When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
19" Forged Apex VS-5RS Wheels: Ultimate wheels for my 997's
I have waited over 11yrs to FINALLY get upgraded Forged wheels on my 911!!
My goal was simple…actually not that simple. Find a wheel that has no compromise LOOK of a OEM Motorsport Porsche look (a little more aggressive GT2 look) and be very light weight.
WELL TO ME THESE ARE A DIRECT BULLSEYE HIT!!
Even on my 996TT I had the 997 wheels on it & for the past 9yrs I have had my 997TT with stock wheels on it. So yes I like the look of it, BUT I was more then ready for a change. The issue is it is hard to actually beat the 997TT wheels . The reason for that is that they are forged, Light weight for a stock wheel and strong. So it is very hard to actually UPGRADE the stock wheels outside of spending $10000CDN++ on a much lighter, stronger forged wheels ie HRE P101’s & BBS FI-R’s ($12-13000 CDN!!)
I almost pulled the trigger on HRE’s P101’s for my 996TT back 10yrs ago when the dollar was on par, but even at $9500CDN I said I will wait until I get my 997TT, but it was still a good set of money…now with the exchanged $12500CDN!!
I have followed many wheel companies that have come to market with forged & light weight wheels for the 911 that seamed to be a good value when they come out. They start off around $5500-6000, but most do not have the aggressive motorsports OEM look like the BBS FI-R’s or HRE P101’s & once the higher end market are made aware of the wheels, they go up in value to $7500-8500. These other forged wheels are also not saving much weight from the OEM 997.1 Turbo Forged wheels, maybe save only1-2lbs a corner.
Well Apex that has been making forged motorsports wheels for years off of motorsport blanks (hence why they can have such aggressive concaves, take so much material out in certain areas & be one of the lightest wheels available), well know in the BMW world & now have decided to move, “upstream”, to the Porsche market (as per what the Apex rep told me).
When I saw these wheels I loved the style as it had the OEM Porsche Motorsports look, but couldn’t get over how much they weight, as they were only1-2 pound off of the 12-13K HRE P101’s & BBS FI-R’s!! When I found out how much these Apex wheels were, I did not believe it …no literally. I read their whole website regarding their manufacturing process two or three times. I searched all over the web for testimonies and I finally called Apex head quarters. For the $$ I kept asking Apex rep about 2-3 times if they are sure these are not flow formed even though I read their website multiple times. The rep went over some of the features that I already read on their site:
https://www.apexraceparts.com/our-wheels/forged-vs5rs.html]APEX VS-5RS Forged Sprint™ Line Wheels (apexraceparts.com)
10K ton forged 6061-T6 aluminum
Side-milled spokes for reduced weight
Stronger Sprint™ spec inner lip
Massive brake clearance
Paintless knurled beads
Unmatched replacement program
Made Out of Motor Sport Blanks
Lifetime structural warranty
Independently tested and certified
997.1 Stock Forged Wheel Weights:
Rears: 19 x 11” = 27lbs Front: 19 x 8.5” = 23lbs
Apex Forged VS-5RS Wheel Weights (keep in mind these are also 1” wider rears and 0.5” wider fronts!!)
Rears: 19 x 12” = 21.6lbs Front: 19 x 9” = 18.5lbs
That is 22lbs of rotating mass weight savings (with it looking gorgeous and mean at the same time) is equivalent of 100lbs off of the chassis weight if you use the lowest calculation of 4x (pending where the weight saving is, the farther away from the hub it can be as high as 7-10x)!! You would have to spend OVER 2 times more for a lighter wheels that saves you only 1-2lbs (HRE/BBS) with the same build quality & these in my opinion
I got my wheels locally and literally was prepared to pay 2-3k more for them. When I saw the quality and the way they look in person, this is a 8-9K wheel set up especially for the weight.
Like the others Forged wheels that have come to market for the 911's that are far less impressive spec and look wise, these wheels are going to be $2-3K more in a couple of years!
Now after 11+ years I can say I have found my wheels that fit the build I envisioned, but for a price better then I can ever hoped for!
In 2 weeks I have me TPC Tractive coilovers going in and that should complete my package of the 997….& then I can finally start looking for more power!
Sorry for my dirty car in the pics as I just took it out of winter storage & I didn't wash the car before storing it! Also I should be running on these wider wheels 325 outback and 245 upfront, but didn't want my 2000km rears and 4000km fronts to go to waste. With the proper tires these would be running perfectly flush with no spacers!
My 1st glimpse of them on DarkKnight…just seeing that I was stoked!!
Last edited by GT3 Chuck; Jun 20, 2023 at 02:54 PM.
I've got the Brembo Gran Turismo big brake kit on my car. I think the rotors are 380 mm both front and rear. I think the front calipers may be a tad larger than the OEM reds. I wonder if there is enough clearance?
If you go to their website, you will see that they are made for the biggest brake available clearance. Also these same wheels fit all 997, including the 380mm carbon yellow caliper optioned 911’s. Give them a call and they will be able to confirm any other specifics.
Those look great! It makes the car look a bit more like the newer gen cars.
Thxs! I know when I put the proper size tires on it (have stock size, when these wheels need 325 rear and 245 fronts) would look more “complete”, but mean as hell!
like I told you in the PM, thank you for the compliment! I truly believe these wheels are going to be VERY popular with the 911’s and go up in price accordingly.
Sorry for such a late response, but we moved into a new build home with some custom work being done at the same time ….and well we are still dealing with stuff:
19" Forged Apex VS-5RS Wheels: Ultimate wheels for my 997's
