At this year A motorsport reunion at Weathertech Raceway Laguna SecaI’m lucky enough to be one of the first in the world to hear Cheap Pagani Huayra run at full song. Unsurprisingly, it’s an sonic delight of symphonic proportions, about as good as a V-12 can be. Horacio, sir, well done.
Sadly, it’s almost as if most of us will actually experience this $3.5 million, the 850-horsepower miracle of modern machines. But, dear reader, what if I told you there was a way you could drive one at home for a fraction of the cost? You’ll probably tell me it’s impossible, and then I’ll say you’re basically right, and then we’ll have a good laugh about the joys of capitalism. However it is be able to get a taste of Pagani life at home, with $1,999 Asetek SimSports Pagani Huayra R Edition Pedal Kit.
Asetek is a company that recently entered the world of high-end sim racing components, offers a range of top-of-the-line pedal systems. The company has partnered with Pagani to recreate the look and feel of the Huayra R pedals, creating a PC-ready kit for your favorite racing sim.
Obviously this is a serious device. Everything is precision machined or cast aluminum, and the look is eye-catching, just like a real racing suit. At Laguna, I was able to peek inside the real driver’s footrest, and sure enough, the Asetek unit’s pedals are essentially identical. Only the levers that connect the pedals to the mechanisms behind them are a little different, but that’s for one important reason: Sim Race Pedals don’t work like real racing pedals.
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In fact, most PC-compatible pedals don’t work like Asetek’s pedals, either. The average pedal set, your Logitechs and Thrustmasters and Fanatec and similarly, using a Hall sensor or potentiometer, an electronic device that measures how much a certain object moves or twists. That kind of system works well with the throttle or clutch, but not so well with the brakes.
That’s because the movement of the car’s brake pedal doesn’t actually determine the braking force. Instead, the hydraulic pressure created by compressing a piston is how foot movement becomes the stopping force. Stepping on the car’s brake pedal creates more pressure, which means more pressure on the brake pads. Even if the pedal does not move, the pressure will increase.
To simulate this, Asetek uses a system known as THORP: Twin Rapid Enemy Hydraulics. It’s an odd name for the interesting combination of a soft bushing combined with an actual hydraulic piston. The compression of the bushing simulates the initial stroke of the brake pedal; then, when the bushings are fully flattened, the hydraulics kick in and the pedals are completely solid. The system is fully adjustable, with plenty of bushings and springs, but differentially configured to precisely mimic Pagani’s real-world brake pedal feel.
Contextually, I use the Fanatec Clubsport pedal system for my simulated race, which uses pressure-sensitive force sensing to reproduce the feel of braking. The Asetek system is much more rigid and, therefore, more accurate.
Easy setup – just one USB-C cable. But driving the Huayra R turned out to be a bit difficult and not only because of the 850 hp. As it turns out, Huayra R isn’t officially in any racing simulation game I could find. But, as any sim player knows, there are ways. A little Google discovered an unofficial mod for Automobilista. The game is currently on sale for just $18 on Steam, but you’ll have to find the mod yourself.
I also ran in circles a CHEAP Zonda In Assetto Corsa and tried a handful of cars in iRacing. Across the board, I was impressed. That weird, oversized oval brake pedal takes a bit of getting used to, but the pedal feel is excellent. The brakes and throttle are predictable and smooth. I am addicted to these pedals.
However, that is not all good news. Tuning all you want, the brake pedal is too firm to reproduce the feel of a street car. The brakes are so hard you’ll need to fit the pedals into a suitable racing simulator to use them. Also, the lack of a clutch pedal is a pity at this price point – but then the Huayra R doesn’t have a clutch pedal and so I suppose this shouldn’t be either.
And there’s the cost: $1,999 about double the cost The Invicta pedal is functionally identical to the Asetek. However, provenance here makes that premium a little easier to swallow. It’s easier to swallow anyway than paying for a Pagani up front.
