Those wheels look just like a direct knock-off of the BBS racing wheels.
Not much different from F14 Forgestars, either. Norm
I haven't heard of the F14 aesthetic comparison, but I appreciate the perspective and feedback. Customers often ask, "What makes your wheel different than a number of other options out there?". In fact, this question was proposed recently by another S197 enthusiast here on the boards in one of our commercial threads and my response below can hopefully bring some clarity to the broader topic. It is an important question, and it should come up every time an enthusiast is making a purchase decision.
The split 7 spoke mesh design has been offered by many wheel companies over the years, and that is simply due to it's ability to be strong, weight conscious, and clear a variety of massive factory and aftermarket big brakes if designed correctly. With that said, it is important to note that not all split 7 spokes on the market are created equal, even if they look similar at the surface. The genetic makeup so-to-speak can vary greatly from manufacture to manufacture, and this results in major differences in the final product you receive as a customer - how the wheel performs, endures repetitive abuse, what it weighs, how much brake clearance they provide, its ability to take different types of wheel hardware and centercaps and more.
We have offered our Flow Formed EC-7 design for over 8 years now, originally as a solution for the BMW community where it remains one of our top sellers. The classic mesh design can look at home on both past and present vehicles, and while many companies recycle wheel deigns from one vehicle platform to another, we understand that chassis specific optimization is necessary to ensure each "version" of the EC-7 we produce encompasses all of the important features that enthusiasts are looking for. This doesn't just mean changing the center bore and bolt pattern to provide a direct fitment for each vehicle platform, but also altering the genetic makeup of the wheel if need be to ensure the wheels fits properly and can withstand the added stress and loads which may come with heavier chassis like the Mustang or Camaro for example. Our wheels were not simply FEA tested in a computer simulation, or in-house tested to an unregulated standard. We conduct real-world crush-testing and all of our wheels conform and/or surpass JWL standards, as well as being 3rd-party tested by the VIA.
We offer our EC-7's in three different face profiles, which all vary in spoke concavity to ensure brake clearance is never compromised due to width or offset changes in the wheel. The EC-7 is one of the few 18" Flow Formed, VIA JWL certified wheels on the market that can clear a Brembo 380mm BBK, S197 13" & 14" GT500 BBK, or S550 PP BBK without the use of spacers. Our 19" EC-7 provides GT350 owners with more caliper to barrel clearance than the factory wheels. The aforementioned features, off the shelve availability and the attractive price point carried by our wheel is not consistent across all split 7 spoke mesh wheels on the market today.
There are far too many wheel options out in the world from manufactures that focus their efforts on the design aspect of a wheel, and at the end of the day, that is not how we bring value to our customers. The design of our flow formed wheels lend themselves to superior brake clearance, weight and strength optimization, and load distribution first and foremost. Offering these designs in a wide array of widths and offsets that allow enthusiasts to run their desired tire size(s) and type without performing extensive modifications is key. We want to solve the communities pain points, filling voids in the marketplace. Chasing designs to meet ever changing aesthetic preferences is not the fight we want to fight.
- Ryan
