Just like the vast majority of other metal 'hybrid' products, "Alloy Wheels" provide the automotive industry and consumer market with a stronger, higher performance product because of the unique strength and lightweight characteristics.

What is an Alloy Wheel? Grace C. Wang, VP of Investor Relations for Mizati Luxury Alloy Wheels, Inc, operator of Wheel Lots, provided the following definition.

"An 'alloy' is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and whereby the resulting material has metallic properties.

The resulting metallic substance usually has different properties from those of its components. Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a single melting point. Instead, they have a melting range in which the material goes through a mixture of solid and liquid phases. The temperature at which melting begins is called 'solidus' and that at which melting is complete is called 'liquidus.'

However, for most pairs or combinations of elements, there is a particular ratio that has a single melting point; this is termed the 'eutectic' mixture.

The term "alloy" is sometime used in everyday speech as a synonym for a particular alloy. For example, many premium automobile wheels made of "aluminum alloy" are commonly referred to as simply "alloy wheels".

Since steel and most other metals in practical use are also some varying types of an alloy, the different defining usage terms are nearly indefinite.

Just like the vast majority of other metal 'hybrid' products, "Alloy Wheels" provide the automotive industry and consumer market with a stronger, higher performance product because of the unique strength and lightweight characteristics, which makes aluminum alloy wheels and rims highly desirable."

Mizati opened its first Wheel Lots custom wheel rent to own location in August (see story). Mizati is the first wheel manufacturer to open RTO stores.

There are only a few hundred stores of all brands currently operating in the United States, leaving most markets untapped. Rent-N-Roll, the largest operator in the U.S., announced in September that it would re-brand itself as a retailer (see story), opening up even more markets to traditional rent to own operators.