LEGO has given us the McLaren P1, the Ferrari Daytona SP3, and countless Formula 1 cars that look stunning on display. But there’s always been one glaring omission in the brand’s racing lineup: the steering wheel itself. Now, a first-time creator named Vince_GT has filled that void with a 1:1 scale sim racing wheel that transforms LEGO’s passive racing collection into something you can actually grip, shift, and play with.
This MOC (My Own Creation) currently sits at 141 votes with 423 days remaining to reach the 1,000-supporter threshold on the LEGO Ideas website. For a debut project from an unknown builder, that’s solid momentum. The design captures everything that makes modern F1 steering wheels fascinating: functional rotary knobs, a movable joystick on the left grip, paddle shifters on the back, and somewhere between 12 to 15 colored buttons spread across both grips like a fighter jet cockpit squeezed into your hands.
Designer: Vince_GT
F1 steering wheels are absurdly complex. Modern Mercedes or Red Bull wheels feature 9 to 12 rotary dials and upwards of 12 buttons controlling everything from brake bias to differential settings. They’re rectangular rather than round so drivers can see over the top without their view getting blocked, with diameters typically ranging from 260mm to 300mm. Vince_GT clearly did the homework. His LEGO version mimics that rectangular profile, uses transparent dark teal accent pieces on the outer grips for visual pop, and centers everything around a customizable display panel with a prominent “N” logo. The builder explicitly mentions the display can be swapped for different designs, which is smart thinking for a toy that needs replayability.
Apart from the swappable display and the 1:1 build, the wheel comes with quite a few functional/movable parts that add to the realism. The paddle shifters actually move. The joystick articulates. The rotary knobs turn. These aren’t decorative elements glued in place for photos. Compare that to LEGO’s official racing sets, which are engineering marvels in their own right but fundamentally static. You build them, you admire them, maybe you swoosh them around the coffee table once, and then they become expensive dust collectors. A steering wheel you can hold and manipulate while pretending to nail the chicane at Monza? That’s a different category of engagement entirely.
The build uses predominantly black Technic pieces with blue pin connectors holding the structure together, then adds visual interest through those colored button elements: yellow, purple, cyan, orange, red, lime green, dark red. It reads as intentional rather than chaotic. Real F1 teams color-code their buttons so drivers can find critical controls mid-corner without looking down. Red typically means something important or dangerous. Blue might be DRS activation. Yellow could be overtake mode. Vince_GT’s palette suggests he understands that visual language, even if the LEGO version doesn’t need to communicate actual vehicle systems.
The timing feels right for this kind of project. Sim racing exploded during the pandemic and never really contracted afterward. High-end replica wheels like the Sim-Lab Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 wheel sell for £2,294 and are handmade from carbon fiber using actual CAD data from the Mercedes F1 team. Budget options like Thrustmaster’s Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On bring the aesthetic down to enthusiast price points. There’s clearly appetite for F1-style wheels that don’t require a second mortgage. A LEGO version bridges the gap between toy and tool, giving you the tactile satisfaction and visual complexity without needing to actually plug it into iRacing.
The real question is whether LEGO Ideas will greenlight this. The platform has approved stranger things, but it also has a history of passing on builds that seem like obvious winners. The build uses standard Technic parts, doesn’t appear to need custom molds, and slots perfectly into LEGO’s existing racing theme without cannibalizing sales from Speed Champions or Technic sets. If anything, it complements them. You’ve got the cars on the shelf, now grab the wheel and pretend you’re racing them. The logic writes itself. So if you’d love to see LEGO actually turn this fan-made build into a full-blown retail box-set, all you really need to do is push this submission to the 10,000 vote mark. To do so, cast your vote (it’s free) on the LEGO Ideas website here!
The post This Life-Size LEGO Sim Wheel Has Moving Gears and Clutch Paddles first appeared on Yanko Design.