karmaQ

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/22-in...7772QQtcZphoto

AR.Shah

Thanks. They look very nice, I wonder how close they are to the real ones?

3FIFTY

Are you going to order these? If so, please post pics right away!!

BrabusMan

If your comfortable riding around on a cheaply made Chinese wheel then enjoy.

Also make sure you see the wheel in person -- the finish and quality is NO WHERE NEAR that of an authentic Brabus wheel. No TUV certification, no quality control to speak of. There is a reason Brabus sells so many products as they do -- you get what you pay for.

3FIFTY

So true, because Brabus uses space age material for their wheels, and are made by Nasa. the finish and quality???.......give me a break. Unless you stand the 2 together, the only thing your going to notice is that they are not identical, but close enough that on it's own you'd never know. But if your a "Brabus man" you'll need to justify to yourself why you had to spend $5000 more then replicas when they are the same in the end.

Wheels are wheels my friend, they're all made in the same manner.

GregW / Oregon

Pretty simplistic statement. Even discounting the difference between forged and cast (which is huge), quality can vary greatly. Does that mean the Chinese made replica you put on your car is going to self-destruct at the first pothole? Not necessarily; you just don't know. Personally, I won't put anything on my Mercedes or BMW that I am not sure is of OEM quality or better. I don't understand people who spend $50k on a car then save $1k on wheels or .15/gallon on cheap fuel.

2001BMW330xi

Greg you pre-ordered the e92? are you going to hold on to the e46?

GregW / Oregon

No, it will be going. Been a great car, but I'm moving on. Probably still 10-12 months out.

kevinchung

Do you feel that is better if you put a original Brabus wheels?
I will only spend money for a better tyres but i don't mind to use copy wheels. I prefer to spend money to change other set later.

Kevin

BrabusMan

Thank you GregW -- atleast someone sees my point. First off, wheels are not wheels, just as your can't compare a Morton's steak to Longhorn! Just as GregW stated, I didn't mean to imply that a Chinese wheel will self destruct, though is may be more prone to damage than a higher quality wheel.

3FIFTY, do some research on wheels and you will see that there is a HUGE margin of quality out there, ranging from cheaply made Chinese cast wheels to European made cast wheels (big difference) to CNC made multi-piece wheels as well as forged and ever carbon fiber wheels! Also do some research on T.U.V. certification and you will see that it is the most stringent automobile regulating agency in the world. Brabus cars are meant to be the fastest, most reliable and highest quality automobiles in the world. Do some research and you will see. They don't consistently hold the fastest vehicle records for no reason.

Why people take off good quality OEM wheels to replace them with cheaper wheels boggles my mind. Same reason why I can't understand that people will remove an OEM pur-rim or urethane bumper to replace with fiberglass. IMO that is just asking for trouble, esp when your talking about $50K++ vehicles.

The biggest point I try to get across to my customers is to not shoot yourself in the foot to save a couple dollars. Modifiying cars is only a waste of money if you can't afford it -- and if you can't afford to do it "correctly" please just enjoy your vehicle the way the it came from the factory. In the long run I promise you will enjoy it more.

kevinchung

Most of people change the wheels just because they want the 'look'. I am sure 90% of people can't tell the different beteen real or copy wheels when they are driving the car. And I am sure 90% of driver will not drive over 150km/hr everyday.
Of course if money is not your problem, go for the best.
I think same as if you can affort over $50000 car, you should have no problem to wear a Rolex watch. Why go for casio?

Kevin

3FIFTY

That's right it is a simplistic statement because it's simple, they're just wheels. Your not gaining ANYTHING from the same style wheel if you spend the extra $$$. You spend 50K on car because your getting 50K out of it. Whether you spend $1000 or $5000 on a wheel, it's just a wheel, not matter how you put it.

3FIFTY

Your comparing the quality of beef with a wheel? Now your talking apples an oranges.

So if you curb your wheels, a Brabus one won't?? Of course not, Brabus uses that space age material that is indestructable.

LOL!!! Do some research?? So, pick up a magazine that's designed to sell their sponsors products?? The proof is in the pudding my friend, I've never bought original wheels for any of my cars and have NEVER had an issue, and I've gone though 3 different sets, all off ebay.
If your racing, or like to drive like a fool where applications call for a forged wheel, CNC, or carbon fiber, sure, weight and rigidity could be questionable on a replica wheel.

Well isn't the point of beating records and entering races is to be the fastest and win?? So in order to be competitive you need the best don't you. Well sorry, I'm not buying into the idea that I need all that just to drive to work and back and mess around on the highway from time to time.
My Replicas will do just fine.

Now in this case finish matters, because if your buying an aftermarket accessory or body part that doesn't line up properly than what's the point, the idea is it's suppose to look good. Fiberglass, wood.....who gives a crap how or where it's made, it serves no purpose other than to "look" like the real thing, without having to spend like the real thing. Again your spending 50K because your getting 50K from it, but you spend 10K or what ever you would spend on a performance brand body kit, and you spend 2k on some cheap aftermarket, then what's the difference if It looks exactly the same?

TAnd finally, thanks for making it clear that your some sort of a dealer or distributor that makes a living off the real thing. Your the people who are getting burned by the ebay "after" market that provides the same big name products at fractions of the cost for a replica of them. People that carry and sell specific products want you to believe everything they tell you, because they have to.

Thanks, but no thanks.

AR.Shah

I think this is a good point, I have a Rolex, but I also wear a lot of other cheaper watches and I don't mind, as long as they give me a good visual satisfaction for the occasion

Anyway I think that the biggest problem with alloys, especially here in Denmark (cold winters and snow) is the salt on the roads during winters. No matter if you have original or replicas, the salt will kill them as it did on my original W211 OEM alloys. Thats why during summer I now have replica AMG wheels on my W211 and I'm very pleased with them

BrabusMan

3FIFTY -I'm going to put this to rest. I believe we should just agree to disagree. For the record I feel that many of my comments were taken out of context. I did not intent to offend or put down anyone. My point was to simply state that while they may be similar they are not, as you put it, "the same in the end".

Just as there is a market for "replica" watches and luxury designer handbags there is a most definitly a market for "replica" wheels, aerodynamics, etc. My major concern with these "replica" products are that they take a design that a company spent $xx on to design, test, market, promote, etc and then bring it to market at a much cheaper price.

Manufactuers' issues with "replicas" stem from the fact that they can afford to sell a similar product cheaper due to the original designing company having done all the leg work, so to speak. You rarely see "replica" wheel companies market or advertise a wheel as aggressively as a major manufactuer. Why you may ask? They simply do not have the funds (aside from any legal issues).

If replica wheels are what you choose to put on your vehicle, so be it. Enjoy them and drive safely.

SEXYBEEST

HanselLee

I think this website should be reserved for enthusiasts and not posers ... YOU are the whole reason why REPLICAS were manufactured. I also think that if someone feels happy driving around with a FAKE wheel .. then be it, but the fact is that that person is a poser... definitely tells me a lot about character.

AR.Shah

So you're telling us that anyone who buys replicas are idiots and should not be allowed on this website. I only see one idiot here..

medici78

Bear in mind, the ad says "JWL VIA certified". The JWL certification means it has to meet certain testing criteria and VIA means it was inspected by an authorized testing facility. These are requirements to be sold in the Japanese market. This is a very good thing. I think the Brabus wheels, whether $5k or $2k copies look cheap either way. The new Brabus styles are so disappointing.