Steering Wheel Perfectly Round?

[TMarque]

I remember reading some time ago about someone mentioning their steering wheel on their Model 3 was not perfectly round, and I remember thinking they must be crazy as it looks like a perfect circle in every picture I’ve seen. Then I took delivery of my P3D(+) on Halloween, and have since noticed, especially during a turn where the steering wheel is turned at least 180 degrees so the bottom is on the top, and watching it spin, my steering wheel has a flat bottom. It’s very subtle, but it definitely is not a perfect circle.

What does everyone else observe? Is this something that was done only on the P3D or are all models this way? Or is my steering wheel defective in some way? It looks symmetrical, so I’m leaning towards it being intentionally done.

 

[Runt8]

My AWD non-P is the same way.

 

[Az_Rael]

I remember reading some time ago about someone mentioning their steering wheel on their Model 3 was not perfectly round, and I remember thinking they must be crazy as it looks like a perfect circle in every picture I’ve seen. Then I took delivery of my P3D(+) on Halloween, and have since noticed, especially during a turn where the steering wheel is turned at least 180 degrees so the bottom is on the top, and watching it spin, my steering wheel has a flat bottom. It’s very subtle, but it definitely is not a perfect circle.

What does everyone else observe? Is this something that was done only on the P3D or are all models this way? Or is my steering wheel defective in some way? It looks symmetrical, so I’m leaning towards it being intentionally done.

It is intentional. Having a flat bottom steering wheel is the latest trend in sport sedans. Our Audi S4 had one, and the Model S and my LR RWD Model 3. I believe it has some relation to steering wheels used in race cars since race car cockpits are small and the flat bottom provides some leg room. So it is seen as "more sporty".