I'm pretty sure the 06 and 07 xlr-v had the same steering wheel, and the 08 has the new style wheel with a few more rocker buttons on it and less "edge" to the styling (which puts it at odds with the rest of the car's design, ironically).

Is there a difference in the steering wheel diameter from the old to new style on the xlr-v?

Also, in some photo's I've seen of the V, the (old style) wheel is all leather, while in others it's got a wood piece across the top of the circumference -- is that shoddy photo editing by GM's marketing division, or was the wood (or all-leather) wheel an option for the V?

thanks for your help.

p.s. anyone have any opinions on which wheel is "better", if either of them is (and for what reasons, in your opinion)?

The v does not have the wood grain. Performance cars don't do to
handling.the wood is slippery.

My '04 CTS-V has an all-leather steering wheel identical to my '04 XLR, with the exception that the XLR's wheel has eucalyptus wood on the top third.

Personally, I like the looks and the contrasting feel of the wheel with the wood much better. While smoother, I've never had an issue with slippage. The light-colored wood looks nice with the all-black leather interior. Eucalypyus just doesn't stand out as much with the shale interior.

I agree with you that the newer steering wheel design isn't Art and Science edgey, and the "pillow" in the center of the newer wheels is visually distracting, but such is progress. Just my .02; --your milage may vary.

CCC