Otts

Hi to all 8ggers here..i'm new here and would be getting my auto 8 in abt 3 weeks time...but the mod bug is already getting into me! :p first to go would be the original 16s..my plan is to go 18 straight away...and i hope to get my concerns answered by all u bros here..

1) from 16 to 18 does the performance lack a lot?

2) consumption go up alot?

3) where to go for a bigger array of rims for our 8? i'm in s'pore btw

cheers!!

takahashi

I cannot answer your last question, but

18 in even the stock rim will be a similar weight as a 16". You need to find some very light rim. 8-8.5" will be great but I think going over 245 will kill acceleration and the car will feel heavy in steering.

Consumption should not up a lot if you stay under 245/40-18.

Why not just get the stock 18" from some one?
OR
Get a nice Volks or SSR wheels.

Good luck looking.

BTW stock 18" is 21.4lb or about 10.0kg (I tested on mine). That will be a good indicator for you to get a light wheel

coupe07

u cun find SSR wheels in production oredi. factory has closed down. wat u can see now are all ex stocks.

takahashi

That is why they are selling half price now

sqflyer

But the downside is damage to one rim = change the entire set... (refering to SSR)

Otts:
Welcome to the forum and congrats on getting your 8. Good choice.
Seems like we don't need to poison you, coz you already caught the mod bug all by yourself. Anyway, Taka already answered most of your questions, so I'll just add a couple of my thoughts on this topic. Going from 16" to 18" is not too bad as long as the rolling diameter remains the same. What's more important is the weight of the rims. Like Taka mentioned, the stock 18" rims weigh about 10kgs each, so you can use that as a guide. Whatever rims you decide on, keep it below 10kgs. Rim size also affects tyre size, and like Taka pointed out, it should be alright if you keep it 245 and below. However, that being said, there are guys driving auto 8s that went with 19" and even 20" rims with 265 tyres. Their priorities are more towards looks and less towards performance. They feel that they didn't buy the auto for it's performance, so they are more interested in the look of the car with big rims than the loss of performance. On the other hand, there are guys who bought the auto for the ease of driving or because there are other family members who don't drive stick. These guys are still interested in performance and therefore are concerned about the effect of bigger rims. I suppose you are the performance type of auto 8 owner, right?

As for where to go for choice of rims, you can try Leong Seng or Yap Bros at Paya Ubi (I prefer Leong Seng) or Poh Heng at AMK Ind Park 1. If you are looking for original Mazda 18" rims, you can try looking around here in this Far East forum. Once in a while, there will be guys looking to sell their stock 18" rims. Prices are usually much better here than buying from the tyre shop.

Otts

Thk u so muchy guys..gonna start doing my rim shop tours to narrow down my choices..hope to meet up with u guys some day and catch the bug even more! :D
turbo upgrade? whose done it? :p

Drifter

OTTS:
I am all out for 18 inch rims ! looks nicer ... does not really affect much performance as I have changed my from 16 to 18 inch. Looks cool ! Moreover I also maintain the 225 width of the tyres.

Happy hunting !!!!

Drifter.............

takahashi

I think I will get a 8.5" for track days....

Is Volks cheaper in SG? I am getting AUD$3800 for 4 here

sgrenesis

Sorry bro, that topic is a tad too sensitive to be discussed here.

You never know if "big brother" is watching......

sqflyer

Big brother is always watching.... *psychotic*

Takahashi: Which model do you have in mind? Any import tax if you bring rims back to AU?

Otts: Happy rim shopping, but don't break the bank just for rims coz there are many other goodies available for your new 8. Turbo? What's that??

Otts

hoho!! i din know big bro might be watching! ya turbo..wats that? alright,so after hearing all those "encouraging" :p comments from all bros here, i think i'll definitely go 18! with either 225 or 235...anyways which workshops do u guys normally go for curing the bugs and general servicing and accessories?

thks a mill! :D

Neon

Hmm if u r toking abt 3800ASD for say 18x8.5 TE-37s then its way above the price here.
Looking at abt 3300SGD for those here

Come to singapore twice so u can bring 2 back each time -_-)V

Er28

Can anyone advise me where to get volk racing rim i wanted to get the Volk GTU rim how the rim ? Hope you guy can provide me some information on it thank

lennon

Taka, my friend is selling Volks 18x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear at RM 7500 or Au$2700 brand new..

lennon

I heard Tanabe will take over SSR. I do found some exstock where most of them are rejects. Actually i wanted to get D5R rim