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Volk Racing’s TE37 rim is as iconic as some of the cars its been fitted to. From FD RX7s to R34 Skylines and everything in between, it honestly makes every single car its fitted to look brilliant. That’s even true with some non-car cars. The TE37’s stance can do no wrong. But the TE37 has a fatal flaw, at least for the vast majority of the enthusiast community: price.
TE37s are hella expensive, with a set of four costing you more than $4,000. Some can even set you back more depending on the color you snatch up. That, however, precludes many from ever seeing their ride rolling on these dope rims. But what if there was another way? What if you could get a set of TE37s on the cheap? What if you could get a set of knock-offs that look exactly like the OGs, but for a fourth of the price? Would you rock the knock-offs like so many celebrities and wannabe celebrities rock knock-off Louboutin, Gucci, or Rolex?
I ask this question as during one of my many work-related trips to Amazon.com, I stumbled upon a set of knock-off TE37s from a company called 9Six9. They’re pretty good-looking knock-offs. Eagle-eyed viewers will be able to spot the differences between the real ones and the fakes, but from 20 feet, you’d be hard-pressed to tell which ones were which. The real difference comes in the price as while a real TE37 costs $1,000 per wheel from MVP Motorsports, this 9Six9 TE37 costs just $179.99. That’s more than a fourth of the real wheel’s price.
I can’t attest to the manufacturing or the structural integrity of the wheel compared to the real thing, but it’s likely not engineered as well given the drastic price difference. They’re also extremely heavy, weighing a whopping 29 pounds per wheel. Compare that to a real TE37’s 20-pound curb weight.
I really want to roast these wheels, and I will. They’re silly, heavy, and they’ll likely not stand up to a strong breeze. That said, I have to give it to 9Six9 because they look fairly legit. And at the end of the day, do you really care? If they look half as good as their pictures, why not drop a few hundred bones on knock-off TE37s? Who’s gonna know except a bunch of online car nerds who have way too much time on their hands?
So what are you all thinking? Cop or drop? Let me know in the comments below.
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