Fanatec CSL DD – Q&A Hosted by Thomas Jackermeier

Back in April, German Sim Racing peripheral manufacturer Fanatec, dropped a bombshell, introducing the Fanatec CSL DD Wheelbase, bringing Direct Drive to the CSL Series, without taking any shortcuts in quality or performance. Therefore, Direct Drive technology is no longer exclusively reserved for the high-end Fanatec Podium range of wheelbases and with it making direct drive wheels and its add-ons available for the mass market.

Even more impressive was its price. The Fanatec CSL DD will become available for 349,95€ (incl. VAT) / 349,95$ (excl. VAT) + shipping. This is considerably lower than some competitor belt-driven solutions. Therefore it is safe to say that with this product price point Fanatec decapitated the current competition, and has now set a new standard. Shipping is expected to start in Q3 of this year. Pre-orders will open as soon as a reliable shipping date is confirmed.

As he had promised, Fanatec CEO Thomas Jackermeier host a Q&A video in which he answers all the CSL DD questions submitted by the community.

Fanatec Quote:

pricing structure for all regions:

• CSL DD with standard power supply (5 Nm): 349.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 349.95 USD (excl. VAT), 599.95 AUD, 47,900 JPY.
• CSL DD with Boost Kit 180 (8 Nm): 479.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 479.95 USD (excl. VAT), 829.90 AUD, 65,500 JPY.
• Boost Kit 180 purchased as a separate upgrade: 149.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 149.95 USD (excl. VAT), 259.90 AUD, 20,000 JPY.
• CSL DD Table Clamp: 29.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 29.95 USD (excl. VAT), 49.95 AUD, 4,490 JPY.

We decided that the most environmentally friendly approach is to ship all CSL DDs with just your selected power supply in the box. So if you select the bundle with the Boost Kit 180, your CSL DD package will only include the larger power supply.

Additional year warranty for CSL DD (with either power supply): 49.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 49.95 USD (excl. VAT), 79.90 AUD, 6,700 JPY.

• CSL Pedals (two pedal set): 79.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 79.95 USD (excl. VAT), 129.90 AUD, 10,500 JPY.
• CSL Pedals Clutch Kit (adds a third pedal): 39.95 EUR (incl. VAT), 39.95 USD (excl. VAT), 64.90 AUD, 5,490 JPY.
• CSL Pedals Load Cell Kit and CSL Tuning Kit These accessories are not available yet. We will announce pricing and availability later this year. The CSL Pedals with Load Cell Kit will be below 200,-.

The CSL DD with Boost Kit 180 is significantly cheaper than the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5, and yet it has much higher performance as a result of direct-drive technology. While peak torque is similar, the fidelity, responsiveness, wheel speed, and acceleration are all superior to the belt-driven system, and this is why the ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5 is also no longer in production. 

Pre-order waves explained:

Due to very high demand, CSL DD pre-orders will be limited to one unit per customer. To keep it as fair as possible, we are also rolling out pre-orders in three waves:

First wave: 

• Must use an existing Fanatec account with previous order history
• Must be subscribed to the Fanatec newsletter
• One unit per customer

Second wave:

• Must have a Fanatec account
• Must be subscribed to updates through newstandardd.fanatec.com
• One unit per customer

Third wave:

• Available on the website for everyone
• One unit per customer

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Official Webpages –  www.fanatec.com

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