Anyone thought about run flat tires? I don't know much about them at all or what sizes do they come in as well as the performance setbacks...

 

Run flats have very stiff side walls that allow them to support the vehicle's weight. They have yet to equal the performance of traditional tires. I don't see any corvette owners running their run flats on the track or in autocrosses. Manufacturers seam to be looking at run flats to save space and weight (no spare required) in their vehicles that seam to be forever getting bigger and heavier (BMW and now Porsche's 997!). This is why my next Porsche will be a 911SC and not a 997.

 

If run flats decrease performance, then it seems really stupid to delete the spare to save weight. Porsche is a performance car. If someone wants to save weight for performance, they can temporarily remove the spare. Porsche is also a damn good daily driver, and for that its pretty inconvenient not to have a spare. BTW, I guess my wife's Cayenne S doesn't have a spare??? It know it does have a can of temporary flat fix. HMMM, going on a long drive with it the end of next week, makes me worry now.

 

FYI, in the 993 the spare tire was part of the crash protection designed into the car. I know that the location of the tire has changed in the 996 but it's something that you may want to consider (ie. in an accident, would/could the insurance company give you a hard time?). Also, do you really want to put metal boxes with sharp edges anywhere close to your gas tank?