R16 UltraMOZA R16 Ultra — direct drive wheel base: 16 Nm sustained torque, 21-bit encoder, 600 MHz processor

Force that does not fade by the end of the race

The MOZA R16 Ultra is a direct drive wheel base for drivers who have outgrown entry hardware. Its new-generation flat-wire motor holds 16 Nm of sustained torque — not a brief peak, but force the base keeps lap after lap. The headroom is not there to make the wheel merely heavier: it keeps the big forces from burying the small cues about grip and weight transfer. The motor is wound with flat wire, which lifts torque density by around 12 % over similarly sized designs and removes cogging, so rotation is smooth with no steps. Position comes from a 21-bit magnetic encoder — 2,097,152 points per revolution — and a 600 MHz processor does the maths. The NexGen Force Feedback U1 algorithm widens the friction adjustment range by 300 % and damping by 200 %, and adds iRacing 360 Hz mode, Wheel LFE and force feedback interpolation. Intelligent thermal management watches the temperature and keeps output steady through long sessions. The body is a one-piece aluminium alloy shell measuring 206 × 140 × 135 mm, with bottom, front and side mounting, so it fits rigs, stands and tight cockpits alike. The rear carries dedicated ports for pedals, dash, shifter, handbrake and an emergency stop switch, and the slip ring is rated for more than 10 million wheel rotations. Two RGB strips with 16.7 million colours double as telemetry: ABS, traction control, shifts and flag signals. The platform is PC (Windows); on Xbox the base works only together with the licensed MOZA ESX wheel, and PlayStation is not officially supported. The wheel, pedals and mounting hardware are bought separately.

1. 01

   Flat wire, zero cogging

   Flat-wire winding packs more copper into the same volume, which means more torque for the same size — MOZA quotes 12 % higher density than similarly sized designs. The second consequence matters more to your hands: the motor has no cogging torque, so the wheel does not click across magnetic poles at low speed. In the pit lane and through a hairpin that reads as smooth, oily rotation.

2. 02

   16 Nm the base actually holds

   Most entry bases quote peak torque — a number the motor can hold only in bursts. The R16 Ultra sustains 16 Nm, and the headroom exists for exactly that: the force does not fade at the end of a stint or overheat through a long corner. You can always dial it down: Pit House sets any percentage of maximum, and starting around half is comfortable.

3. 03

   21-bit encoder, 600 MHz processor

   The magnetic encoder resolves 2,097,152 positions per revolution, and the 600 MHz processor computes the physics and drives current into the motor before you can feel any lag. That pairing — accurate sensor plus fast maths — is why a front-end slide arrives in your hands early, rather than after the car has already gone.

4. 04

   U1: friction and damping on your terms

   The NexGen Force Feedback U1 algorithm widens the friction range by 300 % and damping by 200 %. In practice the same car can be made sticky and calm for a long race, or sharp and mobile for qualifying. iRacing adds 360 Hz mode, Wheel LFE and force interpolation, while Pit House brings the equaliser and your own curves.

5. 05

   A compact body with three mounting faces

   Even at 16 Nm the base stays compact: 206 × 140 × 135 mm, a one-piece aluminium shell, mounted from the bottom, the front or the side. That is freedom in a tight cockpit or on a stand — drop it at an angle or push it forward. Force like this needs a stiff mount, though: profile rig or a reinforced stand, not a thin desktop. All the MOZA ports sit at the rear — pedals, dash, shifter, handbrake, emergency stop.