[TitaniumGT3]

Hi,
I just got these:

Enkei RPM2 in Hyper black 17x7. They're from the high performance wheel lineup from Enkei and weigh 16.9 lbs. (It's already my third set of wheels :roll: lol... Either I didn't like the looks of the previous ones, or the offset was wrong)


As I haven't had a chance to get them on my car and was just wondering if the change in performance is significant...
Anyone knows? Will have them installed today and will post pics soon.

 

[JamesBOMB]

:lol: bigger wheels and better tires won't make your car go faster... (okay, thats not entierly true, they will help you for fast starts with the increased grip...) they'll just make it stick to the road better... so you'll feel only something when cornering and doing fast starts.

Other than that, I really like your choice of rims! Nice!

 

[Easystreet]

lighter wheels

Lighter wheels will reduce the weight of your car. This by itself will not net you any great HP or Torque but since you will be lighter your engine will have less weight to pull.

With just lighter wheels you might be saving an estimated 27-40 lbs. I don’t think you will notice a difference of -40 lbs on your car. Now if you were to remove your spare tire, remove your interior panels, remove your back seats, get racing seats for the front, and remove anything else not needed you might be removing 100+lbs of weight which you still might not notice unless on the track. Weight Reduction is good. But don’t count on it (unless done to the extreme) to count for much.

EZ

 

[Roadster 6W 1.8T]

Au contraire,

Every little bit helps. Reducing wheel weight helps more than you think because it is both unsprung weight and rotating mass.

Once upon a time, Mazda's had VERY light OE wheels...1st gen Miata wheel was 10-11 pounds, most folks who +2'd found out the error of their ways almost immediately.

Going too large, and ride suffered, shocks and suspension bushings got punished and the car actually went slower. You know that ugly old Newtonian axiom, once a Mass is put into motion, it tends to remain in motion.

Unfortunately for the Mazda 3, we not only got crappy tires, but the 17" alloy weighs about #22 or 10kg (without the tire).

Heavier and larger wheels, slow acceleration, put down smaller dyno numbers, are less forgiving over bumps, and general bad pavement, and increase stopping distances.

So...if you can save 20% of your unsprung weight, the car will pull better, corner better and get less unsettled on a rough road. These are all good things.

Just remember, tires and wheels are package, getting a heavy tire, especially a rock hard one that will last 60K miles and a heavier and larger wheel comes at a price more than just money, so there is a price to pay for phatness and bling.

My advice?

Buy the lightest strongest wheel that looks good to you and that you can afford. Buy the stickiest tire and don't try to cut corners on performance or safety by going for the mega treadlife...

 

[JamesBOMB]

I agree with you guys but don't expect bigger/lighter wheels to shave off 1 second of your 0-60...

 

[TitaniumGT3]

...for the tires, I went with Yokohama AVS ES100, and I feel confident that they'll be up to the task

 

[bluntman]

There's a $40 rebate on those tires too!

 

[budgy]

I agree with you guys but don't expect bigger/lighter wheels to shave off 1 second of your 0-60...

The stock rims are 17" anyway...he is saving like 4.1 pounds per rim and probably a little bit on the Yokohama tires as well....your car should actually be a fair bit faster. He wont shave off a whole second but I bet he will shave off a couple tenths and that is actually a pretty big difference...

BTW those are beatiful rims Titanium GT3 especially in the Hyperblack finish....maybe you could keep me updated on the difference in performance I would be interested in a set of lighter wheels in the future and those RPM2's have always been near the top of my list....BTW how much did they cost?

 

[TitaniumGT3]

lol, yeah, I figured I wouldn't shave a second off the 1/4, but I heard that launches would be considerably smoother... Don't know if it's true though

 

[TitaniumGT3]

I got them for 1600$CAD including taxes(15%in Quebec), centering rings, lock nuts, all tuner bolts, mounted and balanced, and installed on my car. I shopped around and decided to pay a bit more to avoid the hassle of ordering rims from the US (custom fees, damage, warranty, etc...).

I bought them at the shop that could have them the next day, as all the other shops in Montreal told me that they were back order and that it would be at least a month before I get them...

 

[loudboxer]

Nice rims, one of my first choices too. Can't wait to see how they look on the 3! PICS PICS!

Wait too long and we'll have to throw up the dreaded "thread is worthless without pics" deal... Don't want that.

 

[Frank]

I want to buy the Enkei RPF1 rims, 13.7lbs per wheel, 4 wheels, 16 inches. That makes 8,3lbs lighter than the stock wheel, which means 33.2lbs less for the engine to tow. I expect a better acceleration due to the lighter dead mass to turn, shorter braking distances, better 1/4 mile times, better track traction and so on. Better look too (I'll buy then WHITE, on a RED car), I still have a rice side !

 

[vaBooM]

I agree with you guys but don't expect bigger/lighter wheels to shave off 1 second of your 0-60...

BS... 15" drag wheels with slicks will shave a full second :twisted:

vB

 

[loudboxer]

Well... How do those Enkie's look on the 3? C'mon TitGT3... you've gotta have 5 minutes to stop driving around and snap a couple photos.

 

[TitaniumGT3]

Here are the pics:
Tell me what you think
Enkei RPM2 Hyper Black with 205/50/17 Yokohama AVS ES100 ZR

 

[Seany_12]

Looks awesome.... im thinking of getting a similar style rim to yourself.... Love the colour.....

 

[Titanium Dragon]

They look good I want a set.

 

[crossbow]

I recently upgraded from the stock 17x7 Mich's on the Mazda 6 (46-48 lbs Rim+Tire) to SSR Comp 17x8 with Toyo T1-S's (34.1 lbs).

Or a reduction of 55.6 lbs of unsprung weight...while increasing both rim with, and tire width to 225/45/17.

The difference is so unbelievably different its incredible. Its two different cars. Before the lightweight wheels, and after. The car just feels so light and nimble. The steering feel has completely changed. The vehicle moves with effortless percision. I just can't say enough about the changes this mod (possibly THE greatest mod you can make) did to my car.

Braking distance was massively improved (from the high performance rubber), acceleration was improved (.2-.3 seconds off my 1/4), and the lateral stability and grip just has to be experienced. (About 8x greater grip then stock tires).

My autoX's massively improved, and I'm now actually competitive. Yay!

So in summary, go with the lightest, strongest wheels and tires you can find. Avoid larger wheels at all cost, and try to downsize if you can for a better gear ratio (run a lower profile with a smaller rim). The performance gains make up for any lost bling. Most people can't see your rims anyway when your passing them .

 

[TitaniumGT3]

:shock:

Your 6 is SOOOOO nice!!!

 

[crossbow]

Thanks! I do have some huge wheel gap issues, but I'm working on that. Saving up for a height adjustable/Damper adjustable KW suspension coilover kit. 1600 USD...ouch. But oh so nice .

Ya...so try and get lightweight wheels. Be wary though...if you get lightweight CAST wheels, they will be prone to being damaged by potholes. If your going as light as you can, try and get forged rims. Yes it costs more, but it also costs alot to have to keep replacing cast wheels from pothole damage.