Audi R8 LMS Racing Simulator Revealed at Gamescom 2011

This year's Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, Germany, hosted the unveiling of a new racing simulator. With the new Audi R8 LMS simulator, enthusiasts can experience Gran Turismo 5, while actually sitting in a race car. The presentation was accompanied by race driver Christopher Mies, who become the European GT3 champion in the Audi R8 LMS and won the Bathurst 12 Hours in February.

The effort put in by Sony PlayStation and Audi was significant, offering fans with a true motorsport sensation in the new Audi R8 LMS Racing Simulator. The quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm built the car for the actual simulator instead of converting a production vehicle or a production car. Enthusiasts can climb into the carbon-black race car, which has received PlayStation graphics, and feel the sensation a true race car offers.

They sit in a bucket seat wich can be found also in the real GT3 race car. The roll-cage has been also simplified if compared to the real version, so it would ease the access of the players.

"We built up the base vehicle for the simulator within six weeks.For many fans, playing a game that is as advanced as Gran Turismo 5 in our race car will no doubt be a unique experience," Jurgen Zurn, Head of Test and Production of quattro GmbH.

Once the simulator has been started players the adrenaline rush of a true pilot in full thrust. Also, the paddle shifters, the racing authentic steering wheel and pedals are all functional and connected to the Playstation-3 as well. The sounds of the game are highly amplified into the cockpit thanks to a state of the art Dolby Surround system. The vehicle’s dynamics effects are transmitted at the player through a cutting edge system. Instead of the standard springs and dampers the suspensions are controlled by pneumatic cylinders, allowing this way movements up to 150 millimeters to be recreated.