What wheel does everyone suggest to put on the protege sedan for a combination of handling and speed.

I dont want to get a 16 inch wheel and loose all my acceleration.

Is it possible to go to a bigger size and keep the acceleration the same.

Right now I have a 2000 Es protege , 205/50 bridgestone re730 tires on the stock 15 inch wheel.

Will I notice and difference with the same tire on a bigger wheel?

 

You might, but the key is to get a lightweight wheel. The lighter the wheel, the better the acceleration and handling.

 

Mazda equips its cars with pretty light wheels to start with.
You are already set up fine for combination of handling and speed. 730 is one of the best tires for the money.
You will not loose all your acceleration with 16" wheel-make sure it's below 15 lb and choose tire size to have same rotation per mile as factory tire has. Kosei K1, Enkei, Rota Subzero are just few to choose from.
Alex

 

Do you happen to know what the weight is on stock Pro5 wheels?

 

Run a search...

I remember someone saying the weight, and that they were manufactured by Enkei. I can't remember the weight anymore though (maybe 16-18lbs with no tire???, please correct me if I am wrong)

 

do a search on "stock wheel weight"

15lbs is what I found...

 

I found the same thing. 15lbs for 16 inch wheels is very good

 

however a 15" Rota Attack rim is only 11lbs!!!!!

I'd say our 15" stock rims are probably 15lb as well, so 4x4= 16lb weight reduction if you go with the 15" Rotas!

 

well rota is definately the place to look, get the rota slipstream in 15 it weights 11.9lbs, or in the 16 it weights 13lbs..... damn thats light

all there other wheels weight close to the same thing

 

I think I read it in another thread, but there are some newer konigs that are about 10.8lbs or something for 15"s... That's really crazy light! I think I'm going to get them, I was going to buy 16"s, but that's too light to give up! Plus, they don't make them in a 16" size.

Here they are, Konig Heliums (good name, aka lighter than air).

http://www.konigwheels.com/catalog_p...ght%20Wheel%29

 

holy butt monkey thats light


im on the same boat as you, im so getting those!

 

Whalentire.com, $98 a peice for the 15s... That's cheap as hell for rims... Granted they ARE 15s... they don't seem to have the 17s on the site, though

 

So light as possible 16 inch wheels with my tires would be the ULTIMATE?

Will I **** my pants at the difference , today I hit an On ramp coming off the interstate at 75 mph to a banked turn and barely broke traction , the tires amaze me everyday.

 

I just ordered mine from groupbuycenter.com - great price and free shipping, with incredible service from the seller (g-forceperformanceandsound, of Florida, I think) barely over 400. Looking forward to getting them and putting them on the car. I have another post here asking if people have used them, but apparently no one has (or has bothered to reply!).

I'll post my experiences here, although I found some Miatas on cardomain (or sounddomain) that had these, and they swear by them! Look real sharp too!

AFAIK they are only made in 4x100, and 15 inches is the most popular size now - 108lbs is correct. 17's will start becoming more easily available gradually, as this is a brand new wheel design. They look similar to the Rota Circuit 8, which is a rip-off of the Racing Hart CP8 (I think) but are lighter and about as strong, I understand/hope!

I also bought 195/50-15 Falken ZIEX ZE-512 tires to go with the wheels. I think 13->15 is a good enough upgrade for my 95 DX

 

Another lightweight wheel option is the Miata wheels- you can buy them from MAZDASPEED for cheap if you race. I have a set of 15x6 miata wheels (99 and 00) which I race with 225-45-15 (Front)or 205-50-15 (rear) Hoosiers. The miata wheels run about 11-12 lbs- I found my stock ES wheels (15's) to be 16 or 17 lbs- and cost $130/ piece new- or you may find some used.
The Miata wheels are 15x6 but have 5 mm more offset than the Protege wheel so you can fit a bigger tire in your wheel well.
The BIGGEST DIFFERENCE in handling is in the TIRES!! I like the Kumho 712's for a good all round tire. If you really want a sticky tire, go with the Falken Azenzas.
I think 15's are probably the best size wheel for performance in a low powered car (Look at the Integra Type R, Miata, etc). The grip comes from the width and build of the tire, while acceleration improves with lower gearing and weight.