The Complete B-G and MOMO Lotus Steering Wheel Hub Guide
Lotus is a small range with one genuinely useful rule running through it. I am Cameron, I look after the steering wheel side of things at GSM Performance.
If you own an Elise or an Exige, the year decides the brand rather than your preference. B-G cover the Mk1 Elise from 1996 to 2001 and the first generation Exige, both on BG8184. MOMO pick it up from there, with MK6611R for the Mk2 Elise and the second generation Exige, and MC6605 for the third generation Exige. There is no overlap and no choice to make, which is unusual and quite welcome.
The older cars are simpler still. BG8353 is one hub covering the Elan, the Europa and the Super 7, three cars with very little else in common.
The in-car photograph in this guide is an AI illustration, generated from our own OMP product photography so the wheel and its horn button are the real thing.
Why you need a B-G or MOMO boss kit
An aftermarket wheel will not bolt onto a Lotus column on its own. The boss kit is the part that makes it possible, and it does three jobs at once.
It joins two different fittings
Your column has splines. The back of the wheel has a bolt pattern. The hub is the only part that speaks both.
It sets how far the wheel sits
The hub decides the distance from the dash, which changes your reach to the stalks and the clearance over your knees, and in an Elise there is not much of either to spare.
Nothing else to buy
The fixing screws, the Allen key and the horn button retaining ring are all in the box, so nothing stops you halfway through the job.
The Esprit splits at 1979. The pre-1979 car takes BG8322 and the 1980 to 1987 car takes BG8323. The Eclat and the Elite share BG8321, and the Elan, Europa and Super 7 all run BG8353.
We also list the Lotus Cortina from 1962 to 1966 on BG8320. It sits under Ford elsewhere on the site, so it is included here because that is where people actually look for it.
Steering wheel installation explained
So how does a Sparco wheel end up on a MOMO hub? Because nearly every aftermarket motorsport wheel is drilled to the same pattern, six bolts on a 70mm circle, written as 6 x 70mm PCD. MOMO, Sparco, OMP, Simoni Racing and the Mountney M-Range all use it. The hub is chosen by your car, the wheel is chosen by you, and nothing locks you into one brand.
MOMO, Sparco, OMP, Simoni Racing and the Mountney M-Range.
Nardi, Personal and Raid.
Fitting it, in order
- 1Hub onto the column
- 2Wheel onto the hub
- 3Horn wire onto the tab
- 4Retaining ring holds the horn button
How each brand drills its hubs
The Lotus B-G boss kit range
Ten B-G Lotus hubs, all dual drilled. Most sit at the same money, with the Elise Mk1 and first generation Exige a little higher because BG8184 is a collapsible design.
Everything else in the B-G Lotus range is a solid hub, which is what most track and competition cars run, and that suits these cars.
Our top MOMO Lotus boss kit collection
Three MOMO Lotus hubs, all collapsible and all drilled 6 x 70mm, and between them they cover the modern cars from 2001 onward.
MK6611R is the busy one, covering both the Mk2 Elise from 2001 to 2011 and the second generation Exige from 2004 to 2012. The third generation Exige from 2012 moves to MC6605.
Explore our full range of B-G and MOMO boss kits
The links below run a live search across the store, so they stay current as the range moves. Between the three brands there are sixteen Lotus hubs. If your car is not showing up, ask, and send the registration so we can match it to the right generation.
B-G Racing
10 Lotus hubs
Made in Italy and drilled for both bolt patterns. The classics plus the Mk1 Elise and first generation Exige.
View the B-G Racing Lotus range
MOMO
3 Lotus hubs
Collapsible and drilled 6 x 70mm. The Mk2 Elise and both later Exige generations.
View the MOMO Lotus range
OMP
3 Lotus hubs
A solid, non collapsible design, which is what most track and competition cars run. Two Elan hubs and an Esprit hub.
View the OMP Lotus rangeWhy not add a steering wheel quick release kit
A quick release sits between the boss kit and the wheel and lets you pull the wheel off the column in a second. On an Elise or an Exige the first of those reasons matters more than usual, because getting past a fixed wheel over a wide sill is genuinely awkward. A wheel that comes off with you is also a wheel nobody can drive away with.
All four take the same 6 x 70mm wheels as everything else on this page, so the wheel you choose further down will fit whichever one you pick.
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Pair your boss kit with a high performance steering wheel
Once the hub is sorted the wheel is entirely your choice. These are the ones I would put in a Lotus, and I have kept the diameters down because these cars have quick steering and not much room.
In an Elise or an Exige the Sparco 345 or the OMP Corsica are the sensible picks, small enough to clear your knees and light enough to suit a car that weighs nothing. In an Elan, a Europa or a Super 7 the Prototipo or the Montecarlo look like they belong and nothing modern really does.
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Every wheel we sell is drilled 6 x 70mm, so any of them will bolt to any of the hubs above. The only real decision is diameter and dish, which changes how heavy the steering feels and how close the rim sits to your chest.
Final thoughts
Lotus is one of the easier makes to buy for, because the Elise and Exige question answers itself once you know the year, and three of the classics share a single hub. The part is cheap next to the wheel, and there is very little to get wrong here.
If you are between the two Esprit listings or not sure which generation your Exige is, drop us a line and ask for me. Send the registration over and I will tell you which hub you need before you spend anything.
Cameron
