Sorry Mario, but your Wii Wheel just got lapped, backed over and left in the dust. Heck, even the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel looks toyish propped up next to this. Then again, neither of the previously mentioned accessories will put a $349.99 hole in your bank account, but did you really expect anything else from an officially licensed Porsche product? According to Fanatec, it took the firm seven years to acquire the license, and it required that the wheel be "the best out there." We can't judge the quality from here, but we can tell you it supports wireless USB technology and boasts a trio of force feedback motors, a 6+1 speed H-pattern gear shifter, cordless pedals, an automotive grade leather covering, a key-shaped 1GB flash drive for storing settings and compatibility with Sony's PlayStation 3 and PCs of (almost) all ages. Look at it this way: it's still probably cheaper than two tanks of premium.

Time's running out, folks, and if you've got an Xbox 360 gamer in your life that you've vowed to spend a C-note on (and nothing more, tax notwithstanding), here's a bright idea. Microsoft has just cut the price of its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel by $30 to a manageable $99, and it also comes bundled with a driver disc and a demo of Forza Motorsport 2. So, what are you waitin' on? No, really, what's the holdup?

We're not certain that your steering wheel is the best or safest place to attach a handsfree device, but those of you looking to up your Michael Knight factor might be interested in Seecode's new Wheel Bluetooth kit. Featuring a small screen and call-control buttons, the battery-operated unit allows you to chat away on speakerphone, send / end calls, and view your phonebook -- all while (hopefully) keeping your eyes on the road. No word on when these might be available, but check the read link for the usual riveting assortment of FCC docs.

One may wonder how on Earth a wheel manufacturer can top the sheer gaudiness displayed on the world's biggest spinners, but apparently, somebody's already all over it. Shown at SEMA 2007, the pictured Chrysler 300 was sporting a set of LED-equipped wheels (PimpStar, anyone?), each of which contained its own (effectively worthless) color display. Unfortunately, all we have to go by is a short video (posted after the jump, if you dare) which incorrectly calls the car a Bentley, so as you may expect, we've no idea how much coin these will demand. But then again, your money would probably be better spent on in-car electronics -- or pretty much anything else, to be frank.

Granted, there are options out there if you're looking to buy rims not constructed from some type of metallic matter, but for the tamer crowd, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's plastic alternatives are probably more your style. The firm's research team has reportedly developed fiber-reinforced plastics that enabled trial wheels to last some 250,000 kilometers without falling apart, and they are hoping that designers will soon have "more latitude in their choice of material." The next challenge, however, is convincing regulators that non-metal rims have what it takes to be a safe addition to your next vehicle, but barring any major catastrophes in future test scenarios, you won't find us complaining about wheels that weigh (and cost) less.

[Via Autoblog]

What's a northeastern driver to do when wintry roads spell danger for everyday tires, while normal conditions hamper breaking ability for the studded variety? Well, Q's Celsius tires have traction studs that protrude and retract on your command -- practical and 007 slick, like something Q would install for use in rescuing Halle Berry from a gigantic ice palace. How it works: when you're ready to enter extreme weather mode, the tires use their own air supply to fill a secondary chamber that pushes the studs through the surface, past the tread. Then when conditions clear up, the studs retract back below the tread and the surplus air is released. We're not sure how much this upgrade will cost to add little cool to your lemon, but some extra cash might be worth the added safety, not to mention ditching the hassle of seasonal tire switching.

[Via Autoblog]

Since the frequency (and severity) of Wii-related injuries has calmed down somewhat since Nintendo (we think) starting replacing those previously weak Wiimote straps, it seems that Wii owners now have more time to spend crafting accessories than filling out medical paperwork. Sure, the more official steering wheel adornment has been available to purchase for quite awhile, but for those who can't (or have no desire to) conjure up the coin required to snag one, there's always the homegrown approach. It's quite possible that we've grown too accustomed to well planned and well executed mods and DIY creations, but we must say this attempt at crafting a Wii wheel looks to fall a bit short -- unless you dig incredibly lumpy and presumably slippery circles to steer with, of course. Nevertheless, we've got to give props for the not-so-typical blue tape used in the construction, but we're counting on Rev. B to be a much more refined rendition, capiche?

[Via NintendoWiiFanboy]

While vehicle manufacturers are taking this "safety thing" to new heights (not that we're complaining or anything), the ole airbag sure takes a lot of heat regarding its questionable design and potentially harmful nature. The love / hate relationship with this very necessary device has been going on for years, and TRW Automotive Safety Systems is hoping to quiet the protestors a bit with its latest creation. The next-generation asymmetric airbag / steering wheel system features a "non-rotating airbag" that stays put while the wheel around it moves to meet the driver's demands. By utilizing a circumferential gear to keep the airbag stationary, the mobilized unit provides "enhanced crash protection" while allowing automotive designers to add more "convenience and aesthetic features" (read: buttons, switches, and other gadget-controlling togglers) to the steering wheel itself. Although TRW fails to point out just how much automakers will be forced to pay for its invention, it does note that it can be customized to the fit the feel, color, and style of any vehicle, and since the firm has already landed a contract with "a major European vehicle manufacturer," we could see this non-turning technology go stateside anytime.

While it's not exactly a life-sized humanoid companion, ZMP is rolling out (literally) a new robot destined to awe physics and engineering students everywhere. While the company has dabbled in robotics for academia before, the new e-nuvo WHEEL is a learning tool (be it science or anger management) through and through. Designed to challenge your MATLAB / Simulink skills, the two wheeled machine won't stay put (or stand straight up) without your programming efforts mastering its motion. Sporting an unmistakable nuvo body on an "inverted pendulum," the company even has supporting textbooks that explain how Newton's "equation of motion" can be tweaked and implemented in order to get your 'bot up and about. While there's no apparent pricing available, the e-nuvo WHEEL is still currently "in development," but should be wheeling around (or laying flat on its back) in campus laboratories soon.

[Via GoRobotics]

French game publisher Ubisoft is the first company other than Nintendo to announce a peripheral for the Wii. The peripheral takes the form of a small, plastic racing wheel with a slot in the middle for the motion sensing Wii-mote, and is to be bundled with Ubisoft's GT Pro Series and 4x4: World Circuit racing games, although the simple design -- it's basically a foam circle -- suggests to us that it should "work" with pretty much any Wii racer. We'd imagine that the feeling would be similar to that of driving a car after the steering wheel had fallen off the column, and thus hilarity will no doubt ensue. On the one hand, the Wii-eel (Wiil?) could be a great example of the increased immersion that the Wii's controller will allow; on the other, Engadget HQ is chock-a-block with pointless pieces of plastic, so we're sure the novelty of finding a hunk of foam with every Wii game will wear off pretty damn quickly.

[Via Joystiq]

We've seen various implementations of all these assorted next-gen car technologies that Siemens got ahold of for their new eCorner system, but they've managed to squeeze them all into a single wheel, creating quite an interesting system for use with fuel cell or hybrid cars. First off, there's an electronic motor integrated into the wheel hub, allowing for more efficient power use and independent rotation from the rest of the car. Next up is an active suspension system and Siemens' very own electronic wedge brake (EWB). Finally, the independent steer-by-wire function built into the wheel allows for some very interesting maneuverability. Siemens expect cars that would use such functionality to be common in 15 years or so, but we hope we don't have to wait that long for all the fun and power savings this system promises.

[Via Autoblog]

Logitech showed up at E3 with a steering wheel of their own, the G25 system. And let us say, this thing is probably nicer than the wheel on our own automobile -- well, when we still had it. Their $299.99 rig features a leather-wrapped 11-inch wheel with 900° rotation, paddle shifters, dual-motor force feedback, and a very nice external clicky six-speed shifter. This'll be ready to roll in early October, long before the July launches of the force-feedback equipped DriveFX Wheel (shown after the break) for the Xbox 360, which will go for $99, and more entry level G-series devices Logitech's rolling out, such as the G3 laser mouse and G11 keyboard (which is basically the G15 with no display).