Steering wheel?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,842
Likes: 140
From: When all is said and done... there is a hell of a lot more said than done. Riverside,Texas
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
Steering wheel?
WTF - doesn't anybody at corvette design drive any other cars. No controls for climate, radio, gauge selection, and it's ugly. Might've been better off with a tiller.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 159
From: Queens NY
Re: Steering wheel? (xilr8n)
They got one thing right. It has a colored logo on it.
There goes one aftermarket item. :thumbs:
There goes one aftermarket item. :thumbs:
Those who complain about it being a Malibu wheel are blissfully ignorant about the significant cost factors inherent to designing an exclusive major specific part like a steering wheel. Among those factors are labor intensive safety evaluations relative to airbag integration and crashworthiness all of which are already known in an approved corporate part.
Those that wish for steering wheel mounted accessories seem not to know that those things, while certainly nice, add not inconsiderable amounts of weight via wiring harnesses to their various control arrays. They also add unnecessary costs as they are in effect duplicates of already existing control sets.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,842
Likes: 140
From: When all is said and done... there is a hell of a lot more said than done. Riverside,Texas
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
Re: Steering wheel? (Bwright)
Those that wish for steering wheel mounted accessories seem not to know that those things, while certainly nice, add not inconsiderable amounts of weight via wiring harnesses to their various control arrays. They also add unnecessary costs as they are in effect duplicates of already existing control sets.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,559
Likes: 159
From: Queens NY
Re: Steering wheel? (ben dover)
i get a little tired of the weight argument concerning anything they should have done, but didn't. Unnecessary costs my azz, with what the car costs the consumer maybe they could afford a few unnecessary costs.
By the way, when you get some free time read All Corvettes are Red. Pay particular attention to the sections on the specific reasons that each of the individual weight classes a car can go through are so important.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
Re: Steering wheel? (ben dover)
Similar shape to my Acura CLS. Have to admit that no matter how I hold on to the wheel, whether on the rim or spokes, there is no interference with seeing the instruments. I'll pass on judgement at this time until I can get my hands around it. May not be a bad thing if comfortable.
Controls on wheels - Nice, but not a deal breaker.
Controls on wheels - Nice, but not a deal breaker.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,842
Likes: 140
From: When all is said and done... there is a hell of a lot more said than done. Riverside,Texas
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
Re: Steering wheel? (Bwright)
Well, weight in a performance car is a serious issue. This normally requires no explanation to an enthusiast. Perhaps you might be more comfortable with a GT car weighing in at 4,000+ lbs when they get done adding everything "they should have done". I believe Ferrari sells one called the 612 Scaglietti. It's also blessed with some very cool steering wheel mounted accessories. Since unecessary costs are clearly not an issue for you then its quarter million dollar + price will certainly not be an impediment. Be a sport and let us know how it drives.
I didn't say they should charge anymore, just give a liitle more for the buck.
Just the difference between a little "class" and a chevrolet
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere in Michigan
Re: Steering wheel? (ben dover)
UM... wasn't this post about the steering wheel? These threads are starting to resemble a barrel full of rats that have devoured the cheese and are now comsuming each other!!! :lol:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,071
Likes: 317
From: Central Florida
Re: Steering wheel? (ben dover)
This is not the first time Corvette shared a steering wheel with an economy car. The 1976 Corvette shared the same steering wheel with the Vega. I think the steering wheel being shared with the Malibu is the least of the problems with the new Corvette. The interior does not look like it has changed very much, the aluminum trim looks like the aftermarket stick on parts sold by the aftermarket vendors. I really expected a real change with the location of the instruments and a more user friendly "BMW" or "Audi" look. I think the outside looks decent, but still has the heavy C5 influence. Personally, the change from the C5 to C6 is not radical enough for me to trade in my currecnt C5 to purchase the C6. I think I will wait for the C7. Its nice but not nice enough to make me want one. :cheers:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 837
Likes: 184
From: North Wales PA
Re: Steering wheel? (ben dover)
I would absolutely despise having any control other than the horn on the steering wheel. Can you even imagine autocrossing and having the car alternate between a/c and heater, turning on the radio, and changing the stations? :lol:
It's bad enough when see people knock the windshield wipers... and those controls aren't even on the wheel!
It's bad enough when see people knock the windshield wipers... and those controls aren't even on the wheel!
Racer
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area Ca
Re: Steering wheel? (Kevin93)
I would absolutely despise having any control other than the horn on the steering wheel. Can you even imagine autocrossing and having the car alternate between a/c and heater, turning on the radio, and changing the stations? :lol:
It's bad enough when see people knock the windshield wipers... and those controls aren't even on the wheel!
It's bad enough when see people knock the windshield wipers... and those controls aren't even on the wheel!
Turn your radio volume down and off during auto-xing. So this is a non-issue.
I'll tell you what is and issue...the 4 spokes. That will get in the way during auto-xing a lot more than if the wheel were a 3 spoke.
And about the tooling and testing issue for a different wheel...GM has a huge inventory of wheels to choose from. They can go to Holden, Saab, Opel, etc. I don't know...of any component that is used in a car, and used all the time, it is the wheel. No place to try and save a few bucks.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Dublin OH
Re: Steering wheel? (C6-XTSY)
You have aparently never been in a Cadillac. Fan and temp controls on the steering wheel. This steering wheel sucks, it is straight out of the Malibu. The more I look at the C6, the more outraged I am.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge LA
Re: Steering wheel? (AFVETTE)
I can't decide if I like it or not, but if it really is from another car, that would offend me.. Just like earlier owners were offended by the Vega wheel.
But as far as wheel mounted controls go, I have several other cars that have them, and i hate 'em. They are dangerous to use, at least for me, because if the wheel is not in exactly the right position, I have to be careful not to move it while operating the control. This problem is much worse in a car with "fast" steering than in a normal car.
But insofar as the wheel mounted controls imply luxury, I am surprised they are not there. If Corvette left them off for a reason, I just wish they would make a statement, and not just let it become a sore spot.
Regards,
[Modified by ZR1991, 3:36 PM 12/24/2003]
But as far as wheel mounted controls go, I have several other cars that have them, and i hate 'em. They are dangerous to use, at least for me, because if the wheel is not in exactly the right position, I have to be careful not to move it while operating the control. This problem is much worse in a car with "fast" steering than in a normal car.
But insofar as the wheel mounted controls imply luxury, I am surprised they are not there. If Corvette left them off for a reason, I just wish they would make a statement, and not just let it become a sore spot.
Regards,
[Modified by ZR1991, 3:36 PM 12/24/2003]
