Hi guys

My friend bought a set of GTS 21'' Wheels (US$5500)

How can you tell whether
his wheels in the genuine Porsche GTS wheels or the OEM from Italy?

Thanks!

 

OEM is "genuine" Porsche. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufactuer. Porsche does not make wheels, they buy them from another manufacturer and sell them as original equipment.

What I think you want to know is whether or not the wheels are OEM or replicas. It is all pretty confusing.

If he bought the wheels from the dealer or as take-offs from a new vehicle, they are almost certainly OEM. I am not sure whether there are even replicas of the GTS wheels available. If he is really worried, take a photo of the back of the wheels and post it here. Somebody has OEM's and can compare. I have SportPlus wheels that I can go look at if those are the ones he purchased.

 

you need to look at the inner side of the wheel. OEM wheels have the part code "955 123 etc." but the replicas don't.

 

Plus
1. the replicas, at least the one that I have seen, have wrote on the back: NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
2. The Center Caps: if you have one center cap, OEM, you can check if it fits. The Replicas center caps are not the same as OEM, they are smaller.

maybe there are more, but thats what I have seen on the Italian replicas.

 

eBay is full of them, different sizes/colors available

 

and I just dont trust them!!
I've seen some 18" wheels that had cracked!! again not original equipment.

 

Quality just can't be great when you get 4 wheels for the price of a single OEM wheel.

 

yes, and thats why I preffer OEM.
at what the car weights, using cheap wheels, replicas or not, isn't a way to go.

a few weeks ago a friend of mine with a Range Rover Sport, cracked one of his ultra shinny 22" wheels, and I suddenly remember that "Chrome wont take you home", but it seems these days it came into:
"Cheap won't take you home".
His wheels and the replicas also had a strange way to broke appart, IN SLICES. yes, in many slices, like you cut a melon, and that's weird. I had used big dimensions of wheels since years, and here the roads weren't that good - even now you might hit a pot that will make you cry, and I had broke into pieces some of them but NONE of them have never broke into slices.

so my advise, if you want to go bigger go with OEM or branded wheels, otherwise stay stock - it's just safer.

my .02 psi

 

As others have said there are now 22" GTS reproductions available from a few wheel vendors but no 21" GTS wheels. So more than likely if he has 21"s they are official OEM from Porsche (or whoever is authorized to make the wheel for Porsche - I believe it is Speedline).

I've heard different things about the replica/reproductions. Even some of the most legitimate wheel vendors have told me SOME of the replica stuff is pretty good quality and obviously a fraction of the price.

I personally bought OEM Porsche 21" GTS wheels because I love the style of that wheel and I wanted to run the new Michelin Latitude Sport which is essentially the same tire as the sportscar Michelin PS2 (which I have on the M3 and love) so I paid the huge nut ($3300 + tires + shipping) for a set of OEM 21s but now the car is entirely OEM, the wheels can probably be resold for good money if I ever change my mind and I shouldn't have any quality issues.

 

I think most of the replicas are ether 20 or 22, I haven't seen any 21; replicas for GTS. To be on the safe side, find any GTS (dealer of other) and compare them. Also as stealthTT mentioned, center caps are different size.

 

Yes, center caps are different size. I am getting delivered with my OEMs both the two color (silver + black) OEM center caps and a set of aftermarket tri color (red / gold / whatever) so will report back on how the aftermarket ones fit if at all.