I'm in the process of purchasing my first 993S. Most have 18" wheels but the C2S I'm looking at has 17" wheels. Is there any good reason to roll with 17" wheels?

 

17" wheels were standard on the C2S. Ride quality is better with 17" wheels due to the taller tire sidewall. That's the only good reason I can think of.

 

If your running US spec ride height, it'll look a bit better. More rubber between wheel and bottom of fender....and what Ilko said.

 

The 17" are just fine....tires are cheaper, etc. The ride quality is better for street 993 cars.

I have had multiple sets of 18" wheels, mostly MY 2002 996 wheels. I prefer the Cup II 993 wheels, especially if you can get 8" front, 9" rear. Perfect wheel width....can put 245 on from 275 on the rear. With 18" wheels, can put 245 on front too, and 285 on rear a 10mm improvement per side....you will pay through the nose for this added 20mm of tire width, not worth it in my opinion. I am back to 17" wheels 100%.

Heresy:, I am buying Cup 4 wheels from Tire Rack, (Yes they are made in China) for $700 a set. They are 7 1/2 " front, 9" rear...

 

17 is lighter. 17 uses thinner front tires along with the lighter weight, which translate to better steering feel.

But the 18s are shod with wider rubber and probably better grip, better tunins due to the smaller sidewall. And looks better.

But the 17s, at least on my car, seem to have that traditional 911 steering wheel writhes, communication, and feel. The 18s just tramlines.

So, while looking uglier, I actually smiles a lot more when driving my car on the 17s. Same tire type and same daily driving condition for both wheels.

 

Performance issues seem to offset, so it's really a personal preference issue for appearance.

 

I'll also add that I think 17" cups look perfect on a 993. This is one upgrade (going to 18) that I'm totally not interested in. 17 cups are surprisingly light and great for street and track. Love em!

 

Well the front wheels do not rub on the insides of the wheel-well.

Stock front 17s are 7" wide; the 18s are 8" wide and take 225 vs 205 rubber.

As a result, the inside edge of the rubber rubs a small strip of factory undercoating off the body of the car.

I've been told here on RL that there are limiting plates that can be installed on the steering rack to limit steering angle which will avoid that issue. Few if any install them.

I have stock sized Cup II 17s on my car. When I'm driving my car, I can't see how "cool" my car looks anyways.

 

I went with 17" because I really didn't want to change the excellent/ quality feel I already experienced with the stock wheels. I also liked the idea of saving on tire purchases. My wheels came with a more aggressive stance due to the offset, so in my opinion, I have the best of both worlds between looks and drivability.

 

Like most folks here, I have run both 17 and 18s. The 17s definitely offer a plusher ride, but you sacrifice some performance associated with a 18" wheel...mostly in the steering precision. I personally prefer the looks and the added performance (firmer ride and steering precision) you get with 18s.



Bob-

 

Martin, once you get these can you give us your Rennopinion? If I keep the '97 C2S I'm considering the cup wheels. Like others have chimed in here, if you're doing a lot of street driving the 17's are perfect for these cars.

The aesthetics and performance of the 18" hollow spokes are nice but after several thousand miles on both, I'd take the 17's everytime.

 

[QUOTE=IXLR8;9264037]Well the front wheels do not rub on the insides of the wheel-well.

Stock front 17s are 7" wide; the 18s are 8" wide and take 225 vs 205 rubber.

As a result, the inside edge of the rubber rubs a small strip of factory undercoating off the body of the car.
QUOTE]

Not sure that's strictly correct. The 18x8" front wheels are standard fit for a turbo and C4S and have the same ET52 offset as the optional 18x8" wheels for C2, C4 and C2S. There is no difference in body shape/size of the front arches between any of them - there is no way that Porsche would allow rubbing to occur using their recommneded wheel and tyre combinations. Maybe some rubbing issues arise if oversized tyres are used?

 

Strictly correct? They may be the odd same-sized tire that may not due to a slightly different profile.

225s are not over sized tires on an 8 inch rim. That is the spec size I believe and they do rub at or near full lock (during parking most likely). I've seen the result on cars running 18x8s.

 

17's don't have the same flex/communication in the corners that 18's do.
Tune the suspension for the bumps not the wheels... IMHO.

 

"The truth shall set you free." I love driving on 17" Cup IIs every day. Thanks again, Martin.