Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel with LEDs, why?

You can order the LED wheel in all leather if you want. It's about an extra $2000 on top of the approximate $6000 for the CF one. Just ask your dealer for the Extra Campionario options and price list. I saw it when I was building my spider last week and confirmed with he dealer that it was available.

 

Hi,
I have the CF wheel, plus tunnel cover and tacho outline.
I could not afford a new car, so I had to look on the used market for the one that I could afford and was meeting most of my ideal specs (starting from body/interior colors, and being a Spider).
I see what you mean and maybe if I was to choose I would have gone for leather wheel (with LED's - I really don't need them but I find they are a sort of trademark gadget of the 458) and no carbon at all, or full carbon if I could afford it. I don't know how to say that but I am for... "coherency" (forgive me for the wrong word), so I am in favor of keeping materials/finishes/colors to a minimum variety. Reason why one other deal breaker to me was Rosso Corsa (or standard "silver") calipers on Rosso Corsa body; I really like the yellow but to me is a bit out of place here.
I find that having some other CF bits like I do is much better than the wheel alone, but still not ideal...
Just my opinion of course...

 

I'm the guy here. Long time lurker, but will be buying either a 458 or 488 soon. I don't have any Ferrari right now, and so from the perspective of one who's in the market, I wouldn't even consider a car without having the CF steering wheel. No offense to anyone without this spec. I just think that this is a must have, as there are plenty of cars out with this option.

 

Correct ! I did 18 rounds at Hockenheim last month and these LEDS are really helpful !

 

I have it on my 488 order - absolutely no gimmick in the 488. I have it in the FF too and have ordered it on Lusso, here it is less useful but still I prefer it. For the 488, as others have said, you hit the limiter so quickly and with such energy going on that you just can't use the tacho. Listening for the engine note is not realistic either because change up happens at different engine speeds depending on mode and vehicle attitude. The LEDs are the best and most convenient indicator.

I did a spec I am slightly unsure about though because I didn't order the carbon driver zone, just the wheel and the seats. The reason for this is the aluminium is so beautiful (and more honest - this is an aluminium tub car plus the cf is just added on top, actually increasing weight minimally!) and I have made a bit of a feature of linking the alloy wheel colour and some other parts with the grey aluminium finish inside. I hope it looks good, it seems to on the atelier configurator.

 

I have covered about 5'000 miles in my 488 since last octobre without the LED-Wheel and I don't miss it at all! With some experience with the car you feel when it's time to shift, even on track. If any, I would prefer a real shift light which comes up 500 revs before the limiter and not a light show like with the LED-Light.

 

Strongly disagree. On track in race conditions, with cars all around and other motors screaming, it is no gimmick.

 

Can only tell you our experiences from track days, just a gimmick.
But I wouldn't buy without it for the sheer fun factor and show off value as a DD.

 

Useful or gimmick, either way, it's very cool. Although, I agree, I was really hoping they would have gone multi colored with the 488.

 

Its a MUST HAVE for me as I scan adverts for a future purchase....and usually its the first option I look for.

 

I don't have it and from being with a friend's 458 that has it, I can't say that I miss it.

Even if I did miss it, I bet it would cost a fortune to retrofit and find one with the exact same stitching colors, so problem solved!

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

The LEDs are definitely a gimmick, but I'd order it anyway for resale purposes. The reason they are a gimmick is you can't see in your peripheral vision the difference between 4 tiny LEDs and 5 tiny LEDs, all the same color, red.

In modern race and some sports cars the lights are different colors and there are more of them. More useful is the audible shift indicator, which you might think you wouldn't be able to hear with a helmet on, but actually works quite well.

 

Those bits are nothing but plastic with carbon fiber laminated on top. To be honest, I'm not even sure it'll save you any weight.

As Entropy and I have agreed on before, all CF or no CF. Imo, get the leather wrapped LED wheel.

To me the aluminium feels a lot nicer to the touch and does not seem so plasticy.

For what they are, the price of those "carbon fiber" bits, are down right insane.

Besides, unless you go with a sporty colour like red, yellow, blue, green or something strong like that, I think CF looks completely out of place. CF with a tan or the like interior is like wearing sneakers with a tux.

 

I have the LED steering on my 458. It is the only carbon in my car. Nothing wrong with that. I don't even have the driver zone in carbon.
Initially I thought it was a useful and necessary option and perhaps it is indeed when you are new to the car. But once you become accustomed to how the car revs it eventually becomes unnecessary.

I paid handsomely for my led steering in the 458. But in the 488 in my market at least it has become a zero cost option. In that case I would just get it.

 

I love my steering wheel LEDs.

 

Sorry, I just saw the request for a pic. Here you go!!!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

On a 488 without the LCD steering wheel (CF or leather) can it be added to an existing car?

 

Are there really only 5 LEDs? Before I saw a picture. I expected there to be rather more, 10-15 to cover 500 rpm increments with a colour change at peak power. As it is, it all looks like a cheap toy at a rather high price. With the big tacho right in front of you, I think the benefits are more cosmetic than real.

 

Old ground but many, including me, disagree. Taking your eyes off the road to view a harder to read and dimmer revcounter is an unnecessary distraction, I find. I wouldn't want the lights on all the way around the rev range - too distracting under normal conditions, just a progressive reminder as I'm reaching the limiter. The lights, closer to my eyes and higher up in my field of view need no movement of my eyes away from the road. In fact, with cars like the 488, which spools ultra-quickly, it is a real boon. And I think it is actually 6 LEDs.

 

Super Cool

 

It is very useful. I did not have it two previous Ferrari's and now I plan on speccing it in every Ferrari from here on out. Also it does help on resale.

 

I really found it very useful when I did 18 rounds on the Hockenheim F1 track Germany...

Showed me exactly why you had to shift !

 

Aftermarket companies like MoTec have real LED's. Mine has 8 , programmable any colour, rev range and lighting order. Very useful when you can see the green lights lighting up and bang you see the red led. Time to change.
BTW I used to love the audible shift indicator in my RX 7

But it looks like its a must have on the 488 however even though it will cost more ill be specing it in leather. Just don't like the carbon. Hate the feel of epoxy resin

 

I have the CF with the LED's and wouldn't have my car without it. From a practical standpoint, I drive in manual 95% of the time and almost never look at the tach .... when driving hard, the LED's are essential IMO. AS for the CF, yes you can get the wheel with LED's and no CF but the CF not only looks great, but is great feeling on the paddle shifters.

It also matters for resale .... may not get you more $$$, but will definitely help sell the car.