well a little more is litterally at least twice as much for at least the volk or gramlights. the volk ce28n's wich look very similar are around 2300 bucks for just the wheels.

 

I say austinp02 should get the Rotas. Looks like he has his mind set on those and stuff like Volks aren't for everyone... just as Rotas aren't for everyone. But the Rotas seem to fill the level of qualifications that he is looking for that should really be the determining factor.

 

thats if you go into your local shop to buy it. look online, gruppe-s sells them for way less, I know gruppe-s sold some professors for 1,400 plus shipping at one time. You could also shop around and buy them used, nothing really wrong with used rims as long as you don't plan to run over pot holes and fly over curbs.

 

I dunno. I had Rota's and 5Zigens on my STi, and GramLights and Volks on my wagon. Did the Volks perform any differently......not really. Yes, they're lighter than the Rota's, and arguably stronger too. But, are they worth it? The LE37's I'm running now, 1 wheel retails at almost the price for a full set of Rota's. Not exactly cost effective, but hey they're mad JDM Tyte Yo! That's got to count for something.

 

Exactly. is a brand new set of forged volks the cutting edge of strength and performance; maybe. but unless you are trying to win awards at HIN or competing proffessionally in motorsports, my guess is you wont be getting your moneys worth. Hell if you got the cash to burn I say go for it. but if you are like me and are getting ready to move accross the country and go back to college, there are other things i could spend the extra 1000+ dollars on. are the ce28n's 2lbs lighter? yes. are they probably slightly stronger? probably. will it make a difference on a daily driven, occasionaly autocrossed moderatly tuned vehicle. probably not. and with the extra money in pocket i can buy school books, look fly and still have the money to buy a new rim if i bury it in a pothole.

 

Most daily driven street cars will NEVER realize the benefits of forged lightweight rims. When was the last time you needed to set a personal best time getting to Safeway???

Most people use these uber expensive rims for one purpose...to try and impress other people.

Now if the car was actively competed in motorsports, then maybe you could justify the expense. But then you might as well use a custom wheel to maximize the available grip under the rules of the sanctioning body.

If someone wants to spend $$$ on expensive rims, I don't care...it's their money. Am I impressed because they spent that money...not at all. Would I use the money differently, absolutely.

Buy what you like and can afford. If there's a specific use for the wheels, then buy accordingly. Don't buy stuff just because the masses tell you to do so.

 

That says it all right there.

 

I have to agree with Risk 3233 and bran808..IMO, I believe most people but not all people pick up the high end wheels just to show their pride in their ride!! Dont get me wrong, I mean i would too and too show them off but thought of curbing or hashing one of those high end wheels make me paranoid!! I should know as I finally got a curbed on my BBS wheels after almost a year and boy I was super uber pissed and sick!! Just remember Mike, cast wheels are up there with forged wheels!! I personally would go with any Speed Star Racing wheels.. Mike heres an article that might be off some use to you!! GL on your decision.. Brandon, just wondering if you got my voice message??LMK

thanks
walter

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/ed...x_j/index.html

 

I agree wholeheartedly, everybody has a budget that they need to work with. If you can afford to buy the Advans, Works, Volks, and such, more power to you. But like Ed said, as long as they are round and hold air...Perfect!! Street driven wheels take a lot of abuse, and I think Rotas are stylish as well as economical.

 

Great Article Walt. I think that wheels are just like any other part that tuners like to put on their cars. People tend to go with the bigger names and higher prices cause thats generally a sign that it is higher quality. While this can be true it doesnt mean that those are the only good parts available. The reason that companies like Rota can offer their products for alot less than some of the uber expensive brands is because of their OEM history. R&D is extremely expensive and companies need a way to recoup their costs. If they sell thousands of wheels to big companies for factory vehicles then alot of that cost can be accounted for. Also while forging is recognized as the best way to make a strong wheel that is resistant to cracking, it isnt the only way to make a good strong wheel and is considerably more expensive. In the end it all comes down to how much research you are willing to do and selecting the product that meets your needs and budget. Just like you probably wouldnt select a Garret GT40R as the optimum turbo for an autocross vehicle, bigger is not always better. Also in the real world there is a point of diminishing returns and there comes a point where the cost isnt proportional to the added performance. So to each his own. Just remember to do your homework, find out what your needs and budget are and purchase accordingly. If you do that then you can just sit back and laugh at all the haters.

 

I would have to disagree with the OEM history part. BBS is a well-known OE manufacturer of wheels too and they have many expensive aftermarket wheels available. The STi and the Evolution and even my M3 are just a few cars that have OEM BBS wheels. And this doesn't just relate to wheels... Brembo does a huge amount of R&D and a TON of vehicle manufacturers use their products as OE whether it's brakes for an everyday car to high end $1+ mil supercars.
I gotta say it's more of an issue of labor, manufacturing, and wheel type (aluminum? magnesium? forged? chrome?) than OEM history. Not to mention, R&D does take a lot of resources up and I don't believe Rota does even nearly as much R&D as Rays Engineering or BBS and the like.

 

Thats true, but as I pointed out before the manufacturing process and type also make a big difference in cost. My intent wasnt to get into a big huge debate (although it was innevitable) so i will leave with this. Its true that the bigger names have some credit to their fame as being bigger/better/stronger/faster, but on the other hand would you believe their claims to goodness if they werent so expensive? For some reason the human being just feels better about whatever it is they are buying if it is more expensive. So do your homework, have a plan and decide for youself where the cost to performance ratio fits in with your budget.

 

^^ I find this comment funny because according to this thread the masses go with Rota.

But on a serious note Risk3233 you do bring up valid points. Certain things I can agree with totally but my perspective and always will be I'd rather have something that not many own then to be a dime a dozen. Unfortunately being an individual will run more money, with that being said Mike GL on your search.

Jess

 

You do make a valid point there as to the way a person thinks. Most people, including me, naturally think: More Expensive = More Benefits (which isn't always the case according to experience)... but I still end up thinking that way because it usually ends up that way for the majority of times. For example, my Brembo BBK... or at least I thought it was... was having some weird clicking problems. Brembo has some excellent after-service and they stuck with me through e-mail and on the phone trying to diagnose the problem. Turns out it wasn't the brakes at all, it was the lugnuts. Service is a benefit that most people overlook when buying a product. But... it basically all comes down to what you say, "Is it worth it for me?" Only the buyer can answer that.

 

Exclusivity does bring a higher price tag, just look at prices for Louis Vitton and Prada. It's probably one of the reasons some of us drive STis and not Honda Civics (nothing against Civics).

I guess exclusivity and common sense and practicality will always be on opposite ends of the spectrum.