I8ABMR

Just trying to explain why I went with the asanti. Not tyring to convince anyone. I did look at the auto couture and the work universal, but I liked the straight spokes on the asanti. The two japanese wheels have spokes that taper or change width towards the outer edge. You do know your wheels though.

AlterZgo

One of the key differences btw a true high quality (not high end, but high quality) rim mfg and the dime a dozen forged wheel makers out there is the high quality rim companies do extensive testing on the strength of their rim designs.

So, companies like Enkei, who despite being perceived as a lower end line by many due to the fact that they sell some relatively low cost rims, actually produces some excellent products. Enkei is very well respected in Japan and even companies like Rays sends their own rims to Enkei for strength/durability testing.

Then you have these newer forged rim companies, who don't have their own true manufacturing plants and actually sources their rim barrels and center sections from overseas manufacturers, charging a bunch of money for forged rims that are not tested to nearly the degree that a cheap $200 Enkei rim is.

Another very easy way to know if you are buying a well tested high quality rim is to consider if the rim is used in motorsports. You will find companies like Enkei, OZ, and BBS supplying rims to top level Formula 1 teams, World Rally Championship teams and everything in between.

You won't ever find a Formula 1 team using Asanti or even other reputedly high end rims like DPE or iforged because they're not true rim manufacturers in the same sense that BBS, OZ and Enkei are.

GSXOTIC

iTrader: (6)

I also have to agree with some of the comments made here about Asanti wheels.

No disrespect to the member who purchased (or members who are going to purchase) this set of wheel:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ghlight=asanti

But can you tell there is something wrong about this wheel??? I am simply stunned when I see a brand company (not necessarily says brand=quality) introduces the wheel like this not to mention the price they ask for those.

Here is a simple comparison:

http://www.ijak.co.jp/HPcatalog/ratsel-s18.html

Better picture:
http://www.user.kcv-net.ne.jp/~tirel...tsel_wheel.htm

These are forged wheels made in Japan. Not a very well known small JDM wheel company. Basically same design but did you see the differences??? you don't see the inconsistent rivets running all over the place. I bet these are cheaper than the Asanti after all the importation costs.

I have seen my share of so call high quality forged wheel company. So I won't comment further. Isn't there a thread long time ago about all these sudden boost of Forged Wheels companies and I recalled Manaray (Yes, aka Mike) had put some nice comment on those.....

Anyways, good luck with your wheels. Like you often see this comment on CL, if you like them that is what it all matters.

flipside909

This almost seems like an ad for Asanti wheels and Tein H Tech springs.

19psi

i just hope more poeple do a little more research into the wheel companies before buying a set of wheels and dont just buy the marketing hype. just because celebs use them doens't mean tehy're good, it just means they're good looking! they don't care if the wheel is crap as long as it looks good spinning down the street.

I8ABMR

Sorry man but if you had a $450000 car you are probably not going to see a set of rays or volks on the car. Celebs buy high end wheels for their high end cars and arent going to put a wheel on a Lamborghini, ferrari, Benz, BMW bec of hype or just bec they "look good". Come on man. So yes when buying wheels they also want quality. Why wouldnt they? Im sure they love their cars like we do. Hell they drive some of the most exspensive cars on the planet They put asantis on rolls royce phantoms not rays wheels. Its not hype its the real thing . Again thats why I went with the Asanti's. You still generally get what you pay for and you see them all the time on high end luxury cars and exotics. To each his own . Thats all I have to say on this topic.

flipside909

Marketing is the key here, regardless of how good or bad the product is.

It's not necessarily the celebrities that pick out the wheel, it's the shop they bring it to and what wheel they can push out the fastest/cheapest. There are huge markups on wheels in general, especially more so with American manufactured wheels. Asanti is known to give out wheels as "marketing" tools to celebs to get their name out. It's nothing new, it's how the industry works.

LexFather

Celebs are terrible examples, they are NOT car people for the most part. And quite frankly many shops are not car people either. They are salesmen, who sell whatever to whomever to pay the light bill.

As one that knows a couple "celebs" this is how it goes down.
Celeb sees new ride or someone with a new ride.
Celeb wants same ride, sometimes down to the same wheels.
Celeb makes call "hey, I want a 745 with 22s chrome".
That is ALL they say. Next the car is delivered.

Have you ever noticed a lot of times, celebs have the same cars with the same wheels, but in different colors. The Caddy Escalade is maybe the worst offender. Same huge wheels, the truck comes in white or black and that is all.

Its bigger than just Asanti. We can see how the auto modification market has blown up to a multi-billion dollar industry. Everyone wants a piece and wants to sell something. It also means there are more and more people that buy first and don't research.

Hell, I was one of them but I took my time to read/learn/go to meets, etc so I could do the right thing.

GSXOTIC, Manaray (Mike) was that dude. He might have come across harsh many times but the dude would spit knowledge on the wheel and modification game. I LEARNED from him.

IMO, if he browses, he would probably throw his monitor by some of the stuff people are doing and posting.

Today, I am all for supporting the next guy and helping a mature and conductive environment but the "clapping" and high-fives for some of the stuff bought and posted leaves my head scratching.

I8ABMR, IMO, your wheel choice was not bad, aesthetically speaking, you got spokes which are safe for the most part and not some crazy looking wheel. You probably don't drive aggressive or track and wanted a nice chrome wheel and Asanti is fine for the most part. I totally understand your decision.

chrispy

iTrader: (21)

I saw a Ferrari 360 Modena on Work Varianza T1S and it was very classy yet sporty. It didn't need the flashy chrome to get attention.

B.Diddy

iTrader: (1)

Celebrities dont know anything for the most part except what their publicist tells them to like. Thats like back in the day Biggie was singing about Chrome Antera wheels. How many of you guys went out and bought Antera Wheels for your GS300's and LS400's back in the day?

How many knock off spinner wheels have you seen on CRIBS or RIDES. Not many rappers or celebrities went out and bought DAVIN spinners for $20,000.

Again I have to agree its all about marketing. and I would gladly put a set of RAYS Engineering Wheels on a Lambo, They have various lines of wheels. We dont see the Luxury lines very often but they are really nice though!

19psi

so you're saying asanti's are better than rays or volks or any of the other true high end wheels?!! i don't know where you go tthat info from, but you're way off! it' sthe other way around.

anybody who does know a real wheel from a poser wheel would choose something made by RAys or equivalent, not asanti.

i'd love to see the disastrous results of asanti's on a racetrack versus RAYS!

you got your wheels and that's fine, there's nothing wrong with them for what they are, but believe me, they are absolutely not the best made things out there.

i'm sure asanti is glad you and thousands of others have fallen for their marketing! it's all about profit these days and they are doing it right.

I8ABMR

I wanted the exspensive stuff not the cheaper JDM wheels like everyone else. That is the bottom line. I never said asanti was the best or better. I only said that they are more exspensive and you see them on more high end cars. You get what you pay for generally . Even if you pay more for the name, thats fine with me. Asanti has more of the flashy high end rep in places like LA (even if its BS marketing) . Like a benz vs the lexus we all know which is known for being more exspensive, high end, ...more baller. The BENZ. The lexus is a higher quality product in terms of reliablity like the JDM wheels, but if you want the image and the status you spend the extra money and get the benz ( aka asanti's in this situation ). rays and volks go on cheaper cars like, g35's, evo's,wrx,s, 350z's, acura. You see rays and volks in super street, sport compact , and import tuner magazines, not modified luxury and exotic, celebrity car, Rides, or DUB. I just didnt want to put cheaper rims that I see on cheaper cars on my new lexus. Look it up man asanti is hardcore, rays and volks are more for sport compacts ( cheaper japanese cars mainly)

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

You see rays and volks on the cars you mentioned because those are performance wheels for those performance cars. Those wheels lack the bling factor associated with the lexus. Rays doesn't make stylish wheels, they make performance wheels. It's the look not the quality that make the asanti a good look for the high end car....and that's if you like some bling. This debate is pointless. Everyone keeps telling you asanti is decent yet you continue to try convincing us of..............what? They are superior? Doesn't matter dude. You get props as long as you're not sporting something called sperion or ducite wheels.

19psi

i gotcha. some people though, don' t go for all that. i see asanti's on a bentley or even a lexus and i wonder why somoene would put such a mediocre overpriced wheel on such a nice car.
for $4000, i'd get something from work. same bling, more quality and much more respect from people who truly know their cars and wheels. maybe not as much from people who only know what they see on mtv or dub mag though.
but hey, whatever works i guess.

you are right, volks are RAYS brand of sports wheel, more for sports cars than cruisers, but rays....well, they have also made some super expensive sick wheels that fit the luxury lineup perfectly, but they are not advertised (to keep them exclusive to the true high end) and they are more expensive than most anything out there.
if you really wanted to impress people with how much money you spent, you could have looked into rays, or the works i mentioned earlier, or HRE, or any of the other true high end wheels. you don't see them because most people can't afford them; if you wanted to make a statement, that's what you should go after. how could i forget junction produce? you have some junction produce wheels, that's true baller. it doesn't get better than that.
anyone who's been into the wheel game for a long time can spot a true high end wheel immediately compared to a middle line wheel like asanti, iforged, and the others that keep popping up.
anyway, that's about all i have to say on this, my point has been made.
the old agree to disagree thing...

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Looks like rays wheels do look good on high end cars. Check this wheel. It's the Rays Master Piece REM. I think it works on any car.

This wheel is forged and cost 4K a set.

Check this....it is the Volk GT Force and it looks hot on the Benz.


In addition there is the Lexion line of wheels from Rays/Mackin Industries that some members on this site have owned.
So, I rest my case.