Lightweight aftermarket wheels - worth it?

[Mojo_Mike]

The OEM style 317 wheels on my base sDrive 2.8 are supposed to weigh 11.9kg (26.16 pounds). Wondering if anyone is running light weight wheels, and what your obervations are about how the handling / braking / acceleration have been altered.

Tirerack has Kosei K4Rs for $199 that weigh 7kg (15.5 pounds).

Shedding 20kg of unsprung weight seems very appealing.

[themishmosh]

Lightweight rims are definitely appealing. Unfortunately, many of them don't look the greatest. At least for me, I went with looks since I'm not running at the track. I have several sets of rims for my G35 sedan and the lightweight rims feel the fastest and are the most fun to drive.

[Twix]

If you race at a track, you'll notice the difference. If you drive on the street, you won't notice a drop in time to get to the grocery store. I have lighter weight wheels than the stockers, and nothing has really changed except turn in and overall grip. I don't notice the slight braking difference, or the acceleration being quicker.

If you want a big difference in performance, change the parts that make a really big difference. Tune, brakes, suspension will give more noticeable changes than a set of wheels. I also recommend BBS or OZ for light weight wheels. Wheels made in Japan are great ( I own a set now) but they way BBS and OZ make wheels puts them on a whole unfair level.