If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving an AMG Mercedes, M-series BMW or new Porsche, then you’re probably familiar with Alcantara.  It’s a fabric that looks like suede and feels like a soft t-shirt that has been put through the wash about a thousand times.   Many of the German car makers are using it in their headliners, steering wheels and seats as a way to differentiate between their ‘regular’ models and their ’sport’ models (think  BWM 550 versus BMW M5).

This weekend, I installed an Alcantara steering wheel into my S6.   Just like most of my weekend projects, it took about 3 times longer than I was expecting and I broke a few other items in the process.   But it was all worth it.   I’ve upgraded the steering wheel on a few of my cars over the years and I firmly believe that is one of the best modifications that you can do to your car.   In the world of modifications, it’s a relatively small upgrade but it will have you smiling from ear to ear every time to grab the wheel.