^ The VisionRacer is definitely a nice rig. Pretty expensive, though. Seems really sturdy. Really like that PlaySeat F1 chair but it's a lot more than what it cost me to build my own... even if I got the expensive bootleg bucket seat.
But you guys in the USA definitely have a ton of options. The ones I like in particular are the HumanRacing GT chassis and the Vesaro cockpit. The Obutto seems decent, as well. The HyperSimulator looks sick as well. Can't recommend the original PlaySeat, though. Not sturdy enough.
I personally use a
Logitech G27 kit. Used a Driving Force GT like SinnerP a while ago, but a friend hooked me up with a G27 for cheap so I sold the DFGT with the quickness. Would've bought a G27 from the start but I backed out when I got my copy of Gran Turismo 5, telling myself to sleep on it. When I went back to the store to pick it up... it was gone. Sold out in all the other stores around the city as well.
The DFGT's wheel is pretty good, too. It's a good beginner wheel, that's for sure. Pedals are crap, though. With that said, the G27 is a bang-for-the-buck wheel. If you got the funds for it... get it. Solidly built, even if I do feel some parts of the kit were compromised.
If Fanatec wheel kits were available around here I would've probably gotten a Fanatec CSR Value Kit for $250... which is the same price the G27 is going for over there in the US. Might as well get that. Much better quality wheel.
http://www.fanatec.de/webshop/new_u...d=105&osCsid=36a72ec5f1488f080c3205582d4d6453
If you have a ton of money to burn... get the Fanatec ClubSport line. It has a quick release system which you can attach a BMW M3 GT2 rim or a Formula-style rim. Will set you back around $900 for the entire kit, though (with the Clubsport Pedals). :x Or you can get the CSR Elite for slightly less.
Then there's the Thrustmaster T500 RS, which offers a similar concept, but costs about $500. The optional TH8RS shifter by them ($150) looks to be a pretty good shifter... fairly reasonable, compared to the high-end Frex gear.
So my recommended beginner wheels are:
1. Fanatec CSR
2. Logitech G27
3. Logitech Driving Force GT