The Looks
Like the non-Force version, the extra thick brown leather-like steering wheel with good looking pedals made this unit one of the most attractive in the review.Convenience
Again, getting this wheel clamped to my thicker-than-average desk was a struggle. The two clamps just don't open wide enough to fit my desk. With a little creativity I got it in place for some serious racing but be forewarned, if your desk is extra thick you may have trouble with this wheel.Installation was a snap with the included software. Plug everything in, plug in the engine (more on this in a minute) run the installation routine and away we go.
The Feel
The extra thick leather-like wheel was far and away the most comfortable wheel to hold. The pedals were also at a nice angle.But this wheel just didn't feel right to me. The force feedback effects just didn't enhance my racing experience and turning this wheel quickly makes a very distracting grinding noise that had me worried about breaking it.
Update: Like the pedals on the RS, after a few hours of use the belts that cause this "grinding" loosen up and the noise stops. This is considered basic "breaking in" by ACT Labs and is not a concern.
The variable spring tension makes up for one of the weaknesses in the non-force version of this wheel but I just couldn't enjoy myself while racing with his wheel.
