Spot on! Sim Labs GT1 Evo Rim Racing Cockpit Review

Today's video takes a look at the excellent Sim Lab GT1 Evo sim racing cockpit. The Sim Lab GT1 Evo is a great rig. It performs admirably, it's competitively priced and, in my opinion at least it looks the part as well.
The quality of the bespoke parts is absolutely excellent, and the when fully assembled, the GT1 Evo provides a very stable platform for your sim rig. But, for me the expandability and flexibility of hardware mounting that this sim racing cockpit offers over some of the other more fixed designs makes this rig stand above many of its competitors. And, unless you have serious aspirations for a more extreme or niche sim racing rig setup, I think the GT1 Evo has all of the bases covered.
Sim Lab GT1 Evo Sim Racing Cokpit: sim-lab.eu/pro...
Sim Racing Garage Build Video: • Sim-Lab GT1 EVO Cockpi...
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[@rjpm92]

It's funny that you mentioned Barry and SRG, I've always felt that you two are competing to be the most relaxing 'golden-voiced' sim racing channels. Love your channel and love your music. If you ever feel like releasing an ambient soundtrack at some point then I'd definitely be a buyer.

[@ChrisHaye]

Thanks man! Yeah, the soundtrack thing keeps being brought up - I'll get around to it one day!

[@seebarry4068]

Nothing and nobody is smoother than Barry. I put him on in the background sometimes to sleep. Good effort though, but I’m not sleeping with Christopher yet

[@rooboy11111]

tryand makacrumble Barry is capable of sending any hardcore insomniac to sleep. I reckon he could commentate paint drying for an hour

[@seebarry4068]

Pepper P!G is that a thing? My sleep patterns are mad at the mo

[@projectkhan2962]

purchased one earlier today. can't wait to get my hands on it :D

[@markfijn4440]

Your voice dude, damnn, these videos are super quality! Hope you'll pick up some subs soon!

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, thanks dude!

[@xFranticIcex]

Yeah you could fall asleep to this

[@MRSPORTYTRUCKER]

​@@xFranticIcex I do, sooooo relaxing.

[@jaytee2266]

This comment aged well.

[@RaceFanatic7]

Bought mine a few months ago and super happy with it. Very competitive price, super sturdy and adjustable. I can't at all really find a reason for why someone would buy anything else. Rig is also really compact which is great if you don't have a lot of space.

[@ChrisHaye]

Hey dude - my thoughts entirely. The compact nature of the rig is a good point - it actually takes up a smaller footprint than my old rig, which was quite surprising.

[@philrlee]

I’ve had my GT1 Evo since September and have been very pleased with it.

[@vathrosable]

What seat did you go with? I'm 6'5" 250.i want to order the rig, but got to find a seat

[@TheFleckening]

Just happened to be searching for this topic at the exact moment one of my subscribed channels posted about it... twas meant to be!!!

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, that's how the Algorithm get's ya! ;)

[@MrTimdtoolman1]

This is one of the best bang for your buck rigs I'v seen, thanks for reviewing it.

[@ChrisHaye]

Hey Tim, completely agree. Thanks for the kind comment as always dude :)

[@evan8011]

I feel like its kind of a waste of money... if you do order the aluminium profiles on your own you can save so much money

[@nunoferreira5815]

@@evan8011 at this moment with the current sale going on, it's a really good price! Buying the profiles and the accessories by your own, it's obvious that it gets more economic, but with the current pricetag it's almost the same price 👍

[@HKnK8]

I have P1 and it is out of this world. Forged in a dying star with no flex what so ever. Adding things are so easy and the rigidity of this is stronger than most peoples relationships lol

[@ChrisHaye]

Yeah, I can believe that. The EVO is rock solid, save for the shifter arm - and the P1 is significantly more beefy!

[@andyholmes9485]

@@ChrisHaye Looking flexy at around 2:32 Chris.

[@SlowBloke123]

@@andyholmes9485 that is not the simlabs rig though. That was his previous NLR.

[@beschuitelia1987]

@@andyholmes9485 it says *old setup. I also thought it was weird but didn't see the text either. Zero flex on evo

[@SIMRIG412]

I've had mine over 1.5years now and live it. I have gt1 evo in black and all the sim lab extras to keyboard tray,mouse pad, cup holder,red and black slot covers, fanatec shifter bracket the most expensive and modular mount,button box mount,triple monitor stand with 3 32in curved monitors. And I have a csw v2.5 I use and eventually want to get a dd1.

[@zerobandwidth]

5:55 "deathly afraid of Swedish flat-pack furniture" LOL This is the flavor of commentary that turns a video about a bunch of straight black metal rods bolted together into seven minutes of must-see KZbin. Now if only it didn't also tempt me to spend so much money...

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, sorry about that dude ;)

[@SamiLep]

Good times building GT1 Evo with Sparco R100 yesterday, just to see this vid on my suggestions same evening. Good stuff!

[@kamael1125]

Hi Chris. Piece of advice...that emergency stop button you should place near your feet. If god forbid your left hand gets mangled by the wheel, you will have no option to turn it off!

[@jackkd9434]

Just ordered one of these can’t wait for it to arrive. Love this video as well mate, best cockpit review on KZbin!

[@SirThomasHarber]

Our tradeshow booth is made from this material. Good stuff, nice find.

[@AmbientMike]

Ive been looking forward to seeing your rig review! Now i want to see that guitar collection, love the Jazzmaster!

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, thanks Mike. The JM was my main until I picked up a bargain Les Paul a couple of years ago. I've always been a Fender guy, but that thing has made me see the error of my ways ;)

[@iamrocketray]

I'm gonna get one, and i'm going to call it the T.May rig, because its strong and Stable. Nice review by the way, I was looking for an up to date review of the Sim Labs Evo as i have been humm-ing and ha-ing over it for a while now.

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, yeah - I couldn't resist leaving that in the voiceover ;)

[@iamrocketray]

A year has gone by, and I, at last, have one ordered, when I actually get it, is another matter, Up to six weeks delay in shipping, GRR I hate this Covid crap! is it really causing delays, or is it a convenient excuse to not carry stock?

[@alexsp7086]

Awesome glad i found out about this setup took a picture went to the DIY shop and all this to make costs 80 Euro :)) same materials but of course without the chair.

[@jaguarxj2209]

Mate your videos are full of happiness to me ! Thank you for your effort and how nice you explain everything :)

[@soundwrks]

Excellent review. Very informative, concise, with no useless tangents or hints of bias. I have the same wheel/pedal combo, and I'm definitely considering this cockpit, on the basis of this review. Thanks!

[@thomastuinstra8176]

Great review! Direct, objective and respectful. Really helps me make the right choice for mij next simracingrig.

[@nunoferreira5815]

What a great video :) Congratulations for your rig 🤘👍🤩

[@juim1j]

You mad lad, this setup is other worldly! Amazing video production quality as always, please notice me senpai!

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh, thanks dude. :)

[@berrydex]

Like a few others here I think, I was also worried about the seat height with R100 seat. I ordered the same setup as you have. But I figured, why not install bigger profiles under seat, in stead of the 40x40 the GT1 gets supplied with. I mailed Simlab about it and for a small extra cost they will add 2x 40x80 profiles to put under the seat. You can even go 40x120 if you want. It shows the good customer service, but also the expandability of such a 8020 rig. With the leftover 40x40 profiles I can also strenghten (add vertical beam) the shifter mount if I wanted to.

[@JazHarveyRacing]

Fantastic review, thank you. Seriously considering this rig.

[@GC987]

I really enjoy your VLOGS Thanks.

Hi Chris. A little tip. If you mount the profile for gearbox / handbrake on the outside of the standing profile then you get more mounting surface and it becomes more stable when using gear / handbrake, and you get a little more space for the legs and the racing chair..

Have just mounted my rig and I really like it, but the mounting holes on my pedal deck are not similar to yours nor on the simlab website apparently so there are 3 different variants, but it works fine for my Fanatec CsV3 anyway.

Well done video and a very unbiased review. I am not sure why you would buy anything other than 80/20. The fact that most manufacturing/assembly plants use 80/20 makes this very versatile and value added. Great job. We personally use 80/20 for everything, from making monitor stands, splash shields or to removing truck roof fairings. :-)

[@SimRacingCorner]

Super review, and a nice clean setup.

[@nathengonderman1491]

Great review. at some point when I have the space for a dedicated rig I will choose sim labs. I thought I was already subbed to your channel and noticed while I was watching this vid that I wasn't. I'm subbed now lol

[@Aramis_Production]

Track Racer TR80 is a same type product but is more refined. And comes with Seat Slider Rails and Seat Brackets at 499, while for Sim-Lab you gotta buy them separately.

[@RVRCloset]

Great vid as always, and awesome setup Chris!! Hehehe, that would be something I would like to see, Ikea selling sim rigs! ;)

[@ChrisHaye]

Heh - if only so sim racing KZbinrs have to try and pronounce the name of it ;)

[@cacarey01]

My GT1 EVO just arrived and very happy with the build so far. I still need to get a seat for it though. Can't wait. The price is unbeatable. Much cheaper than the monstertech cockpit.

[@vathrosable]

What seat did you go with?

[@kotsbak]

very cool guitars btw, :) and ofcourse your simrig

[@lynx7575]

Great video, great review as always. Sim-lab produces great products, for me the P1 is the best rig

[@ChrisHaye]

Thanks Marco.

[@StarBellySneetch]

I looked up the blueprint for this and also found a source for all the parts. I’m on 3dof now, otherwise I would build one of these for sure. My obutto was pretty solid but the sim lab is solid as hell

[@carlosfandango2419]

Wow, guess you've kinda made it if guys like this are sending you their kit. Onwards and upwards. No denying it's a nice bit of kit and not overly priced. Look forward to your next hardware review. ;)

[@ChrisHaye]

Thanks Carlos - yeah, it's great that companies trust me with their stuff!

[@grumpee8432]

The review period, is highly appreciated 👊.

[@Ermz]

Nice Kemper!

[@프레디khjfreddy]

Wish sim lab could design some f1 style cockpits

[@user-jd6sn9ol2n]

Great stuff, as always!

[@OhItsThat]

Hey Chris, how is that Sparco seat? Is it comfortable enough? Does it have enough padding for sitting in it for a few hours? Also Thanks buddy

[@IIITonyMontanaIII]

Nice review. i have this cockpit put but im gone switch it too the p1 because i get a dd weel and i can tell you it still moves alittle with heavy force feedback.

[@Jesusprayerwarriorbw]

Excellent video

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

I have the open wheeler . it's not bad for $370. Cool vid nice set up man.

[@JayKullar]

You know the pedal plate is the wrong way around Chris? I mounted mine that way but sim labs said it was the wrong way around so changed it over.

[@davidclem5887]

Chris thank you for this as I am considering the R100 for my new rig. How do you like it? Is it comfortable? Does the seat flex under hard braking? Also, what are you using with your V3 pedals? The brake performance kit or the damper kit?

[@TinoushGTR]

I'm going to order what's on the manual description for about the half of the price. Also making the triple screen stand of them. Should I make a tutorial about it?

[@Tintop]

sexy rig, i have the same for 6 months now. I can recommend the additional integrated monitor mount. I mounted a 34" 21:9 display to it. A 32:9 49" also fits nicely. It can move very close to the seat so that the MiGE disappears behind the monitor. My only wish for it is a proper front mount wheeldeck like the P1 has. To use the P1 wheeldeck, several changes would be neccessary to the GT1 Evo :(

[@OkzM117]

Thank you, very helpful

[@pauloviegas5798]

Hi Chris. I would like to know what's the accessory that you used to install the Thrustmaster TH8A shifter to the rig?... Is it from Sim Lab? Thanks.

[@Chris-nn2fx]

This is the one I'm going for, together with my CSW v2.5. I'm now using a playseat, but when I'm racing it sounds like its falling apart. 😂

[@ChrisHaye]

It's a great rig Chris - Unless you plan on adding motion, or some other kind of crazy add-ons, I think it's pretty much got all of the bases covered.

[@Chris-nn2fx]

@@ChrisHaye Nah haha don't have the money for that

[@AvengeanceReloaded]

Great video!

[@adrianfraguela564]

Hey Chris. Can you link the slider you use please? Looking to get the same setup and getting confused with the slider!

[@Melkaz]

I build the same rig this week as well, very nice quality and Sim Lab deserves all the credits they are getting. However is there a reason you mounted the pedal plate the other way around? My own rig and all videos have the lines at the top.

[@ChrisHaye]

Well spotted dude, I'd forgotten that I did that. I swapped it around so I could get the pedal plate lower and further to the rear of the rig so I could try and match my previous setup as much as possible.

[@Melkaz]

@@ChrisHaye good to see it works! Might do the same now since I have the same challenge with my placement of the fanatec pedals. Easier than moving all the other parts 👍

[@leef9834]

There is more than a hint of movement in the wheel deck at 2:31.

[@espressoryen-grdahl9144]

Got the same rig myself. But how do you get that wheelmount to work. I got a fanatec dd1, had to buy the fanatec ddmount form simlab. Because that flat mounting"thing" got loose from the rig while driving. I had to hold it up lol. Was tilting up n down. So, i got the new wheelmount, then the old monitormount didnt work. No room for monitor. But because of the flexability i just bought a couple of meters of alu profiles from Motedis - then i had my own "homemade" monitorstand. And i got enough aluprofiles to stiffen the rig (where u Mount handbrake) or i can use it to make a keyboardtray, or a triple monitor stand or buttonbox holder. Yeah.. Its like Lego. Love the rig! 😍 And a great little review from you😁👍

[@rayrod9010]

Great video a just bought a GT1 EVO cockpit 3 days ago and I am in the search for a seat...How do you like the R100 seat?

[@4kokainietylko913]

TBH you can have all these parts which are standard production stand profiles for no more than like 100 euro...

[@nunoferreira5815]

I don't know where you saw that. Ordering 8meters of 80x40 profile from motedis it's almost 200 euros ...

[@awsomef2004]

4:03 comedic gold 😂

[@rokibuca]

fro the seat you can go with a second hand which has an expiration date and is not approved any more or just some replica of the seat

[@FGRFPV]

I'm planning my own 8020 profile rig right now, and I wonder, do you feel any flex with those 80x40mm profiles, since you use a direct drive wheel... You said in the video, that there's literally no flex, but did that change over time? I'm asking because I can't find 120x40 profiles in black and 80x40 is way cheaper.

[@simaddict6676]

Chris, I'm very interested in entering the world of aluminum extrusion for a new sim rig. I'm primarily looking at the Sim Lab GT1 Evo and the Sim Lab P1. I love the price of the Evo and the way the pedal plate seems to work. The P1 answer to mounting your pedals does not look good to me. I would add a piece of extrusion to stiffen up the shifter mount arm. My main concern with the Evo is the wheel mounting. I noticed you're using a DD wheel with the Evo's wheel "plate". Are you noticing any flex on that specific part? Especially vertical flex? I will be using a DD on mine and that is my only concern. Thanks.

[@megustachuletas3956]

This is "slightly" better than the NLR setup. ;-) I suspect that with a few other extrusion pieces, you could turn the GT1 into a P1 for future expandability/motion setup as well.

[@dungbeetlemovies]

Looks like a bit of flex there at 2:30

[@chrisbarker5336]

It’s his old wheel deck at 2:30

[@1976Cordoba]

Hi Chris - terrific video. I'm considering this rig and seat combo - others have asked but I didn't catch a reply - How do you like the Sparco R100 seat?

[@A-A-RonRaces]

How is it for person that is about 6ft tall? It looks a lot more compact than the P1

[@grumpee8432]

Sparco🙌my guy👍

[@b.h9186]

hey there how did you attached the seat to the rig without the bracket

[@zedatronic]

The Sparco R100 is a bottom mounted seat and Chris has it mounted with a seat slider. The side brackets you see for 8020 rigs are for side mounted bucket seats.

[@TimAyro]

Are you me? I see the Kemper, I see the guitar rack full of instruments and I see the same cockpit I have.

[@schmidti19]

Hey Chris, thanks for that awesome video. How did you mount the sparco handbrake on the sim?

[@ChrisHaye]

Hey dude - I'm using part of the mount that came with the Desk mounting clamp kit that Thrustmaster make. If you're just mounting the TSS, I'd just order an offcut of steel sheet from ebay and drill a few holes in it, much cheaper that way!

[@ChristianSachaNovak]

2:35 there seems to be some flex!

[@TheIzotz]

in 2:35 is not the gt1 evo

[@MartinGuder]

I also own this rig. Great price-performance-ratio. If you still struggle with the free mounted shifter-rail: I found a very solid way to mount it. Send me an email, if you need photos of it. Btw: you missed two angle on the horizontal wheel section/bar. The should be 4 instead of just 2 used. Two underneath and two behind the rail. Then it get's even sturdier. ;)

[@kamilmanuxputon2103]

Hello, please share your solution with me. email: [e-mail]. Thanks! ;)

[@diego19ortiz]

Hey! Great review. But I have a question: do the cockpit includes the spare parts to mount the seat? And also: the shifter mount also includes the spare parts to mount it?

[@FluffMuffTater]

Chris, you are able to easily attach the clubsport V3 pedals to this rig?

[@helmi2398]

Hey Chris, I have one question about the installation of the seat. As it is the Sparco R100, do you use the Sparco Seat Slider, which are offered right now in the shop, for mounting? Helmi

[@clementine4567]

Can you do a review on the F1 1975 mod for AC by Bazza (same guy who made gpl 1967 mod). not very many people know about it and it's an excellent mod

[@ChrisHaye]

Yeah, not a bad idea at all. I've had it for quite a while now.

[@clementine4567]

There’s a physics update for it (v1.1) not too long ago btw

[@baccattack]

Same seat as I have on my rig :up

[@TheSnake0444]

its unclear how you mounted the Thrustmaster th8a shifter and what you used to mount it.

[@evanhunterblbier]

How are you liking the R100? On the fence between this seat and the bucket. I don’t do super long races but can be in the seat a few hours at a time.

[@Rapid_GT]

Good review, why didn't you just buy the extra vertical piece to support your shifter section ?

[@SIMRIG412]

That's what I did and it's fine

[@MachTony]

Hi Chris, great review! I've decided to get the GT1 EVO rig, but I'm still not sure about which seat to get. I'm looking at the Sparco R100, the one you are using. How does it hold up? Is it comfortable for long hours? I'm 1m90 and around 75kg. Will this seat be big enough? Thx for your input.

[@ChrisHaye]

Yeah, I had that same concerns. The R100 is more comfortable than my daily driver car seats, that's for sure... and I'm confident it will accommodate most sizes of people.

[@virdog]

@Chris, Did you have to buy more hardware to mount your seat? I have the same seat and am thinking of purchasing this rig as an upgrade to my Obutto. Cheers!

[@JoseFcoBN]

good cockpit, seems stable enough, I also see that you have a new monitor, I'm looking for an ultrawide 34/35 inches 3440x1440 and I do not know if 100hz will be enough ... greetings

[@ChrisHaye]

Hey Jose - yeah, I'm back to the single 32" for the time being. Triples in this space made life a bit of a challenge ;)

[@MaddinSiebensieben]

Great Video! I am planning to buy this Rig as well in the nearby future. I am also looking for your Sparco R100 Seat. Am i right, for mounting this seat, i only Need the sliders, i can purchase on the Simlab site? Greetings from North Germany

[@ChrisHaye]

Yeah, sliders are all you need. I bough the sparco ones, which are pretty much identical to the ones on the Sim Lab site.

[@MaddinSiebensieben]

@@ChrisHaye Thanks a lot mate.

[@owashica3688]

It says on Sim Lab website seats are for EU customers only. That sucks! Good Video!

[@Leynad778]

Likely because the shipping costs are too high overseas. Just payed 353$ plus 19% VAT just for shipping costs of my GS-5.

[@NamePend]

I wonder about the seat. kinda seems low. can you show us a complete view with you sitting in it? and how tall are you again?

[@Jean_1999]

Hey Chris nice to see its possible to mount both shifter and handbrake on this rig but is it possible to mount the handbrake not like in your video in front of the shifter and instead next to the seat and behind the shifter like in a real car?

[@SnowdaysnPaintjobs]

I just bought the fanatec gt dd wheel will this rig be more than enough to handle it? I see you are equipped with a fanatec how did it hold?

[@acmarston]

So, there's no flex at all with a direct drive? I've read some people notice a bit of flex with their's.

[@starmarky]

Chris, please can you leave a comment about your thoughts how ergonomic it will be when a fanatec DD1 with that long stearing shaft is mounted on the GT1 Evo? It seems to me that the distance between seat and rim might be to short. Or: when the seat is moved backwards to an appropriate distance to the rim, then the pedals might be too far away? Is it correct that the distance between wheelbase and pedals is fixed?

[@tommyr95]

Hi Chris, would you mind sharing the mount you used for the TH8A shifter? I've got a Sim Lab GT1 cockpit I'm configuring and would prefer not to "clamp" the shifter to the extrusion. Thanks!!

[@iainblackwood2103]

I have just bought the same rig and funnily enough settled on the same seat. Can you tell me what size slot nuts you needed to mount the seat to the rig? M8?

[@taxi615]

Hi Ive been looking into starting to race for years and find this rig very nice and price looks good. Do you know if they sell in Canada? If so where can I find them Im not familiar with shops to buy this stuff yet.

[@johanndaart7326]

How tall are you? I'm 190 and I wonder if I wouldn't feel crushed in this cockpit, because it seems compact (which is nice).

[@_xndrzt]

hi Chris, I am about to change my rig and i was looking for opinions about that gt1..i heard the main complaint is the amount of flex of the wheel tray under dd wheels torque..that's the only think is keeping me from buying the right right now..what's your experience with that? thanks

[@Bomster1]

Would you say there would be no (or atleast very minimal) flex with a Fanatec Podium DD1?

[@Gmg1902-h6h]

Very useful video to me!! I was looking at getting it. I have both thrustmaster shifters and its clamp; and i was wandering how to intall them. Have you used a half clamp?

[@ChrisHaye]

Yeah - have a look at my TSS handbrake video for mode details. But basically, I just used the 'non clamp' part as a mounting plate... then the TH8A mount is drilled for the correct spacing for 8020 profile. It's nice when things just work!

[@Gmg1902-h6h]

@@ChrisHaye "It's nice when things just work!" ---> yeah, is amazing when that happens. Here in argentina is almost impossible to get this products, because of the shipping and taxes. To give you an idea, this rig is about USS 1.850 to import, that's why i'm watching all reviews as possible and i'm still thinking of buying it....

[@glutenfreesr9858]

So it's strong an stable then🙂

[@ChrisHaye]

I'd vote for it over the current lot.

[@xFranticIcex]

Did you need an extra piece of metal to mount the handbrake on and the th8a shifter on? Also, do you think the thrustmaster pro pedals are configurable for this setup? Thanks!

[@RuriHoshino01]

Excuse me Chris, but do you think a Playseat Evolution's Seat would mount to this Rig?

[@JACKSTAR-nd4ig]

Hi I’m looking for a cockpit that can handle a csl dd for a cheap price. What would you recommend for a cheap price