Sim Racing Expo 2026 – Someone Turned a Real Audi R8 LMS GT3 Into a Racing Simulator, and It’s for a Good Cause

In my initial overview of the Sim Racing Expo in Frankfurt, I briefly mentioned a car that had been made into a racing simulator. I want to talk a little more about that because there's at least some irony in a showroom full of tech designed to make a simulation feel more like a real car, only to see a simulation put inside a real car.

That's what I found at the CONSPIT stand at the Sim Racing Expo. SpendenLMS has taken a damaged Audi R8 LMS GT3 chassis, combined it with salvageable parts from other racing cars, and turned the whole thing into a simulator. The sheer amount of work and love that has gone into this project can't be overstated, but it also shows just how much can be done even with the tech we have now. What also makes it interesting is the reason behind it.

Speaking to the team behind it in Frankfurt, I was told the project had taken around three years to build, combining parts from eight different cars to create the finished simulator. The aim was to give people the chance to sit inside a genuine racing car, something most would otherwise never experience. This is more than just putting a computer inside a car, though; the developers went further.

The actual steering wheel and dashboard were retained where possible, with custom modifications made to enable them to communicate with the simulation it's running. Some of the other original components couldn't simply be connected, though, meaning they needed additional engineering and custom electronics.

The pedals are another example. Rather than replacing everything with a conventional sim-racing pedal set, the team incorporated sensors and microcontrollers to enable the original controls to work with the software. Even the centre column includes custom 3D-printed components. What really caught my attention is the display.

Instead of using conventional monitors, something arguably impossible inside a racing car due to space limitations and shape, the simulator uses a projector to display the game on the car's blacked-out windscreen. According to the team, the setup uses a 4K display system operating at 60 frames per second, creating the impression that you're looking out of the car itself.

A clever solution to get around the limitations. The only alternative I could think of is VR, but then that would take away from the immersion of being inside a real-life Audi R8 LMS GT3. Of course, that's the display, and then there's audio. The team explained that speakers had been positioned inside the car to amplify the sound, using the cockpit itself to create a more convincing experience.

Now, of course, this doesn't necessarily mean it's better than a fully kitted-out sim rig. You don't have the same range of motion and haptic effects as some fully kitted-out sim rigs, which I'll cover in another piece. Getting in and out of it was interesting, to say the least, particularly for somebody who's 5ft 11, and not exactly slim. Once inside, though, it was comfortable enough. The projection and audio were more than enough to immerse me, even on a busy exhibition floor.

But there's something more to SpendenLMS than simply giving people the opportunity to experience a real racing car, and it's arguably the most important part of the entire project. The team told me that some money received for taking the simulator to events is donated to Herzkind e.V., a charity supporting people and their families affected by congenital heart conditions.

That, in itself, makes the entire thing more appealing. It's one thing to pour considerable time and money into a project like this, but using it to give people an experience they can't get anywhere else while also raising money for such an important cause is something I'll always get behind and promote as much as I can.

I saw a lot of impressive technology at the Sim Racing Expo, but there's something especially memorable about an actual Audi racing car being given a second life as a simulator. The engineering alone makes it impressive, but combining it with the chance to give people an unusual experience while raising money for a good cause makes it something worth celebrating.

What I do know, though, is that if somebody offered me the chance to play a racing game inside an Audi R8 LMS GT3 rather than sitting at my desk, I know which one I'd choose.

Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.