Motor Trend Magazine takes an peek at how a concept car is created with the Kia Track’ster. HRE was responsible for creating the completely custom set of wheels for the cars 2012 Chicago Auto Show Debut.

HRE Wheels: The Birth of the Vintage Series from StanceWorks on Vimeo.

Like all HRE Monoblok high-performance wheel designs, the HRE-K1 started life as a billet of aerospace grade 6061-T6 aluminum, which was forged into the basic wheel shape with tremendous pressure to change the crystalline structure of the metal to maximize strength. HRE and KIA designers worked together to conceptualize the look of the wheel, which was then rendered and computer modeled to simulate the forces applied by high performance driving. I-Beam spokes and lightening pockets were built into the design to maximize strength and minimize weight, as a lightweight wheel can actually improve driving dynamics. KIA’s HRE-K1 design was then programmed into a 5-Axis robotically controlled CNC Mill, which machined the final shape of the wheels out of the forged blocks of aluminum much the same way a sculptor chisels an image from a block of marble. Finally, the wheels were treated to a hand-applied brushed finish and custom colors before being shipped to KIA for final fitment.

All HRE wheels are engineered to minimize unsprung mass and rotational inertia for optimal acceleration, handling and braking performance. Each wheel is built-to-order and there are nearly infinite fitment, color and finish options available for the ultimate custom-tailored wheel buying experience.

About HRE Performance Wheels:
HRE designs, engineers and manufactures 3-piece and 1-piece forged aluminum alloy wheels for Racing, Performance & Luxury cars and SUV’s in their San Diego, California-based, TÜV-approved facility. HRE’s built-to-order wheel sets offer a customized choice of offsets, widths and finishes, resulting in a uniquely personal style and performance solution for each customer’s application. HRE wheels are sold through select high-end car dealerships, specialty retailers and performance companies worldwide. For more information, visit www.hrewheels.com or call an HRE wheel expert at (760) 598-1960.

“The process of recreating vintage designs that captured the style and essence of the originals was very exciting and challenging for all of us at HRE,” said HRE Wheels President Alan Peltier. “These designs take us all back to the ‘70’s and ‘80’s when we were kids falling in love with exotics for the first time and truly becoming car lovers. Capturing all the character and magic of these designs, while ensuring they fit modern super cars and met our current engineering standards, made the project tougher than simply creating replicas of the original cast wheels. We found inspiration in those original designs but created wheels that reflect the HRE of today; wheels that are truly inspired.”

All three models available in HRE’s Vintage Series have been reengineered with modern FEA analysis for maximum strength, machined from aerospace-grade forged alloy and hand-finished to every customer’s exact specifications. Models available include the 454 (classic Italian style five-window), the 501 (mesh lace) and the 505 (thick five spoke) in 18 through 20 inch diameters and widths ranging from 7 to 14 inches. Nearly unlimited finish options are available, from classic gold, bronze and polished centers and rims to hand-brushing and custom tinted colors.

This series is specifically designed for customers looking for a classic design backed by modern engineering. Popular applications could include the BMW 1M and M3, Porsche 997 and 991, a variety of current Ferrari and Lamborghini models and other popular European, Japanese and domestic sports and luxury cars.

All HRE wheels are engineered to minimize unsprung mass and rotational inertia for optimal performance. Each wheel is built-to-order for the ultimate custom-tailored wheel buying experience, and HRE’s international network of dealers offer the concierge level service one would expect from a top luxury-lifestyle brand.

About HRE Performance Wheels:
HRE designs, engineers and manufactures 3-piece and 1-piece forged aluminum alloy wheels for Racing, Performance & Luxury cars and SUV’s in their San Diego, California-based, TÜV-approved facility. HRE’s built-to-order wheel sets offer a customized choice of offsets, widths and finishes, resulting in a uniquely personal style and performance solution for each customer’s application. HRE wheels are sold through select high-end car dealerships, specialty retailers and performance companies worldwide. For more information, visit www.hrewheels.com or call an HRE wheel expert at (760) 598-1960.

The GT Guy LLC is a shop that specializes in creating one of a kind GT’s for its customers. They started with the outside of the car and added a one-of-a-kind Mirrachrome abstract paint scheme with a florescent orange center stripe along with a few custom decals designed by the original Ford GT designer Camilo Pardo.

As if the car needed more power, a Polished Gen 2 Whipple supercharger was added along with a GTG cold air kit and an Accufab throttle body to push the mid-engined beast to 725 horsepower on pump gas. When it came to wheels and tires, the owner chose a staggered 20/19 center locking setup of our C93 wheels in Satin Black and lowered the car about an inch with a coilover system from Penske racing.

It’s not often that we see cars with such intense and vivid paint schemes that still seem tasteful and subtle. This car has definitely earned its stripes.

Fortunately the truck comes equipped with an already potent 6.2L V8, but the owner soon decided that more power was definitely first on the list so Davenport went straight to the folks at Magnusson and equipped their TVS 1900 supercharger. To make sure the car flowed correctly from start to finish a custom cold air intake was installed along with stainless steel headers, a Corsa Touring exhaust and a custom in-house tune to ensure everything worked perfectly together.

With more power comes the need for a bigger contact patch and stopping power as well. The wheels were upgraded to a set of 22×10 inch HRE P40L’s in a brushed finish with a giant set of BAER 6 piston brakes to slow it all down. The last modification that was made was 3″ inch drop at all four corners to give the car the proper ride height.

This truck is tasteful and subtle, but still has the horsepower and luxury to rival some of today’s most opulent sports sedans. Another fantastic job from the folks at Davenport.

The F has very subtle lines to distinguish it from the other IS models and ClubLexus.com member “Purdue Pete” has added a few more options to help set his apart from the rest. For the body kit, he went with a company out of Japan called Artisan Spirits whose wild-looking set up from top to bottom includes all bumpers and side skirts along with a roof wing to top it all off. The proper ride height was achieved thanks to the KW V3 coilovers. The suspension mods really help the entire package sit correctly on the 19″ HRE 590RS wheels in a charcoal/polished finish. To help free up a few ponies, Pete comissioned a custom header from the folks at JE Import Performance in Maryland.

This car is a prime example of Japanese engineering at its finest and shows that the theory of “no replacement for displacement” knows no language barrier. We look forward to seeing even more progress on this car in the near future.

The baseline for the car when it was first dyno tested at Vivid was 323hp and 325 ft/lbs of torque. After sending the ECU out for a bit of tuning by Powerchip and adding an Agency Power exhaust system, they were able to open up another 45hp and another 42 ft/lbs of torque.The owner wanted to give the car a unique look, so he went with a set of satin bronze finished 20″ HRE P43S wheels (The front is a 20×8.5 with a 245/30/20 and the rear is a 20×9.5 with a 285/25/20) to add some contrast against the bright red paint. The finishing touch on the car was an assortment of carbon pieces from the folks at Vorsteiner that really help accentuate the subtle lines of the sedan.

The car absolutely roars and the owner has spared no expense making sure it gets noticed. This is just another example of the great work the folks at Vivid Racing can do to just about any car.

One of the stops on the return trip was at Evolution Motorsports in Arizona to unlock just a bit more power out of the 3.8 liter flat six. With new software and tuning along with the added power from the new exhaust, the EVOMS team was able to get the 911 up to 440 horsepower and 313 ft/lbs at the wheels.

The final step was to remove even more weight from the already optimized track machine, and the SW team wanted to scrub off unsprung mass. By upgrading to HRE 19″ P43S CL wheels, they took almost five pounds off the rear end and two pounds in front. We were able to perfectly match the OE orange finish and add a slightly more aggressive offset to give the car an OEM Plus look. The last modification was a set of RSS Control arms and rear adjustable links to help dial in the suspension and alignment.

This GT3RS shows that even the folks in Stuttgart can learn a lesson or two when it comes to getting the most out of a Porsche. Take a look at the video clips and photos below and you’ll see why.

To manage all of that power the car was definitely going to need some serious traction and the owner did so by adding a set of HRE C20′s (19×9.5 and 19×12) in a unique titanium brushed clear finish and wrapped them with Michelin Pilot Sport 2′s. The ride height was dialed in thanks to KW’s fully adjustable V3 Coilovers that got rid of the existing wheel gap and gave the car the proper stance with its new wheel and tire setup.

As if the M3 wasn’t already an attractive enough car, the owner added a GTS style carbon front lip along with a Vorsteiner rear diffuser and several other bits to give the car a more aggressive look. Overall Chris’s build is a tasteful and completely streetable sleeper with plenty of power for any stoplight shenanigans or the road course. Cars like this are the reason we love the Roundel.

Photos by John Zang at 1013MM

HRE has been designing, engineering and manufacturing state-of-the-art wheels for over three decades and as a key supplier for the motor sport racing industry, HRE manufactures wheels for the Le Mans Series, SCCA, Grand-Am, Pikes Peak, Rally Competition and more. The company’s rich knowledge of developing and producing racing wheels is used in creating the best wheels for sports and luxury cars. What makes HRE unique is that every wheel is manufactured specifically for the individual car. This build-to-order concept allows HRE to create a truly unique look for every car.

With its European headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, HRE will partner with Apollo Vredestein to present the Premium Styling label at various events and shows. In addition, both companies will team up in testing sessions performed by Vredestein’s tyre development department. Meanwhile, Vredestein summer and winter tyres will henceforth be the tyres of choice for HRE.

Apollo Vredestein already partners with car stylers such as Carlsson, Arden, Lumma and Caractere on the Premium Styling concept. With the addition of HRE, the portfolio is now complete. The niche group of customers looking for a specific type of wheel, with a unique finish and colour designed specifically for their car, now have even more choices thanks to this new partnership between HRE and Vredestein.

HRE Performance Wheels
For more information, visit www.hrewheels.com or contact HRE GmbH: Friedrichstrasse 15 70174 Stuttgart,Germany. Phone + 49 711 490 39939, Fax + 49 711 490 39633, Email europe@hrewheels.com

To start it all off, they chose a 20″ inch set of the new HRE 792RS wheels in a satin gold finish with polished lips to add a bit of contrast against the Carrara white paint. A Vorsteiner body kit which included both front and rear bumpers along with the VRT carbon spoiler was also added to give the car a slightly more aggressive look and a bit of extra downforce. On the power side of things, the WB crew chose Porsche tuner Protomotive to add its Stage 3 kit which includes turbo upgrades, longtube equal-length headers, a larger intercooler and a complete exhaust system.

H&R springs were installed to remove some of the wheel gap with the rest of the space being taken up by the 245/345 Nitto tires. Overall the car is the perfect candidate for our latest conical wheels and a stunning example what a true Porsche tuner car can be. The car is rumored to have over 800 horsepower at the crank, so it definitely isn’t just for show.

We left the HRE facility at 4 AM with our big pile of toys and an even bigger group of cars and made our way to the first checkpoint at BBI Autosport in Huntington Beach. After grabbing several highly modified Porsches, we headed to our final destination in Woodland Hills, just north of Los Angeles. Some of the cars in our group included a Nissan GT-R, two special edition Mustangs from our friends at Creation’s N’ Chrome along with a wide variety of other European sports cars.

All together the show was able to gather 38,600 toys and had everything from 458 Italias to BMW 2002s on display for visitors and enthusiasts to enjoy. HRE had a booth on site to show off our latest models and give our fans and customers a chance to meet the team and check out our high horsepower line up of HRE equipped cars.

We would like to send a big thank you to the Motor4Toys organizers, customers and friends that joined us for the fun. Look forward to seeing even more of you next year! Happy Holidays!

The car makes a whopping 1,300 horsepower at the crank along with 1,000 ft-lbs of torque to take it from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds thanks to the tuning efforts from the folks at Insane Speed. Head over to the European Car website to read the full write up.

The Project 2012 Ford Focus features a custom carbon fiber Downforce bodykit designed by Jon Sibal, BASF paint, Wraptivo carbon fiber roof, Brembo big brake kit, Toyo Proxes T1 Sport tires, KW coilovers, VLED custom LED lighting, Thule bike rack, Magnaflow exhaust, Recaro Sportster seats, AEM cold air intake and Kicker car audio system built by BP Auto Sound.

Check out the video to get an idea about the people and styles that influenced this build.

Michael Chacon Introduces the ID Agency Ford Focus for SEMA from The ID Agency on Vimeo.

After the week was over, we made our way out to Spring Mountain Raceway, where James Shipka drove his HRE equipped “One Lap” Camaro in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. James took 11th place overall in the highly modified 1967 Camaro against 50 ultra exotics, including new Corvette and Porsche race cars. He had a few mechanical bugs, but we’re looking forward to seeing the car compete in the 2012 One Lap of America next year.

We appreciate the support from all of our industry friends and look forward to next year’s SEMA show.

We are proud to be aligned with a magazine that not only supports the sophisticated man, but also understands our brand as a luxury good

GQ will be giving away one set of bespoke HRE 790RS wheels free. All you have to do is head over to GQ.com and sign up for the giveaway.

We were invited to the release party in Los Angeles to help the Turn 10 team launch the game and decided to bring a few of our client’s cars to add just a bit more decoration. First was the bright orange 590RS equipped Gumpert Apollo. Rhys Millen was kind enough to lend us his Hyundai Veloster Rally X machine featuring our R43 wheels to put on display. The team from eGarage came out in force bringing both their Ariel Atom and the Koenigsegg CCX with a matching satin black set of 595RS’s.

There were plenty of celebrities on-site enjoying the festivities including star drummer Travis Barker, UFC Fighter Rampage Jackson and even Top Gear’s own “Stig”. Overall the atmosphere was lively and gave everyone an opportunity to give the game a try. We are proud to have been included in such an incredible launch for a game that gives car fans a place to create the cars of our dreams.

One of our Canadian customers known as “j2M” on E90Post.com has been modding his 2011 335xi so rapidly, it will probably have even more parts by the time you read this article. It all started with a set of 19″ HRE P40S wheels in Satin Black. Once the wheels were installed he made the next step by adding a Dinan Stage 2 suspension which replaces the stock struts and springs and includes a set of Dinan sway bars to keep the car even more stable at speed. When it came time to give the car a beefier tone, Dinan also provided its exhaust coupled by a Vishnu downpipe.

At HRE, aesthetics and performance go hand-in-hand and this build is no different. From front to back the car has been fitted with carbon bits from the folks at Arkym Carbon and also a carbon CSL style boot lid that helps take plenty of weight of the rear end. Overall the car is tastefully done and looks fantastic on the road. We look forward to seeing updates on the car in the near future and are proud to see our customers enjoying their HRE’s.

Cosmetic Modifications:
- Carbon CSL Style Boot Lid
- Arkym Aerosport MSport Dual Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
- Arkym Aerosport MSport Carbon Fiber Front Lip Spoiler
- Fog Delete
- Matte Black roof, trim & mirrors
- Painted Reflectors
- Matte Black Kidney Grills
- De-badged
- Painted Black Rotors & Calipers
- Matte Roundels
- Dinan Pedals
- Key Delete, bumper plugs
- Tint 8% rear 15% front
- Smoke LED side marker lights (white bulbs)

Performance Modifications:
- Dinan Exhaust, Black Tips
- Dinan Stage 2 Suspension
- 19X9 HRE P40S
- Pirelli Rosso 255/30/19 SQUARE SET
- Vishnu Catless Down Pipe
- Mid Cat Delete
- JB4 Stage 2
- BMS WW Meth Kit
- ER Chargepipe