Presenting our review of the Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3. The third iteration of the ClubSport pedals are available at Fanatec.com for $299.95.
Additional accessories include the Damper Kit for the throttle and/or brake and retail for $69.95. A Brake Performance Kit that gives you a few options to make the brake even stiffer that will be available for $19.95. You can also get different colored pedal faces for $39.95.
You get a lot of extras with the V3’s . An extra set of Tilton like pedal pads with extenders are included. Those extenders also work with the flat pedal faces. You also get an extra set of stiffer springs for the throttle and clutch.
Be careful installing the Tilton pedals as it’s a tight fit behind the pedal upright and you could pull the wires out of the vibration module.
The brake on the V3’s is vastly different than the type that was on the V2’s, V1’s and CSR elite pedals. There’s a sleeve that acts like a hydraulic mechanism to an extent. It also has a heavier load cell capable of 90 kg of pressure.
The pedals also come with a USB cable to connect them direct to your PC and an RJ12 jack to connect it direct to a Fanatec CSW V2 wheel base.
Another big difference is how you the pedals connect and how you can connect a Fanatec Handbrake. Instead of these small connectors that were on the V2 pedals, everything connects with the RJ12 jacks. This makes for a much more solid connection versus the delicate connectors found on the V2’s.
Tip for connecting the pedals. Attach the USB’s, handbrake, wheel base, shifter, etc, before you install them on a chassis. Otherwise it’s very difficult to plug in the connections. If you do have it installed, you can take this plate off for easy access to the plugs.
Now onto some general specs and features.
- Vibration motors on gas pedal can be used to indicate rear wheel spin and oversteer
Controlled via Fanatec Wheel SDK - Adjustable brake stiffness and travel without tools unless you use the performance brake mod
- 12-bit resolution on all axis when stand alone USB or 10 bit when plugged into CSW V2 base
- Re-designed electronics. Parameters like deadzone and brake sensitivity can be adjusted through the tuning menu of the wheel and during the race
- New design of the gas pedal to allow a quick exchange of the springs. Two springs with different strength are included
- Optional damper kit for gas and brake. The hydraulic dampening resistance can easily be adjusted with a knob
- Full multi platform compatibility. It works with all Fanatec wheels for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
- You can adjust the Position of the pedal plates in all directions, angle, spring strengths at clutch and throttle, brake sensitivity, brake travel
- Magnetic and contactless sensors on gas and clutch for a long life and maximum performance
Let’s talk about our impression of the pedals and first up is the optional damper kit. We did like the damper kit on the brake pedal quit a bit as it not only firms up the pedal but gives it that hydraulic feel that your use to feeling in a real car.
On the other hand, we didn’t care for the damper on the throttle. Even on the lowest setting, the damper doesn’t allow the gas pedal to come back to you, since it dampens the movement, making blipping the throttle difficult. It wasn’t as bad with shoes on, but we still preferred it without the damper.
Of course mileage may vary and the best thing to do is to buy one and try it on the throttle and brake individually.
Next let’s talk about the Brake Performance Kit. The kit replaces the polyurethane foam (PU) in the stock pedals with two pieces of eladur material, each with different durometer (hardness) measurements.
Of note, at the time of testing/filming, the eladur material was still going through beta testing and may differ from the production kit.
The beta sample we did test made a big difference in stiffness and we like it a lot. You lose the adjustability that you have with the stock PU foam inserts but it makes these pedals feel more high end, and in our opinion, more realistic.
They will be offering them in sizes cut in half with different stiffness. We got a red one and green. Red softer, green harder. For the kit, you will be able to mix and match red and green to get the feeling you want from them.
Pros
• Adjustability
• Two different sets of pedal faces
• Optional Springs for the clutch and throttle
• Rumble on throttle and brake
• Upgradeable by adding dampers to throttle and brake
• Price for performance
• Durably built
• Load cell brake that can handle more pressure than previous ClubSports
• Look ominous / sporty
• Tidied up the wiring compared to V1 and V2’s
• 4096 Steps of resolution via USB
• 1024 Steps when connected to CSW V2
• 90 kg load cell
• Pedal extensions that can be used with either d shaped or flat faces
• Optional eladur Brake Performance Kit makes it feel even better
Cons
• Would have liked the Brake Performance Kit included.
As you can see, there really isn’t anything to complain about these pedals. Yes, we would have liked to have seen the Brake Performance Kit included but at least it’s fairly inexpensive.
Overall, these pedals may be the best bang-for-your-buck in sim racing. They are solidly built and offer about as much brake resistance/feel that you could want when paired with the optional Brake Performance Kit and Damper Kit.
All this for just under $400 makes a strong case for the Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 when shopping for your next set of pedals.
