Mazda RX-8 Wheel Fitment Guide: Square, ET50, and the 67.1mm Bore That Rules Things Out

The RX-8 is the easiest rotary Mazda to fit wheels to, and one of the easiest cars in this whole series. 5×114.3, 67.1 mm bore, M12x1.5, ET50 — square at both axles, on every package.

No stagger to get wrong, no front-versus-rear question, no bolt-pattern trap. What there is instead is a fairly high factory offset and a car that responds well to a modest, well-chosen change.

Section 1: OEM Wheel Specifications

OEM Wheel Specifications – Mazda RX-8 (SE3P, 2003-2012)

Package	Bolt Pattern	Hub Bore	Thread	Front Wheel	Rear Wheel	Tyre
16-inch (base)	5×114.3	67.1 mm	M12x1.5	7.5Jx16 ET50	7.5Jx16 ET50	225/55R16
17-inch	5×114.3	67.1 mm	M12x1.5	7.5Jx17 ET50	7.5Jx17 ET50	225/50R17
18-inch	5×114.3	67.1 mm	M12x1.5	8Jx18 ET50	8Jx18 ET50	225/45R18
19-inch	5×114.3	67.1 mm	M12x1.5	8Jx19 ET47	8Jx19 ET47	225/40R19

Front and rear wheels are identical on every package. Only the 19-inch cars deviate from ET50, and only by three millimetres.

Section 2: Offset Comparison & Fender Clearance Visualization

Section 3: The 67.1 mm Bore — Mazda and Mitsubishi Territory

The RX-8 shares its 67.1 mm hub bore with two other significant Japanese platforms: the RX-7 FD3S and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. All three are 5×114.3.

That gives the RX-8 an unusual position:

• RX-7 FD wheels fit directly — same pattern, same bore. The FD runs ET50, identical to the RX-8. See our RX-7 FD3S guide.
• Lancer Evolution wheels fit directly — same pattern, same bore, but at ET38 they sit 12 mm further out. On an RX-8 that is usually an improvement. See our Evo IV-IX guide.
• Nissan wheels (66.1 mm) will NOT fit. The bore is 1 mm too small for the RX-8 hub. Silvia, Skyline and Z-car wheels are out.
• Toyota wheels (60.1 mm) will NOT fit.
• Honda wheels (64.1 mm) will NOT fit.

This is the reverse of the situation on a Toyota, which accepts almost everything. The RX-8’s relatively large hub means it is one of the more restrictive 5×114.3 cars — the wheel’s bore must be 67.1 mm or larger.

In practice most aftermarket wheels are bored 73 mm or 73.1 mm and supplied with rings, so this rarely blocks a purchase. It does, however, rule out a great many secondhand OEM sets.

Section 4: Realistic Aftermarket Fitments

• 18×8.5 ET45 — a light forged replacement at close to factory geometry. The best value change on the car.
• 18×9 ET35 with 245/40R18 — the standard enthusiast fitment. Fills the arch, no body work at stock height.
• 18×9.5 ET30 / 18×10 ET25 — aggressive. Fender roll and camber expected, particularly at the rear.
• 17×9 ET35 — the track choice. More sidewall, far cheaper tyres, and the RX-8’s brakes clear 17 inches comfortably.

Below ET25 on standard arches you are rolling or pulling metal. The RX-8’s arches are shapelier than they look and the rear runs out before the front.

Section 5: Weight, and Why It Matters on a Rotary

An RX-8 weighs around 1,340 kg with near-perfect weight distribution and a 9,000 rpm engine that makes its power at the top. It is a car built entirely around balance and response — and like the S2000, it loses more to unsprung mass than a heavier car would.

A forged 18-inch wheel at 9 kg instead of a cast 19 at 13 kg is a genuine handling change, not a cosmetic one. Look for the JWL and VIA stamps on any used Japanese wheel, and treat weight as a headline number.

Section 6: A Note on Brake Clearance

Base RX-8s and Type S / R3 cars have different brake packages, but all of them clear a 16-inch wheel because Mazda fitted one from the factory. That makes the RX-8 unusually free at the small end — a genuine advantage if you are running a second set of track wheels and tyres.

Related Fitment Guides

• Mazda RX-7 FD3S — the same 67.1 mm bore
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV-IX — and again
• Honda S2000 — a comparable lightweight rear-drive car
• Mazda RX-7 FC3S — the rotary lineage

Every guide in this series is built the same way: verified factory specifications, an offset diagram, and an honest account of what fits and what does not.

Buying Wheels for Your RX-8

5×114.3, and the bore must be 67.1 mm or larger. That single number is the only real constraint on an otherwise very accommodating car.

Specifications in this guide reflect factory equipment for Japanese-market vehicles. Trim levels, optional wheel packages and market-specific variants can differ. Always confirm the fitment against your own car before purchase.