You think joysticks for production would have been fun?
It’s safe for us to say that the steering wheels of production vehicles are now normal. Except for the Chevrolet Corvette C8, most steering wheels are either flat-bottomed or round.
It wasn’t always this way. Many concept cars have futuristic designs. Select Car Leasing gathered the oddities and listed the most bizarre steering wheels ever created in concept form.
Honda EV-STER (2011)
Honda unveiled the EV-STER Concept, a convertible two-seater that uses carbon materials to reduce weight at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.
The electric sports car concept featured joysticks instead of a traditional steering wheel. It was designed to resist G-forces during tight corners (probably on track days), and to maintain the driver’s balance while maneuvering.
BMW Z22 (1999)
The BMW Z22, a futuristic concept created by BMW Technik GmbH in 1999, was released by BMW. The concept featured technology toys like side cameras and head-up displays. These are things that we see in cars today, but it was only a figment.
The rectangular steering wheel was not mechanically operated, but instead took electronic commands from the driver. The middle of the steering wheel had a fingerprint scanner for ignition. The transmission can also be switched via buttons.
Oldsmobile Incas (1986)
This is a steering wheel. It’s not a pilot’s yoke, or a Rebel X-Wing Fighter Fighter cloak. This steering wheel is one of our favorite. It was first introduced in the Oldsmobile Incas back in 1986. A fully-digital dashboard matched the aircraft-derived helm, completes the aeronautic experience.
The control yoke looks straight out of a videogame. It was actually developed based on market research. This was preferred by the new generation of car buyers over the old type.
The 1980 Citroen Karin had a trapezoidal design and a driver seat with two back seats ( , a la McLaren F1). The steering wheel was not the only thing that was unusual about it. It had a unique notch that connected with a keypad.
These were in fact telephone buttons that could be used to control the car’s other controls without having to release the steering wheel.
1978’s Turin Motor Show was the birthplace for the Stratos-based Lancia Sibilo, a wedge-shaped supercar. Although the exterior was not new, the interior caught everyone’s attention.
Lancia Sibilo (1978)
The ergonomic one-piece steering wheel was intended to be ergonomic. However, the custom grip design was created to make drivers feel as if they were touching someone’s hand. To keep the steering wheel minimalistic, all buttons were placed behind it.
The Turin Motor Show also featured the Lancia Sibilo and the 1971 Maserati Boomerang concepts. This was Giorgetto Giugiaro’s most extreme creation. Although the exterior was shaped like a wedge, the interior was more wild than what you would see.
Maserati Boomerang (1971)
Despite being round the steering column was nearly as wide as its counterpart, and all controls were located inside.