Muscle and Speed: a winning combo! American classic cars of the 1960s and 1970s are synonymous with muscle. The term “muscle car” generally refers to 2-door rear wheel drive mid-size cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s equipped with large, powerful V8s and sold at an affordable price for street use and drag racing, formally and informally. Classic muscle cars include the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Corvette, the Pontiac GTO, the Dodge Challenger, and others.

When American Racing wheels was first formed as a company in the 1950s by an engineer and a racer, it became the first custom wheel company.  Muscle cars were among the first types of automobiles fitted with these legendary chrome rims. Models like the Torq Thrust have since become synonymous with classic American muscle car style for collectors of vintage cars. What makes American Racing so special is their outstanding design coupled with a high performance approach to engineering.

Whether you are a casual driver of an impala or a hard core collector of Dodge Barracudas, American Racing rims offer outstanding value and performance for your dollar. With superior styling in finishes like chrome, black, machined, and others, American Racing wheels represent the pinnacle of style and design in the muscle car world and in the everyday world of hot rides.

American Racing’s hub-centric design coupled with its unique approach to engineering standards guarantee an exceptional ride and a gorgeous head-turning set of wheels that will get attention on  your block. If your looking for a cool classic set of new wheels for your muscle car, then look no further than American Racing.

American Racing Wheels are perhaps the most famous custom rims in the world. There is a reason for this. American Racing wheels are famous because the company was the first to design and manufacture custom wheels. True to their name, American Racing wheels was founded in 1956 by an enterprising drag racer and his engineer buddy in San Francisco. The two custom rim designers were trying to make a lighter, stronger wheel for racing that was tough and durable. What followed was the Torq Thrust, a legend in custom wheels and a style that is still manufactured today in varying sizes and finishes.

With beautiful models like the Aero, the Marin, the Haze, the Rogue, and the Cartel, American Racing wheels demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to contemporary engineering and high performance standards as well as designs that speak to both the past and the future of racing wheels. In short, American Racing wheels delivers classics year after year, and this is a big reason why American Racing wheels are often the top sellers in the custom rims world year after year. Offering a fine range of sizes and finishes like chrome, anthracite, machined, black, and hyper silver, American Racing wheels goes that extra mile to ensure that its rims will maintain their performance and visual appeal long after you buy them.

American Racing wheels also offer something few other rims can claim: classic styles that will fit well on almost any type of vehicle. While some custom wheels are defined by one or two types of styles like muscle cars, luxury cars, trucks, or classic cars, American Racing makes wheels that look and perform great on so many different styles and models that you can’t go wrong buying American Racing rims. In fact, American Racing wheels are so eclectic and such a great value that their enduring popularity is a sign of their enduring value, both in real terms and in perceived driving pleasure!

TSW wheels are world-renown for their styles and exceptional quality. TSW desgins hub-centric one piece wheels for exceptional durability and a powerful smooth ride. In fact, TSW wheels has such a strong commitment to quality that they machine their custom rims far beyond industry standards, thus enhancing their reputation as a company that always strives for the highest techical and engineering standards. What this means for lovers of fine custom wheels and rims is that when you buy TSW wheels you are buying a statement of quality as well as a beautiful custom rim. In this day and age when so many companies take short cuts to save money and keep costs down, TSW wheels goes that extra mile in its drop tests, torque tests, and design standards – all of which means that TSW rims are a fine-tuned high performance addition to your ride.

With gorgeous new models like the Vairano, the Vortex, the Volcano, the Snetterton, the Nardo and the Nogaro, TSW wheels sets new standards for custom high performance rims. This standard means that riding down the street or the track with a set of TSW wheels gives you instant credibility among those in the auto-loving world who have a discerning taste for custom rims. TSW wheels come in awesome finishes like chrome, black, hyper silver, gloss black, and gunmetal. Many of the TSW wheels and rims also come with Machined lips and other sharp features like colored stripes. New models come in sizes ranging from 17 to 22 inches, and much more. TSW wheels also come in a variety of widths and staggered widths (wider wheels in the rear). Staggered widths provide your ride with an animalistic aggressive look and feel that will prey on the hearts and minds of pretty girls everywhere!

What makes TSW wheels special is not only the company’s commitment to high quality and higher performance. TSW wheels are special because their styles are timeless. While some custom rims companies pump out so-called trendy looks that get stale faster than day-old bread, TSW wheels designs regal, elegant rims whose beauty and appeal age exceptionally well – like a fine California wine.

Custom wheels make a statement and represent the height of the coolness factor, regardless of what you drive. To be considered a serious player in the car collecting or racing game, you must have custom wheels. Custom wheels provide much more visual appeal, unique styling, and performance than stock cheap aluminum wheels. Most custom wheels are alloy wheels and are exceptionally well engineered for greater performance and durability. Custom wheels come in thousands of models and in many diameters, widths, and bolt patterns.

Whether you are a driver of a Toyota, a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Lexus, or a Dodge, custom wheels made by manufacturers such as American Racing, Dub, Boss, Status, Asanti, Lexani, TSW, KMC, Foose, XD Series, Ruff Racing, Cruiser Alloy, Limited, Element, and many others come in finishes ranging from chrome, silver, black, polished and hyper to machined, white, and gunmetal. There is practically no end to the possibilities when it comes to custom wheels styles and finishes. What is important for you is to find the right wheels for your budget that will fit on your car. To figure out the proper fitment, a good custom wheel shop will research your vehicle make and model, as well as its year and then find the appropriate diameter, bolt pattern, and offset. This is why it is important to make sure to purchase custom wheels from a reputable dealer that offers these services, knowledgeable expertise, and that stands behind all of its various custom wheels.

What makes custom wheels so special is that they are a fashionable accessory and an important element in your car’s performance. Custom wheel and rim fanatics change their wheels and rims as often as some people change their shoe styles. They are that serious. Custom rims usually change models every year and offer a number of variables and style types. Some wheels come with center caps while others have none and leave their lugs exposed. Most custom wheels and rims offer lugs and locks to protect your wheels from theft. American Racing pioneered custom wheels for road and track in the 1950s with the Torq Thrust model that is still manufactured today.

Some people collect custom wheels like others collect jewelery or baseball cards. Whatever your obsession, nothing beats a set of new custom wheels for your ride. If you want to get the attention of the beautiful blonde next door, your neighbor, or your town, just roll down the street in a new set of custom chrome wheels and watch the heads turn!

The word “chrome” comes from chromium, a soft metal known is for its super shiny appearance when polished. Chromium is not strong enough to be cast solid which means that custom chrome wheels are made with alloys encompassing aluminum and covered in a thin layer of chrome, giving them that unbeatable shine and allure that only comes with this special process. Chrome plating is brighter, richer, and more reflective than other polished metals, all of which contribute to its popularity and appeal as a custom wheel finish. To be a true lover of custom wheels,  chrome wheels are the only way to ride.

Chrome wheels made by custom wheel manufacturers like Status, Lexani, Asanti, Ruff Racing, American Racing, TSW, KMC, Boss, Dub, and Enkei, to name a few, provide your car with an exceptionally shiny and attractive wheel that stands out amid the drab stock wheels most people drive on. Nothing beats the shine and elegance of chrome wheels. Today, you can find chrome wheels in a wide range of diameters from 14 inches all the way up to 30 inches and in a number of widths. Some brands offer certain chrome wheels in staggered widths, enabling you to give your ride a more aggressive and hungrier look. For all of these reasons, chrome wheels usually cost a little more than gray wheels, silver wheels, black, wheels or machined wheels, all of which are painted and not plated with chromium.

Many wheels made by American Racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Petrol, and other brands always make at least one version of their models in chrome. Chrome wheels represent the most durable and the most eternal look of the custom wheels and rims world. Chrome rims offer a rare appeal beyond the simply functional and make for an unforgettably powerful head-turner. Chrome rims and wheels are to custom wheels what diamonds are to jewelery: Chrome wheels are a drivers best friend.

What about the durability of the chome wheel finish? Chrome wheels and rims are the most durable you can buy. If  you ever see chrome peeling from a wheel this is almost always due to a manufacturing defect in the plating process that fused the chrome onto the substrate. In other words, it rarely happens, another reason why chrome wheels are legendary in the custom wheels world. Whether you own a Lamborghini, a Porsche, a BMW, a Dodge or a Honda, chrome custom wheels are second-to-none when it comes to strength and allure.

The word “cheap” has many meanings for different people. For some, it means, “poor in quality, inferior”. For others it means “inexpensive” or “low-cost”. When it comes to custom wheels, most brands cost in excess of $1,500 or more for a set of four small (15 inch) wheels. The words “cheap” and “custom wheels” are rarely ever used in the same sentence. There are some great buys out in the custom wheels world however. These cheap custom wheels, or inexpensive custom rims offer drivers a great low-cost option to more expensive brands like Asanti or Lexani. For example, discerning drivers can find great buys on wheels from brands like Status, Boss, Limited or Ruff Racing at costs far below retail. Some custom wheels and rims shops offer exceptional savings in their special wheel sales.

Custom wheels offer a great, stylish, and high performance alternative to stock wheels. They provide panache, beautiful finishes and make a great statement about you and  your car. Whether you own a Honda, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, Porsche or BMW, custom wheels are the way to make a splash in your life, turn heads, and feel like you own the road. Now, with cheap custom wheels on sale and in a number of low-cost finishes and styles like chrome, black, machined, silver, and much more, you can feel like a champ for practically chump change.

Cheap custom wheels offer the same ride, engineering, and performance as stock wheels but at costs much less than many stock wheels. How about a set of four 22 inch Status Vice chrome wheels with black inserts for $1,036? With a price like that, you are paying less than you would for brand name stock wheels from dealers like Dodge, BMW, Volkswagen or Lexus. How about 22 inch Ruff Racing 281 chrome wheels with black inserts for $1,400? With unbelievably cheap prices like these on fine custom wheels, the words “cheap wheels” take on new meaning. You can’t go wrong with cheap custom wheels and you save so much in the process.

BMW factory replica wheels represent one of the best values in the automotive wheel and parts world. Driving a BMW means that you never have to settle for second-best when it comes to performance and styling. BMW represents the ultimate in European styling, slick driving, and dependable engineering. BMW wheels are famous, just like the cars, for their styling and high performance under any driving conditions, on both road and track. Few people realize however that BMW wheels made by OEM replica manufacturers are engineered to the same fitment, styling, and performance specs as original BMW wheels – and cost less than half of stock wheels and rims.

When you are driving down the freeway in your M series, 3 series, 5 series, or 7 series you are not thinking about the performance of your wheels or their bolt patterns. You take it for granted that they are high quality precision engineered components in your driving experience. But what happens when you need to replace a wheel, a tire, or a whole set of wheels? What next? Buying BMW stock wheels from the dealer will mean paying at least two or three times the price of what you would pay for factory replica BMW wheels. What is the catch you ask? There is none! BMW factory replica wheels come in the same BMW-specified bolt patterns, sizes, styles, and engineering of original wheels. In fact, many models of wheels made for BMW are available in even more styles and finishes like chrome, black, silver, hyper, and polished.

This is why one of the best-kept secrets about car wheels/rims, particularly BMW wheels, is the alternatives to purchasing stock wheels from dealers whose mark-ups are often unruly and hit your wallet hard. Why not invest more of your money in other aspects of your car or life? Why pay more for BMW wheels when you can purchase great wheels for your beautiful BMW ride at a fraction of the cost of originals and without sacrificing performance.

Why re-invent the BMW wheel and pay more when you can find models for the M5, M3, M6, and all the 5 series, 3 series, and 7 series cars?

]]> http://shiftways.net/2009/10/06/bmw-factory-wheels-authentic-myth-or-over-priced-rality/feed/ 3 http://shiftways.net/2009/10/06/bmw-m-series-wheels/ http://shiftways.net/2009/10/06/bmw-m-series-wheels/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:46:03 +0000 Mediasophia http://shiftways.net/?p=132 by George A. Magalios, Mediasophia INC

The BMW M Series offers a great example of the way Bavarian Motor Works combines performance with style. BMW M series wheels are a fine example of this combination of style, durability, and performance. When it comes to BMW M series wheels BMW M series owners have three options: stock wheels, factory replica wheels, or custom wheels. Stock wheels are priced at an often prohibitive rate, whereas OEM factory replica BMW M series wheels offer the same styles, finishes, sizes, and quality at less than half the cost. Custom wheels are another alternative but they take your vehicle into a different direction appearance-wise and often cost more than stock wheels.

BMW M series wheels made by factory replica OEM manufacturers are one of the best-kept secrets in the auto world. This is because few people know that replica BMW M series wheels offer all of the quality of a stock wheel without the sticker shock. One more consideration is the fact that BMW M series replica wheels often come in even more finishes and styles than stock wheels and offer no compromise in durability or elegant appearance.

Today you can find factory replica BMW M series wheels for models like the M5, the M3 and the M6 in chrome finishes with OEM offsets and OEM fitments for prices far below stock wheel equivalents. When you own a BMW M series vehicle you are driving style and performance, maximum cool and European chic. When you drive with factory replica BMW M series wheels, you are maintaining the coolness factor and saving your wallet some cold hard cash in the process.

First introduced at the Amsterdam car show in 1984 and first manufactured in North American in 1986, the BMW M series has been a huge success. When it was first built in the 1980s, the M5 was hand-built by custom BMW technicians and was the fastest production sedan of its class in the world. With a pedigree like this, OEM replica BMW M series wheels make a great value and a sound investment that lives up to the BMW standard of performance.

]]> http://shiftways.net/2009/10/06/bmw-m-series-wheels/feed/ 2 http://shiftways.net/2009/10/01/bmw-used-wheels/ http://shiftways.net/2009/10/01/bmw-used-wheels/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:45:41 +0000 Mediasophia http://shiftways.net/?p=114 by George A. Magalios, Mediasophia INC

BMW used wheels offer an exceptional value for lovers of the famous German car. BMW is known for its quality and its classy design. BMW wheels are no exception. Purchasing new BMW parts is a costly endeavor and often not the wisest choice you can make for your rims. BMW 3 series wheels, BMW 5 series wheels, and BMW 7 series wheels all come in a variety of factory-specified sizes and finishes and can be found in used or factory replica wheel options.

Today, BMW used wheels can be purchased for models ranging from the 325i, the 7 series sedan, and the 5 series coupe, to name a few. BMW used wheels are often sold at a fraction of the price of stock wheels and are available in original factory finishes such as silver, hyper silver, chrome, and black.  BMW used wheels offer BMW drivers an alternative to high cost dealer rims with all the convenience, performance, and styling of OEM equipment. Why pay more for the same product?

BMW used wheels represent a smart and high value way of maintaining your classic BMW car without the high cost. When you can purchase the exact replica of an original BMW wheel for a quarter of the cost or less BMW used wheels and factory replica wheels make an unbeatable option. BMW used wheels area available in classic OEM sizes such as 18 and 17 inch diameters and come in stock bolt patterns, all of which guarantee proper fitment and performance for your vehicle.

Manufactured since 1972 in five body styles and available in sedan or touring editions, the BMW 5 series is one of the most successful mid-size luxury sedans in the world. On January 29, 2008 the 5,000,000nth 5 series was manufactured. Today, the BMW 5 series represents one of the finest and most stylish models of the BMW brand. BMW 5 series wheels follow this tradition of style and elegance. BMW factory replica wheels made for the BMW 5 series are manufactured to the exact specifications of stock rims. BMW OEM 5 series wheels meet or exceed all important spec requirements when it comes to size, width, bolt pattern and engineering.

The first BMW 5 series bodes were designed by Marcello Gandini and based on the Bertone 1970 BMW Garmisch 2002ti Geneva show car. Today’s 5 series models like the 528i, 535i, and 55oi, are renowned for their luxurious approach to both elegance and sporty performance. Factory replica BMW 5 series wheels continue this tradition and offer BMW drivers a fine array of styles in beautiful chrome finishes. Available in models that provide up to 300 horsepower and up to 30 miles per gallon, the BMW 5 series offers drivers superb road handling and enough room for a family or a posse of Euro fun-lovers. Factory replica BMW 5 series wheels offer tremendous engineering and performance in their alloy construction. It is this high quality construction and design that provides a smooth ride for BMW drivers, at a fraction of the price of stock wheels.

The BMW 550i bills itself as “half sedan, half sports car” and it does not disappoint. What makes the BMW name so famous is the unparalleled reputation for excellence. BMW does not make a bad car and BMW wheels are a big part of the overall package. But maintaining and repairing a BMW is also a large investment and no small feat. Many of the prices for BMW parts are based as much on the reputation and the brand name as they are on their actual real cost. With BMW factory replica wheels however, you can find beautiful styles and the same stock quality at a much lower price, making BMW replica wheels a sound investment.