ignacio

i think that oversized tires and wheels that don't add to performance are foolish.

my neighbor just put 19''rims on his 996 turbo and was surprised and disappointed that his ride quality suffered without improving his cornering. duh!

where did this silly fad begin anyway? perhaps more important, when will it end?

oalvarez

basically what makes the world go 'round. while your neighbor's ride quality suffered, he probably picked up some points in the appearance category. no right or wrong, some are purists, some are creationists, just let them be, and be happy that they're driving a Porsche.

regards

Riad

When I put the 17" rims on my car for the winter it totally changes the ride of the car, not for worse mind you, just different. Because of the ride change I can feel the car under me better and it makes for a fun ride... so I say buy 17" for winter, 19" for summer, and 18" for spring and fall

Scouser

I do......and I think they look real cool
Each to his own.
BTW: my 996 handles perfectly now that I fitted Goodyear F1 GS-D3's

KJinDC

I guess if I bought the car to ONLY admire or to be admired in then 19s would be on it. They certainly do look good! My purpose for owning the car is to enjoy its performance envelope as best I can (on the track) as well as visually. For me, the joy i get from driving the car is far greater than the aesthetic appreciation I feel for the creation. Thus, 18s it is for me. If 19s didn't degraded the performance then I might consider them. The roads in DC however, are a little harsh for 19s.

-KJ

SPR

well that validates ther results found in the turbo shootout. The main reason is that while the contact patch is bigger, the weight is enormously more and kills the equation. A big function of this is becasue they don't make pilot cups in 19's which would help, but unsprung weight not only kills some straight line performance, but definitaly makes the suspension slower to react. I just got a set of 18 bbs re's and it is night and day over my old 18 techno turbo twists - dropped what 30lbs + total!

ignacio

to me 19's make no sense. they degrade the ride with no improvement in handling. they are also more fragile.

"filled up" wheel wells are a dumb fad. like suv's, it will pass away when enough people discover the down side.

oalvarez

i hear ya on the "filled up" but 18's with the proper offset will "FILL OUT" the well, nicely. and that doesn't hurt anyone.

996FLT6

Do they make "SPINNERS" for 19's? : ). Regards. Mike. I wish I could afford three sets of rims 17/18/19 : ).

JimB

This same converation took place in the early 80s about going to 16s, then in the late 80s about 17s, in the mid-90s with 18s and will happen again in 3 years with the move to 20s. All wheel/tire combos are a compromise between ride, weight, traction, durability, etc. I seriously doubt that 18 is the magical perfect wheel diameter. It might be the better answer for a 996 right now but that will change with time. Just my 2 cents worth. Jim

ignacio

oalvarez

i agree 18's are ok, although i'm not sure they provide much of a performance advantage over 17's except to allow for larger calipers on c4s's and turbos.

ZeeZee

I think the statement 'dumb fad' is a bit unwarranted. There's a combination of reasons to have 19s, not the least of which is aesthetic balance, which is clearly improved with the wheel wells filled out a bit more. Furthermore, the move toward larger wheels must have some mechanical value as well, otherwise wouldn't we all still be driving around with 13s on our 996s?

In time, metallurgical advances will bring us larger wheels that are both stronger and lighter, they will increase tire contact on the road and most likely improve handling...

ignacio

zz

please advise me of the evidence that 19" tires improve cornering, braking, or any other objective parameters. for example, are g force measurements improved?

as for "aesthetic balance" i say, nonsense, unless it aids handling. these are tires and wheels not strips of chrome or paint color.

karlooz

a friend of mine is part of a race team that rides on 996s. their wheel sponsor is OZ and they use 19". i guess that it is to clear those huge brembos. does that aid in performance? yes but out of necessity and not directly.

its all about braking and using the biggest brakes. you can see that with the use of 19s on DTM cars. and with nascar, well hell, you only turn left and don't ever need the brakes hence the 60 series tires

if it weren't for aesthetics and was only about performance, you might not even own the car you have now. you might be in a subaru WRX STI. have you ever seen concept sketches of cars? notice how much the wells are filled out? it's purely for aesthetics. do you think you have a better eye than these car designers?

you have a lapis blue C$S right? i think lapis blue is the UGLIEST colour for a porsche. do you see the logic in that remark? no? then would you say that someone else is dumb for liking the look of 19" wheels on their pride and joy? same line of thinking. to each his own.

yes these are tires and and wheels but they are jewellry for your car. something to dress it up. if you are not into the looks the you should get the subaru then.

ZeeZee

I think Karlooz put it pretty much perfectly. Ignacio, seems to me that your comments are here for their inflammatory value and not so much for their potential for self-education.

Fact is that larger wheels mean that you can go wider in a safer way. Wider means more rubber, more rubber means better handling. Again, if you really think that this trend toward larger wheels is silly, then may I recommend some Cragar 14s to go with your car? It will give you much more suspension travel in the wheel well which you may consider a significant benefit...