From a block of metal to a superb Vossen alloy wheel, in pictures

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We all know that watching tv is a waste of time in most cases, but there are (or were?) some shows where one can easily learn a thing or two. One of those shows was called “How do they make it?” and, well, the title really is self-explanatory.

Luckily, the internet is just as good (if not ten thousand times better) at that, and here you have the perfect example – actually, a video would have been perfect, but this very detailed photo series will do – of how a custom alloy wheel is made.

The subject is the absolutely gorgeous (really, this car gets better and better the more you look at it) Mercedes-AMG GT S whose standard AMG wheels get stripped off after a short ride on the back of a towing truck. Then all it takes is some measurements and the people at Vossen are off to the drawing boards.

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The chosen design does not differ that much from the original wheels, but they do appear to be larger (20″ at the front and 21″ at the back) and have a lighter color. The first step is carving out all the wholes and checking to see if the soon-to-be wheel fits. Obviously, everything is done computer assisted, but nowadays even frying an egg involves some electrical current flowing through a few silicone chips.

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Next they sculpt the actual layout of the wheel, an elegant 6 Y-spoke design which allows much of the discs and calipers to show. The rough wheel is then dipped into a series of tanks in order to remove any remaining residues before it goes off to the painting shop. Vossen chooses not to actually paint the rims, but use a transparent glossy finish instead and looking at the end product, is seems to have been the right choice.

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All that’s left now is the photoshoot. Browse through our gallery to see the whole process, step by step.