that’s something to value positively.
Using VR I can forget almost everything and focus exclusively on driving in a comfortable and functional way, as the fabric does not add heat and perspires enough to be cool in summer and pleasant in winter.
The seat has a pocket to leave the mobile and the cushions under the thighs are removable for easy cleaning. The main structure is made of carbon fiber.
Conclusions
Like every improvement, it always leads to a positive conclusion. I used to have a hard time sitting around because of the discomfort of having to use a structure where I didn’t feel very comfortable. Now that problem is gone and I can go as many times, or hours, as I want without having to end up ground in the lower kidneys. Being able to press the pedals without the base slipping is also an improvement that facilitates confidence when driving. In addition, the issue of compatibility allows me to add other models of pedals and steering wheels in the future, something that was impossible with the Challenge. That’s not to mention the solidity and modularity given by the profiling that allows you to mount any accessory without having to wind your brains and everything being well fixed. So in general we can say that it is a change for the better quite remarkable and is appreciated as the days go by.
Price GT1 Evo: 399€ in grey, 449€ in black.
Price Speed 1: 329€ available in 3 colors.
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Thanks for this timely review before I order my GT1 vs the P1-X!
Do you still have your unit? Could you do me a favor and measure how big the top of the pedal plate is? I will be making an aluminum extrusion mounting plate assembly for my pedals that will go on-top of the GT1 pedal plate. Sim-labs does not indicate the dimensions. Thanks again for the great and thorough review!