If you think racing simulators are all the same, Prodrive wants you to think otherwise. The British motorsport giant, best known for its rally dominance with Subaru and Aston Martin GT racing programs, has come up with what it calls the world’s most beautiful simulator, a vision driven by Prodrive founder and former chairman of Aston Martin, David Richards.
First impressions? Well, design is subjective, but it certainly boasts an aesthetic that resembles a sculptural centerpiece rather than a gaming rig, and is something that could sit as comfortably in a high-rise luxury condo as it would in a country estate. Having said that, beneath the stunning design lies some serious hardware that we’ll get to in a bit.
But before that, let’s talk racing sim. We’ve touched on a wide variety of offerings here on duPont REGISTRY over the years, and they come in every shape and size imaginable. Now, while most rigs are designed for dedicated entertainment rooms, with exposed tubing and racy aesthetics, this one is different.
Designed by Ian Callum, yes, that Callum, the Scot who is arguably one of the most important automotive designers of the past three decades, responsible for everything from the Aston Martin Vanquish and DB9 to the Jaguar brand’s design renaissance in the 2000s. His post-Jaguar studio, CALLUM Designs, specializes in projects that combine high-end design with performance, and this simulator fits right into that ethos. It all starts with the “beech hoop,” crafted by superyacht builder Pendennis from 16 layers of steam-formed beech.
Finished in a piano-gloss lacquer, it frames a floating carbon-fiber cockpit. The cockpit is trimmed by Connolly, the same leather house that supplied Rolls-Royce and Concorde, with custom color and embossing options if you want your crest stitched into the seat.
Beneath the suave exterior lies a dedicated simulator computer that runs a 12GB GeForce RTX card with 16GB of memory. An ultrawide 49-inch dual-QHD monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate sits in front of a Simucube 2 PRO steering motor and Precision Sim Engineering LM Pro wheel. The pedal box is adjustable, and the Cobra Nogaro Street seat is purpose-built for endurance sessions.
Audio comes courtesy of Bang & Olufsen, the Danish audio brand that has made high-end, design-driven sound systems for nearly a century, including for luxury automakers like Aston Martin and Audi. On the sim, Prodrive includes Beoplay HX headphones, but you can also opt for a Beosound A9 speaker to turn your racing session into a shared event. The A9, with its Scandinavian design aesthetic, is in itself an object of desire that you’ll find in luxury residences worldwide, making it a fitting match for a simulator of this caliber.
Each build is a commissioned piece, and every unit also gets a hand-finished plaque from Vaughtons, a British firm with 200 years of experience in crafting automotive badges. Also, because each commission is bespoke, you can push personalization as far as you’re willing to go, from Connolly racing gloves to a custom Goodwool cover.
Prodrive hasn’t announced a specific production cap, but the brand frames it as an exclusive offering, limited by how many bespoke commissions they are willing to fulfill. Pricing for the Prodrive Racing Simulator starts at £39,000 (~$52,600) excluding VAT, duties, and shipping, putting it firmly in the same conversation as other automotive memorabilia, collectibles, fine watches, and custom furniture.
Source: Prodrive