Mazda Speed 3 Wheels vs. 09 Mazda3 GT Wheels

[philipfreire]

I'm looking into getting an extra set of wheels for my Mazda. I don't really love the snowflake design and want something a bit more sharper that's OEM. For me, I like the Speed3 wheels. I got a buddy of mine who is willing to sell them to me but am wondering if there are any difference between the two?

Mine are 17", are the speed3 17" or 18"? Is their anything I should know about them that could effect the purchase?

[FLIPDADY]

The Speed 3 rims are 18"s and therefore you will need larger tires. They also weigh more than the snowflakes.

[philipfreire]

Thank you FlipDady,

with that information, I used Miata.net Tire Size Calculator to get the proper size tire for those 18" rims so it does not effect the speedometer.

17" Snowflakes with: 205/50-R17
18" Speed3 rims will need: 225/40-R18

Now, that is just a tad of a wider tire but is the closest match. Flip - how much heavier are the 18" Speed3?

[DruidB]

I must be the only person who thinks the snowflakes are the nicest Mz3 rims available... way nicer than the Ms3's

[Chesms3]

I guess when it comes to rims, its all in your taste...I have the MS3 rims, and i like them but i think the spokes are too thick. And i'd prefer some black rims.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Hey Phillie,

Yah, don't blame you for wanting to lose the snowflakes... Not the best looking rims for the MZ3 at all...

If you go with the Speed3 rims, try and find a set of the 08.5 or 09 model year rims that have the darker gunmetal finish. They are harder to find and will be more expensive than the MS3 rims from the 07 models. However, the gunmetal version looks awesome. I have a black 08.5 MS3 and as much as I'd love black rims for it, I'm staying with the stock rims for now as they look awesome on the car too.

Another option is to find a good set of the original 5 spoke rims that were offered on the 04, 05 and I think also on the 06 versions of the MZ3. The original OEM 5 spoke rims still look the best on the MZ3 in my opinion. Especially so on the hatch if that is what you have.

[Donutz]

I have a set of oem 5 spokes that I'm selling from my 05 hb (just haven't had time to post them fs). If you're interested shoot me a pm.