New Range Rover on Tri-Spoke Wheels: Yay or Nay?
They’re a riff on the Range Rover Classic’s coveted three-spoke factory wheels.
Time is a flat circle, what's old is always new again. Wheels aren't quite flat, but bygone styles always come back into vogue. This time, what's rolled back around is the three-spoke wheel, which is being revived for Range Rovers in impeccable, 23-inch style.
Designed by Heritage Customs, a Dutch coachbuilder known for customizing Land Rovers and turning them into convertibles, these "Canned Heat" wheels are a modernized take on the triangular tri-spokes from the original Range Rover Classic. They're forged from 6061-T6 aluminum, diamond-cut, and then given a satin finish for the distinctive look you expect of custom wheels on a luxury SUV. As you'd expect, they're not cheap—$1,160 a corner—but that's not extreme as far as wheels go. Volk TE37s cost about as much, whereas some carbon fiber wheels still cost six times that.
Heritage Customs says these wheels fit the full Range Rover lineup, including the Sport and Vogue models. Their 5x120 bolt pattern also technically works for tons of other cars, like the Lexus LS (they'd look great there), though they're so big they won't fit just anything. They're 23s with a 9.5-inch barrel, plus 38 millimeters of offset. Throwing that on a Chevy Camaro (which you could) would leave you with as much sidewall as a rubber band wrapped around a watermelon.
Seeing three-spokes being given this kind of treatment also makes you think: Isn't it time we had a wheel styling renaissance? We can surely do better than just cribbing from the Advan A3A too. It'd be great to have the variety once offered on the Japanese market, or, hell, even just more novelty wheels like Ronal teddies or the rarer, more obscure Mazda koalas. Maybe we should just bring back those Haribo hubcaps—and make some for Chips Ahoy while we're at it. The donk potential is simply enormous.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
