The F1 Steering Wheel for your BMW

The Formula One series is one of the most technologically advanced automobile racing series in the world. F1 cars are packed to the brim with high-tech gadgets, sensors, and exotic materials. The cars are not only super-fast, beautiful works of art, they also are testing grounds for innovations that can ultimately find their way into your street car. One of the main reasons why manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, McLaren, Renault and the like compete in F1 is to test out new technology during the series’ 20 grueling events.

My weekend ride

Technology in engines, transmissions, suspension components, safety gear, construction materials and more has made it in to your car. Power, reliability, safety, and performance have all been improved in the cars you and I drive thanks to Formula One. Now, BMW is bringing cool tech from steering wheels into its street cars.

In case you don’t know, the Formula One steering wheel is a technical marvel.

From the 2006 BMW F1 machine

It has all sorts of buttons, toggles, switches, lights, knobs, indicators, and displays to provide the driver with information about the car and allow him to make adjustments while zipping around the racetrack. Not only do these drivers place these beastly machines precisely where they want them on the track lap after lap, they also find time to fiddle with dials and knobs as they go. Amazing.

A few years ago we saw paddle-style shifters, tech first developed in racing cars, show up in exotic automobiles. The little toggles on the left and right side of the steering wheel allows the driver to shift gears up or down without taking his hands of the wheel. It was a cool trick for Ferrari owners initially, but paddle shifters are now showing up in more accessible car manufacturers such as Lexus, Nissan, etc.

From a Ferrari 458 Italia

BMW has recently introduced a steering wheel with some neat F1-inspired goodies embedded. It’s called the BMW Performance Steering Wheel. From the 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock positions, there are a series of LED indicators and a central screen that displays all sorts of data. A G-meter, stopwatch with lap timing, quarter-mile timer, engine temperature, and shift lights are all displayed on the wheel.

I don’t know who might use this, but it certainly looks cool. I like that an auto manufacturer is attempting to bring more F1 technology to consumers. I'll personally never be a F1 driver, but this sort of option can let me pretend. Actually, I think the light indicators, optimized for fuel efficiency, could be useful. It would be nice to see them incorporate the paddle shifters here too so that weekend racers can get the full F1 racer effect. Maybe we’ll see that in a future version. For now, we’ll have to settle for flashing lights and scrolling numbers.

Are you excited for this cool bit of tech? Will you be upgrading your BMW with a new steering wheel? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!