After months of suspense, we’ve finally received the Asetek La Prima bundle ! Initial testing is underway, and to mark the occasion, we had another opportunity to speak with Kasper from the Asetek team. Regular readers will remember him from our visit to the Asetek headquarters.
During this interview, which took place on July 7, 2023, we had the opportunity to ask questions about the progress of the brand’s projects. I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you the answers we were able to obtain!
When will the upgrade kits for Asetek bases, pedals and flywheels be ready?
Asetek launched a pretty crazy idea for simracers. That of being able to evolve your equipment over time rather than always being obliged to sell and buy bases, steering wheels or pedals. The brand’s upgrade kits will, for example, allow you to transform a La Prima base (12Nm of torque) into a Forte base (18Nm). Or even a La Prima crankset as a Forte crankset or even an Invicta crankset (the brand’s top of the range).
It was mentioned several months ago that we would receive the La Prima bundle when the kits were ready. The idea was to be able to test these kits at the same time as the “basic” equipment. Having not received the kits, I asked the question to find out more.
First of all, the kits for pedalboards will be available. These upgrade kits are physically ready. They’ve already been designed and could be fitted to cranksets today. The only thing holding Asetek back is the software. Because, depending on the crankset you have, the method of capturing the force on the brake is different, the software has to be able to detect that you’ve changed your brake. The aim (no promises) is to release these kits in September.
As for Direct Drive bases and steering wheels, there’s still a bit of work to do. They already have a system that works, but before launching the product, it has to be easy enough to install so that literally any customer can install it himself. And that’s a challenge! For the moment, it’s not yet simple enough to implement. But the goal (again, no promises) is to get these kits out before the end of 2023.
Are you planning to create a hub for other steering wheels?
Most partner steering wheel brands offer magnificent steering wheels but not necessarily within everyone’s budget. In addition to that, it is very difficult to find round steering wheels among the offerings of these brands.
Proposing a simple HUB equipped with buttons and paddles on which any steering wheel wheel could be placed could be a wise choice for the Danes.
Asetek has thought of this solution for its round flywheels. We should know more very soon, as they’ve told us they’re preparing an Asetek Forte GT Wheel which will be available in 3 versions: round, D and oval. So we’ll have a common Hub with interchangeable steering wheel wheels. The plan is to launch these GT wheels forwinter 2023 !
Any news on the Asetek Invicta Formula steering wheel?
A high-end formula steering wheel is being prepared at Asetek. We had the chance to see a few plans during our visit to them but since then, radio silence, or almost! The brand recently showed a video during which we discovered Kévin Magnussen giving advice on the ergonomics of the steering wheel and the display on its screen.
Asetek is still working hard on the model. It will be the brand’s flagship, with top-of-the-range finishes and materials. Above all, it will feature a large central display for all telemetry and racing information. No release date has yet been set; all we know is that it will be launched in 2024.
When will we be able to buy steering wheels from other brands with the Asetek QR natively installed on them?
Asetek is the first brand in the SimRacing world to have decided to partner with other steering wheel manufacturers. For the moment 11 brands have agreed to work with the Danes. All steering wheels from these brands are compatible with Direct Drive Asetek bases and you can buy these steering wheels directly equipped with the Asetek Quick Release.
With the Quick Releases ready, we hoped to see the steering wheels with pre-installed QR arrive quickly. But since this was not yet the case at the time of our interview, we asked the question.
The 11 partner brands have already paved the way. Their models are fully compatible. But they don ‘t yet have the full stock of QRs needed to launch sales. As far as the production of Asetek Quick Releases is concerned, the brand has decided to give priority to Direct Drive base owners who have placed their trust in them from the outset. The first batches therefore went directly to customers who had bought a base and then an Invicta QR. Partner manufacturers are not given priority, hence the short wait. The plan is to have a stable enough turnover to have everything online by August/September.
To complete the picture: The Invicta QR and partner brands
How is the construction of your new HQ progressing?
Construction is progressing well. They were able to celebrate the completion of the shell a few weeks ago, and are due to move in next year in the summer of 2024. This new HQ is about 3 times bigger than the current one to meet the brand’s needs, but above all to prepare for its growth. Instead of the 70 members of staff at headquarters, the site will be able to accommodate 300 people and greatly boost their production force. As you can imagine, we ‘ve been planning to take you on a tour of the new premises for some time now!
I hope you’ve been able to find out more about the brand and what’s to come in the coming months! The rest of the interview was devoted to discovering the La Prima Bundle, which will be reviewed soon on both the website and the YouTube channel 🙂
