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    Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    I am concerned that wheels that big with tires that have a shorter sidewall may be more prone to road harshness and road damage than 17 or 18" wheels.

    Maybe I am old fashioned, but I do not see the advantage of 19"s over 17 or 18"s.

    It would be nice to be able have a no cost option of 17 or 18" wheels. anyone know if this will be offered?

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    19' Wheels are the only ones offered for the"S"
    No 18" wheel option

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    If that is the case... I may never buy an S. There's no way that PCNA will not offer at least an 18" option in the US - our surfaces are not silk smooth.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Orient Express said:
    Maybe I am old fashioned, but I do not see the advantage of 19"s over 17 or 18"s.



    No you are not old fashioned. You do understand that there are diminishing returns to larger wheels. As the diameter increases so does the mass. To counter that the rim material has to be ultra light and often more fragile.

    The race to large wheels is fueled by a "low-rider-look" mentality that makes no sense. Look at F1 wheels - they are far from low profile.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    If you choose for the 20mm SS 19' are required...
    But there are no smaller offered for S...

    Why do you guys think 19's are useless? They deliver you better performance. And they do look way better.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Orient Express said:
    I am concerned that wheels that big with tires that have a shorter sidewall may be more prone to road harshness and road damage than 17 or 18" wheels.

    Maybe I am old fashioned, but I do not see the advantage of 19"s over 17 or 18"s.

    It would be nice to be able have a no cost option of 17 or 18" wheels. anyone know if this will be offered?



    I'm not a tire expert yet, but one advantage I know of is better stability and control after a blowout, hopefully that wouldnt happen too often.

    The other advantage is with the lower profile there is less warping of the rubber when cornering hard.

    The only concern I have is the amount the rims protrude, if I'm parking close to a curb I see its fairly easy to scratch the rims. I think a choice of different 19" rims would be nice

    -Kauai

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Wheel size depends on what the engineers had in mind when they are developing the car. Bigger isn't always better but 17-18's aren't always the best. On a 996 I would agree that 18's are the best for numbers but the 997 was builted with 19's in mind.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    kauai_diver said:
    I'm not a tire expert yet, but one advantage I know of is better stability and control after a blowout, hopefully that wouldnt happen too often.



    Not necessarily true. It depends on the blowout. I've seen rims totally destroyed.

    Quote:
    The other advantage is with the lower profile there is less warping of the rubber when cornering hard.



    We do know that but there are limits... as the diameter goes up, so does the rim's unsprung mass.

    Quote:
    The only concern I have is the amount the rims protrude, if I'm parking close to a curb I see its fairly easy to scratch the rims. I think a choice of different 19" rims would be nice



    Ah... there you go and... why not a choice of 18" or even (God forbid, so much tire wall) 17"

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    So far I'm not a fan of the 19" wheel size either simply because I have no evidence yet that they are of any perfomance benefit on the 997, also we have the experience that in its close relative, the 966, the 19" were not a performance benefit, and lastly they will be heavier than the same wheel of 18" size leading to unecesary unsprung weight (which is already increased due to the turbo brakes the 997S has).

    In the 996 the best wheel size performance wise was the 18" size wheel which on every comparison I read to that respect was found to be better in handling than the 17" wheel, also the GT3/GT2 uses 18" wheels for a reason (not for looks), and last the personal experience of owners inlcuding myself unanimously agree that with the 18" the car handles better. Not so with the 19" though the 996 wasn't designed for 19" like the 997S, but one very significant detail is that the pictures of the 997CUP show that it has 18" wheels, not 19" wheels... makes me think why the 997S needs and benefits from 19" wheels and the 997CUP fits 18"

    If you ask my opinion, the 19" wheels of the 997S are purely for show and also to distinguish it more from the base 997, just like the quad exhaust pipes, flashy but totally superfluous on a 6 cilinder car. In my case when mechanics are governed by looks in a sportcar, then those looks turn to look bad and silly. Anyway the real test is when the 997 GT3 will come out, if the most performance oriented 997 version comes out with 18" wheels, than we know the answer


    As a side note, the reason F1 cars don't have larger wheels and still have those ancient wheel sizes is because that size of wheels is locked by regulation and does not permit a larger wheels size to limit the costs of development and performance of the F1 which is already sky high. So they kept that wheels size ovr the years

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    ADias said:
    If that is the case... I may never buy an S. There's no way that PCNA will not offer at least an 18" option in the US - our surfaces are not silk smooth.



    No 18'' wheels for the 997 Carrera S, just as winter wheels!
    No such option planned, not even for the US.
    Might have to do something with brake cooling/air flow/rim heat dissipation/etc.
    The standard suspension option on the S is PASM which offers the possibility to "smooth" the ride sufficiently.

    Maybe a Cayenne would be the better car for you?

    Oh boy, I know people who drive a Ferrari in Romania (Pentium surely can confirm it... ) and trust me, the US doesn't have streets that bad. Of course unless you're really looking for them.

    Regarding F1 wheels: it is funny to compare F1 cars to sports cars, this is not even like comparing apples to oranges but probably as comparing a VW Golf to the USS Voyager.

    How about the DTM? I know this doesn't mean much to you but this is the german touring cars championship. These cars aren't too close to their street brothers but anyway, a much better comparison. Why do they use 18'' wheels for example and not 17'' or 16'' or even 15''?

    No offense taken but 99% of the drivers should work on their driving skills before even thinking of changing the basic setup of a Porsche. Sounds arrogant? Yes, it is.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    RC,
    are there no winter wheels planned for the 997S?
    This is a big issue for me since I live in Sweden.

    Thanks in advance,
    /fantasma

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    fantasma said:
    RC,
    are there no winter wheels planned for the 997S?
    This is a big issue for me since I live in Sweden.

    Thanks in advance,
    /fantasma



    Don't worry, I leave in switzerland, and it's a big concern for us also. There will be a set of winter tyres + wheels as an (expensive) option. I don't have the price list but as far as I remember, they are also available with 19" wheels - 225/35 and 295/30.
    I'll give you the price when I'm back home.

    NTTY

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    fantasma said:
    RC,
    are there no winter wheels planned for the 997S?
    This is a big issue for me since I live in Sweden.

    Thanks in advance,
    /fantasma



    Re-read my previous post and you have your answer.
    Of course there will be winter wheels...18'' winter wheels.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Thanks RC.
    I read your previous post too quickly and misundertood it. Sorry.

    /fantasma

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    RC is correct, East-European roads are one of the worst I've seen and there are people with Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche driving them. All the latest models, of course.

    But they don't drive such cars anywhere or daily and they always have a second car available, usually a 4x4 SUV (Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche).

    As far as I know only one maniac will try his new 997 as a daily drive around there ... me (including winter)

    I will keep you posted RC

    On the 19" rims subject: one thing I know for sure - 19" rims are permitting bigger brakes (better safety for inexperienced drivers) and I think that's one major reason. The other one is marketing/trend/showtime Personally I don't believe more than 18" rims makes sense for track, and 17" rims for road use. But that's just me and my two cents.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Pentium said:On the 19" rims subject: one thing I know for sure - 19" rims are permitting bigger brakes (better safety for inexperienced drivers) and I think that's one major reason. The other one is marketing/trend/showtime Personally I don't believe more than 18" rims makes sense for track, and 17" rims for road use. But that's just me and my two cents.



    The brakes on the 997S are the same as those on the 996TT which came only with 18" wheels...

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Then really the 19" rims choice seems to be just pure marketing.

    Also I noticed that for my 997 there is only one type of tire available right now. That mean higher running costs too because of the limited edition. Damn.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    RC said:

    Quote:
    The standard suspension option on the S is PASM which offers the possibility to "smooth" the ride sufficiently.



    I do understand fully well the tradeoff of suspension/tire compliance issue. A 19" rim has almost no compliance and will not cushion the blow of 5cm+ freeway expansion joints.

    Quote:
    Maybe a Cayenne would be the better car for you?


    Very funny... but no cigar.

    Quote:
    ... and trust me, the US doesn't have streets that bad.

    Absolutely. The US has great roads. The US being a continent-sized country cannot have silky smooth surfaces everywhere, but... street cars are designed for streets NOT silky smooth roads.

    Quote:
    Regarding F1 wheels: it is funny to compare F1 cars to sports cars

    No comparison between cars was made. A statement of fact was made regarding high profile F1 wheels.

    Quote:
    No offense taken but 99% of the drivers should work on their driving skills before even thinking of changing the basic setup of a Porsche. Sounds arrogant? Yes, it is.

    No offense taken - shoe does not fit. And as far as mods, agree again, but usually that applies when the mod pushes the envelope not when it coinstrains it.

    Nah... 19" rims is a pure marketing decision. Senseless!


    P.S.- I wait to hear your experience w/ the S and hopefully you'll comment on your cobblestone driving experience.

    We may have a difference of opinion on wheel fitting but I have great respect for your P-car opinions and thank you for the great job you do running this site.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Pentium said:
    Also I noticed that for my 997 there is only one type of tire available right now. That mean higher running costs too because of the limited edition. Damn.



    The 19'' on the 997 S are not pure marketing but I have to collect more information before I provide details.

    Regarding the tire: yes and furthermore you'll have real difficulties to get the tire in your town, especially if you need it urgently. It is a specific N-rated tire. You wanted a Porsche, right?
    Don't worry, more approved tires will be available soon, the list is growing as far as I heard. To my knowledge two more tires are awaiting approval, shouldn't be too long.
    But all have the N-rating, don't forget that.

    Your Porsche dealer should be clever enough to keep those tires in stock or at least be able to get them in no time.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Well, thank you all for this spirited discussion. I guess I will have to order my 997 with the "Winter" Tire setup.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    I wonder how many potholes those 19' wheels can take before you bend a rim. Here in the US: I say less than 10k. Oh well, at least they look spiffy..

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    RC said:
    Quote:
    Pentium said:
    Also I noticed that for my 997 there is only one type of tire available right now. That mean higher running costs too because of the limited edition. Damn.



    The 19'' on the 997 S are not pure marketing but I have to collect more information before I provide details.

    Regarding the tire: yes and furthermore you'll have real difficulties to get the tire in your town, especially if you need it urgently. It is a specific N-rated tire. You wanted a Porsche, right?
    Don't worry, more approved tires will be available soon, the list is growing as far as I heard. To my knowledge two more tires are awaiting approval, shouldn't be too long.
    But all have the N-rating, don't forget that.

    Your Porsche dealer should be clever enough to keep those tires in stock or at least be able to get them in no time.


    rc ,since i dont like michelin at all ,i have already ordered pirelli p zero rosso ,that have higher qualifications than standard michelin fitted on the car , pirelli's are available in both size (front and rear) 19inch ,and are n rated since they were also standard on 996tt.

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    RC: then please make sure to e-mail me that list of tires

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    orchard21 said:
    I wonder how many potholes those 19' wheels can take before you bend a rim. Here in the US: I say less than 10k. Oh well, at least they look spiffy..



    I suspect the new, larger wheels from various suppliers are more resilient than 5 yrs ago or so. Have various friends w/18 and 19 in rims who drive aggressively through the crater-infested streets of Manhattan w/no reports of bent rims....

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    They were cops chasing them or they were stealing hot cars (as in Fast and Furious) ? I think I am starting to love New Yorkers ... I feel we have something in common

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Pentium said:
    RC: then please make sure to e-mail me that list of tires



    Tires currently approved for 997 are:

    235/40 ZR18 (91Y) / 265/40 ZR18 (101Y) XL
    Bridgestone Potenza RE050A N0
    Continental SportContact 2 N0
    Michelin Pilot Sport 2 N3

    235/35 ZR19 (87Y) / 295/30 ZR19 (100Y) XL
    Continental SportContact 2 N0
    Michelin Pilot Sport 2 N1
    Pirelli P Zero rosso N1

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Thank you fritz !

    I suppose these are european models of summer tires, yes ?

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    RC said:
    Of course there will be winter wheels...18'' winter wheels.



    You can even have 19" winter tyres on the Carrera S wheels if you like, although I don't know why anyone would want that...

    Re: Are 18" wheels available on the 997S?

    Quote:
    Pentium said:
    Thank you fritz !

    I suppose these are european models of summer tires, yes ?



    These are summer tires, and should be available world-wide, as far as I know.

     
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