BMW Performance Steering Wheel vs Performancebox

[amk2912]

I was thinking of dropping some money on a Performance Steering Wheel but then I saw the Performancebox Racelogic thingy on a track day.

I would guess the wheel gathers its info from the car ( false actual speed ) whereas the PB is GPS based.

Has anyone had used both in comparison?

Seems a waste to spend $2400 on the wheel when the PB costs just $850.

[Joey_T]

Well if you go into car's hidden menus you have the ability to see the actual speed (v eff), so my guess would be that performance steering wheel uses this data...

[takahashi]

What is your intention / what do you want to get out of the performance box.

I am a real gadget man and into timing and data logging that sort of thing. I am a tight ass and if you have seen my video on my RX-8 blog (http://taka-rx8.blogspot.com) you will wonder what I use.

I don't even use a $850 machine. I have my old N95, a 5Hz GPS bluetooth system. An OBD bluetooth system and use a free Nokia application like www.racechrono.com. Video editing with racechrono2AVI program. All up cost less than $300 (excluding the phone). Work just as good, plus it monitors will the OBD parameters that has from your ECU, including rpm, coolant temp, advance timing, etc.

Performance box has a geniune advantage on that 10Hz system and a gyroscope. So their 0-100kmh time will be a tad more accurate than 5Hz GPS and OBD speedometer. But we are talking less than 0.1 sec diff.

[amk2912]

Originally Posted by takahashi

What is your intention / what do you want to get out of the performance box.

I am a real gadget man and into timing and data logging that sort of thing. I am a tight ass and if you have seen my video on my RX-8 blog (http://taka-rx8.blogspot.com) you will wonder what I use.

I don't even use a $850 machine. I have my old N95, a 5Hz GPS bluetooth system. An OBD bluetooth system and use a free Nokia application like www.racechrono.com. Video editing with racechrono2AVI program. All up cost less than $300 (excluding the phone). Work just as good, plus it monitors will the OBD parameters that has from your ECU, including rpm, coolant temp, advance timing, etc.

Performance box has a geniune advantage on that 10Hz system and a gyroscope. So their 0-100kmh time will be a tad more accurate than 5Hz GPS and OBD speedometer. But we are talking less than 0.1 sec diff.

I'm a bit of a gadget freak too. If someone builds a better mousetrap, I want it!

I like the integrated aspect of the wheel and the fact it is always there, whereas the PB has to be mounted and I'm sure it would be a theft target like windscreen mounted sat navs and radar detectors. What I really want is the most accurate device that can measure 0-100 as well as max speed and lap times.

[andrew@southernBM]

I have both and are going to compare when i have time. Should be fun,

[takahashi]

Originally Posted by amk2912

I'm a bit of a gadget freak too. If someone builds a better mousetrap, I want it!

I like the integrated aspect of the wheel and the fact it is always there, whereas the PB has to be mounted and I'm sure it would be a theft target like windscreen mounted sat navs and radar detectors. What I really want is the most accurate device that can measure 0-100 as well as max speed and lap times.

I actually like the wheel better than most. It is just because it is a cool thing. I won't have the Performance box in the car all the time. I will only have that in the outlings. The best about portable devices is I can use that in any car. You will never know when you have a Ferrari key thrown in your direction

[Guran]

Go for the Performance Box. I love mine! Very handy little gadget.

[qship]

I dont' know if this helps, but United are having a sale on the wheel at the moment.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=6218

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by qship

I dont' know if this helps, but United are having a sale on the wheel at the moment.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=6218

Yeah, I think they've had that sale going for a while. At least it's been there every time I've looked. Oz dollar's coming up again so it's looking more attractive. I got my wheel on eBay from the US, before our $ dropped last year.

[oldman]

I have a friend who uses iPhone Dynolicious. Says it's great and I guess seeing as he already had the iTouch, what could be cheaper than $13.00.

Have a look at this for a comparison to a GPS type.



and the product

http://www.dynolicious.com/

How sexy are those graphics...

OR just saw this...

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268104

[qship]

Being a scummy windows user I have just installed this on my WM6 based phone. Not as good as the apple app, but if you aint got an Iplod, this may be worth a look.

http://www.extreme-apps.com/

[andrew@southernBM]

I've tried and tried to get accurate results but i just cannot do it. The timer on the BMW Performance steering wheel counts with the 5 lights like it does in F1 for the start of the race, lights out, then the time starts rolling, you have to get the perfect take off to get a good time. The Performance box allows you to take off when you are ready so makes it easier to do time after time. No times were compatible to each other, as if the steering wheel starting rolling then i took off the start times were different on each runs. I tried with a friend today in the car and he agreed pointless excercise.

Go the Performance box if you want 0-100 times.

Too much technology makes Andrew go crazy.

[Guran]

Systems that rely on G sensors to calculate acceleration figures (like GTech, Dynolicious, presumably this steering wheel thing too) have been proven to be less accurate than position sensors (like Performance Box, Racechrono, etc). Depends on what you want to achieve.