They're just polished that way...

what?!? now i feel like an idiot....please enlighten me?!?

you can never have enough chrome ..... i wish my stars where.... yes they dont look too bad when the car is clean but i like the the shiny stuff a bit more ....

I believe they are polished aluminum...not chrome.

These are replicas, but you get the idea: Wheels

so the torque stars are the only ones that are chrome?

Niether Torque Star's or 5 Spoke rims came in Chrome. They were either painted, or polished with a clear coat. If yours are chrome, they were done after the factory.

To answer the question of "Do they make a difference?"......
I spent some time finding a couple of photos and have this to show...... Mind you the painted rims are shaded, but you get the idea.
These are not photoshopped. Last year I switched and I'm able to compare from the year prior pictures.

The shiny oem wheels are hi polished. Saying they're chrome will lead some people to believe they can use a chrome polish on them, which you can not. As Clint mentioned, they have a clear coat on them and if you use an abrasive chrome polish, you will scratch up the clear coat and they will turn out looking nasty.

Hi-Po = clear coated = do not use any kind of polish
Chrome = not clear coated = chrome polish may be used

thanks guys much appreciated