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[zybar]

I have decided to replace my stock 17" wheels with 18" wheels rather than 19" wheels. Now I need to decide on which ones!

The three I most interested in are:

• Alufelgen CS7 Wheels in hyper black or gunmetal

• APEX ARC-8 in hyper black or anthracite

• BMW 189 Style

People with experience with these three wheels, can you tell what you liked or disliked about them?

In terms of quality and durability are there any major differences between the three?

Thanks in advance for your input.

George

[cvc 22349a]

George,
I have experience with all 3, well kind of.
My car came with the 162's, which are probably similar in weight to the 189's. They'll accept 225F, 255R tires which are oe sizes. They're strong for sure but also heavy, which may not matter much if your susp is oe.
I wanted to ditch the rft's after a year, sold my oe wheelset and bought the 19" Alufelgen CS7's with non-rft PS2's. I like the CSL style wheel alot on BMW's; the E46 M3 CSL is one of the best looking BMW's imo. So, Alufelgen replicates that wheel better than the others imo. They accept 235F/265R tires, because they're wider with correct offsets for the E9X,which gives you more grip. I think both Alufelgen and the 162's/189's are low pressure cast wheels, which is a step above gravity cast wheels. The Alufelgens are almost as heavy as the oe wheels, and just as strong. I've hit a few sharp bumps and potholes at speed, thought a grenade went under my hood, and no damage at all to the wheels. I didn't know Alufelgen makes an 18" CS7.
Recently, I decided I wanted more sidewall and a lighter weight wheel, so thinking my Alufelgen wheelset was sold, I bought a staggered set of Apex Arc-8's with PSS's-235F,265R. These are flow/roll formed cast wheels and much lighter than oe or Alufelgen. Steering feel, acceleration and braking are improved, BUT I actually feel bumps and ripples a little bit more than with the heavier, 19" Alufelgens. It's been a couple weeks since I installed the Apex wheelset, and I love them
Hope this helps..

[zybar]

Originally Posted by cvc 22349a

George,
I have experience with all 3, well kind of.
My car came with the 162's, which are probably similar in weight to the 189's. They'll accept 225F, 255R tires which are oe sizes. They're strong for sure but also heavy, which may not matter much if your susp is oe.
I wanted to ditch the rft's after a year, sold my oe wheelset and bought the 19" Alufelgen CS7's with non-rft PS2's. I like the CSL style wheel alot on BMW's; the E46 M3 CSL is one of the best looking BMW's imo. So, Alufelgen replicates that wheel better than the others imo. They accept 235F/265R tires, because they're wider with correct offsets for the E9X,which gives you more grip. I think both Alufelgen and the 162's/189's are low pressure cast wheels, which is a step above gravity cast wheels. The Alufelgens are almost as heavy as the oe wheels, and just as strong. I've hit a few sharp bumps and potholes at speed, thought a grenade went under my hood, and no damage at all to the wheels. I didn't know Alufelgen makes an 18" CS7.
Recently, I decided I wanted more sidewall and a lighter weight wheel, so thinking my Alufelgen wheelset was sold, I bought a staggered set of Apex Arc-8's with PSS's-235F,265R. These are flow/roll formed cast wheels and much lighter than oe or Alufelgen. Steering feel, acceleration and braking are improved, BUT I actually feel bumps and ripples a little bit more than with the heavier, 19" Alufelgens. It's been a couple weeks since I installed the Apex wheelset, and I love them
Hope this helps..

Very helpful - thank you.

George