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There's Never Been A Cheaper Time To Build A Fanatec Direct Drive Sim Racing Rig

Image of Fanatec CSL DD wheel base on a desk
Image of Fanatec CSL DD wheel base on a desk

In this fast-paced online economy, deals are a dime a dozen. I typically don’t pay attention to them. I just don’t have enough money for all the deals, all right? But every so often, there’s a deal that’s too good not to share, that even I consider for myself. Today, that deal is everything you need to go sim racing with a direct drive kit from Fanatec for $150 off.

The Fanatec CSL DD is my go-to recommendation for sim racing wheel bases these days, because it’s direct drive — which means it’s super smooth, accurate, and natural feeling — and it’s also decently powerful for its compact footprint. The CSL DD normally costs $350, or $500 in tandem with the Boost Kit 180 power supply, which bumps torque from 5 Nm to 8 Nm. Those 3 Nm make a big difference; I recommend them.

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Since June, Fanatec has had a promotion going where the CSL DD itself costs just $200 (or $300 with the Boost Kit) if you also buy it alongside a steering wheel and pedals. This is a reasonable proposition, as a steering wheel and pedals are arguably important for sim racing. However, until this week the promotion locked buyers into a certain rim and pedal combination. Not so anymore — customers are free to mix and match all of Fanatec’s gear to assemble their dream rig and still get those savings.

You can configure your own setup on Fanatec’s website, which unfortunately is about as speedy to navigate as your healthcare provider’s automated phone system. In the interest of efficiency, here’s the entry-level CSL DD kit for PC with the standard CSL steering wheel for $400 before tax and shipping. The 8 Nm version with the Boost Kit is $500. If you want to pair that base with a fancier formula-type wheel or a bolt-on load cell kit for the brake pedal, you can do that as well; you’ll still get the discount.