For those who take their sim racing
seriously, and enjoy beautiful gear
Fanatec is a curious German maker of
enthusiast-level sim racing gear. What’s difficult to grasp, and is often
frustrating, is that the community clamors for its gear, yet it continually
appears to be unready for the big time. Production quality is sometimes
variable, and the marketing, customer service, product development and production
management roles appear to be conducted by a single person, whose virtually
secret personal blog is the sole source of product update and driver release
information. Last year the much-heralded launch of the gear we’re reviewing
today brought the site down. Down dead, for two full weeks.
From
the quick release wheel to the Perspex window into its soul, this is a
gorgeously engineered product
Now Fanatec has an Australian online store
where you can buy the ClubSport. Or could have, had it bot sold out within one
week, leading to speculation about just how many units were brought in. new
stock is expected by the time you read this.
Yet Fanatec’s products are indisputably,
irrefutably and stunningly the most beautiful and perfect sim gear you can buy,
outside the truly rarefied esoteric handmade stuff.
The new ClubSport is a system, the heart of
which is the $589 base, to which is attached either the Formula rim ($239) or
the BMW M3 GT2 rim ($329). The rims attach using the same quick-release
mechanism used in professional motorsport. Fanatec has a truly impressive video
on YouTube showing a touring car drive pitting after some hot laps, detaching
the Clubsport Wheel he had in his real race car, plugging it into a ClubSport
base in a tent beside the track, then driving off in a PC sim which was paused.
Fanatec
ClubSport Wheel Base
The future promises more rims, such as,
potentially, a classic wooden wheel and a licensed F1 wheel. Despite its
hiccups, Fanatec’s engagement with the community admirably outshines all
competitors and the future rims will be what the loudest cries demand.
Compared to the best offerings from
Logitech and Thrustmaster, the only competitors in this space, the ClubSport is
from another galaxy. You’ll have trouble finding a plastic component anywhere
apart from the buttons and the Perspex window proudly showing off the
internals, Hot Box style. You’ll need two hands and a bend-at-the-knees posture
to lift it. It’s exceptionally well made, and that strikes you the moment you
set eyes upon its functional beauty.
There
are two different Rims available, with more in the pipeline
It’s a thoughtfully designed product. The
base has several drill holes and bolt-points at the front for future expansion
and modding, and the rear has data ports to support additional peripherals and
telemetry displays.
Inside is the belt drive for Force
Feedback, and an unusually large and powerful motor. Lesser wheels use a cogs
and gears system which is notchy, ierky and feels fake. The ClubSport is
smooth, pinpoint precise, and immensely powerful. Turn up the fully adjustable
Force Feedback settings to max and it will effortlessly wrench itself out of
the strongest hands as it turns.
Tame its mighty power via the multitude of
adjustments in real-time, and you’ll have profiles for your sims (up to five
can be stored on the wheel) that feel wonderfully realistic.
Only this wheel is capable of bringing out
the fine detail sim developers build into their games. There are effects, bumps
– even small cracks in the road – which all went unfelt before using the
ClubSport.
Fanatec
ClubSport Formula Rim quick release system
The belt mechanism also allows
super-precise control. What was, before, a degree of mushy guesswork, is now
the ability to place the car exactly where you want it on the track and know
when traction is slipping away. It’s a scalpel – the others are chisels.
The rims are superb, and complete the
experience. The button and shifter movement is quality stuff; you won’t ever
miss a gear again. Both rims are exquisitely made from aluminum with Alcantara
covers. They are clearly not toys, and while the base does its mechanical magic
in the background, the trims impact a fabulous sense of professional racing.
Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you
pay for.
|
Specifications
·
Price: $589; Formula Rim $239; BMW Rim: $329
·
Ratings: 6/6
·
Supplier: au.fanatec.com
·
Force Feedback Sim racing system with
separate, attachable racing rims
·
PC and PS3 compatible
|
