Formed in Asia more than 30 years ago, Rota wheels have become one of the best-known alloy wheel brands in the world. Known for their wide range of long-lasting, durable wheels to fit nearly every vehicle on the road or track, they've gained popularity in the US, Europe and Japan for offering wheel designs very similar to premium brands but at much more affordable prices. Manufactured by Philippine Aluminum Wheels Inc (PAWI), they have a solid reputation for excellence.
Despite the fact that many of their wheels are blatant copies of other popular rep wheels like BBS, Rays, Enkei and 5Zigen, they've managed to hold on to a good name in the market and have been around for quite some time now. PAWI president Micheal Rojas even went on record in a Top Gear article a few years back to clarify that they don't carbon copy any wheel, they only make wheels that are at least 20% different in design than what's out there.
While a simple internet search will reveal millions of heated forums posts about broken Mugen or Rays wheels, it's hard to argue that Rotas aren't just as tough, if not tougher than most. Their wheels are cast using conventional gravity casting but also benefit from the Flow Forged process which makes them lighter and stronger than their cast counterparts while still remaining affordable.
The most popular Rota wheels are the GTR and its deep dish brother the GR-D which is perfect for modern generations of the Nissan Skyline GT-R as well as any car with big brakes like the Honda Civic Type R, Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru Impreza WRX STi. They're also used in many amateur race series for hillclimbing, drift and drag racing and are a popular choice of wheel amongst professional racers.
