As we’ve said before on Low Offset, one of the best ways to improve the look of your car is with a good set of aftermarket wheels.
There are countless options on the market for various budgets and applications. They can go a long way when it comes to elevating the appearance of your car, even if you haven’t done anything else to it.
However, there are some cases where you don’t want something that’s evidently aftermarket, but you still want something a little different.
Perhaps you’re looking for a good set of aftermarket wheels but the ones from the established manufacturers cost a small fortune.
Alternately, you’re going for an OEM+ look, and you want an improved version of the stock wheels. This is where replica wheels, come in.
In this article, we’ll discuss what rep wheels are, how they stack up against the real deal, and whether or not you should install them on your car.
What Are Replica Wheels?
What are rep wheels, anyway? We hear the term “fake wheels” or “fake rims” all the time, but the story isn’t quite as clear-cut. They can be one of two different things:
- Aftermarket wheels that are made to look like OEM wheels with the added benefit of better fitment and less weight.
- Rims that are made to closely resemble recognizable (and expensive) aftermarket wheels at a much lower price.
Despite what some enthusiasts say, there’s nothing wrong with equipping either of these to your car.
OEM wheels often look the best on certain cars, and it’s very difficult to imagine some stock cars with any other rim except the one it was saddled with from the factory.
With that in mind, replica OEM wheels can go a long way in preserving the car’s original look, while being bigger, lighter, and in some cases, more durable.
Meanwhile, replica aftermarket wheels are great if you’re a fan of a certain aftermarket wheel model that will otherwise burn a hole in your wallet.
Some of the best aftermarket wheels we’re all familiar with, like the Work Meister S1s, Advan RGIIIs, Gram Lights, etc. can easily fetch $3,000 or more.
That being said, not all replica wheel brands are created equal. Some are better than others, some are surprisingly good, and some are best left avoided.
Best Replica Wheel Brands
Before we get into the list of rep wheel brands, there are a few key differences between rep wheels and real wheels that you should know.
For OEM replica wheels, the reps are manufactured by the original automaker, so they don’t follow factory specifications exactly.
Replica aftermarket wheels aren’t produced to quite the same standard as their real counterparts, and they’re typically not as durable as the original model they’re designed to resemble.
Depending on your use case, this may not matter too much. Let’s have a look at some of the aftermarket wheel brands that make the best reps.
Aftermarket
Let’s start the list with manufacturers that sell original rim designs as well as replicas of highly coveted aftermarket wheels.
This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and the jury is still out on which of these are the best rep wheel brands.
XXR
When it comes to replica wheels, XXR is a go-to for a lot of enthusiasts. Amazingly enough, the company has been around since 1976, and they’ve been making wheels for over 4 decades.
That’s plenty of time to establish themselves and to hone their craft, and XXR has done exactly that.
Some of XXR’s wheel offerings are a little more generic, but some aim to resemble iconic wheels of both yesteryear and the present day.
The 536 and 576, for example, look a lot like that old stalwart, the BBS RS 3-piece wheel. The 560 resembles the Work Emotion T7R, while the 555 looks very similar to the Work Emotion T5R.
XXR wheels are an excellent starting point for enthusiasts who are on a stricter budget. As long as you don’t expect insane feats from them, they’ll do the job perfectly fine for a lot of street builds.
Titan7
Another solid aftermarket rep manufacturer is Titan7. They’ve also been around for over 40 years, but they’re not quite as famous as some of the more recognizable names in the business.
Still, they know a thing or two about how to make a good aftermarket wheel replica.
While a lot of Titan7 designs are fairly generic, and we’ve seen them from other manufacturers numerous times, they also make stuff like the T-D6E, which looks an awful lot like everyone’s favorite, the Volk TE37.
They also make the T-C5, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Rota’s P45. As we’ll discuss later in this article, this will be quite important.
We see Titan7 wheels often on anything from JDM cars to Euro builds; especially BMWs. They offer solid quality, great looks, and pretty decent options for a great price.
König
König Wheels have been around since 1982. While they may not be on the same level as BBS, they’re nothing to scoff at.
For the most part, König wheels have pretty unique designs, but they do have some replicas in their lineup.
The Wideopen, for example, is a replica of the Enkei RPF1, whereas the Rewind is a very obvious rep of RS Watanabe 8-spoke JDM wheels.
König offers a great lineup of high-quality, affordable wheels that you should shortlist.
OEM
Sometimes, no aftermarket wheel will cut it. No matter how many spokes it has, what size it is, or even what color it is, the stock wheels just always look the best.
Only one type of wheel can handle this dilemma, and that’s replica OEM wheels. As the name implies, these are wheels that resemble the original stock items fully, but they’re not only lighter, but you can get them in larger sizes.
These are some of the best options on the market right now.
Factory Reproductions Wheels
One of the most reputable names in this business is undoubtedly Factory Reproductions. The most self-explanatory brand name you’ll probably ever come across.
They’ve been around for quite a while, and their wheels have established themselves as some of the best in the business if you want to preserve the OEM look of your car or put IROC-Z wheels on your modern Camaro.
That last point is unfortunately the company’s biggest downside. At the time of publishing, Factory Reproductions only manufactures wheels for a handful of American cars. Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs, Challengers, and so on.
While you might get lucky with identical bolt patterns and discover that, say, stock Hellcat wheels look good on your Infiniti G35, it makes the most sense to install these wheels on cars they were meant for.
If you want something more JDM, there’s another route you can take.
Augment Wheel Company
AWC is a relative newcomer in the world of aftermarket wheels, and on paper, they’re worth a look. Similar to Factory Reproductions, Augment Wheel Company also makes replicas of stock wheels for various cars.
With AWC, however, you’re not confined to the American cars. This company manufactures wheels to order, which means they can make a custom set of wheels for any car you may have.
They’ve made just about everything, from Nissan S13 Teardrops to Mk4 Supra five-spokes.
There’s one caveat with AWC wheels, however, and that’s their price. AWC wheels are really expensive.
You have to put down a hefty deposit, and each wheel will cost you about the same as an entire set from some of the aforementioned brands.
Worst Rim Brands That You Should Avoid
Now that we’ve seen some of the best aftermarket replica wheel brands out there, let’s have a look at the bottom of the barrel.
These are some of the worst rim brands in the business, and you really should avoid these replica wheels, no matter how good of a deal they seem to be.
Rota
Rota Wheels have been around for over 30 years, and they’re known for being a go-to option for ultra-affordable, seemingly good aftermarket wheels. They also make replicas of everything from Volk Racing to CCW.
Unfortunately, over the years, Rota has become somewhat infamous in the world of custom cars, and their customers aren’t the happiest.
If the aftermarket wheel world had an Aliexpress, Rota wheels would be sold there. They’re heavier, and they’re not exactly made to the highest standard.
Avid. 1
Enthusiasts have also warned against Avid.1 wheels. They do have some replicas of established wheels, but they’re not exactly the highest quality. If your car is a daily and not much else, then they may do the job.
However, for anything more than that, they might not be that good.
For the same sort of money, you can get something with much better quality and fitment, so there’s no reason to spend it on Avid.1 reps, since you may not have the best time.
Reps vs. Real Wheels: What Should You Choose?
The consensus is that you shouldn’t use reps if you intend on engaging in competitive driving or any sort, or even if you just plan on doing track days.
That said, many people run replica wheel brands such as Rotas on their track cars both with and without problems. The idea is that if you’re learning, or if you’re likely to ruin your rims, then they might as well be cheap to replace.
However, you do run the risk of ruining your brake calipers or worse, losing control of the car in case of a blowout.
That’s not to say that Rotas are as good as higher-end wheels — not in the slightest. They have quality control issues and you’re far more likely to come across defective Rotas than a defective Volks.
The same is true for many other less-than-desirable rep wheel brands. As long as you treat them like a wear item and know where their limits are, you can get away with using reps.
It’s worth mentioning that unlike cast wheels that crack and break when their limits are exceeded, forged wheels bend and warp, making them safer in the event of failure. Most real wheels are forged; do the math.
Track use aside, what about street cred? If you care about that sort of thing, then you should know that some purists will consider that a faux pas.
In our experience, however, a vast majority won’t care. As long as you know what you’re doing and not trying to actively pass off your replicas for the real deal by lying to everyone, you’re good.
Bottomline — for peace of mind, get real rims.
In Summary
Choosing a set of aftermarket wheels for your car is not an easy task. There are multiple factors to consider, including budget, appearance, and use case, not to mention sizing and fitment.
Sometimes, the budget won’t allow you to splash the cash on a set of RAYS or HRE wheels, so turning to the world of replicas is a good option.
As it turns out, just because you’re spending less money on a set of wheels, doesn’t mean you’ll have a negative experience.
Brands like Factory Reproductions, AWC, König, and Titan7 make some of the best rep wheels, and they show that replica aftermarket or OEM wheels don’t have to be a can of worms.
This is true especially if you’re looking to spend a little less money or preserve the car’s stock look.