A set of wheels can make or break the look of a car. From the unimpeachable perfection of a bronze Volk TE37 to your classic silver Enkei RPF1, aftermarket wheels are often one of the first things people change to alter the aesthetic of their new car, truck, or terrifying barstool deathtrap. But what about those stock wheels, so often sold or relegated to winter duty? Why are people so desperate to get rid of them?
The short answer is that most of them are garbage. But which one is the worst?
My vote goes to these weird snowflakes available on the C8 Corvette. Snowflake wheels can look incredible, like the Trans Am wheels of Smokey and the Bandit legend, but these ‘Vette wheels are, as the kids say, not it. The all-silver look is bad, but the dark-gray-with-machined-face version is also bad. There are no winners with this wheel.
Andy Kalmowitz, Jalopnik’s resident Jersey Turnpike stan (which should tell you about his tastes), disagrees. His vote goes to the AMG Twin 5-Spokes available on the current E-Class, based purely on the weird gray ring that hovers above the brake calipers.
These wheels are almost good, but are missing out on two crucial points. First, the spokes shouldn’t split immediately at the hub, but should come out in a sort of Y-shape like you’d find on a Titan7 T-S5. The second has to do with that weird gray ring, and the one feature that could make it an absolutely incredible statement: Match it to the paint color.
Imagine, a bright teal E-Class, with a matching teal ring behind the spokes. Tell me that wouldn’t look incredible, and I’ll tell you you’re wrong. I understand that Mercedes doesn’t offer a teal E-Class, but I’m already dreaming here — why not take it all the way?
But we’re here for your take on the worst factory wheel. What’s your pick? Let us know below, and we’ll collect our (least) favorites tomorrow.