Steering wheel options for GT3RS-- it's all about the girth
06-05-2012, 04:33 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Steering wheel options for GT3RS-- it's all about the girth
Love my new '11 RS. LOVE it.
Except the steering wheel. I've got the standard wheel, which is the alcantara wheel with the yellow stripe at 12 o'clock and the light gray hub/spokes. It feels like a pencil in my hands. I had a techart wheel on my old car and that thing was awesome. I still have it in a box, but really like the alcantara and the techart is leather. Plus, to install it I'd need to buy an airbag. And I'd really like to stay with OEM wheels of the right era for this car.
Any of you done the upgrade to either the thicker wheel in alcantara (I think this is the CLA option wheel) or to the wheel from the RS 4.0? How much thicker is the "thicker" wheel-- slightly, or noticeably? Can it be had with the stripe at 12:00 (from my research there seems to be contradicting info about whether the stripe is or is not available if ordered aftermarket)?
How about the 4.0 wheel. More expensive (but better looking) but again there seems to be contradicting info whether it is the same thickness as the standard wheel (i.e. not thick) or as the CLA wheel. Again, any of you lucky bastards who have had both a 3.8RS and a 4.0RS care to comment? The 4.0 has one other big advantage (besides being better looking) in that it has alcantara all the way around. The other wheels have the spokes extending across the wheel and breaking up the alcantara at 3 and 9 o'clock, which is right where my index fingers rest.
I'm probably leaning towards the CLA if it's truly an improvement, as I could directly swap the airbag from my wheel to that one (though maybe the same is true of the 4.0 wheel despite the different hub shape). Plus, my car has little in the way of aluminum accents in the interior and I think the plain black CLA hub/spokes might look better than the brightwork on the 4.0 wheel.
Thoughts?
Except the steering wheel. I've got the standard wheel, which is the alcantara wheel with the yellow stripe at 12 o'clock and the light gray hub/spokes. It feels like a pencil in my hands. I had a techart wheel on my old car and that thing was awesome. I still have it in a box, but really like the alcantara and the techart is leather. Plus, to install it I'd need to buy an airbag. And I'd really like to stay with OEM wheels of the right era for this car.
Any of you done the upgrade to either the thicker wheel in alcantara (I think this is the CLA option wheel) or to the wheel from the RS 4.0? How much thicker is the "thicker" wheel-- slightly, or noticeably? Can it be had with the stripe at 12:00 (from my research there seems to be contradicting info about whether the stripe is or is not available if ordered aftermarket)?
How about the 4.0 wheel. More expensive (but better looking) but again there seems to be contradicting info whether it is the same thickness as the standard wheel (i.e. not thick) or as the CLA wheel. Again, any of you lucky bastards who have had both a 3.8RS and a 4.0RS care to comment? The 4.0 has one other big advantage (besides being better looking) in that it has alcantara all the way around. The other wheels have the spokes extending across the wheel and breaking up the alcantara at 3 and 9 o'clock, which is right where my index fingers rest.
I'm probably leaning towards the CLA if it's truly an improvement, as I could directly swap the airbag from my wheel to that one (though maybe the same is true of the 4.0 wheel despite the different hub shape). Plus, my car has little in the way of aluminum accents in the interior and I think the plain black CLA hub/spokes might look better than the brightwork on the 4.0 wheel.
Thoughts?
06-05-2012, 06:04 PM
#2
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I have the 4.0 RS steering wheel on my 3.8 RS. It is definitely thicker than the stock wheel and has a more finished look. The CLA option wheel is a little thicker than the 4.0 RS wheel.
06-05-2012, 06:34 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Love my new '11 RS. LOVE it.
Except the steering wheel. I've got the standard wheel, which is the alcantara wheel with the yellow stripe at 12 o'clock and the light gray hub/spokes. It feels like a pencil in my hands. I had a techart wheel on my old car and that thing was awesome. I still have it in a box, but really like the alcantara and the techart is leather. Plus, to install it I'd need to buy an airbag. And I'd really like to stay with OEM wheels of the right era for this car.
Any of you done the upgrade to either the thicker wheel in alcantara (I think this is the CLA option wheel) or to the wheel from the RS 4.0? How much thicker is the "thicker" wheel-- slightly, or noticeably? Can it be had with the stripe at 12:00 (from my research there seems to be contradicting info about whether the stripe is or is not available if ordered aftermarket)?
How about the 4.0 wheel. More expensive (but better looking) but again there seems to be contradicting info whether it is the same thickness as the standard wheel (i.e. not thick) or as the CLA wheel. Again, any of you lucky bastards who have had both a 3.8RS and a 4.0RS care to comment? The 4.0 has one other big advantage (besides being better looking) in that it has alcantara all the way around. The other wheels have the spokes extending across the wheel and breaking up the alcantara at 3 and 9 o'clock, which is right where my index fingers rest.
I'm probably leaning towards the CLA if it's truly an improvement, as I could directly swap the airbag from my wheel to that one (though maybe the same is true of the 4.0 wheel despite the different hub shape). Plus, my car has little in the way of aluminum accents in the interior and I think the plain black CLA hub/spokes might look better than the brightwork on the 4.0 wheel.
Thoughts?
Except the steering wheel. I've got the standard wheel, which is the alcantara wheel with the yellow stripe at 12 o'clock and the light gray hub/spokes. It feels like a pencil in my hands. I had a techart wheel on my old car and that thing was awesome. I still have it in a box, but really like the alcantara and the techart is leather. Plus, to install it I'd need to buy an airbag. And I'd really like to stay with OEM wheels of the right era for this car.
Any of you done the upgrade to either the thicker wheel in alcantara (I think this is the CLA option wheel) or to the wheel from the RS 4.0? How much thicker is the "thicker" wheel-- slightly, or noticeably? Can it be had with the stripe at 12:00 (from my research there seems to be contradicting info about whether the stripe is or is not available if ordered aftermarket)?
How about the 4.0 wheel. More expensive (but better looking) but again there seems to be contradicting info whether it is the same thickness as the standard wheel (i.e. not thick) or as the CLA wheel. Again, any of you lucky bastards who have had both a 3.8RS and a 4.0RS care to comment? The 4.0 has one other big advantage (besides being better looking) in that it has alcantara all the way around. The other wheels have the spokes extending across the wheel and breaking up the alcantara at 3 and 9 o'clock, which is right where my index fingers rest.
I'm probably leaning towards the CLA if it's truly an improvement, as I could directly swap the airbag from my wheel to that one (though maybe the same is true of the 4.0 wheel despite the different hub shape). Plus, my car has little in the way of aluminum accents in the interior and I think the plain black CLA hub/spokes might look better than the brightwork on the 4.0 wheel.
Thoughts?
do it you wont regret it!
p.s
you will probably have to provide your VIN in order to get one from Porsche, it was rumored that this was required to order CLA "after-factory"
p.p.s
the black accents look great I can probably post pics if you want to see it ...
p.p.p.s
and you can probably sell the regular wheel here to offset the cost, someone will want one with the stripe!
06-05-2012, 06:52 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Larry--
Great idea on selling the old one. I'd forgotten that the stripe is not on all of them.
If you have a second to post a pic, it might help to assess the differences in thickness of the wheels....
Great idea on selling the old one. I'd forgotten that the stripe is not on all of them.
If you have a second to post a pic, it might help to assess the differences in thickness of the wheels....
I was extremely lucky to get a CLA RS wheel from suncoast a while back, it is subtly thicker than the "standard" wheel ... fitted it to my '10 GT3 and reused the airbag module ...
do it you wont regret it!
p.s
you will probably have to provide your VIN in order to get one from Porsche, it was rumored that this was required to order CLA "after-factory"
p.p.s
the black accents look great I can probably post pics if you want to see it ...
p.p.p.s
and you can probably sell the regular wheel here to offset the cost, someone will want one with the stripe!
do it you wont regret it!
p.s
you will probably have to provide your VIN in order to get one from Porsche, it was rumored that this was required to order CLA "after-factory"
p.p.s
the black accents look great I can probably post pics if you want to see it ...
p.p.p.s
and you can probably sell the regular wheel here to offset the cost, someone will want one with the stripe!
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06-05-2012, 07:50 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Thanks for that-- that wheel is clearly thicker than the one in my car. Going to have to call Suncoast.....
06-05-2012, 07:54 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
I think the 4.0 wheels is much too shiny.
CLA all black is the way to go, just the right size for me. Noticeable thicker then ugly regular wheel.
I don't like the silvery air vents and ring around the shifter booth. I'd love to paint them flat black like the CLA wheel.
CLA all black is the way to go, just the right size for me. Noticeable thicker then ugly regular wheel.
I don't like the silvery air vents and ring around the shifter booth. I'd love to paint them flat black like the CLA wheel.
06-05-2012, 09:04 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
06-05-2012, 09:05 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
you might have to give them your VIN ... it was pure luck that I got mine from them, I think someone had ordered it and then backed out ... as I recall it was around $16xx or so ... well worth it IMHO ...