North American Motoring - 18" wheel babbling.....

I am guessing that just about everyone here already knows that 18x7 or 7.5", 4x100 wheels which clear our brake calipers, are slim pickings in the aftermarket. Yeah, there are a few wheels out there like the OEM/JCW's, OZ's, NM's, BBS's....but overall, compared to what is available in the aftermarket for other sports cars, we don't have a big selection to choose from. Don't get me wrong, if someone has a fat wallet it would certainly be easy to dig in deep for a new set of Volk's or Rota's, but unfortunately that is not an option for most of us. Even so....those choices are very limited as well.

For example, look at these big three wheel manufacturers... Konig, Enkie and Ronal. None of these companies offer more than one...or two wheel choices for our cars in 18x7 or 7.5. Lots of 17's,...but few 18's. After all, isn't 18 the new 15? This isn't a huge wheel by today's standards.

Most companies, like Kyowa, which have 18" wheel offerings close to fitting our cars, will suggest the dreaded spacer. IMO, this is a band-aid for an improperly fitted wheel. Beside, this usually pushes the wheel out beyond the fender lip edge making the car look a little weird anyway.

Some owners simply want to install a better looking wheel on their car than the 17's that come stock. They don't necessarily want to slam their ride or go racing, just upgrade to a more personalized appearance without breaking the bank. My old "S" got fitted with a svelte set of 18" Konig's Superlite's for a reasonable 1200 bucks....with tires! Today, a set of NM's in 18", w/TPMS, to fit behind a set of JCW calipers, will set you back more than that...without the tires! And....BBS's will double even that number, before adding tires! What's wrong with this picture?

Thx!

The above commentary is the sole viewpoint and opinion of the author and is not meant to criticize the choices of any other JCW owner.