Why the NA Mazda Miata OEM wheel has 7 spokes instead of 8

As has often been said, the original NA Mazda MX-5 Miata wheel was designed to evoke popular aftermarket wheels of the 1960s. However, as keen-eyed observers might note, all those wheels and the many copies they inspired have eight spokes. The Miata’s wheel only has seven. What gives?

The Miata wheel was an homage to classic racing wheels like the 1962 Minilite and 1967 RS Watanabe. Those wheels have inspired many homages, like Panasports, as well as countless knock-offs such as American Racing Silverstones, Black Racing BR8s, KN Minators, Konig Rewinds, Rota RBs, and many, many more. Even when Mazda debuted the Miata at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show, the modified example they showed alongside the stock cars wore 8-spokes.

Modern cars other than the Miata have gotten in on the action, too. Check out the R50 Mini or the Saleen S302. However, no matter the maker, the common theme is that they all have eight spokes. Or, in the case of the 2012 Mustang Boss 302‘s 19-inchers, ten spokes.

Turns out, it’s an old car designer’s trick. On something simple and round like a wheel, our minds subconsciously expect symmetry. An even number of spokes subconsciously invokes order and precision. The math is so ingrained in our minds that when we see an odd number of spokes the shape feels off-balance.

But by feeling off-balance, the wheel makes us think of motion. That’s why OEM wheels generally don’t have four spokes, and for sports cars 5-spokes were a long-held tradition. The Miata’s 7-spokes make it so that the car doesn’t appear so anchored to the ground, which makes it seem more nimble, and that’s the Miata ethos.

The original 8-spoke wheels were likely designed that way for structural strength and not aesthetics. But the team that worked on the Miata wanted to capture a spirit rather than make a formal retro version or copy. So like the Miata itself, the wheels pay tribute to milestones of motoring history, but takes the design to a new level.