Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Clubsport Edition
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: racing, wheel, gaming | Themes: Digital Entertainment
- 1. Introduction to Racing Wheels
- 2. Logitech G27
- 3. Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Clubsport Edition
3. Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Clubsport Edition
$350. PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 compatible
While Logitech is well known and respected for many product lines, Fanatec is the underdog in our tests. Fanatec’s two new racing wheels are so realistic, that after years of failed attempts, Porsche finally agreed to license its brand to the German company. With a name like Porsche backing your product, the stakes are high. We set out to determine if Fanatec is up to snuff.
The design of the S Wheel couldn’t be more different from Logitech’s G27—all of the buttons are directly on the wheel, the shifter is attached via metal bars, the wheel can be turned on and off, and it has an LED on the top to make immediate adjustments to the strength, turning radius, and more. In fact, the only real design similarity is the leather stitching on the wheel and the size, although the S wheel is three-quarters of an inch larger.
Fanatec’s racing wheel design is both a welcome change and one we still can’t get used to. First, unlike the G27, the S Wheel works with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, making it the most accessible wheel tested. Eight buttons, four on each side of the steering wheel, are large and easy to press, and even glow according to what console the wheel is plugged into. Those buttons aren’t as tactile as we’d like, but they are large and strong enough to push assuredly.
On the lower portion of the wheel is the D-pad and two additional buttons, which confused us. The D-pad is difficult to control and is barely suitable for navigating menus while racing on a console. The two buttons underneath are likewise difficult to press. The paddleshifters, on the other hand, are just as good as those on the G27, and are also made of stainless-steel and built to perfection.
Connecting either the 6+1 or sequential shifter to the wheel is a problem. To do so, we had to take the two included metal bars and place them inside the corresponding holes in the wheel and in the shifter. While past Fanatec wheels haven’t had this problem, we found the metal bars very difficult to place in firmly, then far too hard to remove from both the wheel and shifter. The plastic tops are still lodged in the shifter, and we can’t get them out.
The 6+1 shifter is also a far cry from Logitech’s design. As a simple plastic piece, it isn’t nearly as smooth or seamless as we’ve come to expect, and shifting gears should not require fighting the gearbox. In this case, it did. The sequential shifter was much easier to use because it simply clicked back into place after every gear change.
The pedal board is a completely plastic piece, including the pedals. Pressing them feels right, and they are better suited for shoeless drivers than the G27, but not by much. Likewise, the board is lighter than we’d like, though it does come with an attachable metal board, which adds plenty of weight to it. The pedals still felt a little cheap, but they performed decently.
Driving
Like the G27, the S Wheel offers an excellent driving experience. We found it easier to make quick adjustments, thanks to the LED screen, and for racing games, which require more button action. Navigating screens on gaming consoles was a nightmare in comparison. It took us some time to adjust to activating different buttons while racing, but once we were settled, each of the eight buttons were easily accessible.
The wheel itself performed well. The larger steering wheel and thicker leather made it easier to grip and gave the illusion of more power, though strength-wise it is very similar to the G27. The pedals are sensitive enough to use properly, though the clutch tends to stick and it simply doesn’t have the weight or feel we’d like. It just feels a little cheap. Shifting with the 6+1 shifter just didn’t work properly. Shifting gears works by itself, but the metal attachment from the wheel to the gearbox proved unstable, making it difficult to shift gears.
Drifting was only slightly better than it was with the G27, in part because of the thicker steering wheel. The S Wheel is faster than the G27, but not enough to make a difference where it counts. Its main advantage is the larger and thicker steering wheel.
Overall
The Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel is a great piece of hardware, though it’s marred by small nuisances. These include an uncomfortable and cheap 6+1 shifter, a cheap attachment method for the gearbox, and a poorly placed and designed D-pad for navigation. These faults are huge, and it was difficult to want to use the gearbox at all.
Yet the wheel itself performs flawlessly. It’s faster, stronger, more comfortable, and more accessible compared to the G27. Exchange the standard pedals for the Clubsport pedals and the price shoots through the roof, but so does the quality (more on this later). Some of the differences may be moot, but with its ability to work with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC (the latter two wirelessly), the Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel Clubsport Edition is a serious contender for your living room dashboard, even with its faults.
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Hmmmm should of also included a part for service and customer support. Good luck getting a Fanatec #1, and #2 good luck getting it serviced or supported when you have a problem with it, which you will.
My vote will always go to the Logitech G series wheels. The only shame is Microsoft won't support it on the 360. That would be a huge selling point for a lot of people.
I have the Logitech G25 and couldn't be happier.
Its an amazing wheel, as mentioned in the article 360 support would be a very nice update, right now I have it running on the PS3 in my basement and it works wonders.
I'd buy a 360 and the forza games if it was supported!
You guys got the labels and pics for the Logitech G27 and Fanatec GT3 RS mixed up.
yep definitely need support for the 360 and forza 3. then you could actually feel like you were driving each of those 400 vehicles...
Wow, I've always used a joystick in racing games. Should I try a wheel?
I'll tell you what James: You send me the racing wheel of your choice, and I'll send you a high-end motherboard of my choice, you name the socket
wheels are good for sim games but for arcade style games they are a joke. the problem is the amount of time it takes you to turn from full left turn to full right turn. if you race rc cars you know what i am talking about, we pay hundreds of dollars for the fastest servo and controller. i wish there was a compromise between the game controller and the wheel.
i have an old (win 95) controller that is just that. a hand held wheel just like a rc car controller it has force feedback but needs a game port and only works on win 95. i wish a new version of this was made. it was made by interact and is called the fx racing wheel.
Is the G27's manual shift as flimsy as the G25's? I have a G25 and all I can say about it is that they sould have made the shifter stronger with metal all over it. Also Tom's doesn't mention it but in GT5 Prologue, as in all games that I played, you can switch gears without using the clutch. Now thats also a huuuge blast on the feel of it, since using your not using some of your driving skills with the clutch...
I've heard people who ordered the Fanatec are still waiting, up to one year after paying for it. If that company can't create the manufacturing infrastructure to support volume orders, I believe they may go out of business.
Lots of excellent comments! A few responses:
Adamkob32: While Fanatec is based in Germany and does sell in many regions, US included, I would guess that yes, repairs and support would be more difficult through them through Logitech. But for the purposes of this article, we couldn't test that.
92Sileighty: Yes, the fixes have been submitted and will be updated shortly.
Crashman: We'll see!
Superhighperf: Agreed, though arcade racers aren't necessarily bad with a wheel as well. We played with mostly racing sims, which is to say games made with the wheel in mind. However, you can play games like GTAIV with a G25/27, and it can make the experience more fun. Just depends on the game.
Aerobernardo: The G27's gearbox is excellent, the best we tested here, and much better than the G25's. As for GT5 Prologue, its not that you can switch gears without a clutch, but the game doesn't support a clutch (to my knowledge). I've used the game for testing in the past, but its not the racing sim of choice because its not a full game, nor does it support everything I'd look for in a racing game.
NewJohnny: To my knowledge, Fanatec's wheels are put out in small amounts. They make 5,000 or 10,000 wheels of one kind, and another set for others, etc. Why, I couldn't say...might be part of the deal they have with Porsche for branding rights. I haven't heard any stories of people waiting for years though. I can only imagine that being some sort of perpetual order/shipping snafu.
What's your option of the 911 turbo wheel (without the S). Fanatec is pricing them at $200, which is tempting price point with shifter and paddles. Is it basically the the RS wheel with turbo S shifter and paddles. Also is possible to mount the fanatec shift on something without use the metal rods?)
Wonnaawheel, the 911 turbo wheel, which came out last year, is nearly identical in design and form to the S Wheel. The main difference is that the S Wheel works with the 360, and the pedals built for the Turbo are not as sensitive. My testing with that set had the gas pedal go at 0/100% power, with little room inbetween, though the pedals can be purchased separately and may have been updated along with the wheel itself.
As for mounting the shifter, you cannot. It only attaches via metal poles to the steering wheel, not to a surface. The only options you're given are which side they sit on the wheel, the left or right.
$300 for a racing wheel is outrageous.
Hate that the cheaper $50 versions don't turn the full 450 or 600 degrees. They turn less than 180.
Have not read the whole article yet... but I HAD to comment about this:
"Normal racing makes drivers slow down at turns, while drifting requires that drivers time their turns and maneuver their vehicles to slide through turns without losing speed"
ahem... that's because drifing cars are going so pathetically slow that they don't NEED to slow down.
Drifting is what you get when you think to yourself "how can I take a car that goes like stink and corners like it's on rails and make it slow?". You shave the tires so they don't have any traction, you adjust the suspension so the car's so loose it can hardly go in a straight line, and then you drive on pavement while pretending you're on dirt.
I've got the G25... It's a solid wheel and for some time has been the only real "High End" wheel on the market. The Fanatec seems like a solid design and for that extra investement you get XBox 360 compatability (something by all reports you'll never see for the G25/27). If I were buying today I'd consider the Fanatec... even though it's a LOT more money.
The other thing that I really like about the G25 is the paddle shifters... the stick IMO is too floppy but the paddels are nice aluminium parts, big with a nice positive click. It's hard to tell but it looks like the Fanatec either doesn't have them ore their buttons (buttons stink for paddle shifters).
Also (wish I could edit my posts)... one plus for the Fanatec is that it has an extra motor for vibration, ideally it should allow the wheel to convey more information to the driver about traction - though I'm not sure if it makes a difference in real life (some reviews think it does). I'd really like to try one to see, you guys get all the cool toys!
D_Kuhn, the gearbox is greatly improved in the G27, so much so that I rarely used the paddle shifters. Which, by the way, are improved over the G25's as well.
As for the motor, the G27 also has an extra motor for force feedback. It does make a difference, unless you drive in game like you do in real life.
One of these days, we'll fix that.
Well, I can't comment on the G-27 yet, for I don't have one, but I have a G-25 for almost two years now, and I must attest the G-25 is a solid and reliable wheel, for just about any kind of racing you prefer.
If you really like racing as much as I do, and you want to race online in various Sims Racing Series like Nascar Sim Racing, ARCA ReMax, R Factor, on different organizations that have the Nascar Cup, Nationwide,or lower series right down to Modifieds, or even Formula 1, and there are Hundreds of the organizations online that require a membership, you better have a good, decent wheel (NO JOYSTICKS). Most won't let you race or become a member if you don't have a wheel. Even the real life NASCAR drivers race in these online series, for practice or prior to their upcoming weekly event.
I'm considering one of the G-27's, but right now I couldn't be happier with my G-25. While racing online, I prefer the paddle shifters to the stick shifter, whether it be on a oval or road course, to where it lets me keep my hands on the wheel than worry about distracting me to shift, plus not worrying about a shifter when you have to downshift say from fourth gear to third gear and accidently throw it into first gear resulting into a blown transmission or blown motor.
And the cost of these units, the G-25, G-27, or others listed here in the forum are not that bad in price or outrageous on price as stated. There are others that manufacture wheels for true diehard online racers like me who like this, like the Thomas Super Wheel(www.thomas-superwheel.com) and ECCI (ECCI6000.com), and I'm seriously looking at a TSW right now. But get ready to spend some bucks if your serious and like this as I do.
Logitech makes a good wheel, so if you really want to see how good you are as well as the wheel, get online and race with about 30-40 others and that will tell you how good these wheels are.