John H. in DC Area

My rear Gemballa wheel showed four cracks, ranging from 1 to 1.5 inches long. This was actually my second set of cracks with these wheels, as the other rear wheel had a crack in it which was repaired last year (the repair has held up, surprisingly).

My shop relayed a tale of a 996TT cab owner who freaked out because he clamored the front and rear wheels on the passenger side of his car into a 1 foot deep and 3 foot diameter pothole in Virginia. He drove straight to the shop and had them inspected, but they found nothing more than a badly pinched front tire, both wheels remained round and true.

I looked into the Ruf modular wheels. I like the lip as well as the rivets. However, the finish is not as bright as I prefer, and the spokes aren't elegant or interestingly designed enough for my tastes. Again, just my tastes. I do like the look of the traditional Ruf flat spokes. I can argue equally for the appeal of a big aggressive lip (as the Gemballa, the Ruf modular and many other wheels have), as well as the flush/no-lip look of the 996TT wheel, which creates an impressively shouldered pofile that harmonizes well with the fender bulge. Having done the big lip for four years, I'm enjoying a new look.

When I get back to my computer at home I can post a pic of a dark Atlas Gray 993TT with the Ruf modular wheels that used to be on Weissach's website (before the redesign). That pic convinced me that I didn't want those wheels. They may have the opposite impact for other folks.