Podium DD's VS Simucube 2's

[Darren Byrne]

Hi guys, the past while I was trying to find good comparisons between these two models of dd's. Has anyone tested both ? I understand that the software for these aren't complete yet but is there any clear winner here ? thanks.

 

[GagarynGaribaldi]

No OLED Intelligent telemetry screen, no funky switch, redundant CAN bus electronics that sim racers still need to pay for. Going down the 'one wheel for car and sim' route is good for marketing but not much else; it's a compromise in the real world - sim wheel has quite different requirements from a real GT car wheel. New QR system is interesting though as the current one is a clunky badly designed mess.

I don't hate it but not sure I will buy one (might though!). Anyone want to buy a lightly used McLaren GT3 wheel?

 

[Mr Latte]

No OLED Intelligent telemetry screen, no funky switch, redundant CAN bus electronics that sim racers still need to pay for. Going down the 'one wheel for car and sim' route is good for marketing but not much else; it's a compromise in the real world - sim wheel has quite different requirements from a real GT car wheel. New QR system is interesting though as the current one is a clunky badly designed mess.

I don't hate it but not sure I will buy one (might though!). Anyone want to buy a lightly used McLaren GT3 wheel?

Its 100% the wheel used in the real 2022 GT3 car

"This is not a replica"

Fanatec – Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3

bmw.fanatec.com

 

[metalnwood]

A current one is over 3000 pounds which seems right, if not a little cheap for a real one. So I don't see the price coming down which does make it a bit of a marketing thing however nice it might be to have

 

[Deleted member 197115]

And it's not even wireless, I see coiled cord dangling? Makes sense if it's 'not a replica', but I don't own BMW GT3 car, why do I want to sacrifice simracing functionality? Horses for courses.

 

[Mr Latte]

And it's not even wireless, I see coiled cord dangling? Makes sense if it's 'not a replica', but I don't own BMW GT3 car, why do I want to sacrifice simracing functionality? Horses for courses.

Well clearly the real car needs the cable the sim racer doesn't.

In the past with some Fanatec wheel rims, sacrifices are sometimes made to give them sim/menu controls and some people moan it's not authentic to the real rim it replicates.

Now Fanatec decides to make what looks like a highly pro level wheel in collaboration with BMW that is 100% authentic and Im laughing as people will complain about it missing certain functions.

I cant see this being cheap but in some ways, it's nice to see Fanatec up their game to compete with some other rims out there.

 

[GagarynGaribaldi]

Its 100% the wheel used in the real 2022 GT3 car

"This is not a replica"

Fanatec – Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3

bmw.fanatec.com

Not sure f I'm missing your point. Yeah I know it's the same wheel. And my point is it will have features (that we need to pay for) that are redundant for sim racers - like BMW motorsport grade CAN bus components as well as lack features that sim racers (especially those in the Fanatec ecosystem) appreciate, like a funky switch to navigate menus. The BMW roundel is a d-pad but it's a compromise. Like I say - not hating it but questioning whether this a marketing win rather than a user win. The new QR looks great though.

And it's not even wireless, I see coiled cord dangling? Makes sense if it's 'not a replica', but I don't own BMW GT3 car, why do I want to sacrifice simracing functionality? Horses for courses.

I don't see a cable??

 

[GagarynGaribaldi]

In the past with some Fanatec wheel rims, sacrifices are sometimes made to give them sim/menu controls and some people moan it's not authentic to the real rim it replicates.

I don't know these people but that is not my opinion. I'd rather use a sim racing optimised replica than the real wheel. These people, if they exist and aren't just straw men that you've invented to try to prove a point - do they wear fireproof underwear and crash helmets too?

A current one is over 3000 pounds which seems right, if not a little cheap for a real one. So I don't see the price coming down which does make it a bit of a marketing thing however nice it might be to have

I reckon it will be around 1000 euro.

 

[Mr Latte]

Not sure f I'm missing your point. Yeah I know it's the same wheel. And my point is it will have features (that we need to pay for) that are redundant for sim racers - like BMW motorsport grade CAN bus components as well as lack features that sim racers (especially those in the Fanatec ecosystem) appreciate, like a funky switch to navigate menus. The BMW roundel is a d-pad but it's a compromise. Like I say - not hating it but questioning whether this a marketing win rather than a user win. The new QR looks great though.



I don't see a cable??

Isn't all the CAN car tech in the car?
The wheel just acts as an input device?

If Fanatec have designed this from the outset then it's likely yes it still will be useable for navigation in menus for sims etc.

 

[DomB_Fanatec]

as well as lack features that sim racers (especially those in the Fanatec ecosystem) appreciate, like a funky switch to navigate menus. The BMW roundel is a d-pad but it's a compromise.

There are 5 encoders on this wheel. The plan is to have the Tuning Menu navigation and adjustment performed via the two thumb encoders. I wouldn't say this is a compromise but an improvement.

 

[GagarynGaribaldi]

I don't know these people but that is not my opinion. I'd rather use a sim racing optimised replica than the real wheel. These people, if they exist and aren't just straw men that you've invented to try to prove a point - do they wear fireproof underwear and crash helmets too?

There are 5 encoders on this wheel. The plan is to have the Tuning Menu navigation and adjustment performed via the two thumb encoders. I wouldn't say this is a compromise but an improvement.

Not sure how using two controls rather than one is an improvement - three perhaps assuming a button is also required to simulate the funky switch click. In fact I might go as far as to suggest that this is the kind of compromise that I was alluding to earlier. But I've not used the wheel - sure there is lots still to learn about it's sim functionality .

 

[TedBrosby-]

I like the way the wheel looks, but this isn't the first time they've done "used in a real car and also for sim racing". The BMW M3 GT2 wheel was the exact same thing 9 years ago. Even then it was ridiculous, for both parties. I'm sorry but a real M3 GT2 driver won't be taking his steering wheel home to swap into his Fanatec wheel base and if any sim racer could afford to buy a BMW GT3/GT2 race car, I seriously have doubts they would have any qualms about buying a separate wheel to use at home. I doubt they would even have a sim racing cockpit at home. Not every real life racer is like Lando Norris, sim racing at home as a hobby. So it's pointless even for people who own the real BMW race car, since they would just practice... On the real thing.

This M4 GT3 wheel has nice components, but a lot of features due to being for both race car and Fanatec wheel bases that are useless for both parties. Are the BMW drivers going to adjust their FFB using the LCD screen inside their GT3 car? Are sim racers going to simulate real rain using their fire sprinklers to require the waterproof IP67 rating on the wheel?

The QR is an interesting upgrade... Is it perhaps an unspoken acknowledgment that the previous Fanatec QR, even with the DD1/2 locking nut, was a mistake to use for DD?

Anyway it's nice because they were missing a GT3 wheel and anyone wanting the magic 31cm diameter would have to either use a third party wheel or slap the Universal Hub onto something like the Turn R20 or DimSim 320H. But given its features and specs, I see this as being a Cube Controls or Precision Sim Engineering competitor, so be ready to drop $800 at minimum for this wheel. My theory is $799 USD.

 

[AccAkut]

seeing how some of the manufacturers opted to outsource their steering wheel making to external workshops that started their trade with sim wheel, as its just cheaper and the build quality may even be better, this could be a step back

 

[metalnwood]

Is there any wheel from any gt3 car that can be bought for less then $1k? They seem to be a fair bit more expensive so not sure why this would be so cheap unless BMW are outsourcing it with the explicit aim to have their rims at a cheap price. For what reason I don't know.

 

[TedBrosby-]

Is there any wheel from any gt3 car that can be bought for less then $1k? They seem to be a fair bit more expensive so not sure why this would be so cheap unless BMW are outsourcing it with the explicit aim to have their rims at a cheap price. For what reason I don't know.

The main appeal for me to Fanatec is that their wheels are "affordable" making an entire Fanatec set-up a much more "wallet friendly" solution despite only sacrificing a little in quality and features. If they start charging $1000 for their wheels, that puts them in the same price range as Ascher's F64, Cube's CSX2, Precision Sim Engineering's GT3 or some of Simcore's upper end wheels like their P310 or even close to their OMP GT.

But Fanatec has never been as reliable as those boutique brands. Those brands have such a small userbase compared to Fanatec that you can often reach the damn owner of the company by email if you have issues. I've personally gotten emails from Martin Ascher and Simon Maltby. I'm pretty sure if I bought a Simcore wheel, I could reach the CEO of Simcore or at least someone high up the foodchain of their product engineering department if I had serious issues or questions.

When was the last time someone had a Maclaren GT3 Fanatec wheel fail and Dominic Brennan (I seriously had to Google this) responded to them? Part of me wants a CSL Elite PS4 edition so I can play Gran Turismo 7 when it releases on PS5. When/if I do that, I am doing it knowing fully well that if I have issues I'll have to go through the painful RMA process on Fanatec's website. I'm willing to accept that because it's a $700 full set-up. I sacrifice the guarantee of no issues and the ease of RMA/reaching tech support in order to save almost $1500 on what my SC2 + Heusinkveld pedals + a wheel cost for my PC sim racing.

If this wheel is $800 or more, Fanatec is officially jumping into the ring with Precision, Simcore, Ascher and Cube Controls. Don't jump into the ring with a heavyweight champion if you're still just slap boxing.

 

[Kiryu]

Those brands have such a small userbase compared to Fanatec that you can often reach the damn owner of the company by email if you have issues. I've personally gotten emails from Martin Ascher and Simon Maltby. I'm pretty sure if I bought a Simcore wheel, I could reach the CEO of Simcore or at least someone high up the foodchain of their product engineering department if I had serious issues or questions.

I had an issue with my Cube Controls wheel once and they where super quick to respond and pick up the wheel.

They even gave me some updates and got back to me while testing the wheel, i thought i must be dreaming.

Whole process from pickup to getting my wheel back took roughly one week.

When i had issues with my CSL Elite Wheelbase, i had to return it three times (i'm not joking!) because they managed to send back a unit with loads of black scratches and loose parts inside, even impliying at first that i did that myself.

Then another one with an incorrectly mounted front cover.

The third one came without a power supply.

And of course they never called me back even after promising to do so.

Took around 4 weeks and surely caused some grey hairs.

 

[Mr Latte]

Looking back at the video it does indeed seem to remain as fully wireless in both usage cases.
Personally, I don't think it has to have the CAN hardware in the rim as the wheels functions will only need to send signals that either the PC software or the CAN software will interrupt.

The new QR locking mechanism has to now be FIA approved as is the whole wheel/rim
So we should have here one of the main gripes with Podium being improved as indeed Fanatec said they were working on a new QR system.

The LED lights and new rotary controls as well as the newly designed hidden D-Pad keep the authentic look. Indeed this is no toy. Also keep in mind that the full carbon body of the wheel I believe will help add to how FFB sensations are felt in this rim and it will also be lightweight

It scares me how much it might be but its going to sell regardless.

Seems that just when it looks like Fanatec is being superseded by newer upcoming brands and their motorsport based hardware. It just goes to show they have the connections within the industry to come up with something remarkable like this.

I think back to the 911 Turbo and GT3RS wheels that put Fanatec on the map.
Would we ever, of thought things would come this far?

 

[johnny_91]

The GT3 RS was pure porn back then. Real Alcantara, a thick wheel, super smooth and aesthetically pleasing in every aspect. One of my favourite wheels. Would love to see something likt this again.

 

[Jivesauce]

When was the last time someone had a Maclaren GT3 Fanatec wheel fail and Dominic Brennan (I seriously had to Google this) responded to them?

To be fair, Dominic responded to this very thread 5 posts before yours.

 

[TedBrosby-]

To be fair, Dominic responded to this very thread 5 posts before yours.

Fan service to sell a wheel.

Like I said, ask anyone who put in an RMA for a Fanatec product if they had Dominic email them personally to see how it's going.
Hell, I'll share.
I sent a Fanatec CSL Elite 1.1 wheel base in for repair, got given a runaround because I didn't have the invoice, had to ship it at my own expense and wait 10+ days for it to come back.

I've never had issues with my HE pedals or SC2, but when I had normal questions about the product, I would either get responses from people really high up in the HR chain and very quickly, or Heusinkveld himself would reply to questions. I've had Tommo from SRB personally respond to my emails. I've had Simon from SRM personally respond to my emails and Martin Ascher personally respond.

That's why the F64 is $1000. It's not just the build quality, it's the service.

 

[d69morpwr]

Fan service to sell a wheel.

Like I said, ask anyone who put in an RMA for a Fanatec product if they had Dominic email them personally to see how it's going.
Hell, I'll share.
I sent a Fanatec CSL Elite 1.1 wheel base in for repair, got given a runaround because I didn't have the invoice, had to ship it at my own expense and wait 10+ days for it to come back.

I've never had issues with my HE pedals or SC2, but when I had normal questions about the product, I would either get responses from people really high up in the HR chain and very quickly, or Heusinkveld himself would reply to questions. I've had Tommo from SRB personally respond to my emails. I've had Simon from SRM personally respond to my emails and Martin Ascher personally respond.

That's why the F64 is $1000. It's not just the build quality, it's the service.

Ive had Tommo and Heusinkveld email me on weekends and both went above and beyond to help me out. I never expected emails on weekends to straighten out an issue but they both did. Same with Martin Ascher when i was looking for a quick release for my Simucube. He emailed me personally and said he could modify his for a very small fee. I have no problem buying anything from any of these companies.