Take a look at this bad boy, a 2018 Maserati Gran Turismo MC:
I see a lot of these black wheel rims these days — apparently, all the cool kids are driving them — but I have to tell you all, I think they’re pig-ugly. Compare those with these:
…and the difference is profound, class vs. crass. I don’t know who first came up with the black rims thing — which can turn even the exquisite GT into something foul — but they need a kick in the nads, or be flogged for crimes against automotive beauty.
I don’t mind the black rims, it’s the rubber band tires they put on everything now that bothers me. Seriously? You have about a inch of cushion and then the solid impact of the rim on the pothole jarring the entire car. Whoever thought that was a good option hasn’t driven on many streets around here.
Hate black wheels, too.
Probably invented by the same fucker that “girl color” gun accessories.
Black wheels don’t bother me. Maybe because I have had them on my truck.
Don is absolutely right about the rubber band tires. They’re goofy looking. Spins are another stupid looking thing on cars.
JQ
The black rims don’t bother me. I concur on the skinny tires. They may improve handling because of minimal sidewall, but are not practical on a real world street.
Well, I guess if you can afford the car, replacing the wheels should not pose much of an obstacle. It is amazing to me that there are so many choices in the market place now. I suppose some are coming from Shanghai, but there are so many vendors now. Even BBS manufactures in Asia, at least some I looked at were made in Japan.
As I understand things, the whole black rims with no hub cap fad started as a way to highlight the disc brakes mounted behind the rims, red colored ones denoting “high performance” (Benbro is one brand name, I think – I drive an F-150, so completely irrelevant to me).
I don’t think this even applies to Maserati, so probably just an attempt to ride a current marketing fad.
Black wheels go with any color vehicle, and tend not to show brake dust. The other options are matching car color, very expensive. Then, you have white, chrome/silver, grey, or some sort of neon/glowie abomination. Take your choice.
Yeah, the rubberband look for tires is tre’-stupid. But, the tire and wheel manufactures love them!
Back in the early 00’s, I changed lots of damaged tires on the freeway, and saw a fair amount of broken wheels as a result of hitting objects that didn’t have enough tire to cushion them. Not only were tires damaged when crushed between the rim and a pothole or lost object, they got ruined when driven on while flat, as the handling and ride difference is not very obvious unless driving around fast or tight corners. Only takes a 1/4 mile to destroy the sidewall of a flat low profile tire.
That gets expensive when dealing with tires on an AWD vehicle. Putting a new tire on, with half worn tires is bad for the multiple differentials they have, and the associated driveshafts and C/V joints. You need to find a tire shaving business, or replace them all.
I’m a Luddite.
Give me silver wheels, whether polished metal or painted, with equally spaced spokes that are radial, not the currently popular shit that looks like a bent or twisted, overtorqued wheel, no lightning bolt or zig-zag spokes, I’ll take simple elegance all day long over the latest woke designer shit.
To avoid the gassing… chrome wheels look cheap. Black subdued wheels aren’t awful but I prefer the brushed satin look. Variety makes the world go round or some such nonsense.