18" five spoke lightweight wheels
 

Looking for 18 inch "Carrera" lightweight 5 spoke wheels to replace the stock 17 inch Turbo twists on my '02 Boxster S.

Price for Porsche OEM wheels around $700/wheel. However, found same design from an "Italian manufacturer" through an EBay site called Wheel Dynamics for about $250/wheel.

Any information on Wheel Dynamics as a source or any other leads on where to look?

Thanks

I bought wheels from Wheel Dynamics, and visited their office in LA - nice guys, love their Porsches, know their wheels.

Had a good look at the replicas while I was there - looked very good - quite a selection.

They carry original Porsche wheels, OEM wheels direct from the manufacturer without the Porsche part numbers, and replica wheels.

They pointed out while I was there that the same style of Porsche wheel can be made by a number of manufacturers, so a Porsche wheel is not some amazing product that comes from a single factory in Germany.

In fact, you have companies like Ronal, BBS etc manufacturing the same wheel for Porsche, and hence there is some variation in quality even in Porsche wheels.

You'll have people here on the forum that will be horrified if you look at some 3rd party wheel.

They'll suggest that they may be heavy, or weak, or both!

Based on my observation and experience, I'd be happy to go with Wheel Dynamics, and save yourself some $$$

You can't judge a book by it's cover and just because wheels "look" good doesn't mean they are really strong.

I don't know "Wheel Dynamics", but I do know you can't buy good quality lightweight wheels (read forged) for $250/wheel.

IMHO, if you buy wheels for a "price" you will probably get what you pay for.

As far as a contact for used Porsche wheels or other wheels that will fit contact www.wheelenhancement.com (no affiliation). They specialize in Porsche wheels.

I will post picture soon of my wheels which I just purchased from them,Carrera Lights. The fronts weighted 23lbs and the rear 27lbs,that is only 1 and 2 lbs more per wheel for 1/3 the cost of OEM,by no means is the OEM worth it. The only cheap factor of the wheel are the phony wheel cap,$125 will get you OEM colored wheel caps and valve stems. Just trust me,I will show you how nice they look give me a day or two. By the way if you live in California give Carlos a call,he works for Wheel Dynamics,he doesn't charge shipping in Cali.

Sounds like a reasonable assumption, but how do you know? I know you can pay a lot less for a RL Polo shirt in TJ Maxx than in Lord &Taylor and they are the same except for ocassional benign flaws which are undetectable to most (you can also get flaws in a shirt bought in Lord & Taylor), so there is definitely such a thing as overpaying. But there are also phonies. I can see wheels coming from the same hands that are priced extremely different but I can also see knockoffs that are completely different and inferior. How can we know for sure with wheels? Just asking.

As I said in my previous post - if you're convinced that Porsche wheels are superior and want to justify the extra cost, then some FUD over wheel strength is always an easy call.

Of course that doesn't apply on the 997, where the 19" Lobster Claws are made by two manufacturers for Porsche.

One manufacturer has no issues, the other's wheels are 'soft' and seem to deform on the rim when they hit pot-holes.

So you don't get any guarantee of superior quality, even though you are paying a Porsche premium price for Porsche OEM wheels.

Equally, the only way to see how good the replica wheels are, is to run them.

And at 1/3 the price, you could get through a few sets and still be in the money compared to Porsche originals - should they have any issues of course.

Have found several other sites that sell the wheels from $250-300. Talked to Wheel Dynamics and got the same story - OEM products come from numerous manufacturers and those companies also build replicas and other "non-OEM" wheels. Makes sense to me. The wheels are cast - not forged - but the expensive wheels - from Wheel Enhancement - are also cast.

Having a Porshche part number isn't important to me but - obviously - having a solid, true, balanced wheel is. Weight is close enough. I plan to keep the original 17 inch Turbo Twists to use for DE events.

Will start calling the companies I found and make a decision but will don't see paying $700. Other companies are: autopartsfair.com, wheels & caps, autoelf.com, finish line wheels.

Thanks for the inputs.

I have both the Porsche/BBS OEM Carrera lightweight wheels and the Italian made replicas. I also have Turbo twist hollow spokes and the Italian replicas.

From an appearance point of view and price you can't beat the replicas, but they are quite a bit heavier. From a visual perpective, they are identical, except that the replicas do not have the width and offset cast into the wheels next to the valve stem.

A Porsche 18X10" rear Carrer lightweight is one of the lightest wheels out there, at 22.6lb, the replica is much heavier. A replica Cup 3 18X10" weighs in at a whopping 32.7lb. For street use it really doesn't matter, and the heavier wheel may be a good thing, as the OEM Carrera lightweights are fragile.

Re-sale is another factor, as replicas are hard to sell used.

I only use OEM for racing as the weight difference is important, but for the street the replicas are a bargain.

You can get them on ebay for about a grand with tires that are take offs.

Hey, FilthF14

What are your plans for the old 17s? Are they true? What are the ETs? I need some track wheels?

Let me know!

Thanks,

I've seen these wheels on eBay and am considering them. I read something about "passing Germany's tough TUV standards"...what does that really mean? I'm not doubting, just curious.

Its my understanding that all the aftermarket wheels have to pass the TUV approval process to be sold in Germany/Europe.

The low end aftermarket guys seem to simply add metal to make sure they are strong enough, hence they are very heavy. The high end manufacturers like BBS and OZ meet the requirements and maintain lightness. If you compare a Porsche/BBS wheel with the Italian ones its a significant difference. Having said that, for everyday street use, the extra weight really doesn't make a difference that you would notice.

Thanks for the help. I'm still shopping but leaning toward Italian replicas. Understand the difference, but can't see paying an extra $1700 to save a few pounds. If the replicas are straight, true and balanced, I'll accept a little extra weight. The 5 spokes are by far my favorite design and will be for street use.

Sorry Randy - I'm keeping the OEM 17's for the track.

Sam Luke - any issues with the replicas chiping?

Blinkwatt - photos of your wheels would be great. Assume you're happy with your choice?

Doug - I envy you list of previously owned cars....... which was your favorite?

Phil

Here you go,it wont let me upload high quality pictures here,email me for better pics, sacramentolands@yahoo.com

Thanks Phil! As you can probably discern, I've been having trouble deciding between a fun early (ish) 911 with lots of "personality" and a modern, every day driveable Porsche (Boxster). Picking a favorite depends on the time of year and how I'm feeling on a particular day. For sheer pleasure of driving on a good weather day, either of the early cars would do it. The '72 was wonderful...when it ran right. (MFI can be tempermental!) The '70 with carbs was probably better over the long haul. Either of them with their light chassis and unique feel are hard to beat.

But I decided I need to be down to one car (still trying to sell the SC), which has to drive in midwest winters snowstorms, spring hail storms, summer tornados ( :p ), and whatever else life throws at me. For that (in my price range) the Boxster can't be beat.

Ideally, I'd like to own both (early car and Boxster), but right now I really can't afford it. (..again, still trying to sell the SC.)

FWIW what you don't see on that list are the four Subarus I've owned, usually in conjunction with the older Porsches. (Julie has owned two also.) I may be getting my fifth this spring...so maybe the car situation will change again this year... :rolleyes:

Doug,
I went through the same delima before deciding to buy my '02 Boxster S - no regrets but I'd love to have an early 911 in the garage next to it. No - don't want to buy your SC - maybe after paying down some of my kid's college bills. BTW, on of them has an electric blue Subie WRX wagon.

Daily driver is a beater '95 Honda Civic that is a hoot to drive with no worries and very little expense.
Phil

My ideal garage would include a modern middie Porsche for daily driving, a backdated G50 Carrera for "fun", and a Subaru Forester or Outback wagon for "extreme weather" days.

Of course, when you add Julie's wish list...an old Convertible Beetle for "fun" and a luxurious Subaru or Volvo for daily driving, we're going to need a 5 or 6 car garage!

Ah, it's fun to dream... :D

Filthy F14, you were asking about the paint quality on the Italian wheels. I have to say that the overall quality, machining, paintwork color everything is identical to the OEM ones. They are very very nice.

Any casual observer wouldn't know the difference. Even a Porsche enthusiast wouldn't know the difference unless he knew what to look for. The paint is excellent, just as high a quality and just as durable as OEM, no chipping issues, OEM centers fit perfect.

They really are excellent, except for the weight.

I actually have one 18X10 ET 65 aftermarket wheel for sale, its a left over wheel that I have.

That depends on the wheels, the replica Carrera Lights weight only a couple pounds more then the OEM.

Hey Doug,
A friend of mines sister just gave him her mint 79 Beetle convertible! nice eh?
All he has to do is get it shipped fore California back to NJ.

Also, I agree with you, I lust for a backdated G50 Carrera Coupe!! Mummmm!!

However, I just aint a Subaru fan :) Audi quattro's for me!

Aw man...don't tell Julie.

I'm still considering buying her one for graduation. May not be a convertible though. I can't decide if she'll love me for buying the car or hate me for spending money we should be using to move to Portland! :icon501:

I get that...I really do. I'd just rather spend less on the Subaru (over an Audi) and have more for Porsches! :p

Here's the facts on weight. I have done a lot of research on wheels over the years figuring out the best weight/cost wheel combination. All these weights are for an 18X10 wheel, using the same scales. Wheels vary in weight, and scales may weigh differently but the comparison is accurate. I also just verified an OEM 5 spoke against a replica.

Here's the list from lightest to heaviest.

CCW 20lb
BBS forged one piece 21lb
Porsche/BBS Carrera lightweight 5 spoke 22.6lb
Porsche 993 Turbo twist hollow spoke 24.5lb
Italian replica 5 spoke 26.8lb
Porsche/BBS design/turbo twist solid spoke 29lb
Italian replica Turbo twist 32.7lb

So as you can see the relica wheel is 4lb over an OEM wheel (for an 18X10), but its still a relatively light wheel. Again for street it really doesn't matter. The wheel with the best bang for the buck (in my opinion) if your looking at weight is the BBS forged 1 piece.

The fronts weight 23lb. Which is only 1 or 2 lbs. off of OEM,the rears weight almost 4 lbs heavier then the OEM ones,is that 10lb. difference worth the extra $1k to have the Porsche name on them? NOPE!

Fronts are a similar weight difference.

Its the buyers choice, I have used both and no complaints, but I know which I prefer.

I love the fact that the Italian wheels are so cheap, as it forces the price of the used OEM ones down.

There are brand new aftermarket wheels on Ebay for as low as $579 a set for 18's, its fantastic.

OEM have never been so cheap

Thanks for the great discussion and insight. Thought I had this all decided then took another look at Tirerack and the Moda MD1's are growing on me. Similar in price - not replica's - but I would assume similar in build quality. Any comments on Moda's?
With reference to weight looks like the replica 18's 5 spokes are lighter than OEM turbo twists. Maybe similar to the weight of 17" turbo twists? In any case, close enough for me!

Now about tires....... I like Kuhmo's for similar reasons - bang for the buck. Comments?

In decision is a terrible thing.....

Your right, the aftermarket guys do a good job of copying, and the additional weight to make up for inferior, material, design, quality, manufacturing process or whatever, is not that much.

When they copied the "lightweight by design" 5 spoke wheel, the extra weight is still within the weight of some of Porsche's/BBS wheels.

I was horrified at the weight of a the Porsche/BBS design wheels that I have used on 944's and Boxsters. Its one heavy wheel. The only wheel worse is the Mille Miglia Cup3 Turbo twist replica wheel at almost 33lb. To make it worse I had one of the Porsche /BBS wheels crack in two places, on the inner lip. That's not what you expect of OEM/BBS wheels.

Dead weight itself is not the importabt factor. Wheel weight is very important, as its unsprung mass firstly which you always want to minimize if possible. Its also rotational mass/moment of inertia as well.
As the wheel diameter gets bigger the moment of inertia goes up even if the wheel weight remains the same. Unsprung mass affects suspension characteristics/response. Moment of interia affects acceleration and braking characteristics of a wheel. In racing every bit counts which is why people pay a fortune to save 1 or 2lbs. For normal street driving, you wouldn't know the difference.

In my opinion Kumho are the best bang for the buck. They give up a little in performance to other tires but the cost and durability make up for it.

I race on Hoosiers, only because of the performance advantage, but always recommend Kumho for value for money.

I too also fought with the same decision of going OEM compared to replicas. I ended up going OEM because of the known quality and weight savings. I didn't want to take the risk or have the annoyance of problems further down the road.

Dumb question, but are you referring to the OEM Sport Classic II wheel, which looks like a BBS wheel and may be made by them, or one of BBS's aftermarket wheels?

Thanks,
Steve

Pedalfaster, no I am referring to the BBR RE wheels, available through Apex SPG

http://apexspg.com/catalog.cfm?Actio...&ProductID=785

They are a forged single piece wheel, and around 20lb/wheel depending on width. They are very light and strong as they're forged. They have 8.5" fronts and 10" rears which are the best combination for PCA clubracing in the stock class as they are the widest allowed. They are also very reasonably priced, and you know that your getting the best with BBS.

The lightest 10" wheel I have found is a Veloce GT1 at around 19lb, but wheels less than the BBS RE cost big bucks.

Thanks!

Its interesting that some of the most expensive wheels can also be very heavy. Again if you compare 10" wheels:

The Speedline wheels weigh in at around 29lbs, as do the Porsche BBS Design and Sport classics

RUF wheels fetch a big premium but they weigh in at a heavy 27lbs, and I have seen one break, so they are not necessarily that strong.

Its very interesting the range of weights for the same size wheel.

Some of the lightest wheels out there are actually the original Porsche Fuchs, they are featherlight. Unfortunately the diameters and the offsets were never available for our cars.

Right now I run 993 hollow spokes 8's and 10's, and Carrera lightweight rear 10s, and I have a pair of CCW fronts. I am trying to convert over to Carrera lightweights, and am trying to get 3 sets together. I have lots of rears but no fronts.

So if anyone has any leads on singles or pairs 18X8, let me know. Condition not important as long as they are round and true.

I'm going to express something that in the past when others have expressed it I scoffed at it. So, if you tend to scoff at it, fine, but you may change your tune one day. In fact, it's kind of like I'm one of those bad ex-smokers.

There are comments above about "they are close enough" or "the difference is not worth the expense." This logic DOES NOT WORK for Porsches. I can assure you, that if Porsche designed the engines, the suspensions, the brakes in a way that were "close enough" or chose the cheaper alternatives, we would not be buying these cars! If you wanted "close enough" or lower cost at the expense of performance, then you would have bought a Nissan Z or a Mazda RX8 or a Pontiac Solstice. But, you didn't. You bought a Porsche, because it is a Porsche, where "Excellence was Expected."

Now, don't get me wrong, it's your car and you can choose to spend whatever you want on it. You can get Kuhmo tires and it will be just fine, and you will barely notice the difference. But, there is a difference, and you know it. So, if the difference is not important to you, why'd you buy the Porsche to begin with?

Like I said, I used to have the opposite view, and I respect you for yours if yours is the opposite. But, I think the question is still valid. Once you start down that slope of getting wheels that are "good enough" and tires that last longer and grip less because they make more sense for your daily driving, before you know it, you will be driving the "perfect" car for street driving. And we all know that is a Honda Accord, not any Porsche.

Quick question for you: Why did you choose the BBS as "best bang for the buck" over CCW? Isn't CCW cheaper than those BBS wheels?

I'm in the middle of doing a bunch of research for some track wheels for my GT3 and came across this thread.

Thanks,

Its a question of preference. I have a pair of CCW racing front wheels and they are great, and very light, and very reasonably priced.

In my opinion a single piece forged wheel is stronger than a multipiece wheel for the same weight. It adds quite a bit of weight to a wheel to make it multipiece, as you have to design in the flanges, and the fastening system. CCW spin the rim halves to get the weight down and still stay strong.

The other problems is there is a risk of leakage. I just spent today rebuilding one of my CCW's as it was leaking at the rim halves joint.

Another problem is the number of fasteners, some like the look, but it makes them difficult to clean, plus the fasteners rust over time.

One last problem with CCW's is that there are no center caps. It really doesn't matter for a track car. I have seen some people either chrome or polish the bearing dust cap but even then it doesn't look the best (in my opinion). Maybe they have done something different on the newer CCW wheels?

Again CCW are great wheels and very affordable, but my personal preference is the BBS wheel.

For GT3 I don't think you can't beat the 996 hollow spokes, in terms of value for money, light, strong and easy to clean. I think the offset is a little different for GT3 compared to 911TT, but I think they still work.
996 TT wheels are 18X8 ET 50 fronts @21.6lb, rears are 18X11 ET45 @26.4lb. For some reason they are slightly heavier than 993 hollows.

I have a set of 993TT wheels and 996TT wheels, all hollow if you need any.

Thanks a lot for the info, samluke. The 1-piece CCW C14 (Corsair) is now on top of my list. Strong. Lightweight. More expensive than the Classics, but I prefer the look of the C14 over the Classics. Thanks for the offer of the wheels, but I'm going to go bigger on the front with 9" rims.

Cheers,

Easy, buy your wheel from a reputable manufacturer of forged wheels. Forged wheels are typically lighter and stronger than cast. However, they are expensive to make, so any cheap knock-off will be easily distinguished from the real deal.

Just to FYI, I've just ordered a set of the 18" five spoke wheels off eBay. I didn't go with Wheel Dynamics, but a competitor (same Italian replicas). They're new with center caps for $800. I'm getting the wheels this month and next month I'll get tires for them. I'm sure the snow will have melted by then. (I hope!)

I was originally going to go with 17s as the 18s I had before were a little rough riding, but I really like the look of these (..and they'll be easy to clean, which was another problem with my old wheels). My car will look like a darker version of blinkwatt's. :)

Ta Da! Came yesterday. Overall they look pretty nice. I'll post a new thread once I they're mounted, etc.

Let us know what tire sizes you end up using. I've been considering these wheels for a couple years now - love the look but the thought of a 265/35 rear stretched over a 10" wheel doesn't appeal to me. If only the replica's were available in a 9 or 9.5" width...

SAMLUKE - are all of the wheel weights you quoted for the same size / offset? I'd expect the 18x10et47 LW 5-spoke to be heavier than the 18x10et65 due to the extra 'pad' thickness in the hub area (maybe a pound or two of material?).. Since the et47 was never offered as a factory wheel, it stands to reason that the replica has to be heavier if you're comparing against the et65 factory wheel. Do you have weights for 18x8et50 fronts?

Thanks-

I have to do some research myself on the best tire size for these wheels. One eBay ad mentioned one, but I don't remember what it was. If anybody has any suggestions...

One eBay ad says 225/40/ZR18 and 265/35/ZR18, while another says 235/40ZR18 Front 265/40ZR18 Rear? Hmm...

Edit: Still one more ad says "Wheels are 8x18" with 225-40ZR18 front and 10x18" with 285-30ZR18 rear."

Jay,

I have to agree with you here. I've spent the winter looking at wheelsets for my 986S, as I needed three extra sets (one for open track/Pro Solo with Hoosier R, one for autocross with Hoosier A, and one for wet autocross with F1 GS-D3) and they all had to be 7.5/9.0 ET 50/52 to be SCCA-legal. I've looked at all the replicas (or at least many of them) and I've explored literally dozens of options.

I'd be extremely nervous about running replica wheels. We've already established that the Porsche ones aren't always perfect, so how much worse are the $250 copies likely to be? Do you really want to find yourself running at 130+ on the track (or, worse yet, on the street) and trusting your life to replica wheels, even if they are supposedly from "the same factory"?

I think the problem is that most people think there are three alternatives when it comes to new wheels:

1. Call Wheel Enhancement and pay their asking price, which is usually at least $650 per wheel for 18" Boxster fitments. I personally would go broke if I had to deal with Wheel Enhancement. Don't even get me started on how much they wanted to polish my Fuchs.

2. Buy the cheapie eBay wheels for $250 each;

3. Buy wheels from a private seller, pay the inflated prices you see in Panorama or on Rennlist, wait forever for the guy to get around to shipping 'em, and then find out that the "perfect" wheels you just bought for $500 each were driven down a curb at 40mph. Is there anybody in the country but me who doesn't immediately curb his wheels? :burnout:

Luckily there are some alternatives. Ernie's Alloys can usually supply 18" Boxster wheels in good shape for $400 each or thereabouts, depending on style. I've found a couple of dealers who were willing to sell wheelsets well below Wheel Enhancement prices, particularly on old stock. Last but not least, you can play hardball with private sellers. Asking for detailed pictures is usually enough to knock $100 each off those "perfect" wheels!

Regarding Kumho tires, however, I want to suggest that Kumho is no longer really an "off brand". I've used Kumho MX tires in a variety of situations and I was far more pleased with them than I have been with some Porsche "N" rated tires. Frankly, the only reason I use Hoosier tires for competition is my desire to do business with American manufacturers as often as possible. But I would suggest that using the Kumho MX or perhaps even the 712 Supra is not equivalent to using replica wheels.

So cheap, non Porsche N rated tires are ok at 130+ on the track, but replica wheels aren't...

anyone else have a problem with that concept? :icon107:

Just out of curiosity, what makes you feel that the Kumho is a "cheap" tire? It appears to be of construction, durability, and performance which is roughly equivalent to the PS2, F1 GS-D3, or SportMaxx - and it clearly outperforms N rated tires like the SportContact 2.

As far as I can determine, the reason replica wheels are cheaper is because they are not engineered and tested like Porsche OEM wheels. There's no evidence that replica wheels have undergone any testing whatsoever, except for the promise of TUV certification one sees on eBay.

The reason the Kumho MX is cheaper than the European tires appears to be labor rates in the country of origin. Furthermore, the Ecsta V710 appears to be more or less an exact halfway point between the Hoosier A6 and R6, and even costs about the same :) And plenty of people have run those tires in competition with no trouble.

I'd put the Kumho tires in the same category as, say, CCW wheels. They are an alternative to OEM, rather than a discount alternative. But that's only my opinion!

Well - they are cheap as in low $$$

And then there's the time the rear tire blew out on my wife's Boxster...

http://www.d30-images.com/911/kumho.jpg

I don't use Kumho any more - not when someone's life could be at stake

Doug,

Stock 18" 986 sizes were 225/265 front to rear. However, I have had good results with 235/265 combo on my 986. It reduces some understeer and makes the car more neutral IMHO.

Good luck with your new wheels! :cheers:

so what did you end up getting? coz' I was looking at the same thing @ tire rack. :icon107: right now im using kumho ecxsta...no complain so far :rockon:

Awesome, thanks! :cheers:

The weather people are telling us we're about to go through our last cold spell of the season, so it looks like I need to get on buying some tires!

those replicas are a good choice for an easy G.
I have the Factory 5 spokes (Ernie's Alloys' Miami $1900).
I wouldn't spend allot of dough on cast alloys the expensive facotory wheels will dent just
as easily as the Italian made replicas. But on the bright side small dents are easy to repair
and not very expensive from a body shop that does that sort of thing.

Now on tires though don't skimp. It's not worth saving $400. There is a big difference in
tire quality and performance for a mere $400-$500. Unless you are going through more than one
set of tires per season I simply do not understand the logic of putting budge sports car tires
on A PORSCHE. Did you hear me? i say A PORSCHE.
That's like spending $20K on stereo equipment and hooking it up to computer speakers, as someone
once noted.

I've used the Kuhmo's and a few other budget tires and flat spotting was a problem which made itself apparent at certain speeds and when the tires were cold....Thump, thump, thump.
Cheap tires may be ok on a slow passenger car with crap brakes but on a high end sports car where the lateral/ long. loads and harder braking are putting allot of wear on the tires, its a no go in my book.
Like puttng spinners on a Rolls Royce.

This made me smile because the F1 GS-D3s on my 993 will flat-spot if they stand for three days, and the Pilot Sports on my 986S will flat-spot while I'm in the convenience store :)

Just for the record, however - the Kumho MX is not a budget tire. It's pretty much as fast around a dry track as any of the other big names, and on the wet it's not terrible. I've run more than a few wet laps on a road course in cars with no ABS, using the MX tires, and it's not as bad as, say, a set of Pole Positions near the wear bars :) It also wears like iron on the track.

From what I understand, the rest of the Kumho line, including the Supra 712, is kind of a budget choice, but the MX deserves to stand next to the F1 GS-D3, Bridgestone Pole Position, and Michelin PS2 as one of the very fastest non-DOT-R tires out there.

yes the MX's are not at all cheap on 18" wheels. I think most people asking about Kuhmo's do so after seeing them on the tirerack.com as a tire choice in a wheel package like the 712's, which I don't consider to be a bargain at all. In my experience they wear out quicker and I found them to be really bad in hotter temps.

doug, do you mean $800 a piece or for the set of 4?

$799 for the set of four with painted center caps. Shipping was a little over $100. No tires...yet.

My only complaint so far is the "protective plastic" put on the center caps actually pulled some of the paint off! :banghead:

is it the WAC site? can you PM me the website and the type of wheels you got. I was looking for something like what you got there :D

I got them off eBay from Eurowheels USA. Here's their most recent eBay ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MakeTrack=true

It looks like the WAC ad is pretty much the same thing. I'm sure the wheels are the same as sold by Eurowheels and Wheel Dynamics. At the time, I couldn't find an ad for Wheel Dynamics in this style of wheel (they do have Cayman 18" replicas for $1k...I considered those because I love my brother's Cayman S but couldn't find an example of them on a 986 Boxster), so I just went with Eurowheels USA. They had a good feedback rating.

Sorry it's not a PM...I thought it info worth sharing. :)

thanks doug! I just thought you preffer PM that's why I asked :) I will go check them out...

I saw that one the other day but wasn't sure and then I see that you purchase it...now confident enought to order it :) how long did it take for shipping it and what tires would you put on it? I was thinking of Kumho or Bridgestone....any suggestion on brand and sizes :) it wont be use as a regular track car, just for daily driving and some runs with the big boys on weekends....

Oh yah, also..what bolt pattern should I get when I put in my order?
TIA..

My wheels arrived basically in a week. They came in two large boxes, each with two wheels in their own boxes inside. The center caps were in one of the boxes.

As for tires, using the Tire Rack website, I've compared a few tires and think I've narrowed it down to three; Bridgestone Potenza RE050, Michelin Pilot Sport, and Yokohama ADVAN Sport. The Bridgestones are the cheapest and have "excellent" overall ratings, but only have "good" ratings in treadwear. They price at $173 for the fronts and $225 for the rears. The Pilot Sports rate just a little better accross the board, but are $218 for the fronts and $298 for the rears! The ADVANs don't have full rating yet, but the owners reports are very good. Again, they're $214 for the fronts and $294 for the rears. I haven't looked to see what Khumho has to offer. I may still...

Not sure what you mean by bolt pattern? My understanding is these wheels should be a direct bolt on, with no need for spacers or adapters. Before shipping, they even sent me an e-mail asking what kind of car I was going to put these on. After sending back that I had a 2001 Boxster 2.7, they just said "Ok, thanks".

Good luck with your purchase! Be sure to post pics, etc. when you get them! :)

Wait, I think I'm getting these:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....speed_rating=Y

(Hope the link works?)

Doug,

I have the RE050A Pole Positions on my S, I'm really pleased with them.
Sweet wheels! Those are the ones I want but not in the budget with the upcoming arrival of my first kid :) Oh well

Well the new kid is definitely more important! Besides, your cars look great as they are. My problem is I need new summer wheels/tires...I can't drive on the winter 17s all year! (..although, it does make for a comfy ride.. :p)

Glad to hear you like your RE050As...they seem to be the smartest way to go here.

doug, thanks for the very informative choices of tire selection you've provided..I'll pull the trigger this friday on the 18' carrera wheels and will get the Kumho SPT @ tire rack and as soon as I got it, Ill post the pix of my smile from ear to ear...hehehehehe! for less than $1600, got me a new set of wheels and tires :)

Cool! I will, of course, also post after the change. :cool:

for sure, i"ll post the before and after :)

nice looks like you found yourself a nice deal UnkleKraker (on the wheels). Being that you saved yourself $1200+ vs. going factory Carrera 5 spoke I would spring for PS2 or B'stone PP's, I don't think the $300-$400 difference is worth passing up on top drawer rubber. Its the most important part of the car. But if you have a set budget its a good choice.

I might get a set of these and just keep my winter tires (Pirelli Snows) on them and run my Factory Carreras on my SUmmer tires.

Thanks, P/L! i would love to get the PS2's or the PP's but I'll be stretching my budget..gotta save some for Spring snowboarding or D/E's :)

hmm....if you are doing DE's or Autocross then I would make cuts elsewhere and get the expensive tires. Although I don't really consider good tires to be expensive just comes with the territory of having a world class roadster.

c'mon I'm sure you've got some things lying around you don't need. THat's what I do before I "splurge". Just sold $1100 worth of useless stuff (to me) I had in storage I forgot about. People will buy anything on EBay.

you are right there, P/L! Im planning to do spring cleaning in my garage in a few weeks and I know I got some stuff there that I dont need and might get few more dollars out of it...hmmm!

you rock, dude! :rockon: thanks for the idea

Man, I've got to get some stuff on eBay...

so Doug, did you sell me your sport classic II's just because you hated cleaning them? :)

(just got the replacement wheel from wheel enchancement, can't wait to put the pretty buggers on)

Awesome, be sure to send/post a pic when they're on.

Truly, I really didn't want to go with 18" wheels (especially with 10" wide in the back!), but I couldn't find good 17" wheels w/o paying a premium for new wheels. (I thought for sure I'd find something decent on eBay? ..no.) Add to the decision that I may have to sell the Boxster this year (already :rolleyes: ), and I started thinking re-sale. ..and the money issue is playing a bigger part than I thought it would. So I guess I'll deal with a more punishing ride for some inexpensive cool wheels that are much easier to clean. :)

bummer

you could have had my 18 inch turbo twists cheap :)

Thanks, but to be honest, I'm not a big fan of the turbo twists for some reason.

These are the ones I was hoping to find (for a somewhat unique look on the Boxster). They're called a "Carrera 4" wheel...they were on the first 996 C4s when they came out. But I couldn't find them through anybody other than Wheel Enhancement, and I wasn't interested in spending $1200 - $1600 just on wheels. I don't know, maybe I should have just done it...

I don't like them either, that's why I wanted yours :)

:p