New Forged SM-8RS Wheels for Mazda ND MX-5 Miata

A big part of what makes Apex different is we’re a company of true enthusiasts. That means we’re not just active in the community, but we pay close attention to what other enthusiasts demand for their cars. It also means we recognize when a niche platform is underserved.

When it comes to Mazda’s ND MX-5 platform (or Miata, if you’re in North America), a few things were clear from the start: ND owners take their performance parts seriously, ND owners take racing seriously, and the market was lacking when it came to competition-grade, forged wheel options produced in ND MX-5 Miata fitments. The all-new SM-8RS is Apex’s solution to that problem: A track-ready wheel tailor made for the ND platform’s unique requirements.

The SM-8RS is a fully-forged wheel that delivers Apex’s Real Performance fundamentals to ND owners. This aggressive 8-spoke design takes its basic design cues from our extremely popular and competition-proven 10-spoke SM-10RS, but tweaks that wheel’s concept to work for the ND. When designing the SM-8RS, we took into consideration that the wheel had to offer significant weight-savings and had to work with both the ND’s sizable OE Brembo brakes and the big brake kits track-focused NDs often run. The 9” and 10” wide fitments we created for the SM-8RS do just that. Additionally, these wheels also had to be exceptionally strong for the sake of durability, because we know NDs are often found attacking the track and often take a beating from running in-the-pack. To that point, the SM-8RS also had to be exceptionally stiff. After all, you can spend a whole weekend painstakingly dialing-in a car’s suspension and if the wheels you’re running flex under load and your contact patch changes, it was all for nothing.

The SM-8RS’ strength, durability, and lightness come from a combination of our use of 10K ton forged 6061-T6 aluminum in their construction, an I-beam spoke design that was engineered by Apex’s in-house engineering team, and the incorporation of our stronger Sprint Spec inner lip design. The results are a wheel with a nearly unbeatable 1400-lb load rating, which is nearly 185 lbs stronger than almost every other ND wheel on the market and 230 lbs stronger than required JWL certification, but still weigh in at an impressively light 15.1, 16, and 16.9-lbs depending on which width you choose.

While we designed the SM-8RS to last and had them tested by ITS, one of the foremost independent wheel testing labs in the world to prove it, we also designed the SM-8RS to race. We know things happen in the heat of battle, so the SM-8RS (and all Apex wheels) are backed by an industry leading warranty and legendary wheel replacement program, just in case your fellow racers run out of talent or that attempt to make your own line goes awry.

Have an NC Miata? Check out our collection of wheels for the 2006-2015 Mazda NC MX-5 Miata.

Matt became the JDM Product Expert at APEX Wheels in 2022. Prior to joining APEX, he worked extensively in automotive sales. As an enthusiast he made the shift from street driving to track driving in order to fully experience his cars at the limit without putting the public at risk. Matt has owned six Hondas (‘94 Integra LS, ‘95 Integra RS, ‘96 Integra GS-R, ‘06 RSX Type-S, ‘95 Civic VX, ‘17 Civic EX-T), two Subarus (‘15 Impreza, ‘22 BRZ), and is likely shopping for the next addition to his stable. When he’s not helping JDM owners figure out the best wheel setups for their cars, he enjoys playing racing video games and indulging his interest in automotive photography. Fun fact: Matt knows every quotable line in The Fast and the Furious by heart.

Have questions about wheels for your JDM vehicle? Use our contact form and ask for Matt.