In 1988, Ray Krumian founded a small shop called Ron’s Tire and Wheel in North Hollywood, CA. Originally starting with only three workers, that local place has now become a top-notch automotive retail and customization outfit. More than two decades later, the little tire and wheel shop, now called RTW Motoring, has nearly 50 employees and has earned an honorable reputation among Southern California car dealerships, wholesalers and local car enthusiasts for their outstanding custom work and top tuning inventory.

RTW Motoring’s reputation has also gained global recognition, catching the attention of Mercedes-Benz tuner Lorinser Sports, that sought out North American representation from RTW in 2005. Known worldwide for their sexy aero kits, the German tuner’s 30 years of experience working on Mercedes models make them an elite European tuner—with tuning programs related to performance, aerodynamics, wheels, exhaust systems and custom interior upgrades.

Last year, RTW Motoring became the North American exclusive importer and distributor of another German tuner, Mansory, who are famous for their bold and eye-catching aerodynamic packages for many high-end European automobiles such as Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce. Although they are highly known for their aero kits, Mansory also offers ultra-light custom wheels, complete interior and engine performance enhancements.

RTW Motoring has four locations, two of which are retail-based. The company takes pride in what they do and ensures the highest quality of workmanship by doing everything in-house—from paint and installation of all custom styling and performance parts. What sets RTW Motoring further apart from other shops is their large on-site product offering, which includes other top brands, such as ABT Sportline, Carlsson, Continental Tires, Michelin Tires and Pirelli Tires. This allows them to service both local and out-of-state customers with next day and same day delivery.

What sets Mansory apart from their competitors?
To be honest, Mansory is in a league of its own. With their trendsetting designs and meticulous quality control, Mansory is second to none. Having their roots in manufacturing, Mansory is able to produce their carbon fiber, giving them the edge over all of their competitors. And I can tell you that whoever has seen Mansory’s carbon fiber work in person can testify to the quality of the product. Mansory continuously takes risks on restyling the world’s most exclusive automobiles. The Mansory product line is for those select individuals who simply want what no one else has. Mansory recently received the “Tuner of the Year” award from GTspirit.com and continues to grow their portfolio of the world’s most exclusive vehicles.

So what sets Lorinser apart from the rest?
The Lorinser name has been associated with Mercedes-Benz since the 1930s and they have been tuning Mercedes-Benz [vehicles] for more than three decades. Lorinser continues to be the only German company to build complete bumper replacements for all-new model Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Other then their rich history with Mercedes-Benz, Lorinser is also the only tuning company that owns their own Mercedes-Benz dealership just outside of Stuttgart, Germany. This is a tremendous advantage for their R&D department and continuously gives Lorinser the edge over their competitors.

Which is the most popular vehicle that is tuned?
The most popular vehicle still being upgraded is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The vehicle itself is phenomenal and people simply cannot get enough of it. Whether it’s wheels or body kits, the S-Class continues to be the No. 1 seller.

Which vehicle do you think will be the most sought after for complete tuning upgrades in 2012?
The all-new CLS-Class from Mercedes-Benz will definitely be catching up to the S-Class. Before we even received our first kit from Germany, we had already presold our first three orders and have a growing waiting list.

Are there any big projects in the works from RTW for the upcoming year?
Definitely...RTW will be building the first Mansory Siracusa in the world, outside of the two built by Mansory at their facility in Germany. The Siracusa is a complete redesign of the Ferrari 458 Italia, a vehicle well worth more than $300k. Currently in our body shop, we are working on complete Mansory packages for the Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo and Panamera Turbo, as well as BMW’s X6 M— all of which will be displayed at the LA Auto Show in November. We are also working on finishing the last of four Lorinser CLS-Class models. Once we finish 2011 strong, we can concentrate on the coming year.

GALLERY