Comments on: Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo Wheel Review

By: timwheatley

timwheatley — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:15:20 +0000

Sim Racing Tonight have now reviewed this wheel. They had pretty much the same thoughts as me here. I have now tried the G25 extensively at work and still prefer the 911…

By: Gaiajohan

Gaiajohan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:42:12 +0000

And yes, I agree the wireless feature is kinda useless on a pc, but good on PS2/PS3 :).

By: Gaiajohan

Gaiajohan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:41:29 +0000

Imho wheel and shifter are better on the Porsche wheel.
The standard pedals suck quite a bit, except the feeling in the clutch which I really like.

But there are new pedals coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aowDlOWF1yE

By: timwheatley

timwheatley — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:07:42 +0000

Raikku – I totally agree. For the PC, wireless connectivity isn’t a feature. :)

By: Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:40:10 +0000

I have tried this wheel, and the pedals suck. Cheap plastic compared to the billet metal of the G25. Plus the angle at which the pedals are set are very, very uncomfortable compared to recent Logitech wheels. There’s way too much plastic in this wheel, too, for a unit that costs $300. The G25 has way more metal, which feels more sturdy. Even the DFP feels more solid than this wheel. It’s a decent wheel, but it’s WAY overpriced. There’s a reason why Logitech products dominate the PC sim racing market — quality at a fair price.

By: Raikku

Raikku — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:48:11 +0000

I think that wireless concept is nonsense, you don’t need that option in PC-equipment. I would never buy ie. wireless mouse.

Another thing is i’ve already heard that many ppl’s 911 has already broken, so it’s not anyhow more durable than other wheels.

By: oqvist

oqvist — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:06:21 +0000

That is not what I have read. The overall consensus seem to be that the wheel and shifter is better but not the pedals :) Of course opinions differs as always though I sold my G25 for this.

though of course if you don´t need the plug and play I am 100 % certain the Frex FFB wheel is a class on it´s own. ECCI as well if you don´t need force feedback of course but they cost more then the G25 and the 911 too ;)

You are always impressed if you try something that is so much better then what you used before. I for example was very happy with the G25 until I tried this wheel. But the design differs quite a bit. I want my controls to feel real that is the main reason I preferr the 911 wheel over the G25 which felt very toyish after using the 911 wheel.

But as mentioned different schools :).

By: Raikku

Raikku — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:46:23 +0000

Most reviews have said that this isn’t anyhow better than G25.
And that pedals are not as good as in G25.

So, i don’t see any reason to buy this, if want more expensive wheel, then buy Frex/ECCI or similar.

By: timwheatley

timwheatley — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:17:54 +0000

Like I said above, I have tried the G25. You say I am comparing apples to tomatoes – No, actually, I’m not. I am specifically not doing that and am very clear not to do that. :) If you want a comparison from my limited experience with the G25, I feel it looks like a toy steering wheel while the 911 wheel does not. Both wheels ‘felt’ very similar. :)

By: Bram

Bram — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:24:36 +0000

Interesting and well-written review. However I must agree on some others that it doesn’t mean much until compared to the G25 to be honest, as that wheel is the current standard in mass-market steeringwheels.

By: morning_wood

morning_wood — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:07:59 +0000

how can you review something you have no comparision or famaliarity with? Im sure any modern FFB would feel prety “amazing” to you, even a simple Momo would feel “amazing” if you had revioewe it first, or again, any other modern piece. I was a beta tester for this wheel and IMHO it was lackluster at best and a 100% wireless solution is not the way to go with varying hardware and cockpit setups out there. I felt the wheel was jerky and less precise as other quality units I have used ( for more than 3 minutes ). I’m just wondering how to compare apples to tomatoe here and give a qualitive and informed review?

my 2 bits

By: morning_wood

morning_wood — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:01:35 +0000

“I had to adapt to use the clutch… I’ve never had a three pedal set before and have hardly ever driven on normal roads… Lastly, I haven’t used any force feedback since about 2000″

o’rly?

By: morning_wood

morning_wood — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:00:30 +0000

“Both wheels I have owned recently hit a physical stopper at around 90° each side and totaled out at 180°. ”

so you never had a G25 or even a quality FFB piece before reviewing this?

By: timwheatley

timwheatley — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:54:58 +0000

It’s hard to do that when you’ve seen G25′s and only used them for about 3mins total. :)

By: JacobSharp

JacobSharp — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:54:41 +0000

Good review…but I am surprise your review did not includes comparison to the enerable Logitech G25 :cry:

By: Gaiajohan

Gaiajohan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:49:07 +0000

Note: Fanatec say that they are about to release a driver update that brings information from the game or sim out to the LED display.

That’s not a driver update. Just a plug-in for rfactor. ;) And it works great. Got it installed, and it’s just marvellous to see immediately what gear you’re in without using the hud at all :). Just use the car’s dash for the fuel etc.. And it’s so good and easy :)

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:26:35 +0000

Good review! Looks like a nice wheel but the price is a bit much. I will stick with the G25 for less money.