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      01-03-2018, 12:03 AM   #1
TheShaddix
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Installed M performance V2 wheel - review

Hello everyone,

I just installed an M performance V2 wheel and I'm super impressed with it. I was losing connection with my car and just didn't feel as excited driving it anymore. Then I got my oem wheel wrapped in alcantara, but that didn't help at all. I figured I might as well try this V2 wheel. I grabbed one from Alex (autocouture). He went through a similar situation and didn't enjoy driving his gts with the oem wheel. I could totally relate so I trusted his opinion. Long story short, I simply cannot get enough of the car now. I want to just keep driving it aimlessly. The wheel feels so aggressive and fun to grip. So, if anyone is experiencing a similar lack of connection, get this wheel and see for yourself! Something as small as this can totally change the whole car.

I also made a video tutorial (link below) on how to swap it out, step by step, as well as a comparison side-by-side with my previous wheel. The oem wheel feels like a thick round sausage in comparison: it's the same thickness all around which just doesn't feel sporty in any way. I liked it initially, but grew bored of it fast. The new wheel has the feel I was looking for with its thicker side grips (alcantara) and a better overall shape design: something that is really evident when going through twisty roads or even just cruising. It has a squared cross-section and feels edgier. Coupled with suede gloves it just creates the ultimate lock on the side grips. The flat bottom is really nice. The leather is identical to the oem quality. Although the new wheel is the same in diameter to the oem, it does feel smaller somehow.


>>> Video tutorial (click below) <<<

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ctLrlVVV9o&t=62s


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Last edited by TheShaddix; 01-04-2018 at 03:09 PM..
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      01-03-2018, 12:48 AM   #2
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      01-03-2018, 09:52 AM   #3
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Got the same wheel. Love it.
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      01-03-2018, 10:01 AM   #4
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That wheel should have came stock
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      01-03-2018, 10:44 AM   #5
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Nice. Got mine from Alex as well. Going to install hopefully soon. How hard was it to put/slot all the wires back?
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      01-03-2018, 11:05 AM   #6
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I wish they made one without alcantara and with a heating element.
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      01-03-2018, 01:05 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geroz1 View Post
Nice. Got mine from Alex as well. Going to install hopefully soon. How hard was it to put/slot all the wires back?
If you follow my video, it's actually pretty easy to do all the wiring. It's all plug and play. The trickiest part is tucking them back in, but I took pics before I removed them initially to know how it goes back.
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      01-03-2018, 01:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomedkaz View Post
I wish they made one without alcantara and with a heating element.
I lost heating with this wheel, but I don't miss it. Initially, that's what held me back from buying one, but I'll gladly sacrifice that in favor of better driving experience. Also, Alcantara is more durable than leather if you take care of it, especially if you wear suede lined gloves on longer, more spirited drives. Once it gets dirty, just clean it and it's brand new again. Leather starts looking really bad after a while of constant driving. I see ugly, worn out leather wheels on most used m cars when I go to the dealer.
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      01-03-2018, 01:46 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheShaddix View Post
I lost heating with this wheel, but I don't miss it. Initially, that's what held me back from buying one, but I'll gladly sacrifice that in favor of better driving experience. Also, Alcantara is more durable than leather if you take care of it, especially if you wear suede lined gloves on longer, more spirited drives. Once it gets dirty, just clean it and it's brand new again. Leather starts looking really bad after a while of constant driving. I see ugly, worn out leather wheels on most used m cars when I go to the dealer.
You may have convinced me ....

why is modding such a drug?!
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      01-03-2018, 04:37 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomedkaz View Post
You may have convinced me ....

why is modding such a drug?!
You're definitely asking the wrong person! I've been modding since the day I picked this car up.
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      01-03-2018, 05:01 PM   #11
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Niceeee. Thinking of changing as well
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      01-03-2018, 07:20 PM   #12
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The only con with this wheel is they should've done the leather where the alcantara is (on the sides where you grip it)

And alcantara goes on the top and bottom
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      01-03-2018, 08:47 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bem4 View Post
The only con with this wheel is they should've done the leather where the alcantara is (on the sides where you grip it)

And alcantara goes on the top and bottom
That sort of defeats the whole point of the wheel... The alcantara sides are better for grip (with suede gloves) than leather. I would never buy this wheel if it were how you described. But to each their own!
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      01-03-2018, 10:02 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheShaddix View Post
Also, Alcantara is more durable than leather if you take care of it, especially if you wear suede lined gloves on longer, more spirited drives. Once it gets dirty, just clean it and it's brand new again. Leather starts looking really bad after a while of constant driving. I see ugly, worn out leather wheels on most used m cars when I go to the dealer.
Hmmm you reminded me of an article a while back that begs to differ https://thegarage.jalopnik.com/suede...ors-1733409981

I use my heated wheel quite often so I'm back and forth on this one. On the one hand it's more of a nice-to-have than a must-have but so is this V2 wheel. Perhaps one day I'll end up with the V2 when the M3 is not the only car we have

Having said that, I've never actually felt Alcantara in the cold. Does it stay warmer than the leather does?
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      01-04-2018, 12:17 AM   #15
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I just purchased and installed this wheel a few days ago as well. I definitely agree with you. It gives the car a more sportier and special feel.
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      01-04-2018, 12:24 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndukyh View Post
Hmmm you reminded me of an article a while back that begs to differ https://thegarage.jalopnik.com/suede...ors-1733409981

I use my heated wheel quite often so I'm back and forth on this one. On the one hand it's more of a nice-to-have than a must-have but so is this V2 wheel. Perhaps one day I'll end up with the V2 when the M3 is not the only car we have

Having said that, I've never actually felt Alcantara in the cold. Does it stay warmer than the leather does?
I've read that article some time ago and was almost convinced that I'd never get anything Alcantara or suede again. But I did a bit more research on this topic as I always liked this material. I learned a few interesting facts. For one, Alcantara is just European rebranded ultrasuede (which is a type of microfiber). It feels almost identical to regular suede, but it's a bit softer. When you see people complain about its durability and it looking gross and worn out it's mainly because they don't know how to clean it or don't care to. Most also use it wrong. This material absorbs everything that gets in contact with it: skin oil, dirt, sweat, you name it... It's fabric, so the same logic applies. You can't just wipe it off like with leather. If you don't fully clean it after a while, it will look and feel flat and oily and loses its qualities, even with gloves. For daily driving wearing gloves is a bit inconvenient, so I just make sure my hands are 100% clean every time. I also use gloves when I go on more spirited drives. I have a similar wheel for my gaming rig at home and at some point it became really dirty and I thought it was a goner. After some basic cleaning it looked new again!

I am not trying to sell this wheel to anyone or help anyone sell it. I just wanted to share my excitement. I normally don't post about any mod unless it's seriously impressive.

And to answer your question, alcantara/suede feels more or less neutral in cold or hot weather unlike leather. That's why I didn't care about losing the heating.
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      01-04-2018, 12:54 AM   #17
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I've been using Sonax Alcantara cleaner on my M Performance handbrake and shift knob and it seem to do a good job of keeping the alcantara looking good. Not sure if it would get annoying to clean a steering wheel every few days. I also sort of hate how dust and dead skin flakes get stuck in the alcantara.
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      01-04-2018, 09:37 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheShaddix View Post
That sort of defeats the whole point of the wheel... The alcantara sides are better for grip (with suede gloves) than leather. I would never buy this wheel if it were how you described. But to each their own!
Trust me, that fresh alcantara will get sticky. Especially if you have sweaty hands.

One of the reasons I sold my Electronic Steering wheel. Now with perforated leather on the sides, it breathes much better, and won't wear like alcantara will overtime.
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      01-05-2018, 08:25 AM   #19
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Glad you found a solution! It's definitely the main downside to this material. Meanwhile, I am still enjoying this V2 wheel daily driving the car. I use my suede-lined bicycle gloves most of the time though. The grip is just so much better vs. bare hands.
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      01-05-2018, 08:29 AM   #20
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Would love this wheel but I'm not sure I can live without the heating element especially in these cold winter months.
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      01-05-2018, 08:36 AM   #21
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I leave for work early in the morning around 6 am and this wheel never feels cold, nothing like the leather wheel which fluctuates from super cold to super hot with the weather. But then again, it doesn't really get as cold here. Maybe in extreme temps it would be an issue. But I can relate to this dilemma as it's exactly why I held off from buying this wheel for some time.
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      01-08-2018, 01:30 PM   #22
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Nice!

Thank you for the review
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