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Well, now my problem is the center caps. Apex won't sell me center caps in any color other than black and red and they won't give me the color code on these either, very strange. So, I guess I have to take them to a paint shop which is a lot of work and money as with the color code I could just order some aerosol cans and paint some center caps myself. Needless to say, it is a huge oversight on their part to not even offer matching center caps to the wheels they sell or helping their customers acquire some.
Well, now my problem is the center caps. Apex won't sell me center caps in any color other than black and red and they won't give me the color code on these either, very strange. So, I guess I have to take them to a paint shop which is a lot of work and money as with the color code I could just order some aerosol cans and paint some center caps myself. Needless to say, it is a huge oversight on their part to not even offer matching center caps to the wheels they sell or helping their customers acquire some.
I get your pain, the problem with the wheel colour is it is not likely paint but rather some other process like powder coating that doesn't necessarily have an equivalent automotive paint code, heck even getting the formula for Porsche Platinum Satin was an exercise! In your case I would think that a good auto paint supply store would have the scanner to analyze the colour on the wheel and get you real close (nice that the barrel is large and the same colour as the spokes), do this before you have tires mounted to keep the weight manageable! Plus, I doubt that any of the colours offered were based and any paints found on production vehicles, although some might be close.
As for those center caps I was not surprised that choice was limited to their logo branded caps, however many manufacturers do this to keep costs down. I already have a set of OEM Porsche caps that I plan to colour match to my wheel, when they get here.
I get your pain, the problem with the wheel colour is it is not likely paint but rather some other process like powder coating that doesn't necessarily have an equivalent automotive paint code, heck even getting the formula for Porsche Platinum Satin was an exercise! In your case I would think that a good auto paint supply store would have the scanner to analyze the colour on the wheel and get you real close (nice that the barrel is large and the same colour as the spokes), do this before you have tires mounted to keep the weight manageable! Plus, I doubt that any of the colours offered were based and any paints found on production vehicles, although some might be close.
As for those center caps I was not surprised that choice was limited to their logo branded caps, however many manufacturers do this to keep costs down. I already have a set of OEM Porsche caps that I plan to colour match to my wheel, when they get here.
Their claim was that it was "a proprietary color code" that they are unwilling to share which is a load of BS to me. Being that they are being painted or powder coated in a factory in China, it would be easy and an additional source of revenue to throw some caps on as it goes through the paint line. I used to work in an OEM automotive paint facility and it is a non-issue. The biggest expense is the racks to hold the center caps but they obviously have those already as they are painting black and red. Yes, there is a slight cost for a paint color change as the machines go through a cleaning cycle but run a batch of 1000 in each color and the cost is minimal. Failing that, give us the paint code so we can easily replicate them on our own--that costs nothing.
@MaddMike Let me know what you end up doing, as I'm in the same boat. Happy to split some costs also. I'm going to use the Red center caps until I get a better solution but fully agree that not having bronze or Motorsport Gold is a bad decision on their part. @APEXRaceParts I'd overpay on your standard caps to have a color-matched option.
-mb
Last edited by Matt Britter; 01-05-2023 at 05:24 PM.
@MaddMike Let me know what you end up doing, as I'm in the same boat. Happy to split some costs also. I'm going to use the Red center caps until I get a better solution but fully agree that not haveing bronze or Motorsport Gold is a bad decision on their part. @APEXRaceParts I'd overpay on your standard caps to have a color-matched option.
-mb
For now I ordered some knock-off Porsche center caps on Amazon in black with the colored crests. I was going to try to paint them to see if that would look reasonable but I may try and see if they look alright as is. If so, I may run them like that or pony up for some OEM ones. If I'm going to get them professionally painted I may buy OEM anyway depending on how bad the $20 Amazon knockoff are.
Oh, the other thing Apex.told me when I called them was that they are race wheels and racers don't run center caps.
While we would love to offer center caps that are a direct match with some version of Porsche branding, there are a number of reasons while we unfortunately aren’t able to do so. The primary reason is that we simply do not have the rights to manufacture any product that uses trademarked Porsche logos/designs. This is the reason we engineer our wheels to take the factory center cap, so the customer has as many options as possible.
There are also a number of logistical challenges beyond the logo/branding, including both the volumes needed to produce custom caps like this at what we feel would be a desirable price for customers, as well as the sheer variety of options that our Porsche customers are looking for - the Porsche logo vs GT4, GT3, GT2, RS script, etc.
There are a number of OEM Porsche colors that are reasonably close to our colors, and we are happy to walk a customer through those options via a direct message. In the case of Porsche not making a similar color cap, many go with a black Porsche cap with the color crest. These can be sourced from your local dealer or an online retailer. Black centercaps tend to look good with every finish, and have a similar appearance to the photo below, just with a Porsche badge. Similarly, Porsche does something similar with their centerlock wheels - they are not changing the color of the center lock nut or cap based on the wheel color.
As has been said above, any good paint and body shop can easily match the color of that wheel, either through a tool or the hundreds of swatches they have. This way also lets you choose if you want a monochrome Porsche badge or a full-color one. For anyone tracking their car, we always recommend removing the center caps when on track due to the chances of the centercap (OE or ours) flying off or being damaged by the intense heat of a tracking session.
While we would love to offer center caps that are a direct match with some version of Porsche branding, there are a number of reasons while we unfortunately aren’t able to do so. The primary reason is that we simply do not have the rights to manufacture any product that uses trademarked Porsche logos/designs. This is the reason we engineer our wheels to take the factory center cap, so the customer has as many options as possible.
There are also a number of logistical challenges beyond the logo/branding, including both the volumes needed to produce custom caps like this at what we feel would be a desirable price for customers, as well as the sheer variety of options that our Porsche customers are looking for - the Porsche logo vs GT4, GT3, GT2, RS script, etc.
There are a number of OEM Porsche colors that are reasonably close to our colors, and we are happy to walk a customer through those options via a direct message. In the case of Porsche not making a similar color cap, many go with a black Porsche cap with the color crest. These can be sourced from your local dealer or an online retailer. Black centercaps tend to look good with every finish, and have a similar appearance to the photo below, just with a Porsche badge. Similarly, Porsche does something similar with their centerlock wheels - they are not changing the color of the center lock nut or cap based on the wheel color.
As has been said above, any good paint and body shop can easily match the color of that wheel, either through a tool or the hundreds of swatches they have. This way also lets you choose if you want a monochrome Porsche badge or a full-color one. For anyone tracking their car, we always recommend removing the center caps when on track due to the chances of the centercap (OE or ours) flying off or being damaged by the intense heat of a tracking session.
- Brandon
I emailed two weeks ago, no response a s then I called today and the answers I got were posted above.
As others have stated, an Apex branded cap in the right colors or sharing the color code with your clients would go a long way in supporting your product. Neither is hard to do. Finding a body shop willing to do a job that small and then paying hundreds or a thousand dollars to have it done is a major PITA. The two shops I called, one had a $1500 minimum and the other was not interested.
I received my wheels a week ago (love them) and glad to see the thread is back.
As for paint and @APEXRaceParts …it would be smart to add the option for touch-up paint in both small aerosol cans and paint pens for the wheel colors offered (similar to what Paint Scratch offers). Heck, it might even cut down warranty claims as a benefit to Apex.
I realize it’s a several step process to coat the wheels, but it shouldn’t be a problem to produce a color-match for simple touch-up purposes (or center caps, for that matter). You guys need to seriously take this into consideration.
As for center caps, I planned for and ordered factory matte black. This is what I wanted. They will look great on my Agate, but I can see how MaddMike would like his color-coded bronze against the SB, as well as others.
these are my pics anyway…
Last edited by JodehFoster; 01-06-2023 at 03:36 PM.
i think that the black looks good, for what it’s worth. and fyi, i had my wheels powder coated and got matching color in aerosol to paint the wheel centers. the powder coat and spray paint finishes look nothing alike…pretty good in color but not in final “finish.” don’t expect a perfect match to the wheel.
We get the question “what is the paint code” on occasion, and unfortunately there isn’t one that we can provide. There are a number of different ways to denote a paint color, ranging from numeric measurements (RGB, CMYK, Lab, etc) to a “color number” such as RAL, FSPC, Pantone, and similar.
We’ve found that most customers are looking for the latter of those options. Typically, those “color numbers” are just arbitrary numbers specific to that company, and don’t represent a way that would describe a color more broadly. Our factory uses their own internal reference numbers when they formulate our paint mixtures, and there just isn’t a direct 1:1 translation to some of the more common color codes that we find customers are looking for.
Paint formulas also depend on the specific ingredients used, and the pigments that our factory is using may not be the same as the pigments that your local paint supplier is using.
It’s also worth noting that the color and tone of a paint is affected by more than just the color mixture. The size and amount of metal flake that is used, the type, color, and thickness of the primer, the clear coat being used, and even the environment of the painting facility can all affect the final finish to varying degrees. Because of that, simply providing a color code would only be a partial solution, and we’ve found that most customers will want to work with a local paint shop to have an aerosol can or paint pen mixed to provide the closest match possible.
- Brandon
Last edited by Apex Wheels; 01-06-2023 at 06:13 PM.
We get the question “what is the paint code” on occasion, and unfortunately there isn’t one that we can provide. There are a number of different ways to denote a paint color, ranging from numeric measurements (RGB, CMYK, Lab, etc) to a “color number” such as RAL, FSPC, Pantone, and similar.
We’ve found that most customers are looking for the latter of those options. Typically, those “color numbers” are just arbitrary numbers specific to that company, and don’t represent a way that would describe a color more broadly. Our factory uses their own internal reference numbers when they formulate our customer paint mixtures, and there just isn’t a direct 1:1 translation to some of the more common color codes that we find customers are looking for.
Paint formulas also depend on the specific ingredients used, and the pigments that our factory is using may not be the same as the pigments that your local paint supplier is using.
It’s also worth noting that the color and tone of a paint is affected by more than just the color mixture. The size and amount of metal flake that is used, the type, color, and thickness of the primer, the clear coat being used, and even the environment of the painting facility can all affect the final finish to varying degrees. Because of that, simply providing a color code would only be a partial solution, and we’ve found that most customers will want to work with a local paint shop to have an aerosol can or paint pen mixed to provide the closest match possible.
- Brandon
The biggest distinction not discussed is the unique differences between powder coat (color very impacted by application) vs paint (much more consistent).
@MaddMike I ordered gold wheels and will stick with black oem center cap and black lug nuts. I have seen a few pictures of black lug nuts on gold rims and will wait to see the rims installed. Just going to order Bridgestone RE980AS that are on sale ($608 total) at Tire Rack and try the mobile install. Just need to wait for Apex production but not driving the car until Spring so no hurry.
This morning I got a call from the North Pole, Santa missed a delivery, asked if I could swing by the airport and retrieve a few boxes... I didn't even know that they had shipped!
Unboxed to get a better look, sorry about the colour balance the warm halogen light from above is making the Anthracite finish look a lot browner than they really are.
Probably going with MPS4 tires for the summer (street only), just wondering about a slight step up from 245's in the front to 255's, rumor is that this helps remove some understeer, perhaps not noticeable or even necessary for the street?
This morning I got a call from the North Pole, Santa missed a delivery, asked if I could swing by the airport and retrieve a few boxes... I didn't even know that they had shipped!
Unboxed to get a better look, sorry about the colour balance the warm halogen light from above is making the Anthracite finish look a lot browner than they really are.
Probably going with MPS4 tires for the summer (street only), just wondering about a slight step up from 245's in the front to 255's, rumor is that this helps remove some understeer, perhaps not noticeable or even necessary for the street?
01-04-2023, 10:04 PM
