Apex Wheels 18" EC-7RS in Anthracite

Porsche 986 Boxster Wheels

Not your car? Find the right fit

Lightweight forged & flow formed APEX wheels for your 1996-2004 986 Boxster

Enduro Line

Sprint Line

Finish: Anthracite

$1,438.00

Porsche 986 Boxster Wheel Performance

While being a wonderfully balanced chassis the OEM 986 Boxster wheels fail to deliver in width and weight. Our selection of Flow Formed SM-10 and Forged VS-5RS, EC-7RS, or SM-10RS will help to maximize the performance of your Boxster, by giving you not only a wider wheel but a lighter one as well.

Be sure to check out our 986 Porsche Boxster Wheel and Tire Fitment Guide to find the perfect setup for your mid engined roadster.

A Brief History of the 1997-2004 Porsche Boxster

In the early 1990s, Porsche’s finances were in dire condition. After canceling their front engined range, including the 924, 944, and 968, Porsche was left with only the 993 Carrera model. Plagued by slow sales and a build process eroding margins, the company needed not only a new model in their range, but a more cost effective production strategy. Taking cues from Toyota, Porsche decided to implement cost saving functions like a “just in time” production technique as well as a shared vehicle platform across multiple models, intended to reduce development costs.

After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on the Boxster concept car at the 1993 North American International Auto show, Porsche forged ahead with the mid-engined 2 seat roadster. For the first time in Porsche history, a water cooled engine was placed ahead of the rear axle in a mid-engined configuration, with a transaxle and cable operated shifter. This same water cooled engine would eventually find its way into the 996 generation 911 Carrera, which was a tough pill to swallow for the die hard enthusiasts loyal to the company's air cooled past.

Porsche quickly began production of the finalized variant and first sold the 986 boxster for the 1997 model year. The vehicle was offered in both base and S model trim with engines ranging from 2.5l all the way up to the 3.2l found in the Boxster S model. With a mix of both automatic and manual gear boxes available, the Boxster appealed to the masses at a very attractive price point. By sharing a variety of parts with the 996 911, Porsche secured much stronger margins and the success of the Boxster allowed Porsche to continue operations with strong profits. While some may argue the 986 isn’t a true Porsche, there was no denying it’s extremely balanced handling and unique look.

Why it Makes a Good Track Car

The fact that there’s a spec class entirely dedicated to the 986 Boxster says it all. These cars handle like nothing else at this price point and for a Porsche, running costs are reasonable. While this generation isn’t without its reliability issues, with an upgraded IMS bearing, some oiling mods, a third radiator, and a good maintenance schedule, the 986 will make its owner quite happy on track.

While not a powerful car, the light weight mid engined design will teach its pilots the necessary skills for keeping momentum through the corners and allow even those with less experience to extract its full potential. Whether you’re just participating in the occasional track day or building a full blown race car to compete with NASA, the 986 won’t let you down. For any use case, we have some fantastic options to fulfill your needs for 986 Boxster wheels.

Don’t just take our word for it, check out why so many people consider the original Boxster to be one of the best values money can buy in the video below: The Original Porsche Boxster (986): 2022 Hagerty Bull Market List

EC-7RS Specifications

Front
Rear
Wheel Size
18x10" ET36
Face Profile
Profile 2
Bolt Pattern
5x130mm
Center Bore
71.6mm
Centering Ring
N/A Direct fit
Lug Seat
R14 Ball Seat
Center Cap
Gloss Black
OEM Cap
Compatible*
Load Rating
1,650 lbs
Weight
19.8 lbs
Tested By
STL
Test Reference #
STL-AX1-0006
Front Profile

* Designed to fit Porsche 5x130mm center caps

986 Boxster Gallery

  • Grey Porsche Boxster - SM-10 in Anthracite

Fitment Help

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.

EC-7RS Features

10K-Pressure-Apex-wheels.jpg

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.

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Side-Milled Spokes

One of the most significant upgrades to the EC-7RS is the addition of wider and deeper side-milled spokes. Any excess material that doesn’t add strength is carved 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.

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A Stronger Lightweight Wheel

Our forged Sprint™ wheels are lightweight without the strength compromises found on typical lightweight wheels. First, we carved 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

APEX Sprint™ Line
18 lbs 1600 lbs
APEX Flow Formed
21 lbs 1550 lbs
  • Wheel Weight
  • Load Rating
STL-radial-test-logo-Apex-EC-7RS

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.

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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

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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.

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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 EC-7RS 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.

EC-7RS Warranty

A Wheel You Can Depend On

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.
See terms and conditions.

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.
See terms and conditions.

¹ EC-7RS 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