McLaren Artura Ultimate

Our rating : 9.2/10

There are many premium sim-racing brands on the market today, some of which we know, others not. For example, you all know Asetek or Simucube, who are major players in the sim-racing industry, offering a very high-end catalog for fans of the discipline, but also motorsport teams.

Obviously, there are other names that fly under the radar when it comes to high-end peripherals. Among these players, Ascher Racing is a manufacturer that came into being in 2015. Right from the start of Ascher’s adventure, the brand wanted to manufacture and market high-end, premium sim-racing peripherals. 10 years later that’s still the case, and we’ve got the McLaren Artura Ultimate steering wheel on our sim-racing setup for a full test.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Aluminum structure derived from motor racing
• 30 cm diameter weighing 1.52 kg
• GT-style steering wheel officially licensed for the McLaren Artura GT4
• 4” integrated color display
• RevLED around the screen
• 14 RGB buttons, 4 encoders, 2 rotary knobs, 2 joysticks
• 6 rear paddles, 4 magnetic and 2 for dual clutch
• 70 mm pattern on rear for QR
• Factory-compatible with Asetek QR and USB-C
• SimHub compatible

Design

The design of Ascher Racing’s McLaren is taken directly from the British supercar: it’s sumptuous, and very racing when you see it for the first time. The large 4″ display takes up a good part of the faceplate, and is surrounded by controls. Between the buttons, rotors and joysticks, plus the RevLEDs, you don’t get the impression that the wheel is loaded. The reason is that the diameter of the wheel is 30 cm, so there’s plenty of room for everything.

The McLaren Artura Ultimate is a very attractive GT-style steering wheel. The McLaren and Ascher Racing logos are discreet, especially the latter. It’s a sober wheel, even if some of the controls are flashy.

Customized assembly

At the rear is the QR with standard 70 mm pattern. This means you can fit more or less any Quick Release on the market, as long as you’ve got the hub to go with it.

However, the brand has collaborated with Asetek and the latter’s QR is natively supported, with communication to the PC taking place via USB-C. You don’t have to have an Asetek base, or its QR, to enjoy the Ascher Racing McLaren.

Manufacturing and finishing

The structure is made of anodized aluminum from the automotive industry. Cut-outs are made using CNC machines, and some parts are laser-treated. The build quality is simply impeccable, worthy of a British luxury car.

As for the finish of the Ascher Racing McLaren Artura, there’s nothing to say. It’s 100% premium. Between the buttons, the grips, the screen, the structure and everything else, you won’t find a flaw on this steering wheel.

Handling the steering wheel

The wheel is 300 mm in diameter, with a rectangular shape. The riding position is 09:15, with hands straight.

All the controls on this steering wheel are easily accessible with your hands in place. Whether it’s a button, rotary or other, you’ll be able to activate any function (once it’s been mapped) without too much effort on your part. By the way, all buttons are RGB and software-configurable.

At the rear are 6 paddles, 4 of them magnetic and 2 for dual clutch. These are adjustable in spacing, which should make it easy to find the right driving position.

Sensations during play

It’s time to install the Ascher Racing McLaren Artura and see what it has to offer. Once you’ve got it set up, you’ll notice that this steering wheel handles superbly well.

As for the sensations, hats off to you. All the controls on the faceplate proved very useful during races, especially if you like GT or endurance racing with LMPs. The display of data on the screen is useful when racing, but it really depends on who’s driving. Some people think it’s useful to have a central screen on the steering wheel, because it saves time when you’re looking for the next corner, or to see telemetry data, while others don’t. It’s a subjective question, but it’s one that’s important to you. It’s a subjective question, and I can understand that.

The Ascher Racing McLaren Artura is a beautiful steering wheel, as I mentioned earlier. It not only gives you a setup that’s visually pleasing, but also increases your immersion. Speaking of which, the rear-mounted paddles come in very handy when racing, especially when it comes to mapping.

The only negative point I can find with this wheel is the software. I don’t have much to say about SimHub, because it lets you set up the wheel, but Ascher Racing’s software is hard to get to grips with. You’ll have to be patient when it comes to mapping, calibration and anything else remotely related to customization.

Compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, you have Fanatec, Simagic, Asetek, VRS, Accuforce and even more for Direct Drive bases. All you need is the right hub for the base, and the connection is made via USB.

Speaking of USB, as you may have guessed, the Ascher Racing McLaren Artura is only compatible with the PC platform. Console racers are often sidelined for anything premium in sim-racing, alas, except Fanatec, which covers them pretty well.

Value for money

The McLaren Artura Ultimate starts at €1499, and can cost you more than €1700 if you tick all the options. We’re not going to lie, it’s expensive, even if other brands offer wheels that are more expensive, often made with premium materials.

My verdict

The Ascher Racing brand has been in the sim-racing game for 10 years, sailing in the premium segment, but is still little known to the common man. This is by no means to say that its products are bad, far from it.

The McLaren Artura Ultimate is a superb wheel to have on your setup, and I was able to confirm this by testing it. Between build quality, controls, versatility and design, it’s a bit like the Max Verstappen of steering wheels: it almost never misses a beat. Only price and compatibility can be decisive factors in such a case.

In this respect, the Fanatec BMW M4 GT3 represents a very solid alternative. Its GT3-inspired design, PC and PlayStation compatibility and build quality make it an excellent compromise between performance, immersion and accessibility.