How to Choose the Right Wheels
There’s nothing less steezy than a stock car. There are exceptions, but everything is better lowered on TE37s. TE37’s on your dad’s Chrysler Pacifica? Swag. A set of mag blue TE37 SAGAs on your toaster oven? Goes hard. Chrome TE37SLs on the garbage can? C’mon now.
But really, a careful selection of aftermarket wheels is the true ticket to swagging out. There’s a healthy criteria for choosing the right set of wheels, mostly based on arbitrary historical precedent, and the culture.
My BRZ, very stock and swagless.
I’ve been ruminating on Wheel Culture, as I’ve dubbed it, while I searched for a good set of wheels for my 2023 Subaru BRZ. It’s similar to sneakers or streetwear. Some models and brands are undeniably dope, instant swag adders. Most of those wheels come from Japan or Germany, some even from Russia. More than anything, cool wheels come from companies with significant racing heritage, adapted to the road for style.
Allow me a quick breakdown of cool wheel companies. At the top, Japan’s Rays Engineering with its Volk Racing line of motorsport wheels, including the totemic TE37. Then, there’s BBS out of Germany, which practically owns the 1990s’ multi-spoke motorsport wheel style with the LM and E88. Completing the trifecta is Yokohama with its Advan line of wheels, most notably the RG and TC series.
The first page of the 2024 Rays catalog, showing Rays' 2024 World Endurance Championship wheel on the left and a TE37 Saga S-Plus on the right.
Then, some left fielders that have world-ending swag: Spoon Sports, famed Honda tuner, with the SW388, Desmond Wheels with the Regamaster, which actually inspired the SW388 in the mid-1990s, and Mugen with the MF10. Finally, there’s the middle tier of wheels. This is where companies like Enkei, Work, SSR, Rays Gram Lights, and Weds exist. Within each, there are cool wheels and decent wheels.
It gets deeper, because not all variants of swag wheels are created equal. Even amongst TE37s, there are variants that are extremely desirable and others that are overlooked. I’ve found a few key factors that determine the desirability of the wheel:
An example of how wheel faces change with width and fitment. Top: Advan Bottom: Rays Wheels
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