A UK company by the name of Motion Simulation Ltd believes there’s a market for luxury driving simulators. A cursory glance of its TL1 simulator will leave you intrigued and in seconds, you’ll probably want to step inside. The video here does its best to demonstrate the experience and while it’s not the real thing, I have no doubt after a short period of adjusting to the sim, the illusion would be convincing enough — at least to have a bit of fun.
Motion Simulation’s website says the simulator was constructed with the help of the Ariel Motor Company, itself responsible for the Ariel Atom, a vehicle that has more in common with a F1 racer than a conventional sports car.
With a width-height-depth of 2.7x 1.9 x 2.3m, the dimensions are respectable for a device the not only provides vision and sound, but motion as well. A 180° “spherical” screen capable of resolutions of 3480 x 800 and 5760 x 1200 (via projector) should convince your eyes that you’re driving some sort of terrestrial, wheeled vehicle.
The simulator’s tracks are said to be very precise — “laser-scanned” and accurate within a margin of 2mm.
If you’re wondering how it’ll go with your decor (or if it’ll even fit in your house), Motion Simulation provides this mock-up. No, the alien space pod from the future does not look at all out of place alongside your perfectly clean designer furniture.
£11,500, or $18,235 Australian, is the asking price. And that’s just for the basic model. If you want the deluxe version, be prepared to part with $53,830 (£33,950).
[Motion Simulation and YouTube]
Images: Motion Simulation Ltd