Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[Prit@Euro Autowerx]

Hello Members,

We would like to understand the M3post community better by asking the questions below. We ask that you PM us your response in return we can offer the M3post a great solution that won't hurt the wallet and satisfies your needs!

1. How much would you be willing to spend on a set ?

2. How important is Cast vs Forged to you?

3. What if a wheel looks great and is priced right, but is not a top forged brand like HRE/DPE would you still be interested?


Thanks for your time! We look forward to responses

[aus]

I'll tell you many here don't consider DPE/HRE a "top forged brand." That would be reserved for companies like BBS, VOLK, Champion and NEEZ. They're not bad wheels by any means, not not in the same category as the before mentioned wheels.

I think you'll get answers that are all over the place regarding cast vs. paying for forged and the look is even more varied.

[GewoW]

We'll just go right ahead and call HRE/DPE top "boutique" brands

[H Bomb]

i agree i consider HRE more of a bling bling brand then a top forged performance wheel brand

[calintexas]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

i agree i consider HRE more of a bling bling brand then a top forged performance wheel brand

HRE wheels at least pass TUV standards. That alone IMO elevates them above the boutique/bling level. I'm not aware that DPE wheels (and some others with very slick websites and fancy pics) meet any standards that address durability or strength.

To address the OP's question, I think the market for wheels over $3K is pretty small. A prime example is the RAC group buy. At $3,750 a set, it was very hard to get 20 people to make the 2nd group buy. So, the demand for those wheels is about 75 sets world wide with a small percentage of new M3 owners being interested in the wheels (as they discover them) and willing to pay for them if they were available. Still it's very price sensitive as most everyone that has sold their RACs has had trouble selling them for what they paid. It's possible that the potential market for wheels gets quite a bit bigger in the $1,500 - $2,000 range if people really like the design and perceive that there is a good value. Responses and comments in many threads tells me that the vast majority of people here are much more interested in appearance vs. performance. Wheels do need to be dimensionally accurate enough that good wheel/tire balance can be achieved. They also need to be durable enough to hold up to daily use.

[H Bomb]

^^
i agree, didn't mean they were a bad brand and yes they are def one of the better bling brands but there still a heavy wheel and since adding weight would take away from the performance of the car i would not want that nor be willing to spend the crazy amount of money those types of wheels cost when what i would get in return would just be looks. but for some that is all they care about. but for me that is not what this car is about and if i was into only looks i prob would have chosen a different car. (minus the one model they make that is light forget the model) ;

i just wouldn't put HRE in the same category i would Neez,Volk,BBS,RAC,Dinan, etc other lightweight strong wheels

my wants were more on the performance side but with still some looks to it as to why i run the Volk TE37 on my car, it is light, it is strong, it was a great price, and it looks good in my eyes

[808MGuy]

Actually what really screwed the people who were selling their RACs was the fact that they were trying to sell them for more than what they paid thinking that it would be some kind of collectors item that people would be willing to pay a premium for. It was quite comical and yet quite satisfying to see all those people have to hold on to their "investments" while the market for them dwindled away.

[Alpine*]

To be honest, I don't track my car so aesthetics is more important to me, there must also be be a good dish.

I have some of those, lots of comments elsewhere, 360's in mesh and am very happy, though they do scrub front and rear

[aus]

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

Actually what really screwed the people who were selling their RACs was the fact that they were trying to sell them for more than what they paid thinking that it would be some kind of collectors item that people would be willing to pay a premium for. It was quite comical and yet quite satisfying to see all those people have to hold on to their "investments" while the market for them dwindled away.

What screwed them was the second group buy.
Just give it some time. People will be able to get what they paid for them years later.

[M3 Montreal]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

^^
i agree, didn't mean they were a bad brand and yes they are def one of the better bling brands but there still a heavy wheel and since adding weight would take away from the performance of the car i would not want that nor be willing to spend the crazy amount of money those types of wheels cost when what i would get in return would just be looks. but for some that is all they care about. but for me that is not what this car is about and if i was into only looks i prob would have chosen a different car. (minus the one model they make that is light forget the model) ;

i just wouldn't put HRE in the same category i would Neez,Volk,BBS,RAC,Dinan, etc other lightweight strong wheels

my wants were more on the performance side but with still some looks to it as to why i run the Volk TE37 on my car, it is light, it is strong, it was a great price, and it looks good in my eyes

WOW I just looked up your TE37's and they are NICE!

Do the 18's clear 380mm Brembos?

I was looking for 18's with fronts being 9.5 and backs 10.5.

Could you PM me where you picked them up from and how much I could expect to pay? Thanks

[Richbot]

18x9.5 front, 18x10.5 rear, offsets appropriate for maximum tire (275 or 285 front, 295 or 305 rear) as opposed to "hella flush, y0!!!" both front and rears under 20 pounds, under $400 per wheel, available in gunmetal. Accepts or offers BMW center caps. If D-Force can do it, somebody else can too, only in better E90 sizing. Basically, if someone was asking $100 more per wheel than the D-force 18x9.5, but it was available as a 10.5 for the rear as well and didn't require spacers, I'd be on it like a cat on a junebug.

I also think paying over $3500 for a set of wheels is nuts when I can call CCW and get whatever I want made for around $3000, or even less. I like the volks too but I just don't like the design on this car, same deal with the Advans.

Cast vs. forged doesn't matter to me one bit, but a good design does. I have put many "crappy" sub-$150 cast wheels through 10 different kinds of hell on a racetrack and never had an issue with any of them because they were designed well for the application.

[calintexas]

H Bomb: I'm with you on everything you've said. I'm in the RAC group buy; so, it's clear I've made my decision. In HRE's favor, they've added weight to make their wheels really robust in day to day use. That's likely a good thing for the majority of their customers whose cars never see a race track. So, not top tier, conservative engineering, marketed like bling, very expensive, but likely to still be round for the second or third owner.

808MGuy: I think the market for $4K + wheels for the M3 is very small, and has largely been satisfied for a while by the RAC group buy and other already available wheels. In 6 months or a year as new people come into the market (bought new cars or acquired one used) a few will discover the RG63's and be willing to pay near or maybe even slightly above the original cost for a perfect set provided that there aren't many available for sale. We'll see how it goes. I don't think anyone is going to get rich.

[FStop7]

1. Fitment - Are there offsets made specifically for my car or is it a one size fits all approach? Do I have to use centering rings or is the center bore the proper size for my car?

2. Construction - Where is the wheel manufactured, by who? What process is used? Is it TUV approved?

3. Is the wheel designer (often different than the manufacturer) some new fly by night outfit or do they have some credibility? Are a lot of sets of these wheels out in the real world and are they holding up? If these are "race" oriented wheels are any race teams actually using them?

[drburton]

The VMR wheels are popular because they come in a number of nice looking styles and are low cost. The problem in my mind is they are heavy and the finish isn't great. For me, if I could get a similar looking wheel that is forged (lighter and stronger) with a better finish I would pay $2500 for a set of 4.

It would be nice to have a solid set of wheels for daily use as well as periodic track use.

[H Bomb]

and people laughed at me when i said i would just wait bc there would be steals on these in the FS section soon enough after they came out. i got what are you crazy i am gonna buy 4 or 5 sets so i can make some money on these.

i didn't get into it, i just said in this economy good luck

Originally Posted by 808MGuy

Actually what really screwed the people who were selling their RACs was the fact that they were trying to sell them for more than what they paid thinking that it would be some kind of collectors item that people would be willing to pay a premium for. It was quite comical and yet quite satisfying to see all those people have to hold on to their "investments" while the market for them dwindled away.

[H Bomb]

i am not sure that they make the TE37 anymore as i think the G2 has replaced it which is very similar though. i think you can still find some new sets from some vendors though in different colors. i was lucky enough to find a mint set from a member here. i was gonna go with one of the new wheels from the Yoko Advan line but they were pricey and a long wait and i needed to get my winter set off sooner then later

i would imagine it would clear in a 18 as there designed for track use but you should confirm that though bf buying

you got PM

Originally Posted by M3 Montreal

WOW I just looked up your TE37's and they are NICE!

Do the 18's clear 380mm Brembos?

I was looking for 18's with fronts being 9.5 and backs 10.5.

Could you PM me where you picked them up from and how much I could expect to pay? Thanks

[H Bomb]

have you checked out some of the other Volk designs?? they have alot of other styles then the TE37 and G2, i just think most people only think those 2 when they think Volk

Originally Posted by Richbot

18x9.5 front, 18x10.5 rear, offsets appropriate for maximum tire (275 or 285 front, 295 or 305 rear) as opposed to "hella flush, y0!!!" both front and rears under 20 pounds, under $400 per wheel, available in gunmetal. Accepts or offers BMW center caps. If D-Force can do it, somebody else can too, only in better E90 sizing. Basically, if someone was asking $100 more per wheel than the D-force 18x9.5, but it was available as a 10.5 for the rear as well and didn't require spacers, I'd be on it like a cat on a junebug.

I also think paying over $3500 for a set of wheels is nuts when I can call CCW and get whatever I want made for around $3000, or even less. I like the volks too but I just don't like the design on this car, same deal with the Advans.

Cast vs. forged doesn't matter to me one bit, but a good design does. I have put many "crappy" sub-$150 cast wheels through 10 different kinds of hell on a racetrack and never had an issue with any of them because they were designed well for the application.

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

and people laughed at me when i said i would just wait bc there would be steals on these in the FS section soon enough after they came out. i got what are you crazy i am gonna buy 4 or 5 sets so i can make some money on these.

i didn't get into it, i just said in this economy good luck

I remember that and that is exactly what I was referring to. People buying multiple sets thinking they were going to make some money off it. Investing in wheels just as dumb as investing in a car. Both will never appreciate in value unless you have something very special. These do not qualify as very special. I don't know of any wheel that does.

[Richbot]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

have you checked out some of the other Volk designs?? they have alot of other styles then the TE37 and G2, i just think most people only think those 2 when they think Volk

Yeah, I've seen some of them. None of them really light my fire, although I've seen a lot of them look really nice on various cars on here and elsewhere. If I could find a wheel that looked exactly like the stock 18's but weighed 5lbs less and was wider, I'd buy that.

Only thing I can think of that has appreciated wheel-wise in the BMW world are style 5's. And that's questionable relative to what BMW would have charged for one when they were made. The RAC thing reminds me of what happened when the Mustang Cobra GT500KR came out, people bought them on spec and ended up eating them because the next model year had all the KR stuff standard and was priced $20k lower, lol.

[Prit@Euro Autowerx]

Thank you very much for the responses - we are going to discontinue our sponsorship and come back shortly aiming to service the M3post with replies in mind. Look out for us in the near future!