I think it's funny how it's always the Cali people that bitch about knockoffs. For one, they don't seem to understand how much more difficult it is to get REAL wheels on the east coast (or anywhere other than CA, for that matter...) and how much more expensive they'll be. I don't know how many times I've read on honda-tech.com "yeah, I just got these XXX JDM rimzors off my boy for 300 bones" That **** just doesn't happen on this side of the country.
Also, it seems that a lot of Cali people are so much more superficial when it comes to car stuff like that...I mean, if I'm looking to buy a wheel, I'm looking at looks, weight, size, and price; not JDM-ness.
Knockoffs and fakes and copies have been around for EVER. Let me ask you this....I'm not sure what came first, the Watanabe, the Panasport, the Minilite, or any other similar design....could it not be that at least one of those is a knockoff, or at least "inspired" by one of the other wheel designs? Would you hate on any of those companies? Doubt it.
I praise Rota for making a good wheel at an affordable price.
I'm totally rambling, my bad...