Fuchs Wheels

Grand-Am + Continental Tire Series Race Wheels

Following are racing wheels captured at a recent Grand-Am / Continental Tire Series race.  Lightweight allow wheels are fitted to Mazda Miata, Porsche Cayman S, BMW M6 and M3 race cars.  Race wheels tend to take a beating during competition, so sports car race teams carry multiple sets of wheels.  Race wheel sponsorship is big business and it appears that in Grand Am, HRE Performance Wheels, BBS and Volk have a strong relationship with several teams.  A lesser known wheel, but popular with the Mazda racers is 949 Racing's wheels.

HRE Performance Wheels:

 

BBS Race Wheels:

 

Porsche 914 Wheels

Porsche 914s were typically delivered from the factory with either Mahle or Fuchs wheels.  Fuchs seem to be the preferred racing wheel for both 914s and 914-6 or 914-GT race cars due to wider set-ups.  A large fitment is possible on a GT body so oftentimes these cars can handle a larger Fuchs wheel such as a 8" or 9" inch wheels.  The Fuchs wheels are lighter than the Mahle wheels so that's another advantage to using Fuchs for sporting purposes as the lighter wheel reduces unsprung weight.

Following are some pictures of 914 wheel set-ups - some fitted for racing and others simply for show.

Volvo Wheel Styles

Volvo cars are not traditionally or frequently modified for style among collector and sports car enthusiasts. Generally the main priority in owning a Volvo is their renowned safety record.  However there is a small cache of collectors who seek out classic and collector car Volvos and for this small group of "in the know" owners, having period-correct wheels or a stylish pair of factory OEM Volvo wheels is of paramount importance.

Below are several examples of Volvo wheels from older wheels on 1960's Volvo cars to newer models including sport wheels on the new and exciting C30R Volvo.

Late Model Volvo "R" Sport Wheels:

Late Model (80's & 90's) Spoke Style Wheels:

Basket-Weave Volvo Wheels:

Classic Volvo Wheels:

Though Volvo cars are not huge in the aftermarket or modification department it is nice to see a Volvo with the correct wheels matching the look that the car was originally sent to market wearing.

BMW E30 M3 Wheels

Whenever there is a meet-up of BMW E30 M3 owners a common comment overhead is "nice wheels".  Typically owners of these cars like to jazz up the standard set up by putting on larger wheels than the stock 16" BBS basket weave wheel.  Many owners stick with the basket weave look by going with BBS Style 5 of BBS RS wheels for their E30 M3s.  Others still opt for totally different looks in Ronal's, Hartge, Alpina or a custom lightweight racing wheel.

Following are several pictures of wheel examples for BMW E30 M3s:

BBS RS Example Wheel:

5 Star Style Wheels:

BBS LM Style Wheel:

No matter the year of your E30 M3 your always going to need to match the standard 5 bolt patter for your new BMW wheel set up.  Common themes to follow in finding a stylish set of wheels for your E30 M3 are to look for lightweight performance or race style wheels in either sliver or color keyed finish.  Have fun outfitting your E30 with new wheels. These cars are old enough now where you might want to play around with two or even three sets of wheels/tire combos for different outings and uses.

MG Sports Car Wheels

MG wheels come in many shapes and sizes.   Following are 4 examples, some from MGB's and some from TC's and midgets.  Typically the older wheels as seen on TC or TD tend to be of the wire wheel style whereas the MGB wheels are more often a steel wheel with a spoked pattern.  Some of the 1950's MG's also wore steel wheels with a smooth chrome or polished center piece as seen in the first picture below:

MG Traditional TC Polished Wheel:

MG Wire Style Wheel:

MG Steel 4-Spoke Pattern:
MG Alloy 5-Spoke Patter Wheel:
Selecting the right type of wheel for your modern day or historic MG automobile is important for proper ride quality and aesthetics. Make sure you seek out the very best in British sports car suppliers or check your local Craig's list for listings of the perfect wheel for your MG. Happy touring!!!

Stock Car and Muscle Car Wheel Examples

Following are several examples of stock, drag, sprint car and muscle car wheel combinations.  The majority of these wheels are intended to be lightweight for easy pit-stop changes and durability for adverse track conditions such as in dirt.  As opposed to larger 17 and 18 inch sports car wheels, most stock, drag and sprint car wheels are range from 14 inches to 16 inches to allow for higher profile tires and a higher stance from the track surface.

Ford Torino Cobra wheels (1969 Petty Enterprises):

Sprint Car Wheels:

 

AMX Javelin muscle car wheels:

Stock car wheels (1989 Rusty Wallace Winston Cup Car):

If you are in the process of building out your own stocker, sprint car or drag race car it's critical to fit your car with the very best wheels for the conditions you'll race in.  There are thousands of combinations to select from but first in foremost should be safety, then performance and durability of your wheels.  Follow the leader and examples of the best teams in motorsports and you'll find success in and satisfaction in your wheel selection.

Porsche Race Wheels

From BBS wheels on today's Porsche GT3 Cup and GT3 RSR race cars to lightweight composite 15 inch wheels on Porsche 908's, outfitting a racing Porsche is an important consideration.  Following are some examples of race wheels from historic race Porsches through to modern day American Le Mans GT race cars.

BBS on 911 GT3 RSR:

BBS on a 911 RSR:
BBS on Falken Tire Porsche RSR:
BBS Wheels on Porsche GT3 Cup Cars:

Vintage Race Car Wheels

Vintage race car wheels come in all shapes and sizes.  From wire wheels on a 1937 Bugatti to high tech, 3-piece BBS basket-weave wheels on a GT race car, vintage race wheels run the gamut in style, size, and material composition. Here we would like to feature several types of wheels that were used on cars that raced at the famous Bridgehampton Raceway in New York.  Though the track is no longer there, the cars that famously thundered through the rolling dunes do live on and we are lucky enough to see what types of wheels carried these sports cars through battle.

Datsun GTU Racer with 3-Piece BBS Wheels

Austin-Healey with Pansport style spoked wheels:

Sunbeam Alpine with a spoked style alloy wheel:

McLaren Prototype Racer with 4 spoke lightweight alloys:

Allard race car with solid disk wheel:

Type 37 Bugatti race-car with wire wheels: