What it is
The CSL Steering Wheel 320 Alcantara V2 is a fully round 320mm rim in Fanatec’s CSL line, built onto the CSL Universal Hub V2. It is wrapped in genuine Alcantara rather than the smooth leather of the standard 320 V2, and beyond that one change the two wheels are the same. Like the rest of the modular CSL rims it carries the hub’s snap-dome shifters and a small 3-digit display, and it connects through the QR2 Lite quick release. It is a rim, not a complete wheelbase: it adds the grip, buttons and shifters to whatever Fanatec base you already run.
Who it’s for
You are the right buyer if you race rally or GT cars and you want a round wheel you can move through your hands. The 320mm diameter sits in a flexible middle ground, big enough for honest GT feel and small enough to stay quick, and the round shape is the correct tool for rally stages where hand position is constantly changing. The real decision here is grip. Pick the Alcantara version if you race in gloves and want the extra purchase Alcantara gives you.
You are the wrong buyer if you mostly run formula or open-wheel cars, where a flat-bottom rim is the better fit, or if you would rather not deal with Alcantara upkeep, in which case the smooth-leather 320 V2 is the easier wheel to live with.
In use
The round 320mm shape does exactly what you want for rally and GT. You can feed the wheel hand over hand without running out of rim, and the diameter keeps steering quick without feeling nervous. The Alcantara grips well once you are in gloves, which is the point of choosing it over leather. Because the geometry matches the 320 V2 exactly, everything else feels familiar: the hub buttons and snap-dome shifters sit where you expect, and the QR2 Lite snaps on cleanly.
The 3-digit hub display does the basics and no more. There is no RPM LED strip, so a shift light is not part of the package and you will be reading the screen or going by ear.
What to watch out for
Alcantara is the high-maintenance choice. It needs gloves to avoid matting and polishing over time, so if you tend to drive bare-handed the leather 320 V2 will age better and cost you nothing in feel. Factor a pair of gloves into the purchase if you do not already wear them.
Remember the rim does not decide console support. If you are on Xbox or PlayStation, the licensing lives in the base, so check your wheelbase is console-licensed before assuming this rim gets you on track.
Verdict
A flexible round rim whose whole story is grip. For $264 / £209 the 320 Alcantara V2 gives rally and GT drivers a quick, honest 320mm shape on a Fanatec base, identical to the 320 V2 in every way except the Alcantara surface. The only real compromises are the upkeep that Alcantara demands and the basic 3-digit display shared across the CSL line. If you race in gloves and want the grip, this is the version to buy; if you do not, the smooth-leather 320 V2 is the easier pick.