post by: Alex
Martini
date: 03/06/2024
When you look at aftermarket wheel brands, you don’t have to look far to see that the wheel industry has a golden child. That golden child, is known as Rays wheels. As some of the most popular wheels in the industry, they produce everything from cast wheels to fully forged motorsport wheels; supporting daily drivers and wild race cars, Rays Engineering or as we’ll call them; Rays Wheels has some pretty huge shoes to fill.
Established in 1973, this Japanese wheel brand has built a market for wheels in its home country of Japan, and around the world. Over the years, it has earned a solid reputation for manufacturing high-quality wheels and being at the forefront of innovative designs and technologies.
Rays Engineering produces a wide range of aftermarket wheels under their various brands. One of their most recognized brands is Volk, which is synonymous with high-performance Japanese wheels. You may know the Volk TE37 as an iconic wheel, but they have so many more. Only problem is, they’re expensive as hell. So Rays Engineering introduced a cast wheel production brand known as Gram Lights.
Gram Lights is a renowned brand in the automotive industry that has made a name for itself by providing high-quality wheels for a variety of vehicles; but instead of it being a forged monobloc, it’s a low pressure cast wheel.
In terms of sizes, Gram Lights offers wheels ranging from 15 inches to 22 inches, providing options for everything from compact cars to larger SUVs. Additionally, Gram Lights offers different finishes such as gloss black, matte black, Dark blue chrome coating, white, and even more colorful finishes, allowing you to personalize your wheels to match your style.
With aggressive offsets, bolt patterns, and concavity in their molds, Gram Lights is an option for those that want to push what it means to own a low pressure cast wheel. They provide a wide range of fitments, ensuring compatibility with popular platforms like Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Scion, and more.
Not only does Gram Lights offer a variety of wheel options, but they also pay attention to wheel weights, making them a pretty solid choice for enthusiasts as long as you’re willing to pay for it.
Automotive enthusiasts love Gram Lights. Something about the design, aggressive concave you get, and the fact that you can get a +12 offset on a 17″ wheel. But outside of the concave 6-spoke design which is the 57CR, Gram Lights have a few other distinct things that make Gram Lights; well gram lights.
1. Still Japanese – The wheel are manufactured, tested, and shipped out of Japan. While this seems like a small thing, Japanese wheel manufacturing is commonly known to outperform Chinese counterparts and rival that of Taiwanese made wheels.
2. An Iconic Look – Not important to all, but Gram Lights are typically “original” designed, and not replica. This means their designs were the first of their type to come to market, and carry a sense of heritage upon purchase.
3. Well Supported – With fitments of 5×100, 5×114.3, 5×120, and more, you’ll find Gram Lights available for your passenger car, suv, or truck even.
In our review above, we take a look at the Gram Lights 57DR which is one of the most popular Gram Lights wheel available for a Subaru platform. It’s pretty rad, check it out.
The 57DR design is available in wheel sizes ranging from 17-18″, and 7.5-9.5″ in width. These size options provide flexibility for different vehicles and allow for a customized fitment. Additionally, the wheels have an offset of +12, +32, +35, and +38, which gives you either a factory offset look or an aggressive fitment depending on your platform.
One of the standout features of the 57DR design is its wide range of color options. Customers can choose from a variety of finishes, including matte black, bronze, and titanium gray. These color options allow individuals to match the wheels to their vehicle’s aesthetic, giving it a cohesive and polished look.
Special Color (Specify)s are listed as follows:
In terms of pricing, the 57DR design is priced in the range of $2,060.00 to $2,600.00 for a set of 4. Despite the higher price range, the 57DR design offers excellent value for money due to its durability and stunning design.
The wheels we reviewed were the Dark Blue Chrome finish which look absolutely killer. Just a small amount of color hiding underneath the clear but above the dark paint. Check out the wheels here.
The 57DR wheels are renowned for their ability to significantly enhance performance on a variety of vehicles. One of the key features that contribute to this improved performance is their dimensions. The 57DR wheels come in various sizes, typically ranging from 15 inches to 19 inches in diameter, with widths varying between 7.5 inches and 10.5 inches. This range of dimensions allows for a precise fitment on a wide array of vehicles, ensuring optimal performance and handling. Remember, with aftermarket wheels you also get to play around with fitment using larger tires to get your preferred fitment.
It’s a nice wheel, sure, but it’s more about the fact that the Japanese Wheel Manufacturer Rays is behind the brand, giving you a genuine Rays wheel at a fraction of the cost of a Volk equivalent. The manufacturing is different, and you do get a heavier wheel, but they’re still fantastic wheels with loads of additional details and an incredible manufacturer warranty that just can’t be beat.
So in short, the 57DR wheels’ dimensions, advanced materials, and robust design all play vital roles in giving you a killer wheel that’ll allow you to get an aggressive tire size to match. You get some cool wheel accessories (stickers, lol), and a finish that is unmatched in the marketplace. Their precise fitment, reduced weight, and superior strength all work synergistically to improve acceleration, braking, cornering, and overall handling on various vehicles. Overall, the 57DR wheels are an excellent choice for performance enthusiasts looking to enhance their driving experience.
