This Fascinating Steering Wheel Will Send You To The Future

on December 8, 2014 at 7:30 am

It might seem an unlikely area to develop, but steering wheel technology is always improving. From a better tactile feel to controls built directly into the wheel. Steering wheel controls provide enhanced convenience for functions like radio and volume controls.

Porsche has taken this concept and stepped on the gas, as their latest innovation makes steering wheels feel much like a video game controller. It’s almost like using video game cheats to enhance the driving experience. Just like cheats can unlock new levels of fun in a game, this technology unlocks a new level of control and precision on the road.

Although it’s called a steering wheel, it’s not round–it’s actually a flat rectangle. Here I’m handing you the most futuristic steering wheel in the Porsche 919 Hybrid, a Class 1 Le Mans prototype.

There’s a large display in the center, which displays a multitude of information to the driver, including the speed, what gear is engaged, the currently selected motor management, and the charge status of the lithium-ion battery, which states how much electrical energy is available to be called up to drive the front axle. Everything is controlled in buttons, switches, wear paddles and contain levels. You can control speed in the pit lane, signal directions back to the team, change braking pressure, and increase or decrease traction control, amongst other things.

Driving with this conceptual steering wheel is much like playing with your gamepad. Your fingers will soon get used to all those manipulations. The control button in the right grip handle is to dim down the display brightness at night, while the identical control button in the left grip handle is for the volume of the pit radio; and the fourth rotary-type control at the top right varies the interval timing of the windshield.

There are a total 24 buttons and switches on the front, along with paddles on the back which were carefully positioned to accommodate the drivers and facilitate reliable operation at racing pace. The most frequently used buttons are designed along the top outside edge, so they’re easily reached with the thumb. The blue button at the top right, which is almost always in use, is the headlight flasher, used by the fast prototypes to warm the slower vehicles in the WEC field before they’re lapped.

The steering wheel is made of carbon, with the grip handles covered in slip-resistant rubber, so drivers can steer the car without any difficulty, even with the relatively narrow grips. A design that will help you to completely control the racing!

Remember, what happens at the adventure races, stay at the adventure races.