Tire Rack just frakked up.
 

New wheel coming in Feb that you guys might like. - MX-5 Miata Forum

Can't imagine how they came up with that particular fitment. I'll never spend another dime with them.

That's pretty shitty.

I don't get it?? Looks like the same fitment as the 6UL's?

//Edit - just read the thread and you're unhappy because you'll have more choice when choosing a trackday wheel? You're kidding right?

No, he's unhappy because tire rack just ganked all of Emilio's work with the fitment. 949 from what I can tell depends on 6UL sales and tire rack is piggybacking. Such is business, but so is Sav's expression of disappointment.

I doubt tirerack can produce a wheel with the quality of the 6ul. I will assume the majority of 15x9 6ul customers care more about quality (strong & lightweight) than about the price difference.

I can definitely appreciate everyone's, especially Emilio's disgust in this. I hope he makes his 17" wheel in 5x100 for my subaru ;)

yeah that is gay, but if and this is a big if they fail and there shit is heavy/weak. It will be a win for emelio becouse he will have the only proven marketed and tested solution. Time will tell but i hope that TR falls on there face with this one. And has to come beging emelio for the rights to sell his shit if they want a real wheel.

This never clicked with me until now... Does "TR" in TR Motorsports stand for "Tire Rack"? IE, is TR Motorsports a private label "store brand" manufacturer for Tire Rack?

I hope that every feaux 6UL fails. I don't see why anyone would remotely consider buying a wheel aside from the glorious 6UL.

If I ever need that size/offset emilio will for sure get my money. It's only fair for how he has helped the community.

why does everyone care, it's like being mad about chinese turbos

Capitalism is great until someone is on the bad side of it.

I don't care that tire rack is playing business, but I think it's good to let emilio know we stand behind his product.

Google says "YES", and shows that this is their modus operandi. They find a successful fitment, draw it up, and have it built by the manufacturer or foundry that gives teh best bid.

TR MOTORSPORTS
Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044.
G & S: automotive wheels.
Serial Number 75215255
Filing Date December 18, 1996
Registration Number 2216681
Registration Date January 5, 1999
Owner (REGISTRANT) TIRE RACK, INC., THE CORPORATION INDIANA 7101 VORDEN PARKWAY SOUTH BEND INDIANA 466288422
Attorney of Record D. MICHAEL ANDERSON

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

this thread smells of club roadster.

many of us will keep buying 6ULs. some of us will buy the TR product. but now we have more choices, which is usually pretty good for the community.

one thing will never change though: I already bought the wheels from emilio.

split personality?

I don't know, I feel conflicted on this. On the one hand, clearly Emilio is taking a much bigger risk staking his business on track guys, whereas for Tire Rack it's just a small sideline to their business. It sucks that he works hard and does cool stuff just to have someone take the shortcut based on his research, time, and money that he's already invested.

On the other hand, it's not even a particular design -- it's just a fitment. Was the expectation that nobody else would ever try to make a 15x9 ET36 wheel for track use just out of respect? That's unrealistic at best. Would people feel better if the TR wheel was ET35 or ET37? (I know, I know, but just for the sake of argument.)

If I'm missing something here, please explain it to me. I completely understand that it sucks when someone else takes advantage of the hard work of the pioneer, but I don't see how you stop that -- this isn't a patented design or process, or trademarked logo, etc. From a quick Google search I just did, it looks like there's also a BBS RS wheel available in 15x9 ET36 4x100. If the fitment is the problem, then why wasn't the BBS wheel an issue before? If you answer because it's uncommon and expensive, then doesn't that change the complaint? Is the issue that Tire Rack is using the same fitment, or that they are using it to produce a cheaper and probably more easily available wheel (albeit significantly heavier and not as high quality)?

I don't think that people have a problem paying for Emilio's wheels, it's the availablity. When people decide they want something, they want to buy it now, not get on a list, pay in advance, wait a couple of months and then get them. That said, I did buy from Emilio and will do again.

The wheels I own currently on my miata were sold to me on it... how ever if I ever build a track miata. Emilio will get my money I believe in supporting the smaller guy who has contributed something to the community... As should many other people on here.

Something like Rharris's flares don't bug me in the slightest way, but it's just something about this that rubs me the wrong way. Now let me be perfectly honest, I'm not saying I won't order a set in the future. $480 a set is cheap. What does suck is that they are going to take sales from the one company thats really evolving the track miata. So lets just say next year Emilio sells 50 less sets of 6Ul's and lets say his profit was $90 a wheel not counting time/labor/etc. Thats about $18K less he can spend on product development next year. So lets say Emilio had planned to test out a bbk, under tray, diffuser, splitter, data aq, whatever, etc. Now he has to make that money up doing something else or aka less time making us trick parts for the track. I just find it odd that they are going after the 15x9, hell they won't even show the 15x8 under a miata you have to choose a bmw to get it to pull up.

Either way.. I can't run any 15x9 unless I put my stock brakes back on....which makes me sometimes wonder if I should....... dammit.

TireRack's "fitmet" options have always been fucking retarded. I mean, you can look at wheels on a Miata, and then go look at wheels for a Civic and get wheels that didn't show up before...oh wait, because offset is 2mm different. They need to get their shit straight on that. I'll go look through Civic, BMW, MINI, Elise and Cobalt wheels to see different offerings...and it sucks. Rudy from TireRack is also Asshat...I've PM'ed him several times with questions and openly asked stuff in the W/T forum and he never has replied.