New T2 Wheel

ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported by the game. Like the Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a lower estimated street price of $89.95. -- Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA

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> ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their > popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The > Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that > it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's > fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on > the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the > dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported > by the game. Like the > Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and > spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a > lower estimated street price of $89.95. > -- > Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA

That's nothing.. :) TM has also announced (and has photos on their web site of) a flight-sim***pit rig which, fully configured, goes for about $2500 US. You can buy it a piece at a time as your credit limit allows. Maybe a race-car isn't too far behind? Neil -- Meek and obedient you follow the leader down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel.. Neil Yeatman, Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

>That's nothing.. :) TM has also announced (and has photos on their web >site of) a flight-sim***pit rig which, fully configured, goes for about >$2500 US. You can buy it a piece at a time as your credit limit allows. >Maybe a race-car isn't too far behind? >Neil I couldn't wait - I needed a desk anyway, so I grabbed some plywood/2x4s & built my own race car***pit! Austin, Tx [link lost in import: /~indyfan/] ============================================================ Scott Pruett 1996 PPG Cup Champion! ============================================================

>ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their >popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The >Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that >it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's >fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on >the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the Does that mean "switched" accelerator and brakes instead of analog? If so, that would be a serious shortcoming to me. The price sounds good but I think the extra few bucks is worth it for analog acceleration and braking if it comes down to that. Ron McGlade - Team OS/2 Scottsdale, Arizona On 08/12/96 at 21:35:20 -0700 -- Computers and Modems=Best form of birth control!

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>>ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their >>popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The >>Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that >>it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's >>fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on >>the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the >Does that mean "switched" accelerator and brakes instead of analog? If >so, that would be a serious shortcoming to me.

Nope....The Acceleration and Braking are in the form of analog paddles on the back of the wheel, while the shifter buttons are on the front of the wheel where your thumbs sit. see above! ;-)

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>>Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA >Ron McGlade - Team OS/2 >Scottsdale, Arizona On 08/12/96 at 21:35:20 -0700 >-- >Computers and Modems=Best form of birth control!

Will we be able to hook up pedals from the previous units with this wheel and make them work and still use the wheel buttons for shifting?? Randy Peppler

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> ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their > popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The > Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that > it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's > fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on > the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the > dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported > by the game. Like the > Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and > spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a > lower estimated street price of $89.95. > -- > Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA

Why would you want to control braking and acceleration from the wheel??? Besides, I only payed $99 for my T2 at a Computer City!!!

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>>>ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their >>>popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The >>>Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that >>>it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's >>>fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on >>>the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the >>Does that mean "switched" accelerator and brakes instead of analog? If >>so, that would be a serious shortcoming to me. >Nope....The Acceleration and Braking are in the form of analog paddles on the >back of the wheel, while the shifter buttons are on the front of the wheel >where your thumbs sit.

Thanks for the quick response. That just might get me to dump those automatic transmissions all of my sim cars seem to be equipped with. Besides, with all the junk I've got jammed in my computer room I've got so many cables running all over the place between my 2 systems and the wall that I've never had a place to put any pedals (unless I wanted to find a new home for my sub-woofers that sit under the computer tables right about where a set of pedals would go...grin). I did and I'm sold. Now all I have to do is keep watching my local CompUSA ads. Ron McGlade - Team OS/2 Scottsdale, Arizona On 08/13/96 at 20:38:40 -0700 -- Are part-time band leaders semi-conductors?

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>> ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their >> popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The >> Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that >> it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's >> fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on >> the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the >> dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported >> by the game. Like the >> Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and >> spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a >> lower estimated street price of $89.95. >> -- >> Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA >Why would you want to control braking and acceleration from the wheel??? >Besides, I only payed $99 for my T2 at a Computer City!!!

It's just a cheaper alternative, and it actually works better for games like Super Karts...IMHO. Plus the $89.95 MSRP will translate into a much lower price at your local store. For instance, the MSRP for the Formula T2 is $179.95. Matt ThrustMaster, Inc.

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>>Nope....The Acceleration and Braking are in the form of analog paddles on the >>back of the wheel, while the shifter buttons are on the front of the wheel >>where your thumbs sit. >Will we be able to hook up pedals from the previous units with this >wheel and make them work and still use the wheel buttons for >shifting?? >Randy Peppler

Randy, Yep.....Actually, if you use the Axis Adapter(Converter), and plug the GP1 into your pedals, you'll have the functionality of your pedals on the X2 Axis, your steering on the X1 axis, and the paddles on the wheel on the Y1 Axis. And, of course, the shifter buttons. Matt ThrustMaster, Inc.

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> >> ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their > >> popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The > >> Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that > >> it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's > >> fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on > >> the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the > >> dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported > >> by the game. Like the > >> Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and > >> spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a > >> lower estimated street price of $89.95. > >> -- > >> Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA > >Why would you want to control braking and acceleration from the wheel??? > >Besides, I only payed $99 for my T2 at a Computer City!!! > It's just a cheaper alternative, and it actually works better for games like > Super Karts...IMHO. Plus the $89.95 MSRP will translate into a much lower > price at your local store. For instance, the MSRP for the Formula T2 is > $179.95. > Matt > ThrustMaster, Inc. >I think I'll keep on using my T2 with the upshift and downshift buttons placed on the wheel itself (which ran about $10.00 worth of parts from

Radio Shack and 30 mins of time). Snake

On Sun, 11 Aug 1996 19:02:32 -0400, Neil Yeatman

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>> ThrustMaster plans to introduce a more affordable cousin to their >> popular Formula T2 steering controller called the Grand Prix 1. The >> Grand Prix 1 will be similar in design to the T2 with the exception that >> it will not use pedals and all controls will be at the user's >> fingertips. Braking, accelerating and gear changes will all be placed on >> the steering wheel itself along with an additional two buttons on the >> dash that can be used for reverse or a horn or other function supported >> by the game. Like the >> Formula T2, the wheel has a full 180 degree wheel rotation and >> spring-loaded centering. Unlike the T2, however, the Grand Prix 1 has a >> lower estimated street price of $89.95. >> -- >> Chuck Stuart - Mesquite TX USA >That's nothing.. :) TM has also announced (and has photos on their web >site of) a flight-sim***pit rig which, fully configured, goes for about >$2500 US. You can buy it a piece at a time as your credit limit allows.

Have a look at Holden Special Vehicles site and check out there ***pit. Real expensive though :( [link lost in import] Tony

I just received my GP1 through Airborne Express Today (Friday). The GP1 has the console of a T1 (of course with a new GP1 sticker), and a plug over the spot where the gearshift used to be on the T* controllers (I thought that Thrustmaster would remove this, kind of looks lame, but I guess this keeps production costs down - basically the same console used for both the GP1 and the T2). It has a new wheel with a coiled cable that plugs into the console (for the paddles and buttons) and of course, the wheel is padded. The wheel has 2 buttons on the front for upshifting/downshifting as well as the paddles on the back of the wheel for acceleration/deceleration (analog control..... YES!!!). It also has the two red buttons on the console that still see limited use in games. It uses the same clamp down method of the T2. All in all it seems to be a sturdy piece of hardware (steering feels just like the T2 with the exception that the gas, brake and shift buttons are now on the wheel - took about a half hour to get used to the new layout), but they should have removed the area where the gearshift used to be (looks cheesy, like a design flaw covered up). The price, you ask? $74.00 (includes shipping) from Computer Express. P.S.: The instructions that come with the GP1 state that Screamers (Arcade racing game by VIE) requires the converter plug that is included, but the game calibrates and plays just fine without it (paddles and buttons on the wheel both work). Better update that documentation!