Racing -- Engadget

racing posts

Exspect launches racing wheel for Wii Motion Plus controllers in the UK

by Laura June posted Nov 11th 2009 at 8:57PM

Sure, there are plenty of Wii racing wheel options out there, but Exspect's launching one just for the Wii Motion Plus controller -- and just in time for the holidays! The wheel is also compatible with the plain old Wiimote, but sadly, if you live in the States it doesn't look like you'll be able to get one of these any time soon. The Racing Wheel is available now in the UK and will run you £6.99 (that's about $11.67 if you don't speak "£") on its own, or £19.99 ($33.35) if you buy it as part of a Wii accessories pack.

Real Time Race promises to let you race against the pros, in real time

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 3:31PM

There's certainly no shortage of impressive augmented reality games around these days, but it doesn't look like the folks behind the so-called Real Time Race will have any trouble turning a few heads with theirs, at least if they can actually deliver as promised. Their basic idea is to make use of some Google Street View-like technology to create a virtual reproduction of an actual race track, and pair it with some real-time data as the race is happening to let anyone that wants to take part in the race from the comfort of their home. While the current state of things still seemingly leaves a bit to be desired (check the video at the link below), the folks behind the game say they could be ready to hold their first race sometime next year -- assuming they're able to line up all the necessary rights and broadcast issues, that is. In the meantime, you can take the non-real time demo version for a spin.

[Thanks, Bryce D]

Japanese team takes top prize at World Solar Challenge

by Laura June posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 10:51AM

A Japanese team from Tokai University has taken the top spot at the World Solar Challenge, which was held at the end of last week in Australia. The team beat out the Delft University team which won four consecutive previous Challenges, and this year took second place, with the third seat going to the University of Michigan. The race course travels from southern to northern Australia over 3,000 km (about 1864 miles), and the winning team's car, Tokai Challenger, completed the race in just under 30 hours, averaging 62 miles per hour. Other notable participants included the MIT-built Eleanor.

[Via Wired]

E-Wolf e1 electric race car could create new class of racing jockeys

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 16th 2009 at 2:34PM

There's certainly no shortage of hurdles to cross in building a competitive, all-electric race car, with the weight of the vehicle (and requisite battery pack) being particularly high up on the list. While the folks behind this new E-Wolf e1 vehicle have indeed managed to get the weight down to an impressive 500 kilograms (or just over 1,100 pounds), they've also taken another somewhat unique step to ensure the performance is just right: limit the weight of the driver to 150 pounds. That, combined with a 110kW, quadripolar, liquid-cooled, AC induction motor, apparently allows the car to hit 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds, achieve a top speed of 230 km/h, and last a full 300 kilometers on a charge. Of course, it also costs €150,000 (or over $220,000), but it is apparently street-legal, and definitely won't be mistaken for a Tesla Roadster.

[Via Autoblog Green]

Logitech's $300 G27 racing wheel gives sidelined DUI possessors a taste of the road

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2009 at 4:00AM

Eager to get back on the track, but not so eager to ease up on the sauce? Fret not, our continually inebriated friends, as Logitech has just the answer for your awfully depressing road woes. The long-awaited successor to the original G25 racing wheel is finally on the scenes, as the G27 brings along real metal, real leather and a real taste of driving that can likely only be mimicked whilst seated in some sort of $30k+ sportster. The wheel is designed to function with Sony's PS2 and PS3 as well as Windows-based PCs, and aside from the built-in force feedback mechanism, you'll also find a pair of stainless steel shifter paddles, RPM / shift indicator lights and a clutch that fully supports heel-and-toe downshifting. Is all that realism worth $299.99? Judge with your wallet come September.

Continue reading Logitech's $300 G27 racing wheel gives sidelined DUI possessors a taste of the road

New Pre Classic emulator video shows off 3D gaming prowess

by Ross Miller posted Apr 19th 2009 at 4:01AM

The last time we saw the Pre's Classic Palm OS emulator in action, we had a few lingering questions in our mind, chief among them being how well can it game? From the looks of this latest video, released by Motion Apps to answer that very question, pretty well so far. In addition to confirming sound support for the latest build, we also get a brief glimpse of the software handling 3D driver GTS World Racer. Of course, seeing this makes us even more curious about the gaming potential for the native webOS, but alas, we're in the cold there. In the meantime, check out some classic 3D racing in the video after the break.

Continue reading New Pre Classic emulator video shows off 3D gaming prowess

Sony patents PSP-controlled spy car

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 11th 2009 at 12:04PM

Check it out, all you budding G. Gordon Liddys -- if the usual assortment of spy gadgets isn't doing the job, Sony's got something in the works that should be right up your alley. According to a little site called Siliconera, Sony's European arm has filed a patent for a remote-controlled car uses the PSP as an interface. This bad boy is equipped with a camera that feeds video back to the hand held and allows the user to upload the footage to a website. If that weren't all, the patent makes mention of an augmented reality racing game incorporating virtual markers and paths that the players physically create -- that is, the junk in your apartment is incorporated into on-screen game play. Innocent fun, right? Well, perhaps -- at least until Iran gets involved. They're still pretty bent by the whole squirrel thing.

[Via Joystiq]

Fanatec's Porsche 911 Turbo S racing wheel plays on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

by Darren Murph posted Oct 31st 2008 at 3:59AM

If you managed to pull in the reigns and hold off on Fanatec's wireless Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel back in April, you can get a beautiful alternative right about now with even more utility. Today, the outfit has introduced the limited edition Porsche 911 Turbo S Racing Wheel for Xbox 360 -- which, contrary to its name, actually plays nice with the PlayStation 3 and PC. Of note, there are three variants from which to choose: a 911 Turbo S Edition, Clubsport Edition, and Pure Edition, all of which are licensed by Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH and feature a 900° steering angle. You'll also find a 6+1 shifter, and if you opt for the Clubsport Edition, you'll get high-end pedals that are actually crafted from aluminum and feature a load cell pressure sensor for the brake. The pain? $250, $400 and $150 in order of mention, 90% of which is totally paying for that logo in the middle.

Fanatec intros wireless Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel

by Darren Murph posted Apr 30th 2008 at 10:32AM

Sorry Mario, but your Wii Wheel just got lapped, backed over and left in the dust. Heck, even the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel looks toyish propped up next to this. Then again, neither of the previously mentioned accessories will put a $349.99 hole in your bank account, but did you really expect anything else from an officially licensed Porsche product? According to Fanatec, it took the firm seven years to acquire the license, and it required that the wheel be "the best out there." We can't judge the quality from here, but we can tell you it supports wireless USB technology and boasts a trio of force feedback motors, a 6+1 speed H-pattern gear shifter, cordless pedals, an automotive grade leather covering, a key-shaped 1GB flash drive for storing settings and compatibility with Sony's PlayStation 3 and PCs of (almost) all ages. Look at it this way: it's still probably cheaper than two tanks of premium.

Brando's Wii Multi-Axis Racing System: a few notches above awful

by Darren Murph posted Apr 18th 2008 at 8:29AM

We know, there's only so much you can do to a foam donut to make it, well, more than a foam donut, but Brando's trying its best to one-up the competition by adding in a stand. With Mario Kart Wii launching in under a fortnight (in the US, at least), the Wii Multi-Axis Racing System is vying for those hard-earned dollars by giving racers the ability to grip something stuck to an immobile surface rather than just flailing around with some sort of lightweight Wiimote-engulfing circle. And at just $18, it even gives the first-party Wii Wheel some serious competition. Okay, so maybe "serious" is an overstatement.

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

Supercross rider dons GoPro camera on helmet, wins race

by Darren Murph posted Mar 25th 2008 at 4:50PM

Oh sure, we've come across oodles of cameras designed to be mounted on or around one's noggin, but c'mon, surely we aren't the only folks who reckoned no one actually used these things, right? Taking a huge leap forward for lifebloggers and fans of recording sweet jumps everywhere, Yamaha's Josh Hill managed to not only rock a GoPro Motorsports HERO camera for an entire race, but he also grabbed the gold in front of some 41,000 onlookers in the Minneapolis Metrodome. See kids -- strapping gizmos onto your head isn't just for nerds and basement dwellers, after all. Peep some footage from the headcam below.

[Via verde, image courtesy of vitalmx]
Read - Josh Hill wins race with camera on helmet
Read - Footage from GoPro helmet camera

Force Dynamics' 401 simulator chair is pure abuse

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 22nd 2008 at 10:43AM

Sure, your racing games are exciting... we guess. Though when you think about it, they don't really deliver the kind of visceral, knock-about action of an actual race, do they? That's where the Force Dynamics 401 comes in -- a simulator chair which features a "direct transfer of information," i.e., you get bruises if you drive poorly. Judging from the video (which you can see after the break), you'd be hard-pressed to get a more realistic experience... unless you were actually driving a race car at breakneck speeds around tight chicanes whilst passing speeding, desperate competitors.

Continue reading Force Dynamics' 401 simulator chair is pure abuse

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel now $99

by Darren Murph posted Dec 20th 2007 at 2:28PM

Time's running out, folks, and if you've got an Xbox 360 gamer in your life that you've vowed to spend a C-note on (and nothing more, tax notwithstanding), here's a bright idea. Microsoft has just cut the price of its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel by $30 to a manageable $99, and it also comes bundled with a driver disc and a demo of Forza Motorsport 2. So, what are you waitin' on? No, really, what's the holdup?

Bullet DVR video recorder: for Speedy, not Rex Racer

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 9th 2007 at 8:50AM

Got Trixie at your side and Racer-X breathing down your neck? Hot, you'll need this then, the $749 Bullet DVR. Just bolt the solid state MPEG-4 recorder to your Mach 5 to capture lap times, jetting, gearing, suspension, and fuel consumption data for later playback in front of Mifune Motors' board of directors. Go speed racer, go!

[Via The Red Ferret Journal]

BMW's M3-simulating M3

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 11th 2007 at 3:34AM

If you're not content to simply simulate other vehicles in actual cars, or simulate driving actual cars in video game simulations, perhaps you would enjoy this combination from BMW, which allows you to play a simulation in the actual vehicle you're simulating. All a bit meta for you? Don't worry, all that's going on here is that BMW has rigged up its $100,000+ M3 with a projector in the backseat, and wired the steering, transmission and pedals to control and react to a racing sim (which is based on the M3's handling). The system also feeds data back to the car's hydraulics, allowing it to shake and bounce in sync with gameplay. Probably not as much fun as driving the real thing, but definitely cheaper. Be sure to check the video after the break to hear a completely over-zealous car nerd acting like he's never seen Outrun before.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading BMW's M3-simulating M3