Category Archives: wheels

Why the NA Mazda Miata OEM wheel has 7 spokes instead of 8

As has often been said, the original NA Mazda MX-5 Miata wheel was designed to evoke popular aftermarket wheels of the 1960s. However, as keen-eyed observers might note, all those wheels and the many copies they inspired have eight spokes. … Continue reading

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NA Mazda MX-5 Miata OEM wheel reborn as 15-incher

The original Mazda Miata was an icon in every way, and the fact that its original OEM wheel is now being remade is proof. The RML Daisy takes its name from the nickname Miata enthusiasts have given the NA Miata’s … Continue reading

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Weds Racing Forg, Japan’s first forged 3-piece wheel reissued

In 1977 the Weds Racing Forg made history as Japan’s first 3-piece forged wheel. It immediately became popular among touring car race teams. To commemorate Weds’ 60th anniversary in 2024, the wheel company is remaking the Racing Forg in three … Continue reading

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Enkei Dish II brings back old school style for newer vehicles

The original Enkei Dish was an old school slot mag-style wheel sized for Japanese cars. They were released way back in 1968, and has been revived in several permutations since. On February 8 Enkei announced that they’re back again under … Continue reading

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Volk Racing TE37V celebrates 10th anniversary with exclusive finishes

It’s hard to believe, but the Volk Racing TE37V is at least a decade old. The wheel was developed by Rays to merge the iconic TE37 6-spoke with fitments for old school cars with smaller diameters and low offsets. To … Continue reading

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The Bridgestone Super R.A.P. aluminum wheel has been resurrected

It looks like a steelie, but the Bridgestone Super R.A.P. is an aluminum wheel. Introduced in 1987, it was designed to be “the ideal competition wheel”. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Bridgestone’s motorsport program, so the company has … Continue reading

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Enkei Al’Vita brings back an aluminum “steelie” that brought back an actual 1950s steelie

Enkei has revived a classic wheel design that looks like a steelie but is actually cast aluminum. The original Enkei Al’Life debuted in 1990 with the same “looks like steel but lighter” concept. The remake is called the Al’Vita, appropriately, … Continue reading

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A Volk Racing TE37 wheel comes to life at the Rays Engineering factory (VIDEO)

The Volk Racing TE37 wheel is one of the finest aftermarket wheels ever conceived. Behind its clean design is a legendary combination of strength and lightness that justifies its seemingly high cost. And its maker, Rays Engineering, isn’t some fly … Continue reading

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Bridgestone Super R.A.P., an aluminum wheel that looks like a steelie, revived

Bridgestone is reviving its Super R.A.P. wheel, once famous for being incredibly light weight. A mainstay of the Showa Era, it was originally released in 1987. Though it looks like a simple steelie coated in white, the Super R.A.P. was … Continue reading

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The Rays Vesta Eins Glacé “Strawberry” is the ultimate JDM fashion wheel

Today is Strawberry Day in Japan. The Japanese word for strawberry is ichigo, but as it happens, the Japanese pronunciation for the number one is ichi and the pronunciation for the number five is go. So “one-five” becomes “ichi–go” and … Continue reading

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Enkei RPF1RS now available in 18-inch sizes

It’s been 20 years since the release of the Enkei RPF1, a timeless racing wheel for Bubble Era cars. The super lightweight design has its roots in Formula 1 racing, but its consumer version has for two decades been one … Continue reading

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The base 2023 Nissan Z Sport 18-inch wheels will be timeless

Recently we got the chance to manhandle the 2023 Nissan Z. Nissan provided a base version, now called Sport, and an enthusiast’s version, called Performance. Most reviews have focused on the Performance trim, and rightly so. While the Performance is … Continue reading

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SSR MK-I deep dish wheel goes back into production with a limited run of 600 units

SSR will soon be putting its game-changing wheel, the SSR MK-I in deep-dish spec, back into production for a limited run. How limited? There will be only 600 units made, enough to make only 150 sets of four. SSR’s now-parent … Continue reading

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The 4×4 Engineering Bradley V returns for the wheel’s 40th anniversary

We’re sure most readers here are familiar with Japan’s most famous racing wheels from the likes of Rays, SSR, Work, Enkei, RS-Watanabe, and so on. On the off-road side of things, however, there’s another iconic wheel that is celebrating its … Continue reading

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The Volk Racing 21A’s introduction completes Rays’ neo-classic wheels trilogy

Rays Wheels has launched their latest neo-classic model, the Volk Racing 21A. With its introduction to the market, the wheelmaker has completed its wheels inspired by the glory days of Japanese tuning and built for domestic cars of the era, … Continue reading

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SSR MK-II and MK-III re-releases sold out in five hours

Last year, SSR made a limited re-release of the legendary Speed Star series, known for their clean, timeless spoke designs and wide barrels. Demand for the wide sizing and interest from a new generation of kyusha fans brought them back … Continue reading

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Here’s what modern cars would look like with their predecessors’ wheels

There’s a new Facebook page that seems to have nothing but photochops of new cars with old wheels. Specifically, the images on the aptly named Unnecessary Wheel Swaps are of modern vehicles wearing the wheels of their predecessors. The ND … Continue reading

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Hayashi Racing is (maybe) bringing back the Bomber wheel as part of a (maybe) Heritage Wheel reissue program (…maybe)

Hayashi Racing may be best-known for its venerable Street Wheel, which was Japan’s first aftermarket alloy wheel, and has been in production since 1967.  However, they do also have a bulging back catalog of wheels from the pre-bubble era which … Continue reading

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PRODUCT GUIDE: RS Watanabe Toyota Works replicas

RS Watanabe has revealed their latest wheel design, and it’s a gorgeous revival of the famed Toyota Works racing wheels of the 1960s and 1970s. The classic four-spoke crosshairs pattern is back, and is now available in a 15-inch size. 

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PRODUCT GUIDE: Return of the SSR Formula Mesh, but with a twist

The SSR Formula Mesh is one of the classics, a vintage barrel whose design looks fantastic on cars from nearly any era. The good news is Speed Star Racing is bringing them back. However, the catch is that they’ll only … Continue reading

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