TWS Exlete 109M Monoblock

Timeless beauty and performance

[Graphite Black] As of February 2025, the lineup includes 20-inch and 21-inch wheels. There are three face options depending on the size, with PCDs of 5x112, 114.3, and 120. Regular colors include graphite black and gloss dark bronze, with brushed available as an option (+27,500 yen). — [1]

[Gloss Dark Bronze] As of February 2025, the lineup includes 20-inch and 21-inch wheels. There are three face options depending on the size, with PCDs of 5x112, 114.3, and 120. Standard colors include graphite black and gloss dark bronze, with brushed available as an option (+27,500 yen). — [1]

A new product that exudes a worldview that is truly reminiscent of TWS will be arriving at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon. Its name is Exlete 109M Monoblock. To understand this new product, let’s first take a look at the product name.

Exrete is a series that utilizes TWS’s unique cutting and forging techniques to create timeless beauty and practical performance for all vehicle categories. It is also categorized as a “Euro sporty style dress-up brand.” Its product lineup is diverse, but 109M stands for 9-intersection mesh, and Monoblock, as the name suggests, is a one-piece wheel. It is said to be an ambitious work that is the first in the Exrete series to attempt 9-intersection mesh.

However, the nine intersections were not drawn haphazardly. TWS pursues its ideal design through a variety of intersection meshes. It embodies the know-how that leverages their unique, sophisticated and precise design and development capabilities. It combines the technical ideas and design essence of the long-selling 107M Monoblock and the 310M Exe Monoblock, TWS’s first 23-inch model. The former features seven intersections and is available in 17-20 inches, while the latter features 10 intersections and is available in 23 inches. The 109M Monoblock is available in 20-21 inches to fill the gap between them. While it’s a single product, three different faces are available, targeted at premium cars around the world. That’s why the center section is circular and concave. This is to accommodate the large PCDs expected of tough gear SUVs. While the maximum diameter announced this time is 5×120, the design and development team apparently considered a 6×139.7 diameter, a size familiar from vehicles like the Land Cruiser.

The most important thing is to ensure that the tire has the load-bearing capacity to withstand such a high load. This is proof that the tire has the reliability and durability to withstand the high-performance and tough gear of the world. This time, the tire has focused on ensuring rigidity and quietness, taking advantage of the nine intersections and 18 rim contact points. It is also a response to the accelerating trend of “weight gain” due to motorization, such as the spread of BEVs and large SUVs.

It’s as if the best of the best has been condensed into one.

[107M Monoblock] The 107M Monoblock is a long-selling model that has been on the market for 12 years, and the 310M EXE Monoblock is the first TWS to attempt a 23-inch model. The 109M Monoblock combines the strengths of both models into a 9-intersection mesh. — [1]

[310M Exe Monoblock] The 107M Monoblock is a long-selling model that has been on the market for 12 years, and the 310M Exe Monoblock is the first TWS to attempt a 23-inch format. The 109M Monoblock combines the strengths of both models into a 9-intersection mesh. — [1]

Yet, it doesn’t have an overly rugged feel, and has a truly elegant styling that is typical of TWS. The way it tapers to the rim is impressive, and the details give it a truly machined, forged feel. While the aforementioned circular recessed center part is an approach commonly seen in sports wheels, the 109M Monoblock is endlessly elegant. Of course, underneath it all lies “high performance” that exceeds that of sports wheels.

Perhaps the Purosangue, which was the star exhibit at the Tokyo Auto Salon, is a symbol of this. It weighs 2,210 kg and is equipped with a 6.5-liter V12 engine with an output of 725 PS and 716 Nm. It combines Ferrari-like driving performance in an SUV (CUV)-like package with the ability to be used comfortably on a daily basis. Of course, its styling is both sporty and elegant. The 109M Monoblock also fits in perfectly with the car’s presence, which seems to “condense everything that is at the pinnacle.”

However, these are the same size as the original wheels, 22 inches in the front and 23 inches in the rear, and at this point, this size is only a reference exhibit. That said, TWS has the technology to design, develop, and produce this large diameter size while more than adequately meeting the required performance. If there is growing demand from the market, it may be put on the market, just like the large PCD support mentioned earlier. In that sense, the story of the 109M Monoblock has just begun. It has the potential to flourish in the world of all premium cars, regardless of genre.

REPORT/Daichi NAKAMIGAWA

PHOTO/Nina NAKAJIMA

MAGAZINE/ GENROQ April 2025 issue