Fanatec Porshe Vision GT

Our rating : 9.2/10

This is the era of renewal for Fanatec, fueled mainly by its takeover by Corsair. With new DD bases for the ClubSport range, a new cockpit and new steering wheels, Fanatec is once again superbly positioned in the sim-racing segment.

Among the additions to its catalog is the CSL Elite Porsche Vision GT, a wheel taken directly from Porsche’s Gran Turismo concept car. In what follows, we’ll put this wheel on our setup and tell you what it offers in return.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Porsche-licensed steering wheel from the Vision concept car on Gran Turismo
• Aluminum frame
• Surroundings in Tactaris
• 2 aluminum and magnetic pallets
• A total of 16 controls on the faceplate, including the steering wheel control behind the central Porsche logo
• QR2 Lite rear-mounted
• Diameter 31 cm with weight 2.1 kg
• PC and Playstation compatible
• Compatible with the entire Fanatec ecosystem

What is Tactaris?

Tactaris is a top-of-the-range microfiber developed by Fanatec, offering a soft feel, good breathability and excellent resistance to wear and perspiration. More durable than Alcantara, it’s ideal for long sim racing sessions, with or without gloves.

Design

The Vision GT’s design is very futuristic, with a rectangular shape and tactaris all over the steering wheel. In the center is the Porsche logo on the hub cap or AirBag, with controls distributed around it.

Visually, it’s beautiful, sporting a black dress over the entire steering wheel, dotted with red accents on 6 buttons and the band on the top of the wheel. At the rear, the 2 magnetic paddles are also in black, which I think accentuates the steering wheel’s discreet appearance. There’s also black stitching on the tactaris, to keep with the same theme. It’s more or less the Batmobile steering wheel, and personally, I love it.

Customized assembly

The Vision GT is based on the QR2 Lite, since it’s part of the CSL range. It’s an Elite, yes, but CSL nonetheless, and this range is budget-friendly, so it’s not too expensive.

To mount the wheel to a base, simply pull on the ring that surrounds the QR2, align the two devices while paying attention to the connection pins, insert the wheel in place and release the ring. You can also do this without pulling on the ring if you like, and I don’t think it will have a significant impact on the wear of the mechanism.

Manufacturing and finishing

Even though it’s not really apparent when you take the Vision GT in your hands, the steering wheel structure, or frame, is made entirely of aluminum. Apart from a few elements around the side controls, the metal is invisible, well hidden behind plastic.

Honestly, I was expecting plastic, as the Vision GT is a CSL after all. As for the finish, it’s pretty well put together in terms of the various parts making up this steering wheel. I didn’t notice any gaps, crooked elements or buttons that didn’t click properly, except for a plastic cover on the top of the faceplate that protrudes slightly beyond the aluminum structure, and can potentially cause discomfort on long sim-racing sessions.

As for build quality, well, it’s still plastic. The positive point here is the tactaris. It’s soft to the touch, well finished and very aesthetic with the black stitching. But its thickness is reduced, which can pose a slight problem, as we’ll see in the next point.

Handling the steering wheel

The Vision GT is easy to handle from an ergonomic point of view. The controls fall easily under your fingers when racing, and they’re judiciously distributed. At the same time, this is Porsche, and we’ve come to expect good, race-typical ergonomics.

The 31 cm diameter provides a good grip on the track for a GT-type steering wheel. The small OLED display under the right-hand arm of the steering wheel displays some telemetry data, but is mainly used for the base settings menus, which are accessed via an invisible button behind the Porsche logo (it’s like a car horn).

Let’s move on to the tactaris. It’s really soft, which I think is great, especially if you’re riding without gloves. The texture is pleasant in the hand, with just the right amount of grip to keep control even over long sessions. Honestly, I found the comfort very good, and the material holds well in the hand without slipping, even when you start to sweat a bit. And since it’s more resistant than Alcantara, that’s a real plus in terms of durability.

Sensations during play

It’s time to get to grips with the Vision GT’s in-game sensations. The driving position is naturally 9:15, with your thumbs resting on the upper part of the faceplate. But since there’s a plastic cover that protrudes just a little beyond the frame, your thumbs feel a little uncomfortable when you’re driving for long periods, even with gloves on.

Apart from this little problem, I also noticed that the 3 vertical buttons near the thumbs on each side are a hair too close together. Without gloves, there’s virtually no chance of pressing two buttons at the same time. With gloves, it can happen, especially if the gloves are large. It’s not restrictive in absolute terms, and you can simply map two out of three without losing control. On top of that, you’ve got the two thumbwheels next to these buttons, which aren’t super-precise when you’re wearing gloves either.

As for the rest, the story is pretty good. The shape of the steering wheel offers very good grip in the hands, especially with a wheel thickness that’s generous I must say. The paddles at the rear click hard, and you feel like you’re in a real racing car. What’s more, the mechanism is smooth, encouraging rapid gear changes.

Compatibility

The Vision GT is compatible with PCs and Playstations, provided you have a Fanatec base that supports the Sony platform. As for the German brand’s ecosystem, the entire catalog will accept this steering wheel without plugging it in. All you need is a DD base with the QR2 Base Side for use with the Vision GT.

As far as the titles are concerned, I carried out my tests on AC and ACC, and had no problems with them. Button mapping is easy to do via the video game interface, and if you’re on PS5, you’ve got the invisible steering wheel/base menu button that’s the Porsche emblem. Honestly, it’s well thought-out, very discreet and, above all, clever of Fanatec to exploit an empty space.

Value for money

Even though the Vision GT is part of the CSL Elite range and uses a lot of plastic for my taste, it retails for €350. So yes, that’s close to the price of ClubSport wheels, but at the same time, the Vision GT is a Porsche wheel, and that badge comes at a price.

My verdict

For fans of GT racing, the Vision GT is a real possibility as a steering wheel. The build quality is good in absolute terms, apart from a plastic element that protrudes slightly beyond the steering wheel frame and can cause discomfort when the thumbs are pressed too hard against it. Wheel ergonomics are also quite good when driving with gloves, though superb without, especially when it comes to certain controls. And the asking price is, admittedly, pulled slightly upwards, but it’s still a CSL Elite, so just below the ClubSport range.

Do I recommend this wheel? Well, yes, if you do a lot of GT racing and are looking for a well-designed, well-thought-out wheel with a good feel in the hand.