“Sawblade” Wheels: Where’s the Love?

These were the standard wheels on the later fourth-generation Corvettes

It’s hard to understand the disdain for the design of the aluminum wheels on the later C4s. Some owners replace them with aftermarket wheels or thin-spoke wheels from later-generation models to individualize their car. But there are many who think these wheels look good, especially against the darker colors like Polo Green.

My Polo Green ’93 (shown above) was completely original, right down to the exhaust system. The “sawblades” that came on the car were in excellent condition; I really liked the design and the way they looked on this car.

The trend toward the thin-spoke, open-type wheels on newer Corvettes probably started with automotive engineers constantly striving to reduce un-sprung weight in the suspension. Their goal was to continually improve ride and handling. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this was to make the wheels themselves ever lighter. In addition to using lighter materials such as magnesium or aluminum, the next weight-saving technique was removing material from the wheel, making the spokes ever-thinner, and giving the wheel an “open” look.

It’s clear that the thin-spoke, open-wheel design is preferred these days. Body-color or contrasting-color painted calipers behind these thin-spoke wheels seem ubiquitous on most newer Corvettes. Fans of painted calipers obviously favor the thin spokes, because you can’t see painted calipers behind “full” aluminum wheels like the “sawblades”.

So what is your preference? If you’re younger, you’re probably a fan of the newer open design, perhaps sporting painted brake calipers behind the wheels. If you’re older, you may like the look of the older design, with just some relatively small slots for cooling.

Back to the original question: Is there any love out there for the “sawblade” wheels?