What it is
The CSL Steering Wheel BMW (Revival Series) is the cheapest wheel Fanatec sells, a fully round 300mm rim wrapped in textured rubber that connects through the QR2 Lite quick release. The important detail is what it is not: unlike the modular CSL Universal Hub rims, this is a monolithic wheel with its buttons and shifters built into the body. There is no hub to swap rims onto. It is a complete entry-level wheel that bolts onto a Fanatec base, and at $132 / £105 it undercuts everything else in the range.
Who it’s for
You are the right buyer if you are an absolute beginner who wants the lowest-cost way onto a Fanatec base. The round 300mm shape and general mixed-racing brief mean it does a bit of everything without specialising, which suits a first wheel while you work out what you actually race. The standout for the price is the on-wheel readout: it has a 3-digit LED display built into the rim plus an illuminated RevStripe for RPM, which the pricier modular CSL rims do not have. As a budget hero it is the cheapest route onto a Fanatec base that still gives you real rev lights.
You are the wrong buyer if you want to upgrade the rim later, since this is a fixed monolithic wheel, or if grip and shifter quality matter to you, because both are basic.
In use
For a first wheel it does the job and the rev display flatters it. The RevStripe gives you a shift light that wheels costing twice as much go without, and the built-in 3-digit display covers the basics, so you spend less time staring at the screen than you might expect at this price. The round 300mm shape is fine for mixed racing across GT, touring and casual running.
Where the price shows is the feel. The textured rubber grip is grippy but plain next to leather or Alcantara, and the paddle shifters are basic units that are not magnetic, so the shift action is softer and less crisp than the click you get further up the range. None of it is bad for the money, it is just clearly entry-level.
What to watch out for
This is a dead end for upgrades. Because the wheel is monolithic rather than a CSL hub rim, you cannot swap a better rim onto it later. When you outgrow it you replace the whole wheel, so treat it as a starting point rather than a base to build on.
The paddles are not magnetic, which beginners rarely notice but anyone moving from a hub wheel will. And as always, the wheel does not decide console support, the base does, so check your base is console-licensed if you are on Xbox or PlayStation.
Verdict
The budget hero of the Fanatec range. For $132 / £105 it is the cheapest way onto a Fanatec base, and it does something none of the dearer CSL rims manage at the price: it gives you actual rev lights through the built-in RevStripe and 3-digit display. The compromises are exactly what you would expect, the rubber grip, the basic non-magnetic paddles and the fact that you cannot upgrade the rim. For a first wheel that is a fair trade. If you already know you want to grow into the CSL hub system, start with a hub rim instead.