Are Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels Worth The Hype?
Porsche does a lot of things right, like Porsche Turbo twist wheels. They take their time and put the work in, and the result is usually a car that needs little to no changes to make it perfect.
Usually, that isn’t always the case, of course. There are examples of Porsche getting it wrong, such as the 2003 Cayenne coolant pipes that needed to be replaced almost as soon as they left the shop floor.
The 996 and 997 had the worst IMS bearings known to man. But, usually, Porsche gets it right. Nothing to add. Nothing to change. That being said, sometimes Porsche values function over style a little too much. And sometimes, they just get it plain wrong.
Many people enjoy upgrading their wheels on their 993, which led to a huge surge in people trying to hot-swap them for Porsche turbo twist wheels instead. But why turbo-twist wheels? Are they really worth all that hype? Let’s find out together.
Highlights
- Porsche Turbo Twist wheels are a distinctive wheel design known for their five-spoke pattern with twisted spokes.
- These wheels gained popularity with the Porsche 911 Turbo model.
- Turbo Twist wheels are highly regarded by Porsche enthusiasts for their aesthetic appeal and performance benefits.
- Benefits of Turbo Twist wheels include improved performance due to their lightweight design and enhanced handling, cornering, and braking performance.
- Porsche Turbo Twist wheels have downsides, such as being structurally compromised if a spoke breaks and potentially attracting theft or vandalism due to their flashy appearance.
- The cost of Porsche Turbo Twist wheels varies, with new sets typically ranging from $1,500 to $3,500 USD.
What Are Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels?
Just in case you didn’t know, Porsche Turbo Twist wheels are a type of wheel design that first gained popularity with the 911 993 Turbo model. They are probably most recognizable by their distinctive five-spoke design with a twisted or twisted-spoke pattern, which is unsurprisingly how they got their name.
This unique twisted-spoke pattern gives them a unique appearance that many people found to be a lot more aesthetically appealing than some of the stock rims that were coming out at the time. The twisted spokes are typically polished chrome or a silver finish, although, personally, matte black turbo twist wheels have always been appealing. But that’s just one man’s personal opinion.
These wheels are often considered an upgrade as they offer slightly improved performance and look cool as hell. Yes, you heard correctly; they do actually serve a purpose apart from making people jealous at car meets.
They are often sought after by Porsche enthusiasts as they have garnered a bit of a reputation. This is especially common with the older 911 turbos, as that’s when they first really gained popularity.
Some rims were so poorly matched for such stunning cars; how could you not want to upgrade them? Are you going to drop all that cash on a car and drive around with wheels you’re not happy with? No.
The Benefits Of Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels?
Obviously, the largest benefit of Porsche turbo twist wheels is that they look cool. Let’s get that out of the way first and discuss their actual, quantifiable benefits.
The Porsche Turbo Twist wheels can offer overall improved performance due to their lightweight hollow spoke design, which reduces rotational inertia and enhances handling, especially cornering and braking performance.
The basic idea is that the shape of the turbo twist wheel spokes allows the wheels to remain strong structurally while using less and lighter metal without jeopardizing their structural integrity. So, anybody who claims that turbo twist wheels are just a vanity aftermarket upgrade is wrong.
The Drawbacks Of Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels?
Now, these rims do not come without downsides. Firstly, they may be structurally fine in a vacuum, but because of the twisted spokes, if one breaks, they are all so much worse off than evenly spaced straight spokes.
Therefore, they are fine until they break, but when they break, they are a safety hazard. Obviously, if you broke a spoke on your wheel regardless of its make (even stock), that’s bad news anyway. You could also argue that turbo-twist wheels invite theft and vandalism as they are extra flashy.
But isn’t that just Porsches in general? I don’t think it makes a huge difference. For the most part, there aren’t really any downsides to having turbo-twist wheels. There certainly aren’t any engineering downsides.
Benefits & Drawbacks Summarized
To simply things, I’ve created a table of benefits and drawbacks of the twist wheels:
| Aspect | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetics | Visually appealing and adds style to the vehicle. | Can make the car more attractive to thieves and vandals due to their flashy appearance. |
| Performance | Lightweight hollow spoke design reduces rotational inertia, improving overall performance. | If a spoke breaks, the twisted design may make it more challenging to repair or replace compared to traditional straight-spoke wheels. |
| Handling | Enhances handling, especially in cornering and braking, due to reduced weight and improved weight distribution. | In the event of a structural failure, the overall integrity of the wheel may be compromised more than wheels with evenly spaced straight spokes. |
| Durability | Structurally strong while using less and lighter metal, maintaining integrity without excessive weight. | Breakage of a spoke can potentially lead to safety hazards, although this is a risk shared with other wheel types. |
| Subjective Appeal | Aesthetic appeal can enhance the overall look of the Porsche and potentially increase resale value. | Some may consider the flashy design to be too attention-grabbing or not suitable for all tastes and vehicle styles. |
How Much Are Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels?
It will vary depending on where you are in the world, but to simplify things, the average price range for a set of four brand-new Porsche Turbo Twist wheels is typically between $1,500 to $3,500 USD. However, prices can vary quite a lot depending on several factors, such as wheel size, finish, and whether the wheels come with or without tires.
If you want nice refurbished paint on your wheels and you want a new set of racing tires already on them (yes, you can often buy them as a package), you might end up paying $7,000. It really depends on what else you are getting with the turbo twist wheels.
On the other hand, if you were to find the right-sized turbo twist wheels secondhand and you are simply buying the rims, you could spend as little as a thousand bucks. It could be even cheaper and be just a few hundred if they are particularly scuffed up. But there are plenty of services these days to fix wheel scuffs and peeling paint.
Are Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels Worth The Hype?
We think so. At the end of the day, wheels are wheels; you either like them or you don’t. Since turbo twist wheels technically offer a marginal benefit and you could potentially pick a set up cheaply, it can become a pretty good investment both performance-wise and visually.
But, on the other hand, if you don’t actually like the wheels that much, you will obviously give them a miss.
The Verdict On Porsche Turbo Twist Wheels
If this was your first time encountering Turbo Twist Wheels, we hope we managed to do them justice. They are pretty cool, honestly, and when we are talking about Porsche, even $ 3,000 for a full set of wheels is pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things.
There are certainly more expensive wheels you could pursue, so you could even argue that the turbo twist wheels are a good investment (you can use that if you need to convince your significant other to let you buy some new wheels).
Hopefully, you enjoyed this blog post; this was a fun one. Thanks for reading, and goodbye for now. Cheers!
