Ooooh. Ahhh.

http://gamespot.com/gshw/filters/products/review/0,12835,538749,00.html

I think I'll sell my beloved Wingman Formula Force on eBay (the cable-drive original) and go with this guy. Any thoughts?

I just got this wheel.

This may be the single most satisfying consumer item I've ever purchased. The attention to detail and construction quality is almost unheard of-- metal plates on the pedals and the pedal base.. pivoting pedal platforms.. real leather around the wheel.. an industrial-looking aluminum plate on the front and thick metal paddle shifters.

http://shopper.cnet.com/shopping/resellers/0-7085-311-6966748-3.html?fl=0&tag=st.sh.7085-311-6966748.sort.price

All that for $159, which is about what I paid for the original cable-drive Wingman Formula Force. Putting them side by side, it's hard to believe that they were ever sold at anything close to the same price. The Momo makes the WFF look positively *cheap*, and it was a premium wheel in its day.

It even comes with metallic yellow lightning stickers to place on the wheel enclosure. Shades of "Greased Lightning".

Anyway. I'll give my driving impressions later since I'm just starting the orgy of driving game reinstallation-- but first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. Such immediate, visceral pleasure out of the box.. heck, maybe porn wasn't that far off the mark.

Sounds good Jeff...but I wonder how it compares to the ACT Labs Force RS I've been using for six months now? I love that wheel.

--Dave

Will it work on the PS2? One of the USB Logitech wheels (I believe it was the formula force) supposedly worked for the PS2, as that GT Force wheel was apparently just a repackaged version. I want to buy a good wheel, but I'm afraid getting too comfortable with one will make me need them for all racing games. Having a wheel that would also work on at least ONE console might make me a little less leery of taking the plunge.

-Matthew

Currently, the ACT Labs wheel I have supports N64, Playstation and Dreamcast with an additional $20 spent on each cartridge you want. They say there is NOT a cart for the PS2 but there's a very real possibility that the wheel would already work fine with a PS2 if you had the PS cart. http://www.act-labs.com/race4.htm

I don't have it or I'd give it a try myself. I've only got the DC and PC carts. The PC one comes with the wheel.

--Dave

"I think I'll sell my beloved Wingman Formula Force on eBay (the cable-drive original) and go with this guy."

Save yourself the posting cost and PayPal charges and drop me an email with how much you're looking for when/if you sell it. If I can afford what you're asking for it, you'll save time and money.

"Will it work on the PS2? One of the USB Logitech wheels (I believe it was the formula force) supposedly worked for the PS2, as that GT Force wheel was apparently just a repackaged version. I want to buy a good wheel, but I'm afraid getting too comfortable with one will make me need them for all racing games. Having a wheel that would also work on at least ONE console might make me a little less leery of taking the plunge."

As Dave points out, ACT-LABS might be the way to go here. But since you asked, Sony and Logitech have a rather proprietary view of the world.. here are the details:

http://www.wingmanteam.com/PS2/ps2.htm

Damn shame, really, since this WAS the whole point of USB. Why should we buy five different controllers if we own five different consoles?

"Sounds good Jeff...but I wonder how it compares to the ACT Labs Force RS I've been using for six months now? I love that wheel."

I haven't directly worked with the ACT, but just based on the reviews I've read.. I'd say the quality of construction is quite a bit higher on the MOMO. This thing is solid and has a Lexus feel about it.. and I've read the exact opposite about the ACT.

But the ACT RS-1 is a well-reviewed wheel in its own right. And has a number of optional benefits: the shifter (which also comes in a standalone USB version), pedals that include a clutch, and interoperability with other consoles via the plug-in cartridges.

Well, I'll be damned.

The Logitech MOMO **DOES** work with Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2:

http://forum.granturismo.com/showthread.php?s=4f2db97e2891cc4aa0330916b90a462a&threadid=55462&highlight=logitech+momo

Whereas I can personally testify that the older Wingman Formula Force, does not..