The Official Mk7 Wheel Thread

[Tiggy]

Hello Corsa, a good lookin' R you've got there ... seems like you've attached an aftermarket rear spoiler too...

[corsa350]

Hello Corsa, a good lookin' R you've got there ... seems like you've attached an aftermarket rear spoiler too...

Thanks mate...
Yes... I got the Oettinger add on spoiler painted in gloss black.
I bought it while I waited for my car to arrive.
Gathering parts while you wait is quite fun.

[avdo_]

Thanks mate...
Yes... I got the Oettinger add on spoiler painted in gloss black.
I bought it while I waited for my car to arrive.
Gathering parts while you wait is quite fun.

Where abouts did you buy it from? I'm considering one as well.

[corsa350]

Where abouts did you buy it from? I'm considering one as well.

Avdo... I will pm you...

[cozmicf]

Hi guys,


I'm looking to buy some new 18" rims for my White Golf TSI, but it seems hard to find the genuine Cadiz's and they're damn expensive so I've found some replicas. Does anyone have any experience with replica wheels and am I making a mistake by getting them? Does the finish on them last? Do they affect ride quality (as compared to genuines)?


The ones I'm looking at are priced around $750-$1000 for 4 wheels, plus tyres around $1300 to $1700, and with freight +$100-150 ish.


The following shop has quoted me $1260 + freight for 4 wheels and 4 Pirelli P1 Cinturato tyres which seems like a pretty good deal to me.


VW Golf R Spec Style Wheels AND Tyres IN 18inch Silver TO Suit Most VW Golf | eBay


Apparently they are made in Taiwan, and the shops that I have contacted have all told me that no one has had any issues with them before.


Also, I don't quite understand why so many people on these forums (particularly in the officlal mk7 wheel thread) strongly dislike the Cadiz look? To me they look great, and I'm hoping they will work well with my white mk7 golf TSI with a black gloss roof wrap.

Thanks,
Rik.

[Dutch77]

The strongest point to make here is: you get what you pay for.

That isn't to say a replica will fail as soon as you drive out of the shop; I would hazard a guess that the bulk of them probably get through their lives with no issues at all. However a look at what a wheel failure looks like on youtube or similar may change your mind. There is a reason branded wheels, including OEM, are priced higher and it isn't profit related.

Local Cadiz will only be in 19 inch so if you want 18s you will definitely need to go repping unless you happen to buy from overseas.

As for why some of us dislike the look, it's purely personal. I definitely preferred the Mk6 Talladega design over the Mk7 Cadiz, although I am willing to admit on some colors, and particularly the wagon, they can look effective. I just don't tend to like the polished look as a general rule, which VW tend to incorporate into a lot of their designs. They are certainly vastly preferable to the Santiago in any case, but again that's me (and others). My approval isn't required if the look makes you happy.

[Dutch77]

Thanks Dutch
yes they are 19x8.5 ET 45, and I picked these wheels as the will be easy to clean compared to the original Performance wheels and also I think black wheels have been over killed. I've installed VWR springs and I've only changed the tips not exhaust system .

Yep - I did the tips on my Mk6 for a more aggressive look (although I also did the downpipe with my stage 2 - but left the catback section right alone). The VWRs do provide just the right amount of drop as well; how are you finding the ride? Any rub issues? (others have said none).

I was unimpressed with the VWRs on my Mk6, but I'm getting old - I was hoping for a bit more comfort!

As for the black, generally you are preaching to the converted.

I have recently changed my stock Cadiz 19s to a set of
SSR GTV02 19x8.5 +45 in flat black..

Looks good Corsa, nice to see more local cars now on this list - with commentary. I quite like how this has turned out even in black (my comment above was a general rule, there are always exceptions ).

[cozmicf]

The strongest point to make here is: you get what you pay for.

That isn't to say a replica will fail as soon as you drive out of the shop; I would hazard a guess that the bulk of them probably get through their lives with no issues at all. However a look at what a wheel failure looks like on youtube or similar may change your mind. There is a reason branded wheels, including OEM, are priced higher and it isn't profit related.

Local Cadiz will only be in 19 inch so if you want 18s you will definitely need to go repping unless you happen to buy from overseas.

As for why some of us dislike the look, it's purely personal. I definitely preferred the Mk6 Talladega design over the Mk7 Cadiz, although I am willing to admit on some colors, and particularly the wagon, they can look effective. I just don't tend to like the polished look as a general rule, which VW tend to incorporate into a lot of their designs. They are certainly vastly preferable to the Santiago in any case, but again that's me (and others). My approval isn't required if the look makes you happy.

Seems like the replicas are a quarter of the price of the genuines, I hope they aren't a quarter as safe!

I want to stick to 18s so I probably wouldn't get the genuines even if I had the money for it.

I was also considering getting the matte black version of the Cadiz's to contrast with my white Golf (and to match with the black roof) but from many of the photos I've seen of different car/wheel combos it looks like black wheels camouflage in with the tyres and it just looks like you have steel wheels on without hubcaps (if you don't look carefully), do they look better in real life?

[Tiggy]

Avdo... I will pm you...

Corsa, would like to know where you bought it too ....

[Dutch77]

Seems like the replicas are a quarter of the price of the genuines, I hope they aren't a quarter as safe!

Some probably are, but no most would not be that bad. Like with everything similar to this the law of diminishing returns applies. I don't doubt that high end wheel companies make a return on their products, but if you factor in the wheel making process, materials used, design and finishing as well as testing, R&D, marketing/sponsorship and general overheads I would not be surprised if the rep manufacturers are making bigger margins.. which is slightly worrying when you consider that old rule that it's the wheels (and tyres) in contact with the road at highway speeds.

I want to stick to 18s so I probably wouldn't get the genuines even if I had the money for it.

That's fine, I have a personal preference for the look, weight and price of 18s as well (although I've toyed with 19s at times on the Mk7).

I was also considering getting the matte black version of the Cadiz's to contrast with my white Golf (and to match with the black roof) but from many of the photos I've seen of different car/wheel combos it looks like black wheels camouflage in with the tyres and it just looks like you have steel wheels on without hubcaps (if you don't look carefully), do they look better in real life?

If you've got time there is some pics of the matte black reps on a white TDI in the thread, I think it looks ok - but yes, they will look better in person than pics as detail goes missing in the pics, but all black wheels suffer this fate to some degree which is why some prefer the traditional silvers or newer graphite/greys or other alternatives. Again I'm guilty of toying with black myself but I usually stick to something more visible.

If you want an OEM look and don't want to wait for second hand wheels to hit the market I do recall vwparts (user name) was offering original 18 inch wheel and tyre packages of the VW Motorsports and Rotary wheels. The Rotary wheels in particular work really well on the Mk7 and are finished in a grey color, yes they're pricier than reps but they are worth it for the better look, OEM quality and also the good quality tyres that were on offer a while back (Continentals IIRC). Again I'm sure there is a white Mk7 with them fitted in the thread spotted by tigger73 (and myself as this car was present at the dealership at the time of my delivery).