Where Engineering Meets Art: The Prodrive Racing Simulator

Racing simulators are rarely known for their beauty. Functional? Yes. Immersive? Often. But aesthetically pleasing? Rarely. That is, until Prodrive — the Oxfordshire-based motorsport powerhouse — decided to reimagine what a simulator could be. The result is something that sits at the intersection of motorsport, design, technology, and lifestyle: the Prodrive Racing Simulator.

Captured by Steve Laurence

For decades, Prodrive has been synonymous with motorsport excellence. From championship-winning Subaru rally cars to Aston Martin GT challengers, the Oxfordshire-based engineering house has defined what it means to win. Now, it has turned its attention to something different: a racing simulator that sits not in the garage, but in the living space.

The Prodrive Racing Simulator is the result of a cross-industry collaboration that merges motorsport DNA with artisan craft, design sophistication, and lifestyle luxury. Prodrive, a name synonymous with motorsport excellence - from its championship-winning Subaru rally car programs to Aston Martin GT cars - has reimagined what a racing simulator can be. Founded by industry titan David Richards, the company’s legacy isn’t just about speed; it’s about precision, innovation, and engineering elegance.

From Prototype to Icon

The idea began as an experiment - Prodrive wanted to explore whether a simulator could be more than a tool, whether it could become an object of beauty. The first prototype hinted at that ambition. But in a short time, the simulator has evolved dramatically, thanks to a growing circle of high-quality partners.

Each partner brought not only craft but also credibility. The result is a product that doesn’t just work flawlessly as a simulator, but one that holds its own in the company of collectible furniture, high design, and contemporary art.

Partners That Define the Simulator

What makes the Prodrive Racing Simulator so remarkable is the diversity of disciplines that shaped it:

• CALLUM Design - Founded by legendary car designer Ian Callum, the studio shaped the simulator’s flowing form. Their role was to ensure it looked less like equipment and more like a sculptural centrepiece.

• Pendennis Superyachts - Specialists in high-end yacht building, Pendennis created the 16-layer steam-formed beech wood hoop. The lacquered piano-gloss finish was inspired by the curves of a grand piano, lending the simulator its sense of permanence and elegance.

• Connolly Leather - Known for upholstering some of the world’s most iconic luxury cars, Connolly provided the seat materials. Their leathers can be personalised with colours, stitching, and even family crests, underscoring the bespoke nature of the piece.

• Vaughtons - A Birmingham-based jeweller famed for making Olympic medals and Aston Martin’s wing badges. They supplied the bespoke plaques and insignia, turning each simulator into a numbered, collectible object.

• Bang & Olufsen - Masters of audio design, B&O integrated their sound expertise into the simulator. From Beoplay HX headphones to optional Beosound A9 speakers, they added an aural dimension that transforms immersion into something deeply sensory.

  
  

Each partner wasn’t just decorative. They added substance and legitimacy, ensuring the simulator is not only beautiful but also finely tuned across multiple senses.

The Little Details

It’s often the smallest touches that define luxury. The Prodrive simulator is full of them:

• A discreet pocket for storing a wireless keyboard.

• A slim, sculptural profile, allowing it to sit in a living space without dominating it.

• Carbon-fibre monocoque construction for lightness and rigidity, echoing Prodrive’s race cars.

• The way you sit in the cockpit feels authentic yet refined - snug, purposeful, and built for focus, without the clutter of cables or brackets.

• A single, hidden power cable means no mess.

Every decision is about reducing distraction and elevating experience - so the simulator feels as good to walk around as it does to sit in.

Cross-Industry Collision

What makes the Prodrive Racing Simulator remarkable is how it brings together worlds that rarely meet:

• Motorsport → raw, high-performance technology.

• Art & Design → sculptural, minimalist, and timeless.

• Lifestyle → an object that defines a room or activation.

• Experience → immersive, sensory, and interactive.

It’s this blending of disciplines - from yachts to jewellery, motorsport to music - that transforms the simulator from a tool into a cultural object.

Charles Leclerc, Music & Bang & Olufsen

One of the simulator’s most interesting cultural moments came when Charles Leclerc stepped into it during a Bang & Olufsen activation. As a Ferrari driver, his link to B&O (a Ferrari partner) was natural, but what gave the moment depth was his own passion for music.

Leclerc has often spoken fondly about how music has shaped his life - he even plays piano publicly. For him, experiencing the Prodrive Racing Simulator in a B&O environment was more than a sponsorship moment. It was a bridge between his two passions: racing and music.

That authenticity is rare in partnerships, and it illustrates exactly what makes the simulator special. It isn’t just a piece of equipment; it’s a medium through which different worlds - motorsport, music, design, and technology - come together with genuine depth.

Specs & Performance

Behind the sculptural form lies serious racing hardware:

• 49-inch curved dual-QHD (5K) display

• Direct-drive steering motor with authentic force feedback

• Precision Sim Engineering LM Pro steering wheel

• Motorsport-grade load-cell pedal box

• Bang & Olufsen audio integration

• Single cable installation for seamless placement

It’s as close as you can get to the track, without leaving home.

Positioning & Success

The Prodrive Racing Simulator has already found traction in Harrods, Selfridges, Kiklo Spaces, and Bang & Olufsen’s Mayfair showroom during the British Grand Prix. These placements reinforce what the product is: not gaming equipment, but a lifestyle installation.

It has also been experienced by high-profile figures like Leclerc, giving it both cultural and motorsport credibility. The journey from prototype to present product shows how Prodrive and its partners have elevated the simulator into an object that stands shoulder to shoulder with grand pianos, collectible furniture, and modern art.

All in all

The Prodrive Racing Simulator is more than an immersive machine. It is a cross-industry collaboration - where motorsport meets yacht craftsmanship, audio design, fine leather, and sculptural form.

A simulator, yes. But also a piece of cultural engineering: as much at home in a penthouse or showroom as on a racetrack. A grand piano for the world of motorsport.