Last year, a new wheel company burst onto the scene. Actually, we mean they KICKED the door DOWN. Like John Wick, they let their guns (wheels) do all the talking. They're called Kansei Wheels and their lineup is good. Real good.
As soon as you check out their wheels, you'll quickly realize they're here for a hostile takeover. JK, they're friendly people! Their wheels were built for the JDM, tuner and drift scene. That's perfect, because we love those cars. We're talking about the 240SX, S15, R32, AE86 and FRS/ BRZ. And, 350Z. And, G35. And, maybe the Subies too.
They're taking old school JDM wheel designs and modernizing them by adding bigger sizes. A little bit of concavity here... a little deep dish styling there...some cool colors here... and BAM. That's precisely how we imagine the design process to be like. They already did this to the classic R32 OEM wheels. A definite must-see.
You might ask, how do they perform this magic? Kansei's advanced Formlite process applies radial pressure to the blah blah blah. Blah. Blah blah. We know no one wants to read that. All you need to know is it results in thinner, lighter and stronger wheels. (But, seriously, check the link below if you're curious about the details of the creation process!)
Firstly, they have a clean lineup of cast wheels for those who have a tighter budget. Perfect for a functional build. And, they have a premium 3 piece wheel for those who prefer to go all-out. These would look great with a wide-body kit. Refreshingly, they have a welded 2 piece forged wheel, which is super rare these days. The untouchable Work Wheels are one of the last companies still utilizing this wheel construction method. Everything is done in-house, in the good ol' Southern California, U.S.A. Each wheel is 20 – 23 pounds. Potentially lighter if you go with a smaller diameter.
You definitely have to checkout their flagship KNP classic 5 spoke design. They look especially good on a 240SX, which we all saw first hand at last year's SEMA event. It made a HUGE splash in a sea full of pricey exotics, lifted trucks, and wide body kits on top of wide body kits.
Lastly, we couldn't end this Kansei Wheel introduction without mentioning that some of their wheels are named after Japanese numbers. Like, Jugo, which means 15. And, Roku, which means 6 (for 6 spokes) in Japanese.
To make things simple, these guys do as great a job at design as they do functionality. That's why DSG Performance is now an Authorized Dealer. Stay tuned for some serious photo and video once we get their Flagship KNP wheel at DSG HQ.