The Fanatec Sim Racing Wheel Range
Choosing the best wheel for you in an ecosystem as extensive as Fanatec’s can be daunting when committing to a purchase. We’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with a large number of Fanatec wheels and want to share our experience to help you make the choice.
In this article we’ll give you our thoughts on the following wheel options, as well as links to further information to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Be sure to also check out our full Fanatec Buyer’s Guide which covers all products including Wheels, Wheel Bases and Pedals.
Already know what wheels you’re interested in? You can use the links below to jump to that specific wheel:
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McLaren GT3 v2
The original McLaren GT3 wheel was one of Fanatec’s most popular sim racing wheels, and arguably one of the best value wheels on the market from any brand. It was light, ergonomic, feature rich, and had everything you need for a sim racing wheel to be versatile and enjoyable in a range of cars and disciplines (particularly GT and Formula) without the unnecessarily high price tag.
With the CSL Elite McLaren GT3 V2 now here, we’ve seen valuable improvements on what was already a great wheel.
In addition to the newly designed tool-less Simplified Quick Release, we now have 2 rotary encoders which have replaced two of the three multi position switches found on the V1 wheel. This means we are now sending an up and down pulse to our sim to change parameters such as brake bias, engine mapping etc. giving us full freedom of control on these parameters without conflicts between the sim and the encoder position. This genuinely enhances the driving experience.
We have been given a magnetic shifter in the V2 wheel which creates a very different feel to the shifter paddles of the V1 wheel. While this is a matter of personal preference, we have really enjoyed the feel of these shifters and find them to be really well defined and have a quality feel to them.
While some users have suggested they find this wheel to have a cheap feel with some flex throughout the rim due to the plastic design, considering the price point and functionality of this wheel, it is incredibly good value. We have been using this wheel extensively at Boosted Media with the DD2 direct drive wheelbase, and personally have not found flex to be problematic to a point where it detracts from the driving experience. Note that with the included Simplified Quick Release, torque is limited on the DD1 and DD2 wheel bases. The wheel can be upgraded with the ClubSport Quick Release accessory to unlick full torque mode on these wheel bases.
Some people have suggested that the ClubSport Quick Release is a necessary upgrade for this wheel, we personally didn’t see significant benefit in doing so unless you own a DD1 or DD2.
CSL Elite WRC
This is another great value, versatile wheel for those looking at the cheaper wheels in the Fantec range. While there are some areas of clear cost-cutting such as the plastic construction of the LED display at the top of the rim, they seem to have done a great job at keeping a high-quality finish in the most important areas. We have the newer quick-release system which has eliminated a lot of the flex found in the previous system. We have a very nice Alcantara finish with quality stitching as well as a quality feel to all buttons. The metal shifters are impressively solid with a satisfying feel.
The wheel is very light which can make it feel less impressive in your hands, but the lighter weight is a definite benefit when using a wheelbase with less power, such as the CSL Elite Wheel Base.
The 300mm round wheel is perfect when it comes to versatility in car choices and wheelbase. For example, a larger rim may not be well suited to the CSL Elite Wheel Base, as the base will need more torque to offset the leverage of a larger rim. But it is also not so small that you get an unrealistic feel when driving rally or GT3 etc.
When considering the cost and versatility of this wheel, it is a very smart choice for someone new to the fanatec ecosystem wanting to drive a wide range of cars and not needing to invest in multiple wheels.
CSL Universal Hub V2
In my opinion, this hub is an excellent gateway to the Fanatec ecosystem for those who already own rims but want to start using a Fanatec Wheel Base. While pairing the CSL universal hub with a Fanatec rim such as the Round 1, Flat 2, R300 etc. is a good option, it’s hard to compete with the value you can get from the complete wheels such as the McLaren GT3 or BMW GT2.
The design of this hub is quite clever allowing it to be used on a variety of rim diameters, and can be mounted to rims with 50mm or 70mm stud patterns. We have enjoyed the ergonomics of this hub and think the quality of the build is fair considering the price.
Fanatec has bundled this hub with a selection of 9 rims for 199.9 EUR/USD. When bundled with a CSL DD, this gets you a Direct Drive setup without pedals for under 400 EUR/USD.
Clubsport F1 Esports V2 vs Formula V2.5X/V2.5
Stepping into the Clubsport line, we have three excellent value wheels in the Formula range. The cheapest of the three being the F1 Esports V2. This wheel shares the same button layout as the older Formula Carbon wheel but brings the addition of magnetic shifters and an upgraded LED strip with individually assignment RGB LEDs and 6 addition flag LEDs. The wheel looks great, feels expensive, and provides an ergonomic design very well suited to formula style driving. The F1 Esports V2 has well placed buttons which are adequate for control assignments such as ERS deployment and engine mapping, however it is well worth looking at the Formula V2.5X/V2.5 for the additional functionality if your budget allows.
With an equally stylish and quality build to the Formula Carbon, the Formula V2.5X/V2.5 brings some extra functionality which is worthy of your attention.
Most notably the thumb rotary encoders make on the fly changes of your F1 car extremely intuitive, particularly when in VR. We have found this to give us extra pace in competitive races as we are more inclined to make changes throughout the lap to maximize the performance of the car.
The Formula V2.5X comes with XBox compatibility, whereas the Formula V2.5 is PC and PlayStation compatible only (assuming you have a PlayStation Compatible Base). Both also feature the ClubSport Magnetic Paddle Module upgrade pre-installed.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Formula V2.5X/2.5 can be upgraded to the Podium Advanced Paddle Module which replaces the factory magnetic shifters with 4 hall effect sensor magnetic switches and two analog paddles, this is not possible with the Formula Carbon wheel.
The Clubsport Magnetic Paddle Module can be installed on the Formula Carbon with a bit of a hack job, but is not supported by Fanatec.
For us, the additional features make the V2.5 our top pick for a formula style wheel, but that will obviously come down to your own personal preferences and budget.
Check out our detailed comparison between all Fanatec Formula style wheels.
Clubsport BMW GT2 V2
If you could only have one wheel, this might be the one. This 320mm wheel is a very solid build which gives a satisfying feel of quality in your hands. As a realistic replica of the real life BMW GT2 car, you get the benefits of good ergonomics and quality materials. The V2 of this wheel includes the ClubSport magnetic shifters which provide a high quality and decisive feel.
It is a heavy wheel, coupled with the larger diameter this could be a struggle for a CSL Elite wheelbase, but we have really enjoyed it on the DD1, DD2 and CSL DD
The BMW GT2 V2 does not have the 2 vibration motors integrated into the rim as was found in the V1 wheel. We haven’t found this feature particularly valuable, it is nice but by no means a must have feature.
Overall this has become one of our most used Fanatec wheels due to it’s solid and high quality construction and versatility in design for a range of cars from Formula to Rally.
The V2 version of this wheel alters the Quick Release Design to allow the option for upgrading to Fanatec’s QR2 system.
Podium Porsche 911 GT3 R
The Porsche 911 GT3 R is a beautiful bit of equipment which gives your rig a very high end look and feel.
This 320mm wheel includes the Podium Button Module Endurance, which gives you all the quick access controls you could ever want for GT style driving, including 2 rotary encoders which can be configured as 12 position switches, or endless rotary encoders. The 2.7” OLED display is a big jump in functionality from the 7 segment LED of the BMW GT2 wheel and something that we have really appreciated. Add to that the 9 high intensity RGB RevLEDs and 6 RGB FlagLEDs and you have a huge amount of data right in front of you. Something that we feel adds to the immersion of driving a GT car as well as providing helpful insights to maximise your performance.
For your significant investment, you are also getting the impressive Podium Advanced Paddle Module which will give you the edge on standing starts with the dual clutch analog paddles amongst other potential uses. The 4 magnetic shifters have a very defined and sturdy feel.
This complete wheel is not cheap but really is a very well presented and high quality wheel which will not leave you disappointed.
Podium R300 rim
This 300mm D shaped leather rim is a high quality, attractive, and versatile rim. Purchasing as a complete wheel with the Podium Hub, Podium Advanced Paddle Module and Clubsport Button Cluster Pack is a great option if you are looking for a minimalistic and eye catching design however his is not our preference for the R300 rim as you will see huge benefits and enjoyment from spending a little more on the Podium Button Module Endurance. Some users will find the 300mm rim better suited to a variety of disciplines as opposed to the similar looking 320mm Porsche 911 GT3 R rim.
