Heres a harsh lesson for all you youngsters thinking you’re just gonna start a youtube channel or something and be an overnight success….. When you’re building a brand from scratch, most industry established brands won’t even open your emails.
When Streetlight was first getting off the ground, we didn't have a massive budget, a million followers, or a shiny garage full of pristine show cars. In fact we built up a pretty decent following that was completely wiped off Meta by some quality haters so we have had to start all over again!
We were just a group of friends trying to make media, build cool stuff, and stay true to a simple philosophy; support the people who actually design and create real parts, not the cheap knockoffs flooding the internet.
So when we were getting started we wanted to put together a Vertex RX-8 to prove our thoughts on being cool without being too expensive. I mean you can follow it and what we do on IG (@streetlight.bts). In the early phases we reached out to Motegi Racing looking for a clean five-spoke setup. We expected a standard transaction, maybe a discount code if we were lucky.
Instead, we got a partnership that helped shape the entire identity of Streetlight.
Through that initial reach out, we connected with Scott and the team at Hoonigan.
Looking back, it’s hard to overstate how much that moment meant. Scott didn't care that Streetlight was still finding its footing. He saw what we were trying to do, handed us an opportunity to create content alongside them, and helped us get the RX-8 rolling. When someone in this industry backs your vision before you’ve even proven yourself, that stays with you.
That connection gave us a front row seat to how Motegi operates. We spent months throwing ideas back and forth with them while they were refining new designs like the Battle VI, where we spent nearly a year dissecting spoke geometry and colorway options just to make sure it stood out with its own distinct attitude. And I quote “6 spokes are hard, we really don’t want to make another TE37 knock off”
We weren't just buying wheels off a shelf anymore… we were part of the creative dialogue and that was friggin sick.
But Im getting ahead of myself, before the Battle VI situation they gave us a huge opportunity with Coleton and his R33. (@bayside.pandem).
If you’ve ever built a widebody car, you know the ultimate nightmare…. the bodywork is finished, the car looks mean, but the wheel fitment is just off enough to drive you insane every time you walk into the garage. Coleton was stuck in that exact fitment hell with the original Pandem wheels. Coleton actually spent a lot of time and money making a custom set of JDM 3 piece wheels and this is because the Pandem wheels that were originally offered for the kit already didn’t fit very well!
Scott and the Motegi crew stepped in and turned a headache into a milestone. They helped us spec out precision measurements directly off the widebody chassis, then gave us access to one of the very first sets of their custom, forged multi piece Motegi Kojins. YEA WE BROUGHT 3 SPOKES BACK BABY.
Seeing those wide, deep dish tri spoke bad boys bolted onto Coleton’s wide load for the first time wasn't just a win for the build, it was a statement for our whole crew.
Fast forward to today, and Motegi has effectively become the official footwear of the Streetlight garage. This isn’t some forced position due to a contractual agreement. It was just good business and happened organically because the wheels look right, look awesome on the street, work well, and carry a story we're proud of.
Some note worthy examples, which by the way, feel free to go to Motegis website for yourself and see how many Streetlight cars are there (Eye emoji)
Joe’s R34 GTT (@thatskylineguy) Started on some Volk Racing wheels, progressed to Battle Vs in pearl white because white on white is justice. To a clean set of Battle VIs in candy red. We were supposed to be first but something went wrong in the scheduling of the release, woops. But hey the important part is that the designer of this wheel has a white R34. IYKYK.
Austin & Katelyn (@just.a.skyline and @notalancer) are running matching Tsubakis on the R34 GT and the Mitsubishi Galant Fortis. The design brings a distinct European style to both platforms. Especially dressed in Hokkaido Green on the Skyline, and Champagne Gold against the black paint of the Galant.
Tony is still talking about picking up Shark Grey Battle Vs for his track rubber. (Tony, consider this your public call out. Buy the wheels already).
You can buy a set of wheels from anyone. But you can't buy the late night sizing calls, the prototype feedback sessions, or the trust of people who backed you when you were just a group of friends with big ambitions and empty pockets.
Every time we look at our cars sitting on Battle VIs, Kojins, and Tsubakis, we don't just see spec sheets or offset numbers. We see the history, the leap of faith Scott took on us, and the journey that got Streetlight to where it is today.
And with new designs like the Vegas dropping... well, let’s just say the future is looking pretty fun.
Build it for you. Be cool.