RML In 2026: What's New?
2025 is in the rearview now, and overall I’m not shy about saying I’m happy to see it go. To say last year was a bumpy one for RML is the understatement of the year. The US government’s tariff policies removed all my options for continuing to make cast wheels. I had some pretty big plans for 2026, but obviously I’m now looking at things from a much different perspective.
So where does that leave RML for 2026? The tariff situation has improved by about 10%, but that’s not really enough to change the current status quo. So in addition to selling from my existing cast wheel inventory (18/19” Snowflakes, 16” Teardrops, 15” Daisies), and attempting targeted cast wheel pre-orders (15x7 Snowflakes, 16” Bottlecaps [possibly]), in order to continue operations and trying to grow the brand, I’ve had to pivot from cast and to making forged wheels.
Offering forged wheels has its own unique sets of advantages and disadvantages compared to cast wheels. The advantages are:
- I can offer wheels in monoblock, 2-piece, and 3-piece construction
- I do not need to create a mold or commit to 400-piece order minimums
- With the above in mind, I can make one-off single set designs
- I can offer custom diameter, width, offset, PCD, center bore, and finish options
- Forged wheels are often lighter and stronger than comparable cast wheels
- Wait times from start to finish are often measured in weeks (vs. months)
The disadvantages are:
- More expensive to make (sometimes 3X)
- Not a simple process to get a replacement wheel if needed
Let’s be honest about that first disadvantage: the types of cars I typically try to cater to aren’t six-figure exotics, or even high-dollar classics. In other words, even the owner of a really nice Mk1 Golf or E30 might find it hard to justify spending $2k+ on a set of wheels. So while clearly I’ll be looking at a smaller pool of potential customers, the added flexibility of working with forged manufacturing and creating designs I could never do in cast is definitely exciting to me. This was the experience I had with the fifteen52 forged wheel program, and we definitely created some very cool wheels back in the day.
Another change for 2026 will be adding a second theme for RML wheel designs. In addition to the current OEM+ model, I’ll be adding new designs that are inspired by some of my favorite ‘80s and ‘90s defunct tuner wheels. More on this soon...
If the tariff situation further improves, in addition to the new forged wheel program, I’ll definitely be looking to get back to making more cast wheels. I've got several new OEM+ designs I’m excited to bring to market, so here's hoping it becomes a possibility.
I’ll be updating and expanding the website to better represent the forged program, including pricing and the process involved for ordering. In the mean time, feel free to hit me up at sales@rmlwheels.com with any ideas you have for your own set of RML forged wheels.
