This right here is surely one of Fanatec’s most popular and successful products. It’s the cheapest GT style wheel they do, and whilst in some ways it definitely feels lower end, it is stacked with almost everything you need and it only begs the question why they haven’t made more like it. Being one of my, and many others, favourite Fanatec wheels to date, allow me to give you the guided tour of the Mclaren GT3 V2.
Before we get into it, if after reading this review you head on to buy, by using the link provided (affiliate link, grants commission to me at no added cost to you) to visit Fanatec’s site, you’ll help support further videos and thank you to those who’ve done so along the way, it makes a big difference. This wheel was not sent by Fanatec for review, it’s my own unit.
Here we have a replica GT wheel very closely modeled on those found in the Mclaren MP4-12C and 650S GT3 cars from years gone by. It has a perfect 300mm width which is my ideal sweet spot, very low weight which is perfect for lower power bases, orange anodised metal paddle shifters, with dual clutch/analogue paddles as well. There's a moderate spread of buttons, switches and dials along with an onboard display (albeit a small and limited one), but most importantly it’s priced low and is compatible with PC, Xbox and Playstation when paired with the right Fanatec wheelbase. It’s not the most refined wheel out there, but for a fair price you unlock almost all the abilities you’ll need if you’re into road racing with GT or formula cars.
Because of its lower budget construction it’s perfect for people in the earlier stages of sim racing, although I do see many folks stating they prefer this wheel over others that they own and just carried on using it. Maybe you really like the idea of having a replica wheel so you can play pretend racing drivers even better - I can totally understand that because I too would much sooner have something with a little bit of real racing spirit bottled up in it over a completely original design that isn't in use anywhere else - I am definitely a replica lover. I know these are the things that will draw you to the Mclaren wheel because that’s exactly what led me to buy one, but it just so happens there are some distinct pros and cons to this wheel, too.
Chassis
The body or chassis is built primarily from plastic, straight away this is mainly how you will know it’s a lower-priced wheel and this is where the divide begins between those who can see past that, and those who can’t stomach the thought of a plastic steering wheel, you’ll already have a good idea which camp you’re in and it’s just a question of how much you want to spend.
Plastic it may be, but it is perfectly sturdy, and provided you combine it with the appropriate level of quick release, can be used with the highest power Fanatec bases like the DD1 and DD2, not just the CSL DD, I haven’t encountered any reports or evidence of a mclaren wheel cracking or failing and it’s been available for long enough for that sort of thing to appear in the news, so I consider it safe. The carbon-weave effect infused into the shell does a good job of giving it a semi-convincing finish.
Controls
The grips are made of moulded rubber. Some of you might find them to be on the narrower or thinner side, most of you won’t find any issue but if you have hands so large that you were a hand double for Shrek then just keep that in mind. That 300mm width I referred to is wider than the Formula wheel’s 270mm width and that makes a big difference - that middling, inoffensive size is one of the biggest reasons the Mclaren wheel is so broadly usable. In my opinion 300mm is the perfect balance between being too small and imprecise, and being too big and cumbersome. It really is a strong plus point for the Mclaren and something that differentiates it from that smaller Fanatec Formula wheel.
The only metal you’ll find on here is the shifter paddle. I say paddle - singular - because that’s exactly what it is - a long, thin, orange coloured cast metal piece that pivots in the middle giving you a lever either side of the wheel, it’s quite quirky. Shifting is poppy and punchy with a very short travel, shorter than most you’ll ever use, which as I’ll mention later can be a matter of taste whether you like it or not.
The dual clutch paddles that sit beneath the shifters are made of plastic with their strengthening honeycomb structure open and visible from the front, but they don’t flex - they’re smooth to operate and moderately sprung. Dual clutch paddles are absolutely vital in races where you start off the line and you don’t tend to see them very often on a wheel of this price, further adding to the value for money you do get. This was the wheel that introduced me to dual clutches and changed my standing starts forever.
In addition, those dual clutch paddles can be switched to different modes, so instead of using them as dual clutches you can use them for brake and throttle, handbrake, or analogue axis that you bind to whatever you want. For sim racers with disabilities, this feature has been a bit of a lifeline - I've read examples of multiple racers that have used the Mclaren’s dual clutch paddles as throttle and brake, in much the same way you’d use the triggers on a controller. Just a nifty little extra ability this wheel has.
Both the shifters and clutches have a knurled surface for your fingers to grip onto. The levers themselves are slightly further back than your average paddle with no adjustment options. It can sometimes feel like you’re only just hanging onto the paddles by your fingertips at times, unless you were a hand double for Shrek in which case you’ll be fine.
Buttons and Switches
There are enough buttons here to cover almost everything that you’d need unless you’re an advanced driver that loves advanced cars and uses them to an advanced level. Fanatec's Button Cap and Sticker set is also compatible with this wheel, so you could pop the standard Xbox buttons off and replace them with custom items if you like, though you do get a small pack of on-brand stickers included with this so there's no need to go over and above if all you want are some plain labels for the buttons. The dials are positive and satisfying to use, if you’ve got them bound to something like traction control or fuel maps then they do have that cool little quality that makes you feel like you’re actually doing something of consequence when you use them.
The screen on board is only a tiny thing, but it’s plenty clear enough to navigate force feedback settings easily via the wheel showing full text as you do so, which is far easier to decode than the LCD displays you get on many other Fanatec wheels.
Driving
In terms of driving, the wheel does have some important strengths that will matter to you and are definitely worth weighing up. The big one is the low weight of the Mclaren wheel and where that weight is, there’s not much to it and most of it is focused closer to the centre, that makes it an agile, low inertia wheel, one of the best wheels I’ve used for allowing the most amount of force feedback detail and liveliness from lower powered wheelbases. Here’s what I mean by that.
On this 5nm CSL DD - a relatively low power base all things considered - the force feedback feels much more alive and exciting when I use the Mclaren wheel than it does when I use a heavier wheel with more meat on the bones. This means that if you are using a CSL DD or GT DD Pro, be it with or without the boost pack for more power, the Mclaren wheel is possibly the best wheel to pair with it to feel the most exciting and responsive forces through the wheel. Striking kerbs and slicing through track features feels that bit sharper and the racecars you’re using feel that bit more brutal.
The explanation as to why the forces feel more intense is simple, in general the heavier the steering wheel, the slower and less detailed the force feedback will feel as a result because the forces are dampened by having to move extra weight, it’s just physics at work. Like how a small boat feels every wave whereas a big tanker will cruise through them like a cloud. The high power bases above 12nm can pretty much throw any wheel around like it’s nothing, but the mini bases like the CSL DD can’t and you will feel the force feedback getting duller and duller the heavier the wheel is that you use. The Mclaren wheel gives you the most raw, unfiltered, undampened force feedback of anything I’ve used on a Fanatec system. Of course, you might find it a bit too lively and busy, but you can add weight and damping to your force feedback settings to stick some of that back in. What you can’t do is magically remove weight and damping if your wheel is heavy to begin with, so this is a freedom you do have with a lighter wheel.
I would say, though, that the lighter the wheel the less convinced your brain is that you’re driving a real car, it just seems to know that the thing you’re holding onto has less inertia and mass than a real steering wheel does. It’s a twisted compromise, by using a lightweight wheel you feel more force feedback and intensity, but it also feels slightly less convincing somehow as a result.
Weaknesses
Now, there are definitely a couple of things about this wheel that are divisive - not all are necessarily weaknesses, but can split people on taste, preference and opinion.
First, the two big P and N buttons, at the top of either side of the wheel, are way harder to press than all the other buttons on the wheel, to the point where if all of the other buttons took this much pressure to activate it would probably render this wheel near useless - you’d get sick of it. Some of you might love having two big beefy buttons with high activation forces, but I personally avoid binding anything actually important to these because in order to guarantee that I press them down correctly I almost have to punch 'em. I love the way they look, I just hate the way they feel.
Secondly the shifter action, although short and punchy, also has a slight mushness about it. It's far from bad, but I have definitely felt better and more satisfying shifter actions. The best way to describe it is that on almost every wheel I’ve ever used, the fear of mis-shifting or double-shifting has never been a thing, but on the Mclaren wheel, something about this shifting action doesn’t fully activate that clear shifting feeling in my mind that I kinda crave and so I find myself almost exaggerating my shifter pulls a tiny bit just to be on the safe side. I think it’s because the paddles pivot from the centre point of the wheel which is quite far away, combined with a very short throw, combined with a fairly high activation force. Some of you will think it’s excellent, some of you will hate it, most of you, though, like me, will just accept it and never really feel too strongly about it.
Thirdly, there’s no rev lights! We all enjoy rev lights, even though we maybe don’t really use them in practice, they are part of your sim racing environment that kinda reaches out to you in the real world, it’s all about immersion and theatre, it helps convince you of your experience. I suppose there had to be some compromise to keep the cost within it’s limit, this is definitely one of them.
Lastly, the buttons can be prone to rattling under high forces. This is because the buttons have a tiny bit of free play, so any sharp knocks or rapid vibrations can cause the buttons to slap around a bit and cause some noise. I saw someone describe this as like shaking a box of tic-tacs...now it’s not that bad by ANY means and most of you will be using headphones and won’t notice it whatsoever, but there will be some of you that don’t - and will - so I’m mentioning it. Someone felt strongly enough to fix theirs by taking the faceplate off and padding the buttons so they have no freeplay and the difference is undeniable, so there’s always that option.
Conclusion
All in all the Mclaren wheel is popular and well liked for good reason. It has pretty much every feature that any GT or Formula enthusiast would want and doesn’t cost megabucks. It’s the perfect starter wheel which pairs well with the lower power wheelbases that you’re likely to have at the start, and the fact that it’s a pretty close replica of a real GT3 wheel is also a major draw.
If Fanatec had created more of these for the other GT manufacturers for around the same price then they would be unstoppably popular, so it’s a shame they seemed to stop at just this one. It’s not the flashiest or the most impressive wheel in terms of materials used, but that’s a question of what you compare it to and at the end of the day it’s priced right for what it is, even now. For sure, if it’s your first steering wheel after using an entry level Logitech or Thrustmaster then this is going to feel pretty advanced.
I’d say it’s a safe bet that everyone who has had this Mclaren wheel pass through their hands either still uses it, or looks back on it fondly as a really capable wheel for the money that made their earlier time in sim racing more enjoyable and interesting. The only people that won’t be impressed with it are those with deep pockets and discerning tastes that are already further along their sim racing journey than what is being targeted here. Like a Honda Civic with a V8, so long as you don’t care too much about the packaging, you’ll have a good time.
Thanks for reading! if you have any questions or thoughts on the Mclaren V2, or you own one and have some points you think people should know then by all means head to the comments on Youtube, I do often answer them.
Remember to use the link provided (affiliate link, grants commission to me at no added cost to you) to visit Fanatec’s site, you’ll help support further videos and articles. Thanks ~ Dan.
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