Anybody out there that have experience with these rims?

[Tandrup]

Hi there,

I am in the market for new rims to upgrade my 16" stock rims on my '03 Boxster. I couldn't help notice the "Sport Edition Cup 4" at Tirerack.

Sport Edition Cup 4

They sell in 18" staggered set for under $700. They look pretty nice and get pretty good feedback on other forums, but I am concerned to "get what I pay for"...

Does anyone have any experience with them - has anyone bought them?

Thanks,
Lars

[Burg Boxster]

no personal experience but there is a Boxster in my area w/ those wheels. He's had them for 2 years now and they do look pretty sharp. Roads aren't the kindest around me either so you can infer they hold up decently too. I wouldn't be too afraid of something from tirerack as they have a nice reputation. You might have a challenge finding p-center caps but I'm sure they have their own available too.

Good luck

[Chuck W.]

They're nice, but I prefer OEM wheel.

And here's a photo of the ones you're interested in;

[WhipE350]

I like them, wonder if they are tough like the 17 inch Porsche ones currently on my car...if you get them post pics, or if you have found links post that so I can see them on a box.
Thanks!

[Johnny Danger]

Check with Tire Rack and see if they meet any of these specifications :

INTERNATIONAL COMPANY CERTIFICATION→
ISO 9001:2000 Certification - International Service Organization (ISO) is a worldwide organization that sets technical standards for testing and quality purposes for various international industries. ISO 9001:2000 is the latest quality management system for businesses. It basically creates a unique structure, development and implementation of a QMS in order to increase the quality of business transactions, quality and customer satisfaction.

JAPANESE→
JWL- Japanese wheels must have a "JWL" logo on the wheel and "JWL" (Japan Light Wheel Alloy) is a compilation of standards defined by the Japanese Government to ensure the vehicle's safety for aluminum road wheels. Every wheel put to market must be tested to meet JWL standards before a wheel can be put out to market in Japan. These standards are generally accepted worldwide as acceptable for most road conditions. That is why you will see these marks on European and other Asian country wheels.

VIA Certification - Vehicle Inspection Association (VIA) is a third-party group in Japan which can test and verify whether or not any alloy wheels can meet JWL certification standards.

JAWA Certificate Sticker
The JAWA Quality Certificates: Since 1995, JAWA has introduced the “JAWA Quality Certificate” system to protect and develop consumer confidence in wheel safety and quality. The certificate guarantees that all products qualify to the JWL and JWL-T light alloy disc wheel standards approved by Japanese government.

VIA Mark
A third-party entity called the Vehicle Inspection Association verifies whether a product meets the requirements prescribed by the JWL or JWL-T standard. This association permits a product to bear a VIA mark if it passes rigorous quality and strength verification tests conducted in accordance with the JWL or JWL-T standard.

GERMAN→
TUV Certification - Technischer Uberwachungs-Verien (TUV) (Technical Examination Association) in Germany. This is another third-party testing group which began in Germany and now has locations worldwide. The TUV Certification is the highest performance and durability standard any product can hope to meet. To even be considered for testing, all companies must first be ISO 9001:2000.

[stephen wilson]

I was just checking the price on some HRE wheels I like, but they seem to list for $1000 to $1500 per wheel! I guess they're out of my price range for the moment!

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

I was just checking the price on some HRE wheels I like, but they seem to list for $1000 to $1500 per wheel! I guess they're out of my price range for the moment!

What are you looking for in a wheel set ? I've owned and toiled enough with wheels that maybe I could make a recommendation .

[stephen wilson]

Well, I was thinking about some winter tires, on a second set of rims, after I couldn't even get out of my driveway with 1" of snow on PSll's. I thought if I'm buying wheels, why not "upgrade"?

Ideally, 18" wheels, possibly .5"-1" wider than stock, no heavier, and easier to clean than my factory 987 S wheels. The car is a Black '06. I know you can fit 245's on the front, but how about 255's? I'd like to see if a 245/265 or 255/275 combination would reduce the understeer. I have considered the 5-spoke carrera lights as an option.

[yelojkt]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Well, I was thinking about some winter tires, on a second set of rims, after I couldn't even get out of my driveway with 1" of snow on PSll's. I thought if I'm buying wheels, why not "upgrade"?

If you are thinking of winter tires on wheels than you should go as narrow as you can, unless you are wanting to run your porsche wheels as winter set and purchase a wider set of aftermarket wheels to put wider summer rubber on at a later date.

[stephen wilson]

Yeah, that was one idea, use my current wheels for the winter/all-season set. I don't PLAN on driving in the snow, or even when the roads are salty, but I hate having to worry about a snow flurry if I decide to drive the Boxster to work.

[ddb]

Tandrup,

I don't have any experience with those wheels, and had never seen them in person or in pictures until last year. Here are some pictures that I took of them on an AS 986. Hopefully they will give you a better idea how they would look on your car. I think they look nice.

Best of luck,

ddb

[Tandrup]

Originally Posted by ddb

Tandrup,

I don't have any experience with those wheels, and had never seen them in person or in pictures until last year. Here are some pictures that I took of them on an AS 986. Hopefully they will give you a better idea how they would look on your car. I think they look nice.

Best of luck,

ddb

Thanks for sharing - they look great IMO. I think I might go for a set of those and hope that they will last long enough for the (relatively small) investment.

Thanks,
Lars

[bar10dah]

Any chance one of you has this wheelset on a black Box and wouldn't mind posting some pics?

[2003S]

Originally Posted by bar10dah

Any chance one of you has this wheelset on a black Box and wouldn't mind posting some pics?

Use the Tire Rack 'view on vehicle' link:
2003 Porsche Boxster S

[bar10dah]

NOT a good indicator as to how the wheels will look on the car...

Seriously, take a look at the arctic silver car above, then go look at the tirerack pic, which gives a better impression as to how the wheels look?

[986_c6]

Just my quick 2cents,but I think tire rack has enough of a reputation where u shouldn't have to worry about street use quality, unless u plan on tracking the car.

[986_c6]

Looks pretty sharp btw. I would do it.

[2003S]

Originally Posted by bar10dah

NOT a good indicator as to how the wheels will look on the car...

Seriously, take a look at the arctic silver car above, then go look at the tirerack pic, which gives a better impression as to how the wheels look?

No doubt, but better than nothing. I was considering those wheels myself, they do look better in the non-simulated photo. I ended up with another 5 spoke variant from Victor Equipment.

[ryanwise]

I have them on my 01 S. Bought the Center Caps on Ebay. Look great.

[bar10dah]

They seem like nice looking wheels, and very affordable. However, on a few other Porsche model boards, I've seen a few complaints about vibrations up at speed. Most report the vibrations starting at around 60 MPH and get worse the faster they go. A few have commented that they heard it's because the wheel's center isn't the true "center". And, the latest post about this was less than a year ago! So, still a pretty recent problem.

I dunno... maybe I'll wait a bit and see what more research I can come up with. I'd hate to spend $800 for a set of wheels that are crap, vs buying a nice set of $1600 wheels that *may* be better. These 808s in hyper silver look freakin' awesome! It's just hard for me to spend $1600 on a set of wheels for a $10K car.

Maybe I'll just get a nice set of lobster claws like 97 Boxster did. Cheap, they fit, and they look good.