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Next Level Racing RC E Review

ByNeo Sphinx

Strength in Simplicity

The market for affordable sim racing cockpits has become increasingly competitive, with manufacturers trying to strike the right balance between price, rigidity and comfort. The Next Level Racing RC E enters this segment with a straightforward promise: deliver the strength needed for modern direct drive wheelbases while keeping both the footprint and the price under control.

After spending considerable time assembling and testing the RC E, it became clear that this cockpit knows exactly what it wants to be. Rather than trying to include every possible feature, Next Level Racing focused on the fundamentals, and in many areas that approach pays off remarkably well.

📦 Inside the Box & Assembly

Assembly is refreshingly straightforward. The instruction manual deserves particular praise, with clear illustrations and a logical sequence that makes the entire process easy to follow. Every bolt aligned properly during construction and the included hardware is comprehensive, even including useful extras such as cable ties, wheelbase spacers and an innovative bolt measuring card.

The only area that proved slightly awkward was installing the pedals, where limited access underneath the tray makes tightening the bolts a little more difficult.

Overall, however, the RC E is a very pleasant cockpit to build, and the excellent documentation makes the process considerably easier than with many competing products.

🔧 Configuration

The RC E offers considerably more wheelbase adjustment than its compact appearance suggests. Both height and reach can be adjusted, while the wheel deck can also be tilted to achieve a comfortable driving position for a wide variety of drivers.

The pedal tray offers angle adjustment and can even be reversed for pedal sets with an integrated incline, but it cannot create a negative pedal angle. For most entry-level and mid-range pedals this won’t be an issue, although more upright pedal sets have fewer adjustment possibilities.

One omission worth mentioning is the lack of a supplied shifter mount. For racing this isn’t a major drawback, but drivers who enjoy trucking or classic H-pattern gearboxes may miss the option.

🛠️ Build Quality

Despite using relatively slim 25 mm steel tubing, the RC E feels reassuringly solid once assembled. The powder coating proved durable during testing and the frame components fit together without unnecessary struggle.

There are a few cosmetic compromises. The acrylic front badge relies on double-sided tape instead of mechanical fasteners, the supplied spacers look functional rather than premium, and the front uprights don’t sit perfectly flush against the lower frame.

None of these issues affect performance, but they do slightly reduce the premium impression.

The included seat, on the other hand, is excellent. Its combination of suede-style upholstery and breathable mesh creates a comfortable seating position that feels far more expensive than expected.

💪 Performance & Rigidity

Performance is where the RC E genuinely impresses.

Using the Logitech G Pro pedals, the pedal tray showed virtually no flex, even under heavy braking. The centrally positioned support brackets and reinforced bends clearly contribute to one of the stiffest pedal trays I’ve encountered on a tubular cockpit.

The wheel deck performs equally well. Paired with the Logitech RS50 at its full 8 Nm output, movement remained minimal during driving and was only noticeable when analysing footage afterwards.

Although Next Level Racing rates the cockpit for wheelbases up to 13 Nm, even this initial testing demonstrates that the RC E comfortably handles modern mid-range direct drive wheelbases.

The only noticeable movement came from the base itself. Deliberately pulling the steering wheel towards the driver can lift the front of the cockpit slightly from the floor, but this isn’t something that occurs during normal driving.

🎨 Design

The design of the RC E is intentionally understated.

The slim black tubing creates a clean and functional appearance, although it doesn’t have quite as much visual character as some competing cockpits.

The seat is arguably the visual highlight. The combination of racing suede and breathable mesh gives it a more premium appearance while also helping with heat dissipation during longer sessions.

Some finishing details could be improved, particularly the front badge and the supplied spacers, but these are largely aesthetic concerns rather than functional shortcomings.

🪑 Comfort

Comfort is another highlight.

The driving position is easy to dial in, getting in and out of the cockpit requires little effort, and the seat strikes an excellent balance between support and long-distance comfort.

The side bolsters provide enough lateral support without feeling restrictive, making the cockpit suitable for a broad range of body types. The lower bolsters follow the same philosophy, providing support without constantly pressing against the driver’s thighs.

The seatback itself cannot be adjusted, which is a feature I would have liked to see included, but the available seating position still proved very comfortable during testing.

🔊 Noise & Vibrations

Without dedicated rubber feet, vibrations transfer directly into hard flooring more readily than on some competing cockpits.

On laminate flooring, this resulted in noticeable resonance, particularly while cornering. It isn’t necessarily something the driver will notice while wearing headphones, but other people in the house certainly might.

If you regularly race late at night, placing the RC E on a mat or carpet is highly recommended. It makes a surprisingly noticeable difference.

📏 Footprint & Mobility

The RC E is particularly strong when it comes to space efficiency.

Measuring approximately 150 cm long × 54 cm wide × 103 cm high and weighing only 25 kg, it occupies considerably less space than many larger aluminium-profile cockpits.

That relatively low weight also makes the cockpit easier to move when necessary.

For anyone who needs a proper GT-style cockpit without dedicating an entire room to a sim racing setup, this is one of the RC E’s strongest advantages.

💶 Pricing, Availability & Ecosystem

The official MSRP of the Next Level Racing RC E is €399, although retailers will often offer it for slightly less.

Next Level Racing also has one of the largest international distribution networks in the sim racing industry, with the RC E available in 57 countries through the company’s webshop and local retailers.

At launch, there aren’t any dedicated RC E accessories, although general accessories such as floor mats and freestanding monitor stands can be used without problems.

The biggest omission from the package remains the lack of a dedicated shifter mount. This is unlikely to bother someone using the RC E purely for circuit racing, but it does make the cockpit less versatile for trucking and H-pattern driving.

⚖️ Final Verdict

The Next Level Racing RC E is an intelligently designed cockpit that prioritises the aspects that matter most.

Excellent pedal tray rigidity, a stable wheel deck, impressive seating comfort and a compact footprint outweigh the relatively minor compromises in finishing and included accessories.

Next Level Racing clearly made some deliberate choices to keep the RC E simple and competitively priced. Features such as rubber feet, a shifter mount and some of the finer finishing touches have been left out, but the resulting cockpit remains remarkably capable where it counts.

🏆 SimTourist Verdict

The RC E narrowly misses an S-tier rating, but comfortably earns an A-tier recommendation.

If your priority is a solid, comfortable GT cockpit with excellent rigidity without paying for features you may never use, the Next Level Racing RC E is a very convincing package.

The complete scorecard for the Next Level Racing RC E is available on SimTourist, including detailed scores for build quality, configuration, comfort, expandability, footprint, value and more.

👍 Pros

  • Excellent rigidity
  • Excellent seat comfort
  • Very good wheelbase adjustment
  • Excellent packaging and instructions
  • Compact footprint
  • Strong value for money

👎 Cons

  • No shifter mount included
  • No dedicated rubber feet
  • Some finishing details could be improved
  • Limited pedal tray adjustment
  • No seatback angle adjustmentUnderstated design

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