(Disclaimer) The following text is rich with personal opinion and taste. (Translate: Please don't flame me)
I'm all for the Stellas. (Especially if they are available in black)
For a Black '05 Solara SE Coupe ... I personally would steer clear of (no pun intended) the "bling-bling" chrome wheels. I travel to Japan a lot and it seems the latest style is more towards painted wheels. Black, white, gunmetal or bronze are rather popular. It appears the style and color often mimic the OEM wheels for the R34 Skyline GT-R.
Since you have a black car, this is a good opportunity to go with black wheels and a polished lip. Replace the grille with MikeT's black upper and lower combo , some tinted windows, lowering springs and you have one very mean looking ride. IMO, this style would be timeless as opposed to appearing outdated in 12 months. (Note that Astro's and ILokedoutsle's cars looks pretty "wicked" with black on black. Nice choice guys!)
I this my style of course. Wheels are your way to display your own personal tastes or attitude. You can't go wrong so long as it agrees with your personality. (Unless you pick the Ronal Teddybear or Daisy wheels. Yikes!)
Again, IMO, I like the style of the old school 5 point stars. When the car is rolling at slower speeds, the gaps between the 5 point really draw your attention to the wheel versus the BBS style like the HRE rims above. The more complex the inner wheel is, the more it just blurrs while moving.
I personally like the 5 points that have the tip of the star run to the edge of the wheel or flush to the rim surface. (Like on the Foose left) versus the Axis which bends sharply inward. (On the right) IMO, this optical illusion makes the Axis wheels appear smaller even though both wheels are the same size.
As for me , I'm a minimalist. I prefer the wheel not to look heavy. (Large flat surfaces, chrome plating, flashy designs... etc) I'd lean more towards polished aluminum versus chromed.
Also, staggared sets are becoming common. (Even though we have a front wheel drive.) It just gives the rear wheel drive image. However, it makes tire rotation just about pointless. Just keep an eye on the offset. Never let the wheel and tire go past the edge of the sheet metal. This says "I didn't do my homework."
I have yet to find a set that meets my all of picky tastes. I'm going to go the route of black with polished on my Red SE-V6. However, you have the luxury of anything looks great with black.
Have fun with it. Do lots of research and don't settle on something too quickly. Most importantly, POST UP PICS when you're done.
by cablemn » Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:57 pm 
