Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 Sim Racing Cockpit Review

TweakTown Rating: 94%

Our Verdict

Next Level Racing have built a great cockpit for the entry level market, with much appreciated add-ons and versatility. Not to mention a really comfortable seat and wheel mounting options.

Pros

• Good value
• Comfortable seat
• Good adjustability / mounting options
• Included add-ons
• Ease of building

Cons

• Flex in the pedal tray
• Flex in the wheel deck

Should you buy it?

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Buy at PC Case Gear for $599 AUD

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

Next Level Racing has been offering a whole range of sim racing frames and cockpits for some years now, from foldable, compact stands that can be tucked away when not in use, to more substantial frames such as the F-GT Elite 160. Today, I am taking a look at something more on the entry-level side, in the guise of the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0. The GTRacer 2.0 is a 25mm-tubular steel cockpit, measuring 162.4 x 69.4 x 75.9cm (LxWxH) and weighing 37kg/81lbs with the seat included. Being a 2.0 version, this suggests a revision to a previous model.

Next Level Racing says this cockpit has evolved, with a wider GT-style seat, a double-handled reclining mechanism, upgraded seat sliders, and a redesigned pedal tray compared to the original. Available for $449, the GTRacer 2.0 includes the cockpit, seat, add-on brackets for a handbrake/shifter, plus a mount for a ButtKicker. Should the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 be in your mirrors as a viable base for a home sim-racing setup?

Let's jump into the unboxing and learn a little more.

Best Deals: Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 Sim Racing Cockpit

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	-	$530.96 USD	$499.99 USD	Buy
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	-	£379	-	Buy
	-	$530.96 USD	$499.99 USD	Buy
	$599 AUD	-	$599 AUD	Buy
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Packaging & Building 1

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Next level Racing shipped the GTRacer 2.0 in a box within a box, adding some extra protection for the journey. With some cardboard out of the way, the packaging is printed with an image of the cockpit to the front. The box only just fits in my little work area, and being over 40kg, lifting it onto my bench wasn't easy!

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The rear of the box offers some information in various languages, with the English version on the side.

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Carefully cutting through the tape and opening the box, we find the included seat sitting atop all the cockpit components. Time to get some parts out of the way and delve in.

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Before I get to the assembly, the GTRacer 2.0 GT-style seat is a recliner and, as such, is shipped in two parts. While fixed-back seats are preferred for more serious racers, for a more relaxed, social experience, a recliner is more than suitable.

Further Racing Reading – Our Latest Reviews

• PXN CB1 Racing Simulator Control Box Review
• PXN VD6 Direct Drive Racing Wheel Bundle Review
• PXN V10 Ultra Direct Drive Sim Racing Bundle Review

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Next Level Racing includes stitched logos and branding on the top of the seat, front, and back. The seat is cushioned with foam, with what appears to be PU leather along the perimeter, and a suede-effect fabric lining the middle sections. While there are harness pass-throughs to the top, no others are included on the seat base.

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More branding is present on the base cushion. Underneath, the seat slider mechanism is visible, with the rails and cockpit mounting bracket preinstalled, which is always nice to have and saves time getting the chassis built. There are also 4 threaded holes in the haptic bracket, which can be added to either the front or rear of the seat frame.

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Building the seat, you can see the exposed mechanism. Next Level Racing has added a reclining handle on each side of the seat as part of the revision to the GTRacer 2.0; both must be actuated for the reclining mechanism to work, adding more strength and rigidity.

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Installing the included covers for the seat bracketry was easy; simply slot the cover over each part and secure it with a single screw. Blanking caps are included to finish off the cover nicely.

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Time to move on to the frame itself. Next Level Racing ships everything in bubble wrap for protection, and throughout the build process, I didn't encounter a single damaged or scratched part.

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To start assembly, I need to dig out the instruction manual. Here, Next Level Racing includes a paper copy in the box, an electronic version available online, and a comprehensive video on the product page that covers everything in detail. The GTRacer 2.0 isn't an overly complicated frame to build, but having these options available is a nice touch from Next Level Racing. To keep up the good work from Next Level Racing, all hardware bags are clearly labelled, assembly tools are included, and a handy bolt length card is included in case you mix things up and aren't sure what you need next.

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Following the instructions, I started with the frame's front and rear sections. The rear provides the seat-mount area, with the GTRacer 2.0 logo on each side and mounting holes at the top for the seat to attach to.

Packaging & Building 2

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The front of the frame is a little more complex compared to the rear. The pedal tray is preinstalled and offers mounting for a variety of pedal sets from popular manufacturers. Once again, Next Level Racing clearly details this in the manual, including the available mounting options. The pedal tray isn't as thick as some others I have seen, but then you have to remember this is an entry-level cockpit, so I didn't expect 10mm-thick steel here. The edges are rolled to add some structural rigidity to the tray.

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The pedal tray offers some height adjustment for a comfortable racing position at the front. By default, given the frame's shape, the pedal tray is already slightly tilted. Using the rear-most connection point as the pivot, the front of the tray can be moved to suit, with four positions available, each increasing the tilt slightly. There is no forward or backward adjustment possible, but this is taken care of by including the seat slider kit.

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Connecting the front and rear sections is easy; three bolts secure the frame on each side.

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Next on the list is the upright that the wheel deck secures to. This angled section is connected to the front of the chassis using four bolts. The front of the base frame includes two pass-through holes for bolts, with the top hole on each side threaded for a secure connection.

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So far, building this frame has been so easy, and with the four bolts installed, it's starting to take shape.

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To provide more rigidity to the frame and wheel deck, install two side supports next. Next Level Racing includes a range of mounting positions for these, with recommendations in the manual based on the user's height. Once again, these are secured in place with two bolts at the bottom and one at the top.

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We are getting closer to completion of the frame, with the wheel deck to be installed next.

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As with the pedal tray, the wheel deck includes mounting options for an extensive range of wheels, as covered in the user manual. It's not the thickest deck ever, but for lighter use cases, it should be more than ample.

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Once again, we have a good range of wheel-deck positions, with four bolts securing it to the frame. You can mount this closer or farther from the seated position, with angle adjustment available. This isn't the easiest wheel deck to adjust, though, and getting to the bolts, while not difficult as such, won't offer quick, on-the-fly adjustment.

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Before I move the chassis for testing, the next part to add is the shifter mount. The mount can be attached to either side of the frame and uses two bolts to connect to the side support. An adjustment here is possible, with the side support offering several vertical mounting hole locations. The arm itself also includes a range of forward and backward adjustments. Installing the shifter plate to the arm required a final two bolts. Throughout the whole build process, I didn't encounter any issues with holes not lining up, which is a refreshing change and speaks to the QC Next Level Racing employs.

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Next Level Racing also includes a handbrake plate; it mounts over the gear plate if needed. Pictured is the ButtKicker under-seat mount as well. I won't be using either of these parts for testing, as I don't have a gear shift or handbrake to use with the chassis. It is great to have these included, as other manufacturers often charge a considerable amount for these types of add-ons.

Installation, Testing, Finished Product, and Final Thoughts

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The final steps to complete the setup are installing the seat to the frame and the GTRacer 2.0 plate to the front of the chassis. The seat is attached with four bolts installed from underneath, on either side of the frame. The front logo panel is secured with double-sided tape. Once again, it's a painless process, and now it's time to add some hardware.

Luckily, I have the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 here, along with the PXN V10 Ultra wheel and pedal kit to check out in a separate review. The PXN wheel mounts in a way that's incompatible with my Trak Racer TR120S V2, so the GTRacer 2.0 presents the perfect opportunity to test this wheel. The Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 can apparently support wheels up to 13Nm in strength, so the 3.2Nm PXN wheel shouldn't push it to its limits by any means. Fortunately, I also have a few other wheels here, so I can swap them over to see just what the GTRacer 2.0 is capable of.

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Installing the wheel and pedals was really simple, despite the way PXN implemented their mounting system. Securing the wheel underneath the wheel deck was a little fiddly, as I thought it would be, but nothing overly dramatic. Let's face it, most people are going to install a wheel once, and maybe change it out every couple of years, so it's not a task you need to repeat over and over. Installation of the pedals was really straightforward; however, after jumping into the seat, I noticed quite a bit of left-to-right flex in the pedal tray. On inspection, it turns out Next Level Racing leaves the pedal adjustment mounts a little loose, and I think this is so you can quickly change the angle on initial installation. I tipped the rig up, grabbed an Allen key, and soon tightened them up. Much better!

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Now that the wheel and pedals are in position, it's time to jump into the seat and make sure I'm happy to start racing. I do have to say that the included GT-style seat is very comfy indeed. Having the ability to adjust the angle with the reclining feature is a nice change from a more serious, rigid, fixed-position seat. There is also plenty of room underneath for adding haptic, or maybe storing a console. With the wheel deck at a good angle and the seat sliders bringing me into a comfortable position to reach the pedals, I am ready to go racing.

After spending a couple of weeks with the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0, I can now share my thoughts on this cockpit. Throwing it in front of my TV, much to my family's pleasure, I ran mainly on Le Mans Ultimate for testing, and even threw on my MOZA R9 to see how the rig held up. Throughout my time racing, I mostly have positives to offer, but I also have some realistic negatives. Let's start with the bad news, and then end this review on the good stuff.

First, it wasn't until later on in the build process that I realized that the cockpit doesn't come with any levelling feet. Still, I can again understand why, given the small diameter of the tubular frame, it would have been nice to have something, maybe some curved rubber pads that attach to the frame, but they aren't a necessity. The main issue with the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0 is the flex within the tubular frame. Running the PXN V10 Ultra didn't throw up too many problems at 3Nm, but then after moving to my MOZA R9, this induced more noticeable flex. Given the MOZA system, I have run with a load cell pedal kit; I could feel the pedal plate moving under my feet.

Hitting the brake pedal, I can feel the tray pivot to the left. On acceleration, this is hardly an issue given the reduced load being imposed. I think this is predominantly down to how Next Level Racing has designed the floor, with the pedal plate mounted in the middle and being relatively narrow. I think if this is redesigned with a "T"- shaped tubular structure underneath, a lot of this could be solved, with the front angle adjustment brackets being spaced out further.

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The wheel deck also offered some left-to-right movement, which is evident in the side supports. Here, maybe another couple of side support arms would be a fix, or using thicker tubing for these would be a good option, rather than the included 25mm, but that all comes down to price, and that's where the good news really starts to emerge.

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Next Level Racing certainly offers a lot of value here. For $449, you are indeed getting a decent bundle for your hard-earned pennies. The versatility of mounting a wide range of wheels and pedals is good, and the frame's adjustability lets you get really comfy. The seat is also Next Level, pun intended. I can't tell you how it will stand the test of time, but the GT-style seat is one of the most comfortable I have tested so far here at TweakTown.

With the revision to include a double-handled seat reclining mechanism, while I haven't tested the original, the seat back didn't flex too much under the load I could put into it, with the pedal tray taking the brunt of the force instead. The seat is nice and wide, and even when things started to get warm, I remained comfortable throughout my test sessions. Having a seat slider kit and the ability to add a handbrake, shifter, or even a haptic kit with the included brackets is a real plus for some fun drifting or rally action, maybe.

For the casual gamer and someone who maybe wants to just jump on Gran Turismo, Assetto Corsa, or even a WRC title, you can certainly have a lot of fun with the Next Level Racing GTRacer 2.0. Here then is a frame for the occasional racer, rather than the diehard enthusiasts out there who will be running higher-strength wheels.

While Next Level Racing claims the GTRacer 2.0 can handle up to 13Nm, that might be strictly true in scientific calculations, but I certainly wouldn't pick this frame for those sorts of wheels, 5Nm to 9Nm maybe. A Thrustmaster T300RS, Logitech G29/G920, or a MOZA R3 would be perfect for this cockpit. Next Level Racing isn't putting this out as a high-end rig. GTRacer 2.0 is designed as an entry-level solution, rightly so, and it's one they should be proud of.

I could compare the Next Level GTRacer 2.0 to several other cockpits that are available, and to be honest, I would guess that at this price point, they would all be much of a sameness, give or take. Would I recommend this cockpit based solely on my experience over the past few weeks? Certainly, but at the right consumer.

Next Level Racing says this frame is for GT racing enthusiasts, but it can deliver a great experience across a wide range of racing disciplines. Next Level Racing also states on their website that this is an affordable racing solution, and they are absolutely right. If you don't want to break the bank and enjoy a rig for casual racing, maybe before stepping up to something more significant in the future, then the GTRacer 2.0 is a great place to start.