I-Way World's F1 simulator: The most realistic driving game on the planet
Auto Tech
-This is really wheels.
-This is a driving game.
In it you can pick from a number of cars and driving at locations all over the world.
To enhance your experience you can buy a steering wheel and pedals and
turn your coffee table into a plastic shrine to motoring.
And that's all well and good and there's quite nothing like driving computer-generated Aston Martin around the Nürburgring.
It is cracking fun however with the local application of technology, money and know-how you can do a lot, lot better which is why we're here at i-Way World in Lyons to have a go in some of the most technologically advanced driving simulators in the world.
There are 3 types of simulators here at i-Way World.
You've got endurance, an MP1 style stuff, rally, and Formula 1. Now we're gonna sample them all.
The emphasis here is on realism and hence the romper suit.
Also I've been told 2 things.
One, crashing hurts quite a bit and two, well a lot of people succumbed to motion sickness and can get a little bit vommy.
Normally it wouldn't be a concern but I just had quite a large continental breakfast,
so yes.
This is Toma.
He used to be a professional racing driver and now he's i-Way's resident expert.
He's also here to show me how these e-beasts work.
Thing you didn't mention in the briefing is that this is an actual Citroen C2 the car, the whole thing is.
It's straight out the factory which is really cool because you've got all the air vents and there are buttons and light switches and that kind of thing in the indicators too here which also adds to the realism of the whole experience and what
they try to do with the graphics and all the tech.
It's kind of cool to know they're being as authentic as possible.
Some lights have gone off.
Go, go, go.
This is tremendous fun.
I'm fishtailing everywhere.
No, that's a wall.
Now, that's a big wall.
Oh.
Nice, brutal.
This is really quite violent.
Currently, more people are sick on the rally machine than any of the others.
That's exciting.
Oh, big turn coming up.
Yes.
Oh.
Oh.
That's a bad landing.
No, no it's a very bad landing.
I've gone very, oh oh oh.
That
was uncomfortable.
You really cannot underestimate the importance of the car control with this because it is just-- it's been so heavy here then you're just gonna end up looking like an ass like me.
Oh dear.
That was embarrassing.
It turns out, I'm not a natural rally driver
either.
I wonder if Formula 1 is the key to my motor sport career.
That was quite vicious.
After a terrible run at the rally, the saintly Toma gave me some further hints as to how to improve my driving for endurance.
However I was hoping possibly in vain that the F1 would be my savior.
This car is actually made with carbon fiber which is quite good.
It's got actual tires and wheels there, hasn't got any real engine of
course, but I found a little plaque in here that says it's made in the U.K. This is supposed to be as close as you can get before you actually commit to being a Formula 1 driver.
I'll tell you what, seating position very lovely is gonna give me a wedgie there.
It's very difficult to readjust yourself once you remove these adjacent buttons past must be amazing.
Now this is why Gran Turismo can go and suck it.
Permissively and more pleasing around the track but it feels so good.
Actual immersion.
Power up.
It's really difficult to describe.
So I'm aware I'm not moving anywhere, but it feels as though I
am.
It looks to me as though I am.
This is easily the best degree of them.
Oh my God.
This is going to be a million billion miles an hour variably.
I'm want one of these in my house.
The price for one is 400,000 euros.
Oh.
That was fun.
Oh.
Can we have one in the office, please?
So that was i-Way World.
I've driven around some of the world's best race circuits and crashed around them.
Come to mention it, I'm a little bit tired and a little bit battered but I will say this.
It's a damn sort better that you come here than spend an afternoon on your ass playing four to four and come to think of it if you come here if you just do that, make sure you do the beer drinking after the driving.
Just trust me on that one.
