Alright, listen up boys, it’s time to fire up the time machine and take a trip back to the 1990s. Today we’re talking about one of the earliest brands in the US sport compact & tuner markets. If you went to a car show, picked up a copy of Import Tuner™ (R.I.P), or attended a local meet during this era, you certainly saw a set of these wheels.

Today we’re talking about Katana Racing Wheels. And before you ask ‘WHO?’, here’s their backstory:

Who are Katana Racing Wheels?

Back in the early 90s, there was a guy named Ara who came to the United States to become an engineer. While attending college, Ara worked part-time at a tire shop to help pay the bills. Turns out he kinda liked working at this tire shop, so in 1991 he and his partners, Tony and Varten, opened their first stores which would later become American Tire Depot.

The trio were killing it in the tire market, so they said ‘What goes good with tires? Wheels!’ So a wheel brand was born, well, technically, 3 wheel brands, but today we’re talking about Katana.

What else was going on at this time? Sport compact and tuner car culture was exploding. People realized they could get a sub-2000-lb EF hatch, throw in an Accord motor, then take the baddest Fox Body in town on a one-way trip to Gapplebee’s - all with parts you could get out of a junkyard. Car shows started to become filled with these imports. Shows like NOPI, Hot Import Nights, Super Street Magazine, IDRC, and all this other cool ’90s car shit that you zoomers missed out on.

As the import tuner culture grew, so did the demand to customize these cars. In the early days, there was little to no aftermarket support, at least in the US. You couldn’t hop on our site, order some wheels, suspension, tires, etc., and have it arrive at your door in a few business days. These were the days of ordering from a paperback mail-order catalog. Most of these parts would come from Japan and they would be super expensive, not to mention they took an eternity to arrive. And this is where Katana comes in.

At the time, you wanted SSR, Volk, or Work Wheels - that’s what was on the cars in the magazines. But guess what? You had to pay generously and wait forever. Katana saw an opportunity to deliver the same style of wheel, but without the 5 business year wait time and crazy prices. So, the Katana line was born. It had the advantage of leveraging its parent company. Because they were sold at American Tire Depot, tuner car customers now had a one-stop-shop for wheels & tires.

When it came to designs, Katana did what made sense to them; they looked at what was selling overseas and made cost-effective replica versions of those. Rep haters, this is where you’ll probably want to stop reading. Katana’s early wheels were reps of Racing Harts, Volk AV3s, and TE37s. The difference: you could actually get them. Gone were the days of 1) calling the number on the back of a catalog 2) hoping they pick up 3) hoping they have the wheels you want 4) then sending them $4k and hoping you get your wheels.

If you wanted Katana Wheels you could walk into your local American Tire Depot and pick your favorite design off the shelf.

As time went on, the tire business outgrew the wheel business. Ultimately, a decision was reached to scrap the wheel business and let the tire business thrive. And thrive it did, with American Tire Depot expanding to over 100 stores across the US. Since then, a bunch of boring business stuff has happened, but you’re here to learn about Katana; luckily the brand made a comeback. Under the guidance of Ara’s son, Vahe, Katana Wheels was reborn, recently, like it just happened… As in, you could order a set from us today and be one of the first in your area to have them.

Be the first to get Katana's!

Who should buy Katana Wheels?

With the relaunch, they are staying true to their roots by making cost-effective wheels, perfect for a daily driver. There are 9 models available as of today, with plans to expand the product line in the near future. You can get them in 17 to 20” sizes to suit modern sport-compacts. At this time, the specs, as in width and offset, are fairly conservative, but they have plans to offer more aggressive sizes soon.

Price is the biggest selling point. 17’s can be purchased for as low as $169.44/per wheel, 18’s for $175, and 20’s for $255.55 - you simply can’t beat that. Package them with Arroyo tires or Zestos if you want the grippy-boys, and you got yourself a wheel/tire package for about $1k.

What does Katana currently offer?

Like we said, 9 models at launch, let’s take a closer look at ‘em:

KR04 / KR05

17,18,20

Mesh-type wheels with a modern touch. The KR04 are wider mesh while the 05’s are tighter. These are Sporty wheels that would look great on a 10th gen Civic.

Should you buy a set of Katana’s?

Probably. If you’re looking for wheels for your daily driver or just getting into cars, they’re a great choice. They make budget-friendly products in a bunch of awesome styles and colors; perfect for a new car enthusiast looking to buy their first set of aftermarket wheels. Plus ‘Katana’ is a household name in the *North American* JDM scene. Katana has been around forever and we’re excited to see them relaunching the brand.

Currently, there are 9 products in their lineup and rest assured, there’s more big stuff coming… *cough *cough* forged wheels. We’re stoked to be one of the first to offer this brand. If you want a set of Katana Racing Wheels, or anything else for that matter, head over to our shop to check out our selection of New Wheels.

If you have Katanas on your ride, or anything else, be sure to add your whip to our Fitment Gallery to show it off and help your fellow enthusiasts dial in their fitment.