I don't get this fad or style of black wheels. My wife says they look like older
70-80's cars with steel wheels missing the hub caps . I agree with her but
it sure seems to be the style.

Especially flat black.

 

Black is making a comeback.

I felt the way you did until I purchased a set of red-striped R113s.

On PW with black/red stripes - it's gonna look good.

Some take it a bit far though - murdered out flat black? Uh Uh!

 

I like them

 

I'm gonna guess you are talking about actual steel wheels that people use. Some people use them for winter wheels so their nicer summer wheels dont get trashed with all the salt thats laid down in the winter. They are a cheaper alternative to getting different aftermarket wheels to. But aftermarket black wheels has been the style for quite some time actually. I've always liked black wheels... or any other colored wheels for that matter alot better than chrome/OEM looking wheels. Just makes the car look 10 times better.

 

No, if his thinking is like mine he's talking about any and all black wheels. Years ago most cars came with black steelies and chrome hub caps. To us 'old folks' any black wheel makes the car look like it's missing it's hub caps.

 

I've liked black wheels since I had the wheels painted on my '89 Taurus SHO. The fad when I was a kid was red rims with a flat black primer coated paint job. If you wanted to dress it up you added moon or racing discs.

 

The fact that many car companies including MINI are including black wheels with their new car says that there is a demand for them, I understand that many people don't like them but that's true with cars as well. I used to hate black wheels and wouldn't even consider having them, that's until one day that I decided to have my wheels plastidipped with a bit of gloss because I don't like flat black and I was hooked, I just powder coated my s-lites gloss black and I love them. I think than more than half new MINIs that I see have black wheels... Factory ones too and all of the drivers are in their 30's and 40's so it's not a kids kind of thing

 

I'm sure not knocking black wheels, to each his own, especially in the MINI world. I just don't see the attraction. My days was "mag" wheels, keystone classics, tourque masters.

 

Once you go black, you'll never go back! Its kinda nice having black wheels because they don't show dirt as bad, so you don't have to wash 'em as much.

 

Vive la difference ...........

I really don't have an opinion about how other enthusiasts choose their look. I can say, however, I dig ALL the looks, the individuality, and personalities of owners and their MINIs.
I choose not to go the black rim look, namely because I don't feel it would add anything to the look of my Clubman. I happen to agree that, at my age (50), the "missing hub cap theory" seems to ring true with me as well.

Motor on .........

 

But this clubman looks sooooo beautiful :-)

 

That's it for me, too. Just preferences, no biggie!

 

I can see why people like them, but to me black wheels have always looked kinda chintzy. Maybe its because most of the cars I see them on are old civics and cavaliers with wheels that the owner decided to paint black with rust paint or bought out of a catalogue for $50 a rim lol

 

Actually, black is on the way out again. You can tell when they become OEM options.

 

kinda like my 2013 came with a 30 pin iphone ipod cable. By the time it's an option it's outdated.

 

Let's put it this way. Black is the new thing in the past 10 years. I had gloss black on my MCS. Then got sick of the look so I bought 17s in matte black looks perfect. I hate chrome wheels since every old car I see rides on 24s or spinners that are chrome.

 

Black wheels are fine as long as it was bought and/or came with the car. That changes when it gets refinished or one would have this mentality "not bad for a homemade job." Can't stand that… Black wheels are very subjective and is definitely only a phase. Will definitely get dated sometime within the next few years. My opinion of course...

 

Some cars can pull it off, but certainly not all of them.

 

I did my S-Lites black because to be honest I thought they were really ugly wheels and I couldn't afford new wheels yet, so I painted them black to hide them.

I hope no one takes offense to this if you like S-Lites, just stating my reasoning for black wheels.

 

No at all in fact that was why I did them as well :-)

 

I agree with your wife. Looks like the 68 Chevelle I had with Cragers on it after I had driven through fresh tar on the road. Besides I've seen black wheels with white rock chips in them---not pretty! Each to their own though!

 

For me, it all depends on a number of variables. Color combo of the car, wheel style, wheel finish (matte, glossy, etc). I'll admit that I was never really a fan of black wheels until recently, but for the life of me, there's no other color wheel that would look as good as these do on my R56.

 

It's simple, black goes well with any color. In my opinion any car can pull off black wheels, it's colored wheels/chrome that are more difficult. I don't think black looks like an old steelie either, or cheap...

 

If you track your car, black wheels don't look like they are caked with brake dust as much as silver wheels. White are the worst. I will never do white wheels again.

 

For me its how the wheels blend in with the tires and gap. Black just makes for a more solid and cohesive look. Silver wheels (or non black painted) demand too much attention to the eyes (at least to me) I want the focus to be on my car first , then the wheels.