Unboxing a Thrustmaster T-GT

Can you tell what it is yet?

So, you can now read something I could have written two months ago about how I came to possess my own Thrustmaster T-GT quite a while before the 18th October release date. Regrettably, having a 12-hour day when you factor in the commute means I don't have the energy or mental agility left to do something as serious and involved as sim racing, so ironically, the job that got me an opportunity to win this wheel is also the very reason I haven't actually set it up yet...

...but I can still show you all the nice juicy bits it has!

The BOX

So here it is, on our messy dining table. Measuring 525mm across, 385mm deep and 310mm tall according to my tape measure, the box weighs around 11.5kg, which my arms classify as Pretty Bloody Heavy.

The graphics are clean and technical, obviously pointing out all the things they hope will persuade the discerning virtual racer not to buy a Logitech or Fanatec.

Oh, I should probably admit now that some of these photos aren't brilliant...

That's a lot of T-Acronyms... here's what they all mean.

Let's Open It!

There are two layers of polystyrene inside, the top of which contains the wheel itself, an attachment to grip onto a table or rig, plus the literature and smaller cables. The second layer beneath is quite a lot larger...

The WHEEL

The wheel itself smells lovely. I know that's the first and most important question you had.

The rim is upholstered in real, slightly wrinkly leather and feels tangibly higher-quality than my T150-Ferrari does. The buttons have a short but precise travel with a satisfyingly tight 'click'. The real-time adjuster dials, however, don't have quite the same solidity in their action, even if the metal knobs themselves feel solid to the touch. Given that you're invariably going to be spinning them with your thumb at a slightly awkward angle, I think there's a risk of adjusting one a step too much on occasion.

As you can see, the wheel comes separated from the main unit. From what I can see by googling fancier Thrustmasters that I can't afford (this was a free prize, remember...) it looks like the same system their other high-end wheels use. You could thus conceivably attach this wheel to a T300 base if you wanted.

Small Miscellaneous Bits

The rest of the top shelf in the box contains the table clamp, conical brake pedal modifier (to add resistance for those who want it), screw for the table clamp, cables, minor fixings and the trusty manual.

The BIG HEAVY STUFF

Now we get into the hefty bits. The bottom half contains the base, pedals and the novel turbo-style power adapter with cable.

The BASE

Yes. The heaviest bit of the kit, at 3.17kg, the base features a subtly asymmetric design with a grille on one side and a full 29 holes on the opposite side to cool something else. You can see the mode switches and L3/R3 buttons in the usual places. On this base, rather than a PS3/PS4 mode as with my T150, there's a switch between 'Other' and 'GT' - as far as I can tell, GT mode activates the T-DFB [see below] and Other facilitates usage with PC sims.

The thing at the back that looks like a subwoofer is actually part of 'T-DFB', or Thrustmaster Depth Feedback, which adds "suspension and vibration effects" to the force feedback to allow drivers to feel out the surface better. Apparently.

The TURBO POWER SUPPLY

Weighing 1.97kg (4.34lb) all on its own and boasting a peak output of 400W, the external power supply is styled to look just like one side of a turbocharger. How cool is that! Unless it's the hot side...

The PEDALS

Finally, the T3PGT pedal set. Oddly, the brake pedal is in a fixed position- on the T3PA, all three pedals can be repositioned to the left or right. In keeping with the wheel and base, the materials you can see are high-quality, with the pedals and their arms in thick, solid metal - as well as the inner mechanism. There are holes to fit the conical brake mod bar to any of the three pedals (although you're only given one). The pedal faces themselves are of a unique design, too, with smooth, shiny stripes cut into the metal.

So there you go! Maybe soon I'll get my shit together enough to actually use the thing and tell you what it's like...

This was written for SmallBlogV8. Please don't copy without permission. Find me @SmallBlogV8