the OE wheel/tire package are boat anchors too, but I'm pretty jaded having a set of Buddy Club P1QF 17x9 wheels that weigh under 14 lbs each

most manufacturers are only using large diameter wheels because they think this is what people want/are willing to pay for (in Monchies case this is likely true, carry over subject from another thread). I won't dirty up your thread with my highly negative opinion about that trend other than to point out there is nothing good or beneficial about going larger than 18", especially for a vehicle with a low torque, high revving engine.

 

That's a great (lack of) wheel weight you have there at less than 14lbs.

But I'm in Ian Callum's camp when it comes to wheels. When asked if there was an 18" wheel option for the new Jag F-type he's just designed, he said "Yes there is, ... and I hope I never see one". Still, everyone to their own, eh?

My 18" Ultralegerra's are ~8kg and do go better on track than the 20"ers at ~10kg; especially as the Dunlop Direzza's are a bit lighter than the Dunlop Sport Maxx GT's I have on the 20" wheels.

I would ideally have liked some lightweight BBS forged alloys at ~7.5 kg for 20" depending on offset (which Mazda showed on the Spirit R special edition at Tokyo, from memory) but the cheapest I could find them was around $11,000 a set .... so just a couple of extra kilo's for the Ultraleggera's in the size I like suddenly seemed very acceptable ... and I'm no worse off than a stock R3; in fact somewhat better when you take the RB BBK into account.

 

as long as you can accept that Mazda was stupid to have done it on the R3 in the first place

 

It requires no assessment of Mazda's intelligence to conclude I have reduced weight in the wheel / brake assembly compared to a stock R3 (or S2 generally), and have a look I much prefer