Hi,

I spoke to a rep today at TireTrends.com concerning my intention to buy the Hankook W300 Ice Bear . He told me that the Hankook W300 Ice Bear is one of the best value (quality/price ratio) on the market right now. He strongly suggested me to go with my choice. I asked him also if he could suggest me rims that are not too expensive, good quality and a decent look. He told me that painted rims would be ideal for the winter time due to the fact that some cheap rims with chrome will peel (finish) and that they are not guaranteed under extreme condition. I spend about 15 minutes with him on the phone and he was very professional, sometimes too technical for me but it was great to speak to someone that knows well his products.

Here is what I placed:

4 x Hankook - W300 Ice Bear 225/50R17 XL 96V at 146.95 CAN each = 124 USD.

4 x Motegi Racing - MR7 Silver 17x7 5x100/5x114.3 40mm (Silver) at 153.60 CAN each = 130 USD.

Total invoice in canadian $ including shipping & taxes: $1367.67 CAN = 1161 USD. Still a hole in the pocket but not bad ;)

He told me that the MR7 17x7 rims will 100% fit on the RX8, no problem there.

I have included pictures of the tire & rim.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow :)

I have winter tires, but not rims. Are the rims really needed? The factory rims will hold up fine in the winter time, right?

If you have 18" winter tires, the stock rim will do fine. They have the same finish as the ones that I just bought. Just be carefull when they remove & install the winter tires due to the fact that you have Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor inside the stock tires. You don't want to damage them at the price they cost!

That's great news! Just last week I e-mailed tiretrends asking them about this very rim for my car. They told me the offset (40mm?) was too low and the wheel was therefore not recommended. Who did you speak to over there? The low cost and the look of the MR7 appealed to me a lot, and I was dissapointed that it wouldn't work. If I speak to the same person you spoke to, I hope to get the same response. :)

Standard 17x7 offset quoted by Tiretrends for RX-8 is 45mm to 42mm.

where did you buy it from humagin?

I don't have the name of the guy, sorry. I contacted them again before I place the order and talked to another rep. and he told me exacly the same thing that the rims will work, guaranteed. If it doesn't fit, will take them back.

Marc_GS, call them and check yourself at: 1-877-920-8473 (Canada) or 604-460-8406 (International). They are located in British Columbia. From your location (Gatineau), you can call them between 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. We will be 2 to confirm this :)

Tire Trends website: http://www.tiretrends.com

I ran the W300s last winter and they were great. Was caught in a freezing rain storm (for 70 miles) and passed many cars and SUVs that were spun off the road. Between the DSC and snow tires I never slipped a tire once!

Thanks Humagin! I just called Tiretrends. They explained to me that they were concerned about MR7 offset on the RX8, so they contacted Motegi directly and were told that Motegi has confirmed MR7 fit on RX-8s, which explains why I got the answer I did last week and you got a different answer yesterday. :)

Now I just have to decide if I want the Icebears or the Dunlop M3s. Biggest advantage to the Dunlops for me is that they're a bit narrower, so it should help dig into the snow. Apart from that, I've heard really good things about the Icebears, and they are WAY less expensive...

Marc

Thanks Humagin! I just called Tiretrends. They explained to me that they were concerned about MR7 offset on the RX8, so they contacted Motegi directly and were told that Motegi has confirmed MR7 fit on RX-8s, which explains why I got the answer I did last week and you got a different answer yesterday. :)

Now I just have to decide if I want the Icebears or the Dunlop M3s. Biggest advantage to the Dunlops for me is that they're a bit narrower, so it should help dig into the snow. Apart from that, I've heard really good things about the Icebears, and they are WAY less expensive...

Marc
Hello Marc,

I am glad to know that you will get the rims that you initially wanted. Concerning the Dunlop M3s from what I read, they are good. I decided to go with the W300 Ice Bear due to the fact that the performance will be as good as the M3s (this is what the rep told me at TireTrends) + I am saving $81.46 per tire ($325 Can + taxes)

I think that it is a personal choice but keep in mind that one cost way less than the other one and for the same performance...;)

O.K, here is the result finaly . I can say that Tiretrends are very professional and that I am very :) with my purchase.

So, how did the tires perform in winter?

From the pic, are those winter tires on those new rims in October or are these stock?