CSL Elite Pedals V2

Our rating : 9.8/10

Fanatec is a major player in the sim-racing industry, and has been for over 20 years. The German manufacturer has conquered the world with its high-performance, realistic and racer-oriented products, notably with its bases CSL DD 5 and 8 nm torque. Few people know how to do this like Fanatec, and the German company is always trying to stay one step ahead of the competition, even if it doesn’t always work for them.

It’s easy to get lost in the Fanatec product catalog. Fanatec since the manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals has so many. Bases, steering wheels, pedals, shifters, handbrakes, you name it. It’s both a paradise for experienced racers and a dense forest for sim-racing beginners.

To maintain its place among the market leaders, Fanatec needs to offer products that are high-performance, realistic, innovative and up-to-date. It’s clear that few people want to run around all the time with products that are outdated and, above all, technologically outdated. But Fanatec has not said its last word, and has recently brought us the CSL Elite Pedals V2a brand new pedalboard in Load Cell crankset that promises to delight every rider on a budget.

Main features and technical specifications of the crankset

• Brake pedal in Load Cell with up to 90 kg force
• Aluminum frame
• Compatible with consoles and PCs
• Magnetic sensors Hall on gas pedal and clutch
• Fully assembled crankset
• 2-stage load cell with spring and elastomer

Design

Let’s start with the design. This time, Fanatec started from scratch for the CSL Elite V2We’ve taken a new approach to the design of our cranksets and the choice of materials. Gone is the steel, gone is the aluminum, and gone too is the two-tone color. Now, the crankset is entirely powder-black, giving it a magnificent design.

Everything is black, from the backing plate, to the pedals, to the Load Cell (with a little blue accent), absolutely everything, and I love it. This pedalboard will go perfectly with any sim-racing setup, whether you have a cockpit or not.

Customized assembly

For mounting, there are screw attachment points on the underside of the pedalboard, enabling it to be used on a cockpit without the slightest problem. Since Fanatec is a well-known brand in the game of sim-racing peripherals, it goes without saying that most chassis take its products into account.

As for the pedalboard itself, it’s already assembled in the box, so you don’t have to do it yourself. This saves time, especially for those who are not very comfortable with sim-racing peripheral assembly operations.

Another positive point, or rather a mixed one, is that the CSL Elite Pedals V2 allows you to adjust the pedals to suit your riding preferences. You won’t get a ton of adjustment, but it’s better than none at all. In fact, it’s the only flaw I could find with the pedals.

Manufacturing and finishing

Fanatec has changed course with the choice of materials for the CSL Elite Pedals V2 We’ve switched from steel to aluminum, which offers much greater design flexibility and is lighter in weight. On the scales, this new crankset weighs just 4.5 kg.

In terms of construction, it’s very solid, even with aluminum, which is notoriously not a very strong metal. The German manufacturer’s experience has played an important role in the construction of the CSL Elite Pedals V2especially inspired by its big brothers.

The finish is top-notch, with a powder-coated black paint job that looks great. Having inspected it thoroughly, I couldn’t find any manufacturing defects, burrs or anything else. Quite simply, it’s a very well-built, solid device that will last a long time, even if you abuse it during your sim-racing sessions.

Getting to know the pedals

The pedalboard’s grip is excellent, partly due to its rather light weight (4.5 kg). However, this doesn’t mean that the pedalboard will slide across your parquet or living-room floor. Fanatec has rubber pads in several places to allow the CSL Elite Pedals V2 to stay in place when on slippery surfaces, and it works pretty well.

The gas pedal and clutch pedals are equipped with Hall magnetic sensors, which enable a more precise and, above all, more reliable reading of pedal travel, which was not the case with the potentiometers on the pedal unit it replaces.

For the brake pedal, you have a Load Cell 2-stage: the first stroke is provided by a spring, which is rather soft, while the second is provided by an elastomer that can provide up to 90 kg of force. What’s more, you can swap it easily and without tools with those supplied in the box to fine-tune the braking as you see fit, and there are 3 different ones in all.

Sensations during play

Let’s get down to business: what is the CSL Elite Pedals V2 worth in play? Well, to put it simply, it’s very good! Not on the same level as its big brother ClubSport Pedals V3but it’s still much better than its predecessor.

The gas pedal and clutch pedals are more or less identical to the old pedals, with the only difference being in reliability, since they now have magnetic sensors. Hall. Otherwise, the pedal is rather light, without feeling like an On/Off button. The travel is good, and the pedal position readout, and therefore the acceleration percentage, is very precise.

As far as braking is concerned, I didn’t feel any dead zones on the pedal at all. As soon as you press it just a little, the car brakes directly, without hesitation or waiting time. What’s more, the 2-stage Load Cell is very well implemented on this crankset, with the spring taking care of the first braking phase and the elastomer doing the rest. As you depress the brake pedal, it becomes harder and harder, giving you excellent braking sensations and a superb foot feel. You also have the option of swapping the elastomer for harder ones to suit your preferences, and there are 3 in all. I was able to try out 2 of them (the 65 and the 75), and it’s really quite realistic in terms of feel and hardness.

Compatibility

The CSL Elite Pedals V2 is compatible with all FanatecThe same goes for all platforms (PC, Xbox and Playstation). In this respect, the German manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals is as spoiled as ever.

As far as compatibility with chassis and cockpits is concerned, you shouldn’t have any problems, as Fanatec is a very popular brand in the sim-racing world. However, the screws for attaching the pedalboard to the cockpit are not supplied in the box, because according to Fanatec, each chassis is different in terms of the thickness of the pedalboard base.

Value for money

So the CSL Elite Pedals V2 is priced at almost €300, exactly €100 less than the ClubSport Pedals V3This gives it excellent value for money. Admittedly, the ClubSport V3 is of much higher quality, better finished and more premium, and will also offer you better sensations, but the CSL Elite Pedals V2 does very well in its range and is sure to please many riders.

My verdict

For me, the CSL Elite Pedals V2 is an excellent pedalboard at an affordable price that’s sure to find takers among sim-racing fans looking for a high-performance, versatile Load Cell peripheral.

Switching from potentiometers to Hall sensors is very beneficial for the reliability of the CSL Elite Pedals V2It has to be said that its predecessor didn’t excel in this area. With dust and dirt accumulating in the sensors, it was not only necessary to protect the crankset by covering it after each use, but also to clean it on a fairly regular basis.

The CSL Elite Pedals V2 has a bright future ahead of it, and I highly recommend it to all riders looking for a high-performance, reliable device that’s not too expensive either.