Alloys

[WilliamsF1]

Hello Forum,

I currently have 'standard' 17" alloys on my boxster and I would like to upgrade to 18" Turbo II alloys.

But whenever I find them online they are replicas (Design911.Co.UK for example) or the company doesnt answer

about the originality of the alloy. Even my porsche mecanic offered me a set of replicas.

I would like to know the differences between originals - price, design and quality.

I have seen a set for 995 Pound for 4 x 18" Turbo II alloys + tyres, but they are replicas and I dont know if they are horrible copies.

What is your opinion about replica-alloys from design911.co.uk for example ?

Can anyone give me a tip to where I can buy original alloys online (fom Europe) ?

Thank you in advance!

:renntech:

[Loren]

Try Gert at Carnewal.com.

He is in Belgium and has a great reputation.

[WilliamsF1]

Try Gert at Carnewal.com.

He is in Belgium and has a great reputation.

Thank you Loren...

That is a bit more expensive though - 2350 € excl. tyres.

How big is the difference between replicas and orignals ? Has anyone here bought replicas ?

[Chris_in_NH]

How big is the difference between replicas and orignals ? Has anyone here bought replicas ?

many people have purchased replicas. they look exactly the same as OEM wheels, but they are a little heavier than OEM wheels - but only ~2 lbs per wheel. they also don't have the Porsche part number on them (but who cares?). you can save a ton of money by purchasing replicas.

try eBay. plenty of cheap replicas.

[WilliamsF1]

How big is the difference between replicas and orignals ? Has anyone here bought replicas ?

many people have purchased replicas. they look exactly the same as OEM wheels, but they are a little heavier than OEM wheels - but only ~2 lbs per wheel. they also don't have the Porsche part number on them (but who cares?). you can save a ton of money by purchasing replicas.

try eBay. plenty of cheap replicas.

GREAT!!

That was the kind of answer I was looking for and hoping for!

I know just about nothing about tyres - what are the optimal profile tyre to fit on a 18" alloy in your opinion ? low profile or regular - brand ?

[911-996]

There are dozens of choices to choose from but porsche recommend tires with a N rating

www.tirerack.com

The tires id personally recommend are the Yokahama Advan Sports or Michelin Pilot sports, Bridgestone also make a nice tire but it comes down to personal preference and budget.

[Chris_in_NH]

I know just about nothing about tyres - what are the optimal profile tyre to fit on a 18" alloy in your opinion ? low profile or regular - brand ?

that is going to depend on the size of the wheels you get. for example, front wheels might be 18x8 and rear wheels 18x9, etc. when you know the dimensions of the wheels, plug in the numbers at TireRack.com and you will get a list of tires that will fit.

also, be sure the wheels have the correct offset so they will fit your car without spacers. i don't know the correct offset, but i'm sure someone here does.

[LowFlyR]

I had the same problem last week. My solution costed me a total of $1328. Wheels of ebay + tires of Discout tire + 5mm spacers & bolts from Wheel Ehancement. Time will tell if that was a right solution. Anyway, result is below:

Almost forgot:

Front 8 x 18 offset 48 with 225/40-18

Rear 10 x 18 offset 52 (5mm spacers) with 265/35-18

Edited June 3, 2007 by LowFlyR

[5thtonbench]

Carlos at wheel dynamics (www.wheeldynamics.com) has helped me and many other board members out with their wheels. They arent the cheapest aftermarkets but the quality is assured. They also promise a very good match on sale, mounting and balancing tires. I got my tires elsewhere because I liked the benefit of someone local to service road hazard warranties. I realize you arent in the states but the shipping was very reasonable here, and might not be too bad overseas... worth a shot!

They are very well versed in porsche wheels (in fact I think its their main business) and most of their wheels have several factory offsets, meaning the majority of the wheels can fit your boxster, carerra, cayman etc without spacers. For me this was very important, since I am not fond of spacers: its one extra piece to worry about, high quality or not.

As most have said, the tires are heavier in the aftermarket realm, but I actually went to the carerra lightweight which was a lighter wheel anyway. Its heavier than the OEM lightweight, but Carlos assured me it was also stronger as well. Be careful of the paint quality on some of the cheaper offerings... they might be smudged or have runs, or just have very thin clear on there. The few hundred you save could bite you in just a few short summers when the wheels start to look like junk.

Edited June 3, 2007 by 5thtonbench