Hands-on with the Fanatec CSR Elite Wheel

Photo of the CSR Elite wheel from this year's E3

I was kindly asked to write a hands-on about the Fanatec CSR Elite wheel, which I was able to test at the 2011 Gamescom in Cologne. In the following I would like to tell you about my experience with this new high end product by Fanatec.

On the first sight it looks totally different than the previous Fanatec wheels and comes with a more pure and racy appearance. It is not completely round like their other wheels and is more shaped like an Audi R8 wheel. The wheel rim itself is not completely made of leather or alcantara anymore, but features some grip points where your hands should hold the wheel. Those inlets are made of alcantara that is used with the current Fanatec Porsche wheels. On the front you find a big Forza Motorsport logo and the buttons are more arranged like on a wheel in a real race car. They also replaced the d-pad with a small stick. The carbon look of the front also enhances the already raw and racy look, but the base and shifters are also very different then before. The shifters are bigger in comparison and completely made out of metal. The base is also bigger than any current Fanatec wheel and the casing is mostly out of metal, like most of the inside parts you can see through the small window on the top. That is really interesting, because you can see how the mechanics are actually working while you are turning the wheel. It is a totally different technique than before and also feels quite different.

The wheel was arranged with a triple-screen and a Fanatec force-simulator, which is an absolutely great setup for those who can afford this. I was able to run some laps in the demo of Forza Motorsport 4 and soon I understood why the CSR Elite would be the official wheel for the game. It felt night and day to my Turbo S or GT3 RS V2, which are alone some high end wheels that are top products. The steering felt very fluid without any mechanical stutter or snap off and the combination with Forza 4 was a thrilling experience. I would compare the steering to a go-cart experience, but far more easy to steer. You are now able to steer way faster than you could with a Porsche wheel, which must be a benefit of the new mechanics inside. Another benefit is the refined and more direct force feedback, I felt every loss of grip directly when it occurred, which let you faster react, because you know sooner what is happening with the car on the track.

Three screen motion cockpit with a Fanatec CSR Elite Wheel from Gamescom 2011. Source: Gamersyde

When you look at the wheel from the side, you will see that the gap between the base and the wheel is far wider than you would expect on other wheels on the market. This wider room created way more space for the bigger shifters and you won’t be hitting the base in fast steering actions ever. The new shifters on the back of the wheel are now made completely out of metal. They are turning with the wheel and have one of the best haptic feelings I experienced with pedal shifters yet. They didn’t felt like normal buttons and didn’t produce a single failure in gear change.

Some would think from the looks that materials aren’t as high quality as the leather or alcantara wheels, but they are proved to be wrong. All materials feel concrete and it is nicely processed in all areas, also every single button has a solid pressure point and feels sturdy. Some might wonder why they got rid of the d-pad and replaced it with a stick. Those sticks are tending to feel wobbly and cheap on many other products out there, but not this one. It feels really solid and is by far very precise, even more precise than a normal d-pad. Some people had the problem, even me, that they accidently pressed the start button or another button on the Porsche wheels while racing. That is not a problem with this wheel, all buttons are easy to reach, but are not in the way, even in severe racing situations. The well known tuning menu is also integrated in the wheel, but I couldn’t test it, so who knows if there are some new settings to discover. Maybe Mr. T can help us there.

As for the pedals, they had only the normal Clubsport Pedals on the simulator and we all know that they are one of the best in the sim-world today. The simulator itself was also a surmount experience and I felt every curb, every jump and the merciless force in the corners. If I would have the money, it would be a no-brainer, because that was a great piece of genius engineering.

To sum it up, I have to say that I enjoyed the new wheel a lot and can say that the new Fanatec line up will be worth every penny. The force feedback and steering feel are a solid step above the current wheels and everything that is out there. The massive use of metal makes the wheel itself very sturdy and the ergonomic design gives you a very strong grasp.

Christian Badorf
(jabofu)