For the first time, our CXC Special Projects division turned a real car into a full-motion racing simulator – and added a passenger using VR.

This simulator was commissioned by Norwegian Cruise Lines, for whom CXC Simulations built a simulator out of a former Williams Formula 1 car. This time, however, they told us to come up with an even wilder way to entertain their guests and we settled on a two-seat, full-motion simulator based on a real car.

A Radical SR3 was chosen as the basis for the project. To begin the project, the Radical was tested extensively at VIRginia International Raceway by the CXC Special Projects staff. One of the benefits of basing this simulator on an existing race car was that it already had an onboard telemetry system which allowed CXC to fully instrument the car and capture the data from the car – data such as chassis information, shock position and G-forces. From this information, the digital model of the car could be built and then tested by the same staff to verify its accuracy.

After testing, the car was torn down to the frame and rebuilt as a simulator. At the heart of the fully integrated motion system are four electric posts operated with bell cranks at each corner of the car. Instead of acting on the tires, the posts are mounted to the floor which provide a solid foundation for the simulator but allow the car to move naturally to create the sensations of acceleration, deceleration, cornering and hitting bumps and curbs.

This is also the first time that CXC has built a simulator to accommodate a passenger. Both the driver and the passenger utilize Virtual Reality, and speed-variable fans at the front of the car enhance the realism.

“Our goal is always to create the most accurate driving experience with our simulators” said Chris Considine. “So, it was important to drive the Radical before we converted it into a simulator – not only so that we could compile as much data as possible, but so that we could understand how the car actually felt. This way, we could make sure that what we programmed into the simulator’s software and motion system matched what the car felt like in real life.”

Get in touch with us today to talk about your next full-motion simulator project.