20:02 16-11-2025

Cult wheel designs that defined eras: Watanabe, Torq Thrust, BBS RS, TE37

The tuning world would look very different without the cult wheel designs that came to define entire eras. For many enthusiasts, wheels were the first serious upgrade—done for the stance, to shed unsprung mass, or to sharpen handling. Reporters at Tarantas News singled out the models that shaped the scene.

Among the most influential are Japan’s RS Watanabe Eight Spoke. Introduced in 1968, they became a calling card of early JDM culture. With eight slim spokes and a minimalist silhouette, they still turn up on retro builds across the globe—proof that clean geometry ages better than trends.

From the American school comes the American Racing Torq Thrust. Those five-spoke “magnesium” wheels from the late ’50s grew into an icon of the muscle era. They’re often likened to Converse in the wheel world: universal, instantly recognizable, and seemingly timeless.

Europe is embodied by the OZ Superturismo—a multi-spoke design inspired by WRC and Citroën Loeb’s victories. Over time the line expanded into versions for track duty, SUVs, and heavy-duty use, which only cemented its reputation as a purposeful choice rather than just a pretty face.

BBS RS deserves a special mention. Its lattice pattern set the benchmark for style, while the modular construction let owners swap lips and repair damage without replacing the entire wheel. Few designs have achieved such lasting cult status.

And of course, the Volk Racing TE37—Japanese forged wheels that are light (3.7 kg in the original) and impressively strong. Their six-spoke look became shorthand for speed and a near-ideal balance of weight and rigidity. Even today, that formula feels just right.