I know it is, Steve, but you can't go by that. TM's web site has always been
screwed up (as well as hard to navigate). It also shows the Force Feedback
wheel and the Force Feedback GT wheel. The GT is the same as the Nascar Pro
Force Feedback and they are available. The Force Feedback wheel (with the
Ferrari logo) is actually the old belt driven wheel and is no longer
available (hence, no shopping cart). When you click on it, it shows the new
pedals with the old wheel, but when you read the description is shows the
old pedals.
The word I got from TM is that the wheel will not likely be marketed in the
US because of previously Ferrari licensed products which did not do very
well here. The old original Ferrari FFB was given Nascar stickers and a new
box and sold more after that. The new wheel is an actual Ferrari replica so
it can not be relabeled with Nascar stickers.
Is there still hope? Yes, but not based on their web site. It's unlikely
that it will appear soon in the US. Perhaps if they had used an nice 3 spoke
GT style wheel things would be different. I do have hopes that
Guillemot/Thrustmaster will eventually be bothered by the fact that the only
"new style" wheel (with metal shafts and ball bearings) available in the US
will be from Logitech.
Based on the UK price of 199, I'd assume the wheel would go for about $300
in the US. If all customers were r.a.s. readers, it would probably sell well
at that price. Otherwise, their Nascar theory is quite valid.
--
Slot
Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com
> TM has the wheel featured on their US website, so... ;-)
> SB
> > Here's a bit of news that we generally don't like. I've done a little
> more
> > digging and found that the new F1 Ferrari wheel will most likely be all
> that
> > we could hope for and then some. The bad news (for some of us) is that
> they
> > have no plans to sell it in the US market. At this time it will be
Europe
> > only.
> > I've got a couple more emails to send out, but I doubt it will help. I'm
> not
> > even sure I can get a review sample to tear apart. One of my contacts
has
> > left, so I don't really know what to expect from the new guy. Some of
you
> > guys that have been on this n.g. for a long time might remember that
> Tweaks
> > & Reviews started as one page with a fix for the original Ferrari wheel.
> > To leave on a positive note, Philippe Delisle is back in Tech Support.
> I've
> > always found him to be the kind of guy that can get things done.
> > I'll post again when I find out more.
> > --
> > Slot
> > Tweaks & Reviews
> > www.slottweak.com
