Following the acquisition of Fanatec by Corsair, the German manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals is doing extremely well on the world market. Its products are available, and the brand has even released new equipment, including steering wheels and a replacement for its legendary Handbrake V1.5, the Clubsport Handbrake V2.

However, several brands have taken advantage of Fanatec’s absence, or at least the lack of new products in its catalog, to gain market share, most notably Moza Racing. In the space of a few years, mainly fuelled by the fact that the majority of the world’s population found itself cloistered within 4 walls due to a pandemic, Moza gained ground over Fanatec.

But that’s about to change, as the German sim-racing giant is determined to regain its leadership position. And to achieve this, Fanatec has just released the Vision GT, a steering wheel developed in collaboration with Porsche for the Gran Turismo concept car of the same name. In what follows, we take a closer look at this steering wheel.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• Porsche-licensed steering wheel from the Vision concept car on Gran Turismo
• Aluminum frame
• Tactaris edging, a top-of-the-range microfiber that’s soft to the touch and pleasant to hold
• 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

Porshe Vision GT design

The design of the Vision GT is very prototypical. The shape is rectangular, with a diameter of 31 cm. The top of the steering wheel is flat, as is the bottom, with spokes rising towards the center of the wheel.

The headband is made of soft-touch Tactaris, with black stitching that looks great. The top of the steering wheel features a red metal band and two small buttons close to your fingers.

At the rear of the steering wheel, two aluminum paddles, also black, are positioned very close to your hands. Unfortunately, they are not adjustable, which is to be expected given that the Vision GT is part of the CSL range. Overall, this is a handsome steering wheel, adopting black as its main aesthetic element.

Customized assembly

Since the Vision GT is part of the CSL range, this steering wheel uses the QR2 Lite for mounting on Fanatec bases. Even though its construction is entirely in plastic, this new Quick Release is perfectly suited to 5 and 8 nm CSL DDs, overcoming even the shortcomings of the old QR, namely the play in the center, and also the bending that could lead to disconnections in mid-stroke.

To assemble, simply pull on the QR2’s ring (which is large, by the way), align the flywheel with the base, taking care not to damage the wheel-side connection pins, insert into the mechanism and release the ring. You also have the option of going straight ahead with the installation, without going through the step of pulling on the ring.

Wheel manufacture and finishing

Fanatec claims that the Vision GT uses an all-aluminium structure. At first glance, this isn’t so noticeable, since the steering wheel is encapsulated in plastic covers.

In terms of build quality, it’s generally well-made. The various parts that make up this steering wheel fit together well, with the exception of a few covers, mainly those on the upper part, which protrude one iota, which can be annoying on long sim-racing sessions, and we’ll come back to this in the next section.

As for the rest, I didn’t notice any glaring defects on this steering wheel. All in all, it’s still a Fanatec product, and the brand strives to meet its quality standards.

Handling the steering wheel

Let’s get to grips with the wheel. The diameter of the Vision GT is 31 cm, making it a fairly versatile wheel that’s easy to get to grips with. However, its shape means you should only use it for GT or endurance racing.

The Tactaris covering the headband is of good quality and soft to the touch. It’s not thick enough to keep the price down, but it’s comfortable in the hand. And as it is very perspiration-resistant, you can use it without gloves, even over long sessions.

If there’s one small point to note in terms of comfort, it’s the driving position. It’s naturally good, but your thumbs end up on the upper part of the faceplate, where a plastic cover is present, and the two pieces (cover and structure) aren’t exactly flush. It’s not restrictive, strictly speaking, but it’s not comfortable either. I advise you to wear gloves to mitigate this.

For the rest, the controls are well distributed across the steering wheel, be they paddles, knobs or buttons.

Sensations during play

Let’s move on to the sensations provided by this steering wheel from Fanatec and Porsche.

The aluminum structure gives the Vision GT a very high level of solidity. This steering wheel won’t wobble when cornering, even with a base that develops over 5nm of torque. That said, I wouldn’t go so far as to use it with a ClubSport DD+ , for example, as the QR2 Lite will quickly show its limits.

From the point of view of using the controls while racing, I’ve noticed that with gloves on, it’s quite easy to press 2 center buttons at the same time. For example, if you want to use the top button, chances are you’ll accidentally press the middle one with gloves on. With bare hands, this almost never happens, unless your thumbs are large. I’ve solved this problem by not mapping the middle button.

Aside from this minor drawback, the Vision GT remains good overall. The rear paddles are magnetic and ultra-responsive, making it easy to shift gears quickly and consecutively. What’s more, their “click” is quite audible, which I have to admit is quite satisfying.

Vision GT compatibility

The Vision GT product sheet claims PC and Playstation compatibility, provided you have the right base for Sony consoles. I’d have liked Xbox compatibility, but the steering wheel is taken from Porsche’s Gran Turismo concept car, and it wouldn’t look very good to make this wheel usable on Microsoft consoles.

As far as the Fanatec ecosystem is concerned, the Vision GT can be used with everything in the German brand’s catalog, without the slightest problem.

Value for money

On this point, I must say I was slightly surprised. Being part of the CSL range, I was expecting a retail price of less than €300. Well, no, the Vision GT sells for €350 on the Fanatec store.

On the one hand, the price is a bit high, but on the other hand, you’ve got aluminum, well-made tactaris and, above all, the Porsche logo in the middle of the steering wheel, which also acts as a button for accessing the base console settings. So…

My verdict on the Porshe Vision GT steering wheel from Fanatec

Once I’d had my hands on it, and especially after my own tests, it turns out that I really enjoyed my time with the Vision GT. It’s not Fanatec’s best steering wheel, that’s for sure, but neither is it one of the ultra cheap ones you’ll find in the brand’s catalog, like the plastic ones for example.

I think the Vision GT is a great steering wheel for fans of Porsche, concept cars and especially GT racing. Oh yes, given its shape, you won’t use it anywhere else, that’s for sure. Except maybe in endurance racing.

If you’ve got a GT setup and want to add a nice little steering wheel to your collection, the Vision GT is a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. Just make sure you wear gloves.