12 Articles
Detroit 2009: Hot Wheels

Sure, there were a few brands missing from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but we never got the feeling that things were bleak... until we went looking for ten cool wheels. After walking the floor twice, we were able to come up with nine. America's premiere auto show had left us walking in circles, one wheel short, debat

Weds creates a 6.1-pound full carbon fiber wheel

Weds Sports, a Japanese wheel-maker, has created a full carbon fiber wheel -- rims, spokes, hub, everything -- that weighs 2.76 kg. Coming out to about 6.1 pounds, that's about half the weight of the Dymag carbon fiber wheel with a magnesium rim that you'll find on a Callaway Corvette, and just over a pound more than Dymag's all-carbon race-specific front wheel for a motorcycle.

SEMA Wheels: If 30 is the new 20, then 40 is the new 30

Where 20-inch rims seemed gigantic just a couple of years ago, the massive surge in 22s, 24s, 26s and the like mean 30s are becoming commonplace. No self-respecting donk would be caught rollin' on anything less than 30s these days, and last week at SEMA we even saw 32s, 34s and a pair of 42s (!) floating around the show floor, as well. We also spotted a few creative solutions to dealing with these new monster rims, like cutting out a car's fenderwells completely and a whole new tire mounting app

SEMA Wheels: That's one heck of a fat lip

That's an 11-inch lip on these wheels! These rims from Royalty Luxury Alloys are called the Masterpiece and according to the signage, they feature the world's first 11-inch lip. The look is a bit deceiving, because the spokes are set in the middle, but bow far back into the rim to create the world's only 11-inch lip. Custom rims are all about getting noticed, so if deep lips are your thing, it looks like you'll now have to crank it up to 11 to stand out from the crowd.

Rimblems communicate the size of a man's rims

Who says size doesn't matter? We've all had it happen to us. You roll up to an event in your pimped out ride, DUBBED to the fender wells, with every eye on you. You step out and notice to your chagrin, that your admirers are squinting rather than smiling. Your massive wheels are obviously attracting a lot of attention, but the crowd is stumped. They can tell you've supersized your rims, but they can't tell exactly HOW big they are. They all wanna know what you're packing. Are they 20s? 22s? Bigg

Carbon fiber wheels coming to a tuner near you

The next logical progression in removing unsprung weight will finally be made available to U.S. enthusiasts. Rennworx Ltd., a company that imports a variety of top dollar rims and parts, has agreed to bring Dymag's full lineup of custom carbon fiber rollers. Their products have found their way into the wheel arches of some top dollar machines, including Ascari, Mosler and Koenigsegg.