Tire Rack just frakked up.
12-19-2009, 11:53 AM
#24
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I agree and I'm tired of listening to these Marxists cry over spilled milk. I see nothing wrong with a large corporation duplicating a small business' design and cutting the price. Using other people's design, multi-million dollar buying power, and the beauty of "economies of scale" to eat smaller competition is the American Dream!!! Look at TARP, protect the large companies because they employ America, and let the small business die.
I wonder if Tire Rack would be interested in getting into the Texas Miata Challenge series? Emilio already proved that it can be a viable series in its first year. It would be a great way to give away a few of these 9" wheels to the winners and get some exposure.
I wonder if Tire Rack would be interested in getting into the Texas Miata Challenge series? Emilio already proved that it can be a viable series in its first year. It would be a great way to give away a few of these 9" wheels to the winners and get some exposure.
lol
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12-19-2009, 12:01 PM
#25
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oh, and in for ban. I think Tire Rack is pretty ******* gay for this bullshit. Its highly unlikely that 50% of the children and poor people will buy the cheaper alternative. I hope that wheel fails, unfortunately anyone who knows how to drive a car will be on 6ULs and we'll never know if the TRs are worth a ****.
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12-19-2009, 12:15 PM
#27
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Easy now Hustler though I think its messed up, I'm also an advocate for fair competition. I have no doubt in my mind that the 15x9 TR will be the best bang for the buck but the 6UL will be the best wheel. Will you be competing in TMC with guys on TR's...yup? Will they 6UL be faster/easier to drive...yup? How much faster 1/10? It will now be a hard choice later in the year for used 15x9's 6UL's or new TR 9's. Lets just hope Emilio can still sell enough of his products to do all of the extra stuff he does for the Miata community.
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12-19-2009, 12:18 PM
#28
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Easy now Hustler though I think its messed up, I'm also an advocate for fair competition. I have no doubt in my mind that the 15x9 TR will be the best bang for the buck but the 6UL will be the best wheel. Will you be competing in TMC with guys on TR's...yup? Will they 6UL be faster/easier to drive...yup? How much faster 1/10? It will now be a hard choice later in the year for used 15x9's 6UL's or new TR 9's. Lets just hope Emilio can still sell enough of his prodects to do all of the extra stuff he does for the Miata community.
I look forward to comparing my mega-awesome wheels to peasant trash. With any luck they'll catch some of my ching-dow when I make it rain for you bitches off the podium...now get up off the ground with your shame.
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12-19-2009, 12:25 PM
#29
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If Emilio makes the center caps an option, gives a package price for an order of the wheels/lugs/valves he might be able to drop a few bucks on the regular 6UL and keep the 6ULR as the higher priced ubber wheel. Maybe even give a racer discount if you have them in your sig or if your car gets a lot of exposure like the Miata Challange events. idk
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12-19-2009, 01:37 PM
#32
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Once upon a time, there were 205/50-15 tires and 225/50-15 tires. Then Hoosier made a 225/45-15 for Integra Type Rs in Grand-Am Cup. Then another tire company figured out that size made a lot of sense. Now we have lots of options in that size, and the world is a better place for all of us. There's even a reason to make 15x9-in. wheels more than one set at a time. Hoosier is still doing just fine, and thanks to their 275/35-15, somebody really should get on with an affordable 15x10 solution.
Emilio's wheel is nice, and if I thought it was the right answer for my build plans, I'd already have a set. I don't. (And I'd have a spare in case something happened to one and he was out of stock for six more months. I'm serious about this - wanna buy one SSR for a BMW?) The TR wheel might be the solution that lets me have the brakes and the wheel fit I want. Or it may still not clear the brakes, or it might be ugly, or too heavy.
What I'd really like to see is Enkei, Volk and SSR all come out with 15x9s covering a range of prices, weights, strengths and styles, with different amounts of brake clearance, just as the tire companies have done with 225/45-15s, and manage to market them successfully to more people than Emilio is reaching. That way, instead of Emilio living in 2008 for the rest of our lives, he has to keep making his wheels better and better to stay in front of the competition, maybe entering more markets and selling them to more cars, building his volume and being more successful. Our Miatas wouldn't all be clones of each other. Tire companies wouldn't think twice before releasing their latest models in 225/45-15.
Footnotes:
Dual valve stems weren't Emilio's idea. Enkei's been doing it for a long-*** time, and I'm sure they weren't the first. Even Tire Rack has been doing it on Kazera for awhile. It's not like nobody there ever uses a tire pressure gauge.
The BBS is ET minus36, probably a neat look on a really wide-fendered E21, but irrelevant to this thread.
Emilio's wheel is nice, and if I thought it was the right answer for my build plans, I'd already have a set. I don't. (And I'd have a spare in case something happened to one and he was out of stock for six more months. I'm serious about this - wanna buy one SSR for a BMW?) The TR wheel might be the solution that lets me have the brakes and the wheel fit I want. Or it may still not clear the brakes, or it might be ugly, or too heavy.
What I'd really like to see is Enkei, Volk and SSR all come out with 15x9s covering a range of prices, weights, strengths and styles, with different amounts of brake clearance, just as the tire companies have done with 225/45-15s, and manage to market them successfully to more people than Emilio is reaching. That way, instead of Emilio living in 2008 for the rest of our lives, he has to keep making his wheels better and better to stay in front of the competition, maybe entering more markets and selling them to more cars, building his volume and being more successful. Our Miatas wouldn't all be clones of each other. Tire companies wouldn't think twice before releasing their latest models in 225/45-15.
Footnotes:
Dual valve stems weren't Emilio's idea. Enkei's been doing it for a long-*** time, and I'm sure they weren't the first. Even Tire Rack has been doing it on Kazera for awhile. It's not like nobody there ever uses a tire pressure gauge.
The BBS is ET minus36, probably a neat look on a really wide-fendered E21, but irrelevant to this thread.
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12-19-2009, 02:03 PM
#37
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I already do not like Tire Rack for two reasons:
- One, they do not carry Nitto for whatever reason, which is lame IMO considering the enthusiasts want the NT-01. They do carry Hoosier after all.
- Two, their prices are really not that stellar if you take the time to haggle hard with Discount Tire. Ignore DT's online prices. I can usually get DT within +/- 5% or so of TR even when shipping versus taxes, and mounting are considered.
I have had people steal my ideas and run with them and it sucks. Personally I go out of my way to give credit to my R&D coworkers when they come up with an idea that I use in something I am developing. Plus I ask them if I can use it before I run with it.
On the other hand, I am a bit of a hypocrite in that a lot of the tools in my garage are Chinese Harbor Freight items. Clearly China is one of the biggest examples of reverse-engineering something, copying it, and selling it cheaper, but at arguably lower quality. I buy their stuff, so in effect I am supporting this.
I am guessing either these TR wheels when compared to 6ULs will either be uglier and/or slightly heavier and/or not as robust, unless they are a blatant reverse-engineered knock-off.
- One, they do not carry Nitto for whatever reason, which is lame IMO considering the enthusiasts want the NT-01. They do carry Hoosier after all.
- Two, their prices are really not that stellar if you take the time to haggle hard with Discount Tire. Ignore DT's online prices. I can usually get DT within +/- 5% or so of TR even when shipping versus taxes, and mounting are considered.
I have had people steal my ideas and run with them and it sucks. Personally I go out of my way to give credit to my R&D coworkers when they come up with an idea that I use in something I am developing. Plus I ask them if I can use it before I run with it.
On the other hand, I am a bit of a hypocrite in that a lot of the tools in my garage are Chinese Harbor Freight items. Clearly China is one of the biggest examples of reverse-engineering something, copying it, and selling it cheaper, but at arguably lower quality. I buy their stuff, so in effect I am supporting this.
I am guessing either these TR wheels when compared to 6ULs will either be uglier and/or slightly heavier and/or not as robust, unless they are a blatant reverse-engineered knock-off.
Last edited by ZX-Tex; 12-19-2009 at 02:13 PM.
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