Next Level Racing F-GT Review

When striving for ultimate immersion, seating position is a crucial aspect to fully feel immersed in-game.

Driving an F1 car in an upright seating position of a GT car breaks the immersion, especially in VR, and vice versa. That's why it's essential if you want to maximize your immersion in both GT cars and Formula cars.

There is a solution to that problem, though.

A cockpit with the ability to convert into both positions. That's where the F-GT rig comes in, by Next Level Racing. It can transform from an upright GT seating position into a down-low formula seating position.

If you're looking for the ultimate immersion in both conventional cars and open-wheelers, look no further than the F-GT.

What's included?

In the box you'll find:

• All the parts & tools needed to construct the rig
• Instructions manual
• Shifter mount
• mount
• Strengthening braces for load cell pedals and DD wheels
• Mounting bolts for wheel, pedals, shifter, handbrake

Assembly

When assembling the rig, there were some bolts and holes that were hard to line up. But ultimately, everything fits together.

Be sure to leave all the bolts LOOSE until you have the whole thing assembled. Then tighten them all down after.

When the rig is assembled, it is super sturdy. There is no play or wiggle, besides a tiny bit on the shifter mount. But not anywhere near enough to affect driving!

Other options on the market

The F-GT retails for $500 USD. Currently, the only other converting rig on the market in the same price range as the F-GT, is the F-GT Lite, which is $300 USD.

The Lite version is cheaper but less sturdy. It is a foldable rig like the Playseat Challenge, in that it can be folded down for compact storage.

If you are going to run load cell pedals or a Direct Drive wheel down the road, definitely go with the standard F-GT, as the Lite version cannot handle it.

Currently, all the other rigs in this price range, and even well over this price range, do not have the ability to convert positions.

Review

The immense adjustability allows it to also be used as a flight simulator!

Quality of build & comfort

The seat is reminiscent of a workout bench (minus the loss of calories). There are no bolsters or seat belt slots like on a conventional racing seat.

The outer material is of PU, and it does have cushioning, which makes it comfortable enough for 3-4 hour sim racing sessions.

I have been using the cockpit for about 6 months, and it has never given me any issues. It's not the best seat, but it was designed in this way to accommodate seating for both GT and Formula positions.

This is one of the sacrifices, but I think it is well worth what you get in return.

If you don't like the seat, though, the slider bracket can be mounted onto a different racing seat of your choosing, with minor modifications.

There are also racing seat brackets you can purchase to put onto the rig, to attach a different seat!

The structure is all-metal, very sturdy. The finish of the metal is a very slick matte black that doesn't easily scratch.

I did see some wear on the finish after converting the rig a few times, as the friction of sliding things off wore the finish off. But it isn't noticeable at all because the structure covers them.

Compatibility & mounting

This cockpit is drilled to accommodate mounting for the majority of wheel and pedal sets available on the market.

If you have a wheelbase and pedals from Logitech, Thrustmaster, or Fanatec, you can be sure that the mounting holes will all line up, and you will be able to mount without issue. Most Direct Drive wheels with mounting hardware can also be mounted.

It also includes a shifter mount, which has many holes to accommodate most shifters and handbrakes on the market as well. The shifter mount is fully ambidextrous, and can be adjusted forward or backwards to suit your positioning.

On the wheel mounting deck, there are many boltholes for different patterns of bolt placements to accept a variety of wheelbases. My T300 mounts perfectly with two bolts and has no wiggle or play.

The pedal plate also has many slots for bolts, but it was a bit harder to line up the holes with my T-LCM pedals. Still, when mounted, there is no wiggle or play.

Even though there are additional support braces included for the pedal plate, I didn't find the need to use it, as it's sturdy enough without.

There are also support braces for direct drive wheelbases, but since I'm not using one, I didn't need it either.

With the wheelbase mounted, the deck still has open surface areas on the sides to mount things like wind sim, dash instruments or displays. Currently, I have a wind sim setup mounted.

A nice bonus to this cockpit is the inclusion of a Buttkicker mount. I have two buttkickers mounted on it.

The shifter mount plate also has many holes for bolts and can accommodate a wide variety of shifters and handbrakes.

I have a TH8A shifter as well as a TSSH handbrake mounted concurrently on mine.

Converting the rig from one position to the other is kind of a hassle. It takes around half an hour for the whole process from start to finish. Although it is a hassle, having access to the two positions is totally 100% worth it.

Dimensions & adjustability

The dimensions of the rig are L 170 cm x W 51 c3m x H 96 cm in Formula position. In GT position, it is slightly shorter lengthwise and slightly taller height wise.

There are adjustments for almost every part of the rig to get you the perfect fit for your body. It is one of the most adjustable, pre-built rigs, outside the 8020 platform.

The only issue I found was that in Formula position, the shifter is too far for your hand to comfortably reach. It was easily fixed with a simple wooden plank mod, shown here:

Upgrades available for the rig itself

The F-GT is a very versatile rig. Next Level Racing offers a few upgrades/modification packages.

There is a triple monitor mount, which mounts directly onto the rig and can take up to three 27" monitors, or a single monitor. However, the placement of the monitors of this mount is a bit too far from the steering wheelbase. I would recommend a freestanding monitor mount instead.

There is also a “Combat Flight Pack” if you want to turn the F-GT into a flight sim rig.

However, it is quite pricey for just mounts, and in reality, you can make mounts out of VESA monitor mounts for flight equipment as I did.

Why the correct position is so important

Sitting in the correct position matching the car you're driving is vital for maximum immersion, and in the case of VR, absolutely necessary for proper FOV and positioning.

Formula 1 drivers are almost laying down in their cars. If you were to be playing in VR and sitting in an upright GT position, it would feel as if the lower part of your body is inside the floor.

Imagine the F1 driver laying down, very close to the ground. Now imagine someone sitting in an upright position, but their head is in the same place as the F1 driver. Yes, your body would be going through the ground.

Same with driving a GT car in a formula position; the main problem with this is that the steering wheels in Formula cars are very high.

So in VR, after you match the position of the in-game wheel to your real life wheel, you will be too low in the car and won't be able to see out of it. Because in GT, the steering wheel is much lower compared to Formula 1.

This is why, especially if you intend to race in VR, you absolutely need a rig that has both positions.

How much has the F-GT helped me?

Because I drive in VR, the ability to use both the GT and Formula positions allows me to get the most accurate seating position and wheel/pedal placement, to match any car that I drive.

This immensely helps with immersion. Because the cockpit allows me to sit in the same position as the driver in-game, I feel so much more immersed and connected to the car.

This feeling of connection to the car allows me to have such a greater sense of what the car is doing.

I am so much more aware of the size of the car and how far it reaches out, which really lets me drive the car as close to the edges of the track without running off. It's a massive perk for immersion, and it translates to faster lap times.

This feeling of being connected to the car also gives me a much more fun and enjoyable experience because I feel like I am actually driving a car!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• It can be converted to both GT and Formula positions
• Very solid, can be used with DD wheels and Load Cell pedals
• Very adjustable to suit all body sizes and height
• Well-priced for what it offers

Cons:

• It can be difficult to assemble
• Converting positions (Formula / GT position) takes around half an hour
• Seat included is not a racing seat
• Official upgrade/modification kits from Next Level Racing are prices

Conclusion

If you want the most immersive and realistic experience driving both GT cars and Formula cars, there is no better choice than the F-GT, especially if you play in VR.

I love mine and wouldn't rather get any other rig because there is no replacement for being able to drive in both positions.

It will be strong enough to take all your potential future upgrades, and provide you with many, many hours of thrill and enjoyment.