Bryan,
Its understandable to defend your sponsor when you get the wheels for free.
But when doing Time Attack, you are doing how many hard laps?? 2, maybe 3 laps per session? Thats hardly getting the wheels warm. So your wheels have hardly seen abuse. Yes, the car is fast, and the wheels still work fine.......BUT FOR HOW LONG??

Go do an enduro race with those boat anchors and see if you have the same feeling. Or better yet, find me the PROFESSIONAL race teams who run ROTA wheels, or let alone a car that runs them in a professional race series (Not a Time Attack).

I'd rather run stock wheels than these.

 

why would pro's run rotas when they can get volks or other wheels for cheap?
and they have tons of money too

 

Actually our sponsorship relationship with Rota wheels has nothing to do with Bryan's post. I have known the guys at Wheeldude/Subydude for over 8 years and when building our car that you currently see in Time Attacks for the NASA 25 hour endurance race they are who I asked for wheels because I know the wheels hold up.

Your notion of 2-3 hard laps only holds merit for what YOU deem as the car is used for, the car originally ran the 25 hours of Thunderhill on Rota slipstreams. We also run the car for up to 30 minutes hard in it's current config in testing and I can assure you the wheels are abused (what is seen at Redline or other events "ala 2-3 laps" is nothing compared to the abuse the car sees).

We had multiple choices for wheels for our car and for the most part they would have been free or next to nothing, I chose to use Rota's for the following reasons,

1) I knew they would work and hold up.
2) They are a local based company to us that we have a long standing relationship with as friends (outside of business).
3) As a company the local main distributor has an excellent reputation of customer service which is inline with the companies we like to associate ourselves with.

On another note we campaigned the Speed TV/Modified magazine Scion in the last 2 NASA 25 hours and the last one we used Enkei RPF1's, we started the race with 16 wheels and currently have 7 that can be used again. We bent 5 of them in slight off's at speeds not exceeding 60mph and snapped the other 4 in a 80mph roll over. I can tell you we have put way more abuse into our current Rota's on the TA car than the 5 bent wheels saw.

Also if Grand Am merits as a professional race series I worked with a couple of teams a few years back running Rota's.

Mike

 

You're right, they hardly ever see abuse (offs at 130mph, jumping curbing), never see more than 2-3 laps (Thunderhill 25hr Enduro and NASA weekends) and we go through them like water (Haven't bent one yet). Damn. I guess we picked the wrong wheels.

Please don't buy any.

-Bryan

 

This is easy on wheels right? I believe this was also the same set that took a decent off at 100+ that day too.

 

Neat wheels.

 

GST,
By no means am I trying to put you or your car down. I have respect for you guys and your company, and you have built one hell of a car....and it shows.

I was just wondering why you guys run those wheels (with all the other choices out there). I now understand, that since you mentioned you are close friends with the Rota/wheeldude guys, I wouldn't want to talk down about my friends company either. And if I ever broke any wheels, I'd probably keep my mouth shut in respect to my friends business.

Oh, and Enkei RPF1's have been proven to be easy benders several years ago. Very easy to bend those spokes, especially in high-g turns. I've seen many become out of round, and slowly start to scrub calipers....old news.

 

I have two sets of Rotas I bought (aka my own money) for my personal evo. One set for the street and track, and another set for winter in Tahoe.

I had a set on my WRX that was also used for track and street.

No issues at all with them and they are horrible and I go through them like water. Please don't buy them.

I also have the sticker on both my cars that say "Friends don't let friends buy Rota"

Please don't buy them.

You saying "And if I ever broke any wheels, I'd probably keep my mouth shut in respect to my friends business. " are basically saying we are liars which is for sure not on the list of things we are known for/are. Again, we've run enduros (but you said we didn't), We've run more than 2-3 laps (but you said we didn't) and we have gone off and jump across curbing with no issues.

We are a grassroots shop with a grassroots budget. The Rotas are good wheels and the cost is right. Are they the holy grail of wheels and make us look uber hip standing around in a parking lot at night? No. Do they work and work well? Yes.

Please don't buy them.

- Bryan

 

I hit a curb at 30 mph and my cheap flimsy rota rim didnt break it just slightly bent. I love volks but I cant justify 3500 dollars on a set of wheels. Rotas look nice and work well and they have such great customer service.

 

Believe me, I won't.

 

wow that looks really good. I am planning on getting the 18x9 +20s

 

get the flat black

 

nice! think this maybe my next set. lol

 

Itz not JDM yo000~!@#

 

Bump for pics on more Evo X's!