Review Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2 plus BMW M3 GT Steering Wheel

A few weeks ago i received a huge order from Fanatec:

The Fanatec ClubSport CSW WheelBase V2



Time has passed and after extensive testing i will show you today my little unboxing review for this amazing SimRacing peripherie hardware:

• Fanatec ClubSport CSW WheelBase V2
• Fanatec BMW M3 GT Steering Wheel
• Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V2

Let's start first with the unpacking of the most important part, the CSW WheelBase.
The unboxing was a pure pleasure and made me more excited:






The Fanatec Clubsport CSW WheelBase V2

This thing is really a beauty, but not a light one. You get what you pay for and in that case the wheel base brings more than 4kg to the table. My previous wheel was a Logitech G25 and even though i know that these wheels can not be compared directly i was completely astonished about the quality and weight of it when i grabbed it the first time. Most of the construction is CNC milled and made of anodized aluminum which gives a superior look. Only the back cover plate is made of synthetic material which is ma

A strong brushless motor is powering the ball bearing belt drive. Two hall sensor are working inside the wheel base. One placed on the steering shaft and the other one directly on the motor.





The included USB cable is 2m long and from great quality as well, covered with a woven textile to prevent any cable damages. It also integrates two ferrite cores as interference suppression filter. Something i personally have never seen on any other USB cable before.



I also ordered the wheel table clamp to fix the wheel base on my desk. This part is very heavy and from strong durability. It fixes the heavy wheelbase construction reliable on every desk slab with a maximum thickness of 7cm. It also allows allows you to alter the angle of the wheel base. Mounting the wheel base on the table clamp was a little bit tricky because there is not much space for using a screwdriver between the moveable plate where you mount the wheel base and the fixed base plate which sits on the table. Tricky but not a huge challenge and worth every penny:



If you plan to mount the wheel base on a simulator Fanatec is also supplying a drilling template with exact measurements:



Next part of my order is the Fanatec BMW M3 GT Steering Wheel

I decided for this rim because i drive most often regular street and GT cars and only rarely formula 1 cars.
I also love the look and feel which is inspired from steering wheels of original BMW M3 GT cars.







Here you can see the CNC milled Quick Release which holds the Steering Wheel absolutely secure. Nothing is wobbling. There is a secure screw supplied which can be used to tighten the quick release more on the wheel base but it's not not necessary for the wheel i received and i connect my wheel without the screw on to the clubsport wheel base.





A look onto the Quick Release mechanism. There is much hand force needed to push the red ring down.



The Alcantara soft leather feels warm and smooth and gives excellent grip:



The Shifting paddles are very thick and from great durability. At least 1mm thicker than the paddles from of old G25 wheel. The paddles are thick enough to prevent them from bending on very excessive shifting actions.



So now we come to the Fanatec Clubsport Shifter SQ V. 1.5

This is another excellent piece of craftsmanship and is made completely of grey eloxed metal. The shifter is very heavy, roughly estimated 2kg (with mounted shifter table clamp).
With flip of a switch it allows you to switch between sequential and H pattern mode.

Another great thing is that the shifter is using a standard mount which allows you to select real automotive knobs. This is a nice to have but the shifter comes with a second knob already:




Engaging a gear feels like in a real car and shifting from one gear to another needs a good amount of hand force. Engage a gear and the stick holds it position accurate without wobbling or shaking.

That is the first part of my review of the Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V2 and the BMW M3 GT Steering Wheel.

In the next part i am going to write more about how the hardware is performing on a "real" racing sim track.

reserved

Very nice buddy!

Thanks for the tips guys. At the moment i only use the BMW rim and do not use the QuickRelease. But i will probably follow your advice when i use another wheel and start changing these things periodically