Now I can’t even imagine doing it without the cage. Not only it may look professional, but also the mesh is much nicer 
@ionee: Thank you, will try to do my best
@Gresign: Thank you!
Update: The work on the steering wheel continues, really really pleased with it!
7steering_wheel by Miskolciart, on Flickr
I also take it that you adjusted the blueprints while creating the cage to compensate them not lining up properly?
I like the wheel too, never really tried to model a steering wheel so I don’t know how much of a PITA it will be. 
Depends on the quality of reference photos, as ever. 
No I actually didn’t adjusted them. I took the side view as the reference and matched the curves to kind of follow the shape of the top view, than tweaked it with reference photos.
Yeah I suppose there has to be a ‘master view’ from which you model most of your cage off.
Of course today afternoon I’ll be doing the rest of the wheel or when the work on the body continues… I can do both 
I like seeing different approaches to modelling cars. I have never done the whole spline cage thing I thought it was a bit of a waste of time but now I am beginning to see another angle on this. Can’t really comment on the car because there is not much of it.
Literally, ha… ha… ha…
I’ll get my coat. :o
As promised, here is the first (lame) timelapse and some comments about how I did the cage for a part of the steering wheel. Soon I´ll also do a timelapse of the front bumper and will do that much more detailed
So this is what I started with. From there on I have been doing the side part, where the buttons are.
Timelapse_wheel001 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
I started with the top view, laying the curves down to form the basic shape according to my reference photos.
Timelapse_wheel003 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
Moved to side view, or basicaly any view you like, and by moving the curves along the z-axis I adjusted the height at which they should be.
Timelapse_wheel004 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
Again continued in side view, and rotated the curves to create the wanted shape.
Timelapse_wheel005 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
Now I did the left edge, just to help me to see better the topology.
Timelapse_wheel007 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
After the curve looked fine from the top view, I again modelled it also from sides, as it looked like this…
Timelapse_wheel008 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
…looks much better now
Timelapse_wheel009 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
As you can see, there is another line going through the center. It´s placed where the mesh reaches its top also done to help me to see the topology. Next up, by duplicating the main curve, I created a smaller one inside it, that´s where the edge is. The circles show parts where the two curves should meet, so again by rotating, moving and so on, you end up with…
timelapse wheel 10 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
…something looking like this, nice and smooth
Timelapse_wheel011 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
Then the classic modelling part continues, that I´m sure you all now Of course you can do with a lot more curves, but I think for such a small area this was enough. Cheers!
Timelapse_wheel012 by Miskolciart, on Flickr
By the middle of the night I managed to make from this:
6steeringwheel by Miskolciart, on Flickr
…this
7steeringwheel by Miskolciart, on Flickr
The stitching (which I´m really pround of, hehe) was a really pain in the arse to do… Had to redo it several times just to make it work! Still needs to be tweaked to perfection, and also the bottom part is missing, then only the buttons and I´m ready to go model the bumper
Btw. I´ll probably also do a timelapse of how I´ll be doing the stitching…
that’s not the 3 series steering wheel unless all the photographs I am looking at are wrong. http://www.netcarshow.com/bmw/2012-3-series/1600x1200/wallpaper_9d.htm
yay…two bananas for you good sir
It´s the M-Sport steering wheel here: http://www.netcarshow.com/bmw/2012-3-series/1600x1200/wallpaper_93.htm
Hey dude…really i like your Steering… cool model dude… i really love it… Good work, eagerly waiting for next update… Cheers!!!
I know its an msport steering but I would double check if you can get m-steering wheels in the regular bmw 3 series. Which I assume is what you are modeling according to the title of your thread. I wouldn’t trust all the photos you get from netcarshow check the car brouche and other sites as well. They do mix up model pictures a lot. I learnt that the hard way when making my Audi. Triple check your photos.
But if you want to model the m steering wheel I would say the spokes without the metallic bit are seriously off the angle the take to the wheel hub should be checked
edit
I double checked netcarshow.net the group the regular 3 series with the m sport package. I can’t really tell from you spline cage but it looks like a regular 3 series not the m sport package. the are difference in the front IIRC so I think you should check your references carefully.
…god my internet connection keeps cutting off fourth edit in a row
that is the front end of the 3 series m sport so I would suggest you go through your photorefs and see which belong to which car. Its a pain but I had to do it when rs got mixed up with s photos.
I understand you, and you are right. The exterior is the Sport trim, and the steering wheel is from the M-Sport trim, they can´t be mixed up together, eg. if you want to have this wheel you have to go for the full M-Sport package.
My original plan was to go with the Sport package only, but now I´m thinking of also doing all the trims, or lines as BMW calls them, as there is not that huge difference between them, only the wheels, front bumper and interior trim - which is only textures. I might also add options between different powertrains (auto/manual, 320d, 335i, 328i, etc.), maybe brakes and some other little details in the interior. All depends on how long would i want to play around with it…
Going from left the Sport, Modern and Luxury lines.
Bmw 3series reference by Miskolciart, on Flickr
The M-Sport interior…
3series msport interior by Miskolciart, on Flickr
…and the Sport interior
3series sport interior by Miskolciart, on Flickr
@Ramaswamy1984: Thank you!
EDIT:
@tyrant monkey: About the wheel being a bit off, you are right also! Damn, I knew there was something wrong with it. They are bit high, that´s all…
Nice to see TM is on top form - he’s awesome at spotting errors.
Some great reference shots you have though. The steering wheel may be wrong, but it looks good.
I am not really that good at spotting errors. I think its the new eyes on a project thing. When we all model we get a little tunnel vision and become blind to the little errors we make. Which I guess makes posting you stuff really important.
@miskocliart You could actually model all those packages. I think you could even be able to do the M3 if its not too different. some body panels tend to carry over. I think you should also check the metallic spoke on the steering wheel close to the central hub something seems a bit off.
Your materials are pretty good
The problem with the wheel was that the spokes were too high, i moved them as well as enlarged the center because, again the lower spoke was too long. I think it looks better now, I’ll upload some photos once the stitching is finished. Still it doesn’t look as the real one though, maybe different lightning is the trick.
You’re right TM, we all do them and it helps a lot when some points them out. Thank you
About the M3, i’d love to do it also but it’s still not released yet, though there are some good spy shots and photoshop renderings out there.
Thanks about the materials, these are just quick setups that still need texturing and tweaking the shaders, but will do that after the modelling is finished.