Since 2021, Fanatec has made a habit of releasing new models on a regular basis, each time blurring the boundary between simracing and real racing. Today, we’re going to take a look at the model that changed the game. The steering wheel that showed the world that the German company had its act together. The Fanatec Bentley Continental GT3!
But what is the Fanatec Bentley GT3 Steering Wheel?
Well, it’s a steering wheel resulting from a collaboration between Fanatec and Bentley to equip the Bentley Continental GT3. So we’re not talking about a copy, or a licensed simulation wheel, but a real racing wheel! But this wheel can also be plugged directly into a Fanatec base and driven on your favorite simulations.
This is the wheel that Rhys Millen, the legendary Pikes Peak racer, held in his hands on June 27, 2021.
What strikes the eye as soon as you lay eyes on this wheel is the huge LED display(over 8.5cm in diameter!!) right in the middle of the steering wheel. This is where you’ll find all the telemetric information and settings. The screen is “set” in a forged carbon bezel. The steering wheel structure is in magnesium alloy, and the faceplate in 5mm-thick carbon fiber. On the installation side, Fanatec’s Quick Release QR2 system is used.
Despite these materials, the wheel is far from light, weighing in at 1.8Kg. If you want to get the most out of it, you’ll need a sufficiently powerful Direct Drive chainstay. A little bonus: the wheel comes in a hard case for transport on the track… or in your living room 🙂
A detail that makes all the difference
To make things even more special, Fanatec has gone the extra mile to give drivers a definitive visual slap in the face. The LED display swivels as you turn the wheel, so you’re always presented with horizontal information. And if you’re more the biblos type, you can also leave your wheel on a shelf, plug it in via USB and the display will show you the time… Bentley style, of course!
This is the most advanced wheel we’ve ever created. It will be used in a stunning car that is the very definition of the word “cool”. We’ve had the honor of designing an iconic wheel for an iconic vehicle that will compete on the legendary Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. And our customers will be able to be part of the adventure by driving on the same wheel in a simulator.
Thomas Jackermeier, CEO of Fanatec/Endor
Unanswered questions about the Fanatec Bentley Continental GT3
We still have no idea what price the wheel will be offered at. Nor when it will be available to the general public. But the German brand has been hard at work ever since!
Fanatec has been “breaking the game” ever since the Fanatec Bentley Continental GT3. The CSL DD allows players of all levels and budgets to discover the joys of Direct Drive. The Fanatec BMW M4 GT3, a steering wheel you can use on your simulator as well as on the real race car. And most recently, a HUB created in partnership with M-Sport for the Ford Puma of the 2022 WRC championship.
