BBS Wheels

I hear from VW gus all the time how "played out" BBS wheels are. I personally love them, I don't see how such a classic wheel can be over-done. You can put just about any BBS on just about any German car and they look great while almost looking stock. Whats everyone else's opinion here.


 

I like them. Great, light, quality rims. Pricey though, maybe that's why they're filing for bankruptcy?

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/news/wirtschaft_-_handel/hxcms_article_501854_14055.hbs

Maybe someone better versed in German can help clarify the article. Read the translated version of the article, and it still pretty difficult to understand:

"BBS announces insolvency


Update of the autosuppliers BBS automotive technology AG in scold oh (circle Rottweil), one of the prominent manufacturers of light alloy wheels, placed insolvency request. As reason for the inability to pay the enterprise gave on Tuesday (6,2.) the way breaking of a bank on.



A catching solution failed. The technology leader with high-quality light alloy wheels had still briefly before communicated the change at the point of the supervisory board. The former minister of economics of Baden-Wuerttemberg Walter Doering should replace Hans-Peter Hirner (71).

BBS had communicated in August 2006 that the enterprise had to accept a result depression because of aluminum prices snapped the strongly up. The additional tax result sagged in the first half-year on minus 3.8 million euro. For the whole year 2006 BBS had expected a conversion of 200 million euro. The conversion of the yearly 2005 was with 189.8 million euro. BBS employs approximately 1,200 humans in the company.

Serious liquidity difficulties

"although to the time of the filing of an application still promising negotiations were led to the re-establishment of the solvency of the enterprise, were the reason for the filing of an application that the society was come into serious liquidity difficulties and the end of the request period stood, was called after Paragraf 92 of the law on limited companies before the expiration" it in the report of BBS.

A solution for the re-establishment of the solvency appeared last, which should be carried by the big customers of the enterprise. The promise of the big customers to make the necessary liquidity available by larger Vorfaelligkeitszahlungen it was also given. The conversion of the concept failed however at the night to Tuesday because of the resistance of one of the banks involved, although the society granted for the purpose of the continuation of the financing collateral to the financing banks. A catching solution under excluding the bank concerned did not come therefore no more to conditions."  

Status of BBS Germany… Here are a few facts. (From BBS of America)

First, BBS AG will be going through a restructuring process, they are not going out of business.  (Has anyone flown Delta Air lines recently??… they have been in Chapter 11 restructuring for almost 1 ½ years and they are recovering quite well).  Higher material costs, labor costs, investments in more advanced production equipment and other factors have not helped BBS grow in the very competitive worldwide wheel business.  Products from China and other low cost countries have  had a huge impact on the industry.  BBS in Germany has not adapted quickly enough to the changing times.

All of the BBS road wheels from Germany are made from cast aluminum and they have a variety of unique processes that allows them to build special one piece and two piece wheels for aftermarket and OEM customers.  More than 70% of BBS's product is produced for the OEM market.

BBS has been around for over 35 years and has always been the technology leader in this business.  Developing new processes and engineering products to compete in F1, does come at a price.  Some companies will just steal a design and take it to market, not a lot of investment needed to copy or follow... it takes a much larger commitment to lead.  

Second, All of the forged BBS wheels (RSGT, LM, RGR, RE, RVF and RGF) are produced in Japan by Washi Beam, a long time partner company to BBS Germany.  Washi Beam produces die-forged wheels for Subaru, Mitsubishi, Aston Martin, Bentley, Lexus, Mazda and a few others as original equipment.  They also produce the forgings used to produce F1, Indy, ALMS and other BBS racing wheels for programs around the world. Washi Beam is 100% independent of BBS Germany and Washi Beam is not involved in ANY bank or financial related issues. BBS Germany and Washi Beam started working together back in 1983... Remember the original 3 piece RS wheel? Washi Beam produced all of the die-forged wheel centers for these wheels.

Third, BBS employees are working and wheels are still being produced.   Certainly there will be some changes… this will only be known once the restructuring process is farther along.

BBS Germany will continue with the restructuring process, Washi Beam will continue to make the highest level die-forged wheels in the world and BBS of America will be here to service customers in North America.  

Thanks for the info, Radtech. I'm confident BBS will pull through this little bit of financial difficulty. They're still one of the best manufacturers in the industry.  

bbs is played out yet timeless but they are going bankrupt so go buy all the wheels u can.  

NO KTAN THEY ARE FILING FOR BANKRUPTCY B/C their supplier of steel bailed on them and steel right now is so expensive they cant afford it  

Radtech again DELTA got help from the Gov to keep them out of dyer straights I doubt BBS GERMANY has anything like that... and looking that aluminum went up at the beggining of the fiscal year I think thats what screwed them they had set price for the end of the fiscal year and set contracts for a certain amount of production and right when the new year was about to start aluminum prices shot up and their supplier bailed which put them in quite the bind.  

wow I had no idea BBS was in any kind of trouble I doubt they will go down but Im sure prices will juack up when they get a new supplier so I would recomend buying ASAP to avoid this, thank god im more of an O.Z. person myself. What a bum deal for such a beautiful rim manufactuar!  

i've owned at least 12 cars, 6 of which were outfitted with bbs wheels.
the guys at the wheel and tire shop always appreciate bbs wheels because apparently they are easy to balance and feature a robust finish coat.
i guess these guys get a lot of shitty bling wheels all the time so seeing something good is refreshing

for the money i think bbs is one of the best wheel values out there.  

BBS FTW! Especially LMs.  

you really cant go wrong with them... except that everybody else is getting them also  

Hey i just got a set of BBS-RV's i know they are a little older but i cant seem to find a center cap for 1 of them i only need the one so its pretty hard anyone shed some light on this and help me out to find one, thanks alot.  

Do not know it well.  
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