For a car to be considered a luxury car, it needs to offer way more than what a more regular car does. This means that a luxury car has to have an upmarket-looking exterior, an interior filled with high-quality materials and switches, and a more surefooted driving experience.
However, we humans are designed to receive information from the outside world through a number of senses which means that we primarily consume luxury through sight, smell, touch, and hearing. Sight is arguably the most important one because it enables you to receive information fast and reliably.
Hearing is equally as important because it paints a broader picture of how well isolated a car is and how fine-tuned the speakers are. Be that as it may, we still interact with our cars by touching them, and the steering wheel is the central point on which your hands reside for the vast majority of the time you spend in a car.
As such, a great-looking steering wheel is essential for a luxury car, and the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes Benz E63 AMG, Audi R8, and the BMW M5 are the luxury cars with the best-looking steering wheels out there.
2022 Porsche Panamera – Minimalism meets engineering
The Porsche Panamera has been out for quite a while now and that’s also the case with Porsches now-famous GT Sports steering wheel. The GT Sports steering wheel does not come as standard with most Porsches, but it is definitely worth the upgrade because it looks, feels, and operates perfectly.
Porsche designed this steering wheel to be both luxurious and sporty because you can opt for either full leather or an Alcantara steering wheel depending on what you prefer. Besides looking great, this steering wheel has everything positioned perfectly which means that it’s incredibly intuitive to use.
2022 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG – Technology meets performance
The brand-new Mercedes E63 AMG is equipped with the best-looking Mercedes Benz steering wheel of all time because it combines an incredibly futuristic 5-spoke design with LED screens directly mounted onto the steering wheel itself. These screens can change depending on what you want which is the first time such functions have been utilized on a steering wheel.
Besides being tech-savvy, the steering wheel itself is heavily bolstered and focused on performance driving. Fine materials such as aluminum, leather, Alcantara are used throughout the wheel which makes it grippy and amazing-looking.
Audi R8 – Old school meets new school
The Audi R8 is a perfect compromise between the past and the future because it still offers a naturally aspirated V10 engine, but the engine is mated to a state-of-the-art DCT gearbox and an extremely futuristic-looking interior. Its worth mentioning that the interior in the R8 has not changed all that much for a long time, nevertheless, it still looks amazing.
The central point of the R8’s interior is undoubtedly the steering wheel. The steering wheel is rather small which amplifies the focus on performance and handling. This steering wheel is also bolstered and full of holes which make it seem like it’s from something more than just a car. If you upgrade the steering wheel with aftermarket carbon, it is arguably the best steering wheel out there.
BMW M5 – Performance meets luxury
The new BMW M5 is a true luxury performance car. Even though the M5 comes with a 600hp+ V8, it is still an incredibly luxurious place to be. BMW intentionally designs their steering wheels to be significantly beefier when compared to the competition which sets BMW M steering wheels apart and makes them look and feel unique.
This means that these steering wheels ooze confidence and luxury, especially if you opt for BMW M tri-color stitching which also separates BMW from the rest. This steering wheel comes with two bright red M-mode buttons which enable you to pre-set customizable driving modes that can turn your M5 from a luxury cruiser into a serious performance car in a blink of an eye.
FAQ Section
Which supercars have the best-looking steering wheels?
The Pagani Huayra has the best-looking steering wheel out of all supercars out there which is a rather bold claim to make. The reason why this steering wheel looks better than others is that it does not have a single piece of plastic anywhere on the steering wheel.
Pagani uses the highest-quality leather and aluminum for their steering wheels, and the moment you see one in person, you’ll realize why Pagani does it best. Besides the Huayra, the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento has the most futuristic-looking steering wheel of all time while the new Mercedes AMG hypercar literally uses an F1 steering wheel on a road car.
What is the weirdest-looking steering wheel of all time?
There are many weird steering wheels out there, but the weirdest of them all can be found on the Maserati Boomerang. It’s unjust to even call that thing a steering wheel because it does not even look like one. The Lancia Stratos Sibilo is also a car with an extremely weird-looking steering wheel, and the same story goes for the Citroen DS21.
The Subaru XT is a festival or weirdness which is accentuated with an odd-looking asymmetrical steering wheel. The shifter on the XT also looks weird because it looks like a 1980 retrofuture gaming controller. The Spyker C8 Spyder is a Dutch-made sports car based on the 2000s Audi V8 engine. Even though the car looks stunning, that’s not something you can say about the steering wheel.
Can I replace the steering wheel on my car?
You can indeed change your steering wheel, but you need to make sure that the steering wheel you chose also fits all the safety requirements as well. This means that you should always have an active airbag situated on the base of the steering wheel and that all the steering wheel buttons are functioning as intended.
Also, make sure that the new steering wheel does not obstruct your steering column controls. The best course of action would be to replace the steering wheel with a similar one from the same manufacturer or with an aftermarket one that is based on the original wheel.
