You might have noticed in my last two posts that that the Speed 3 was looking a bit grungy. Basically, it was a combination of rain and a missed opportunity for a car wash. For a while, though, I was actually enjoying the look of the brake-dust-covered wheels. Sure, up close they looked terrible, but from 20 feet away they just looked like grey-painted wheels. It gave the car a bit of an understated look that you don't otherwise get with the regular, clean-and-shiny wheels. Since the factory wheels are pretty nice to begin with, it'd be cool if Mazda offered a set of grey-painted ones as an option.
But now the Speed 3 is clean and back to its regular sparkly self.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
ethanp71 says:
04:49 PM, 10/13/10
I like the gray as well. It makes the car look lower.
moar_revs says:
05:06 PM, 10/13/10
I've noticed this before on my Civic as well. A nice gray or dark gray color would look great... it'd have some of the meaner look of black wheels, but keep the spoke definition that gets lost with black wheels.
And of course wheel color options would be nice, but so would lighter/wider wheels and since we're talking completely different wheels, different designs as well. I guess it's all a matter of what works for Mazda's checkbooks.
liquoredonlife says:
05:07 PM, 10/13/10
The Mazda RX-8 R3 comes with a gunmetal grey version of the wheel but at 19". They used it on the SEMA Mazdaspeed3 last year. On the used market they still pull in a ridiculous $3000 (brand new is $1250/each).
http://www.insideline.com/mazda/mazdaspeed3-sema/2010/photos/2010_mazda_mazdaspeed3-sema_whl_fe_2.html
That color is quite nice and some folks go out of their way to paint/powder coat the MS3 stock wheels to match it. I can't quite bring myself to doing anything to a wheel that weighs 25 lbs stock though. Shaving off 6-8 lbs per corner with a minor trade off in vanity seems like an idea.
clarkma5 says:
05:22 PM, 10/13/10
I think it looks great, I can't imagine it not looking great on any color that the MS3 comes in. Personally I love the blue (that apparently doesn't sell at all) and I think a blue one with gray wheels would look awesome. Well, as awesome as a car with that face could look.
santiagofdz says:
05:35 PM, 10/13/10
@clarkma5
I'm surprised about the news that the blue one doesn't sell at all. Of the current colors offered, it would be the one I'd pick if I was going to buy a new speed3. Then again, I also like the orange Focus ST, so what do I know...
slickersdrip says:
09:39 PM, 10/13/10
Liquoredonlife:
Tell me about it. It kills me that I can't fiscally justify that kind of price on R3 wheels on my 2004 RX-8. I'll be putting that money towards the MazdaManiac turbo kit instead.
indy_mistert says:
06:58 AM, 10/14/10
I truly do not get it - as the post states, grey wheels merely look DIRTY to me... to my eye there's nothing even slightly sexy about them.
But for some reason grey wheels with a polished or machined lip = another story.
karla1234 says:
03:29 PM, 10/14/10
I like the grey wheels. Looks more sporty.