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[VAP55]

What's going on everyone? I'm new to the BMW community, and I have a question. From what I understand BBS,Volk,and SSR are considered "Real" wheels, while Rota,Varrstoen,and XXR are considered "Replicas". What exactly is the difference (besides price)? What are VMR's considered? Thanks for the input.

[JDLM]

Way too many questions w/ various opinions/facts

There are varying degrees in manufacturing/design etc ....

[skatenc123]

in my opinion aslong as your dont run "real" centercaps in "replica" wheels, then there is no problem.

[CJ421]

There's a reason replica wheels are often used with "bent" or "cracked" and/or "regret". A simple search validates that. Look in the FS section of this forum and look at what people are selling; lots of incomplete or repaired replica wheel sets. Look on this forum for bent BBS, Volk ... not going to find much. OEM wheels are almost always a safe bet too.

The "real" wheels have all the R&D put into them (testing especially). This is Mercedes-Benz process for designing their OEM wheels:
http://www.emercedesbenz.com/autos/m...esign-process/
Product development:
http://www.emercedesbenz.com/autos/m...t-development/
That will give you a good idea of what goes into making a wheel. Replica wheel makers can't afford to do that. Only a limited amount.

I stick to OEM or one of the makers OEMs outsource to. BMW is known to outsource their some of high-end wheel production to BBS.

Bottom line - save up for the real deal.

[vereak82]

its really upto you & your budget and what you like.. who really cares if you wanna run "real" caps on your replicas.. its your money and your taste bottom line

[JDLM]

Originally Posted by vereak82

its really upto you & your budget and what you like.. who really cares if you wanna run "real" caps on your replicas.. its your money and your taste bottom line

and if you want to be a giant poser

[vereak82]

Originally Posted by JDLM

and if you want to be a giant poser

Go upto any guy with bbs lm reps with bbs caps and tell him how you feel, let me know how that works out I'm a poser I buy replica spoilers,replica m3 side skirts and wheels.. You mad bro?

[dtea604]

LOL honestly center caps on a reps being a poser please, its your taste at the end of the day LOl like previous poster said, besides when pigs look at your rims they'll think its part of the car not an ad on in my perspective, and it solely depends on everyones pocket, not everyones walking around with stacks to drop on there car.

[jon328i]

Originally Posted by CJ421

I stick to OEM or one of the makers OEMs outsource to. BMW is known to outsource their some of high-end wheel production to BBS.

Bottom line - save up for the real deal.

I Agree to This ^^

[DriftDreamzSS]

Originally Posted by VAP55

What's going on everyone? I'm new to the BMW community, and I have a question. From what I understand BBS,Volk,and SSR are considered "Real" wheels, while Rota,Varrstoen,and XXR are considered "Replicas". What exactly is the difference (besides price)? What are VMR's considered? Thanks for the input.

VMR's are replicas also. Replica companies steal/copy the designs of established wheel manufacturers and produce cheap wheels without having any of the overhead of the initial design, engineering or testing (although many do have some testing to meet safety standards). They are usually made with inferior metals, tooling and manufacturing processes. Part of the cheaper cost is the lower quality materials and production but also the replica companies dont have to recoup the up front investments needed just to bring out a new wheel design. For a street driven car its mostly up to preference but replicas are more likely to bend or crack if you live in an area with poor road conditions. Its really no different than buying a fake Rolex watch or getting your wife a knock off designer hand bag, it looks like the real thing (to some people, sometimes) and serves the purpose the same way pretty much, but its not the real thing. Some people are cool with that and others not so much, personal preference.

[VAP55]

I appreciate all the input from everyone, it's helped out quite a bit.

[F80M]

We are replica kings and queens driving BMWs here. Seeking cheap ultimate replica parts for our ultimate driving machine is our one ultimate goal...

[F80M]

Originally Posted by 91Octane

We are replica kings and queens driving BMWs here. Seeking cheap ultimate replica parts for our ultimate driving machine is our one ultimate goal...

Oh yes...dont forget to slap the authentic BBS center caps on and post an ultimate teaser thread on here.

[dmz]

I thing there is a place for both level of wheels and not one choice is better than other.

Expensive branded wheels for people who are willing to spend the money upfront and know that they got a quality product and will last them the life of their car.

Inexpensive replica wheels make sense for people who like to rock different look of wheel and change them often and not have to invest tons of money up front.

I tend to have 2-3 set of rim for my car at a time and don't expect them to last more than a couple of tire changes. I also like to change my wheels style often. So, inexpensive replica works for me. As long as I don't expect my rims to last the life of my car.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by VAP55

What's going on everyone? I'm new to the BMW community, and I have a question. From what I understand BBS,Volk,and SSR are considered "Real" wheels, while Rota,Varrstoen,and XXR are considered "Replicas". What exactly is the difference (besides price)? What are VMR's considered? Thanks for the input.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=666389

[VMRWheels]

Be sure they're VIA and JWL approved. All OEM wheels have to undergo these tests.

[PR3CI5N]

Good to know. Do VMR wheels undergo these tests and get approved? Sorry for putting u on the spot.

Originally Posted by VMRWheels

Be sure they're VIA and JWL approved. All OEM wheels have to undergo these tests.

[BlackedOutBimmer]

.... to some of the above comments..

Nothing wrong with "quality" replica wheels...

some people would rather not spend $5,000+ on a set on wheels and then go ahead and bent one of them on a pothole... some were much perfer to buy a $1500 of off-brand quality replica wheels and not worry so much about them.

kind of depnds on the car too... putting reps on a 3 series is very common, If I had an M6 or some $80,000+ car, I think I could maybe justify $5,000+ rims, but for my car, my needs, and my driving habits and road conditions, replicas are perfectly fine. --- barring you get a "quality" replica and not some ebay POS.

[anerbe]

One thing to note - sometime the OEM wheel manufacturers sell replacement wheels in the market too. Often times these have been rejected from the OEM (BMW) quality criteria, but still meet federal requirements.

Wheels are like many other things - you get what you pay for...

[Mike oxlong]

Originally Posted by CJ421

I stick to OEM or one of the makers OEMs outsource to. BMW is known to outsource their some of high-end wheel production to BBS.

Bottom line - save up for the real deal.

Aren't your OE style wheels considered reps then?

[maxxed]

Originally Posted by dmz

I thing there is a place for both level of wheels and not one choice is better than other.

I agree,.. personally I have always run reps as I have more of an issue with the finish than bending rims. I would rather go through a few sets of higher quality reps for the same price of one "real" set.

Something else to consider is security. Don't know where you live or if your job requires your car to be unattended for long periods. Much more likely to have your car jacked if you are rolling on a set of $5500 wheels.

Finally,.. on a track, drift or timeattack car I would run Volk or other similar "real" wheels. They are generally lighter, stronger and safer for these extreme conditions.

If you do decide to go with reps,.. research the levels of certification (VIA, JWL, etc..), manufacturing process (forged, low pressure cast, gravity cast, etc..), and general brand reputation before making your purchase.

[EYE4SPEED]

With aftermarket wheels, you will more than likely get a more aggressive offset. I have never been a fan of running spacers to achieve the look. Would buying used "real" wheels and spacers be the same as a poser?

Hopefully I won't need them, but perhaps a BBK will necessitate the need of spacers for my "real" wheels.