Alloys or Wheel Trims?

[iaint]

I have just returned from a trip to Germany where I noticed a large number of VAG cars had wheel trims while the equivalent UK car would have alloys.

The B6 Passat for example is not available in the UK in any spec without alloys, but there where many of them in Germany on steel wheels with wheel trims fitted. I also saw A4s and MK1 TT's which didn't have alloys.

Why is this? Are alloys a UK obsession? Why would the same car be different in different countries, I'm assuming if the wheels are different then there will be other differences as well?

Cheers
Iain

[adamss24]

They use snow chain in the winter so its not practical to have alloys, brecause they will get damagged.

[Captain Answer]

We're a nation of wannabe's

[mk3_emily]

hmmm... practical issues over having cool alloys... id rather have the alloys, then even stuck in snow i would look good and a nice gent might come to my rescue. bonus. see dilema solved!

sorry, had to throw in the chik point of view!

[mobitune]

hmmm... practical issues over having cool alloys... id rather have the alloys, then even stuck in snow i would look good and a nice gent might come to my rescue. bonus. see dilema solved!

sorry, had to throw in the chik point of view!

In some European countries snow chains are a legal requirement, so you might find plenty of uniformed "nice gent's" coming to give you a lift, albeit to the local cop shop.

[mk3_emily]

really? wow i've learnt something new, but then i dont like snow anyway so think il stay in rainy britain lol

[mobitune]

Neither did I until several days ago. Turns out the French police are quite tough on it in the ski resorts.

[MalcQV]

Mine has "poverty" rims. They look ***t

[iaint]

Well thanks for that, I knew there'd be a sensible reason for it.

But what about the top spec cars in these countries which have alloys, or is the thinking if you can afford one of these then you can afford one set of wheels for summer and one for winter?

I seem to recall that some Scandinavian countries use studded tyres in winter so everyone has two sets of wheels which they swap over for the different seasons.

Cheers
Iain

[RickT]

As its said above, the main reason is the snow chains in winter... HOWEVER... i lot of these contries use Spiked tyres now rather than the chains.

In Sweden and Norway, from October to April its law to have Spiked tyres.

Must people have the alloys for the summer months and the steel wheel and snow tyres for winter!

Rick