spourreza

Hi Everyone, I got my 991 with 19's and love them (couldn't get use to the beastly 20's). The tires they came with are Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 (Front 235/40ZR19; Rear 285/35ZR19). My 997.2 which had 19 inch sport design wheels had Bridgestone Potenza (Front 235/35ZR19;rear 295/30ZR19). While the size of the rims are the same with both cars, I feel that the Goodyear tires that came with my 991 appear "visually" much thicker and have more rubber to them and the Bridgestone's appeared more low profile which I like better. I know when you convert the tire specs into inches, each tire is less than half an inch thicker on the Goodyear versus my old Bridgestone's but visually, they look much thicker and I am not sure if I like that.

What do you think? Is this in my head and maybe the different style rims are throwing me off? Pics below.


Also, I never used Goodyear. How are these tires? My experience is more with Conti Sports, Michelin Pilots).

kosmo

I would go w/ 255/305 Super SPorts...

spourreza

but do they seem much thicker?

Rfong

Hard to tell on your black car, but is the wheel gap substantially wider, taller on your new car vs your old car? Since the wheels are the same size, is the curvature of the fender, wheel arch on the 991 higher than on the 997?

I'm concerned if the 991 wheel arch is really designed for 20" wheels to close that wheel gap. I'm putting together an order for a 991 and can't decide between 19" and 20" wheels. Like many things in life, bigger is not always better.

spourreza

Very interesting question above. Not sure. How about these angles (pics below)? I think the reason why the 997 tires optically look much more low profile maybe a function of the rim design. Maybe these pics will help. Maybe its in my head and I can't imagine the difference in height between the tires of the two cars (approx 0.4 inches) can make a very big difference. That said, to me, the 991 tires look much thicker than the 997.2 tires I use to have despite the rims being the same size.

On the 20inch rims, I just couldnt get use to that size rim. I like the 19's.

cole328

I agree....they make the car "look" like they are on 18's.....if it were me, I'd drive the car hard and scrub through the first set, and then replace with some michelin's

spourreza

dam! thats what I thought. They are making the rims look smaller. Sucks that these are the standard tires on these 19's.

chuckbdc

They are "thicker" for sure on your new car. The tire profile information (e.g., 40 vs 35 and 35 vs 30) tells you that. Just keep in mind that is tells you the ratio ratio of width to hight. If looks are your sole criteria and you like the thinner look, you can get lower profile replacements. Lowering the car with aftermarket springs and putting 5mm spacers on the wheels would also improve the way the tires fill the whell wells - and the 991 suspension is so supple that it would still ride great). But there are other things to consider.

In general the larger number equates to more of air volume from the rim to the outer part of the tire, so for a given pressure the higher profile tire should be softer riding as is is more compliant. Coversely thinner tires should be more responsive to steering inputs and be less compliant. Manufacturers offer different options so buyers can get closer to what they think they need.

Note- "in general" may not hold up for particular cases, given the ability to engineer desired qualities into tires and suspensions and combinations of them.

But if you intend your car for general street use you can be sure the tire Porsche put on it will serve you well.

spourreza

Thanks! If I convert the measurements into inches, then the tires are about 0.4 inches thicker from rim to tread. You wouldnt think that is a big difference but obviously it is optically. Its making my rims look smaller than 19's!

I didnt get the 20's b/c I thought they looked too big and now that I got the 19's with these tires, I am think they make the rims look too small!

chuckbdc

LOL. Another option to get the look you seem to want is to replace the Goodyears with Michelin Supersports that are +1 in width front and rear. They would fill up the wheel wells abit more, and since the profile is a ratio, it would likely be the case that you could get very close to the correct rolling radius with lower profile tires. I did that with my Boxter S and everything improved, from the handling to the ride to the look to my mental state. Well, except for my bank account, but what the hell.

brad@tirerack.com

It's not uncommon for one makers tire to be a different size than anothers, even in the same size. Carcass construction and mold final shapes can make them different.

clembo

The sidewall height is your issue. You have 40, 35's where your old car had 35,30's, that adds thickness to the sidewall.

My 997 had 19's with Conti's, OK tires, not great. My 991 has 20's with P Zero's, the overall ride is better (could be suspension), the car handles much better (could be suspension), and it looks better (could be subjective).

spourreza

From the pics, are you seeing a major difference between the cars or am I being too **** ;-)

GSIRM3

Your new 991 looks like it is jacked up. Did the dealer not remove the shipping spacers from the suspension?

spourreza

Not sure. I really think its the thickness of the tires versus the 997.2 I had. This car, which has the same rims and tires as me, looks the same as mine (see link below). So dont thinks its specific to my car. I really think its the tire thickness.

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/7030...ally-here.html