Fanatec has just lifted the covers off the Fanatec CSL Elite Steering Wheel Porsche Vision GT, and we’ve got our hands on one for a full review.
As many of you know, the Vision GT project was originally conceived by Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi. It officially began in 2013 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Gran Turismo, and it invited automotive manufacturers to design concept cars specifically for Gran Turismo games.
Porsche unveiled its Vision GT concept in 2021, and from the beginning, it knew Fanatec wanted to turn the car’s steering wheel into a real product. That’s exactly what Fanatec did, and now we have a fully functioning replica available to purchase.
Launch prices are listed below, but costs are quite volatile at the moment due to global market conditions, so be sure to check any of the affiliate links below for the latest pricing.
- United States: $439.99 USD
- Europe: €349.95 EUR
- Australia: $539.90 AUD
- Japan: ¥56,000.00 JPY
Table of Contents
Specs and Features
The wheel is 310 mm in diameter and has an internal structure of cast aluminum. It features eight push buttons, including two that are actually integrated into the rim itself. It also has magnetic paddle shifters and is compatible with both Windows PC and PlayStation consoles when used with a PlayStation-licensed base.
This is the first Fanatec wheel to use “Tactaris”, the company’s new premium microfiber material. It’s a synthetic suede which is soft to the touch. It feels like Alcantara, though Fanatec claims it is more durable and sweat-resistant than its name-brand counterpart.
The wheel includes a QR2 Lite Wheel-Side connection, so it works out-of-the-box with any of the latest ClubSport DD, DD+, or Podium wheel bases. Most wheels with the QR2 Lite connector cap the torque output of connected bases to 8 Nm, but due to the light weight and strength of its aluminum frame, Fanatec claims this wheel has no torque limitations and can handle the full 25 Nm of force output by its top-of-the-line Podium wheel bases.
Everything that you see on the wheel is functional. Even the Porsche crest is a button used to activate the wheel’s Tuning Menu on the OLED screen.
The encoders on the bottom of the wheel rim work, too, and give a satisfying click of tactile feedback. The encoders on the spokes have the same premium feel, and the 7-way FunkySwitch provides directional buttons, rotates, and can be pushed in as a button itself.
When used with a PC, all of the buttons are fully programmable using Fanatec’s software. When used with a PlayStation console, things get a little bit trickier.
The spoke buttons on the left side, from top to bottom, act as Triangle, Square, and Share. On the right side, from top to bottom, we have Circle, Cross (X), and Options. Meanwhile the integrated buttons on the wheel rim function as L2 and R2, respectively. The FunkySwitch acts as the PlayStation button, and its directional controls and rotation allow you to navigate menus.
In Gran Turismo 7, this means the L2 and R2 buttons rather conveniently activate the turn signals. As for the encoders, the top left adjusts fuel mapping, top right adjusts brake balance, bottom left adjusts traction control, and the bottom right adjusts whatever feature is active on the screen at the time. By remapping GT7’s Multi-Function Display selection to the D-Pad, you can rotate the FunkySwitch to quickly scroll through all of the display’s options.
The two multi-position switches at the bottom are my personal favorites on the wheel, as a little window rotates with the switch to expose the 12 different positional input values. Unfortunately, however, these do not have any functionality in Gran Turismo 7 and can only be programmed for use on PC.
Thoughts and Impressions
My “daily driver” is the Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Extreme, which uses the 15 Nm ClubSport DD+ wheel base with the Gran Turismo wheel included in the bundle. See my full review of the Gran Turismo DD Extreme for more details, but in summary: the base was great, but the wheel was underwhelming.
Needless to say, I was excited to start using this Porsche Vision GT wheel, and it lived up to most of my expectations.
The Tactaris surface feels nice to the touch; I could not tell any difference between it and Alcantara. The slightly larger diameter of 310 mm pairs nicely with the 15 Nm wheelbase, and the aluminum structure gives it a significantly more solid and responsive feel compared to the fully plastic Gran Turismo wheel in the GT DD Extreme bundle.
The magnetic paddle shifters, the buttons, and the encoders all feel great to use, but there are no labels, so there is a learning curve when starting out. I do wish the FunkySwitch had more of a crisp feel with less travel. It’s not terrible, but it can get a little tedious when working through a menu-heavy game like GT7.
The tiny OLED screen works surprisingly well for changing force feedback settings. That’s really all the screen is useful for, though. In Gran Turismo 7 it displays your speed and gear shift selection, but given its position on the wheel I don’t think anyone is actually going to be looking at it.
If you do want to swap out wheels, fortunately the QR2 system is a breeze to use and works great. Just pause the game, pull the ring and the wheel off, push the new one on, and you’re good to go.
I can certainly understand why purists might want to swap out for a round wheel on certain cars, and I must admit it does feel a little strange using such a premium wheel when driving older or slower vehicles.
To be honest, though, I don’t see myself changing the wheel out too often. This is a very nice piece of equipment, and after steering through the first few corners I knew it was going to be the primary wheel on my driving rig. It’s not cheap, but if you’re looking for a downright luxurious upgrade to your driving rig, I think you’ll be pretty happy with it.
Thanks to Fanatec for sending the wheel over for review.
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