Rims are typically the first modification carried out by most people wanting to add some spice to their cars. Replacing the factory wheels can instantly change a car’s look and empower a very distinct type of image depending on the desired style. Chrome combined with a large diameter instantly entails a show-car and VIP-style look while minimal spokes paired with a matte forged finish screams function over form. I’m personally biased towards the latter but can appreciate the former as when combined with the right car and the right body kit, large chrome rims can actually produce a tough appearance. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder when it comes to the vast array of aftermarket rims.
Fittingly, all of the big brand Japanese tyre and rim manufactures were on hand at TAS to show-off their latest 2017 offerings. We’ll first start with crowd favourite, Rays Engineering.
Rays Engineering’s lightweight and track oriented rims fall under their Volk Racing product line. Ask any Japanese rim junkie what their all time favourite design is and you’ll probably receive an undisputed four character reply. TE37. The Volk Racing "Touring Evolution 37" (which weighed 3.7kg in 15×6 trim) was introduced in 1996 and gained popularity for its 6-spoke aesthetics and performance as a one-piece forged construction rim.
Two and a half decades later, the TE37 has spawned its own product depth, with multiple variants now available including the TE37 V, TE37 X, TE37 Gravel, TE37 SL, TE37 KCR, TE37 RT, TE37 Sonic, TE37 Ultra and more. For 2017, Rays introduced the Volk TE37 Saga. Available only in 18" diameter but in various width, it’s geared towards modifiers wanting their TE37 fix for a current gen, late-model ride.
Mad Mike Whiddent’s infamous "HUMBUL" FD3S RX-7 and a clean MY17 GT-R wearing Volk Racing’s latest TE037 Dura (available in 20" only) were my standout demo cars at the Rays Engineering booth.
Other big name Japanese rim manufactures occupying floor space at TAS 2017 included Advan, Enkei, Weds Sport and Work. I’ve always been fond of the "classic Equip" line of rims by Work as they emit a modern-day expression of a rim with nostalgic feelings. Work celebrated their 40th birthday in 2017 with a gift to themselves, the 15" only – Equip 40. Annoyingly, I failed to take a photo of it!
Foreign rim manufactures were plentiful at TAS 2017. BBS, Lexani, Rohana and Vorsteiner were a handful that caught my eye. They weren’t difficult to miss as their baller demo cars easily caught the attention of most.
It was pleasant to see tuners getting their hands dirty with the second-generation NSX. Forgiato splashed their beauty with gold chrome vinyl, while Aimgain’s red example flaunted a reverse pair of black and red shoes. Aimgain also had a tough looking wide-body R35 GT-R and 86 on their stand, which attracted Nobuteru Taniguchi-san’s attention.
Speaking of Taniguchi-san, I spotted him on stage a short time later at the Yokohama/Advan booth. Partnering up with Orido-san, both brand ambassadors were taking part in a live interview. The only thing I understood was the consistent mentioning of the word "oversteer".
Other large tyre players carrying out PR campaigns at TAS 2017 included Toyo (who also had a separate out door booth), Bridgestone, Dunlop and Nitto. Correlative to the OEM manufactures, all of the tyre manufactures had huge budgets to splurge as demonstrated by their imposing and large booths.
I felt sorry for the staff at TWS-Forged. They probably needed a dozen or so buckets to mop up all of my drool after I saw what they had on display. You know you’re at TAS when cars like the Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Ferrari F12 TDF and even a Pagani Huayra, don’t remain stock.
No TAS coverage is complete without a visit to the car park. In the concluding chapter of my TAS 2017 coverage, I’ll highlight a glimpse at some of the cars the attendees turned up in.
