What it is
The CSL Steering Wheel Flat 2 V2 is one of Fanatec’s two open-wheel rims on the CSL Universal Hub V2. It is a compact 275mm wheel with a flat bottom and a closed top, giving it a tighter D-shape than the Flat 1, and it is wrapped in synthetic suede. As with the other modular CSL rims, the snap-dome shifters and small 3-digit display come from the hub, and the QR2 Lite quick release makes the connection. There is no wheelbase in the box; the rim adds grip, buttons and shifters to the Fanatec base you already have.
Who it’s for
You are the right buyer if you race formula, open-wheel or LMP cars and want a rim shaped for the job. The flat bottom and closed top, with the small 275mm diameter, match the fast, small inputs of single-seaters and prototypes, where you keep your hands fixed at quarter-to-three rather than feeding the wheel. The closed top is the reason to pick this over the Flat 1: it gives you a touch more rim to hold, which makes the Flat 2 marginally more versatile across open-wheel and prototype work. On a Fanatec base it is a cheap route to a proper formula shape, well short of ClubSport Formula money.
This is the wrong wheel if you race GT, rally or drift. Those disciplines need a round rim you can slide through your hands, and the D-shape makes that awkward. Buy a round CSL rim instead.
In use
The D-profile suits open-wheel and prototype racing well. Sightlines stay clear, and the compact diameter delivers the quick, direct steering a formula or LMP car wants. The closed top means there is a little more to grip than on the Flat 1, which is the practical edge of the two. Suede suits gloved hands holding a fixed position, and the CSL Universal Hub supplies the buttons and snap-dome shifters, fine for the money even if they are no match for magnetic ClubSport units.
All you get for a readout is the hub’s 3-digit display. No RPM LED strip, so you shift by ear or by screen, and that is the one place a dedicated formula driver will feel the entry-level positioning.
What to watch out for
The wheel is small and twitchy. The 275mm diameter rewards precise hands and punishes ham-fisted inputs, so expect a settling-in period if you are coming from a larger GT rim. The suede also wants gloves to avoid matting.
Remember the rim does not grant console support, the base does. Check your wheelbase is console-licensed before assuming this rim gets you on track.
Verdict
A focused formula rim with a slightly more usable shape than its sibling. For $264 / £209 the Flat 2 V2 gives open-wheel and LMP drivers the right shape on a Fanatec base, and its tighter closed-top D makes it the marginally more versatile of the two flats. Its only real weakness, the basic 3-digit display, is shared across the whole CSL line. Just go in knowing it is small and twitchy and built for a fixed hand position. If you want the most committed open-wheel shape instead, the Flat 1 V2 is the other half of the pair.