We Check Out the Fanatec Direct Drive Wheel

[Paul Jeffrey]

At the 2017 Sim Racing Expo today I had the chance to check out the new Fanatec Direct Drive wheel... here are my first impressions.

Now before going any further I need to give out some caveats. My time with the wheel was limited and used with the so far unreleased Project CARS 2 software. I had over three and a half laps at Spa in PCARS 2, under race conditions at night. Not an ideal scenario to give a serious and informed opinion, but enough to at least give me an idea of what we can expect to find come release day.

Using the Porsche rim from the Fanatec ClubSport range, the wheel felt like a marked step up from my personal ClubSport V2 I use regularly at home. The initial weight of the wheel on first turn into a corner carried more force, as did the step up in resistance once additional forces were applied to the car under heavy cornering.

The build quality was the usual Fanatec standard, well put together, stylish in finish and I must say a rather neat and "cool" solution in comparison to some of the other Direct Drive products available in the marketplace today.

Having spoken with Endor CEO Thomas Jackermeier at length about the new range (interview video to follow later), he confirmed the Podium series of wheels will be compatible with earlier ClubSport rims as well as receiving a brand new range of rims, pedals and accessories further down the line. Additional confirmation was given that two different DD units will be produced, both containing the same housing but with different torque strengths.

No release date has been confirmed as yet, however early development units are under testing as we speak.

RaceDepartment have requested and have been approved for a long term test unit, of which we will put through its paces once it arrives and give you a full and detailed review in the coming months.



Stay tuned to RaceDepartment for more news and insight from the Sim Racing Expo over the next few days and follow us on social media at on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Steam and YouTube.

Looking forward to the Fanatec Direct Drive range of products? Can the company challenge the established DD manufacturers? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Raikku]

On the other hand, haven't heard that would be any problem to run DD-wheel at lower settings. Ppl shoud remember that it's not only sheer power why DD is in the future "way to go", it's system's reactiveness and possibility to produce smaller details than with other systems.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Hmm...this just appeared and really makes me question what all the DD wheel stuff is really about. Not getting at Jimmy he seems to be a decent lad. Surely these wheels are seriously over-engineered, no track or road car (or aircraft for that matter) I've ever had the luck to drive requires or produces such turning force at the wheel.

The problem with that is he is artificially raising the torque of the car so that it needs full force which isn't the same as running the wheel at 100% and the game adjusting to run within say 0-10 nm for that particular car.

Personally I don't like the idea of changing FFB to make it feel how you like I want it auto set like DOR.

 

[RichardHessels]

I wish they'd make a DD wheel with a fairly low-torque (and therefore, hopefully less expensive) motor.

I'm intrigued at the fast response time and detail of a DD, but I already run my lowly TM TX/458 wheel at about 50-55% on most cars in AC.

Anything above 70% feels wrong to me, and I end up over-correcting a lot. I have fairly extensive (over 30 years) of IRL on-track experience, and I've never driven anything that, once you got it rolling, felt as stiff as what the TX can deliver at 70-80% strength. I've never driven open-wheel or anything with very high downforce, however.

Nowadays all the modern F1's have powersteering.

 

[MarkR]

Have you heard nm-maximums what in example drivers have to endure in Indycar, they are more than present DD-wheels can produce...

Sure peak forces, like peak g-forces, can be exceptionally high, sustained forces are much much lower. If the Indycar 35lbs initial cornering force required for turn in become a video game norm I predict a rise in myocardial infarction rates in sim rig dwelling racers.

 

[Sergio Goncalves]

Simcube controller take quite some space. Power supply from DIY are also quite big. Motors aren't too smal either. From what I see, Fanatec was able to put everything in the base itself? That would be a great inteview question to Thomas...no one talked about the power supply.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

If you have money to buy high end stuff you buy everything from same quality level, anything else would be insanity. You don't want to use 3K pc with 1280x1024 monitor, in example. Or you don't buy expensive AV-amplifier and then put some crappy few hundreds € -speakers with it.

It's sad to see how the marketing successfully does its job...keep on thinking that way because corporations will allways be happy to deceive you while you pay for their extravaganza.

 

[Raikku]

What you mean? Good expensive('ish) speakers are not wise to buy? Of course you can listen your music from cell phone if you want, but I demand quality from my audio, not high end but reasonable good(like speakers in 1.5-2K€ range)

 

[WOKOWEN1]

If we are going to be silly about this then we may all as well buy the cheapest stuff because nothing replicates reality 1:1 so why bother trying .

If it gets closer to reality then it's worth it if you can afford it, people need to stop being jealous.

Comparing it to road cars with electric power steering is stupid because they have numb weak feeling anyway, what I want is authentic forces no matter the car and right now my V2 can't do that, I can easily overpower max force, doesn't feel very realistic for classic F1 cars when they basically crawled out of those things after a long race?

For people who only care about going fast sure not the best use of money but for authenticity it's almost a requirement.

There is a thing called common sense. You don't need to pay outrageously to get the closest thing to steerwheel feedback. And for godsake why should I be jeleous if in my job I get to drive practically any real world car? Seriously you guys need to step away from the computers now and then!!

 

[WOKOWEN1]

What you mean? Good expensive('ish) speakers are not wise to buy? Of course you can listen your music from cell phone if you want, but I demand quality from my audio, not high end but reasonable good(like speakers in 1.5-2K€ range)

You need expensive speakers I agree but that doesn't apply to everything else mate.

 

[Sigmar Bomar]

There is a thing called common sense. You don't need to pay outrageously to get the closest thing to steerwheel feedback. And for godsake why should I be jeleous if in my job I get to drive practically any real world car? Seriously you guys need to step away from the computers now and then!!

Any real world car is not even close to racing cars would be my guess.

 

[Jeffers58]

There is a thing called common sense. You don't need to pay outrageously to get the closest thing to steerwheel feedback. And for godsake why should I be jeleous if in my job I get to drive practically any real world car? Seriously you guys need to step away from the computers now and then!!

'Need' and 'want' are two entirely different things, what I perceive as money well spent may not apply to you. DD won't be for everyone, heck it may not even be for you. However, it may be for other people. It's ok to have diverging opinions.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

Any real world car is not even close to racing cars would be my guess.

Well are lamborghini, aston martin, porche, jaguar, AMG, BMW M series, Bentley or McLaren good enough for racing?

 

[Sigmar Bomar]

So as I rental company driver you test those cars on tracks on the limit? Or drive around the city?
Tbh I don't care what you do but for me it sounds like bragging. If you'd be a factory test driver then it would be a different thing.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Well are lamborghini, aston martin, porche, jaguar, AMG, BMW M series, Bentley or McLaren good enough for racing?

Nobody is buying those cars to race let's be real now, a custom built race car is very different to a road car, just as racing slicks are very different to standard road tyres.

Anyway I'm out, your arguments are complete nonsense, my comment about jealousy was not stated as a fact, in fact it was posed as a question because I don't understand why you guys have bothered to come into this thread to tell those of us who are interested we are all stupid for even considering it and how much better you are than us for not being sucked into marketing lies as we are obviously too stupid to think for ourselves, sound about right?

 

[eric101]

View attachment 212080
At the 2017 Sim Racing Expo today I had the chance to check out the new Fanatec Direct Drive wheel... here are my first impressions.

Now before going any further I need to give out some caveats. My time with the wheel was limited and used with the so far unreleased Project CARS 2 software. I had over three and a half laps at Spa in PCARS 2, under race conditions at night. Not an ideal scenario to give a serious and informed opinion, but enough to at least give me an idea of what we can expect to find come release day.

Using the Porsche rim from the Fanatec ClubSport range, the wheel felt like a marked step up from my personal ClubSport V2 I use regularly at home. The initial weight of the wheel on first turn into a corner carried more force, as did the step up in resistance once additional forces were applied to the car under heavy cornering.

The build quality was the usual Fanatec standard, well put together, stylish in finish and I must say a rather neat and "cool" solution in comparison to some of the other Direct Drive products available in the marketplace today.

Having spoken with Endor CEO Thomas Jackermeier at length about the new range (interview video to follow later), he confirmed the Podium series of wheels will be compatible with earlier ClubSport rims as well as receiving a brand new range of rims, pedals and accessories further down the line. Additional confirmation was given that two different DD units will be produced, both containing the same housing but with different torque strengths.

No release date has been confirmed as yet, however early development units are under testing as we speak.

RaceDepartment have requested and have been approved for a long term test unit, of which we will put through its paces once it arrives and give you a full and detailed review in the coming months.

View attachment 212081 View attachment 212082 View attachment 212085

Stay tuned to RaceDepartment for more news and insight from the Sim Racing Expo over the next few days and follow us on social media at on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Steam and YouTube.

View attachment 212084 View attachment 212083

Looking forward to the Fanatec Direct Drive range of products? Can the company challenge the established DD manufacturers? Let us know in the comments section below!

everyone is just concerned with the look of the thing lol.. just stick with your logitechs ...anyway they already said it is a skin for the beta.

A little bit of information would have been nice...

it seems like the wheel lights and buttons on the wheel still work? is this correct?
they almost made it sound as if the wheels would mount but that the electronics would not connect.

did you see any of the software for adjusting settings? is it any more detailed?

need to see this connected to iRacing... why are they being so shady... as if anyone is going to buy this without knowing more...

 

[Nevini]

Fanatec pricing on the wheel = 2x to 2.5 the cost of CSW v2.5 + 500 + cost of a wheel rim. This is my conservative estimate. Which aint bad really. ;-)

 

[WOKOWEN1]

'Need' and 'want' are two entirely different things, what I perceive as money well spent may not apply to you. DD won't be for everyone, heck it may not even be for you. However, it may be for other people. It's ok to have diverging opinions.

All I say is that it's pointless to expect some significant improvments from these wheels simply because they are not present in real life car steering wheels

So as I rental company driver you test those cars on tracks on the limit? Or drive around the city?
Tbh I don't care what you do but for me it sounds like bragging. If you'd be a factory test driver then it would be a different thing.

Factory test drivers totally wreck their cars and they only drive their brand. I drive as fast as I can whenever I can wherever I can all different sorts of vehicles. So if you think I am bragging it's your problem. I am giving you facts while most of you guys just do talking.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

Nobody is buying those cars to race let's be real now, a custom built race car is very different to a road car, just as racing slicks are very different to standard road tyres.

Anyway I'm out, your arguments are complete nonsense, my comment about jealousy was not stated as a fact, in fact it was posed as a question because I don't understand why you guys have bothered to come into this thread to tell those of us who are interested we are all stupid for even considering it and how much better you are than us for not being sucked into marketing lies as we are obviously too stupid to think for ourselves, sound about right?

I just came here to tell you guys that it is much better to spend your money on a good motion seat than paying outrageous money for a fake ffb

 

[snyperal]

I just came here to tell you guys that it is much better to spend your money on a good motion seat than paying outrageous money for a fake ffb

Why is that? I think you're trolling.

When fanatec finally release this I'm sure it'll be another quality piece of equipment if the rest of their products is anything to go by.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

Why is that? I think you're trolling.

When fanatec finally release this I'm sure it'll be another quality piece of equipment if the rest of their products is anything to go by.

I am sure it will. But won't pay more than 600 bucks for a steering wheel even if it's carved with gold