A high torque sim racing cockpit is developed in four clear steps in 2026: a 3D design, a physical prototype, stress tests with real hardware, and a final check of every material and finish. The goal is simple. The frame must stay still under a strong direct drive wheelbase and a firm load cell brake, and it must stay comfortable over long races. At SIMGASM, the Sport cockpit went through exactly this route before it reached customers.
Why does this matter to you? Because a spec sheet only tells half the story. Knowing how a cockpit is built and tested helps you judge if it is right for your setup. The short video below shows where the SIMGASM story started, in an empty warehouse in the Netherlands.
Step 1: start from a real problem
Every good product starts with a problem that racers actually feel. For high torque setups, that problem is flex. A strong wheelbase pulls and twists the wheel deck. A hard brake push tries to move the pedal plate away from you. Both give you less precise feedback and a brake point that changes from lap to lap.
SIMGASM founder Johan Akkerman knows this problem from the inside. He started sim racing in 2008 with a controller, then welded his first frame from used gas pipes with a scrapyard seat. Later he raced in esports for teams such as SDL Esports and VP Gaming and won the 2019 Project CARS 2 world team championship. He has tested a wide range of cockpits, wheelbases and pedals at events and exhibitions, so the design brief for the Sport came from years of real use.
Step 2: design the frame in 3D
Next comes the 3D model. Johan taught himself 3D design and uses it to turn test feedback into parts that are ready for production. His background as a technical specialist and workshop manager for brands such as Mercedes and Jaguar helps here. He knows how materials behave, how parts are produced and where a bolt joint gets weak.
For the Sport, the key choice was the main profile. It uses a 40 x 120 mm beam, which is much taller than the 40 x 80 mm Club. The base and pedal tray are thicker, and the wheel mount has more adjustment. Integrated cable slots and a longer shifter arm are part of the same design.
SIMGASM | Sport Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - Orange
Step 3: build prototypes and stress test them
A 3D model looks perfect on a screen. The real test starts when the first prototype stands on the floor. In a stress test, real hardware goes on the frame, the brake gets pushed as hard as possible and the force feedback goes up to the maximum. Testers then look for movement at the joints, sounds from the brackets and any shift in the pedal plate.
SIMGASM tests every product as part of a complete simulator, not as a loose part. That means the frame, seat, wheel and pedals are checked together, the way you use them at home. The result for the Sport is a rated braking load of 300 kg at the pedal deck. For wheelbases above 26 Nm and up to and including 40 Nm, SIMGASM recommends the Sport or Pro. Above 40 Nm, the advice is Pro.
How do you test a cockpit yourself at home?
You do not need a lab to check your own rig. First, put your phone with a spirit level app on the wheel deck and drive a lap with heavy kerbs. The reading should stay almost flat. Second, press the brake with full force and watch the pedal plate from the side. It should not move. Third, listen. Creaks usually mean a loose bolt, not a weak frame, so check and tighten the brackets first.
Seat position matters for this test too, because a bad angle changes how you push. Our guide on which sim racing cockpit suits your height and weight helps you set it up right.
SIMGASM | Sport Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - White
Step 4: check quality before it ships
The last step is quality control. Johan holds final responsibility for product quality at SIMGASM. His work includes prototype evaluation, production checks and the final inspection of materials and finishes. The cockpit range and the Atlas seats include patented designs developed around strength, ergonomics, comfort and visual personalisation.
SIMGASM is a Dutch company, SIMGASM B.V., formally incorporated on 27 February 2026. Development started in January 2026, and stock ships directly from Wijk bij Duurstede. The company is kept compact on purpose, with direct distribution from the Netherlands, so more of the budget goes into materials, finishing and quality. Real buyers notice it too. One UK customer wrote that his Sport "doesn't flex at all" and carries "all sorts of extra bits" with no problem.
Why real racing experience changes the design
Johan began real motorsport in 2022 and won the DNRT BMW E30 Cup and Endurance Series titles in 2023 and 2024. In his first Alpine Elf Cup season he scored an overall podium at Zandvoort. Racing real cars taught him that a rig must do more than resist flex. It needs a natural seating angle, the right wheel height and pedal geometry that stays comfortable for hours.
That is why the high torque sim racing cockpit range from SIMGASM offers both GT and Formula positions and several wheel mount types. Picking the right mount is part of the test too, so read our guide on bottom, front or side mounts. Want to understand the profile itself first? Read what a 40x120 sim racing cockpit is.
SIMGASM | Sport Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - Blue
Questions about developing and testing cockpits
What is the most important test for a high torque cockpit?
The flex test with real hardware. Full force feedback and a maximum brake push show at once if the wheel deck or pedal plate moves.
Who designs SIMGASM cockpits?
Founder and product designer Johan Akkerman designed the full range, from 3D model to final quality check.
What braking load is the SIMGASM Sport rated for?
The Sport carries a rated braking load of 300 kg at the pedal deck.
Where does SIMGASM ship from?
Orders ship directly from the SIMGASM base in Wijk bij Duurstede, the Netherlands.
Want to learn more? The SIMGASM experts are happy to help.
