What's the real difference between cheap and expensive wheels?

Cast vs. forged is usually why performance wheels are more expensive. Forged wheels are more expensive to produce, but result in a stronger (and usually lighter) wheel.

Blingy wheels are another matter entirely.

If you're looking at wheels made in Japan: Exclusivity, brand name and limited production/availability will all drive up price. Ever notice how the really, really good looking wheels are always expensive?

I can understand forging and exclusivity / brand name or custom, but you would expect maybe double (as in OZ), but not quadruple! If I buy and Enkei or Rota or AroSpeed am I getting a good quality wheel? Some of them are good looking, cast and lightweight.

BTW - I like nice stuff but I'm not into bling.

Light weight and forged are the biggies. But also the designs. Most of the Rota, Enkei or other copybrands designs don't look quite as good as the original. Work Emotions looks 100x better then Rota Torques IMO. Its a difference that can't easily be seen in pictures, but its stuff like how the wheel is put together. The thickness and durability of the spokes, how the joints look, etc.

Personally, I have some OZ Prodrives, but I'm looking at Enkei and Rota wheels too. I only need one set of super-light wheels, the rest I really don't care about weight and strength.

It's important not to disregard the high quality cast wheels out there. A high quality casting will always be better than a poor quality forging. It really comes down to personal preference and what you'll be doing with the car.

For sure. Traditional casting done well (like Rota and Enkei) is definitely great. New techniques like Hypercasting are also really strong and light. Good stuff all around and much cheaper.

Light weight and forged are the biggies. But also the designs. Most of the Rota, Enkei or other copybrands designs don't look quite as good as the original. Work Emotions looks 100x better then Rota Torques IMO. Its a difference that can't easily be seen in pictures, but its stuff like how the wheel is put together. The thickness and durability of the spokes, how the joints look, etc.

 

Personally, I have some OZ Prodrives, but I'm looking at Enkei and Rota wheels too. I only need one set of super-light wheels, the rest I really don't care about weight and strength.

I didn't know that Enkei was a "copybrand". The McLaren F1 team must have decided that wheels would be a good place to go with a cheap supplier

Well, Enkei, IMO, makes great wheels, but some of their designs are sometimes derivative. Quite a few original designs, but others are clearly influenced by more expensive brands.

They certainly aren't as blatant as Rota or others.

I like my Enkei RS-5's... they seem to be a nice, fairly lightweight, good looking wheel and they were only $110 per wheel.

There are plenty of good looking wheels across the pricerange, IMO. You mainly pay for quality & reputation. And some of the really expensive forged wheels have been engineered to be lightweight and strong but not very good looking. It's just weird like that.

Here's one of my favorite forged wheels. The older SSR Integral's:

http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/ssr/swap/ssr_integral_ci3_l.jpg

But it's been discontinued. Why do they have to discontinue wheels like that?

Sorry, I'm done with my rambling.

Work Emotions looks 100x better then Rota Torques IMO. Its a difference that can't easily be seen in pictures

Agreed, and if money was no object - wait... money is currently an object for me