Fake VS Real

[DrChu]

Now i was jumping around google like a bunny on crack and chocolate after easter and stumbled upon a thread posted on this Va forum some of you know, so decided to try and open it up here. I would like to know everyones take on fake wheels vs real wheels and the people trying to pass the fake ones off as real. I know there will be some attitudes and such so please don't take anything said to heart, we don't need any HT bs here.
Just to start it off I personally as of rite now own Real Works That like to stay clean on my nissan, a real set of GramLights, Diamond racing steelies, and after sinking money for two sets of wheels into that terrible company Konig I have purchased those oh so hated esm BBS replicas for my daily driver. My daily ''mini cooper s'' puts on a ton of miles every year and seems like every year i have to buy new wheels due to the constant changes in our lovely jersey roads. so this year i got the replicas because they were cheap and i figured let me try something new being that Konig's dont hold up to a little imperfection in the road let alone a jersey car eating pothole. Now every one that has commented on a post about these wheels say they are garbage and blah blah but I have to say i Macked a moon crater the other nite which I figured waffled my rim and blew out my slightly stretched tire but to my surprise the tire held bubble free and no rim damage what so ever. so now that i have told you my personal take on my fake wheels I want to hear some of yours.

[WasADubber]

i have nothin against fake wheels, hell i have owned a pair or three, BUT i hate when ppl act like there fake wheels are real. like come on if u cant afford it you cant afford it just keep it real (no pun intended)

[ShootJoeC]

Knockoff wheels are cool if you are ballin on a budget. Just don't try to act like you are tough shit or rocking rare wheels when you have rotas. I would put Rota wheels on my beater but not on a nice car.

[filthiestek]

Knockoff wheels are cool if you are ballin on a budget. Just don't try to act like you are tough shit or rocking rare wheels when you have rotas. I would put Rota wheels on my beater but not on a nice car.

This... I have owned Rota's and some other replica's but please dont put some volk stickers on your rota grids. Like Joe said, I'm balling on a budget and cant really afford to drop a couple stacks on some wheels. But I wouldnt be caught dead fakin the funk.

[DRedman45]

i have had fake LMs for a year...they look good and all but i have gotten tired of having fake wheel(i feel ashamed haha) so i bought some super rare work euroline M2's for 200 more than i sold the LM reps for haha

[Tinyvan]

I only have rocked real wheels I have a set of Volk CE28's and a set of BBS RS's. Im on the same page as every one else I have no problem with fakes and not every one can drop a grip on wheels but for the love of god dont try and pass the fakes as real. I have alot more respect for some one that will proudly rock rotas then some one tring to pass off rotas as a rare wheel.

[james_ls]

Just don't rock it like it's real shit, and your Rotas will never be the dope shit, so stop it lol.

[Flopsdacat]

Simple rule to live by, "You get what you pay for."
I have no problem with people riding on fake wheels, but just don't come to me crying when they snap off while your driving down the street.

[DrChu]

Ok that is alot more of posineutral response than i imagined. I mean im not asking about wether you guys think i should have bought them or not i have had these wheels for like five months already and i am not going to change them out just because they are fake. If you ask me they look good on the car an i break necks every day so im happy. Flops as for your simple rule it is what it is I have never seen a wheel snap off the hub in person. the way i see it if i mac a curb doing 60mph trust me i would never expect the wheel to hold up. My money goes mostly all inot my other car and the daily is just that but i cant stand driving a bone stock car so i add a little to it for looks and a little added go. Im happy

[STANCED ACCORD]

I don't hate on knockoffs . I just hate wen people with Rota/Drag/XXR sportmaxx act like the their wheels are the authentics , as in putting stickers on the wheels to give off the apperience that they are real .

[filthiestek]

i dun knock of knockoffs . i just hate wen ppl wit Rota/Drag/XXR sportmaxx act like they shit dun stink ive owned 2pairs of rotas havent had a pair in like 3 years
I have some xxr's but sometimes my shit smells so damn bad!

[Checho]

The biggest problem is those that paid 3k+ for real TE-s (Real wheels) in shitty sizes are hating on the fact that the guy who paid one third of that is getting much better fitting wheels.

Although I wouldn't rock a set of Rotas, I also will not knock on anyone for doing so.

[STANCED ACCORD]

I have some xxr's but sometimes my shit smells so damn bad!


lol dint mean to offend you .... i just meant if u have knockoffs admit it don't act like they the real ones

[filthiestek]

Naw you didnt offend me at all. Its lame people trying to pass fakes as reals.

[prod0660]

i agree with the "you get what $2gs on just rims is kinda NUTS too,,, idk,, i went through a 6 inch pothole with my car ( the front were real OEM BMW M3 rims the back were reps) and lets just say, nothing beats the real deal,, reps cracked in a million places blew out my tire, so in the end, its probably best to just get something real for the simple fact of quality, or if your rocking reps, dont drive like ther SHMIDTS

[slwrthnu]

i am a real wheel guy, never have owned a set of fake wheels. first set of wheels i purchased at 17 were a set of racing hart wheels, since then i upgraded to volk racing and then jlines. i currently don't own any real wheels but would like a set of work equips for the rx7 when its back on the road. i will never buy a set of fake wheels, but that isn't to say i wont buy a cheaper set of wheels, there are plenty of wheel companies out there that make nice wheels that don't cost a ton of money. oh and i really can't stand people that try to pass of fake wheels as real wheels. i don't care if you own fake wheels, it's just not for me.

[Josh@canibeat]

I'm curious how all these 17/18 year olds own all the high dollar wheels? I mean when I was in high school I worked but never had that much free money to burn on wheels. Not starting anything, its just a serious question I have.

Also I own Axis OG San's on my e30 and I have gotten a ton of compliments on them, on fake vs real I think most don't care, they just care if they look good. Also on the OG San's... I bought them for 600 new... I have seen used Formula Meshes go for 2k... lets just say I enjoyed having all that cash to spend elsewhere lol.

[ShootJoeC]

i dun knock of knockoffs . i just hate wen ppl wit Rota/Drag/XXR sportmaxx act like they shit dun stink ive owned 2pairs of rotas havent had a pair in like 3 years

Hey man in the future try to type like you are communicating on an informative forum, not texting on your sidekick.

[Josh@canibeat]

Hey man in the future try to type like you are communicating on an informative forum, not texting on your sidekick.

Lol I gave up reading it half way through... wasn't worth the headache

[Salty991]

I think it is fine to rock reps just as long as you don't pass them as real ones. But also a lot of people will say "buy the real things" when some people just cant afford the real things or they can and don't feel like spending all that money on wheels.
Its just my opinion and i think if you like the wheels thats the only thing that matters.

[Pendulum]

Honestly, the whole "can't afford real wheels" thing is stupid. If you don't know how to save money, then maybe you should learn. It'll make life in general a hell of a lot easier. I understand not wanting to spend that much, though. Even I feel like wheels are crazy expensive.

If a company offers original designs at a good price, and they're quality wheels that will hold up to abuse like they should, then I see no problem with them. Now, if they're copying other company's designs and/or low quality, then the wheels suck and the people buying them are helping with the deterioration of our scene. I can't support that. I won't even shoot a car rocking knock-off parts.

[STANCED ACCORD]

Hey man in the future try to type like you are communicating on an informative forum, not texting on your sidekick.

Lmao.. Sorry about that . Some of us aren't as educated as others. Tried to fix it as best as I could.

[Josh@canibeat]

Honestly, the whole "can't afford real wheels" thing is stupid. If you don't know how to save money, then maybe you should learn. It'll make life in general a hell of a lot easier. I understand not wanting to spend that much, though. Even I feel like wheels are crazy expensive.

If a company offers original designs at a good price, and they're quality wheels that will hold up to abuse like they should, then I see no problem with them. Now, if they're copying other company's designs and/or low quality, then the wheels suck and the people buying them are helping with the deterioration of our scene. I can't support that. I won't even shoot a car rocking knock-off parts.

I can't afford "real" wheels because I own a house, a wife and a son I take care of and barely have any debt other than the home I own (will be debt free after tax time except the house). I have things that are more important than my car so I spend my money there instead of on my car... so in my case its not knowing how to save money.

Also there are people that have "real" wheels that are in debt because they own them... so obviously just because you own "real" wheels doesn't mean you are smart with your money.

[slwrthnu]

I'm curious how all these 17/18 year olds own all the high dollar wheels? I mean when I was in high school I worked but never had that much free money to burn on wheels. Not starting anything, its just a serious question I have.


working at a some what decent job at full time/almost full time bc high school is easy and you have no bills to pay because your parents take care of everything = high dollar wheels at a young age...at least thats how i afforded a set of racing harts at 17, not crazy expensive but 1600 bucks at 17 is a decent amount of money.

[Josh@canibeat]

working at a some what decent job at full time/almost full time bc high school is easy and you have no bills to pay because your parents take care of everything = high dollar wheels at a young age...at least thats how i afforded a set of racing harts at 17, not crazy expensive but 1600 bucks at 17 is a decent amount of money.

Must be nice lol, I was just curious. I figured that was the case.

[xxxKezSC3xxx]

fake wheels vs real wheels are like real jordans vs fake jordans just dnt be that kid reppin ya fake whatever like its real cuz people know DAMNIT.... hey im cool with fake wheels (hint my car in avatar) lol and i rep my fake wheels

[NYKnick1015]

i dunno why there is such a big thing about real vs fake... i dont get what really makes a wheel fake. i mean i understand that the cheaper companies make wheels that are very similar as the expensive ones but those expensive companies do the same thing too.. I have yet to see anyone give volk shit for making the Gt-C a whole year after enkei discontinued the DM/EM5 exact same design, that was around a lot earlier or even euroline wheels which looks like the old school benz stockers

I dunno, i just dont like real/fake thing because ive seen some SICK builds with what people call "Cheap" wheels that are magazine worthy... and everyone cant afford to drop a G per wheel... and its funny cuz it only applies to every wheel under $200 a peice is fake

[jsu1012]

i dunno why there is such a big thing about real vs fake... i dont get what really makes a wheel fake. i mean i understand that the cheaper companies make wheels that are very similar as the expensive ones but those expensive companies do the same thing too.. I have yet to see anyone give volk shit for making the Gt-C a whole year after enkei discontinued the DM/EM5 exact same design, that was around a lot earlier or even euroline wheels which looks like the old school benz stockers

I dunno, i just dont like real/fake thing because ive seen some SICK builds with what people call "Cheap" wheels that are magazine worthy... and everyone cant afford to drop a G per wheel... and its funny cuz it only applies to every wheel under $200 a peice is fake

I'm with you man, volk gt-c do look similar.

[hinrichs]

I have to agree with everyone else, reps are "ok" just dont act like they are real, I hate seing a bbs center cap on the lm reps, its very easy to tell they are reps anyway

I have always owned real wheels but I dont hate on fake wheels, some of the reps are better than the real deal with fitments but thats about it

[Darrenb]

To me the whole fake vs real argument is the same as the air vs static argument. Do what makes you happy and f*ck the rest, just don't go around parading your fakes as legit ones just like people driving donk style on bags and saying they drive just as low as they park.

[aar0n.]

I'll just leave this here. I dislike fake knock-off wheels and absolutely despise when people try and pass them off as the real deal (fake LMs with BBS caps, Rota Grids with Volk stickers, etc).

http://www.autofashionusa.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mackinletter1.jpg

[NYKnick1015]

wow varreston is a replica wheel company... AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ROCKIN THEM LIKE THEY ARE THE SHIT.... LOL...

there is no such thing as a replica wheel company anymore after reading this because its all the same to me

[Salty991]

yeah i agree^ i say you rock what you have and stop hating on everyone else. Just respect others wheels "replica's" or not just dont pass them off as another wheel. Just my thoughts.

[aar0n.]

It's not just a matter of pretending it's the real thing or not. From an economic standpoint, copied replica wheels have a huge effect on the companies that do the R&D, marketing, development, etc. of their own wheels, thereby hurting the industry as a whole.

From the AC Schnitzer 'Stop the copy' article


* The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) estimates the economic damage caused by product and brand piracy in Germany to be around 20 - 30 billion Euro per year

* In the estimation of the DIHK, already around 70,000 jobs have been lost

* When they use counterfeits or copies, consumers may be exposing themselves to substantial risks of accident and danger to health

Also, I think this post made by Ben@Stanceworks lays it out very nicely


Price isn't the issue.. It's the intellectual property, marketing dollars and R&D of companies like Work, BBS, etc that get stolen and taken advantage of by fake companies. It's never been about price, but more about ethics. You establish a market based around copies of other products, and that market will drown out the innovators leaving you with only sub-par options to choose from. This doesn't happen overnight, but the mindset is definitely in play within the consumer. Don't let the ploy of "cheap" allow you to determine your purchases.. Be willing to wait longer and "save" for the real thing, thus helping us all out by supporting the companies that are willing to evolve ethically and responsibly.

[TW0R]

My only problem in the "Real vs. Reps" debate is that when some people get their $3k wheels, they get this huge ego for some reason and then start hating on my shit just because they arent expensive.

I get why people hate on reps, but you don't have to be a dick about it.

[jsu1012]

My only problem in the "Real vs. Reps" debate is that when some people get their $3k wheels, they get this huge ego for some reason and then start hating on my shit just because they arent expensive.

I get why people hate on reps, but you don't have to be a dick about it.

So true

[NYKnick1015]

x2 brotha

[aar0n.]

My only problem in the "Real vs. Reps" debate is that when some people get their $3k wheels, they get this huge ego for some reason and then start hating on my shit just because they arent expensive.

I get why people hate on reps, but you don't have to be a dick about it.

I hope that's not directed at me, I'm just giving a broader perspective than what the end consumer may see. Cost or amount of money spent has nothing to do with anything, there are lots of secondhand quality wheels out there that can be had for less than a new set of Rotas or something :)

[TW0R]

Lol, It wasn't directed at you, I didn't even read the whole thread!

It was just a general observation based on some people I have met before.

[240BENZO]

dudes on there "baller wheel" high horse is super stupid and deserves to get their wheels jacked so their mommy can buy more =P but all i can really say about custom wheels costing more is because they are that...custom. just because a wheel is more mass produced and premade doesnt make it worthless or FAKE. i paid less than a G for wheels and tires and am proud to say so--not that i wouldnt love some custom offset wheels that id have to worry about getting stolen or damaged--if i could afford it

[jjm4life]

as a personal choice, i only rock real wheels. i hate anything knockoff and dont like that there are people making money off of someone else's ideas/designs.

when i had my evo people asked me all the time if my advans were rotas.. i hated it.
rocking toybox48 wheels on my lotus. im sure only the wheel whores have even heard of this tiny ass shop. love the wheels. look sick, crazy light, very rare.
i understand why people buy rotas ect.. its just not something id ever do.

[240BENZO]

right thats totally legit..just the guys who get REAL wheels is to make their dick bigger--which is a real drag cus they are out there

[Dangler]

"There are only so many ways to skin a cat" or something like that.

Many wheel companies have similar wheel designs, they all have a mesh, a 5-spoke, a 6-spoke, etc. You get the point. With that said, ADV.1 has designs that have been done before and they charge big $$$$ money and no one complains. Intro Forged, DPE, HRE, Forgeline, all have similar wheels, but no one complains one is copying the other. Its okay, because they charge a lot of money for their wheels.

Then people complain when someone makes an affordable wheel that looks like something expensive. I've only had two set of Reps (BBS Lm's on my Audi and Caractere Porsche Turbo Reps on my VW). They were 1-piece cast wheels and they were excellent quality, and surprising light for cast wheels. I've hit everything in the book with my cast wheels and never had a blow out, or cracked a wheel. Then again it depends on how you drive and hit a pot hole.

I've spent close to 4g's on a set 3-piece forged wheels, that weren't all that light, and shook like crazy in the rain, because they trapped water in the inner barrel due to the barrel design (and this barrell design is commonly found on a lot of 3-piece forged wheels with a flat lip).

Though this is my personal experience, and i know there are people out there that have had the opposite. I'd rock Rota's no problem. They look better that TE-37's, and are more affordable, that makes them attactive to me. and that is just me, and my opinion. But at the same token, I have a few other wheels i'm looking at, that are 3-4g before tires.

What it comes down to is what you do to the rest of the car to incorporate the wheels. you can have a set of ADV.1 that cost 7g's before tires on a sedan on stock off-road height suspension and it looks like shit. or a set of Rota's on an car with coils, and look a lot nicer. But more importantly, you should do a wheel that you like, fake or real.

[Roy@Canibeat]

very good points in here.

Some photos i found on google.
fake volks stickers on rotas. lol
http://www.fakewheels.com/images/stickers.jpg

Varrstoen decided to target the Volk CE28 as their next replica
http://www.fakewheels.com/images/ce28b.jpg
http://www.fakewheels.com/images/v2.jpg

ouch..
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NRSDCBt4i-U/Sb5GPOeq9dI/AAAAAAAACfY/vqjIplCfuJ4/Rota%20wheels.jpg

[jjm4life]

id rock rotas before adv.1 thats for damn sure.

sucks for me cause there are so few good manufacturers making 16in wheels that clear my brakes. CCW was basically the only company that would even humor the idea, but they were too heavy.

a bunch of lotus track guys rock rotas... i just cant imagine putting them on my car.

[VinceSpec]

i am a bit surprised how many people are actually ok with fakes. Fake wheels take business away from companies that actually put in the research and development into their products.
i could never imagine putting cheap wheels on any of my cars, mostly from a safety standpoint, but also, as a designer, i dont have much respect for a company that copies designs and attempts to make them their own.

innovation is what drives the automotive industry.

[Future_gohan]

i am a bit surprised how many people are actually ok with fakes. Fake wheels take business away from companies that actually put in the research and development into their products.
i could never imagine putting cheap wheels on any of my cars, mostly from a safety standpoint, but also, as a designer, i dont have much respect for a company that copies designs and attempts to make them their own.

innovation is what drives the automotive industry.

I would never wait my whole life to buy wheels, I can buy wheels now, that look nice and sit right, then later on get wheels that are legit and the whole works, not everyone has money to blow on wheels that are worth more than they're car. it's how life it.

[ColdxFront]

This is a subject I'm giving a lot of thought to with regards to my car at the minute.

Like most people, I have rent and bills to pay and I'm on a limited budget.
For the purposes of this arguement, what are we classing as fake, just ripped wheel design, or 1 piece original design wheels with fake split bolts as well?

I'd have no real issues with buying 1 piece cast wheels, (I'd steer clear of ripped designs if possible though, as I think that it's wrong to allow companies to expend so much on R&D/Design only to be copied a few months down the line by a less expensive imitation - as much as competition is healthy I just think it's stupid in this case) as they allow people to run wide wheels on a fairly reasonable budget.

My problem lies with these though:
http://www.eurotuningpro.com/osc/images/kt1sp.jpg
Keskin KT1's. I like the design, and they are very much within my budget compared with all the other current contenders. However, ever since getting into stance, I've had the unshakeable feeling that fake split's are, for want of a better way of putting it, gay.

I think I'd rather wait and sit my car on Schmidts, but this pushes my projected time line way back, so I'm just not sure.

[chrisdavis@canibeat]

Buy what you can afford and what makes you happy, just don't be a poser.

Don't say your rep stuff is real
Don't pretend your car is fast and/or functional if it isn't (be proud of what you've built for what it is, etc)
Stuff like that.

I think Keskins look really good in person.

[jsu1012]

Buy what you can afford and what makes you happy, just don't be a poser.

Don't say your rep stuff is real
Don't pretend your car is fast and/or functional if it isn't (be proud of what you've built for what it is, etc)
Stuff like that.

nuff said.

[anthony@canibeat]

im sorta glad noone has brought up the idea that rotas will break and disintegrate on you cuz just recently i smacked a curb at like 30mph with my rotas and nothing cracked. just some FAT curbage. lololol

but anyways..... when i got into the scene i wanted wheels asap. i didnt know any better so i bought rotas since they offered 10's in 5x100. 10s in a low offset in 5x100 at an affordable price is FKEN hard to find! i didnt rly give a fk about rocking rotas at the time so i was like fk it, ill get em. i never did once say theyre the volk ce28s. amazingly a lot of people actually have come up to me and asked me if they were. i just put a huge smile on my face and say, "nahhhh i wish! ahaha theyre just rotas." they always go, "OH ok. they look good!"

im pretty sure ill end up buying another set of rotas in the future. imean theyre good DD wheels. if i had works on my car when i hit that fat curb, id kill myself. that was actually the first time i was glad i had rotas hahaha. but anyways, in my eyes, if it has the fitment and price youre lookin for, GO FOR IT.

i dont rly care if theyre reps or not. there are plenty of clean ass rides out there rockin affordable name brands and i dont hate. i looks good. i dont mind seeing them on toyotas, drift cars, hondas and all but if i see like a bimmer or merc rockin linea corses or something then i go ehhh for a sec. if they sit flush and/or look good then its alllll goooooooooooooood! =]

[240BENZO]

i am a bit surprised how many people are actually ok with fakes. Fake wheels take business away from companies that actually put in the research and development into their products.
i could never imagine putting cheap wheels on any of my cars, mostly from a safety standpoint, but also, as a designer, i dont have much respect for a company that copies designs and attempts to make them their own.

innovation is what drives the automotive industry.

i totally disagree with this if its referring to only wheels that arent big companies and not those who are repping a fake as the real deal--not sure which one ur meaning..
only cus xxr obviously researches and tests their stuff by real pros..
no other 'reps' sell 18x10.5+20 as far as i know for around 200 a wheel plus has pro drivers drifting on their cars.
but dont carry around your glock 9 and call it an ak-47! haha

[Salty991]

im sorta glad noone has brought up the idea that rotas will break and disintegrate on you cuz just recently i smacked a curb at like 30mph with my rotas and nothing cracked. just some FAT curbage. lololol

but anyways..... when i got into the scene i wanted wheels asap. i didnt know any better so i bought rotas since they offered 10's in 5x100. 10s in a low offset in 5x100 at an affordable price is FKEN hard to find! i didnt rly give a fk about rocking rotas at the time so i was like fk it, ill get em. i never did once say theyre the volk ce28s. amazingly a lot of people actually have come up to me and asked me if they were. i just put a huge smile on my face and say, "nahhhh i wish! ahaha theyre just rotas." they always go, "OH ok. they look good!"

im pretty sure ill end up buying another set of rotas in the future. imean theyre good DD wheels. if i had works on my car when i hit that fat curb, id kill myself. that was actually the first time i was glad i had rotas hahaha. but anyways, in my eyes, if it has the fitment and price youre lookin for, GO FOR IT.

i dont rly care if theyre reps or not. there are plenty of clean ass rides out there rockin affordable name brands and i dont hate. i looks good. i dont mind seeing them on toyotas, drift cars, hondas and all but if i see like a bimmer or merc rockin linea corses or something then i go ehhh for a sec. if they sit flush and/or look good then its alllll goooooooooooooood! =]

yo man couldnt agree more with this comment more.

[coneklr]

I agree with the keeping it real comments ;) Even when I didn't have much money I just searched until I found a used set that I really liked. They might of not been in 100% mint shape but I felt happier and sold most of them for what I paid for them which is something that would be harder to do with reps. That being said I would never knock anyone for buying replica wheels as different people have different values and who am i to tell them different. But I agree you shouldn't pretend their real either.

[240BENZO]

i just hate people knocking REP companies cus they make similar products that cost half to a quarter of the price..xxr/isis products on this car--cheap chinese crap that didnt get researched and studied before it was made? seriously doubt it

http://vimeo.com/14828657


my 240 cost 1000k with like 250k miles on the chassis
spending more than that on my wheels isnt a priority yet

[ducaroo89]

im sorta glad noone has brought up the idea that rotas will break and disintegrate on you cuz just recently i smacked a curb at like 30mph with my rotas and nothing cracked. Just some fat curbage. Lololol

but anyways..... When i got into the scene i wanted wheels asap. I didnt know any better so i bought rotas since they offered 10's in 5x100. 10s in a low offset in 5x100 at an affordable price is fken hard to find! I didnt rly give a fk about rocking rotas at the time so i was like fk it, ill get em. I never did once say theyre the volk ce28s. Amazingly a lot of people actually have come up to me and asked me if they were. I just put a huge smile on my face and say, "nahhhh i wish! Ahaha theyre just rotas." they always go, "oh ok. They look good!"

im pretty sure ill end up buying another set of rotas in the future. Imean theyre good dd wheels. If i had works on my car when i hit that fat curb, id kill myself. That was actually the first time i was glad i had rotas hahaha. But anyways, in my eyes, if it has the fitment and price youre lookin for, go for it.

i dont rly care if theyre reps or not. There are plenty of clean ass rides out there rockin affordable name brands and i dont hate. I looks good. I dont mind seeing them on toyotas, drift cars, hondas and all but if i see like a bimmer or merc rockin linea corses or something then i go ehhh for a sec. If they sit flush and/or look good then its alllll goooooooooooooood! =]

yes!

[Rick]

I have personally never met someone who lied about their fake wheels as being real wheels, I don't think it happens as much as people on forums describe it. I'm sure we would all prefer real wheels, but when you're considering what wheels to get for your $3000 accord or $3000 240sx, it's hard to justify a set of $3800 volks and there is nothing wrong with rotas.

[Rick]

i am a bit surprised how many people are actually ok with fakes. Fake wheels take business away from companies that actually put in the research and development into their products.
i could never imagine putting cheap wheels on any of my cars, mostly from a safety standpoint, but also, as a designer, i dont have much respect for a company that copies designs and attempts to make them their own.

innovation is what drives the automotive industry.

I think the companies out there like varrstoen that makes a wheel that's identical to volk's te37, but only charges 25% of what volk does is pretty innovative.

[ColdxFront]

I think the companies out there like varrstoen that makes a wheel that's identical to volk's te37, but only charges 25% of what volk does is pretty innovative.

The wheels aren't identical though. They might be identical aesthetically, but TE37's are forged alloys and most cheap replica's are just cast, hence the higher price tag (and the branding, obviously).

[uncommon yota]

theres a saying "the more you pay for something the better the quality" it does not apply to all cases but with wheels i think they do i got no problem with reps. but you get alot more looks and a level of respect to be rollin around in $300+ a wheel, set

[wask0]

this a good thread, a lot of different views. How do you guys feel about Replicas of wheels that are discontinued? I think the Knock Off industry does affect the consumers. If there were less Knock Off companies, I think the cost of Real wheels would drop a little price, im not talking $1000's off, IMO the price on some wheels are so high is because there are 10 other companies making the same look-a-like wheel, and the Real Company knows that someone will pay top dollar for the real deal. I do believe in "you pay what you get" And putting Stickers on a Fake wheel is lame, true poser fashion.

[LWRNCE]

Lmao.. Sorry about that . Some of us aren't as educated as others. Tried to fix it as best as I could.

Stay in school pimpin'.


Spend the money for quality. I can't tell you how many people come to the shop asking why their wheels keep bending/cracking.

[chrisdavis@canibeat]

this a good thread, a lot of different views. How do you guys feel about Replicas of wheels that are discontinued?


Like emulating videogames that can no longer be purchased, I see no harm in this. The maker of the wheel isn't capitalizing on the design, so someone else may as well do it.

That said, the reason I don't like MOST "fake" stuff is because it's ubiquitous. I think the Sportmax/XXR 002 is actually a decent looking wheel, overly-angular stepped lip aside. Trouble is, everyone and their mother have them, which means that I don't want them. This applies to some "real" stuff also, namely BBS RS and TE37's. I'd never put either on any car I own because ten million other people already have them.

My current car came with a set of CR Kais, which I like just fine aesthetically, but I'd like to change them out for something more obscure just for obscurity's sake.

[XCLSIOR]

Simple rule to live by, "You get what you pay for."
I have no problem with people riding on fake wheels, but just don't come to me crying when they snap off while your driving down the street.

Actually, I have owned a lot of real wheels and a lot of fake wheels.... And, just because they are real high end wheels, doesn't make them better quality.

A good example:

I owned a set of real 19" lowenhart LDR. $9k wheels. They cracked 3 times in two wheels and then eventually bent and would no longer hold air.

Yet the set of $500 sportmaxx wheels I had on my Ae86 were thrown around, drifted, tested under great stress in high spirited canyon driving and track driving and never had one problem....

After doing some research on it I found a lot of people say that that is because high quality wheels are made to be lightweight and not meant to be driven on every day, while knock offs are not concerned about weight so they use stronger more durable material to make a stronger wheel.

So in my opinion, if you are going for show points then sure, buy some high end wheels, but if you are looking for speed on a weekly basis with fun in driving your car in mind.... go for knock offs.

[TMax173629]

PROUD TO ROCK ROTAS....(until I can afford the real ones) :) Don't rock fakes and say they are real! See it all the time!

[dam_nho]

I know this guy who's been in the car game forever, and I'm just getting into it, BUT damn rotas to him are like Muggles to Voldemort.

[Apex84]

I'm surprised not many people are talking about the quality of real or authentic wheels over fake or copied wheels. All I'm really hearing for those who support the copies are that they sell the same or similar style wheel at half or a third of the cost of an authentic wheel. However you're getting a cast wheel over a forged wheel with a copy which is why you see more of the copied wheels cracking. Case in point I remember a few years ago Sevas came out with a few replica/copied wheels and very quickly all the guys that thought they got a bargin were trying to get rid of their 1pc cast wheels after a few owners had serious cracking issues and in one case a guy with a 7 series had one of his wheels de-faced while driving. I've also seen a lot of fake 2/3pc wheels that are copies of true 2 and 3 pc wheels. Are you going to tell me that those are a great deal over the real thing. Thats worse than sticking a Volk sticker on your Rota Grids. Not only are you getting a low quality cast wheel but one that is a very obvious fake.

Yeah I totally understand guys having other priorities in their lives and not being able to drop 3-4K on authentic wheels, and there will always be the low budget enthusiast. There will always be a market for knock-off or copied wheels so lets be clear on that. But when it grows to the point where it consumes the real/authentic manufacturers it hurts our scene more than helps it. Then you get copies of copies with Varrostens or whatever they're called coming behind Rota and copying the same thing. Where does it end. In this economy this type of thing is to be expected. Despite the fact that you maybe struggling financially more now than before it doesn't change the fact that you still want wheels or anything else for that matter. The difference now is that you're more likely to take a bargin and buy a copy than the real deal and the replica companies are counting on this. It's no different than the counterfit clothing and purse market.

Personally I rather buy authentic wheels. My first set of wheels were used BBS RKs and I got them for $400 in good condition. I paid $2800 for my AMEs and saved up to do so. Either save to get what you want or buy knock offs and get what you pay for. There are plenty of secondhand wheels out there that you can get for the same or less money than fake or replica wheels. Or you can wait until you have the money for what you really want than an impulse buy on something cheap and low quality. To say that most that spend a lot of money on wheels are complete dicks is really only half true. I've met just as many people with replica wheels that are complete assholes and I'm sure it's not because they're showing off their $800 set of wheels with tires. So really the statement of guys with expensive wheels are dicks is total BS.

[wask0]

^very well said and prob the best answer so far.

[indomiekid]

This is a good subject and has been posted on almost every other forum.
I agree with everyone.
i rock some wheels( mb battles on my 240) and its super common. i really do wish i had to extra cash for some work vs-xx wheels(soon!) but for now my mbs are fine, and i get a lot of compliments on them(surprisingly).
And i have no problem with anyone who decides to spend a butt load on super nice wheels, but i do have a problem with people buying knock offs and slap damn center-caps and stickers trying to say they are real.
In the end, it's always going to be the owners choice but damn! don't say they are real.

[colby_is_fly]

like everyone else is sayin, dont fake the funk, man up if, ur rockin XXR's ( like i am ) dont pretend tend that ur 522's r some rare volk, as long as u like the wheel who cares, at the end of the day because u spent ur entire life savings on a set of wheels doesnt make u a bad M*****F'r means u spend ur money in different ways, hell i could use the 3000+ u spent on ur works or volks or BBS ( wish i really had some) and put knock offs that look good and exhaust or turbo or something else i wanted ....

[flodubba]

in a way, if you look pass how he said it, it's true. people have money, others don't. it's what kind of effort you put into the things you like. back on track, perhaps i buy the fakes or something of the like first then save up for the real ones or ones that cost more than i might make in a month. It's all on how you spend your money or where you passion lays.

[colby_is_fly]

my point exactly FLODUBBA

[Apex84]

Here's a twist on the whole debate. Real Canibeat stickers vs Fake ones. And don't tell me you can't tell the difference. You can apply pretty much all the same logic and points of view in this thread to this.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180015_10150148059997784_660192783_8272605_7811299 _n.jpg


I'm waiting for someone to say why pay $5 for the real deal when you can get a copy for $2. I know this sounds like a joke but really think about it. This is basically what people are saying when it comes to authentic vs fake or counterfit wheels.

[indomiekid]

That is true, you make a good point apex 84.
and if you are a doushe buying fake stickers/products. That is super damn lame.

[Esoteric]

Haha I personally wouldn't buy fake stickers....but replicas are ok if you are going for a particular look. Ive contemplated for most of last year to buy BBS LM reps or not. I wound up getting a wheel thats not a rep of anything but now that i had a chance to play with some offsets I will save for some Equips for my civic.....provided I dont trade it in for a Genesis coupe

[colby_is_fly]

MMMMMM genesis

[indomiekid]

ha- esoteric- your sig is my wheels.

[flodubba]

Your mom goes to college.

[colby_is_fly]

sounds like ur just jealous that ive been chattin online with hott babes all day flodubba

[flodubba]

^^ i lol'd.

[SR*77]

If I was going to make/build a trailer queen then yes I would buy the money rims, but for everyday bashing I dont see anything wrong with the fakes, as long as you dont post pics and try claiming your ish is real

I have a set of XXRs' on my SC400 and I get a lot of compliments about them, the only problem I have with them is I dropped the lug nut socket on the lip of one and it dented it a little

[colby_is_fly]

wow i have xxrs n havent "dented" em, just the socket did that!?

[SR*77]

^ I was a little surprised too, I love the rims and I would buy XXR again. But the socket slipped out of the 4 way and put a little ding on the lip, its not that noticeable, it just bugs me being there.

[colby_is_fly]

damn! i knocked a lil chunk of the silver finish of my spoke with the socket :(

[OEM+]

Fakes arent bad, although I personally would never rock them. It all comes down to budget and taste IMO

[mrmark]

Too many times, "Fake vs Real" actually has more to do with quality. Many "real" wheels can be considered "knock offs" from another "real" wheel. Many replicas try to emulate the "look" of a "real" or quality wheel and price them accordingly to appeal to the masses. To offset the price of "looking like" the "real" wheel, manufacturers skimp on materials and manufacturing process. I've seen many Rota's fail where the entire center and back pad separate from the rim. You can see large air pockets in the casting, the size of pebbles. This "void" is a combination of poor materials and inferior casting, resulting in a weaker wheel.

Here's an interesting video:

http://vipstylecars.com/main/?p=660


If you want to buy imitation wheels, that's up to you. I personally would save up and buy a quality wheel, but that's just me. Just know what you're getting into prior to purchasing.

[BernieIS]

After reading most of this thread two questions or ideas have come to mind

1. What age are the people on this forum? In my experience the younger the person the less they care about the quality of a product just as long as their product does not fail.

2. What kind of income do the majority of the people have coming in? Quite a bit of posts are justifing the cost of the "fake" wheels vs "real" wheel when infact the question remains how do people feel about "fake" vs "real" and how those that roll on "fake" represent the "fakes" as "real". There was no mention of money in the question that I can recall.

And to answer your question on how I feel. I do not have the most expensive wheels around but they are Volk GT-Cs. I bought them after owning my car for several years and I waited until I had the money to buy them. These are of course what many/all would consider a "real" wheel. In my opinion you can tell a "fake" wheel vs "real" wheel from a mile away and "fake" wheel look terribly cheap. To this point I have only seen 1 "fake" wheel design that seemed to be decent looking. In addition to the lack of quality look there is obviously something else that makes them different from "real" and that is the manufacturing quality and MrMark posted about that. The bottom line is that this is not an issue the is going to stop.

One more thing while I am typing. Those of you that think people with "real" wheels are hating on your "fake" wheels because they have "real" wheels is not the case at all. They are hating on your "fake" wheels cause the "fake" wheels look like shit and they would rather not lie to you and they are sick of seeing people repping "fake" and think they look good. This goes for crappy lips and other parts as well.

[BernieIS]

The more and more I see fake wheels as the weather improves the more and more I am glad that I bought real wheels.

[Selah777]

real real real

I dont really care about fake 1 piece wheels as much as fake 2 or 3 piece. And i certainly dont care if people rock cast wheels that dont look like real wheels

when people who are passionate about cars see other cars that people have spent time and money to build, those cars and people are going to get a lot more respect

[BernieIS]

real real real

I dont really care about fake 1 piece wheels as much as fake 2 or 3 piece. And i certainly dont care if people rock cast wheels that dont look like real wheels

when people who are passionate about cars see other cars that people have spent time and money to build, those cars and people are going to get a lot more respect


I agree in part with what you are saying however there are some really great one piece wheels and they are making a comeback. Just as fashion comes back around car styling does too.

[Selah777]

would you wear fake nikes?

[BernieIS]

would you wear fake nikes?

No, but i couldnt even tell you where to get fake nikes

[MaTBoY]

for my preference I'm real or don't bother. i'd rather save up and wait for quality. My thoughts on this is it's more about the quality you get, over the prestige of a sticker. have a close look at some rays, tell me the workmanship doesn't give you a hard on!

I don't have an issue with rotas or grids on a ride if they're not pretending they're volks or something better. I actually like seeing rotas on thrashers and drift pigs. You know what the main intention for the car is ;) Nothing wrong with working to tight budget either.

It's like chicks who have those little inserts in their bra to puff them up a bit. I'd prefer if they made the most of what they've got instead of trying to value add and pretend to be more.

[BernieIS]

Another point that I forgot to mention. There are several different manufacturing issues with the knock off wheels that you will not see with the real ones. If you look at the fake ones and see how many wheel weights it takes to get them to be balanced properly you will be shocked. At the Springfest show this past weekend there were a bunch of cars and the wheels on them had a dozen weights per wheel.

As far as the idea that these companies do a lot of r&d because they make some really good fitments for wheels is obsurd. Making aggressive wheels has nothing to do with r&d. It shows that they are aware of what the trends are within the car scene and that to remain competitive they are manufacturing wheels that meet the criteria for what their potential customers are looking for in their next wheel purchase.

[Gavh]

I could never afford the real deal, especially with living in South Africa. Being a project car as well as my daily, it would be hard for me to spend a small fortune on wheels and then run them daily. I got these BSX in 16" about 2 years ago and loved them. I still have them but now I see they are way too big for my Mk1. I could care less about opinions of my fakes, hence the sticker I made :)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5032066493_c2505ab2dc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/52656829@N04/5032066493/)
_MG_3504 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/52656829@N04/5032066493/) by Gavin Haywood (http://www.flickr.com/people/52656829@N04/), on Flickr

[NINE]

^^^ LOL that's good.

[josh.chaos]

So, my question is why would someone buy new rotas? For the same price you can have some enkei rpf1's, some rotiform blq's. I currently am running a set of mille miglia wheels. Theyre not the greatest wheels, but I'm also not pretending that they are rare baller wheels. I am switching up over the winter though. I found a great set of 18x9 18x8 amg wheels with a 2" rear lip that Im going to work on fitting.

[ShootJoeC]

So, my question is why would someone buy new rotas? For the same price you can have some enkei rpf1's, some rotiform blq's. I currently am running a set of mille miglia wheels. Theyre not the greatest wheels, but I'm also not pretending that they are rare baller wheels. I am switching up over the winter though. I found a great set of 18x9 18x8 amg wheels with a 2" rear lip that Im going to work on fitting.

Just to jump in here, Rota's are close in price to some Rotiforms and the RPF1's but there is definitely a difference in price there. Several hundred dollars in most cases. I rocked Rota's in 2001 when I was young and didn't have any money. They were OK for what they were and they got the job done.

Don't take this as me defending Rota's because I would never buy a set. Just saying, different strokes for different folks.

[OSSHWA]

I love real wheels just as much as the next guy.......but I also live in the real world with real bills.....and they just aren't on the menu for me right now.....lol. Currently I am rocking 16" XXR 527's on my Miata. But thing is....while yes, I understand that they are cheap/low quality wheels.....I don't see them as being "fake" wheels or whatever because they aren't a direct rip-off of any other wheel that I am aware of. I know XXR has ripped off other wheels with some of their other offerings, but the 527's seem to be XXR's own exclusive design. The closest resemblance of any wheel I can think of would be MB Battles, but they have fewer/thicker spokes. At the end of the day, I am more than satisfied with my $98/piece wheels. They look good, they do their intended job and they didn't ruin my bank account. I eventually might save up and swing for some more "legit" wheels in the future......who knows. Only time will tell.

[firefightermdc]

Everyone has their own taste and budget, and that's cool. I wouldn't rock fake anything but that's just me and my family. I spend money on my cars, and my wife feels the same about her stuff. We have our views like she doesn't see why wheels should cost $3k but i don't see why her purse needs to cost that much either. I'm fortunate enough to have a couple other cars so my is300 is not my daily, nor was my mugen eg.

[Midnight Run]

keepin' it real packin' steel gettin' high, fakewheel is a bitch then you die. iol jk

sometimes you do get what you paid for. I support wheel brands that spend their $ and engineering in their own design. But some knock-off wheels are getting better and better these days, so I can't say I won't be buying them, just not any time soon. :)