18" v 19" wheels for C2S

[Theo Prosthesis]

Hello to you all, I have been "mainly" enjoying my C2S for a few years now and I am now thinking of getting some new wheels. At the moment I'm running 19" lobster claws. What I was wondering, why do all the GT3 cup cars run 18" wheels??? Do they generate better grip with a fat side wall over the 19" wheel?

 

[Nick Paul]

Big wheels are only required to go around big brakes.
Small wheels (usually) weigh less than big ones which reduces unsprung mass giving better ride and handling. You also get better braking and acceleration due to reduced rotational inertia.
Also the choice (and price) of tyres seems to be better for smaller wheels.
Lightness is a benefit in many ways. Look at any contemporary roadtest of quick road cars and see how much better they are on the smaller wheel option

Then there is marketing
There is a perception that cars generally look good with bigger wheels (bling). So manufacturers sell upgrades with big wheels.


Your choice - bling or performance?

 

[Lancerlot]

That's one way of looking at it and larger diameter wheels can give a car a bit more sporty or aggressive look. []

But bigger diam. wheels also provide a larger tyre footprint to the road and therefore aid or improve mechanical grip. They require lower-profile tyres to keep the same rolling diameter and these will have stiffer sidewalls, which makes the ride, road-holding and steering feel sharper. []

The downside is that the ride is firmer and less compliant over the lumps and bumps of UK roads. []

Regards,

Clive.

 

[Theo Prosthesis]

Thank you for the replies, most interesting. I may well choose 18" wheels in that case. I like the idea of less weight and a touch more ride quality, not that I think its bad"¦ Compared to my Civic type R its like a Shadow II. Has anybody here any experience of the PS Auto Art wheels???