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What are Turbofan Wheels?

Originally published February 11, 2019 on LinkedIn

Author: Rahna Brown

1971 BMW 2002 on BBS Super RS Wheels

We recently had the pleasure of fitting a 1971 BMW 2002 with a set of 15” BBS Super RS rims.

The classic look of this set-up got me curious about the BBS style wheel and its evolution. Turns out, there is an engineering story behind the old-school retro look of these wheels.

The wheel style is called a Turbofan, and it was originally designed for sports cars, like Porsches, BMWs, Skylines and Corvettes to manage brake temperatures. Some Turbofan wheels include a bladed cover attached over the wheel.

When a vehicle is in motion, Turbofan wheels improve aerodynamics and channel cooling air towards the brakes, while generating some down-force (similar idea to a spoiler). The design helped achieve a balance of warm, but not too hot brakes for optimum performance.

And optimum performance it did achieve, performance so good that the wheels were banned by most racing competitions (they are considered possible active aerodynamic devices).

Another benefit of Turbofan wheels: looking cool and making tire smoke look awesome (see Ken Block’s fifteen52 Turbofan wheel covers below).

Quick Note: Turbofans are sometimes one piece (a wheel), and other times the Turbofan is a welded aluminum piece installed over the wheel, like a wheel cover.

Aesthetically, Turbofan wheels are polarizing.

You love ‘em, or hate ‘em. They were popular on Porsches and BMWs in the 70s and 80s, and the debate’s been (has raged) on since then. They were not especially well-received when introduced on the E34 M5 in ’88, and eventually they faded from popularity.

However, the hype has returned! With today’s 80’s car nostalgia in full effect (See my article on the Youngtimer movement!), custom Turbofan wheel covers and rims are making a strong come-back.