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Weight you save on wheels makes a lot more difference on the driving experience than the weight you save on the rest of the car; It's moment of inertia. The heavier a wheel is (18lbs vs 10lbs) , the more force is required to get it spinning. Also, the further out the mass is from the rotational center (17" vs 15") , the more force is required to get it moving. So you can see how lighter wheels will make a difference when you accelerate or turn. But the same also applies when you're trying to slow down. The lighter the wheel (rotating mass), the less force is required to bring it to a stop. Now times that effect on all 4 wheels, and we're talking a big difference here. And because it takes less force to spin the wheels, there's also some fuel economy that can be gained with lighter wheels (steelies vs alloys for example).
My previous B5 Audi A4 1.8t for example, I can run 15.5 quarter mile times at the track with OEM 15" alloys. But with my 18" Mille Miglia Spyders on, my 1/4 mile time increased significantly to high 17 seconds. Ask anyone who drag races. That is a huge amount of difference.
Hope this helps.
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