Project M4: Wheels

BMW offers some nice-looking wheels for the M cars. The set of wheels on the M4 I purchased is not one of those sets. Not that I would not be swapping out OEM wheels for aftermarket wheels regardless of what came on it from the factory, but I knew, as soon as I saw this car, that footwork would be priority #1 with this project.

I looked around quite a bit before deciding on wheels. I did not have one wheel that had that "Have to have!" feel for me in regards to this project. I was open to multiple different possibilities. Advan, BBS, Volk, Enkei, SSR, and WORK were all wheels that I looked into before making my decision. I reached out to multiple sources for wheels and I was told many of the styles in my specs are out of stock in the US and the wait would be anywhere between 3 to 6 months. Yuck.

Then I reached out to a source from whom I have never purchased anything: Vivid Racing. The customer service was great. I had a response to my email inquiry within minutes. My questions were answered promptly and I was sent pictures upon request. Not only that, they had two sets of wheels IN STOCK with M4 fitment in the exact specifications for which I was looking!

I decided on a set of 19" Volk ZE40 wheels in Magnesium Blue. Mag Blue has been one of my favorite finishes from the time I first saw it probably 15 years ago. (I owned a set of Mag Blue CE28's years ago, but I ended up selling them before I ever had them mounted.) I am really looking forward to seeing how these wheels look against the Austin Yellow of the M4. Enjoy the pictures.

Oh, and I received these pictures from the dealership yesterday. The car is currently en route! 

JDMphasis... Innovation over Imitation

Random Picture

Sick Set-Up.

Z34 sporting some BBS rollers and a Central20 big brake kit.

JDMphasis… Innovation over Imitation

Everything.

BBS LM's look good on just about everything…

Including this HKS-enhanced R35 GT-R.

A few shots of a sharp R35 on BBS rollers...

Amuse, HKS, Endless, Esprit, Mine's, Top Secret, Zele… Name a Japanese tuner and this GT-R is probably rocking some of their parts!

Nothing sexier than Amuse tips...

(Capture Credit: B. Orjuela)

Home Decor.

 I would like to make a JDM-wheel coffee table...

Not cool...

Funk Faked.

For those maintaining less than connoisseur status when it comes to the aftermarket of the G37, I would like to point out a not-so-subtle difference between an authentic Top Secret aero kit and a replica Top Secret aero kit. The authentic front end of the Top Secret aero kit is a lip kit; not a full bumper.

AUTHENTIC

We see VarStolen wheels with Volk Racing or BBS stickers pop up occasionally and that, no doubt, elicits a discontented shake of the head from those staunch defenders of authenticity such as myself. I do not approve. At all. Now, finding replica aero on V36 coupes is hardly rare. They are everywhere. What is somewhat rare, however, is blatantly faking the funk by tattooing the exterior of the car with Top Secret decals when the car is not sporting any Top Secret parts. The car pictured below has at least three Top Secret stickers in plain view. (Come on, man!) 

FAKE

Top Secret: High Performance "Enginering" Service

I understand that, with the assistance of a capable body shop, one could have an authentic Top Secret lip molded to the OEM front bumper to provide a seamless front lip. However, that was not done here. This is a replica kit and clearly, by sticker-bombing the car with the name of the company that created the original design, the owner would love people to believe that it's not. Once again, label me a "hater" for simply pointing out the obvious, but it is what it is. Posing is unbecoming. Don't fake the funk.

JDMphasis... Innovation over Imitation

R34 Catch-22

I have always loved the monoblock Volk Racing wheels on the R34s. Well, on just about anything, really... I don't think I would ever say they do not look proper. However, in my humble opinion, there's a definite toss-up between Volk and BBS with this particular application. 


Just a few shots for review and examination...

Volk Racing TE37

Volk Racing CE28N

BBS LM

BBS RG-R

One Sick Z... The Amuse 380RS Superleggera

Yes, this may be old news, but that is certainly no reason not to post up a few shots. Quite simply, this car is beautiful. One of Tanabe-san's last projects before he passed back in September of 2008, the 380RS Superleggera is no ordinary Z33. This car is, like everything else that comes out of Amuse, a work of automotive art; a masterpiece.


The functional, lightweight Amuse aero includes front bumper, front diffuser, front fenders, dry carbon hood, fenders, sideskirts, dry carbon roof, rear fenders, dry carbon rear hatch, dry carbon side flaps, rear underspoiler, and dry carbon rear wing.


Recaro carbon kevlar bucket seats, Takata harnesses, and a Momo steering wheel adorn the interior while a set of 20" BBS LM-R wheels connect the Bridgestone rubber to the road. This car stops using 6-piston front and 2-piston rear Amuse calipers and 2-piece slotted rotors. One would, of course, expect the exhaust of this car to be second-to-none. The Amuse titanium headers, front pipes, Y-pipe, and an R1 Extra exhaust system must sound amazing!


A few shots from the Power House Amuse facility in Japan...

Over the course of the last two years, the Z34's have become a "realistic favorite" of mine. I often kick myself for not choosing one over the V36. However, this Z - 300 pounds lighter, looking and sounding as mean and aggressive as any car on the road, putting down just under 400 naturally aspirated horsepower, and - perhaps most importantly - sharing in the history and heritage of a true visionary and innovator of the Japanese tuning world - is still a car, four years later, I can say, veraciously, that I would enjoy and cherish forever.

A quick walk-around of the Superleggera (wearing its track shoes: 18" Volk CE's):