[bradleyland]

Sorry this is so long. As Mark Twain said, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead."

So, I actually run a PS4. I used to build gaming PCs, but I got tired of the constant driver issues and $400 graphics card upgrade cycle. The iMac runs a Windows 10 VM for telemetry apps. One downside to PS4 is that AC currently has zero telemetry support. pCARS offers a UDP streaming protocol that third party apps can connect to. pCARS users on PC are able to use something called "shared memory", which has a much higher refresh rate. I'm seriously considering jumping back in to the PC thing, mainly so I can go VR, and to get telemetry support in AC.

Fanatec makes some incredible kit. Their stuff is the best you can get without making the jump to full-blown commercial sim gear. It's quite a bit more expensive than the stuff from Thrustmaster though. I'm talking 2x to 4x more expensive. For example, you can buy the T300RS Ferrari Alcantara for about $480. A wheel base, wheel, and pedals from Fanatec will set you back $1,200. I think the quality is there, but it's a big commitment.

Fanatec has also run in to some serious licensing issues with Sony lately. Their very expensive wheel just got dropped from official support by Sony. Word is, they're going to release an officially licensed product some time soon, but it's horrifying to think of the PS4 people who spent >$1,200 on Fanatec gear, and are now out of luck. The lesson is that if you want to go Fanatec, stick with PC.

What sim racing has taught me is that what looks good on paper really doesn't translate directly to what you'll enjoy. A car can be capable of incredible lap times, and still be boring to drive. Or even worse, frenetic to the point that you can't enjoy it. My experience has turned out to be the opposite of what I thought it would be. I generally enjoy older, slower cars more, where I thought for sure I'd be all about the fast cars from Ferrari, Pagani, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of the fast cars, but there's something deeply enjoyable about a car like the 1966 Alfa Romeo GTA. When you're turning blindingly fast lap times, you brain is moving a mile a minute. Fast cars have incredible body control, so you end up far more focused on the technical aspects like nailing braking points to within a few feet, and looking carefully for your turn in points, so you don't end up early apexing and running wide... Or some such silly technical mistake.

I've learned that a slow car that moves around provides many more opportunities for you to manage the weight of the car. In a Ferrari 488 GTB, if you lift at the wrong point, the rear is going to pass you up. Your hands aren't fast enough; you tell yourself that they are, but they're not. In the GTA, you lift and the rear begins to step out, but slowly. As you correct, the slide scrubs off speed and all of the sudden the extra rotation is helping you stay on circuit. Yes, you've lost 0.3s of lap time, but you've enjoyed the hell out of the loss.

IMO, this is why older (er, mature?) enthusiasts swoon over cars like the E30 M3, classic 911s, and older Alfas. I've only driven most of these in sim racers, but I have spent some time behind the wheel of a '79 911SC with a carb'd 3.2 swap. I've never driven anything quite like.

Mechanical. Visceral. Terrifying.

I think that's what I want next. I'm not sure I can swing a classic 911 — prices are simply out of control — but something with this spirit. Of all the modern cars in Assetto Corsa, the Miata is probably the closest to these classic cars. I'll definitely get some seat time in the Miata before I buy another car. It strikes me that cars like my E92 M3 are great cars, but in part, you buy them for everyone else. The Miata is a car you buy for yourself. I'm just not sure if I can make that compromise completely. Interestingly, the Cayman 718 S is a car that I enjoy a lot in Assetto Corsa. It's fast, but it still moves around quite a bit and the balance is incredible. You have to trail brake a bit in order for it to rotate, but the rear will still come around if you aren't careful.

I may end up going completely bonkers and overspending on an E30 or a classic 911. We'll see. I am 100% confident that my next car will be slower than my E92 M3, but it will have more character, and it will be more fun to drive.