..... are you happy with the purchase? Do you think it was worth the very high price that Mini wants for it?

I have been thinking about buying one but I have not been able to pull the trigger due to the price. I am not real fond of the stock one as it feels pretty synthetic to me but I know it is "just a steering wheel"....

I have seen the JCW one and really like the look and feel but I have not driven the car with the wheel.

I welcome your thoughts.

btw --- I have searched this a bunch and have read lots of positive feedback. Just looking for some fresh views from folks that have had it for a while.

 

Your dealer *should* have a 2009 JCW with the "launch kit" which includes the steering wheel. If they're close enough, might be worth a trip over to check it out.

I drove the one at my dealer and admittedly wasn't paying much attention to the wheel, but I don't remember thinking "this thing sucks" nor "this thing is awesome".

I'm interested to see what others have to say as well.

 

YES... do it!! I don't want any other wheel IN my car!!

it's great!!!

cheers

coen

 

Just a steering wheel? That is the part of the car you'll be fondling most! It should be the best it can be!

 

I have had the JCW wheel for awhile and I have to agree with most other comments, while pricey it is worth every penny IMHO. Here's why;

1. The increased size and leather gives me a better purchase and control of the wheel.
2. Since grip is improved I do not have any issues with hand and forearm fatigue during long motoring trips since I am more relaxed.
3. Lastly I feel like I have more control of the car with this steering wheel since feel is improved and it really is the only direct interface that I have concerning feedback with the car outside of maybe my backside..but I can not claim that this feedback improves performance or handling https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ilies/grin.gif

 

I finally ordered me the JCW Alacantra wheel today. I am so excited for it to get here. Hmmmmm, it's gonna be sweet.....just buy it and be done with it.

 

Oh oh, sorry I haven't given my thoughts on this but...I have an Alcantara JCW steering wheel and the quality is really really bad. The Alcantara has deteriorated very rapidly and I barely drive the car. After 5k miles with it installed, it looks awful and I will be installing the original one pretty soon before selling the car.
For the JCW09 I will definately get the JCW steering wheel but NOT the alcantara, I will go with the leather version as it will probably last a long time. The thickness and grip feel quite nice.
BTW: I don't do track day or auto cross so the wear and tear on the alcantara are very odd. My mini is kept indoors. Anyways, thought I offer my point of view and experience to everyone.
If interested, I can take some pics for you to see how deteriorated the suede has become.

 

There defiantly needs to be some care taken with the JCW Alcantara wheel. Alcantara is a man made material (faux suede) and there are directions from the manufacture how to clean it and keep it clean. To start with, You really need very clean hands when touching it. If your hands are naturally oily or dirty from a bag of corn chips , your going to transfer that onto the wheel giving it a matted shiny look and feel where it's touched at some point. It would be good to know if there is a product to apply to the Alcantara to prevent it from deteriorating, I found myself being overly concerned with touching it too much and it was affecting the way I drove the car . I like so many others bought the Alcantara version. It just looked so good, I had to have it ! I now own the full leather version and don't worry about where I can touch the wheel.

 

pauliekeys:
You are so right! The Alcantara feels so delicate that it really takes over the way you grip the steering wheel. Lucky for me, I am a vegetarian and don't eat junk food so the greasy part wasn't involved in the wear and tear process .
That said, I fully agree with you. If you want to enjoy your driving experience and not worry about the steering wheel go with the leather version.

 

I'd love to see some pictures of this, dissapointing for sure. Is it an item tha would be covered under warranty?

To the OP: I purchased my JCW wheel for $400, did the install in about 30 minutes without much drama. It is very nice compared to stock, worth it IMO. Obviously if the alcantara falls apart that would be an issue, but I've heard many r53 owners report that after a number of years it still looks fine.

 

I don't think the material will "fall apart" but as I said in a previous post to fdavid, the Alcantara material has to be protected in some way and cleaned regularly. Although it can be cleaned and maintained, I still think the Alcantara is a delicate material and most likely has a rather short life span.(time will tell) ! Alcantara is a trade mark name and can be found at www.alcantara.com. On there web site they have directions for cleaning the material and daily/weekly maintenance. I've seen an Alcantara wheel that was matted/shinny and dirty and this is what started me thinking that I should switch to the full leather. I would be very unhappy if the Alcantara started to wear after spending so much money. I had mentioned in a previous post that my attempt to keep the material clean was affecting the way I drove my car. I know I was being a little TOO cautious but I didn't want the disappointment.

It would be wonderful if the material could be brought back after getting so bad. I'm sure it would put some owners at ease.

 

Guys, I am out of town. Once I get back home in a weeks time I will load some images for you guys. Have a nice weekend.
D

 

Hey Fdavid,
Have you gone to the Alcantara web site (www.alcantara.com) ? They have cleaning instructions posted that might help out with the damage. Well, I don't think it's really damage but for lack of a better word . It would interesting to see if you could bring the Alcantara back !

 

I am picking up my Factory JCW tomorrow, ordered it with the JCW Leather Wheel. I've fondled the Alcantara one before and, while the wheel is a perfect size and shape, I didn't like the suede feel.

I'll report back when I've driven the JCW Leather for a while, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome and worth every penny...

 

It's amazing....buy it

 

Agreed with above. Expensive sure, but the best JCW trim bit to have on the car. Pic in my gallery for more eye candy.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...//ppuser/34753

 

We should just be happy that we have an optional steering wheel available to us at any price. I can tell you that $500 for the wheel is actually a good deal if you have ever priced steering wheels. A very nice leather MOMO would run $250-$300 range and they don't carry airbags and have to go through government crash testing. I know Tech-Art makes custom thick wheels for Porsches and they run between $1699 and $3,000 and that is without the core charge till they get your old wheel back. Factory Porsche wheels run 1k and up also.
I bought the full leather wheel and could not be happier with my purchase. If you are at all debating about it, just go for it and you will feel its money well spent everytime you get behind the wheel.

 

I have had the alcantara on for about 10,000 miles and it still looks like new. I think that while expensive, it is worth it in the long run. I would do it again. My personal preference tho is for a wheel that doesn't have the hand grips molded in. The best I ever had was a MoMo race air which was fat and constant thickness. I with the JCW was like that.
fig