9 of Our Favorite Modern Wheel Designs

Wheels are like shoes. A good set can make everything else in the ensemble pop, but ugly ones can flush loads of effort elsewhere right down the toilet. Enthusiasts love to make their cars look just so, and because wheels are so interchangeable, they’ve been among the most popular vehicle modifications for decades.

In the modern era, there are a lot of boring wheel designs, a lot of polarizing wheel designs, and then some that make you feel absolutely nothing. But occasionally, designers get the stock wheels so right that there’s no need to look to the aftermarket. Our team got to discussing what OEM (original equipment manufacturer) wheels nail the brief.

We’re not big rules people here, but we did all agree to set a time frame of 2000 to now. We covered some of the more classic designs like Minilites and Fuchs here—that conversation was all about the best wheels to come out in the last quarter century. Below are nine nominations from our staff for the best modern wheel designs. Who got it right? What’d we leave out? Who needs a wellness check based on what they offered up? Let us know in the comments.

Cadillac V-Series 10-Spoke Wheel

First introduced on the previous-generation Cadillac performance sedans, the CTS-V and the ATS-V, this 10-spoke design is fantastic. (The updated version looks nearly as good on the new CT4-V Blackwing, too.) But as cool as they are on a road car, they’re even better on Cadillac’s older, DPi-V.R IMSA race cars. A nice little brand parallel between the road and race cars lends even more credibility to just how gnarly these cars are when you thrash them. These got the vote of managing editor Eddy Eckart, and it’s not hard to see why.

Saab 9-5 Turbo 3-Spoke Wheels

Our executive editor Eric Weiner chimed in with a nod for these Saab wheels. While the now-defunct automaker had a thing for unconventional rollers, this design takes the cake. Although Saab no longer makes cars, we’ll always have an affinity for the company that took much of its design ethos from its “Born from Jets” tagline.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Fan Blades

Remember how bad wheels can sully a car’s good design? Well, sometimes the opposite is true. Great wheels can lift an otherwise, erm, interesting design. That was just the case for those nominated by editor-at-large Stefan Lombard.

“I love the smoked 15-inch Desert Runner wheels fitted to certain early 2000s Nissan Frontiers (I put a set on my Xterra) but I think I’ve got to go with the fan blades on the 2004–10 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Ironically, they are the best-looking part of the whole car.”

Cadillac Tech Bronze Snowflakes

I mean, it’s a fact that no good wheels were designed after the ’70s, but if I had to choose a modern wheel … I’ve got a thing for the wheels they’re slapping on these performance Cadillacs. (That sound you’re hearing is two of our racing experts—Cam and Eddy—in violent agreement.) The brushed satin gold/bronze tone on these things is just fantastic, and I love the amount of sidewall you still get with these wheels. — Cameron Neveu

Chevrolet Silverado HD Alcoa Aluminum Wheels

Trucks don’t usually get highly stylized wheels. It’s always function first, then form. But as resident DIY guru Kyle Smith points out, sometimes the two marry up nicely. And of course, being the wrench-master that he is, he has personal experience with these things.

“The Alcoa aluminum wheels that Chevrolet specced on the heavy-duty lineup from 2000 to 2010 have aged gracefully and are one of the rare affordable options for those looking to add some flair to their eight-lug trucks without resorting to chrome 20-inchers or painted steelies,” he says. “After finding a set locally, I had them blasted and powder-coated for a great OEM+ look. They actually helped the handling of my big red Express since the aluminum wheels are so much lighter than the factory steel ones. The ride is a lot better, which might be a low bar with an ex-plumber van, but better ride and better look? That’s about as good as it gets.”

Land Rover Defender and Ford Maverick’s Modern Steelies

Modern adaptations of vintage ideas don’t always work, but when they do, they’re pretty special. Senior editor Grace Houghton laid out a compelling case for a wheel design that we’d otherwise overlook entirely.

“I’m a huge fan of steel wheels, whether OEM or aftermarket,” said Houghton. “This pretty white one is from the Land Rover Defender, a luxury-minded off-roader, but you’ll also find them on new vehicles as humble as the Ford Maverick. Burly yet handsome, and so functional … and don’t get me started on the powder-coated steel beauties made by Detroit Steel Wheel Company … no street-rod truck would be complete without a set.”

Tesla Cybertruck Wheel Cover

We were all scratching our heads when senior editor Sajeev Mehta nominated the shoes on the Cybertruck. However, in true Sajeev fashion, he took the idea of “favorite” and pivoted it to mean “favorite wheel design to laugh at.” Score one for loose rules! Here’s his explanation: “The Cybertruck wheel covers prove that you can try to ‘Silicon Valley’ your way into reinventing the wheel, but you’re just gonna embarrass yourself in the process with a design that goes past the rim and eats into the tire.”

Alphard Wheels from Mid-2000s Mercedes-Benz SL600

Associate editor Chris Stark decided to bend the rules a different way, celebrating a wheel design not for how it looked on the car that wore it originally, but for how the design would look on other cars. It’s Friday, so we’ll allow it.

“I’m partial to the optional Alphard wheels that were available on the mid-2000s Mercedes SL,” he said. “They look fine on the cars they came on, but like the Corvette Sawblade wheels, they look way better on slammed VWs.”

Morgan Super 3 Disc Wheels

Who doesn’t love a good set of discs? They’re similar in design to the aeroblade wheels of IMSA fame, but with a smidge of functionality pulled out in favor of a little more curb appeal. Our resident U.K. correspondent, Nik Berg, had this to say about the shoes on this very British Morgan Super 3:

“They’re very big. On a very small car. Look almost like military hardware on this otherwise quite dainty oddball.”

No notes. Hard to argue with that.

Surely, there are plenty of modern wheel designs that we overlooked. Do you have a few in mind? Sound off in the comments below!

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