BBS is cracking down!

[ThirdStrike]

*sorry if this is a repost*

i guess bbs is suing raderworks and a couple others for TM infringement.. im a proud owner of bb5's and i hope the replica companies can continue to make them.
im thinking its because of the center cap being too close in similarity to the BBS logo.
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/cou...ase_id-215141/

[Chris from Cali]

Replicas...

I have always bought real BBS wheels. That fake crap devalues that the real stuff and mostly looks ghey (i.e. Black/red LM reps).

[toaster]

buying real bbs is a no-brainer when you have money, just as it is with anything else.

not everyone car spend as much on wheels as they did on their car, heh.

[Calabria]

buying real bbs is a no-brainer when you have money, just as it is with anything else.

not everyone can spend as much on wheels as they did on their car, heh.

QFT

[ungucpho]

some BBS wheels are quite affordable, CH's and CK's are under 500 a wheel for 19's

thats not bad considering they supposedly have a 10 year warrenty

[Chris from Cali]

RGRs in 18" are under $500 and they are a forged, lightweight, REAL BBS wheel. I understand money dilemmas - before I started buying BBS, I used to buy OZ. I had Superleggeras on my first S2000.

[ThirdStrike]

Replicas...

I have always bought real BBS wheels. That fake crap devalues that the real stuff and mostly looks ghey (i.e. Black/red LM reps).

yah you bought real BBS wheels.. do you want a cookie?
"that fake crap" looks just as good as your real thing. with bbs centers only superman can tell they arent real from 20+Ft away. oh and mine weigh 26lbs a piece vs the real thing 22lbs a piece.
if i bend an LM im trying to repair a 800-1k dollar wheel.
if i bend one of my reps im out 200 bucks at most.
so you can hate all you want but the bottom line is reps in the LM style are FTW.

[Chris from Cali]

yah you bought real BBS wheels.. do you want a cookie?
"that fake crap" looks just as good as your real thing. with bbs centers only superman can tell they arent real from 20+Ft away. oh and mine weigh 26lbs a piece vs the real thing 22lbs a piece.
if i bend an LM im trying to repair a 800-1k dollar wheel.
if i bend one of my reps im out 200 bucks at most.
so you can hate all you want but the bottom line is reps in the LM style are FTW.

Ok sonny... First, you must drive into potholes in Beirut to bend an LM. I've had RS-GTs on two cars (Evo, 997) and I've never come close to bending them. Second, the folks you're trying to impress will know the difference between fakes and the real thing. Third, there is an old adage, "Buy cheap, buy twice." One day this stuff will make sense.... FTW

[ThirdStrike]

Ok sonny... First, you must drive into potholes in Beirut to bend an LM. I've had RS-GTs on two cars (Evo, 997) and I've never come close to bending them. Second, the folks you're trying to impress will know the difference between fakes and the real thing. Third, there is an old adage, "Buy cheap, buy twice." One day this stuff will make sense.... FTW

i dont give a f/uck how many times you've came close to bending your gt's. you dont live in vegas so maybe you dont have to deal with the 9000 construction zones that cover up the street with a metal plate that protrudes 6 inches off the pavement.
hit that at 45+ mph and your wheel, whichever kind is going to bend.
we call them 'wheel haters' ...
and uh im not trying to 'impress' anyone. i take function over form. when i saw i could get a decent looking set of wheels for <1k that weigh 26lbs a piece i jumped on it.
im sorry we all dont have money like you to buy teh real thing
get off your high-horse and stop TRYING to hate-

[Jmaak]

I agree though, I mean even if they are crap I can buy 3 sets of those for the price of 1 real set.

[Team Freddy]

Ok sonny... First, you must drive into potholes in Beirut to bend an LM. I've had RS-GTs on two cars (Evo, 997) and I've never come close to bending them. Second, the folks you're trying to impress will know the difference between fakes and the real thing. Third, there is an old adage, "Buy cheap, buy twice." One day this stuff will make sense.... FTW

That is so dumb. If you buy wheels to impress people then you have a problem. I got my BB5's because I wanted a LM style wheel without the LM price tag.

I scuffed one wheel and to be perfectly honest I should have kept it as a spare instead of paying 120 to fix it. Either way I can bend a BB5 and have the option to fix it for $120 or rock it as a spare and get a new one for less than $200

Lets say I bent a LM which can be done.. what does a new lip cost? 15" RM lips go for $150 so what would 19" LM lips go for? Or what would it cost to replace the wheel .. IIRC LMs go for about $700+ a piece I could buy almost 4 replacements for that price.

BBS LM reps FTW I aint trying to impress anyone and I am happy with them so why would i spend money on getting real LM's when I can use it to make my car go faster.

[ThirdStrike]

OH SNAP CHRIS! those FAKE LM's look fuckin hawt!
care to compare with some picture of your real ones?
here ill do it for you

fake looks pretty sick to me..

[ungucpho]

supporters of BBS or name brand wheels will never win this argument

why buy BBS when you can get BB5 for 1/4 the price, same as Roys wheels instead of Rays, Rolex vs Rolox.

[ThirdStrike]

o ill buy authentic bbs wheels.. but never the LM .. fux that 4k for wheels is enough for GT series for my car..

[Team Freddy]

o ill buy authentic bbs wheels.. but never the LM .. fux that 4k for wheels is enough for GT series for my car..

Exactly.

19X8.5 BB5 LM Reps $760
2.0 FSI BT Kit $4000
GT3071 Turbo
Custom Manifold
Custom Software
Fueling, Etc...
Total $4760

Or I could have bought Real LM's and Been a regular 2.0T

Tire Rack says 18X8.5 LM's go for $765 a piece they dont list 19's
Other sites I have seen them go for about but IIRC they are about a Grand a piece.

If I would have spent money on real LM's that would have made $3060-4000+ that I would not have for my BT.

[chrislane31]

LM lips don't come off. They are a 2 piecewheel and the center comes out. Also realBBS's hold there value very well. Reps don't and for obvious reasons. They don't hold up. Look at all the ones for sale already they are bent, cc peeling, etc and they are mostly less than a year old. Same with DEPO lights vs Hella. You get what you pay for. I would not want a real set of LM's because there are too many fakes out there flooding the market. And you can tell the difference very easily.

[Chris from Cali]

Hey, get what you want... Keep your silly wheels. I'm not "hating" on anyone's financial situation or choice in wheels. When those crap wheels fall apart, leak air, lose their finish, etc., don't cry about it.

[Chris from Cali]

Here are some real BBS... Enjoy. I can't wait to hear the "hater" comments.

[4ringAR]

i understand where BBS is coming from. They spend money on having designers and engineers create beautiful looking wheels, and then some company just takes their work, replicates it, sells them for a cheaper price, and BBS looses a sale and doesnt get any royalties for it.

on the other hand, not everyone has the money to spend $2000+ on a set of wheels, so the replica companies are saviors in that sense.

its hard to say whether i support BBS or the replicators in this situation.

[Quattrotakis]

997 is Hot

[kingofnyc]

Those BBS look hot on 997.
I wouldnt buy replicas.

[Jmaak]

Lets take this argument in another direction, What about non car knock offs... How many of you guys who don't buy replica's buy the cheap off brand ceral/cleaning crap/whatever?

[Team Freddy]

Lets take this argument in another direction, What about non car knock offs... How many of you guys who don't buy replica's buy the cheap off brand ceral/cleaning crap/whatever?

^ A low dollar item like that isnt even worth looking at a replica.

But here's a perfect example. I am looking at a surround sound system. I don't want to run cables so in order to make it clean i am looking at a Bose 2.1 or something similar. What would you go for?

Oh.. And those complaining about the finish on their BB5's or Bending them. Just like any other wheel if you clean it with the right products you shouldn't have a problem ( I Like the polished LM's Maybe I will rock some polished BB5's) and if you are careful how you drive over things you reduce that risk of bending/snapping one. I take the same route to and from work everyday, I know where the bad spots are at and avoid them.

[RomanA6]

Here are some real BBS... Enjoy. I can't wait to hear the "hater" comments.

I really hope you are not taking this personally

to each their own

I would probably save money and buy the real thing, I might get a rip-off for the time being, or some other cheaper wheel;

then again, I can think of other things to spend money on then a $4k wheel set before tires

your cars look hot btw, love the evo, especially 997

[Chris from Cali]

Lets take this argument in another direction, What about non car knock offs... How many of you guys who don't buy replica's buy the cheap off brand ceral/cleaning crap/whatever?

My comment of "Buy cheap, buy twice" applies to EVERYTHING. I tried store brand tissues only to go back to Kleenex because they are that much better. Same w/TP, etc. Name brands have value because there is quality backing it. It's a very simple idea called "brand equity". It's why certain car badges (like Audi) have a positive perception, while others (like Kia) don't (whether this is fair or not doesn't matter - it's fact). This is why I am so adamant about the BBS vs. reps thing.

Definitely not taking it personally (some of the comments were a little harsh). I was making a joke about the hater comments..

[Das General]

Second, the folks you're trying to impress will know the difference between fakes and the real thing. Third, there is an old adage, "Buy cheap, buy twice." One day this stuff will make sense.... FTW

lol who are you trying to impress? 99% people in todays world wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a rep and the real deal.

[Buttafuoco]

this is ridiculous.

if hyundai starting making cars that looked exactly like your audi...would you buy that instead to save money?

i can't understand why anyone would spend the extra cash to drive a nice car and then put shitty knock-off wheels on it.

BBS has every right to go after these people

[chrislane31]

Go look at or drive a 3 year old Hyundai with 50k on it and see what it looks like on the inside. Junk. They are good for a non car person to lease for 2 or 3 years, but not to buy.

[lookaught]

My comment of "Buy cheap, buy twice" applies to EVERYTHING. I tried store brand tissues only to go back to Kleenex because they are that much better. Same w/TP, etc. Name brands have value because there is quality backing it. It's a very simple idea called "brand equity". It's why certain car badges (like Audi) have a positive perception, while others (like Kia) don't (whether this is fair or not doesn't matter - it's fact). This is why I am so adamant about the BBS vs. reps thing.

Definitely not taking it personally (some of the comments were a little harsh). I was making a joke about the hater comments..

I buy generic for things like prescription/otc drugs and anything that has quality control regulated so that the generics cant be extremely substandard when compared to the brand name. For things like household cleaners, Ive found that the brand name stuff is significanly better (ie kleenex, TP, windex, etc) and I'll pay extra for those.

When it comes to performance parts I dont cheap out, b/c these parts can mean the difference between crashing and not, injury or not, etc. Ive seen many a cheap wheel/tire/countless other car and motorcycle products be destroyed when being pushed or subjected to extremes (even potholes). IMO you cant put a price on confidence in your machine, especially if you are on the track. If I ran Flik or BB5 wheels on the track Id be worries about a failure, and if you've ever seen what happens to cars that have a wheel shear you know that you dont want to EVER have that happen. That being said I drive a car that I paid $11k for and have $4000 wheels, and while it sounds ridiculous I would do it again.

I know that someone is going to compare the generic drug use to replica wheel use and say that it is unsafe. Thats simply not the case, and if you think buying tylenol instead of acetaminophen will be safer or more effective, you are wrong. Do you think they administer brand name drugs when you are in intensive care at a hospital? No, you get the formulary generic.

Any by the way, its not "buy cheap, buy twice" it is "buy nice or buy twice." It rhymes that way, and those are words to live by.

[3.0 King]

silly boyz, are you all done pissing on eachother...here(AZ) we all love cars so try to respect others way of going about there own build

i love my BBS, have a set for all three of my rides

[Das General]

who would run a 26lbs wheel at the track? I think most people buy the reps because they are considerably better looking than stock...not to track them. Please show me 1 case where someone has had an issue with wheel failure on a bbs replica.


yeah i believe bbs has every right to go after these companies...that doesnt mean the wheels (reps) suck or look like shit

[chrislane31]

I see a lot more reps (bb5, b7 rs4, b5 rs4, etc) bent than oem wheels.

[ABL2point0T]

I was tempted to buy a set of BBS, then I remembered I paid 3000 more for the S-Line and Ti packages. I will rock stock. Besides I had to wait 4 months for the Ti package car to arrive. I don't know how this helps, but I have had a lot of coffee today.

[ThirdStrike]

Hey, get what you want... Keep your silly wheels. I'm not "hating" on anyone's financial situation or choice in wheels. When those crap wheels fall apart, leak air, lose their finish, etc., don't cry about it.

again for teh 100th time you are wrong. most of the replica makers ('eurowheelsusa', 'raderworks llc') make high quality single piece casts. i havent seen fading on my wheels and they are comparably strong to the real thing. i know a couple of other people that use the reps that will stand by them as quickly as they will stand by the authentic bbs's they have on their other car.

[ThirdStrike]

back to op topic. who thinks BBS will win?
i dont think you can copyright a wheel design but this is a TM suit. im THINKING they are going after the BB5 centercap design.
comments? opinions?

[chrislane31]

I think BBS did this same thing ion the 80's with ARE and won then as well.

[lookaught]

back to op topic. who thinks BBS will win?
i dont think you can copyright a wheel design but this is a TM suit. im THINKING they are going after the BB5 centercap design.
comments? opinions?

IMO the centercap design, coupled with the identical duplication of the wheel will definitely lead to bbs winning the outcome. Im no lawyer but Id have to imagine that TM infringement and the BB5 pretty blatent copying of everything BBS will mean some serious penalties.

I wonder what will happen inf BB5 goes out of business and then people need replacements... will they have to buy the real deal or do you just dump the other three for $100 each?

[lookaught]

who would run a 26lbs wheel at the track? I think most people buy the reps because they are considerably better looking than stock...not to track them. Please show me 1 case where someone has had an issue with wheel failure on a bbs replica.


yeah i believe bbs has every right to go after these companies...that doesnt mean the wheels (reps) suck or look like shit

I dont know about BB5 but plenty of people run Fliks at the track, and they are in the same ballpark as BB5. Search AZ and AW for 'bent flik' in the B5 S4forum and take a look at the results.

[RAudi Driver]

BBS FTW! I'm with you Chris.

[Chris from Cali]

BBS FTW! I'm with you Chris.

Most of the sensible folks around here are, too.

I was young and dumb once, too, so I don't hold it against them. They'll learn one day.

As for the original post, BBS will win for the above-mentioned reasons of patent infringement, violation of intellectual property rights, etc. It's a pretty simple argument, esp. when BBS shows the knock-offs next to theirs.