Comparison: CR Kai vs NEW CR Ultimate

Recently WORK Wheels released their latest addition to the Emotion series, the WORK Emotion CR Ultimate (known as the CR "Kiwami" in Japan).  The CR Ultimate is a redesigned wheel, pulling inspiration from its predecessor.  The two wheels may appear similar in general look, but upon further inspection there are a host of upgrades.



On the left is the WORK Emotion CR Kai and on the right is the WORK Emotion CR Ultimate.  The CR Ultimate now has an available centercap (in low type and flat type).  Unfortunately this centercap will not fit in the CR Kai, as the CR Kai was produced to not accept a centercap.



Due to its new release, the CR Ultimate is able to benefit from the latest in WORK Wheels manufacturing capabilities.  The CR Ultimate uses a new process called WORK Flowforming Technology (WFT).  This treatment allows WORK to reduce the barrel thickness without compromising strength and integrity of the barrel.  As a result, the CR Ultimate is on average ~2 lbs. lighter versus the CR Kai.



While both wheels shown are called "Matte Bronze," they are actually two different paint codes.  The CR Kai (left) is the Matte Bronze (MHG) finish, while the CR Ultimate (right) is Matte Bronze (AHG) finish.  In addition, this shot shows the increased spoke edging of the CR Ultimate vs. the CR Kai. 

One fine detail is the CR Ultimate has raised lettering on the face of the wheel.  Besides the "WORK Emotion" shown in the top right, the CR Ultimate also proudly sports "Made in Japan" raised lettering on another portion of the face (not shown).



This side shot gives a good comparison between the increased concave face of the CR Ultimate.  As shown, the lug area of the CR Ultimate sits lower than the CR Kai, resulting in an aggressively curved spoke.  The CR Ultimate comes in Flat Face, Semi Concave Face, and Deep Concave face.  The face is dependant upon the sizing chosen, please refer to the sizing chart here for more details.  Please again note that the wheels shown in these images are 18x9.5 (Deep Concave).

We hope that this article has helped to see the upgrades that WORK Wheels has done to provide the latest and most advanced product.

For more info on the WORK Emotion CR Kai, please click here.

For more info on the WORK Emotion CR Ultimate, please click here.