Yet owners of the ClubSport Universal Hub V2 in particular were often faced with the problem that while many rims could be mounted, the ergonomics of the attached button clusters often left much to be desired. The buttons were too far away or felt like foreign objects on the wheel rim. With the newly introduced ClubSport Wheel Rim GT3, Fanatec addresses exactly this issue and delivers a solution that breathes new life into older hardware components.
This is explicitly just the wheel rim itself, meaning the metal framework with grips, without its own electronics. At first glance, that may sound unspectacular, but the devil is in the details. Fanatec has specifically designed this 318-millimeter-wide rim to harmonize with the existing Universal Hubs. The key element is a newly constructed mounting bracket that is included. It not only ensures that the hub’s button clusters sit rock-solid and torsion-resistant, but also positions them ergonomically exactly where they belong on a real GT3 wheel: directly within reach of your thumbs. This eliminates the feeling of holding a makeshift solution. Instead, the combination of hub and rim suddenly feels like a single unit, allowing you to operate the buttons blindly and intuitively without having to remove your hands from the grips.
When it comes to tactile feel, Fanatec makes no compromises and leverages synergies from its own portfolio. The shape and rubber grips are identical to those of the significantly more expensive ClubSport Wheel Rim GT3 Endurance. You get the same CNC-milled aluminum core and the same grippy overmolded rubber with a hardness of 50 Shore A, providing excellent hold even during long stints and with sweaty hands. This is particularly exciting for those who love the GT3 shape but do not want or are unable to spend the budget on the expensive Podium Button Module Endurance (the one with the display). With a price of around 100 euros, this rim positions itself as an extremely attractive alternative to bring genuine GT3 feeling to your rig without having to reach for the very top shelf.
Another nice detail for the individualists among you are the included sticker sheets. Fanatec includes ten sheets that allow you to customize the design of the spokes – ideal for teams wanting to show their colors, or simply to give the black aluminum a personal touch. Technically, the rim is compatible with a whole range of hubs, from the old ClubSport Universal Hub V1 to the V2 variants (including Xbox versions) and even the Podium Hub, provided button clusters are used there.
For us at SimUltimate, this release is proof that Fanatec understands how important it is to support existing products. Instead of forcing you to buy a completely new steering wheel, they provide a tool here that significantly upgrades your perhaps slightly aging Universal Hub. The new ClubSport Wheel Rim GT3 turns an “all-purpose hub” into a specialized GT3 tool with excellent ergonomics and rigid feel. So if you still have a hub lying around or want to enter the GT3 class affordably, you should definitely take a closer look at this upgrade.
