Front, 18", Profile 1, 5 Lugs, Anthracite
Rear, 18", Profile 3, 5 Lugs, Anthracite
Porsche 996 GT2 Wheels
Lightweight forged & flow formed APEX wheels for your 2002-2005 996 GT2
Construction Type
AllFinish: Anthracite
Total
$3,076.00$2,534.70Overview
996 GT2 Wheel Performance
The factory 996 GT2 wheels are very good in terms of their fitment but are much heavier than one would expect of the pinnacle of 996. If you want to maximize the potential of your GT2, a set of our lightweight chassis specific and lighter wheels will make a world of difference. We created Forged wheels such as the Apex VS-5RS, SM-10RS, EC-7RS and our Flow Formed SM-10 to increase performance. Find out what fitment is best for your application in our Porsche 911 996 GT2 Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide.
A Brief History of the 996 GT2
The 996 GT2 was the second 911 to carry the GT2 name and while we do offer wheels for this 996 911 GT2 let's dive into what makes this car so special. The previous GT2 was made in very low numbers during the 993 generation with just 57 road cars being built. The ethos behind the two cannot be more different. The 993 GT2 was the homologation special for the GT2 class at the time, whereas by the time the 996 was in full production we had moved on to newer GT3 class rules which didn’t align with the big power turbo rules the 993 was built around. This rule set was homologated with the new GT3 model leaving the 996 GT2 to be more road focused. Power was up to 456 hp initially before being increased to 476hp later in production. This was only available with the 6-speed manual transmission and with the increased power and the reduced weight from a Turbo made for a very distinct driving experience. With a new more aggressive front bumper with built in splitter and a fixed carbon fiber rear wing the GT2 looked the part just as the 993 did before it. It also came with the wider bodywork from the Turbo unlike the GT3 which shared widths with the standard Carrera.
While it wasn’t marketed as a track car like the GT3, this doesn’t mean the GT2 falls short on track. It was afterall the fastest 996 911 available. With the huge power (for the time) and only rear wheel drive this felt like the most like the 930’s of old. A quote from Hartmut Kristen which was posted in the Car and Driver article listed below said “It's for the driver who wants to be able to take his car to its absolute limits on his own”. The 996 911 GT2 wheels we offer are very close in spec to the factory wheels. Our 19x9”ET46 while being a half inch wider actually sits in the same place in relation to the fender as the OE wheel does and the rear 18x12” ET46 is within 1mm of the factory rear. This lets you continue to run the factory tire size while reducing weight even further. Feel free to check out the 996 GT2 Wheel and Tire Fitment Guide for all the possible wheel and tire configurations. The 996 GT2 remains a very sought after model in the 996 lineup demanding a premium to this day.
996 GT2 Gallery
Porsche 911 996 GT2
Porsche 911 996 GT2
VS-5RS Specifications
Reproductive Harm - www.p65warnings.ca.cov 
REAL DRIVERS NEED REAL PERFORMANCE.
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Fitment guides
Which Wheels Should I Get?
Check out our Fitment Guides, the most in-depth, authoritative guides for wheel and tire fitments, tailored for your vehicle and how you drive it.
VS-5RS features
10K Tons of Pressure
Our new forgings weigh as much as 120 pounds before machining. To form such a thick blank we require special equipment capable of 10,000 metric tons of pressure. This extreme pressure increases the strength of the aluminum by eliminating porosity and improving the grain structure.
True Motorsport Blanks
Many companies use 3rd-party blanks intended for non-motorsport wheels which can severely limit sizes, concavity, spoke design, and critical brake clearance. We designed our very own blank profiles from scratch to give us total control over the final product.
Side-Milled Spokes
To be as light as possible the VS-5RS features extra-deep, side-milled spokes. Any excess material that doesn’t add strength is machined out using a precision CNC ball cutter. Side-milling is often deemed cost-prohibitive by others, but for true performance without compromise we believe it's essential.
A Stronger Lightweight Wheel
Our forged Sprint™ wheels are lightweight without the strength compromises found on typical lightweight wheels. First, we machined out as much material as possible, then we purposefully added one pound back to reinforce critical areas, creating a stronger inner lip and a higher load rating.² What’s the point of a lightweight wheel if it’s fragile?
Load Ratings (lbs)
JWL Load Standard
1521
Typical Forged Wheels
1521
APEX Flow Formed
1550
APEX Forged Sprint™ Line
1600
Weight Optimized
We conducted extensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to reinforce high-stress areas and to remove material where it didn’t improve strength. The result is a wheel that is exceptionally light without the strength compromises found on typical lightweight wheels.²
Wheel Weight
Load Rating
APEX Sprint™ Line
18 lbs
1600 lbs
APEX Flow Formed
21 lbs
1550 lbs
Independently Tested
We don't rely solely on computer simulations or unverifiable in-house testing. We believe independent testing is critical to protect consumers in this unregulated industry. We chose STL, an independent lab in Ohio, to test our Sprint™ wheels far above JWL standards, including increases in testing duration, impact drop height, and total load.
Tougher Inner Lip
Introducing the Sprint™ spec inner lip, with a unique channel profile that makes it even stronger than our previous designs. So even though our Sprint™ wheels are pounds lighter than comparable flow formed wheels, the inner lip is stronger.
32%
More reinforcement
than our flow formed wheels3
Big Brake Clearance
From day one, APEX has been on a mission to build wheels that clear big brakes. Our new forged wheels are the product of everything we’ve developed over the past 10+ years, including an innovative high-clearance barrel design and vehicle-specific spoke profiles.
Deeper Concavity
Our new forgings were redesigned to create extra deep, concave spoke profiles. Their new shape allows us to make any profile, from flat to deep and everything in between. Each one is optimized for a specific application using 3D laser scans of factory and aftermarket brake kits.
Paintless Knurled Bead
Whether it's a day at the track or months of street driving, repeated hard braking and acceleration can make a tire slip along the bead seat and go out of balance, causing vibration. Knurled beads help, but are less effective when painted over. Our forged line features unpainted knurled beads that stay sharp and maximize grip.
Built for Impact Sockets
Track wheels need track tools. Don’t settle for wheels that require undersized tuner lugs or thin walled sockets. All APEX wheels accommodate over-sized race lugs and impact sockets to make swapping wheels lightning fast.
32mm
Socket Diameter Clearance
Laser-Engraved Specs
As track enthusiasts ourselves, we know how frustrating it is to try to locate and decipher wheel specs that have been hastily hammered into the rim or become unreadable over time. With our new Sprint™ wheels, we chose to invest a little extra and laser-engrave the specs on the barrel, in plain sight, making them easy to find and read. (You’re welcome.)
Additional features
Hub Centric
All VS-5RS wheels are purpose built for select vehicle applications. Very few applications require centering rings.
Center Caps
All APEX wheels come with our gloss black cap included that is interchangeable with the OE cap. We also offer additional colors for select fitments.
Wheel Hardware
APEX wheels can be used with all OEM mounting hardware, proper aftermarket hardware and most wheel spacers. Wheel locks and stud conversion kits also work perfectly.
TPMS
All APEX wheels accept OEM and aftermarket Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors and standard fit valve stems. If you don’t have sensors, then select from our metal stems available in multiple finishes.
Accessories
A Wheel You Can Depend On
Accidental damage replacement
Curb rash or pothole damage on the street? Make an oopsie at the track? We’ve all been there. APEX is proud to offer 50% off replacement wheels, no matter the damage.
Lifetime warranty
All APEX wheels come with a lifetime structural warranty against defects in workmanship and materials, plus a 1 year finish warranty. Exchanges are fast, easy, and hassle-free.
¹ VS-5RS vs. the original EC-7R, comparing side milling of 18x9” ET46 5x130 fitment.
² Strength and weight comparisons are based on an 18” BMW 5x120 wheel.
³ Comparing the amount of material reinforcement in our standard inner lip profile vs Sprint™ spec inner lip profile on an 18” wheel.
⁴ All wheels compared with equivalent 18x10” ET25 5x120mm / 72.56mm fitment
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