Are the nismo wheels really worth it do people notice that much of a difference in acceleration as compared to stock or should i go more for looks

does anyone know of wheels with similiar weights as the nismos 18's or bigger

 

nismo makes good product but they are way overpriced in my opinion...i think you can get more for your money with other brands.
as for the nismo wheels, they are one of the lighter wheels on the market so you should get some performance gains, but i think most of your gains will come from good tires.

 

The Nismo wheels are actually manufactured by Rays which also makes the Volk line of wheels (among other brands) and is basically a 5 spoke version of the TE37. They are forged monoblocks and definately lighter than stock, but don't expect a huge difference in acceleration given that you'll be using wider (thus heavier) tires. You may have to go to the track with stock and Nismo rims to determine how much of a performance difference there is. Compared to other rims, the Nismo's are relatively inexpensive. I think they look great.

 

Whay he said

Lou

 

The pics don't do these things justice...in the looks department, they hold up very nicely to the 19" volks and if you stick with the recommended tire sizes, they fill the wheel wells nicely without a drop.

As far as performance, you can carry more speed in the corners and get a better launch with the wider rubber, but combined wheel/tire weight and more of it further out from the hub will actually net lower hp to the pavement than the stock 17s.

About 6-8 hp. We saw this repeated time and again at a local z club dyno day. You can easily offset this and then some with a crank pulley and breathing mods.

 

I also think the Nismos are overpriced. I mean they are universal 5 lugs. I personally hate all those useless holes in the center. When I see universal 5 lug I just think cheap, but the Nismos definitely aren't cheap. If you want a similar weighted 18", I would look at the Volk TE-37.

 

I think that Rays/Volk, Racing Hart, iForged, HRE's etc are all overpriced. If you like the Nismo wheel you can go to Tirerack.com and get a set of Kazera's which are Nismo's (w/o the Nismo sticker) for half the price.

 

I like the Nismos. As was stated above since they are made by Rays Engineering they are similar to the Volks. What I like most about them is the weight (18 to 18.5 lbs) and the width (8.5" front and 9.5" rear). They fill out the wheel wells nicely. My car also has a slight drop that I think enhances the look. I got mine for $1,600 so I can't complain about the cost. I had the Track wheels on my car before the Nismos and I think the Nismos look better because they are wider more open.

As Brimstone said above the Kazera's from the Tirerack look similar to the Nismos. I looked at them, but the width on the rear is different and they weigh slightly more. Also I am not sure what they are made of.

 

I've has the LMGT4s on for about 3 weeks now and absolutely LOVE them. First, regarding acceleration, compared to the Track wheels (very light weight) there is no noticable difference. The big performance increase comes from the wider Nismo wheels and wider stickier tires. Second, the Nismo wheels look hot! As several people have said, they look MUCH better on the car than any pic I have seen. They give the Z a much more aggressive look.

 

Nismo stuff is generally expensive, but I think the wheels are in line with other manufacturers and Jason at performance can cut you a good deal. All those 'overpriced' wheels are forged for strength and lightweight. I'm pretty sure the Kazeras are not at 24 lbs.

I've found you generally get what you pay for when it comes to wheels. The best compromise I've seen out there is Enkei. They have a number of styles that are not forged, but still lightweight, strong and affordable.