There’s been a discussion recently on Carter Jung’s (Chief editor of Import Tuner) article titled 100% beef. He basically talks about how knockoff parts are basically destroying our industry. Now, I wholeheartedly agree with him, however it does seem quite hypocritical to be running ads for Rota wheels, Seibon hoods, and Wings West bumpers right alongside the article in the same issue! My opinion is that the people who are genuinely into this hobby, will buy the authentic parts, whether it’s a set of $3000 wheels, $2500 exhaust, or a $1500 front bumper. The ones who purchase knockoffs will be done with the whole car game in a few months…
As far as quality and pricing goes, if you can’t afford the real deal, then stay with the OEM part. There are also pretty cheap alternatives; for example, a set of 15″ Buddy Club wheels hardly cost more than a set of 15″ Rotas. I have personally owned a set of rotas, and even had Seibon carbon fiber fenders on my s2000 (which are their own design) and can indeed attest to the fact that they are low on quality and have poor fitment.