BBS Unlimited – a rim for all cars

Following its acquisition by KW automotive in June 2021, wheel manufacturer BBS is making a comeback with an innovation that ensures its wheels are compatible with a broad range of vehicles. Unveiling this addition to the BBS portfolio at The Tire Cologne, managing director Klaus Wohlfarth stated that BBS Unlimited represents a “very large promise.”

With BBS Unlimited, the company speaks of a “revolution” in wheel design that brings together Unlimited Fit, Unlimited Style and Unlimited Value. BBS rims gain these characteristics through the utilisation of hub adapters, vehicle-specific centring rings and innovative mounting materials suited to almost all vehicle types. The first BBS Unlimited rim to arrive is the flow-formed CI-R design, however Wohlfarth confirms that other designs will follow and will cover the entire vehicle parc in future.

The standard bolt circle on the CI-R rim is 5×117.5 but with the use of hub adaptors, which are available in widths ranging from 14 to 50mm, the rim can be adapted to the vehicle’s bolt circle dimensions. “At the same time, the offset of the base rim can be precisely changed. The hub adapters are made of a high-quality and subsequently anodised aluminium alloy and are extremely corrosion-resistant,” shared Klaus Wohlfarth when presenting the system at the Cologne show.

Centring rings made from a high-strength polyamide composite material ensure optimal centring of the hub adapter and wheel “so that no vibrations can arise.” This material offers dimensional stability, weather resistance and heat resistance and at the same time protects against corrosion within the hub adapter. These adapters are attached to the wheel hub via short-head wheel bolts or wheel nuts, and the wheel is mounted on the hub adapter using steel or titanium wheel bolts specially developed for the BBS Unlimited range. “The loose taper collar compensates for tolerances and torsional forces. An integrated hexagon socket prevents damage to the wheel when tightening the wheel bolts,” said Wohlfarth.

CI-R options

Aftermarket customers can choose from a wide range of colour options when selecting their base rim, collision guard, hub cover and valve cap, and thus individually configure the look of their BBS wheel.

The CI-R design is available in 19- to 21-inch diameters and in widths between 8- and 12-inches. Base rim colours and finishes include Black Silk Matt, Bronze Silk Matt, Racing Gold Silk Matt, Diamond Black Gloss, White Gold Silk Matt, Indigo Blue Silk Matt, Polished Ceramic and Platinum Silver. The collision guard is available in black, red, blue, yellow, bronze, stainless steel and gold, while customers can order valve caps in black, red, blue, yellow, chrome and gold bronze. The BBS hub cover can also be customised and is available in black, red, blue, yellow, carbon, chrome and bronze with the logo colours silver, grey/white, silver/red, bronze and gold with two- or three-dimensional embossing.

BBS Unlimited launches with the CI-R design that can be adapted to fit most vehicles (Photo: BBS)