Autoblog

Click for a mini gallery of some of this year's clear rims

Last year "clear" was very in at SEMA: Clear wheels, clear hoods, clear heels, even clear engine blocks. This year a few wheel companies are keeping the trend alive with more on the clear front. While there was a set of massive 30-something-inchers on a particularly clean Riviera, we also saw some slightly more tame sizes on display as well. The big ones on the Riv were from Rimshot, but Dub had some out there, too, on a nearby Benz. The Dubs didn't capitalize on the all-clear concept quite as well, but they seem a bit more realistic in some odd way. Still kind of ridiculous for anything other than display, they at least LOOKED somewhat usable.

We can't remember anyone asking if a 1985 Chevy Caprice lifted twenty inches on a set of clear, 30-inch wheels could do a burnout, but ladies and gentlemen, you have your answer and it's a resounding YES! Called the Garfield Box, presumably for its orange paint job or love of lasagna, the '85 Caprice is wearing clear "treys" made by MHT wheels that reportedly cost $30,000. A fine investment, for sure, bound to pay itself off somehow. If anything, they'll make a fine set of coffee tables some day.

Check out the video of Garfield Box doing a burnout after the jump, and click the Read link to view more pics of it on Car Domain's blog.

[Source: Car Domain via Winding Road]

We reported on Radurra's Clear Wheels at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas where they debuted, but at the time we could only show you live pics of these transparant polycarbonate wheels because Radurra didn't come prepared with a media kit. After checking back with the company's website, we found a new, large gallery of pics that better show off the wheels in their natural state of invisible glory. To recap, they are composed of a hub and outer rings made out of forged aluminum that hold in place a 1.5- or 2-inch think polycarbonate disc that's chemically hard coated. They come in 20- and 22-inch sizes, the former weighing 27 lbs. and the latter 38 lbs. Each wheel costs approximately $5,000, which means the total price to outfit your car will be in excess of $20,000 when all is said and done. Hey, maybe your red-painted Brembo's really are that pretty.

[Source: Radurra via BenzInsider]

For all the crazy rides on display at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, it seems every year a pair of rims manages to attract the most attention. A few years ago it was the arrival of 30-inch rims. Last year it was the $1,000,000 rims from Asanti. This year all we've heard about are these clear wheels that we just have to go check out, so check them out we did before the show closed last night. The D'Vinci Forgiato Radurra wheels are made from polycarbonate and are totally transparent where one would expect to see spokes. The wheel on display featured 1.5-inch think polycarbonate, while the set installed on the Mercedes-Benz CLS had 2-inch thick polycarobonate. Each wheel costs $2,000, which is a bargain compared to the $250k you need to cough up roll on just one Asanti rim. You'll need the extra dough, though, to keep these clear wheels clean of brake dust.

Bunch more pics after the jump.