Momo IMPUL 913 – Nissan GT-R R32 steering wheel
Legit JDM Momo steering wheels
These days, JDM steering wheels and JDM Momo steering wheels are most likely associated with modern race car or drift car steering wheels for all these phantastic JDM cars, Nissan, Subaru, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. All these SR20, R26, R32, R34, MX-5, RX-7, CRX, WRX STI and BRZ.
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There are plenty of those around, not only in Japan, those cars affect people around the world for decades and many years to come. Not a new trend, not at all, but globalization and also YouTube pushed it further and further.
And yes, at first sight this Momo steering wheel above looks familiar. But why? And what makes it a true JDM Momo steering wheel? Well, we’re about to find out.
Momo has often reused their initial designs for several other purposes, steering wheels for coach builders, brands like Ferrari, Lotus and others as well as for their own marketing purposes. The signature steering wheel series is a good example for that. This particular steering wheel shown here is based on the early Momo GT model. Same slot size and position, steering wheel size, angles and dimensions. Only difference: The pictured steering wheel has a semi-dish, all early Momo GT steering wheels were flat, at least to this day, I haven’t seen a single semi-dish early Momo GT steering wheel.
silver Checkman steering wheel
Checkman, made by Momo in Italy
About Checkman racing
Checkman racing was a very popular car racing brand in the 70s, also known as CMR. Like most of these kinda brand, they didn’t produce their own stuff but had experienced companies manufacture parts and Checkman only did the branding. The usual suspects, steering wheels, seats and wheels.
The most popular wheel has been made by Enkei, the Checkman Cossac-G, a nice little wheel for your favourite JDM car, available in 13 and 14 inches. Those were the sizes back then. Not sure who did the seats but when it comes to steering wheels, not only Momo produced steering wheels for them. Quite a number of manufacturers did the steering wheels, most well known is the CMR 320 with the extra hole for a button.
The steering wheel in the picture however is one that made Momo for Checkman Racing, based on the early GT design, 350mm in diameter and semi-dish.
Momo Impul 913 steering wheel
A by far more interesting Momo JDM steering wheel is the Momo Impul 913 steering wheel. This 365mm steering wheel is based on a very popular model, even though in a different size. That is true Nismo JDM spec, the steering wheel for the Nissan GT-R R32, super popular among all JDM fans and the right steering wheel for your Nissan GT-R or Skyline. Right when Nissan introduced the R32, Momo manufactured this special wheel for them, made in 1989. A true must have!
365 mm Momo Impul 913 JDM steering wheel
Momo Impul 913 logo
So yeah, Momo did produce certain steering wheels exclusively for the Japan Domestic Market, for cars that in their spec never made it officially to the US, Australia or Europe. Just like the Momo Impul 913 steering wheel, it was never available for sale in Europe.
