Originally Posted by NorCal DC4
I would like to see a design like the SSR Professor SP1 in a one-piece fitment...without the bolts around the rim. The broad spokes are a strong design feature; without the bolt heads, the lip would appear deeper and IMO the wheel design would look cleaner. :dunno:
Such a wheel does exist: the SSR GT2.
The thing is, the lip on the Professor is bigger than the GT2 because the spokes are totally separate from the rim. The center section of the Professor is smaller in diameter than the spokes of a comparably-sized GT2. The GT2 also isn't available in a satin finish, just regular silver.
The main thing though, is that the 3-piece look gives the impression of a smaller wheel. The '04 Mazdaspeed Miata has 17" wheels on it which I think look just a bit too big, and that look is made more noticeable by the fact that the spokes are totally even with the rim. The more differentiation between rim and spokes there is, the better the 17" wheels flow with the car, imho.
For '05 Mazda changed the MSM wheels to a more 3D look and they don't seem quite as oversized.
