The sim-racing peripherals range Fanatec range of sim-racing peripherals is very comprehensive today, with equipment for novice, amateur and professional racers. You’ll find steering wheels, DD bases, pedals, shifters and handbrakes, racing accessories and cockpits. If you’re looking to set up a sim-racing setup, Fanatec has strengthened its position as Go-To.

Speaking of steering wheels, not only are there plenty of them in the Fanatec catalog, but they cover all motorsport disciplines. If you’re looking to buy a GT steering wheel, you’ll find several at Fanatec, and that goes for touring, Formula and rally. Few brands offer such a comprehensive catalog as Fanatec, and on the other hand, that’s understandable, as the manufacturer has been in the industry for over 20 years.

Some of the wheels offered by the German brand are the result of collaborations with big names in motorsport. BMW, McLaren and Porsche have all worked with Fanatec to produce official replica wheels, and Bentley recently did the same. The English luxury brand has a Continental GT3 Pikes Peak in its car catalog. And for its latest variant, Bentley has collaborated with Fanatec to offer us sim-racers and its professional drivers a magnificent GT-type wheel.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Magnesium alloy structure and carbon fiber faceplate
• 31 cm diameter with rectangular shape
• 3.4″ circular center screen with 800X800 pixel resolution and forged carbon-fiber edges. An integrated gyroscope system keeps the screen level.
• QR2 Pro on back of steering wheel
• 16 backlit controls and 6 rear-mounted paddles
• RevLED on top of front panel
• Weight 1.9 kg
• Availability of a stand to display the steering wheel
• Availability of a Pikes Peak-specific handle for the bottom of the steering wheel

Bentley GT3 design

Fanatec’s Bentley GT3 is a very racing steering wheel, with a design that reflects that. The carbon fiber faceplate with green accents is gorgeous. It’s not forged carbon fiber, but the material can be found around the center screen.

Speaking of the screen, it’s completely round and takes up a large part of the steering wheel. All around are black controls, with stickers in different colors. The lower arms of the steering wheel feature two logos: Fanatec on the left, and Bentley on the right.

All in all, even if this steering wheel is flashy, it’s still minimalist in terms of design, which gives it a big advantage, I must say.

Customized assembly

When it comes to mounting the Bentley GT3 on a DD base, there’s only one option: Fanatec’s QR2 Pro. The choice of Quick Release was made for two reasons: firstly, it’s part of the Podium range, so it needed the best Fanatec has to offer. And secondly, real Bentley GT3 Pikes Peak cars use this steering wheel, and the QR2 Pro is machined from a solid block of aluminum. When it comes to solidity, it’s top quality.

Fanatec has revised the QR2 mounting mechanism, and this time the operation is less risky for the pins on the base side. Simply pull on the gold ring, align the QR2 with the DD base, insert the components and release the ring. It’s less risky for the simple reason that the QR2 Base Side is now more rectangular in shape, rather than circular as on the QR1. Basically, insertion is only possible in one direction.

Manufacturing and finishing

Since this wheel is destined for use on racing cars, Fanatec had to build its manufacturing game. The Bentley GT3 is based on a magnesium alloy structure and a 5 mm carbon fiber faceplate.

The result: it’s beautiful, very well made and, above all, very premium. What’s more, Fanatec has used top-quality Alcantara on the grips, making the steering wheel premium in every respect.

Handling the steering wheel

The wheel is rectangular in shape, with a diameter of 31 cm. The central screen is color and touch-sensitive, with a processor to manage the display, ensuring it’s always level. Around the wheel are 4 buttons to change display modes, and you can also set this up via Fanalab on PC.

Other controls on the Bentley GT3 include 6 rear paddles, 4 of which are magnetic and adjustable, a RevLed, 10 buttons, 2 Funky Switches and 2 rotary switches on the central spokes of the steering wheel.

The ergonomics of the Bentley GT3 are excellent, with all buttons and other controls close to your hands. What’s more, the Alcantara provides a very good level of racing grip, without the need for gloves. The grip of Fanatec’s Bentley GT3 is superb for sim-racing.

Sensations during play

As regards the in-game feel of the Fanatec Bentley GT3, I’d like to point out that I did my racing sessions on a ClubSport DD+ connected to a PC. In terms of feel, the wheel is very light in your hands, despite weighing in at around 2 kilos on the scales. The controls proved ultra-intuitive to use during racing, and after a few minutes I was pressing them without taking my eyes off the track.

As for the screen, it’s a little small for my taste, as I’m used to slabs larger than 4″, and this one is around 3.4″. Nevertheless, it’s easy to read the information displayed, and its gyroscope functionality means it’s always level when you turn the wheel. It’s really handy, and a nice change from other displays that don’t have this feature.

As far as data display is concerned, you have default interfaces to highlight lap time, gear engaged, your position, the lap in question, and so on. You can swap between interfaces, and also configure them via Fanalab. In this respect, it’s fine, but nothing more. Frankly, I’d have liked SimHub compatibility, but we’re making do with what we’ve got.

Another cool point to mention is the fact that Fanatec offers a Pikes Peak “mod”, where you have a kind of handle to attach to the bottom of the wheel, transforming it into an upward-opening one. This is handy for those who use this wheel for touring or rallying, for example.

GT3 steering wheel compatibility

The Bentley GT3 is compatible with all Fanatec Direct Drive bases equipped with the QR2 Base Side. In terms of platforms, we have the PC and the Playstation 4 and 5. Obviously, you’ll need a Playstation-compatible base to use this steering wheel. On the other hand, you may not have access to all its functions. Consoles are much more closed than PCs, and I think that’s a real shame, because they’re much more accessible in terms of price.

Value for money

Speaking of price, the Bentley GT3 retails at €1999.95, making it Fanatec’s most expensive steering wheel in memory. So, yes, the build quality is excellent, the materials are premium, but Fanatec isn’t going to be selling them by the bucketload, you know. It’s a very niche product, like the BMW M4 GT3 which will only be adopted by a small number of virtual racers.

My verdict on Fanatec’s Bentley GT3 steering wheel

Fanatec has struck again with the Bentley GT3. The partnership with the British luxury brand is clearly intended to show the world that Fanatec is still one of the leaders in its market.

This steering wheel is just about perfect as far as I’m concerned. The design is breathtaking, the features, especially the screen, are great for racing, and the ergonomics are excellent. Apart from its astronomical price (it costs as much as a complete Fanatec setup, and a competitive one at that) and its magnesium alloy structure, this steering wheel is ideal for racing fans.

Personally, I’d have preferred a full carbon-fiber forged structure, as on the BMW GT3, to make the pill go down more smoothly. But anyway, this steering wheel is aimed at a very specific audience of sim-racers.