Been there done that... Get the BBS RK's (long)... (archive)

I was stuck in your situation about 1 month ago, and I debated between 17" BBS RK's and SSR Integrals. Here are the categories I narrowed the debate down to:

Weight, Performance, Looks, Durability, and Affordability

First, the BBS RK's outperform the SSR Integrals in the weight category. They weigh around 16 lbs while the Integrals hover around 18 lbs according to Tirerack.
Furthermore, performance is about the same. They will probably increase the acceleration rate due to their lightness, and they are ideal for track use.
As far as looks concerned, I think the BBS RK's take the win in the LONG RUN. I mean, I thought the Integrals looked really badass at first, but it kinda wore out on me. I mean, it's just an ordinary 5-spoke wheel with many other clones like IFG, Racing Dynamics, and Mille Miglia. check out the pic on Ben Liaw's old M3 at http://www.mpower.com's gallery. The BBS RK looks kinda weird at first, but they have grown on me. They look unique, and distinctively German, rather than their Japanese counterpart (SSR). I mean, why put Japanese wheels on a German car? It defeats the whole purpose of owning a BMW. You can check out the pics of BBS RK's on this guy's webpage: http://welcome.to/carmania ... go to "my car."
Continuing, durability of these two wheels are identical. They are both Semi-forged (correct me if I'm wrong) and are strong as hell. You can't really pick a winner from this category.
Finally, cost. Hand's down to the BBS RK's which run in at $288 from Tirerack vs. the $309 for the Integrals. All together, you will save almost $100, which would be nice for a set of wheel locks.
My BBS RK's arrived last week, and they are sitting in my living room providing my house with a nice tire odor. My car is currently in the shop :-(, so I can't really tell you how the ride is or whatever, but feel free to email me in about a week with questions.

Just my 2 cents, good luck....
Alex

All:

I'm getting ready to upgrade to 17s on my 95 325i. I'm starting to realize that wheel weight is important, and the two that appear to be the best value are the BBS RK and the SSR Integral? Does anyone have any comments/pics on these? Which one's do you think look better ?

Personally, I like Breyton Softlines, but have heard they're very heavy..

Thanks.

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Re: Been there done that... Get the BBS RK's (long rdh2002 23:44 8/27/2000 (0)

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