Wheel Whores, a call to action!
 

I need your opinion:

My friend from my old job in SLO who moved out to Massachussets got tired of driving his Miata in the snow, so he picked up a '99 2.5RS. He's looking for a set of rims for the car, but since he's new to the suby scene and isn't online much he emailed me for my opinion. I thought I'd poll the local wheel whores to see what they thought.

Like I said, the car is a '99 RS, black. He doesn't want to spend a ton on wheels. I'm thinking something gold, something Rota.

What do you guys think about these on an RS (and whether or not 8" wide +48 rims will fit):

Rota Boost
http://www.subydude.com/images/prod/...ost_gold_1.jpg

Rota Formel (gold and "royal gold")
http://www.subydude.com/images/prod/...rmelgold03.gif
http://subydude.com/images/prod/prod...oyalgold01.jpg

Rota G-Force
http://xd1.xanga.com/399b46056153044.../b30097203.jpg

Rota Attack
http://nlmotoring.com/images/attackgold.jpg

Rota Rev (but in gold)
http://www.subydude.com/osc/images/rev_sg.jpg

Rota Tarmac 3 (but in gold)
http://www.subydude.com/osc/images/t3_steelgray.jpg

or some RPF1's in gold... :cool: Too bad they're out of his price range. :(

You migth be able to ship him a set of OZ Ultraleggeras, 17x8 in gold within his budget. And 8" will fit with 225/45s, although he will possibly have to pull the fender lip and let them self-roll.

RPF1 FTW!

Well basically the only one I don't like are the Formels, the rest would look good I think.

Does a 17x8 +45 fit on an RS? Also, they're like $400 more than his budget (he's looking in the $600 range). :( Which sucks, 'cause they're my favorite as well.

Boosts and G-Forces are pretty sweet IMO.

He'd have to flatten the lip with a decent summer grip tire.

Dude, the Formels are replicas of the 22b's wheels! :eek:

http://img.autohome.com.cn/2006/1/6/...-601675588.jpg

I'd hump that 22B...


They should fit, but there may need to be a tad bit of fender "massaging"...

Exactly. The Formals are just different enough to suck.

Werd. The only Rota which I think looks good, even without having the original design they ripped off sitting next to it, is the Attack. but, since it's someone else's car, who cares. :p I still think that $700 (or so, haven't priced them yet) OZ ULs are the best combo of price, looks, and weight to be had on a Subaru.

I'd say gold Formels (wow, Oakos actually has some in stock!), but Attacks would be my second choice. Gotta love the Gram Lights ripoffs :)

Don't you have replica P1's in your car? :P

Hey the came on the car alright! But they don't look bad imo, the Formels do. I think for what I use my car for Rotas are good. At least until I can afford some real rims.

Nobody thinks a set of gold Formels would look hot on a black RS? I do. . .

Me too... I like 'em, but I think we're in the minority. I think the formels are like the least selling Rotas. :?:

http://www.subydude.com/gallery/ul/i...ery/1338_1.JPG

http://www.subydude.com/gallery/ul/i...ery/1338_2.JPG

http://www.subydude.com/gallery/ul/i...lery/249_1.jpg

http://www.subydude.com/gallery/ul/i...lery/249_2.jpg

They're OK, but there's just something about them that doesn't "sit right" with me, you know? I don't know exactly what, but something that makes them not as good lookin' to me...

Like a REALLY hot chick, with crossed eyes or something.

They're a bit on the "busy" side, but I think that would work really well on a black car.

The Formels can also be the most difficult to find. Most places are usually out of stock.

There's a term for that...

strabismus
A visual defect in which one eye cannot focus with the other on an object because of imbalance of the eye muscles. Also called "squint".

"Yo, that bitch is severly strabismic!" --Glen Dobson

Boosts. Boosts Booosts Boosts.

I have the best Rota story ever.

I'm down at Motorsport, shooting the shit after cleaning out most of their stock of Subaru stuff (Scott, want a Wings West poly lip? :p).

Henry and Ed walk out, and stare at my car.
Henry says "Nice, RG2's look perfect on your car"
"Uhhh, Henry, they're Rotas."
"They are? Holy shit!"
He walks closer, walks aorund the car a couple of times.

"Dude, those look better than the RG2's."

So, the owner of one of the biggest shops (RIP) on the West Coast, with some of the most old-school JDM guys around, like the Boosts better than the wheels they copied :D

I have to agree, the boosts look awesome.

The formels look okay dead-on, liek in the first two pics Scott posted, but when you see them at an angle, it's the spoke depth that throws it off. In fact, I just noticed a pattern.... I never like Rota's copies of forged wheels, but I sometimes like their copies of cast wheels. I think the necessary changes in spoke design are the cause of that. Examples: Attacks and Tarmac/Tarmac IIs look okay to me (reserving judgement on TIIIs until I see some in person) but I really dislike Formels, Grids, and (sorry guys) Boosts for that reason. rotas, especially the newer designs, just look cheap... not only are they obviously not the baller wheels they are designed after, but they don't even look like $700 wheels in most cases to my eye.

Okay, I admit, Aaron's car breaks all my rules. Gold 6 spokes look hot on that car. Too bad they aren't SSRs. ;)

I voted for "gold wheels make baby jebus cry"

Blasphemer!

Dude, the boosts are replicas of Advans, not SSRs. In fact, aren't most SSR wheels replicas?