The component crisis has been with us for a long time now. Almost two years has been gone and we are still with a several problems in the production chain. Fanatec steering wheel bases has been specially affected by this shortage and now, with Black Friday on the horizon, Fanatec has shown its cards to solve it.
Firstly, I’d like to provide some updates. Supply chain restrictions and component shortages have contributed to the slow movement of our announced products, but we have made great progress recently and we have much to talk about.
QR2 – this is a fundamental change to the ecosystem and our opportunity to make major improvements to the quick release. While we (and BMW) are satisfied with our QR design currently being used on the M4 GT3 race car, it has been a challenge to bring this design to mass production for our full range of steering wheels and wheel bases (including a ‘Lite’ version for our CSL Series). The extended development time has ensured the best possible future for the Fanatec quick release. The latest pre-production samples are performing great, but we will only provide release dates and pricing information when we are ready.
Wheel Base production – many of you have noticed we have been ‘sold out’ of some of our wheel bases for some time. The demand has been very high, and our production has been stalled by component shortages. We will continue to work hard to address this bottleneck, but the effect of the semiconductor crisis continues to be felt across the industry, and I can confirm that the CSL DD will not be available again until Q1 2023.
Podium Steering Wheel Bentley GT3 – the development of this wheel has also been affected by the chip shortage. Although this product was already used very effectively in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, and its mechanical and structural design is well-proven, we were unsatisfied with the performance of the display, and we have used the extra time to completely re-engineer the electronics. We now plan to launch the wheel in the first half of 2023.
Now for the best news of the day. Despite the supply delays, we were recently able to secure all components for the Podium Racing Wheel F1, and run the production line at full capacity. Because we know it will be difficult to get your hands on our entry-level bases until next year, we decided to offer the Podium Racing Wheel F1 at a reduced price for a limited time. (We would like to offer this price until the CSL DD returns, but we expect a high demand, so let’s say ‘while stocks last’.)
The new pricing per region is as follows:
Podium Racing Wheel F1®
- US: 1299.95 USD (previously 1799.95 USD) -28%
- EU: 1299.95 EUR (previously 1799.95 EUR) -28%
- AU: 1999.95 AUD (previously 2799.90 AUD) -29%
This price drop means that the Podium Racing Wheel F1 is now one of the great bargains in sim racing. It remains the most powerful direct drive system for PlayStation (4 and 5) at 20 Nm. It’s a great choice for PC users as well, and can be used on Xbox if combined with one of our Xbox-licensed steering wheels. I can assure you that the Podium Racing Wheel F1 will be supported for years to come by the Fanatec ecosystem.
We are also offering a new bundle of the Podium Racing Wheel F1 plus the ClubSport Pedals V3. With this huge saving we see this now as the ultimate starter set—our most high performance ready-to-race package—that would look the part on any rig.
Podium Racing Wheel F1® Premium Bundle
- US: 1499.95 USD (previously 2199.90 USD) -32%
- EU: 1499.95 EUR (previously 2199.90 EUR) -32%
- AU: 2299.95 AUD (previously 3349.80 AUD) -31%
For many, the Podium Racing wheel is not an alternative to the CSL DD or GT DD Pro but this is the best we can do for now and it is a big chance for anybody who considered an upgrade anyway.
I am very positive that all shortages will be over in 2023 and things go back to normal. Thanks for your loyalty.
