Lug nuts

[Happily1986]

From the perspective of an automaker, is the number of lug nuts a matter of aesthetics or a necessity to meet torque loading at the wheels?

 

I myself feel that sometimes automakers resort to using 4 lug nuts rather than 5 (which i feel should be standard) as a cost cutting measure.

[Chooz]

pickup and small lorries have 6 lug nuts...

 

It is not cost cutting, it is the load the wheels have to take