MOZA R12 Racing Wheel Review

MOZA R12 Wheel Base, MOZA GS V2P GT Wheel & MOZA SR-P Pedals

design

I’ll admit that in the looks department MOZA hasn’t exactly tested the boundaries of what’s possible but as far as plain black cubes go, the MOZA R12 is a pretty nice looking plain black cube. The touches of flair that do make this unique are nicely considered though, the go-faster radiator fins on the side add some interest and the vague X shape is just a cool form factor. It’s a compact little form factor too, barely larger than the MOZA R5 it’s nearly half the size of the equally powered Logitech G Pro which looks almost comically large in comparison.

As you’d hope from a £589/$589 wheel base it’s an all-metal affair. The sleek black MOZA R12 is wrapped in what MOZA calls ‘aviation-grade aluminium’ with just some MOZA branding breaking up the shadowy vibe. If you want to brand it up further you’ll generously find a bunch of MOZA stickers in the box too.

Everything feels rock solid and super premium, almost ending up feeling like a tool rather than a toy – this is a grown up wheel base. The metal shell isn’t just for looks and feel though, it also does a wonderful job as a heat-sink and despite being fanless, the outside of the MOZA R12 never felt anything other than slightly warm to touch. I completed a number of full length races in EA F1 23 and even after a full on 90 minutes the case felt the same temperature as when I started.

I bolted the MOZA R12 straight on to the (frankly superb) Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition with no need for extra adapters or plates thanks to the standard four hole mounting pattern on the bottom. This setup should make it nearly universally compatible with rigs and racing seats but if you want to race at your desk you’ll need to grab the MOZA Table Clamp which will set you back an extra £55.

Another stealthy black metal unit, the table clamp’s hefty steel frame felt equally as solid and high quality as the wheel base itself. There’s some personalisation on offer thanks to a range of mounting positions though be warned the clamps do stick down a fair way and I banged my knees more often than I’d like to admit. Apart from the odd bruised knee my only complaint is that while there’s rubber on the top and sides of the clamps to protect your worktop, the actual clamp plates themselves are bare metal. Given you’ll want to squeeze it down pretty tight my worry is you’ll start carving into the bottom of your desk, so maybe slide something in there first to protect it.

The MOZA R12 wheel base offers impressive compatibility, not only will it work with six different wheels from across the MOZA range but an official adapter sees it even work with wheels from the brands. That’s highly admirable. I’ve been testing the R12 with MOZA’s own Formula 1 style GS V2P GT wheel and it’s a delight to use. It’s not quite the $100,000 a real F1 wheel will set you back but the £469/$469 GS V2P GT does a pretty great job at replicating one.

Like the R12 wheel base this is a grown up bit of kit, superb quality all around and absolutely covered with every button, knob and paddle you could want. The forged carbon fibre construction feels like it’s been plucked straight from a real race car and it’s great to see this material used across both the face and dual magnetic shifter paddles.

Each of the MOZA GS V2P GT’s wheel’s inputs felt responsive and clean, in particular the round mechanical buttons which you’ll find yourself using the most. Each is backed by customisable LED lighting which shines with nicely saturated colour and highlights individual labels, though if I had a complaint it’s that these labels don’t correspond into titles. The button labelled ‘TR’ for example is actually ’32’ as far as EA F1 23 is concerned, which makes it a memory game rather than having visual feedback to work from.

The microfibre leather grips are comfortable though not quite as nice as the upholstery on the Logitech G Pro wheel. The perforated texture is pleasant and there’s no scratchy stitching, it’s all neatly tucked away. The grip position feels natural and all but the knob inputs are accessible without taking your hand off the wheel. Be mindful though, the two thumb encoders (a fancy name for the mini joysticks) are very light and sensitive, so I often found I bumped them and triggered inputs while playing F1 23. It’s not a problem if you’re careful but a little more resistance here would have been welcome.

Joining the MOZA R12 and GS V2P GT are the £179/$159 MOZA SR-P pedals which complete my setup. These are the mid-range option from MOZA but still feel suitably rugged and premium with an all-metal steel construction. A modular system, the SR-P Pedals are sold as a two pedal base set meaning you’ll need to find another £39/$39 if you want to add a clutch pedal too. You can look at this one of two ways though, I primarily race in EA F1 23 so don’t use a clutch pedal, so avoiding having that £39 bundled into the base price for something I wouldn’t use is a saving.

Regardless of how many pedals you end up with, the MOZA SR-P offers a load of personalisation opportunity with each pedal independently mounted in the frame. Make sure you’ve plugged in and organised your cables before you tighten everything up though, they’re tricky to reach beneath the heel plate once it’s all in place. Like the MOZA R12 wheel base I had no issue mounting the MOZA SR-P pedals to the Playseat Trophy‘s pedal tray without any kind of extra plates or adapters.

performance

Like a race win in Formula 1, a good sim racing setup is a team effort. There’s no point having the best driver if he’s in a terrible car, and (Ferrari fans look away) there’s no point having great drivers in a great car if the strategy is awful. Thankfully though each part of my MOZA R12 setup works together as a harmonious outfit that delivers superb results. It really is a joy to race with.

The R12 wheel base delivered consistent, strong force feedback, the dual sensor 100kg brake pedal offered control and the GS V2P GT proved wonderfully immersive. No matter what style of racing I tried, this MOZA setup was up to the task and more.

With five different wheel bases in the range, the MOZA R12 is a bit of a Goldilocks unit. It’s not too weak, it’s not too expensive, everything is juuust right. The R12 is deceptively powerful, the 12nm of torque it delivers from that little black box is likely going to prove more than enough for most home racers. Testing it across a range of titles I never felt like I was lacking in oomph and rarely even maxed out the power in the MOZA app.

Jumping being the wheel of a few road cars in Forza Motorsport the new force feedback algorithm inside the MOZA R12 did a superb job of connecting me to the game. Lap after lap I felt dialled in to both my car and what was underneath it. Different track surfaces felt unique and defined, steeper kerbs made their presence aggressively felt and I was able to quickly catch slides and keep everything pointing the right way.

Going (deliberately for once) off-road in EA WRC the MOZA R12 was quick to prove it just how powerful its 12nm motor is. With the overall force feedback levels cranked up, completing a rally stage with its winding gravel tracks became a genuine workout. Purists will likely gasp at the idea of using a GS V2P GT wheel for this kind of racing, but I had far more to worry about than the shape of what was in my hands. The MOZA R12 battled me around every turn, over every crest and around each hairpin. A joyful wrestling match that left my thumbs sore by the end of each stage.

While it delivered the goods across road cars and rallying, unsurprisingly it was in EA F1 12 where I felt the MOZA GS V2P GT wheel was most at home. Here the frankly absurd amount of inputs went from overwhelming to immersive. Giving me a small taste of just how much Lando Norris has to deal with over a 5.8km trip around Silverstone, each twist of a knob added another layer to the experience. Holding down a physical button on my steering wheel to yell “BOX BOX” at my digital race engineer (hi Mark!) was more fun than it has any right to be. While the GS V2P GT was the star here, the R12 wheel base played its part too. Just like in Forza or EA WRC the direct-drive motor offered up smooth, detailed force feedback that confidently relayed the forces at play in a single-seater. Snaps of oversteer were appropriately violent while there was enough detail to actually feel the aerodynamics loading and unloading through different corners. Simply lovely.

Despite being arguably the simplest part of the setup it was the SR-P Pedals that required the most effort to adjust to. I’ll admit, I’m a long way from being a pro sim-racer but having switched over from the Logitech G Pro setup I noticed a completely different sensation between the two, despite both featuring a 100kg force brake pedal. This isn’t to say one objectively better than the other, they’re just different in their feeling under foot – particularly when switching between the two.

The SR-P features what MOZA calls a “Dual Sensor Fusion Algorithm”, essentially its part pressure and part angle sensor. The result is a lot more travel in the SR-P’s which may feel foreign to more professional sim racers. I found the resistance was also a little light out of the box, though MOZA sells a cheap accessory kit with different spring and damper configurations to reduce travel distance and increase resistance. To be critical, there’s no reason these shouldn’t just be included as standard as I imagine most racers will benefit, Logitech throw them in the box with the G Pro Pedals after all.

It’s a shame the R12 wheel base is only compatible with PC because I’d love to use this across console too. There is an upside however because MOZA’s Pit House software is intuitive to use and offers a wonderful amount of customisation opportunity. Control of everything from the colour of your button lighting to the shape of your throttle input curve can be adjusted here and you could easily get lost for hours diving into the most granular of setup details. You don’t have to though as you’ll find a load of presets for different racing styles which should do the job in most situations. Custom profiles are also possible which makes jumping from one game to the next quick and simple.

summed up

MOZA are quickly becoming a real force in sim racing and this R12 setup is proof of how much that relatively new contender has to offer. This is a premium experience across the board, the punchy yet refined output of the R12 Wheel Base works across genres of racing and takes everything in its stride. C0mbined with the GS V2P GT Wheel and SR-P Pedals I had a setup that left little more I could ask for as a mid-tier sim racer (once you’ve installed those upgrades for the pedals, of course).

All together it’s a package that’s hard to fault and will no doubt bring lap after lap of joy to new and experienced sim racers alike. At around £1200 for the bundle I tested here it’s still not a small investment, but it’s nearly £200 cheaper than the equivalent Logitech G Pro and delivers bags of value you’ll be happily racing with for years to come.