Wheels are a hugely personal choice, and that’s why we couldn’t bring you just one overview of our faves because we’d all have a big falling out! So here’s part one of our FC Favourite Wheels, and this month Fast Car magazine editor Slim Jules shares his thoughts…
I have bought my fair share of wheels over the past 15-years; in fact my garage is currently home to three sets of hoops, including a custom set of 3-piece 3SDMs. But what are my favourites wheels of the now? Well, I’ve narrowed them down to these 5-choices, which I think covers most of the market, from base model hatchback to high-end supercars…
Anyway, here’s five of my faves!
Radi8 r8cm9, from £696 (set)
We all have our favourite wheel brands but even in their respective ranges they’ll be a couple of offerings that just aren’t your cuppa tea, but this can’t be said for me and Radi8 wheels, I love all their offerings, especially the r8cm9 we have here. The only downside is that they don’t offer all the finishes on all of the available fitments, especially for BMW owners like me, but there’s a much bigger choice for the VAG fraternity.
Sizes: 8.5×18, 8.5 and 10,×19, x20
PCD: 5×100, 5×112, 5×120
Finishes: Matt silver / machined face, black / machined face, gold brush, dark mist
For more info see Radi8
Autostar A510, £659 (set)
It would be a bit hypocritical of me not to include my most recent wheel purchase in my favourite wheels feature, so here they are, Autostar’s A510s that I fitted to my E92 335i.
So why do I love them so much? Well, for me, I don’t think there is a better value 19-inch wheel on the market in hyper black, not only that but the aggressive (Et30 front and Et22 rear) offset gives my air-equipped E92 a near perfect flush fitment.
Sizes: 9.5 and 10.5×19
PCD: 5×120, 5×114.3
Finishes: Hyper black
For more info see Nuts for Wheels
ESM-015, from $145 (each)
If you’re on a budget but desire a flashy VIP style rim in chrome or platinum gold then these VIP-style rims from American wheel firm ESM are the wheels for you. I’m not usually a fan of fake splits but I reckon these ESM-015s would look very tidy on a small hatch and will definitely get you noticed at your next show, especially in that chrome gold finish. The 15s come in at around £100 a wheel but don’t forget to add shipping and import tax on to that price! What ESM really need is a UK distributor to take away that pain!
Sizes: 8 and 9×15, 8 and 9×16, 9×17, 9.5 and 11×18, 11×19-inch
PCD: 4×100, 5×120, 5×114.3
Finishes: white polished, chrome, gold platinum
For more info seet ESM
Rotiform RSE, £1000 (a set)
Now, this is a bit of a weird one because the RSE isn’t my favourite Rotiform Monoblock, not by a long shot, that accolade goes to their recently launched CVT – which is a proper stunner. So why on Earth have I included it in my FC Favourites? One word; AeroDisc. Yup, the RSE is one of two wheels (the other is the LAS-R, which I like even less) that currently allows the fitment of the thread-on wheel fan. These discs are awesome and completely change the appearance of your wheels in minutes for just £129 (a corner), and you can even print off designs to stick on them. So you effectively get endless looks for almost the price of one. The price above is for the 8.5×19-incher that allows the AeroDisc fitment.
Sizes: 8&9×17, 8.5&9.5×18, 8.5&10×19
PCD: 5×112, 5×120, 5×114, 4×100, 4×114
Finishes: Silver, Anthracite
For more info see Car Audio Security
Dream Wheel – Vossen Forged LC2-A2, from £1315 (each)
That’s right folks, for my money is no object wheel choice, I’ve gone for a single piece wheel! And that really is testament to these ultra-desirable LC2-A2 custom rims from Vossen, because believe me, there’s a huge amount of 3-piece wheels out there I’d happily sell my nan for.
These wheels come in a number of different sized forgings (widths in half-inch increments from 8.5-13-inches and diameters from 19-24) along with a simply ridiculous amount of finish options. There’s also a choice of lip and cap finishes, a personalised engraving option and even colour-matched wheel weights (and no, I’m not joking!).
Sizes: 8.5-13×19, 8.5-13×20, 8.5-13×21, 8.5-12.5×22, 10, 11 and 12×23, 10×24
PCDs: Any 5-stud, custom centre-lock
Offset: Any
Finishes: Any gloss, satin, matte or textured powder coat included, any polished, brushed and custom finish (poa)
For more info see Prestige Wheel Centre
