Sometimes it’s in the most interesting ways that you can find a big story! In an iRacing thread regarding a racer’s technical issues with a Fanatec CSR racing wheel, we may have one of the biggest Fanatec stories of the year!

While the thread is a very long one and filled with some drama (you need to be an iRacing member to view the thread), this post from Thomas Jackermeier tells something very significant:

In Thomas’ third paragraph, we read:

You know, we actually even considered to use you for our beta testing program and send you a free direct drive wheel. It seems that you drive a lot and already have compatible steering wheels. And hey, if this would make you happy than this would be a win-win situation.

This is the first true confirmation we have that the next generation Fanatec wheel is going to be Direct Drive! We also have some details gleaned from this as well…

From the context of the thread, it looks like the Fanatec Direct Drive racing wheel will be compatible with Clubsport Wheel rims (“…already have compatible steering wheels.”) That means this could be a great way to get into the Direct Drive market, but still have access to a decent range of wheel rims! It is worth mentioning that this COULD make the Fanatec Direct Drive racing wheel EXCLUSIVE to Fanatec Rims, but that could remain to be seen.

An interesting thing to think about is that Direct Drive racing wheels are regarded to as some of the most reliable hardware you can buy, due to the limited moving parts. With a reputation for being “Not the most reliable”, could this be one of the reasons Fanatec is looking into Direct Drive?

While there is not as much information right now, this is a very exciting development. I have reached out to Thomas Jackermeier for more information, and will update with any further developments.

What do you think about the new developments for the Fanatec camp? Let us know!

EDIT: Thomas has confirmed the wheel is in development, and is slated to release later this year!

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