When we talk to enthusiasts about Volk Racing, the conversation shifts to a very specific question “why are they so much money?” It’s true, Volk Racing is one of the most expensive monoblock forged wheel companies on the market and it can be tough to see why sometimes. Sure, they’re iconic. Sure, they made the TE37, but what do you need to know so that when you pull the trigger you don’t feel that buyer’s remorse? Well, this is for you.
Volk Racing: From Track Roots to Street Icon
When you talk about aftermarket wheels, especially within the JDM car scene, one name consistently rises above the noise: Volk Racing. But the story behind Volk Racing isn’t just about good looks—it’s a story of relentless engineering, real motorsport heritage, and a pursuit of lightweight strength that changed the game forever.
Volk Racing is the flagship wheel brand of RAYS Engineering, established in Osaka, Japan, in 1973 by Masumi Shiba. Shiba had a clear vision: wheels shouldn’t just roll—they should win. From day one, Volk Racing was about producing wheels that performed exceptionally on track, without compromise.
In the beginning, RAYS Engineering experimented heavily with aluminum forging, pioneering methods that allowed for wheels to be stronger yet significantly lighter than traditional cast alternatives. If you ever want to know the wheel the built Volk Racing, it wasn’t the TE37, it was the Volk Mesh.
The Volk Mesh debuted in 1975 and was Volk’s answer to the growing mesh design demand for Japanese cars. Their history prioritized 12″ diameter for FWD configurations and quickly formed a cult-like support for the designs from this relatively small company. Volk Racing debuted its first forged wheels in the early 1980s, but it was in 1996 that the brand struck gold with the now-iconic TE37.
When Volk launched the TE37, they weren’t just introducing another wheel…they were changing the culture. “TE” stood for Touring Evolution, highlighting its racing intent, and the “37” famously represented the original target weight: just 3.7 kg (8.1 lbs) for a 15×6-inch wheel. The minimalist, six-spoke forged aluminum design was initially crafted with track use in mind, achieving both lightweight and exceptional rigidity.
Almost immediately, the TE37 became a staple in Japanese racing, most notably dominating the Super Taikyu endurance series. Motorsport legends, including the ARTA NSX driven by Keiichi Tsuchiya, relied on magnesium-forged TE37s in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), now known as Super GT. Tsuchiya’s record-breaking 51.875-second lap around Tsukuba in the early 2000s was set rolling on Volk TE37 MAGs, cementing Volk’s legacy on track.
Volk Racing’s motorsport history in Japan is extensive and illustrious. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Volk Racing partnered with top-tier JGTC teams such as Team ARTA, Team Raybrig, and Team Denso Sard, outfitting iconic vehicles like the Honda NSX, Toyota Supra, and Nissan Skyline GT-R. Each of these partnerships resulted in tailored wheel designs specifically engineered to optimize performance for each platform.
The TE37, in particular, saw dedicated versions like the magnesium alloy TE37 MAG designed explicitly for high-stress racing scenarios. Additionally, Volk created specialized variants like the TE37SL (Super Lap) introduced in the late 2000s, reducing wheel weight by approximately 400 grams per wheel to benefit time attack events. The Rigid Tune (RT) version, released later, added 6% more stiffness without adding weight, specifically catering to hardcore track usage.
The famous “GT-R spec” TE37 was designed explicitly for the Nissan Skyline GT-R, first introduced in the late 1990s as an 18×9.5 +12 wheel. This spec allowed GT-R owners to run optimal tire sizes like 265/35R18, maximizing the performance of the iconic RB26-powered generation Skylines.
Tuners like Top Secret equipped their flagship builds with custom Volk wheels, notably the Top Secret gold BNR34 Skyline GT-R demo car, showcasing Volk Racing’s capacity for high-level customization. These strategic collaborations further cemented Volk’s authority within the motorsport community and the tuner market.
Volk Racing entered the U.S. market in the late 1990s, just as tuner culture exploded stateside. Fast and Furious-era enthusiasts, inspired by authentic Japanese builds, clamored for genuine performance wheels. Volk quickly emerged as a trusted, “real deal” brand, becoming a status symbol for serious builders who valued genuine quality over knock-offs. American tuners and racers, from grassroots enthusiasts to professional drift drivers like Chris Forsberg and Dai Yoshihara, adopted Volk wheels to enhance performance and credibility.
Unlike cheaper replicas, Volk wheels maintained their value, backed by rigorous certifications like JWL, VIA, and TUV. They proved their strength not just on the track but in demanding street environments across America, reinforcing their reputation as the original, genuine forged wheel.
Today, Volk Racing offers a specialized lineup that caters to diverse performance needs:
A tough question, but we say yes. A few big reasons come to mind. Firstly, they hold their value incredibly well. You’d be tough to not see these sell just as fast as if they were new if you were to shift platforms. Not only that, but their ability to look good on just about anything makes them a high demand wheel in the secondhand market. But outside of that, the top three reasons are:
Are there other wheels that get you close to the standard and quality without the same high price point? Sure. Are they Volk Racing? No.
Volk Racing is more than a brand—it’s a standard. It remains one of the few manufacturers trusted equally by grassroots track warriors and top-tier motorsport teams. Its wheels aren’t merely accessories; they’re performance parts engineered to win races, withstand punishment, and still look exceptional.
At MartiniWorks, we’ve seen countless wheel brands come and go. Volk Racing isn’t one of them. They represent what happens when you blend authenticity, performance, and heritage into a wheel that stands the test of time.
This isn’t hype. It’s history.
— MartiniWorks | Mod Your Car The Right Way
My name is Alex, or Alex Martini (Alex.Martini__) and I love building unreliable cars. From track, road, drag and drift, there really isn't a motorsport I love. PS if you're reading this, just know that we've got some WILD builds coming for MartiniWorks that we're really excited to share with you :)
