Last year we reviewed the Next Level wheel stand. We gave it very high marks and considered it one of the best wheel stands we’ve ever tested. During that review we also mentioned that you could start with the wheel stand and then convert it to a full racing chassis. So here it is, the Next Level GTultimate V2 Sim Racing chassis review.
For starters, it’s available from the following distributors:
Australia – www.pagnianimports.com.au
Europe – www.pagnian.co.uk
North America: – http://www.pagnianamericas.com/
I’m going to give you the North American pricing and I suggest you check with your local distributor for pricing in your region. The Next Level GTultimate V2 package including the wheel stand is available for pre order while they wait for new stock and it goes for $787.55 and here’s what’s included.
– Gtultimate Racing Simulator Seat and Frame
– 4 point racing harness
– 2 x Gear shifter adaptors/holders (vary in angle based on your preference)
– Velcro cable ties to keep your setup neat
– Adaptor Pole to attach your Buttkicker Gamer 2 directly under your seat for vibration and effects
– Pedal stopper to hold any pedals in perfect position without them moving at all
– Instruction manual and tools required to assemble
Here’s the additional accessories you can get for the Next Level GTultimate V2.
GTultimate Flight Pack Add On for your Flight Controls +US$78.72
GTultimate V2 mobile Keyboard and Mouse Stand +US$78.72
Pagnian Fanatec CSR Shifter adaptor add +US$26.21
Pagnian GTultimate Gaming Desktop (front table) +US$87.47
Pagnian GTultiScreen stand (1x55inch or 3x27inch)mate Monitor Stand to hold 1 – 3 screens (32inch) +US$148.72
Pagnian Next Level Racing Floor Mat +US$48.09
Total for the package I have here is $1238.06 and shipping is included.
If you started with the wheel stand, that goes for 275.61 and then the seat sells for $595.02 which comes to 870.63.
They also have a motion platform coming soon that will retail for just under $3000. We are scheduled to get one of these here to review very soon.
Frame Specs:
– Powder coated Steel weighing 48kg
– Adjustable Wheel, pedal and gear Shifter position to suit children all the way to 6ft 9″ adults!
– Frame length is adjustable meaning you can have the frame shorter or longer based on your size.
Seat Specs:
It has a fiberglass racing style seat
– Large Seat that can accomodate up to 42” waist
– Seat sliders and also reclines with these two levers which is unique for a racing style seat like this.
– Also comes with an additional lumbar support pillow.
General Specs:
– Compatible with all major wheel brands and is pre-drilled for Fanatec, Logitech and Thrustmaster sets
Wheel deck:
Starting with stability, which in my opinion is the most important aspect of a sim racing chassis. We gave the wheel stand high marks for it’s stability and it may be even more stable now since it’s attached to the seat platform. I also have the additional desktop accessory and thought that it would be too heavy and create some wobble, but I have two speakers on it and keep my TV remote and they may shake a little, but nothing has fallen off.
You can adjust the height of the deck but you can’t tilt it. I found the position to work just fine though.
Pedal Deck :
There’s a design flaw in the current Next Level wheel stands and or the GTultimate V2 and it’s that the pedal plate pops up at the base. I told Hess at Pagnian about it and there was a customer that came up with this fix. If you take the pedal stopper and mount it under the pedal deck, it keeps it down and alleviates one of the cons I had with this setup. They are going to alter this in future production runs so you don’t have to use the pedal stopper in case you need it on the top of the deck. Luckily I didn’t so it worked great for me.
The pedal deck also allows some adjustment / movement to fit your position.
Seat / Position:
I feel that the seat is a tad big and I wasn’t a fan of this particular design, but. There’s lots of adjust-ability to get it where you want. Also, with the additional lumbar pillow, it provides a lot of comfort for those marathon sessions. Also with the ability to adjust the middle of the chassis, it can fit children up to very tall adults. They advertise that it can be adjusted for people up to 6’9″ and I agree with that and maybe even someone taller. I originally had it set at the farthest position and with the seat moved all the way forward and it was too long. I’m thinking that someone close to 7′ tall could use this chassis.
Shifter Mount:
You get two with one being taller than the other. I would like to get the shifter a little closer, but it works fine for me and is stable.
Keyboard tray:
Is on an articulating arm and you can adjust the height. Seems to do a pretty good job. I hooked up my lap top to see how it worked and it’s pretty comfortable. Not sure if I could use it for extended periods and I’m not fond of how the articulating arm positions. When you lock it in though positioned on the outside, you need to keep your feet tucked in against the seat. Actually makes you sit with proper posture. With it adjusted closer to your body, you have more room to move your legs, but the arm sits close to your torso.
Monitor Stand:
Is capable of handling a 55″ single monitor or 3 – 27″ monitors. It’s made only for this rig and won’t work as a stand alone setup. You can mount it in two configurations, close or pushed back a bit. I would go with the close setup like I have here and I didn’t try it with three screens.
I’m usually not a fan of monitors mounted to the base of a chassis, but this is an exception. I thought for sure there would be some major wobble with the extra weight, but it’s not the case. I actually love the all in one setup and it does have a little bit of movement, but not that I notice while driving. I hooked up a go pro to the top of the monitor when it was hooked up to a separate monitor stand and then I did the same thing after installing the all in one setup. You can barely tell that it’s moving with the attached monitor.
It also tilts forward a bit when mounted and there’s no adjustment to change that. But, something I didn’t mind either.
You can adjust it up or down based on the size monitor you have and I have a 42″ mounted to it. It’s fairly new and very light weight . Not sure how my older, very heavy Vizio would have faired attached to it.
Looks:
I think it looks pretty cool and like it when it’s all setup with the monitor stand. My wife thought it looked pretty cool as well.
Pros:
Very stable
Compatible with all of the major wheels on the market
Comes with all the hardware to mount your wheel, pedals and shifter. Also comes with velcro ties to route your cables
Modular setup where you can start with a wheel stand and then adaptable to a full rig with extra accessories.
Comes with two shifter mounts
Available worldwide
Can break down and then store the wheel stand portion. That is when you don’t have a monitor stand attached.
Fully adjustable seat with extra lumbar cushion
Adjustable for short , tall, big or small people
Stable enough to attach monitor stand
Can convert it to full flight simulator
Wheel deck stable enough to mount extra desktop accessory without things falling or even moving much
Compatible with soon to be released motion platform
Cons:
Slight chassis flex at front under heavy braking
Instructions for monitor stand lacked detail.
Some rust in interior of pieces from shipping via ocean container
Pedal deck flaw that I mentioned can be fixed by using pedal stopper. Will be changed in future production.
Final thoughts: I can imagine its very tough to manufacture a one size fits all or most sim racing chassis. The Next Level GTultimate V2 does a great job of getting damn close. I would recommend this setup to anyone as it can fit a wide variety of shapes and sizes. It’s also very stable, modular and it’s not going to break the bank. I like that you can start with the wheel stand and work your way up. It’s great for those that may be short on space, not sure if they want to commit to sim racing and then want to expand in the future.
Would like to thank Hess from Pagnian Imports in Australia for sending this to me and for his patience. I hope you’ve enjoyed this review of the Next Level GTultimate V2 Sim Racing Chassis
