Aftermarket alloy wheels... CSLs, replicas and whatnot

[pilchardthecat]

I rather fancy some CSLs, but finding them is rather tricky and I know i'd kerb them on the first day (despite having not done so in at least 5 years).

I believe the genuine ones were made by BBS, and some people have said that some "CSL replicas" can be quite good. This is possibly a bonus as apparently I would then be able to get these in 18" rather than affecting the ride by switching to 19" ones. (My Z4M is my daily driver and does 60 odd miles a day on average and I'm very happy with the ride/handling as it is).

Obviously I don't want to buy crappy wheels that crack, or weigh a tonne, or corrode, but I have no experience whatsoever of aftermarket wheels. Looking at various places online none of them seem to list the weight of the wheels, which i would have thought was about the most important bit of information after size and fitment.

Any advice gratefully recieved - either a site to browse or hands on experience of specific wheels

[rob.e]

Obviously its impossible to comment on specific wheels unless you've had first hand experience of them.. but its probably true that cheapo copies won't be as good as the originals.

I bought some "cheap" wheels a few years back and they were really rubbish - paint flaked off and they bent, then cracked- ended up binning them. A lesson learned. Not saying all replicas as like that.

I think if a vendor does not have information such as the rim weight readily available then you're probably dealing with the wrong people.

FWIW if i'm looking at wheels these days I will only now consider OE or one of the "premium" wheel manufacturers ie with a good reputation; BBS, Speedline etc.

[SteveS Cup]

No way would I stick 18" CSL reps on a Z4M.

I had some on a E36 coupe and tbh, they looked ok, but not a patch on gen CSL wheels especially the concave look of the rears.

I'd suggest BBS CH's in 18". They'll give it a good motorsport look, weight will be good and they'll be fantastic quality.

I've seen some LM Reps look good, but again, I would only have these in a staggered fitment and 19".

[pilchardthecat]

SteveS Cup said:

No way would I stick 18" CSL reps on a Z4M.

I had some on a E36 coupe and tbh, they looked ok, but not a patch on gen CSL wheels especially the concave look of the rears.

I'd suggest BBS CH's in 18". They'll give it a good motorsport look, weight will be good and they'll be fantastic quality.

I've seen some LM Reps look good, but again, I would only have these in a staggered fitment and 19".

Yes i thought about those, but i think the OEM Z4M wheels look better. In fact the only wheels I've seen which look better on the car are the CSLs. For me the options really are;

- refurb my OEM wheels and/or buy a second set
- buy genuine CSLs in 19" (research required as to the effect on ride quality)
- see if there are any CSL replicas in 18" which are good

[Beefmeister]

The Z4M should've had CSL wheels as standard IMHO.

They transform the looks of the car. Example:

Std



CSL



I think CSLs in 18" may be a good solution, but see if you can try one on 19's, see how it goes.

[rhinochopig]

The rule about wheels is: Only buy bigger wheels, if the combined mass of the wheels + tyres is <= to the ones your are replacing otherwise you are adversely affecting the handling.

[pilchardthecat]

Beefmeister said:

The Z4M should've had CSL wheels as standard IMHO.

They transform the looks of the car. Example:

...

I think CSLs in 18" may be a good solution, but see if you can try one on 19's, see how it goes.

It's not quite as clear cut with the roadster though, which doesn't have the big arse that the coupe has so it looks more at home on 18s

I can see myself procrastinating about this for the next 12 months

[v8will]

pilchardthecat said:

I rather fancy some CSLs, but finding them is rather tricky and I know i'd kerb them on the first day (despite having not done so in at least 5 years).

I believe the genuine ones were made by BBS, and some people have said that some "CSL replicas" can be quite good. This is possibly a bonus as apparently I would then be able to get these in 18" rather than affecting the ride by switching to 19" ones. (My Z4M is my daily driver and does 60 odd miles a day on average and I'm very happy with the ride/handling as it is).

Obviously I don't want to buy crappy wheels that crack, or weigh a tonne, or corrode, but I have no experience whatsoever of aftermarket wheels. Looking at various places online none of them seem to list the weight of the wheels, which i would have thought was about the most important bit of information after size and fitment.

Any advice gratefully recieved - either a site to browse or hands on experience of specific wheels

BMW replica wheels are nasty old things Besides BMW (and Mercedes) have been dragging retailers to court for a few years for selling replicas

Unless you are buying light weight (OZ Ultraleggera, TD Pro-Race 1.2 etc) or really good quality stuff (Alutec, Ronal, BBS) etc then don't waste your money.

Trust me, I'm in that line of business.

[rob.e]

Google TSW Nurburgring - its 19" and lightweight and apparently "near forged" strength whatever that means. Similar style to the CSLs.

[fraserbottomley]

VMR V710's seem to be popular on the z4 forum (along with others) - they look much like CSL's but they're not a replica. They also come in 18" and 19" with a variety of finishes.