Anyone see this? CSL Direct Drive.

[Michael Krone]

Looks like that April Fools joke isnt so much a joke now? https://www.racedepartment.com/news/fanatec-reveal-new-csl-dd-wheelbase.34/

 

[RasmusP]

The QR looks improved.

Seems like Fanatec is contradicting themselves a bit there..
Your picture looks like taken from the video. However on their page, below the video, it looks exactly like the Clubsport QR:

The new standarDD: The CSL DD

https://youtu.be/zCT2728F-rY So when I made the post on April 1st, not many people thought that a product like the Podium DD 0.5 could be true but in fact, aside from the name and the picture, everything was true.

forum.fanatec.com

 

[Interslice]

I'm guessing this is a loss leader to entice people into their DD market and ec system. Even still I won't be touching it until someone who isn't a youtuber shill has put it through it paces.

For me getting rid of my g29, pedals and shifter for this is still a 1k plus investment to get back to replace them all. It will probably end up in an 3080 type inflation market anyway.

 

[AmazingReflex]

A Fanatec wheel costs £350 the same as the new CSL DD.

 

[Wilko Jones]

I'm guessing this is a loss leader to entice people into their DD market and ec system.

Fanatec is getting rid of all their belt driven wheel bases and they will sell nothing but direct drive wheel bases once the CSW's replacement is revealed. I am not so sure that Fanatec is taking a loss on the CSL DD, even if sold in the 5nm configuration.

 

[RasmusP]

A Fanatec wheel costs £350 the same as the new CSL DD.

Depends on the wheel, but sadly fanatec got rid of the 99€ rubber-grip rim and made it a 199€ Alcantara wrc wheel.
They also stopped the formula carbon/black wheel, which only cost 250€.

However the McLaren wheel is pretty great nowadays and only 229€ Afaik?

Anyway the 199€ wheel is not really below the thrustmaster rims so it's still "okay" and similar to a ts-pc.

 

[Jan Larsen]

The only thing needed now is a sub-100 euro wheel rim to go with it. That would keep it below 500 euros and well into TM's TS range.

 

[mechsicko]

Seems like Fanatec is contradicting themselves a bit there..
Your picture looks like taken from the video. However on their page, below the video, it looks exactly like the Clubsport QR:

The new standarDD: The CSL DD

https://youtu.be/zCT2728F-rY So when I made the post on April 1st, not many people thought that a product like the Podium DD 0.5 could be true but in fact, aside from the name and the picture, everything was true.

forum.fanatec.com

The shaft on the new DD motor is removable and replaceable with their new QR system whatever that may be.If you watch the reveal vid it shows the shaft coming off and that's what the big squared clamp collar at the shaft's base is for.

This way people can still use the og system but those that want to upgrade or just start on the new system can do so as well.

 

[blekenbleu]

The shaft on the new DD motor is removable and replaceable with their new QR system

 

[St3fan]

I don't have high hopes for cheap(er) rims from Fanatec. Their latest CSL hub is pretty much universally criticized for its flex and overall quality, and on the owners' group broken simplified QR (both old bolt secured one and the new hand tighten one) pictures are posted pretty much every day.

Also with a cheap DD base announced (and people will buy) I see no reason for Fanatec to have cheaper rims than what they are selling now, unless they wish to profit less.

 

[Wilko Jones]

I don't have high hopes for cheap(er) rims from Fanatec. Their latest CSL hub is pretty much universally criticized for its flex and overall quality, and on the owners' group broken simplified QR (both old bolt secured one and the new hand tighten one) pictures are posted pretty much every day.

Also with a cheap DD base announced (and people will buy) I see no reason for Fanatec to have cheaper rims than what they are selling now, unless they wish to profit less.

I was pretty close to ordering the CSL Hub. Glad that I didn't. The issue I have with it is the paddles. They are just too flimsy looking, and that doesn't give me a lot of confidence in it's quality. Fanatec should have used metal where it would make the most sense on that hub, mainly on the face plate where the threaded inserts are, and on the shifter paddles. On top of that the paddles should be removable... Possibly upgradeable.

Issues with the simplified quick release? Uh-oh.

 

[R Soul]

One of the questions often posed in DD discussions is why anyone would need a motor that can produce 20-30NM when most people turn it down to around, say, 10-12, or maybe lower. Answers usually include reasons like avoiding clipping, and that running the parts well below their limits keeps them going for much longer.

Would this 5-8NM motor be prone to clipping and reduced component durability?

edit: This may be something for reviewers to look in to.

 

[blekenbleu]

Would this 5-8NM motor be prone to clipping

That is the range of torque required to steer light road cars without power steering,
e.g. sports cars of mid 50s-60s. Consequently, additional feedback beyond steering torque would be clipped. Brief but abrupt feedbacks must overcome steering wheel rotational inertia; a 5-8Nm motor will be more responsive with light steering wheels of small diameter.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Sim-plicity had their lowest offering at 8Nm, anybody tried one to share how lacking the power is.
My personal opinion, with power like that the wheelbase is DD in name only. DINO.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

It depends what the difference in fidelity is between a good belt-driven wheel and a low-powered direct-drive wheel.

Personally, I would want a DD wheel for increased rotational speed and fine detail FFB, rather than arm-straining forces.

 

[BrightCandle]

There are some reviews of the Simplicity 7nm wheel from before, William Marsh did one (

).

GamerMuscle reviewed the simplicity SW20 3 years ago (

) but there haven't been many reviews of the simplicity offerings. Laurence did one recently (

) and wasn't very impressed.

They also do as a company some 13nm wheels which ought to hit that sweet spot and they are quite a bit cheaper than the VRS direct force and accuforce. But they have in practice never done very well due to being an opensimwheel but using custom software.

 

[blekenbleu]

anybody tried one to share how lacking the power is

@ao1977 considered SW8C+ an appreciable upgrade from Thrustmaster TX

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Personally, I would want a DD wheel for increased rotational speed and fine detail FFB, rather than arm-straining forces.

Achieving quick acceleration and on a dime direction change requires high torque which is a product of power.

 

[mechsicko]

Achieving quick acceleration and on a dime direction change requires high torque which is a product of power.

It's a torque vs rotational-mass thing. CSL DD is the same torque as CSW but is engineered for low rotational mass. It's not controversial to to say it's going to have the same holding torque as CSW while being capable of a more detailed and nuanced response, especially without belts further damping things.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

but is engineered for low rotational mass

Where does lower rotational mass in the larger motor come from, carbon fiber shaft?

 

[mechsicko]

Where does lower rotational mass in the larger motor come from, carbon fiber shaft?

I'm sure that contributes but in the base the only other thing that even has rotating mass are the elements actively driving it. Compare that to CSW which has 2 pulleys + belts and a large shaft/bearings which are dead weight/inertia for the motor to overcome on every acceleration it applies.