Iconic Aftermarket Wheel Designs

The easiest way to customize your ride is with a fresh set of wheels.

When it comes to the world of aftermarket customization, the easiest way to give your ride a unique look is with a slick set of wheels. The range of wheels available out there is huge – with everything from the cheap and nasty to the expensive and overbearing. But in and among the throng of aftermarket wheel designs, originals and replicas, there are some gems to give your ride a new look. From classic to contemporary, we’ve compiled ten of the aftermarket wheel designs we feel will remain benchmarks for years to come.

Enkei RSM9

Few wheel manufacturers have as illustrious a history in motorsport as Enkei do. The Japanese wheel supplier has supplied the McLaren Formula 1 team since 1995; but in recent years has supplied OEM manufacturers too – including General Motors. Since 1950 the brand has produced iconic wheel designs, but the Enkei RSM9 sports wheels is a design likely to remain a classic for many years to come. Available in 17-, 18-, and 19-inch diameters, and widths from 7- to 10.5J, the piano black or platinum silver 9-spoke design features an anti-slip paint on the inside that reduces tire distortion during extreme acceleration.

BBS Super RS

No list of iconic aftermarket wheel designs is complete without the BBS Super RS. The classic wheel design has been replicated by no-name and big name-brand wheel manufacturers alike since its release, but nothing comes close to the original. The 2-piece die forged aluminum wheel is available in several color combinations, but the iconic diamond cut rim and gold center is the look the BBS Super RS will always be known for. The Super RS might not suit all applications – particularly modern ones – but when it comes to old school cool, there are few that rank as highly as this.

Volk TE37

Rays Wheels go by the tagline of “the concept is racing,”and when it comes to the Volk TE37 racing wheel, the tagline rings true. It’s been equipped on every manner of race car from track monsters to drift demons, and it’s proven to be one of the most versatile wheel designs in existence. Originally manufactured as a 15-inch wheel weighing just 3.7 kg, the TE37 became renowned as one of the first forged wheels on the market. Since 1996, the TE37 has been a popular design that’s stood the test of time, and it doesn’t look to be fading from the limelight any time soon.

OZ Superturismo WRC

We all want a bit of race car in our everyday life. But there’s no reason we can’t equip a little rally car flare to our daily drives. OZ Racing have been giving us racing flare for decades, with rally cars being its prime canvas to display its wares. 90% of WRC cars now ride on OZ Superturismo WRC wheels – instantly recognizable by the white multi-spoke design with red block-printed OZ Racing logo. When it comes to adding a touch of racing class to your ride, the OZ Superturismo WRC is a future classic already – and with sizes ranging from 14-18 inches in diameter, they’ll fit on most day to day drives without compromising practicality.

HRE Vintage Series 454

HRE turns 40 years old this year, and in its four-decade long tenure in the wheel business its released some impressive designs – catering specifically to those in the market for wheels for their high end sports cars and supercars. But the folks at HRE are on the lookout for owners of classic supercars too, and tits Vintage Series is aimed at owners with supercars from the 80s and 90s. The HRE Vintage Series 454 evokes the spirit of exotic GTs and sports cars harking back to the 1970s. The 5-spoke design is available in a range of more than 80 color finishes, with sizes from 18-22 inches in diameter – the perfect design for a piece of classic Italian machinery.

ADV7.2 CF.2

A relative newcomer to the market, Advance One Wheels (ADV1) is less than a decade old, but has quickly carved out a niche in the market for creating high quality and technologically advanced wheels. You can throw a dart at the catalog and find something striking, but when ADV1 pair up with carbon fiber manufacturers, Dymag, the result is nothing less than wheel porn. The ADV7.2 CF.2 features an aerospace grade forged aluminum center, paired with a Dymag BOXSTROM carbon fiber hybrid barrel. The hybrid construction makes them up to 40% lighter than regular cast aluminum wheels, ensuring increased performance, along with incredibly good looks.

American Racing Torq Thrust

Whether it’s classic muscle, modern muscle, or an off-road monster lurking in your garage, American Racing can cater to your wheel needs – with a range of classically designed wheels for each application. But if there’s one from its repertoire that sticks out, it’s the classic Torq Thrust cast aluminum wheel. It’s a simple design available in 14-inches right through to 20-inches, and it’s versatile enough to look good on classic American muscle, modded hot rods, and modern muscle alike. For a classic American car, it’s the classic American wheel design.

Vossen CVT

Vossen has seemingly risen to prominence in a matter of years, but the brand has actually been in existence for the last three decades. The CVT is its signature design at the moment, and has become one of the most replicated wheel designs in the world – but nothing beats an original. The lightweight, one-piece cast wheel is directional in nature, and each set requires four molds to ensure that the wheels match up directionally, regardless of whether the fitment is square or staggered. Available in 19-, 20-, and 22-inch sizes, it’s not the wheel for every car – but for those it suits, few wheels look better.

Rotiform BM1

Rotiform specialize in a range of OEM+ wheel designs for those wanting something just a little extra, over and above the OEM offerings standard to your vehicle. But more than that, it also manufactures a range of OEM-inspired designs that stand the test of time. One such design is the Rotiform BM1 – a wheel many might remember from the BMW M1 mid-engined sports car of the 1970s and 1980s. Available in three finishes, the 3-piece forged BM1 wheels add more than just a dash of retro to your ride.

Carbon Revolution CR-9

While we’ve already featured a wheel with a carbon fiber barrel on this list, this last entry goes the whole hog with a full carbon fiber one-piece wheel design, making use of aerospace grade technology to develop a high-strength, lightweight wheel design. Carbon Revolution is the name of the company, and the CR-9 is their premier one-piece carbon wheel design. It performs as well as it looks though, reducing unsprung weight, and improving handling and performance through the simple concept of rigidity and reduced weight. From sports saloon to supercar, the CR-9 suits all applications, and it looks damn good doing it!