Just curious, anyone here opt to upgrade the plain but functional steering wheel on IS 500 to something a bit more racy? I've seen pics of various designs utilizing carbon fiber and Alcantara. Though, many of them are for F cars I believe.

Is there someone here with experience with similar for IS 500? If so, curious to hear about quality, functionality, cost, source... etc.

Example --> https://niaautodesign.com/products/l...steering-wheel

 

Not mine. Im too much of a chickens**t to mess with the airbags.

 

the airbag is the easiest part though! haha

 

Wow... that looks pretty nice! That's what I'm taking about! Don't know about quality but based on look alone, thats much more inline with one would expect to be in a car like IS 500.

 

I share his concerns... but thats why the guy disconnected the battery. Also, can always get a competent tech to install it if anything. Thats not even an hours worth of labor.

Question is... where was this one sourced from? Ebay is full of chinese junk around $300 that look nice, but I don't think I want to mess with those. Is there a reputable, high end supplier for these somewhere?

 

i ordered one with led should have it by July sometime. ill update when installed and i did opt to lose my heat function as im in FL. minus rthe red in the middle also

 

That looks pretty cool! What do the extra buttons and the little screen plug into?

 

The install does look pretty easy and straight forward. Ive got enough confidence in my skill to be able to do it.......famous last words. Haha.

 

@DeepBlue99 you reuse ur old buttons and i watched a few videos on hopefully where to tap in for the led to function. there are few people on the is350 and RCF that have done it

 

I picked this one up. But deciding if I want to install or sell it

 

@chi3fy was referring to these. They look like extra buttons or indicators, plus there's this little screen in the middle showing rpm's and speed.

 

@Pandonsf This is very nice! Exactly the config I would pick. No CF, just better curves and flat bottom with white stitching since car is white.

Do you know if this is built on the actual OEM Lexus wheel? How does it feel quality wise? Also, source and price would be helpful.

Btw, why not at least install and see how it feels?

 

If I were going to do a flat-bottomed wheel for my IS 500, this is what I would go for - the black with white stitching would match my storm trooper perfectly and it's not at all overstated. Having had a flat-bottomed wheel in another car I owned, I really appreciated how much easier it was to get in and out of the car. Even with the wheel moving mostly out of the way in the IS 500 I think it would help.

There are some downsides, however. Drifting and getting sideways in general can be a bit problematic with a flat-bottomed wheel - even with practice - and with the IS 500's RWD making sideways time relatively easy to clock in and out of, I'd like to find a round one with a slightly smaller circumference than the stock wheel.

If you end up installing the wheel I'd love to see pics - I think that OEM+ design is really classy.

 

Tremendous work

 

@DeepBlue99 yes those buttons on top of the wheel is to go thru different vehicle status like temp rmp mph mpg etc and change light settings cause it lights up with the rpm range