Unofficial: Rays Wheels to discontinue their OG TE37 and TE37 SL wheels

Rays Wheels has allegedly called it quits with at least two of their TE37 variants over the next year.

Update: 7/15/2018- Someone reached out to me from Mackin with no real specifics, only that “Rays may start to stop making some sizes due to lack of production of those specs.”

Prices for used original spec TE37 are about to start rising as Rays Wheels will soon announce they’re discontinuing, at the very least, their OG TE37 and TE37 SL variant. This information comes to me from someone close to a Mackin Industries distributor who received information informing him that they will no longer be carrying the OG TE37 and TE37 SL wheels.

Currently, OG TE37’s are still being made in the following sizes catering to Kei-cars and popular vehicle applications like the S2000 and GT-R.

• 14×5 +45
• 14×6+38
• 18×8.5+40

..and can be custom made and ordered in sizes such as

• 15×8
• 16×8

TE 37 SL come in the following sizes

• 17×7.5-9.5
• 18×8.5-11
• 19×9.5-10.5

These sizes above will be discontinued in original forged design and SL variant once inventory runs out.

TE37’s will still probably be made in the following variants.

• Volk Racing TE37 6061 and Dura
• Volk Racing TE37 Saga
• Volk Racing TE37 Ultra Track Edition
• Volk Racing TE37 Ultra
• Volk Racing TE37 Ultra Tourer
• Volk Racing TE37 Ultra Large P.C.D.
• Volk Racing TE37 Sonic
• Volk Racing TE37 RT
• Volk Racing TE37 KCR and BZ Edition
• Volk Racing TE37 Gravel and Gravel II
• Volk Racing TE37 SB and SB Tourer
• Volk Racing TE37X Progressive Model and Large P.C.D.
• Volk Racing TE37V MC, BA, Mark-II
• Volk Racing TE37 V

First to hit the market in 1996, cementing itself as the defacto wheel for serious import racers in Japan and around the world, the Volk Racing TE37 became the defining wheel for Rays Wheels, which has made wheels since 1973.

With Volk Racing supplying some of the best touring car teams of the time, Rays Wheels came up with a wheel that provided a link between racing and the street. TE stands for Touring Evolution and the numbers 37 refer to 3.7 KG for the popular 15×6 wheel size.

If putting numbers in the wheel name sounds familiar, you might recall that Spoon Sports came up with their SW388 two years before the TE weighing in slightly more at 3.88 KG but sporting half an inch more width from its wheel namesake with a 15×6.5 size.

Back to the TE37. From 1996 till today, the TE37 is arguably the most popular wheel in import car history. It’s popularity, unfortunately, spawned a host of counterfeit wheel manufacturers to come along making an inferior cast (as opposed to forged wheel) at a fraction of the price (*cough*RotaGrids*cough.*) Although sales took a hit, the original quality, value, and durability of the real Volk Racing TE37 made it a wheel that even replica manufacturers couldn’t touch.

If you’d like to read a thorough and photo-filled history of the wheel, I’d refer you to this great Speed Hunters article from 2013.

Who knows what Rays Wheels has up their sleeves for 2019. Perhaps they’re reinventing themselves and will come out with another iconic wheel for a new age of motoring. Maybe they’re pulling an IHOB and just pulling our leg and coming out with a better TE37 if there ever is such a thing.

Keep in mind that Rays wheels makes way more wheels than from their Volk Racing lineup so Rays as a company is presumably A OK. The winning Toyota at Le Mans this year? Rays Wheels. Weep not for Rays Wheels but for the OG TE.

I’ve reached out to Mackin Industries for a comment and will update this article as information comes in.