OTTO FUCHS AG...
 

Are these the real deal fuchs we've been looking for?


http://www.fuchsfelge.de/index.php?id=190

Looks like the real deal to me.

Edgy, where's your buddies' wheels. Looks like they are going to be late to the party.

What's the deal? Are they both going to be using the Fuchs name? That doesn't sound right.

These are made in Germany. That has a nice ring to it for a Porsche owner.



Phil

Man, they are cool as hell!

Tom

Yup...these wheels are purdy

From what I can see on their website they appear to be the OEM of the "Fuch" wheel.

The website is a little short on content and they are still very expensive!

That's a refreshed page on Otto Fuch's website. However, they still are only for the wide body cars. It's interesting, too, that they are running their own logo on the center caps--and not the Porsche crest.

Fuchs Racing spent some time debating what to use on their caps (but of course, the original 70mm caps by Porsche fit).

Both are legally able to use the Fuchs name--Otto Fuchs, because they are the original in Germany, and Fuchs in America, as they acquired the trademark use here.

Dan,

Hope you friend enters the market soon, as it looks like more companies are coming to the party.

I noticed this on 6speed:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...chs-stock.html

Cast, though.

Come on Dan! We wanna see the ACTUAL WHEELS already! :)

Tell me about it! I'm getting a little upset with these guys, too! We can just live off PhotoShop work for so long!

I understand now (from my sources) that there is quite a bit of infighting going on around Porsche. The wheels that we are seeing on the 911 Sport Classic cars are in fact Italian castings. Otto Fuchs--infamous to the 911 community, are not the same. Otto Fuchs (very much like the name Alcoa in America) did not get the contract for their forged wheels, and thus they are going out on their own to pitch these wheels. (Note, very subtly the Fuchs emblem on the center cap, and not the Porsche crest). Unfortunately, they too are only producing for the wide body cars. There is considerably more to do in order to make these look good with the deep dish, and fit under the narrow body. Apparently, Otto Fuchs chose not to at this time. Also, note closely in the Otto Fuchs website verbage--summer 2010. Their wheels are not available yet either.

So, if you are buying the versions coming out of Porsche you are getting the look-alikes that are Italian castings. It can only be presumed that Porsche did this for the economics of things. Perhaps the price (to them) for an Otto Fuchs forging was too much to attempt to pass on to their 997 customers.

Print ads for Fuchs Racing should be out very soon--a couple of weeks, and the wheels will be available this fall--unless I can accelerate things!

Interesting! I wonder then why Fuchs only is doing Widebody, as basically there's no narrow body Fuch-style wheels, while folks can buy the 911 SC wheels (from Porsche). I think it would have been wiser to at least start with narrow body.

Now, in terms of Porsche not using forged Fuchs on 911 SC, that's just crazy! I totally understand if they chose not to use expensive forged wheels on regular Carreras, but as this is a limited edition, super expensive 997, saving money on that is just plain greedy! I am sure people who paid for the premium, wouldn't have had an issue with paying $3-5K more for forged Fuchs wheels!

I've been a Porsche customer since 1974 and so I think I know their thoughts--it's all now about profitability. Otto Fuchs KG lost their bid to produce the wheels for the Porsche 911 Sport Classic automobile. It was lost to an Italian casting house. Porsche probably chose them on price alone. Keep in mind that Porsche has migrated away from forged wheels since they produced the 993 version of the 911. Prior to that Otto Fuchs was their exclusive forged wheel manufacturer.

Moving to pressure cast wheels involves two issues, (1) price of production and (2) less investment and lead time for a design and more design availability. No doubt Porsche AG realized that there is a significant aftermarket in wheels. They didn't want to lose much of that so by going to cast wheels they could compete on the price point, as well as compete with many designs. When you go to a drop-forged wheel, the investment in dies is phenomenally expensive. It's so high that you had better get (1) your original design right from the start and (2) have a design that people will be behind solidly. Most businesses these days are risk adverse, so drop-forged wheels are a rarity in today's business climate.

Ultimately, it's another risk, however. If you make a wheel through the inexpensive pressure cast process, nearly anyone with a furnace and some recycled aluminum ingots can pump out a wheel. The Chinese are very active in knock off wheels, copying the cast wheels out of Italy nearly as fast as the Italians can design them. But the Chinese appear to be avoiding the drop-forged process because the upfront investment is so high, and they recognize that the public is fickle when it comes to designs, and drop-forged investments are too high for a fly-by-night design.

Remember your last line. People who would shell out $250K for a 911SC today would happily shell out $255K for one with forged wheels--true, but they didn't get a vote. They got what Porsche chose for them.

The Fuchs prices don't look any worse than what I have seen for the PAG version. I kinda like the little Fox - if I were getting some, I'd go for Fuchs I think. Maybe they get NB later if they sell well - that or I have to upgrade my car to WB :(

Or is there no way these work on NB cars? I have seen some people but some pretty big spacers on NB wheels I think? Although I don't know if I like that look - would have to see them on an NB car.

Hopefully the "Edgy" version will look as nice as Fuchs KG.

I understand that the ones built with the wide body offsets stick out a good 1/2 inch or more on the narrow bodies--and would just look pretty dumb.

You'd think it would not be that much - 16mm difference is just over 1/2inch and my wheels sit pretty far back - but a little bit can look like a lot if it is wrong - even hanging out by 1/4in (6-7mm) could look pretty goofy. I could swear I have read people using even 15mm spacers (maybe with wheels with a really odd offset?).