Motegi Racing Wheels Review: Are They Any Good Or Are They Reps?
When it comes to lightweight performance wheels, there is a brand that seems to have been forgotten about over the last several years.
Despite being fairly popular in the early 2000s, Motegi Racing kind of “disappeared”, and many people forgot that they were even in the wheel game.
However, not only are they still in the wheel game, they are actively involved and are making a sort of “come back”.
In this post, I’m going to cover Motegi Racing and how good their wheels really are.
The History Of Motegi Racing
Motegi Racing was founded in 2000 and was actually relatively popular at the time. Made as a racing wheel company focusing on motorsport, their wheels became rather popular with the Fast & Furious tuning scene at the time.
Motegi Racing is actually owned by Wheel Pros, a giant when it comes to wheel companies that owns many brands under its umbrella including Rotiform, TSW, Beyern, Dub, Niche, Foose and more. American Racing Wheel Company, one of the brands under Wheel Pros, is the company that makes the Motegi Racing wheels.
Motegi Racing has been actively involved in motorsport since the beginning, and chose to put their focus primarily on making high performing wheels for race cars rather than tuner wheels for street use.
This is probably one of the reasons they got forgotten about, since they weren’t actively marketing themselves in the aftermarket industry.
Instead, they were busy making wheels for many of the world’s top racing series including 24 Hours of LeMans, IMSA, Porsche Cup and many others. Motegi Racing is also one of only two brands that are officially partnered with Ferrari, Shell being the other one.
Such involvement in racing along with being part of the Wheel Pros group of brands allows them do a ton of R&D and design very light and durable wheels which perform extremely well.
This is proven by the fact that, short of a car getting completely totalled in a crash, not a single Motegi Racing wheel has ever broken during a racing event, which says a lot about their strength and durability, especially since they are extensively used in many forms of motorsport including drifting which is notorious for damaging car parts.
Despite all this, Motegi Racing don’t actively market their brand as much as other companies, which is why they are not as popular as other performance wheel brands like Enkei, Advan and Volk.
But when it comes to high quality performance wheels, Motegi Racing are definitely up there.
How Motegi Racing Rims Are Made
Motegi Racing make a wide range of wheels using a variety of wheel manufacturing methods, especially when it comes to their motorsport applications.
Over the years they have made everything from cast to forged two piece wheels. Their current retail line up consists of cast and flow formed monoblock wheel options.
Here is a video from Motegi Racing showing the process of making a Motegi wheel:
Cast
Cast wheels are made by pouring molten aluminium unto a mold, and removing the wheel from the mold once it has cooled.
Many OEM as well as aftermarket wheel manufacturers use this method because it is cheap and quick, and can result in a decent wheel which is good enough for the street.
However, these are also the heaviest wheels, and Motegi’s cast wheels have a reputation for being on the heavier side, with many weighing more than 20 lb (9kg).
Flow Formed
Motegi Racing also offer a number of flow formed wheels which are lighter and more suited to track use.
Flow Forming is a process where the center of the wheel is cast, and then put on a mandrel and spun at high speeds while heat is applied and rollers apply pressure to form the barrel.
This process results in a significantly stronger wheel, allowing less material to be used to also make them lighter.
Many popular wheel companies use this method to make their performance wheels including BBS, Enkei and Konig.
Where Are Motegi Wheels Made?
Motegi Racing wheels are made in China.
Safety Certifications
All Motegi Racing wheels are made to meet JWL and VIA safety standards.
Motegi Racing Wheel Options
Here are the wheels currently offered by Motegi Racing.
Cast
MR157 |
MR156 S12 |
MR154 BATTLE |
MR152 SS5 |
MR151 CS5 |
MR144 M9 |
MR153 CM10 |
MR147 CM7 |
MR146 SS6 |
MR150 TRAILITE |
MR143 CS6 |
MR148 CS13 |
MR142 CS8 |
MR140 |
MR139 |
MR141 |
MR116 |
MR118 |
MR107 |
MR127 |
MR120 TECHNO MESH S |
Flow Formed
MR131 TRAKLITE |
MR145 TRAKLITE 3.0 |
Discontinued Motegi Racing Wheels
Motegi Racing have made many popular models over the years that have since been discontinued. Here are some of their most popular discontinued wheels:
MR122 |
MR119 |
MR224 |
MR2371 |
MR402 |
MR400 |
MR406 |
MR405 |
MR408 |
MR409 |
Conclusion – Are Motegi Racing Wheels Good?
Motegi Racing have a long history of making high quality motorsport wheels for some of the top tier racing series on the planet.
Using the R&D and technology they develop from this, they make some very good wheels at extremely affordable prices for street use.
While some of their cast wheels can be on the heavier side, their flow formed wheels are lighter and stronger and are more suited to track use and performance applications.
If you are looking for decent quality, low cost wheels, Motegi Racing are a good option.
GET MOTEGI RACING WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE
FAQ About Motegi Racing Wheels
Are Motegi Racing Wheels Reps?
No, Motegi Racing wheels are not reps. While Motegi may have made some rep wheel designs over the years, they currently only make unique and original wheels.
Are Motegi Wheels Ok For Off-Road Vehicles?
Motegi actually makes a wheel specifically for trucks and off-road vehicles with 6 lug PCDs called the Trailite.
Are Motegi Wheels Cast Or Forged?
Motegi wheels are currently all either cast or flow formed. Motegi don’t currently sell forged wheels.
Does Ferrari Use Motegi Wheels?
Yes, Ferrari does use Motegi wheels on some of their race cars, and Motegi is one of only two brands that is an official partner with Ferrari (the other is Shell).
GET MOTEGI RACING WHEELS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE
Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF
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