Why I hate black wheels:

AnalogDan · 07-11-2011, 02:13 PM

Why I hate black wheels:

It doesn't matter how much you spent on them, or how cool they are, they end up disappearing and looking like steelies.

The wheels have no intrinsic contrast. They're just dark blobs, and when you put them on a dark car, the entire car becomes a dark blob.

Gunmetal is a good middle ground, in my opinion. They're dark but still have contrast, they look more aggressive than traditional wheel colors, and they look subtly aftermarket without looking boy racer.

Disclaimer: this is just my opinion.

esqu1re · 07-11-2011, 02:34 PM

Don't care much for black rims either, but I think if you're going for the murdered look. . . Don't the LMS GT class BWMs have back rims?

bhoch · 07-11-2011, 03:19 PM

Well, ain't that special. Me.. I'll still stay with my horrible looking Black wheels on my horrible looking Black Z4.

tekmoe · 07-11-2011, 03:22 PM

Glad you put the "this is just my opinion" part at the end your post. I was about to rip you a new one.

007MCoupe · 07-11-2011, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhoch

Well, ain't that special. Me.. I'll still stay with my horrible looking Black wheels on my horrible looking Black Z4.

Yeah but Bill, you're the exception.

gferil · 07-11-2011, 04:29 PM

Yeah I'm personally not a fan of black wheels for my own cars...but with that being said I've seen some really sweet setups on other cars, so I can definitely appreciate it! I'm with OP though, i really like the gunmetal or even hyper black look.

VinnieAces · 07-11-2011, 05:20 PM

cool story brah

Endless619 · 07-11-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalogDan

Why I hate black wheels:

It doesn't matter how much you spent on them, or how cool they are, they end up disappearing and looking like steelies.

The wheels have no intrinsic contrast. They're just dark blobs, and when you put them on a dark car, the entire car becomes a dark blob.

Gunmetal is a good middle ground, in my opinion. They're dark but still have contrast, they look more aggressive than traditional wheel colors, and they look subtly aftermarket without looking boy racer.

Disclaimer: this is just my opinion.

I am running a very dark Magniesum Blue CE28 and have to say there is no other color better IMO.

I am sorry you dont like the black wheel look but in all honesty silver/polish wheels are no better.

The Z4 with silver wheels looks like an OEM trim Z4 with stocks. Nothing wrong with that at all, just saying.

Nate2046 · 07-11-2011, 05:46 PM

Ok then.

cmark8 · 07-11-2011, 05:54 PM

To each its own. I like black wheels, I like silver wheels, I love mag blue wheels. I like 'em all as long as the wheel is good looking and suits the car.

bhoch · 07-11-2011, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007MCoupe

Yeah but Bill, you're the exception.

haha.. so true..

MiddleAgedAl · 07-11-2011, 05:57 PM

I have to agree with AnalogDan. At a glance, unless you stop and focus on them, black wheel do look like the cheap stamped steel wheels that some people buy to mount winter tires on, or alternatively they look like your plastic wheel covers have fallen off. Also, if you do have low profile tires, that fact is somewhat lost due to the lack of contrast, unless you take a moment to focus on the wheel. This is especially true at a fleeting glance, as a car is going by or in low light conditions. When the wheel well is filled with a big flat black blob, the car could be running 65 series tires for all I know.

For those of us who have been car guys since the early 80's or before, will recall that being able to even buy aftermarket performance oriented wheels that come in a black finish is a relatively new thing; look at the ads in the back of any Car and Driver mag before 1999 and just try and find a wheel that looks like that.

Perhaps they are more popular today because there is a whole new generation of 20-something people who dont associate that to wheels where the hub cap/ wheel cover fell off, because not that many cars now come with plastic wheel covers. Even cheapo Kias have 1 piece alloy wheels.

Funny how things change...

HaiDef · 07-11-2011, 06:04 PM

this thread is funny

AnalogDan · 07-11-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gferil

Yeah I'm personally not a fan of black wheels for my own cars...but with that being said I've seen some really sweet setups on other cars, so I can definitely appreciate it! I'm with OP though, i really like the gunmetal or even hyper black look.

I agree with that. I've seen setups I've liked before, it's just somewhat rare. Someone here has an M Coupe with black Volk TE37s that I think looks really good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhoch

Well, ain't that special. Me.. I'll still stay with my horrible looking Black wheels on my horrible looking Black Z4.

My M Coupe is black. Not hating on black cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

I have to agree with AnalogDan. At a glance, unless you stop and focus on them, black wheel do look like the cheap stamped steel wheels that some people buy to mount winter tires on, or alternatively they look like your plastic wheel covers have fallen off. Also, if you do have low profile tires, that fact is somewhat lost due to the lack of contrast, unless you take a moment to focus on the wheel. This is especially true at a fleeting glance, as a car is going by or in low light conditions. When the wheel well is filled with a big flat black blob, the car could be running 65 series tires for all I know.

For those of us who have been car guys since the early 80's or before, will recall that being able to even buy aftermarket performance oriented wheels that come in a black finish is a relatively new thing; look at the ads in the back of any Car and Driver mag before 1999 and just try and find a wheel that looks like that.

Perhaps they are more popular today because there is a whole new generation of 20-something people who dont associate that to wheels where the hub cap/ wheel cover fell off, because not that many cars now come with plastic wheel covers. Even cheapo Kias have 1 piece alloy wheels.

Funny how things change...

It definitely seems to be a young person thing. None of the older car guys I know are into that look, but a lot of my friends (20-somethings) like the look.

onelove · 07-11-2011, 06:43 PM

I kinda like my hubcaps. That being said nearly every car I've owned has had black wheels of some sorts.

inTgr8r · 07-11-2011, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalogDan

....
It definitely seems to be a young person thing. None of the older car guys I know are into that look, but a lot of my friends (20-somethings) like the look.

lol.... don't count on it.

onelove · 07-11-2011, 06:50 PM

boyracer.

more twin turbo boy racer.

1,100hp of boy racer. (before I hit the nitrous)

more bmw boy racer.

even more bmw boy racer.

Guess it's a good thing I like racing

Kgolf31 · 07-11-2011, 06:51 PM

This thread was a waste of my time. Thanks OP.

AnalogDan · 07-11-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onelove

boyracer.

more twin turbo boy racer.

1,100hp of boy racer. (before I hit the nitrous)

more bmw boy racer.

even more bmw boy racer.

Guess it's a good thing I like racing

Some great stuff there. The Supra wheels are gag-worthy, the red M3 is a bit meh, but the rest of them look good. That Z3 M Coupe is gorgeous. That car is the reason I fell in love with BMWs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

This thread was a waste of my time. Thanks OP.

And your comment, on the other hand, was worthwhile. Thanks for it.

boondocksaint · 07-11-2011, 07:03 PM

I just posted in the other black wheels thread.

For some reason, I thought this was a repost of the same thread. Duh.

onelove · 07-11-2011, 07:04 PM

The Supra had CCW Classics. To most these are timeless.

MiddleAgedAl · 07-11-2011, 07:14 PM

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

I look at that yellow 911 or the Gallardo, both beautiful cars, but they appear to have wheels that are not just black, but are matte black.

Last week, after a lightly attended track day where we all got tons of seat time, everybody's wheels looked like that. When I looked at my car, I wasnt thinking, "Gee, I wish my wheels looked like that all the time", I was thinking, "man, I need to wait till they cool down, then give them a good thorough cleaning".

Theres a old guy who parks in my office parkade with a newer M5, and I am pretty sure he never does track days, but his stock front wheels look like that too because he never washes his damn car. I'm sure we've all seen one of those. Why you'd want your wheels to look like that on purpose is beyond me, but I suppose different opinions make the world more interesting.

07-11-2011, 02:13 PM	#1
AnalogDan Private 10 Rep 99 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 M Coupe Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Texas iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe [10.00]	Why I hate black wheels: Why I hate black wheels: It doesn't matter how much you spent on them, or how cool they are, they end up disappearing and looking like steelies. The wheels have no intrinsic contrast. They're just dark blobs, and when you put them on a dark car, the entire car becomes a dark blob. Gunmetal is a good middle ground, in my opinion. They're dark but still have contrast, they look more aggressive than traditional wheel colors, and they look subtly aftermarket without looking boy racer. Disclaimer: this is just my opinion.
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07-11-2011, 02:34 PM	#2
esqu1re Lieutenant Colonel 41 Rep 1,855 Posts Drives: M Coupe Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East Coast iTrader: (0)	Don't care much for black rims either, but I think if you're going for the murdered look. . . Don't the LMS GT class BWMs have back rims? __________________ ///M Coupe: RPI Scoop, OE Strut, CDV, Volk RE30, SS Brake Lines, Stromung Exhaust
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07-11-2011, 03:19 PM	#3
bhoch SSGT USMC - '78 - '86 13 Rep 487 Posts Drives: Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Liberty Hill, Tx iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 BMW Z4 [7.33]	Well, ain't that special. Me.. I'll still stay with my horrible looking Black wheels on my horrible looking Black Z4. __________________ Thanks, Bill 2007 3.0si Roadster Black/Red, sport, Piano Black F14 Forgestar's
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07-11-2011, 03:22 PM	#4
tekmoe Captain 55 Rep 844 Posts Drives: ///M Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	Glad you put the "this is just my opinion" part at the end your post. I was about to rip you a new one.
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07-11-2011, 04:29 PM	#6
gferil Captain 30 Rep 740 Posts Drives: 06 Z4MC Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (6)	Yeah I'm personally not a fan of black wheels for my own cars...but with that being said I've seen some really sweet setups on other cars, so I can definitely appreciate it! I'm with OP though, i really like the gunmetal or even hyper black look.
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07-11-2011, 05:20 PM	#7
VinnieAces Lieutenant Colonel 92 Rep 1,603 Posts Drives: Imola Red Z4MC Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ontario, Can iTrader: (2) Garage List 2006 Z4 M Coupe [8.00]	cool story brah __________________ ///M - Some Mods 'N Stuff
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07-11-2011, 05:46 PM	#9
Nate2046 Lieutenant 16 Rep 421 Posts Drives: '11 e92M Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Indianapolis, In iTrader: (2)	Ok then.
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07-11-2011, 05:54 PM	#10
cmark8 M52, M62TU, S50US, S54, S65 75 Rep 569 Posts Drives: E90 M3 6MT, E36 Touring MT Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: +5511 iTrader: (11)	To each its own. I like black wheels, I like silver wheels, I love mag blue wheels. I like 'em all as long as the wheel is good looking and suits the car. __________________ 1995 E36 M3 USA / 2002 E46 M3 SMG / 2008 E90 M3 6MT 1996 E36 328i Touring 5MT / 1998 E36 323Ti M Sport 5MT 2002 E39 540i Protection
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07-11-2011, 05:57 PM	#12
MiddleAgedAl Lieutenant 110 Rep 418 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: sitting down, facing the keyboard iTrader: (0)	I have to agree with AnalogDan. At a glance, unless you stop and focus on them, black wheel do look like the cheap stamped steel wheels that some people buy to mount winter tires on, or alternatively they look like your plastic wheel covers have fallen off. Also, if you do have low profile tires, that fact is somewhat lost due to the lack of contrast, unless you take a moment to focus on the wheel. This is especially true at a fleeting glance, as a car is going by or in low light conditions. When the wheel well is filled with a big flat black blob, the car could be running 65 series tires for all I know. For those of us who have been car guys since the early 80's or before, will recall that being able to even buy aftermarket performance oriented wheels that come in a black finish is a relatively new thing; look at the ads in the back of any Car and Driver mag before 1999 and just try and find a wheel that looks like that. Perhaps they are more popular today because there is a whole new generation of 20-something people who dont associate that to wheels where the hub cap/ wheel cover fell off, because not that many cars now come with plastic wheel covers. Even cheapo Kias have 1 piece alloy wheels. Funny how things change...
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07-11-2011, 06:04 PM	#13
HaiDef Lieutenant 24 Rep 416 Posts Drives: M240i Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Houston iTrader: (2)	this thread is funny
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07-11-2011, 06:43 PM	#15
onelove Track Head 24 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 07 Z4M Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando,FL iTrader: (0)	I kinda like my hubcaps. That being said nearly every car I've owned has had black wheels of some sorts. __________________ 2004 Porsche GT3 \|White HRE R40 Monoblocks \| KW Clubsport Suspension \| RSS Lower Control Arms and Suspension Links \| GT3RS Wing and Front Bumper \| Cup Car Lip \| Euro GT3 Seat \| GMG Half Cage \| Europipe Exhaust \| EPL Tuning
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07-11-2011, 06:50 PM	#17
onelove Track Head 24 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 07 Z4M Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando,FL iTrader: (0)	boyracer. more twin turbo boy racer. 1,100hp of boy racer. (before I hit the nitrous) more bmw boy racer. even more bmw boy racer. Guess it's a good thing I like racing __________________ 2004 Porsche GT3 \|White HRE R40 Monoblocks \| KW Clubsport Suspension \| RSS Lower Control Arms and Suspension Links \| GT3RS Wing and Front Bumper \| Cup Car Lip \| Euro GT3 Seat \| GMG Half Cage \| Europipe Exhaust \| EPL Tuning
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07-11-2011, 06:51 PM	#18
Kgolf31 Brigadier General 459 Rep 4,531 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MC, 2012 128i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio iTrader: (4)	This thread was a waste of my time. Thanks OP.
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07-11-2011, 07:03 PM	#20
boondocksaint Penfold, shush! 4 Rep 132 Posts Drives: 07 Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Charlotte iTrader: (0)	I just posted in the other black wheels thread. For some reason, I thought this was a repost of the same thread. Duh.
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07-11-2011, 07:04 PM	#21
onelove Track Head 24 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 07 Z4M Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando,FL iTrader: (0)	The Supra had CCW Classics. To most these are timeless. __________________ 2004 Porsche GT3 \|White HRE R40 Monoblocks \| KW Clubsport Suspension \| RSS Lower Control Arms and Suspension Links \| GT3RS Wing and Front Bumper \| Cup Car Lip \| Euro GT3 Seat \| GMG Half Cage \| Europipe Exhaust \| EPL Tuning
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07-11-2011, 07:14 PM	#22
MiddleAgedAl Lieutenant 110 Rep 418 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: sitting down, facing the keyboard iTrader: (0)	Different strokes for different folks I guess. I look at that yellow 911 or the Gallardo, both beautiful cars, but they appear to have wheels that are not just black, but are matte black. Last week, after a lightly attended track day where we all got tons of seat time, everybody's wheels looked like that. When I looked at my car, I wasnt thinking, "Gee, I wish my wheels looked like that all the time", I was thinking, "man, I need to wait till they cool down, then give them a good thorough cleaning". Theres a old guy who parks in my office parkade with a newer M5, and I am pretty sure he never does track days, but his stock front wheels look like that too because he never washes his damn car. I'm sure we've all seen one of those. Why you'd want your wheels to look like that on purpose is beyond me, but I suppose different opinions make the world more interesting.
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