Prodrive is not a wheel company. It is a motorsport engineering business with more than 600 staff that happens to have put its name on some wheels, because it ran one of the most successful rally programmes of the 1990s and people wanted the wheels off the cars.
Understanding that explains everything else, including why the wheels are hard to find and why nobody is making more.
The Short Version
- Founded 1984 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, by David Richards — a former WRC co-driver — and Ian Parry.
- Ran the Subaru World Rally Team from 1989 to 2008. Manufacturers’ titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997.
- The GC-07 and GC-010E are forged, and were made by RAYS to Prodrive’s specification.
- The PFF7 is flow-formed, not fully forged — a middle tier.
- We found no evidence of current production. What is out there is what exists.
The Subaru Years
Prodrive took over Subaru’s world rally effort in 1989 with the Legacy RS and ran it until Subaru withdrew after the 2008 Wales Rally GB. Nineteen seasons.
| Manufacturers’ titles | 1995, 1996, 1997 |
| Drivers’ titles | 1995 Colin McRae — the first British WRC champion 2001 Colin McRae 2003 Petter Solberg |
Three consecutive manufacturers’ titles is the part that built the brand. The blue-and-gold Impreza is one of the most recognisable rally cars ever built, and the wheels are part of that image in a way that is hard to separate from the car.
The Wheels
| Model | Construction | Made by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GC-07 / GC-07C | Forged | RAYS / Volk Racing | Common sizes 17×7.5, 17×8.5, 18×9.5. 5×100 or 5×114.3 depending on fitment. GC-07C succeeded by GC-07J |
| GC-010E | Forged | RAYS | Seen as 17×7.5 +42 / +47 and 19×9.5 in 5×114.3 |
| PFF7 | Flow formed | — | Seven spoke, roughly 21 lb at 18×8. 5×114.3 or 5×100 |
The RAYS connection is worth dwelling on. A British rally team’s branded wheel, forged in Japan by the company behind Volk Racing, sold mostly into the Japanese market. The RAYS stamping appears on the wheels.
We should be honest about the sourcing: this is consistent secondary evidence from dealer and forum listings, not an official statement from Prodrive or RAYS. It is repeated everywhere and nowhere confirmed by either company.
On “GC-10”. We could not find any model actually called that. What exists is GC-07, GC-07C, GC-07J, GC-010E, GC-010G, GC-05F, GC-05K, GC-06H and GC08. If you see “GC-10” in a listing, it is probably shorthand for the GC-010E — worth confirming before money changes hands.
Cast, Flow-Formed, Forged — Where the PFF7 Sits
The PFF7 is the model people misunderstand, usually by assuming it is a cheaper forged wheel.
It is flow formed: cast first, then the rim is spun and pressed against a mandrel, which thins and work-hardens it. That produces a wheel stronger and lighter than plain casting, and heavier than a true forging.
Around 21 lb at 18×8 is the figure that circulates. That is a sensible weight and not an exceptional one. The PFF7 is the sensible wheel in the range; the GC-07 is the special one.
The Rota SDR Question
The Rota SDR is widely described as a copy of the GC-07. We want to be precise about what that claim actually is.
It is an enthusiast consensus, stated on Subaru owner forums. It is not a statement by Prodrive, by RAYS, or by Rota. We found no manufacturer making or contesting the claim.
What is not in dispute is the technical difference: the Rota is cast; the Prodrive original is forged. That is a real difference in how the wheel is made and how it behaves, and it is checkable.
Whether a legally-sold lookalike under its own brand bothers you is a separate question from whether it is a good wheel. We set out the same distinction in more detail in our BBS RS article.
What This Means When You Are Buying
Check the bolt pattern for the specific wheel. The GC-07 exists in both 5×100 and 5×114.3 because the Impreza changed pattern in 2005. Getting this wrong is the most common mistake on this brand.
Look for the RAYS stamping on wheels claimed to be forged GC-07 or GC-010E.
Do not expect new stock. Prodrive’s current business is motorsport and advanced technology; there is no wheel line on its site. Everything available is secondary market.
What We Could Not Verify
- Whether a model called “GC-10” exists.
- A master specification sheet for GC-07 variants. Bolt patterns and offsets vary by fitment and we saw only a sampling.
- Any official RAYS or Prodrive statement confirming who manufactured the wheels.
- Whether production has genuinely ended, as opposed to simply being dormant.
Related Guides
- Subaru WRX & STI — and the 2005 bolt pattern change
- Subaru Legacy — the car Prodrive started with
- RAYS
- BBS RS: real, replica or counterfeit
Finding Prodrive Wheels
Most Prodrive wheels were sold into Japan, and that is where the remaining sets are. Tell us the model, the size and — critically — the bolt pattern your car actually uses, through the Request page.