“The quality, attention to details, light weight, comfort and time spent on the safety R&D have been the qualities that I admired in the MPI steering wheel and the reason why I trust them for my racing.”
“MPI has gone out of their way to create a wheel that feels comfortable to me. Along with comfort it looks great, extremely light, and most importantly safe!”
“The first year I competed with an MPI wheel, we won a World Championship. The quality and control you get from the MPI-F-13-C is top class. To perform at the highest level, you have to stay confident. I wouldn’t drive with anything else!”
“MPI has revolutionized the dirt racing world with its new D-15 wheel. It has great feel, awesome looks, and is definitely the safest wheel on the market. It has given me front end feel like never before!”
“I’ve had the opportunity to use MPI steering wheels this season and the quality is one of a kind. The time and effort that goes into their wheels are second to none along with the continued effort to make things even better.”
“I trust MPI steering wheels because of their quality, comfort, and dedication of time to make a safe, yet light weight steering wheel.”
“Driver comfort and driver safety are the two most important aspects of a winning race car. MPI steering wheels deliver both of those key elements along with the added advantages of being light weight and durable. That’s why it’s a no-brainer for me to use the MPI-DM-15 wheel in every car I race.”
“The steering wheel and seat are your primary interface with the race car…your personal contact patch, if you will. For me, they help set my mood in the car. When I put my MPI wheel in my new Trans Am car, I just felt better and any racer will tell you, that shows up on the stopwatch.”
“I like the MPI steering wheels because they are durable, safe, and maintain its grip race after race!”
“For years I’ve been looking for a steering wheel that fits my needs, and MPI wheels do that and so much more. It’s great to have them be a huge part in getting to victory lane.”
“As a driver, holding a steering wheel is your way of life…that’s why I only choose the best to hold, MPI.”
For many people, especially car enthusiasts or amateur racers, the steering wheel is the most significant interior component of a vehicle. In the most obvious example, the steering wheel is the main mechanical mechanism that connects a driver to any car. Every input from a driver’s hands is translated into the vehicle’s behavior in motion.
There are 2 basic types of steering wheels available on the market today; the OEM variety (original equipment), and the aftermarket steering wheel. The OEM steering wheel needs little explanation. This is likely best exampled by the existing wheel many currently have in their vehicle. It’s almost always the wheel that came from the factory and gives little to nothing in premium performance.
Aftermarket steering wheels on the other hand are where Max Papis Innovations comes in. Aftermarket steering wheels are often chosen for both aesthetics and performance, and MPI creates multiple variations for purposes ranging to Super Speedways to Sunday drives on your favorite road to get a cup of coffee. Your steering wheel is an expression of you, however simple or complex that may be:
“Whether it’s with my engineers in the team, my home life, or my friends, I don’t like things to get complicated – and one good example would be the steering wheel in my Mercedes Formula 1 car” - Lewis Hamilton
The steering wheel is the most handled instrument in any vehicle - racing or otherwise. Comfort and precision are key, especially with performance driving. Max Papis Innovations’ wheels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and even a range of materials to suit any driver’s preference.
More common in tuner and custom recreational vehicles, people upgrade their steering wheels to enhance the car’s aesthetics. MPI products are designed meticulously in the United States, with manufacturing and assembly performed in Italy by true artisans.
When buying a steering wheel, there are few factors to consider before purchasing:
MPI stands for MAX PAPIS INNOVATIONS and was founded in 2009 by Max Papis and Tatiana Fittipaldi Papis, in Mooresville, NC. Max and Tatiana have a long background in racing. Max has been a professional race car driver since he was 12 years old. Since then he has raced in Formula 1, ChampCar, IndyCar, IMSA, Grand-Am, IROC, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, being the european driver with most NASCAR start in history.
In MPI they take every aspect of construction and safety to heart, in the most accurate and dedicated way possible. Before becoming an MPI product, structures need to pass internal quality control tests. Amongst the many, one is a torque structural steering wheel test that is considered one of the most severe on the “road car” market. Another is a stress test to see what their steering wheel does when load is applied to it. This simulates what happens when you keep your hands on the steering wheel during a severe impact. These are just a couple of examples of how technology works and how safety and construction R&D is paramount to all MPI products.
During Max’s long racing career, Max collaborated with several top steering wheel manufacturers where passion and knowledge about the business grew. Max’s goal has been to apply his experience and knowledge to produce a state of the art product for the racing community.