Tesla's 'Knight Rider' steering wheel may not meet NHTSA standards

[Richard_Kirk]

When I was young, my parents had a small Commer Cob Van in the early sixties. This had a headlight dip switch on the floor; giving us Accelerator Brake Clutch Dip.

[emo_pinata]

That’s a steering wheel that’s emulating the design of high performance racing vehicles and mostly is only used in non-street-legal cars incapable of turning 90. It’s Tesla pushing a luxury sport look over functionality (because shockingly designs intended for racing don’t translate well to daily driving). Just google Lemans teams cars or a Gran Tourismo cockpit view and you’ll see the wheel design. It’s also why you can find some sport cars with the design in it.

[csilvest]

Preach it, brother! I put one on my boat steering wheel, which needs 3 full turns in each direction. I’d put one in my car but my wife thinks it’d make us look like farmers.

[Immutable_Mike]

@NukeML

The turn signal (indicator) and wipers are reversed. As such I always, ALWAYS, turn on my wipers instead of the turn signal, especially while merging onto a highway from a ramp on the left, while shifting with my left.

If only it was that simple. Here in Aus we get imports from everywhere and the stalks can be on either side. When my wife and I swap cars I’m always indicating through the use of windscreen wipers.

[NukeML]

I usually get a Holden somethingorother in Australia. Seems to be reverse of anything I find in the US.

In Ireland one leaves the wipers on 100% of the time so it’s not as common to screw up.

[Stripes]

@NickyG

I don’t understand how this could possibly work for driving a real car that operates even remotely like the others on the road. Making a turn, oh no, ran out of steering wheel to hold on to…

There are real cars with similar designs, I think many current race cars use this sort of design because they are so low to the ground the wheel obstructs the view and the steering in a race car is very responsive (you don’t need three full rotations from left lock to right lock).

I imagine the design is “inspired” by use in race cars, although if they lack the sensitive response they are likely to be bad because you will reach for the wheel to hand over hand and not find it (sound of a Tesla running into a building). On the other hand if the steering is made as responsive as a race car people will have big issues with oversteer (sound of a Tesla ramming the curb, popping over, and landing on top of oncoming traffic).