There are two paddles located behind the wheel for gear shifting, as in an F1 car. The paddles are positioned very well, and are within comfortable reach when gripping the wheel. There is also a sequential gear stick, similar to those in a modern rally car, which can be used if preferred. This gear stick can be attached on either side of the wheel to suit your individual taste. The addition of this is a superb design feature. This can be used for added realism, for example I use the paddles when playing F1 games, yet use the gear stick for rally games, as in real life.

 
This wheel uses a superb triple clamping system to attach itself to your desk. This can be seen in the image. The screws for the front two clamps are located underneath a removable covering on the main base, with the third screw being underneath the unit further under your table. The wheel is fairly heavy as well (when compared to the other two), and so this combined with the secure clamping makes the wheel difficult to dislodge. This of course is more necessary when driving rally games, where quick sharp movements are required.
 

F1 Challenge

This wheel is frankly superb for this game. The steering is very precise and accurate, and gives the user good control of the car. The steering is slightly heavier than the other wheels I tried (i.e. more like a real car), which suits this game down to the ground. This is because it makes it a lot easier to steer with fluid motions, which is ideal for a track based driving game, where smoothness is the key. If the steering was too light, a lot of jerky movements would be made when trying to steer against the force feedback. The force feedback is excellent for this game, with every turn, rumble strip and spin being felt. It really does give you the feel of driving a real car, and adds immensely to the experience. The pedals also perform excellently, allowing for subtle control of the accelerating and braking.

Colin McRae Rally 04

Although I highly rate this wheel, I have to say that it is not so well suited to rally driving games such as this one. The main reason for this is that it is quite tricky to turn the wheel in the quick, sharp movements needed for rally driving, due to the weight of the steering. Once you get the hang of it the performance is good, but it does take a bit of getting used to. Having the gear stick to use is excellent however, and adds to the authenticity. The sturdy clamping mechanism also means that you can throw this wheel around in full confidence that it will remain firmly attached to your desk. The force feedback lets you feel the road very well, and you really have to fight it to keep the car on the straight and narrow.

Need For Speed Underground

This wheel is good for Need For Speed Underground, as smooth driving is required to avoid spinning out of control at the very high speeds involved. The gear stick is again very good for authenticity, although of course the paddles can be used if preferred. It should be noted that you should turn the strength of the force feedback up for playing this game, as in an arcade style street racing game such as this, very strong feedback makes the game that bit more exciting.

Nascar Thunder 2004

This game, as I expected, performed well with this wheel as it is a track based game. This is because it, like F1 Challenge, requires smooth, precise driving which the Momo allows so well. Again, the force feedback effects are excellent, which allow you to tell when the car is really on the edge. The effects also give a feeling of the sheer weight and power of the cars, which is essential in a Nascar game because the thrills come from the fact that it is a huge beast of a vehicle hurtling round the oval.
 

Conclusions

To summarise, here are the main pros and cons:

Pros

• Superbly built, especially the rubber grip and realistic pedal feel.

• The option of the sequential gear stick in addition to the well placed paddles allows for added choice and realism.

• Pedal board does not slip easily.

• Smooth, accurate steering is easily achievable, making the wheel suited to all track based driving games.

• Excellent force feedback effects which really give a great feel of the road.

• Solid clamping system.

• Very stylish looks.

• Easy to set up.

Cons

• More expensive than most other wheels.

• Buttons can be hard to reach, particularly to those small of finger and thumb.

• Main unit is bigger than many wheels, making storage a little trickier.

• Steering can be a little heavy for rally games where sharp, quick steering is required.

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