You know the short stubby guy at the gym who’s way too strong for his size? If he’s a S2000, his little brother would be an ND Miata. Today we’re talking about wheel fitment for the S2K’s little bro, *enters the 2016 to present MX-5 Miata.

With the obligatory Miata diss out of the way - let’s talk fitment. A lot of JDM car makers, cough cough Honda, seem to think bigger=better. They’ve taken classics like the Civic and Integra and progressively sized them up over the generations to effectively be mid-sized sports coupes. What happened? These cars used to run 14’s, now the CTR comes with 20’s? Instead of following in their footsteps, Mazda has kept the Miata true to its roots. Basically, it’s a street legal go-kart.

Not surprisingly, people like to style their ND miata a lot like the NA they had 10 years ago. Small wheels and extra meaty tires take these cars straight back to the 90’s. Whether you’re after a retro look with 15’s or want to size it up, we’ll look at a bit of everything. First, let’s go over some basics you’ll need to know regardless:

Quick links

• Basic fitment info
• 15 inch wheels
• 16 inch wheels
• 17 inch wheels

Basic fitment info

• Lug pattern: 4x100
• Lug thread: M12x1.5
• Center bore: 54.1mm
• Lug torque: 92 ft lbs

Remember the glory days when small cars used 4x100 lug patterns? So does Mazda. They decided to keep it at 4x100. Not a lot of stuff is running 4 lug these days, so you’re not going to have as much aftermarket support. But the thing is, most wheels with this pattern will likely come in suitable specs for your car. So, are you really missing out on much? Majority of our 4x100 will work on a Miata one way or another, depending on the type of fitment you’re after.

Shop 20K+ 4x100 wheels

Aftermarket wheels for your ND Miata

When deciding on aftermarket wheels you’ll need to figure out the size (diameter) first. The factory sizes are really simple because they are only two options: 16x6.5 +45 and 17x7 +45. Aftermarket wheels normally stay with 16’s or 17’s, but there’s also a crowd of diehard 15” wheel fans - those who love that retro look.

For width, you can go a bit wider than the stock wide wheels, but keep in mind you're not working with a muscle car or big-body-Benz. 7.5 or 8” wide wheels are great when you don’t wanna roll your fenders or do extra work. 8.5” or wider is when you’ll have to consider rolling fenders, at a minimum.

Stock offset is +45. Depending on the fitment, you’ll want to run something between +20 and +40 offset.

15” wheel fitment

15’s didn’t originally come on the ND, but they have gained a cult-like following. Something about tiny wheels and huge tires suits this chassis. It’s pretty cool if done correctly. Unlike the OG Miatas, some special considerations come from the ND being a newer car.

For example, the ND has modern-car-sized brakes, or at least 2.0L cars. If you live in North America and have a 2.0L, chances are you will have to swap out your brakes to those from a 1.5L if you wanna run 15’s. If you live in other parts of the world, your Miata will come with smaller calipers capable of fitting 15’s, unless you have an RS or NR-A trim level.

Just because you have the smaller brakes doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. This just means some models will fit. Due to the awkward design of the rear caliper, it’s possible for the brake lines to interfere with the barrel of your wheels. Often, small spacers are needed to give adequate clearance.

We’ll look at a few 15” wheel options that are known to work, plus note any trickery needed to fit them.

Starting with some Advan wheels, RG-D2’s fit with about 2mm to spare in the rear. It’s so tight that the wheel weights had to be mounted in a particular location to prevent contact between the caliper banjo bolt and barrel of the wheel. Not ideal, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Staying with factory 7” width and dropping the offset down from 45 -> 30 bring the wheels out a bit more than a ½”. Not exactly flush fitment, but great for a daily driver. With a 60 aspect ratio, the rolling diameter is identical to factory 17’s. You could play around with this a bit if you wanted an extra meaty tire, or something a bit more low-profile.

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Good news, your favorite wheel’s favorite wheel also works on ND Miatas - and in 15's too. Here is what 15” TE’s look like on an ND2. This car is an MX-5 NR-A spec, meaning it has larger calipers. How do they fit? The lower offset rear wheels have a bit more concavity, leading to just enough clearance. The fitment on these is about flush in the rear and a bit tucked in front due to a staggered configuration.

16” wheels

This is the in-between size. With 16’s you can still run fairly chunky tires, but don’t have to worry about doing any tricky to clear the rear calipers.

This is basically OEM fitment but with the wheels spaced out slightly. If you’re after a hellaflush look, this isn’t for you. Even with this car being lowered slightly, there are no issues with rubbing. If you just want to change the look of your ride and not so much the fitment, this could be a great option.

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Most of you will want a bit more performance. Stepping up to a 7.5 or 8” with a wider tire is one way to achieve this. This ND2 RF shows that 8” wide wheels fit this platform without much hassle. The car is lowered on Good-Win Progressive springs, yet has zero rubbing. No fender modification was needed.

The overall diameter will be about ½” larger than stock 17’s which might cause concerns over a loss in torque. Because RPF1’s are so light, the owner reports no noticeable difference compared with factory wheels.

You’ll see a lot of Enkei and Konig on these cars. Both brands cater to mini-vans, kei trucks, and small sports cars, so it’s no surprise they’re so common. Plus, RPF1s are said to be a perfect match for this chassis.

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We wanted to show something a little different, so leave it to a Japanese build to do exactly that. We know the wheel specs for certain, but the rest is iffy considering we had to rely on Google Translate. We’d have to guess “air leg change” could only mean it's on air suspension (if it’s not obvious). The camber has been adjusted to make the rear wheels tuck in the fenders, likely with the use of adjustable suspension arms.

Fender work or other body mods are unknown, but given how tight the fitment is, assume you would need to roll and possibly pull the fenders - he’s fitting 9” wide wheels on the stock body after all.

17” wheels

Do you like a contemporary look? 17’s add a modern touch to a car that otherwise stayed pretty true to its original form. 15” wheel lovers might hate them, but they're a factory size after all.

If you wanna run Work Meisters like this car, be sure to get an A-disk for the front if you have a 2.0L. With larger brakes, you’ll need the extra clearance form a higher disk. Again, this fitment isn’t hellaflush, but the wheel is almost inline with the fender and no camber adjustment was needed.

The ND is one of those platforms where factory specs offer a good baseline of how to size your aftermarket wheels. No need to overboard.

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These specs are more or less the same as the last. We wanted to show off some WedsSports because they’re one of our favorite brands, plus they look baller on a Miata. The TC105X is a modern design from Weds that accommodates big brakes. The “F” face on this car will clear OEM Brembos with no problem. They could probably also clear aftermarket BBK’s, but no guarantees.

If you want to learn more about Weds and why they’re so good, check out our full feature.

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We’ve seen a lot of JDM wheels, some BBS, how about USA made Rotiforms? These LAS-R’s won’t be a huge hit in the Miata community, but at least they’re something different from the RPF1s that you’ll see on half the cars. These are not as light as RFF1s, but they are a little lighter than stock, plus they give a unique look. Aerodisc wheels would be a cool prospect for these cars, but at the time of writing they’re only available in 18” and up.

Again, fitment isn’t too much different. The go-to tire size for 17’s is 215/45R17, one size wider than stock. These wheels will give about ½” more poke than factory 17’s. Again, not stance boy fitment, but good for a daily.

This car is lowered on progressive rate springs. There are no issues with rubbing, even with the fenders being unmodified.

Wrap up

So what did we learn about Miata fitment? Unlike a lot of cars, the ND Miata is one where the best looking wheels are similar to factory sizes: 16’s or 17’s, or possibly downsized to 15’s. There’s a nostalgia factor that makes small wheels with chunky tires the desired look. 15’s are a tight fit, so you should be absolutely sure your favorite design will work on your car before you order (being mindful of various caliper sizes). Otherwise, 16’s have a lot more breathing room and still can fit decently-sized tires. If you want the modern look, get yourself some 17’s.

If you have a Miata with aftermarket wheels be sure to add it to our Fitment Gallery (any aftermarket wheels, even if you lifted your MX-5 on 20’s). There you can flex your super awesome fitment or get inspired for a new build.