Lauren Jones is back and looking better than ever in this WebRidesTv video at the 2007 SEMA show. What better to scope out at the prestigious SEMA show than some eye catching and wallet busting rims? We meet Ron Baugh of Giovanna Wheels who gives our Lauren Jones some tips on what is selling the hottest trend in the current wheel aftermarket today. Baugh lets us in on the fact that in today's present market, people with the cash are straying away from the traditional chrome rims that have been selling like mad over the last decade.
According to this industry insider, many people that fall into the category of "new money" are looking for a more subtle look to highlight their outlandish rides body lines. In fact, the most popular rims today are matte finished, or a dull and non-glossy finish, examples of which can be seen in some several pottery glazes as well as art paper. Giovanna Wheels, a pioneer in the production of matte finished rims is also branching into the customer personalization arena with their new Bezel System that lets customers personalize their already exclusive wheels by adding a colored plastic ring around the outer edge of the wheel, setting off an already beautifully accented vehicle.
After her talk with the guys at Giovanna, Lauren moves on to Zenetti Wheel Design being represented by Eric Ramirez. Ramirez feels that the next big trend coming to the aftermarket wheel industry will be a simpler rim, i.e. the traditional five spoke that is made unique by wheel manufacturers the world over. Something revolutionary in the industry is the introduction of aerospace quality carbon fiber that is now becoming a part of wheel design today. Don't think about breaking out the checkbook yet though, with these high quality materials, expect to see the price fly out of your price range at $6,000 to $10,000 a wheel.
Some other highlights of the current aftermarket wheel industry include a racing inspired Samurai wheel from Katana as well as colored metal inserts from Diablo Wheels. Enjoy.
