Id like to run 245/45/R16 tires.

The only two that I might care for are the Fuzion ZRi and the Toyo T1R.

If I went to a 245/50/R16 I can get Michelin Pilot A/S, Goodyear Eagle GS-D3 and several others.

Will the increase in sidewall height be worth it because of the more "name-brand" tire, or are the Fuzions and Toyo's just as good? Im running a coilover setup and solid bushings, so if slop is anywhere, it will be in the tires....

OR should I suck it up and buy some 17" rims and rubber? haha

 

5% difference in profile i seriously doubt you will notice in either handling or ride comfort...

 

toyo toyo toyo toyo toyo..... they might pay me everytime i say that... toyo.

but seriously, buy some toyo's or pirellis, some real racing tires... micheline? you really want the image of the pillsbury doughboy on crack permanantly plastered in your head?

 

what's wrong with michelins? from what I've heard michelin tires are good quality tires.

I have toyo proxes on my car, decent tires but I'm sure theres better for all seasons.

what do you guys think of continental tiers?

 

Continental usually has softer sidewalls. In case yall didnt notice where Im from, Austin is turning into a desert, so 90% of the year we are in "summer" conditions. haha

 

Depends on how you plan on driving your car, and where.
You are best trying to get the proper aspect ratio (Rev's per Mile) for your car.

Secondly, I see a lot more then two tires for the 245/45 size to choose from.

Your major difference is going to be in the type of tire you choose, vs size. A Summer is a lot stiffer and solid versus an all-season which is going to have some more flex, but better in cold temperatures. You being in Texas should look for just Higher Proformance Summer Tires. Most people here swear by the T1R and the Fuzions, so you should be good with either. Personally I have not used either of the two. Check out reviews on TireRack for more information.

 

you will notice it, especially with solid bushings

hell i can feel a 5 psi difference in tire pressure

 

I have had really good experience with the Fuzions and would say that are an excellent value. Check the Tirerack.com for comments and, IIRC, the 944 turbo thread has some good discussions. I would not heistate to buy Toyo's either. I would also try to stay to the correct sizes... well, just because I am a traditionalist I guess.

 

Im hesitant to run a staggered setup, as 245/45 all around is apparently very well balanced on these cars, or at least ive heard...

 

yokohama has 245/45 16 and for cheaper then Toyo but better then those Fuzions

 

On the street it shouldn't matter at all and because the rim widths are different you aren't able to rotate wheels, which defeats the advantage of 245/45 all around for the street

On a stock Turbo that I wasn't planning on using for autocross or DE I would run 205/45/16 Hankook ventus RS-2 in front and 215/45/16 in back

 

Im really starting to lean towards going to 17" rubber. So much more is available!

I could get four identical 16X8's and run those too, but they are sewer lids, and it would be challenging to make them look good (chrome paint etc.) Like trying to put lipstick on an old *****.

 

you can paint them. yokohama seriously they have great reviews or the falkenz all season think about it before you buy new wheels. A new set of wheels never hurts though

 

I used to be a die-hard Yoko supporter. Not so much as of late, they have been getting noisey as the milage get on them. My 02 BMW has them. Good traction, but started up the whap-whap-whap noise after only 5k miles even with rotating.

I loved my Fuzions. A LOT. Sidewall a bit soft for the track, but u should be using R-comps for track anyway.... I had to push the car pretty hard to get them to make any noise or start to skid. For an N/A they'd be perfect IMO. FWIW I ran 9 tire stores for 5 years, I'm pretty well versed.....

 

This is exactly what worries me. I'm already starting to look for some decent summer tires for my 7/8"/15 Fuchs. I'm finding that the pickings are slim in 15", and I don't want to get something that's going to act like that after a couple months of driving.

I have HRi's on mine now. Super cheap, decent snow traction, very good wet traction, quiet and did I mention cheap? Certainly not even close to the proper speed rating, but I'm not too worried about that for the purposes of driving around in the winter.

I need fun summer DD tires. If I want more, I understand that its likely fundamentally incompatible with being a comfortable DD and I'll buy another set of wheels. Would you suggest the ZRi's for that? I think they came in something close to what I wanted/needed (want to go a bit wider and shorter front and back if practical - I have 215/60s on it now).