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Hey Edgy,
Any idea how these will differ from the Porsche Tequipment version?

Edgy01

The Fuchs® Racing guys have looked very carefully at the Porsche Tequipment cast wheels to see what they have done. First off, the Tequipment wheels are indeed pressure cast. As a result, they have thicker walls in places to make up for the structural requirements of a casting vice drop forging. (As you may recall, one piece drop forged wheels literally reshape the aluminum crystal structure when they are beaten into shape by the mega-ton presses into the dies. That's for a reason--strength and lightness.) They noticed that the Tequipment wheels are not true to the original Otto Fuchs design, adopting a less complex series of curves because their objective was to produce these with profitability in mind--not lightness or trueness to the original.

The Fuchs® Racing guys have not really reverse engineered the Otto Fuchs wheel because the Otto windmill wheels never were larger in diameter than 16 inches. As a result, significant CAD/CAM time was spent in an effort to retain the classic look of the Otto Fuchs windmill wheel, yet expand it to (1) handle the larger diameters and (2) accommodate the significantly different offsets of today from those prior to 1989. That was no simple undertaking.

Keep in mind that the Fuchs® Racing wheels will be truer to the original design which was a one-piece drop forged wheel. All other Fuchs 'lookalikes" that we are seeing of late are primarily pressure cast (necessitating far less upfront investment in equipment). Those that are forged are multiple piece forgings, requiring either hardware (bolts) to hold them together or are friction welded to mate the familiar windmill pattern to the diameter of choice. When you friction weld or bolt things together you wind up creating a weak spot (along the edge of the weld) or you introduce significantly higher weight (from the hardware and the beefed up walls to accommodate the hardware).

This is why Otto Fuchs went through substantial investment in the 1960s designing and then manufacturing the one-piece Fuchs wheel to which we are all familiar. But it came at a price. Porsche was willing to favor Fuchs in those days because cost was an independent variable in their choice of wheels, and they knew their car buyers were willing to buy the best--the lightest and the strongest. Active racing dictated such choices.

Today's Porsche is substantially different than the Porsche of the 1960s 70s, and 80s. The financial bottom line has become a more important element in their materials choices and their choice of subcontractors. It is my understanding that Otto Fuchs bid on the current Porsche Tequipment wheel contract but they lost out--I don't know all the business issues that killed their competitiveness, but would go out on a limb and suggest that their unit price for a forged wheel was more than Porsche felt their customers would tolerate. As it is, the pressure cast Porsche Tequipment wheel is quite pricy--just under $6K for a set. The Fuch® Racing wheels will be priced more favorably and be drop forged to boot! As a Porsche driver years ago with 16 inch Fuchs wheels on my Turbo I can recall the Porsche list price on a 7x16 inch rim in the early 1980s--roughly $1250 a piece! The 8x16s were obviously even more. A lot of the problem is the exchange rate with the Euro. While PCNA wanted that $1250 for a single wheel in 1985 you could pick up a 7x16 inch Fuchs in Germany when the DM dropped relative to the $ for about $200. New, in box. (The 8x16s were $250).

The Fuchs® Racing wheels will be produced in Southern California so prospective buyers in America can expect much more stable pricing that is not subject to the whims of the foreign currency market. That is a big deal. I've been riding on Fuchs forged rims since 1977 so I know a lot about those wheels and their pricing history. Sorry for the long answer, but sometimes knowing the details is more helpful when you are making a sizable investment in wheels.

alexb76

I must have been drunk by now... so this all new Fuchs wheels are actually replicas?! Not coming from Germany!

Now I see Fuchs germany is also producing these wheels themselves, it's gonna be one crowded market. I don't really like this whole rights selling across continents, dillutes the brand totally and makes for poor judgement of brand across regions. Like, if Porsche in US was made differently than Porsche in Germany and by a completely different company!

Time will tell which of the three is the best manufactured one.

Overdraft

Guys - there are just wheels....$ 5700.00 - INCUDING PS2's and sensors, mounted and balanced and OEM to boot. Not sure if it warrants a techincial debate to this extent given the products we are talking about.

I bought the Techequipment wheel and it is beautiful - and presently only for the widebody (19"). Edgy's buddy will produce all sizes and offsets as I understand at presumably a competitive cost. These decisions tend to drive themselves (perceived quality/ need/ size and color options/ cash on hand/ stock/ its my birthday). I wouldn't lose too much sleep over authenticity and or techincal details for or against a Porsche OEM wheel...?? - to me anyway, one would have to be pretty hardcore to be concerned to the historical homage to what was clearly a nice wheel.....but a wheel none the less...

IMO only...

Edgy01

No. Otto Fuchs is not producing the wheels. They didn't win the contract.

ajayabb

Dan, So who did win the contract for the Porsche Tequipment wheel?

Edgy01

I could never determine that. (Just learning that Otto Fuchs was a bidder was difficult to learn). Suspect it was one of the Italian casting houses. As you may know the majority of the current OEM wheels are BBS, then there is the Carrera Sports by someone called ATI or ATT (can't tell by the logo) and finally the Otto Fuchs forged turbo wheels (version 1 and 2).

stevepow

I think the "real" new Fuchs wheel looks better than the OEM wheel - it will probably cost more too and may be more difficult to get (I responded to their WEB site but have heard nothing yet). I'm hoping the USA Fuchs looks as nice.

alexb76

What I meant was for aftermarket, there was a thread about it earlier... you commented on it as well. I will look it up later.

I meant these Fuchs wheels... http://www.fuchsfelge.de/index.php?id=190

stevepow

Those are the real deal and look really nice. I filled out the response form there and asked about NB sizes - have not heard anything yet.

sonny1

Yes, now we are talking.

brendo

still a bit confused here. which are these wheels?

http://www.speedart-tuning.de/2008/e...llery-rfd.html

stevepow

They look a bit odd - and in some of there WEB blurb, they maker reference to Fuchs, but the wheels on the silver car and white car don't look the same - way more relief on the "petals" on the Boxster, whereas on the Turbo, not so much - almost flush to the outside edge. Even around the rim where the spokes meet - look at how the white Boxster's look just like Fuchs, but that silver Turbo has a big flange around the outside of the spokes where they meet the chrome. Whereas the Fuchs wheel spokes almost appear to roll in and then back out into the chrome ring.

I guess that's why you have to ask them for more info...

Carcam

I didn't know that Overdraft. I love the looks of the original Fuchs and thought Porsche did a great job of modernizing them for the new Porsches. I have a Boxster Spyder coming in next month and planned on getting the Techquipment version but if they won't fit... hope Edgy's guys come through!

Edgy01

Will submit photos as soon as I am authorized to release them. What I have learned from dealing with FuchsRacing is that making an updated Fuchs, true to the real form of the single piece forged wheels, is very difficult. Most have compromised on the shape with a hint of the 5 petal Fuchs look,--and routinely have pressure cast them to save money. But still, the look is wrong. I will get after them (FuchsRacing) to try to release a photo or two.