should I?

[Jehu]

only once in my entire driving career, before i even had a proper license, did i ever enter a situation where i needed an airbag. When i was 15 and 1/2 , just after getting my learners permit, i stole my parents 1975 Chevelle Malibu and drove it to my aunts home on the Oceanfront. I came to around dawn and realized my Father would notice the car wasn't in the garage so started on the 30 mile drive back to face the music. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and while driving turned to my friend in the back seat and was handing him the coffee while it cooled off, telling him to make sure he didn't spill any when the road curved to the right and the car kept going straight. I went up over a curb, across a lawn and into the side of a cottage. Totaled the car, busted the windshield with my skull, knocked the house off its foundation and a little old lady out of bed but the car had no airbag and i haven't come close to any situation since where i would have benefitted from one and i have been driving full time as a rush courior for the past ten years driving a few hundred miles a day all over.I like the wood but actually like this one best of what i've seen. I just like the idea of personal customization.

[SharkmanBMW]

only once in my entire driving career, before i even had a proper license, did i ever enter a situation where i needed an airbag. When i was 15 and 1/2 , just after getting my learners permit, i stole my parents 1975 Chevelle Malibu and drove it to my aunts home on the Oceanfront. I came to around dawn and realized my Father would notice the car wasn't in the garage so started on the 30 mile drive back to face the music. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and while driving turned to my friend in the back seat and was handing him the coffee while it cooled off, telling him to make sure he didn't spill any when the road curved to the right and the car kept going straight. I went up over a curb, across a lawn and into the side of a cottage. Totaled the car, busted the windshield with my skull, knocked the house off its foundation and a little old lady out of bed but the car had no airbag and i haven't come close to any situation since where i would have benefitted from one and i have been driving full time as a rush courior for the past ten years driving a few hundred miles a day all over.I like the wood but actually like this one best of what i've seen. I just like the idea of personal customization.

I suggest a non-wood material, leather is best
I had wood in a loaner jag and it was gross when your hands sweat. even if you are not a sweaty person, it gets annoying!
Plus, airbags will save your ass if you pull a stunt like your "cottage jumping" again!

[Jehu]

yah i know they can get icky...... oh well.. Thanks.

[Alexlind123]

The wood would be very easy to clean.

My OEM leather wheel is dirty from the PO. I wash my hands after every time that i drive it. I have tried leather cleaner and mild simple green solution, but nothing seems to work. Its almost like the car was smoked in, although it doesnt smell like it. Maybe the PO was a smoker, but not in the car, and his nicotine stained fingers impregnated the pores of the leather with the smell. Or maybe he did smoke in the car, but there are none of the telltale signs like ashes in the cracks and crevasses in the interior and the ashtray is unused and, once again, it doesnt smell like it. The car was clean, but not detailed to within an inch of its life when i got it, so the nonsmoking theory stands strong. Or maybe the PO just never, ever washed his hands. Even after using the bathroom. My dermatologist told me to wash my hands less (im not OCD, BTW), but that causes me to refrain from washing my hands to turn a page in the bentley while working on my car, and not to refrain from overall cleanliness. My hands are very clean most of the time (like when im not working on my car ) tho, and i never drive my car with dirty hands.

P.S. Leather is ALOT more "gross" than wood when you think about it...

[Jehu]

good point . I tend to agree. Its good to hear many opinions...

[SharkmanBMW]

get one of these... hmmm... direct fit?? worth a shot!

[s_ribbens]

Wow! Are M-Tech wheels always that cheap? Looks terrific.

[Nick.Hay]

Depends on the wood (if any) in the 540...

Not a big fan of wood panels and wheels in cars.

[Ausmpower]

Hmm.... Never seen or heard of a genuine BMW steering wheel under 385 mm in diameter...

I'd ask to see a photo of the rear of that wheel, I'll bet there is an aftermarket boss kit attached.

I'd go the ///M II wheel.

[31Hertz]

buy this steering wheel for the 540?

I had a 91 Chevy S-10 Blazer with a Grant wooden steering wheel. I liked the look of it, but on long trips it would induce finger fatigue. There is no cushion at all, whereas I believe the leather offers some small level of comfort. Then there is the "grip" factor. Like Sharkman said, if your hands are wet or sweaty, grip may become an issue. Oh, and please don't delete your airbag