Fanatec’s McLaren GT3 wheel is back and shifting sweetly – Roadshow

Of all the makers of high-end sports cars in the world, McLaren is the one that perhaps speaks most strongly to the engineering-minded race fans out there. It’s a brand for those who obsess over the details, and for many sim racers, agonizing over the minutia is a way of life.

Excellent, then, that those McLaren-loving sim racers now have a new way of getting a little bit closer to the real thing. Mind you, this wheel is not entirely new, but it is decidedly improved. This is the $200 Fanatec CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2.

Read more: The best racing wheel and pedals for iRacing and your budget

Why V2? The previous version of the wheel was derided for sloppy-feeling shifts, and that’s the primary revision here. The rocker-style shifter now uses magnetic resistance to provide tighter, more realistic changes. Running laps in Assetto Corsa Competizione in the McLaren 720S GT3, I was able to run through the gearbox sweetly. The feel is far more precise than, for example, Fanatec’s Clubsport BMW GT2 wheel, but isn’t quite as crisp as Fanatec’s Podium Advanced Paddle Module. Given those paddles cost $180 on their own — very nearly as much as this entire wheel — that should come as no surprise. 

Fanatec CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2 in the flesh

See all photos

The shifters here are actually a single, solid unit, an aluminum bar anodized in orange, because everything McLaren-related should be orange. Since it’s a single bar, you can up- or downshift with either hand. That’s a great thing when you’re desperate for a midrace drink and need to grab sixth gear while also reaching for your water bottle.

The wheel itself is 300mm in diameter, so slightly larger than Fanatec’s formula wheels and slightly smaller than many of the company’s other GT wheels. It’s also fairly lightweight, but don’t be fooled by the carbon-look pattern. The body here is plastic. Still, overall fit and finish is very good. The rubberized grips are comfortable whether you’re wearing gloves or not and the button layout is spread far enough that you’ll have no problem operating this from inside a VR helmet. 

There are two 12-way rotary switches, a pair of two-way toggles, a seven-way thumbstick, two analog paddles beneath the shifters, seven standard buttons with swappable caps and a pair of buttons hidden within plastic bunkers. These last buttons are intended to toggle the pit speed limiter and to engage neutral, Fanatec going so far as to model the resistance of each button to match that in the real car.

If I have one disappointment it’s that, while the wheel was designed to exactly replicate the shape and layout of a McLaren GT3, the wheel it matches is actually the older 650S GT3. The newer 720S GT3, the one found in Assetto Corsa Competizione, has a slightly different layout.

That’s a very minor complaint for a wheel that, at $200, is among Fanatec’s least expensive. And, for console gamers, it’s compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S as well as the PC. Mind you, that’s just the cost for the wheel. You’ll need to spend at least another $350 for a Wheel Base if you actually want to use the thing. But, considering you can spend $650 on a Fanatec wheel alone, I’d consider that to be something of a bargain.

Now playing:
Watch this:

The 3 best wheels and pedal setups for iRacing

12:22