Fitted In Fuji: The 2024 RAYS Fan Meeting
It might only be three years old, but the RAYS Fan Meeting is quickly becoming a must-attend event in Japan – especially if your car is rolling on wheels from the iconic Japanese manufacturer.
RAYS put on this meet to thank its loyal customer base, and this year, over 750 attendee cars turned out at Fuji Speedway to be a part of the event. Anyone with RAYS wheels on their vehicle got a parking spot and free entry.
For me, what makes the RAYS Fan Meeting so special is that I get the same vibes as walking through the parking lot at Tokyo Auto Salon. You get to see how everyone interprets wheel fitment, stance and color selection, and everything else have they done with their cars. It’s always a fun day out.
To convey the scale of the event, I will keep this post-picture heavy and just chime in with some comments every now and then.
I have to mention all the RAYS-equipped Super GT cars that came out for the day, like the APR Lexus LC that competes in the GT300 class. Just look at how intricately machined those single-lug Volk Racing wheels are.
Kazama-san from Kazama Auto was called on stage during the oh-so-Japanese ‘talk show’ segment to introduce the 2JZ-swapped GR86 he built to Formula Drift Japan-spec, which was just used in a new McDonald’s Japan commercial.
The car was drifted by Ken Gushi alongside WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä in his drift-spec GR Yaris. You can check out the ‘Drift Twins’ commercial above.
The race and demo cars continued…
RAYS’ vast wheel catalog caters to all vehicles, from off-roaders like the Land Cruiser 300 to luxury vans like the new Vellfire and Alphard.
This Prado was ready to hit the trails.
I made mention of 750 attendee-owned cars, and early on in the day, those vehicles quickly began filling up the large parking area.
The variety was definitely there too.
Just like in previous years, I saw a few Honda NSXs…
…And friends rolling in together, hoping they could get some model-specific lineups going.
For some reason, the Subaru Impreza faithful are very good at this.
Over by the RAYS pop-up shop, the line was getting seriously long.
This was the place to grab all your RAYS accessories, including lug nuts, valve stems, and merchandise, all at discounted prices. I forgot to grab one of the cool caps on display and am kicking myself now!
In the demo/race car area, Max Orido’s GT300 GR86 was impossible to miss with its retina-burning fluro yellow base.
I heard that the GR Corolla is selling much better in the USA than in Japan, but that could partially be because the GR Yaris is also sold here, so there is a choice. If you had to choose between the GR Corolla and the GR Yaris, which car would you go for?
I always love checking out the current range of RAYS wheels. Seeing them laid out like this shows how many models the company makes under its various sub-brands. Lots.
Naturally, I always end up at the Volk Racing display.
With one draw in the morning and another in the afternoon, RAYS kept everyone excited by giving away limited edition goodies. Two lucky winners took home a set of wheels of their choice. I know which ones I would have gone for!
I had to shoot fast as there was a lot to look at, but every now and then I just had to stop and admire some quality fitment. Like this BNR34 GT-R on bronze Volk Racing 21As.
It was blindingly obvious just how popular Volk Racing wheels are in Japan. More than half the cars in the parking area were wearing them.
A Toyota Vellfire on air suspension and TE37s. Does it get any better for a JDM family van?
This Roadster was looking on point with Yokohama Advan tire stencils.
If I had to pick a favorite car from the 2024 RAYS Fan Meeting, it would have to be this S13 on TE37Vs. There’s just something special about a super-clean two-tone Silvia slammed on dished wheels.
I came across a few sweet ER34 four-door Skylines at the meet, including this GT-R Z-tune replica on LMGT4s. If you didn’t already know, RAYS makes Nismo’s forged wheels.
Nismo LMGT4s are awesome, but I really love the look of the older Nismo LMGT2s.
Before the TE37 there were Volk Racing Touring Evolutions.
Seen more clearly here.
And these tri-spoke wheels that RAYS once made for Trial in Osaka are nothing short of iconic.
So cool!
Also cool are USDM cars in Japan, like this slammed LHD Subaru Legacy Outback, which utilizes its OEM overfenders to nail the look.
Speaking of USDM, the owner of this Subaru BRZ went to the trouble – and expense – of importing a set of US-only TE37SLs for his car. He ended up spending around double the cost of a set of regular SLs in Japan, but that is the price to pay to stand out.
I have to give a bit of space to this S110 Toyota Crown Super Saloon four-door hard top.
The vintage Volk Racing wire wheels look so right.
Everyone who brings a car along to the RAYS Fan Meeting gets to cast a vote for their favorite vehicle on display in the parking area. At the end of the day, the three cars that received the most votes were brought up in front of the main stage, where their owners were presented with some cool prizes.
The 2024 RAYS Fan Meeting was the best so far, and I feel like it is only going to get bigger from here. Roll on 2025!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com