Getting it really wrong - Aftermarket wheels

[bobt]

Spotted this at a Ferrari meeting. And no it's not a space saver all four were the same wheels. As well as looking completely and utterly w**k, how can anyone possibly think that losing 20cm overall rear track, and probably the same amount of rear rubber will improve the car? What a bell end.

[Risotto]

Could be temporary - proper wheels getting refurbed but can't do without the car, etc?

[morebeanz]

Are you saying those are 6" wheels then?

[HellDiver]

Sure it's not an MR2?

[Snoop Bagg]

HellDiver said:

Sure it's not an MR2?

[anonymous-user]

Right, this is THE THING that boils my piss: people ruining perfectly good cars with utterly, utterly terrible wheels that don't suit the car at all.

I saw a Ferrari 360 in an alloy wheel centre recently getting some 'Rage' alloys fitted, that were an awful fake split rim design. It completely ruined that car. The owner thought it looked 'mint'.

Wheels totally make or break a far and choosing the right style, size, offset and colour.

I spend ages choosing aftermarket wheels for my cars for exactly the reasons above.

Some people however, have no taste.

[thinfourth2]

Theres a wheel in that picture?

[Panayiotis]

There is only one aftermarket wheel that should grace a car IMO, the BBS LM.

[Garlick]

thinfourth2 said:

Theres a wheel in that picture?

Please don't tell me that a small section of a woman dressed for winter distracts you?

[rhinochopig]

Panayiotis said:

There is only one aftermarket wheel that should grace a car IMO, the BBS LM.

Personally I go for whatever design comes in the lightest at the desired size and budget - style very much comes second for me. Go over show every time, and if looks nice well that's a bonus.

[zcacogp]

NinjaPower said:

I saw a Ferrari 360 in an alloy wheel centre recently getting some 'Rage' alloys fitted, that were an awful fake split rim design. It completely ruined that car. The owner thought it looked 'mint'.

Money absolutely does not buy taste.

The modern trend for fitting aftermarket wheels (or, in many cases, simply the wheels from the wrong car - see Mk4 Golfs and A8 wheels) seems to be taking off, and is symptomatic of a greater malaise in the motoring world IMHO. Cars rarely handle better with wheels of a different size to those it was originally supplied with as the dynamic change is for the worse. The change is made purely for cosmetic reasons, and is rarely cheap.

However, on the plus side, dodgy modifications are a useful indicator that a car is one to be wary of. The sort of mindset that will spend money making a car handle badly but (subjectively) look better is invariably not the sort of mindset that values good driving, courtesy on the road and half a dozen other such desirable things.


Oli.

ETA: Rhinochpig's outlook is the very opposite of the mindset I am (badly) trying to describe - bravo RCP!

Edited by zcacogp on Wednesday 23 June 14:37

[gruffgriff]

HellDiver said:

Sure it's not an MR2?

Hmm, I think you may be right, I`ve never seen any incarnation of the Testarossa with a protruding wheel arch lip; they are smooth and flat sided as standard...

[Kentish]

Panayiotis said:

There is only one aftermarket wheel that should grace a car IMO, the BBS LM.

Edited by Kentish on Wednesday 23 June 15:16

[ross-co]

NinjaPower said:

Right, this is THE THING that boils my piss: people ruining perfectly good cars with utterly, utterly terrible wheels that don't suit the car at all.

I saw a Ferrari 360 in an alloy wheel centre recently getting some 'Rage' alloys fitted, that were an awful fake split rim design. It completely ruined that car. The owner thought it looked 'mint'.

Wheels totally make or break a far and choosing the right style, size, offset and colour.

I spend ages choosing aftermarket wheels for my cars for exactly the reasons above.

Some people however, have no taste.

Or just different taste I mean I am sure some people on PH would not like your choice of wheel but you do and visa versa.

Radical thoughts I know.

[Beyond Rational]

That Testarossa must be interesting, the offset must be completely wrong, the originals are 255/50 R 16 and I'm assuming those tyres aren't 155s!

[rockandrollmark]

NinjaPower said:

Right, this is THE THING that boils my piss...

Probably not THE thing which boils my piss, but I don't understand why people do it. Also, you've got to wonder whether the quality control of some cheap Halfords wheel is going to be to the same standards as those used by BBS / Ronal etc.

[Balmoral Green]

I know of someone who had the sort of wheels that the 12 year olds have on their Saxo's/106's, on his 355 lookalike 348.

Proper bloke and top PH'er too.

Just goes to show, you never can tell can you?

[K-Cee]

bobt said:

Spotted this at a Ferrari meeting. And no it's not a space saver all four were the same wheels. As well as looking completely and utterly w**k, how can anyone possibly think that losing 20cm overall rear track, and probably the same amount of rear rubber will improve the car? What a bell end.

I think they look dead right on a Testarossa.., in keeping with what always reminds me of a kit-car !!

[rhinochopig]

Kentish said:

Panayiotis said:

There is only one aftermarket wheel that should grace a car IMO, the BBS LM.

Edited by Kentish on Wednesday 23 June 15:16

Utter twaddle - OZ variations on their multi spoke theme are another classic - ultraleggeras / superturismo etc.

[_Batty_]

yet to find a testarossa with a wheelarch like that
this for reference..