True, but With some guide lines. Don't buy fake parts. If you like the BBS RS look, but can't afford it, buy somthing similar for a price you can afford. But never a fake. That's technically illigal, and portraits a bad image for you.
That Guy you missed the key words... make it WORK and look GOOD. he’s not saying form over function, he’s saying find a median between the two at your budget.
I agree, also like to add if it looks good to you as an individual person and you’re not trying to look good by doing things to style you’re whip just for acceptance of others that’s cool too I guess if it makes you happy, I for one could care less what others think, I got some great 1 piece converted 3 piece wheels but this upcoming summer I’m gonna rock staggered corvette C4 wheels which are possibly the most played out wheel in the last decade, but I really don’t care cuz I like the look of them, and at the end of the day that is all that matters to me.
It all boils down to "Cheap ain't good and good ain't cheap." People want the recognition without making the sacrifice, and they undercut the true proprietors and creators of the industry because "it's their money" and expect the same reaction and performance as the ORIGINAL high quality product. But to each his own, get it how you live.
i think reps are ok as long as they are trying to improve on the original design in some way, it could be cheaper, could come in more sizes and colours, could improve on the look, could just be an easier to obtain version of a rare wheel. its ok to look at something and say "i could do it better"
We have all been there before, putting out $1000 maybe $1500 per wheel, without tires, thinking, I could have got a set of knock-offs and two weeks in Bali living like a king for the price of this damn set of wheels...
Brandell Warren I actually met some dudes that work for vossen. My unc has a rim shop in Tampa and they come in to check out the shop and sell rims to him for him to sell. They both pulled up in grayish brown Audi’s with vossen tags on😂
Ive had real wheels in the past as in CCW. VOLK. SSR. And have 2 sets of Enkei RPF1s. I feel like it depends on the vehicle on what you put on there. Don’t go throw XXR wheels on a nice car. Then again don’t put nice forged on a dumpster. That’s just me tho. Lots of people get “real” wheels for bragging rights but it is kinda annoying hearing all the hate lol. To each his own. Respect the choice of others.
Thing is. It shouldn't matter if I'm rocking reps or "real" wheels. Don't like the Varrstoen, XXR, or ESR wheels I'm rolling on? Buy me the set of wheels you want. Then you can talk all the trash you want. Til then. My car. My money. My choice. PS-Y all still havent made a video about Varrstoen....
I don't care about the style so much the quality control. Does giving you real wheels give you a good feel? Yeah I'll be honest I own SSR GTV02s so call me biased. I was looking into a lot of wheels before I even decided to make the purchase. I even looked into Rotas/XXRs/etc, but I wanted to be sure that I was safe. People say that real wheels bend and crack, but they have a higher tolerance. They've been tested thoroughly, it's something I drive everyday. People that say "Well stock wheels are low pressure cast". While that's true the car company designed it very specifically with one particular offset to the design. Meanwhile you can go buy any offset/design of reps and they probably didn't test it as well. My personal opinion, but real wheels just look that much better. It just gives it that nice edge to the car. I'm sure someones cracked volks before but they still have a much higher tolerance. I've seen too many images of people crashing cause their rep wheel gave out. It's dangerous for everyone in the car and the people driving around you. If someone ever crashed into me because of a rep wheel I would be pissed.
Justin Nguyen I ran rep wheels all my life. Never had a crack or bend. Even with the horrible roads around my area. Ive seen real wheels break too. Any wheel will fail under the right circumstances.
I have a friend who totaled his car twice on ESRs. In both cases his car would've been a hell of lot better off had he not had reps. I got SSR 3-piece wheels for $650. 6 fucking 50. There is no excuse for buying reps
Honestly, I understand the appeal. The cost of real wheels is seriously high, one wheel is more than a full set of reps. That said, if you can afford it you should be running real wheels to help support the companies that do the R&D that move the industry forward. They're not just the "original design", they're also the people coming up with the technology for production and the techniques for testing, all of which are critical for safety and quality in the aftermarket wheel community. So many reps are just terrible low quality and people buy them because they're cheap. At the end of the day, buying real wheels is the right thing to do for the community and for yourself. A good rule of thumb is to simply never buy any wheel that's not from a reputable brand and that isn't JWL tested, VIA certified, and TUV certified. This ensures that they're at the very least safe to use on the road. There's a LOT of wheels on the market that aren't road-worthy, in my opinion. Then again, there's a lot of cars which are so cambered out that they aren't road-worthy either. If you can't buy something real, at least buy something safe. Don't put yourself, your family, and other drivers at risk by putting shoddily manufactured wheels on your car.
Nope. That's not how companies work. I should know, I'm a Product Manager in the tech industry, so these types of things are literally something I think about every day at work. Companies are incentivized by profits, and profits can be increased by either increasing revenue while maintaining the same cost or by reducing costs. Since companies that don't make real wheels don't have to spend on R&D for creating new production and test technology, nor do they spend on R&D for their wheel designs, they really just have the cost of their bill of materials + equipment (amortized) + production labor + marketing. This is a really viable business model in industries which don't have strong intellectual property protections, or if you can use crossing national borders to protect yourself from liability. After all, if you spend all the money you would have had to spend on R&D on marketing you can end up with massive revenues at minimal costs == big profits. The problem is, there's no incentive to change. Businesses are driven by customer demand, so if companies making fake wheels and reps get lots of business because of good marketing and low cost, they'll just keep doing what works. There is no incentive for them to invest in R&D at high cost to move the entire industry forward when their pricing doesn't account for it and they know that real wheel companies will do it anyway. The reputational value of making real wheels is the only thing that these companies seek, and it's far more possible to wiggle into the cracks than it is to invest real dollars into R&D. Can a company go from making reps to making real wheels? Sure. Has it ever happened? Not to my knowledge. In the video they make the defining difference between reps vs real wheels as being based on design. I say it's more than that, it's also the actual production and testing technology which companies like BBS and Rays actually developed in-house and then publicized to help increase the safety and strength of wheels in the entire market. I'm sorry, but XXR and Rota are not going to be creating an entirely new method of wheel production or an entirely new testing safety standard anytime soon, it's just not profitable for them, no matter how many of their wheels you buy.
I think it’s ok for people to buy what they want and put whatever they want on their car. My problem is when someone says it’s just as good but cheaper. Or the ones who expect to get props on a setup that isn’t real amongst enthusiasts who value authenticity.
It's okay to do whatever you want as long as you're not endangering other people. That's the problem I have with fake wheels (not necessarily reps) is that they're not safe. Many reps are just as bad. As long as what you buy is JWL tested and TUV/VIA certified, I don't care if it's a rep or real, I'm not judging. But I won't buy anything myself that isn't real.
Yes if you don’t have BC racing coilovers or SSR wheels you get bash about it.... that’s the car community in Florida but I’m sure is like that every were...
Fellow Floridian here, my subie was on BC BR and Cosmis wheels lel. to some degree though you're absolutely right. Why are people here so crazy about SSR..?
Roger Toledo I know! I meant locally at least, what Richard said is true. At least around these parts, SSR seems to be the brand most pushed by the scene, where the rest fall to the back burner, no matter how well made. I genuinely don't remember the last time I saw a set of TE37s on anything here
I don't specifically dislike reps or fakes as long as they're jwl via tested. I just prefer real wheels because I like multi-piece wheels and the reason I that I like the idea that if I don't like the current specs, I'm a lip and a barrel away from new specs, or in my case-- I welded lip/barrel lol.
Wheels depend on the vehicle in my opinion. A daily shouldnt have 4000 dollar wheels. Atleast coming from someone who lives in the northeast. Pot holes and railroad tracks fucked up from snow plows and salt. Most people want to customize their car to be different. Doesn't mean you need expensive track wheels.
Yea but we go winter mode come fall, and shelve the nice wheels until spring. So we can run a nice wheel around here , you just gotta keep an eye on the season.
I still have my gen 5 2001 Prelude 5spd with 2inch lower in the front and 1.75 in in the back with 17 inch Racing Hart C5's . Anyone else love the H22 as much as I do?
Great video! Im not a big fan of replicas to be honest. BUT i remember Ken Block and his team once said “we like to use replica wheels because if the wheel happen to hit something, it will just break apart and it wont damage any major components (eg suspension, axle, etc)”. I guess somehow theres room for those.
Instead of buying fake wheels, buy OEM wheels from a different model of the make of your car. Just an example if you have a MB look into used Mono block or multi piece Brabus wheels or amg. If you dig deep enough you can sometimes find good deals on said wheels and you won’t have to jeopardize quality as long as you find a good set that is. Just a thought 💭
I've had real and fake wheels and I can attest to the difference in quality and strength. Real wheels are worth what they cost for their build quality and safety.
A few years back before I had my construction company I didn’t have much and I had this Chrysler 300 and I bought replica srt rims and I was in a tight spot and was forced to use my car for work and I had to put heavy tools in the car like a small skaffold and other things I remember I flew one time with the tools on the back on some railroad tracks on a hill really hard and the rims held up really good no cracking or anything i staryed with them rims for years with no problems and they were some 20’s now I’m blessed to be able to get more but don’t forget where I came from cause them rims were good too me I still have the car but sold the rims to my boy and they are still good and running kept the car just finished fixing it to the way I wanted it back then and I just keep it in the garage run it from time to time cause that 300 has sentimental value to me :)
Wtf. Did not know Fitment Industries were an hour away from me until they made WI snow reference and I looked it up lol. Definitely stopping by this spring to decide on my new set up!
A video on Buddy Club wheels would be cool to see. I bought my set Brand new Mag Blue 15x8 + 32 for around $600 shipped to my door and they are real wheels. It's a interesting company i don't see much info on. Typically I see most cars running the older P1 design, but not many with the newer p1 design like myself and there isn't much history on them for me to go off of. Their Mag Blue also does seem to be much brighter than other Mag Blue's I see such as the Volk Te37's.
Too be honest, i just bought my first set of wheels for replica prices with superb quality and beautiful looks. These wheels are from am Aston Martin v8 vantage and they amazing!!!! I can't tell you how much I love them, not only for their looks but for the fact that I know I'm getting great quality at a rep price. I say all this to say stop following the "in-crowd" follow you're own path and you'll be surprised what you can come across. Oem wheels ftw
A real wheel is any wheel I like that fits my bolt pattern. I take the emblems off anyway. And put on my own custom one. But if it's not a full blow show car having real wheels. Has no benefits. You don't get more BJ's because your wheels are real.
Nascar doesnt have "Fake wheels"you dumbass they have steel racing wheels. And unless youre car is running above 800hp I would stop with the Nascar comparisons.
So i just bought ultralegerra OZ wheels, but I don't know if its fake... Reason i have doubts is coz the centrecap is plastic and it has no oz type lettering on the wheel itself like on their website, but the wheel id sold as OZ wheels, i paid about 900USD for all 4 wheels... Please help
Was wondering if you could give me a quick review of my wheels. Advan model T5 17". I just bought them used with bends and cracks had them fixed and powder coated near perfect. 2k invested. I know its high but Ive wanted them forever. I have loved these wheels since I was a kid but I dont know much about them. Even though there dated do you think they still look good? Quality? How much did I over pay? There on my is300. Would post a pic but wont let me
well since konig is a supporter of the scene i say go for it. some of their designs are reps but they been in the game long enough and should be respected
I rock super cheap vision cross. Dont care if they're fake or rep or what (common mesh pattern). They fit, they're sturdy, they're lighter than stock and look amazing on my car. Anything more expensive to serve exactly the same purpose is for bragging rights only.
Replica wheels $400-$700 new. The Work Meister S2R’s I found on OfferUp that were powder coated purple and have the lip vinyl stickers from factory, $240 with burner tires. Best $240 I’ve spent this decade.
MHT is a USA company but have been in the game for a long time & make tons of wheels for other TOP brands, there’s also Lowenhart, Riken, ARE, HRE, OZ, Manaray, Maya/TrafficStar, Lorinser, Carlsson, Speedline, & plenty more that I’m forgetting
The first set of wheels i put on my subie were a secondhand set of Rota Grid R's. The original owner of the wheels politely failed to mention he'd cracked one of them, and in my excitement to have my first set of aftermarket wheels i totally missed the little hairline. The tire debeaded on me a few days later on the way to work. Needless to say, i was pretty unhappy. While i don't run around bashing Rota for this (i don't know what kind of driving the person before me did or what those wheels went through prior to my purchase.) It has made me wary of buying other Rota products simply for the sake of the fact that they *were* cracked. the idea moreso that it CAN happen, not that it WILL. I feel that if you buy them new, you're probably not likely to run into the same issue i did.
Yo I swear to god, I saw those SAME EXACT WHEELS in the picture on a bagged 370z, same color and everything, the only different is the wheel on the z was flipped
My dream wheels are 3pc Leon Hardiritt Ordens with a step lip in polished chrome and center face in graphite grey with gold hardware. But they are sooooo rare in 5x108 and expensive...😅
Another vote for Varrstoen video I had a set of the BBS LM copies and wow the lips are poor quality. Previous owner ran them for 8 months before selling me the car and the lips were already corroding. I am now on TE37 (third set). My current set were made in 1997. You get what you pay for. Run OEM wheels until you can afford a quality set. My two cents.
So I’m looking at purchasing some ESR RF2’s. Now I know ESR’s are considered “reps” but can anyone tell me exactly what “real” wheels they’re trying to replicate with the RF2’s?
Ohh, and my fake winter splits were 450 bucks and are tough as nails under any and all driving conditions, only real downfall I see with them are that they are pretty damn heavy
Has anyone ever heard of TRmotorsports? I bought their C4 wheel that looks like the Volk 6 spoke. They are a low pressure cast and I bought them for my daily driver. What do you think?
Chad Bandis mmm I’m sure they’ll do fine. Just don’t go show off your car as if it was an all around badass. They’re cheap wheels for a reason. Cheap wheels say a lot about a build. Idk if you have a built engine but let’s just say you wouldn’t skimp out on cheap engine parts hoping for a fast, reliable engine would you? Maybe for a daily that’s ok (every cheap engine part from autozone) definitely not a showcar by any means, sure that’s ok. I wouldn’t do that but many do. It’s your car in the end.
"Let us know what you think in the comments. It's probably already on fire down there." 😂😂😂😂 Yes sir, you have lit a fire with THIS one!! So many opinions, some valid and some not. Before I really got into the "behind the scenes" of wheels, I always thought they were like the automotive industry. They "borrow" ideas from each other. Whoever puts it out first, gets the credit. Now I know there is MORE to it than that. But some wheels get bad reputations when it's the owners fault. For example, someone mentioned do a video on Vossen. I've heard nothing but bad things about them over the years. From being a cast wheel to bad customer service. But their marketing campaigns are FIYA!!! Now the problem with their cast wheel or ANY other cast wheel is that when the owner run a stretched tire, or any tire below a 35 series tire, you run the risk of that wheel being damaged on messed up streets!! Not too many wheels will hold up at 40 plus miles per hour and hit a pothole with 25 series tires!! And you blame the wheel!! I think that's where some of Vossen's "bad rep" came from. "Real" wheels are not that much better either. Because you pay TOP dollar for two or three piece wheels, and ride them everyday, you run the risk of the wheel or all four being or getting lose. I think a two or three piece wheel should be on a REAL show car. Not to be driven everyday. Especially a three piece wheel. Just my two cents, carry on.. 😄😄
Well, you get what you pay for. A company’s reputation is number one on my list. For example Radi8 wheels are relatively new and look very proper, but I would be hesitant on purchasing a set because of that reason of reputation.
What your guys input on regamaster EVOS?? The OG regas were discontinued, and the company has a facebook page saying this new company: desmondwheels.com/ isn't the same company.. just someone from the company took the design and made it modern or they're own design, introducing the regamaster evo 2. Cant decide if this is a copy wheel or a fake..
Just curious if you guys could put out a list of fake or real? I’ve had a few sets of what I think are real wheels cuz they are unique in my opinion. Ronal Teddy Bears, MRR HR3 a few others but I can see if it might cause an issue in your business side of things to say BBS real ESM fake if you sell both. But between us maybe a pm. Party
Man... I few days ago I bought a set of Volk CE28s, then I noticed the stamp on the wheel says VIILK RAGING and RAVS Engineered lol, wonder what type of chinesium are they but as long as they don't break I don't mind
In my opinion the difference between real and fake would be durability if they are identical in every other way then it's a replica but a fake would have say casting flaws internally that would cause it to fail or break or be weaker for some reason
Cory kempland over here with the modern Mopar’s a lot of guys run those Viper reps, some companies offer lifetime warranty. Those would be the ones I’d run if I did. But I don’t like looking like everyone else lol
I don't like fake wheels they destroy the company's reputation that made the original one but replicas with the branding of a new company is good until they start making unique designs of their own
so what would you consider year one reproducing the 60s an 70s factory rallye wheels from GM dodge and ford in 17 18 inch wheels but look exactly the same as factory just bigger.....
i think japan racing wheels not a bad choice for a cheap way to get bbs style wheels for older bmws. bbs sometimes are more expensive than the car they go on and than i think that japan racing would be a good choice.
Always always go a quality wheel if you give it the burl or track / even street drive hard. Forged ex factory wheels are always cheaper then new and best quality. R32-34 gtr wheels Evo 7-9 wheels Wrx sti wheels All made veeeeerrry well. And can get them cheap. I have 34 gtr wheels on my s15. Got em for 1.5k they come out on a 100k+ car forged perfect wheels. Paired with Pilot sport 4s and for 2.5k Australian dollariedoos you couldnt have gotten anything better.
So your tell me I’m just now finding out you guys are in Wisconsin after just buying a 240 from there now trying to find out if the wheels on it are real wow
It’s funny how many people are defending fake or cheap wheels saying there’s no difference. Personally I’m not gonna risk having a wheel break going around a tight corner at 100km/h in my Audi S4 B8.5. The car is worth $37,000 NZD so it would be pointless to cheap out on some wheels and potentially wreck the whole car (any myself!) because the wheel snapped mid corner and sent me into a ditch. I bought some mint condition second hand Advan RS2’s. Yes they’re second hand but I checked them over very thoroughly and they’re absolutely mint condition, not a single scratch. They cost me $1650 NZD but would normally retail for $3500 NZD.