I think that the 1st post has been enough to get your attention.
If not, here is a little something for the first update/unveiling.
As WheelSTO, we put high priority and interest in our "shoes". You have all seen the 3pc Klassen, the blacked out Stock wheels as well as the Dark Gun metal Advan RZ that we had on our car. Each and everyone of these wheels are unique and carry a distintive look and feel, that cannot be replicated by any other wheels.
The klassen had a nice deep dish on a car that everyone was saying deep was impossible with the high offset. the curvy spokes of the Klassen took care of that. We loved those smoked lips that we had on our Klassen wheels. The next set was the OEM wheels with a dark twist with custom powdercoat (20% gloss / 80% flat Black). This set showed that even with stock wheels, a nice set of spacers (Macht Schnell 18+10 combo) can give a whole new dimension to the car.
We really thought that the 1er could not look any better than it did, when it was wearing one of the first sets of Advan RZ Dark gun metal. It looked menacing and you could really tell that this wheel was serious performance. It was light and it had curvy spokes that screamed "speed".
So, how can we improve and change the look and feel of our Project 1, yet again? The only way was to go "Forged". As you will see throughout this journal, performance was everything, this time around. we wanted to shed weight without removing seats and the carpet
. The choice was obvious:
Volk Racing's VR. G2.
Thanks to our good friends at Mackin Industries (US supplier of Volk and Yokohama wheels), we sourced a set of Formula Silver 18" VR G2. Everything was in sync and perfect on this set. The VR G2 would have take a couple of months at least for us to source. Not only were we lucky that they had a set in stock, they had the exact color that we wanted in stock; Formula Silver. This was no ordinary silver. It is dark enough to give a mystique look while with just the right amount of light, it would shine to a brilliant metallic hue. The 18" sizing meant a lighter weight wheel and a great choice for tires.
Speaking of tires, we had tried many different kinds, from the michelins to the hankooks, Toyo's and the much loved Advan Neova AD08. This time, we wanted to try 1 unique brand from Scandinavia; Vredesteins (don't ask me how to pronounce this one
). We had heard and seen many good reviews on the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. It was time to try out those famous treads, designed by Giugiaro.
We put the tires on and did what all good wheel and tire combinations deserve; a Hunter Road Force Balance. After making sure that all 4 are round (shape and weight), we lift the car and put on those new kicks.
But, the old plain chipped lug nuts were not going to do, this time.
With new shoes, you need new laces and we decided to tie everything together nicely with a set of the 75mm Bullet nose studs from
Macht Schnell and lock the wheel in place with a set of
Black Muteki SR48 lug nuts.
If you haven't already noticed, we are sourcing a lot of parts from Japan, this time, and for good reason too. I believe that tuning is truly global, right now. We pride ourselves in opening our minds and eyes to what fellow enthusiasts from across the world are doing. We also try and make sure that we get a good amount of inspiration from all kinds of cars, domestic, JDM, Euro as well as KDM. I truly believe that the key to integrating all these components correctly is to use Quality products. Products that will not fail and will last the test of time.
I can't show other parts of the car (leave that for the next few days) and I really wish I could. So, here is the wheels on the car....
This is it for this episode of "Project 1 | The Journey to Bimmerfest"
Stay Tuned.
- Julius-
Thanks to:
1. Mackin Industries - for making it possible
2. Macht Schnell - for always having quality parts in stock and available
3. VS Motorsports - for always doing the balancing on our/customers wheels