Classic race cars on a simulator let you drive a piece of motorsport history on the circuits that made it famous — Ford’s 1960s Le Mans cars at the Circuit de la Sarthe, a Cobra through Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew. It works best as a themed challenge for car enthusiasts: tell guests the story, then let them find out how hard these cars were to drive fast.
Ford vs Ferrari at Le Mans
The Le Mans organizer’s own historical statistics list Ferrari as the overall winner every year from 1960 to 1965, then Ford four years running, from 1966 to 1969. The 1967 winning Ford Mk IV of Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt set a distance record for that circuit layout: 389 laps, 5,232.9 km, an average of 218.038 km/h. The ACO also notes that, as a direct consequence of the Ford–Ferrari battle and the speeds it produced, it added its first slowing corner, the “virage Ford,” before the pit area for the 1968 layout.
Carroll Shelby and the Cobra
Shelby American describes Carroll Shelby as best known for the AC Cobra and for Mustang-based performance cars built with Ford, and says he is still the only person to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver, team manager and manufacturer. The ACO’s records show his driver’s win came in 1959, sharing an Aston Martin with Roy Salvadori, and they note AC Cobras on the grid in 1963 as the start of Ford’s push at Le Mans.
The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca says its Corkscrew — officially Turns 8 and 8A — drops 59 feet in only 450 feet of track, the equivalent of a five-and-a-half-story drop, and reaches an 18 percent gradient at its steepest. The circuit is 2.238 miles long, extended from its original 1.9 miles in 1988. It is a humbling place to learn a car.
How to run a classic-car challenge
- Pick one car and one track so the time sheet is fair.
- Give a 60-second history brief before each run — the story is half the appeal.
- Pair it with a modern car on the same track so guests feel how far the cars have come.
Which classic cars and tracks are available depends on the software, so tell us what you have in mind and we will confirm what we can set up. See the cars and tracks pages.
What the motion platform can and cannot do
A motion platform cannot hold you under real g-forces for seconds at a time, because it can only move within a small range. Motion-cueing software works around that. Researchers describe reproducing the quick, high-frequency part of each movement with real platform motion, tilting the seat so gravity stands in for longer accelerations, and then slowly “washing out” back to center so the platform stays inside its limits (Scheidel et al., arXiv). SIGMA Integrale describes its DK2 system as servo-motor actuators with 2 inches (50 mm) of travel, driven by the game’s telemetry to produce pitch, roll and heave for braking, acceleration, cornering and road texture.
Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs. The full-motion rigs use SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which are driven by electric actuators.
Book a classic-car challenge
A history-themed challenge suits car clubs, collector events and dealership nights. It fits corporate team-building, private parties, brand activations and trade shows. We deliver, set up, staff and tear down at hotels, event venues, offices and private homes. On-site staffing is included for up to 4 rigs.
Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum, all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote delivery on request. See pricing for volume discounts. We also sell and lease simulators for homes and businesses. Our showroom and demo space is at 2920 NW 5th Ave, Suite 105, Miami, an address we share with Shift Arcade Miami.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com or send an inquiry; we reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours of lead time.