New summer wheels: Rota SDX in black/blue lip

[Chibana]

I keep bending my 18" Enkei RPF1 wheels, so I'm downsizing to a 17x7.5 Rota SDX. I've been watching the Rotas at wheeldude.com for a while, and I saw a set in Yamaha Black with Candy Blue lip show up in the SDX style, which I like, and are also the lightest Rota wheels at 16 lbs. in that size. I just put the first coat of my paint protectant on them (they will get one more, and then a coat of wax), they look nice and shiny, so I thought I would post a couple:

They probably won't be to everyone's liking, but the Candy Blue lip caught my attention, as it very closely matches the Winning Blue of my Mazda3:

The Titanium Bronze 5Zigen FN01R-Cs that are in this picture are my winter wheels now.

 

[jbiird317]

i like em, but i'll reserve my opinion til I see them on the car...

now as for the uber-nerdy racing seat behind them, that I definitely approve of! Looks like a fun way to do some basement racing.

 

[Chibana]

Yes, it is MAJOR fun! That racing seat combined with "Gran Turismo 5: Prologue", is the most fun I've ever had playing any kind of computer game.

 

[Akaveli]

ooohz. I was considering buying these rims. Good choice and I think they will look sweet on your car.

 

[MazdaBoyWonder]

any pix on car?

 

[StealthWyvern]

subbin to seen them on the car but i think they will look sweet!

 

[my3needsaname]

Those are hott. I want some next to the Tarmac's with the candy apple red lip...those are sex.

 

[tsunami]

how many times did you bend your rpf1's? i am surprised i am running the kosei K1 TS which are a very light weight 18" (16.5lbs iirc) and running on the sweet roads that is south western maine i haven't bent one yet (run p5 rims for winter) i am just surprised as i wanted the rpf1's and didn't get them because of long shipping times and settled for the kosei's thinking i would have bending/quality issues.

on a side note those rota's are sick!

 

[Chibana]

I've bent two RPF1s. It wasn't a problem until I replaced my OEM dampers and springs with Koni Sport dampers and Racing Beat springs. I think that little bit of extra stiffness was enough, combined with horrible mid-Michigan roads, to put it over the edge of what the cast wheels can tolerate.

I'll definitely post pictures once the wheels are on the car this spring.

 

[daonly1around]

wanna see pics of them on the car

 

[bbrich57]

subbin to seen them on the car but i think they will look sweet!

Ditto! They should look good.

 

[MixinMP5]

where are the pics?

 

[Chibana]

Hey, here in Michigan we still have at least another month of freezing temperatures and potential snow! I plan to put the new wheels and tires on in mid-March, most likely. It might be a bit later than that depending on how the weather goes around that time.

 

[Chibana]

I got the wheels on a week or so ago. It's still been pretty cold here, and I have been too busy buying my new RX-8 (yeah!) to get around washing the 3. It may be a while before I get a chance to properly wash and wax it, so I decided to just post a few dirty pictures of it for now. I wasn't sure at first how I felt about the wheels. The blue lip doesn't match Winning Blue quite as well as I'd hoped, but in the week or more that I've had them on the car, they've really grown on me. I like them a great deal now.

 

[StealthWyvern]

looks good just needs a drop and a good side shot.

 

[Chibana]

Thanks. Already has as much of a drop as it's ever going to get with Racing Beat springs and KONI Sport dampers.

 

[NTIMD8R]

I think the blue lip matches pretty well! It doesn't seem as bad as you think. Looks good! Congrats on the RX-8!!

 

[my3needsaname]

If you are still kinda unchanged about liking them or not I can PM you a place to send them where they will be put to good use.

 

[Chibana]

No, that's OK! I like them better every time I see the car. Although, with the fact that the car is already becoming a rust bucket, soon the attractiveness of the wheels will be all but irrelevant.

 

[my3needsaname]

Hahaha! When that day comes you already have someone willing to take that weight off your car.