What it is
The CSL Steering Wheel GT Alcantara V2 is a fully round 300mm rim in Fanatec’s CSL line, wrapped in genuine Alcantara and built onto the CSL Universal Hub V2. The hub supplies the usual CSL snap-dome shifters and small 3-digit display, with the QR2 Lite quick release doing the connecting. A rim rather than a wheelbase, it layers grip, buttons and shifters onto your existing Fanatec base.
Who it’s for
You are the right buyer if you race modern GT, touring cars or want a single wheel that handles general all-purpose racing. The 300mm round shape suits a broad spread of cars rather than committing to one discipline, and the Alcantara is the traditional grip for this kind of driving. On a Fanatec base it is a clean way to get a versatile GT rim at CSL rather than ClubSport prices.
You are the wrong buyer if you specifically want full-size, real-car dimensions, where the larger 330mm GT V2 is the better tool, or if you want an on-wheel display and rev lights, because this one has neither beyond the hub’s basic readout.
In use
The 300mm diameter is the day-to-day advantage. It is large enough to feel like a proper road or GT wheel but small enough to keep the steering quick and the cabin tidy, and crucially it brings the hub buttons and shifters within easier reach than the 330mm rim. Inputs you take mid-corner are a shorter stretch from your thumbs and fingers, so a busy stint is less of a reach. The Alcantara grips well once you are in gloves, and the measured steering pace suits GT and touring cars.
Display-wise you get the hub’s 3-digit readout and that is it. No RPM LED strip, so there is no shift light to lean on.
What to watch out for
Alcantara needs gloves. Bare-handed use will mat and polish the material over time, so factor a pair of gloves into the purchase if you do not already wear them.
Console licensing sits in the wheelbase, never the rim. Check your base is Xbox- or PlayStation-licensed before assuming this rim gets you on track.
Verdict
A versatile, easy-to-live-with GT rim. The 300mm Alcantara build gives you all-purpose dimensions on a Fanatec base for $264 / £209, with easier button reach than the larger sibling. The costs are the gloves the Alcantara demands and the lack of any rev lights. If you want full real-car size instead, the 330mm GT V2 is the wheel to weigh up.