There is plenty of new sim racing kit hitting the market right now, but one of the lesser-hyped pieces of hardware is the CSL Elite Pedals V2 from Fanatec.
These pedals enter the market, as the name suggests, as an upgrade from the CSL pedals and boast a lot of improvements.
Are they worth your money though? Let's find out!
Table of Contents
Review unit provided by manufacturer
Build quality
Let's start with the build quality and feel of these pedals.
From the moment you open the box the CSL Elite Pedals V2 scream quality. The entire unit is a sleek aluminium design with a large and comfortable heel rest.
The gas & clutch have contactless hall effect sensors while the brake is a newly designed 90 kg load cell system.
The unit looks the part and comes with all the cabling, spanners, and allen keys you will need to make adjustments.
The load cell is extremely accessible. You can swap out the rubbers and spring without having to remove the pedal from the base using the tools provided.
The whole unit looks and feels great. It has a sense of modability about it too, with each pedal being individually mountable if you so wish. However, that isn't as easy as it looks.
Racing ahead
So the pedals look great and boast all the right things on the box, but how do they feel to race with? Well, pretty great.
The pedals may be aluminium but they each have a rubber cover that grips up really well. If you are a sock racer (and why wouldn't you be) these covers not only protect from the cold metal but offer a degree of comfort that will keep you racing for longer.
The throttle has a smoothness to it that won't fade thanks to the hall effect sensors. The brake is very impressive too. The rubbers and spring that come installed already are great, but easy to switch out.
If you are one for resting your foot on the brake you will want to add some deadzone in your settings as it is very sensitive and you'll find yourself brake-dragging before you know it.
It is a quality brake pedal though. We recently reviewed the new Logitech Pro Wheel and Pedals, and this set of pedals stacks up very well with the Pro Pedals when it comes to racing and comfort.
A tricky change
While the pedal set looks easy to make changes to, outside of the load cell it is actually pretty tricky.
As someone who doesn't use the clutch when racing I always like to move the brake wider to allow for a more natural stance when left-foot braking.
While you can do this with the V2s, it isn't that easy compared to other new pedal sets.
You have all the tools, but accessing screws and nuts can be tough, and I had some trouble with the rear support rods being super stiff. You also have to remove the clutch if you want to move the brake pedal.
The way the pedals are mounted to the base means there are slots for each one rather than a more freely sliding positioning system. This limits the positioning options for racers if you aren't going to individually mount pedals.
For as good as the pedals look, Fanatec hasn't prioritised modability with the CSL Elite V2s, which is a shame.
Verdict
I've been using the OG CSL Elite pedals for racing for a long time, and the V2s are a huge step up.
Not only do they feel comfortable on your foot, but they are also consistent and dependable. The ease of access to the load cell stack allows you to get the feel you want on the brake pedal.
They are relatively easy to mount on rigs, and while making alignment changes isn't the easiest thing, they can be individually mounted to allow for a fully custom experience. They can also be used with any wheel base for PC racers as they can connect directly to your computer.
Priced at €299.95 they aren't cheap, and will come with an import duty if you are buying in the UK, but are very much in line with a load cell pedal set. We absolutely would recommend these, especially if you aren't one for fully customising your pedal layout.
Overall the feel of these pedals is great. You are more in touch with the car and have a higher degree of control when using them. I have really enjoyed using these pedals, and recommend them to anyone!
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