I figured it was too good to be true. Oh well!

 

My friends dealer re-attempted the "CPZ" option, it was accepted and up the "Z0997" option popped up as well.

Whole problem looks like temporary programming glitch at PCNA so Option "CPZ" Fat steering wheel is back on line <img border="0" alt="[typing]" title="" src="graemlins/yltype.gif" /> .

 

I was told the same thing. PCNA had mistakenly? taken offline the option. Apparantly they have the ability to switch off and on options availible in the program. Now if we can only get them to switch on the rollbar or Clubsport option! Best, Don A.

 

Here's some info. that might help.

I was once a field manager for Ford Motor Co. Let me start by saying that the assembling of a motor vehicle is an incredibly complex activity.

Often we had issues with "commodities" as we called it internally. This refers to the availability of particular options. For example when the Expidition first came out, Ford predicted that only about 5-10% would be ordered with the 3rd row back seat. Well of course the number was more like 90% (so much for market research). In Ford's case dealer's get monthly allocation so say a dealer got 10 Expiditions in a particular month he would be able to order maybe 1 with a 3rd row back seat.

That's just the start. Without going into the whole thing it gets way more complicated from there. He may not even get that 1 or he may get 5 if other dealers don't order a 3rd seat that 'round etc. Trying to manage something like that when it's constantly changing on a grand scale is very very hard. Now Ford is building a much higher volume of vehicles and has more dealers but it's still a nightmare even for Porsche I'm sure.

Hope this helps FWIW.

 

I know i'm hopping on this a little late but once and for all was there a determination made about this?

Aparently the wheel is available but it requires this "custom tailoring option"? Is that the official word?

My big question is does this custom tailoring option cost extra or not? For $675 I'll take it for $675 + ??$$$??? I won.t!

 

All you have to do is specify option CPZ for $675 and you'll get the thicker steering wheel. Option Z0997 just pops out in the system automatically because the thicker wheel is added after the car is completed. In other words, the car goes to the Exclusive department for the steering wheel retrofit.

 

I have the dealer pro-forma on my GT3... thicker steering wheel option CPZ is shown at $675... custom tailoring option number Z0997 is also shown at $0 (zero dollars).

 

Who has a picture of the fat wheel?
Please post.

 

Can someone post a link or post a picture of the fat steering wheel...

That is one item from my recently sold E46 M3 that I liked.

Thanks

Doug

 

I saw the Fat steering wheel this weekend and unless you grab it you can't really see a difference visually. I didn't know it was a Fat Steering wheel until I saw it on the window sticker and then grabbed it.

 

I agree...I've felt the thicker wheel, and it's not that much thicker than the standard 3 spoke wheel. I'd go for the TechArt leather wheel if you want a nice thick steering wheel.

 

Here are some pics posted on another forum:

 

I like my M3 wheel much better.

 

Am trading in my E46 M3 for a GT3- love the steering wheel on the M3- am getting the thick wheel on my car. Hope it feels as good as the bimmer's. And the custom tailering option code does show up on the order along with the wheel code.

 

Do they charge you extra for it though?