Sorry but I got to call you out Team3d.
Saying they are the same wheel, just made in different countries is either ignorant, or completely misinformed.
If you know something I don't please inform me.
To the rest of folks, the first and obvious difference here is the weight.
The OZ "Leggera" generation of wheels, with the Alleggerita, the one in question weighs only 15 lbs.
The other difference is the construction process is different. Almost all rims are made using gravity casting. The Alleggerita and some BBS wheel use spin casting, which is as close as you can come to forged strength and weight.
The Alleggerita paired with some Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, and you will thank me.
Sorry for being a nerd here. 12 year VW owner (still am) and it’s a tuned TDI, so lightweight wheels really make a difference. My economy never changed, from 15, 16, 17, and 18.
Except for the OEM 15's I had for a year, the rest for spun cast rims (the 18"s were BBS RC made for the Jetta GLI)
As to OZ owning Sparco.
I am not sure who owns who. What I do know is that Tire Rack is 100% the sole importer of OZ wheels.
I also know that until 2011 ish OZ wheels where only made in Italy.
All of a sudden OZ's website provided they had "100$" wheels crappy cast wheels made in China.
As an OZ fanboy I accepted it as the brand would be out there more.
Around the same time Sparco appeared on Tire Rack too as well as a bunch of other brands that were just branded wheels.
The other day I was on the phone with someone in the wholesale dept (yes I am lucky), and I asked him: "Did Tire Rack build a factory in China, to build wheels for these brand names they got rights to (again I am assuming all these things) and he said no.
If you want quality wheels, I would go with OZ's sub 20lb wheels (the UltraLeggera are still available, cheaper but a pound heavier).
Enkei has some good stuff.
I think the best value, and its JDM is the Kosei line. Their 16" is only 130$ and its race quality.
For me, I am buying OZ Alleggerita for my new LX sedan. The car is Kona Brown and everyone tells me to get the gold ones. Right now Tire Rack has a sale on the gold version of the Alleggerita, as well as the anthracite (I own these 17x8 for my jetta).
I don’t really care what they look like, I honestly buy OZ only for the performance factor.
Also tires are SO important, never stray away from the Ultra High Perormance segement, I find the "touring" tires dangerous.
I am also buying a set of Kosei (Japanese) wheels, 16x.6.5, they are 13 lbs and only 130$
I hate to own two sets of wheels, but I get wholesale pricing, and can drive to Tire Racks Warehouse and save massively on shipping.
I will be getting the Alleggerita in oem 17x7 and the Kosei 16x6.5 with Michelin Pilot A/S.
I REALLY hope I don’t get a mpg drop. Physics and rotational mass blah blah would prove that either of my wheel tire combos are the lighter weight than the the steelies.