http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000680056738/

I remember discussing this a while ago, but I don't know if that thread survived the wipe-out.

This is a great idea. If the durability is good and it makes the car less expensive for the customer then great. What's not to like? GM used to do this with success with the "honeycomb" Pontiac wheels from the early to mid 1970s.

That's a Vectra right? Anybody see a bit of Aura in the wheel?

Very cool idea, I hope it was GM's. I love when they are the first at something (especially when it's a cost saving measure). I wish they would bring back the old "regular rims" that were painted to match the body color with the police car hubcaps....but that's just me :blink:

plastic looks like plastic and aluminum looks better than plastic

plastic looks like plastic and aluminum looks better than plastic

[post="40565"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I bet they could make an aluminum shell/face too.

I was fooled by the Grand Am Chrome ones until I started working at Bill DeLuca Chevy/Pontiac... I was chesking one out from up close and was like WTF??? I ended up winning a bet about this very topic wit the Ass. Manager. :P

I bet they could make an aluminum shell/face too.

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I would like to see a stainless steel wheel cover used with these wheels. That would look beautiful, IMO. I always liked the brushed stainless wheel covers of the '80s better than either alloys or plastic painted wheel covers.

-Andrew L

I would like to see a stainless steel wheel cover used with these wheels. That would look beautiful, IMO. I always liked the brushed stainless wheel covers of the '80s better than either alloys or plastic painted wheel covers.

-Andrew L

[post="40939"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I'm sure anything is possible. But stainless steel or aluminum will not perform as well as plastic when the cover is scraped (a metal face would deform, while a plastic one would lose some paint). And... it will cost more to use/replace metal covers.

plastic looks like plastic and aluminum looks better than plastic

[post="40565"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I agree.....and in reality, it's NOT that expensive to repair alloy wheels anyway.

My partner accidentally curbed both right-side wheels on our S500 (not typical of him....) and we found a wheel guy that fixed them.....for $30/wheel.....and you can't tell they were ever dinged....

I'm sure a whole alloy wheel is more expensive to buy than a steel one with a plastic cover....but minor scratches/scrapes on an alloy wheel isn't necessarily that expensive to repair.

I'll stick with the real deal.

I agree.....and in reality, it's NOT that expensive to repair alloy wheels anyway. 

My partner accidentally curbed both right-side wheels on our S500 (not typical of him....) and we found a wheel guy that fixed them.....for $30/wheel.....and you can't tell they were ever dinged....

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$30/wheel is very cheap for repairing alloys. The scratches must have been very minor. What I worry about more (here in the NE USA) is alloys getting bent or cracked by potholes. I just bought a 1990 Buick Electra Estate Wagon that came with factory alloys...next time I go to the junkyard, I'm going to pick up a set of factory steelies and send these alloys off to be made into beer cans :P Durability is very important to me, and I just don't trust alloys on poorly-maintained roads.

-Andrew L

My partner accidentally curbed both right-side wheels on our S500 (not typical of him....) and we found a wheel guy that fixed them.....for $30/wheel.....and you can't tell they were ever dinged....

[post="41002"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

You obviously didn't go to a Mercedes wheel guy, otherwise another '0' would've been added on to that figure at least. Remember, you must you authorized Mercedes service tools and accessories applied by an authorized Mercedes technician at an authorized Mercedes dealership. :P

You obviously didn't go to a Mercedes wheel guy, otherwise another '0' would've been added on to that figure at least. Remember, you must you authorized Mercedes service tools and accessories applied by an authorized Mercedes technician at an authorized Mercedes dealership. :P

[post="41334"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Nope....same guy the Benz store uses to fix wheels.....

$30/wheel....

A Benz alloy wheel is no more expensive to repair than a Chevy alloy wheel. Alloy is alloy (at least as far as basic scratches and scrapes go.)