The Wolfrace brand is large enough to cater for most tastes and fitment, but for those that fancy something a little more exclusive there are other options, the ATS Alloy Wheels brand being a great example. We’re the sole UK distributor of ATS Wheels in the UK, meaning we can supply British petrolheads with some of the most advanced alloy wheels on sale today.
Before we go any further it’s probably worth taking a look back at the origins of ATS itself. Those of you with an especially keen interest in motorsport will no doubt be aware of ATS; the firm even dabbled in Formula 1 in the 1980s (with limited success), before going on to supply advanced, lightweight alloys for some of the most technologically demanding race series in the world. ATS was recently chosen to supply the entire DTM (Germany’s premier touring car championship and quite possibly the most competitive on the globe) grid with wheels. Not only does this underline the firm’s reputation, it has given ATS access to a wealth of incredibly useful data, much of which will be used to further improve its road wheel range.
ATS wheels have been a fixture of touring car racing for decades, most famously on the Opel Omega A Evos campaigned in the early ’90s.
You really don’t have to look too hard to find evidence of ATS’ long term association with top tier motorsport in its range of road wheels, with the most obvious example being the process used to create them, Flowforming. The process sees key areas of the blank cast alloy rims rolled out and compressed, which significantly reduces the amount of cutting or machining required, and in most cases eliminates it completely. Not only does this save time and resources, it enables the walls of the wheel to be significantly thinner, reducing the overall mass of the wheel without compromising strength of stability.
Flowforming is used in conjunction with another automotive industry manufacturing technique, forging. Now ATS is far from alone in employing a forging process to create its alloy offerings, but it is one of the most adept. Forging allows for a higher density of light alloy and therefore greatly increases strength, while also enabling thinner material to be used, again without any loss of stability.
The ATS Superlight is about as advanced as wheels can get, a featherweight design developed for advanced track work
So, what’s the result of all this alloy wheel finessing? The most significant is a reduction in overall mass, which equates to a decrease in unsprung weight, i.e. everything carried ‘outboard;’ suspension, brakes, hubs and wheels. Reducing unsprung weight is one of the best ways of bringing about real improvements in handling. ATS wheels can result in an overall weight reduction of up to 16kg per vehicle, ensuring sharpened handling and, as an added bonus, a reduction in emissions. Flowforming and forging mean that none of this comes at the expense of overall strength, hence why ATS wheels are such a common site in FIA accredited motorsport series, including the DTM.
High end manufacturing processes aside, the ATS wheel range really is one of the most complete we offer, with offerings to suit the vast majority of cars, fitments and purposes. It’s well worth clicking through to check out the full range for yourself, but for now we’ll simply throw the spotlight on 3 of the most popular ATS offerings, the Crosslight, Racelight and Cup.
We’ve yet to find a car the Crosslight doesn’t suit
The Crosslight is one of those wheels which will suit pretty much any car you care to name. It’s defined by its split-spoke face, with 7 V-shaped spokes radiating out from its centre, a styling flourish that serves to really drive home the Crosslight’s motorsport origin. Not only is the Crosslight both strong and light (thank Flowforming and forging for that), said V-spokes provide excellent brake cooling traits, so ideal if you’re running a big brake kit of some description.
Flowforming enables the ATS Racelight to be both light and strong
The Racelight is similar in concept to the Crosslight; it’s just as light and just as tough, and also benefits from the ATS Flowforming process. That’s where the similarities end though, as the Racelight is visually very distinct, with a wider split spoke appearance, meaning that it also sports exemplary brake cooling properties. It’s also a genuine featherweight, the 8.5x19in version tipping the scales at just 9.9kg, meaning that a set of 4 constitutes a weigth reduction of 4kg per wheel and 16kg per car!
The ATS Cup – seen on VWs of all shapes and sizes for generations, and for a good reason
Last but not least, the ATS Cup, perhaps the best known of all the firm’s wheels. It’s become a staple of the European VW scene for many years now, so much so that it’s hard to imagine a Mk1 Golf or Polo without a set peeking out from under all 4 arches! Like all ATS wheels, the Cup is made in Europe and is TUV approved – the much sought after German hallmark of quality and legendarily difficult to acquire. ATS Cup is available with a 12-month warranty that can be extended to two years when the purchase is registered online at www.wolfrace.com
The wheels covered above are just a snapshot of the wider ATS range, so make sure to head over to the relevant section of our website if you’d like to find out more.
