After some recommendations and suggestions, I decided to get the 17x9 +45 NT03RR's. I got 245/40 tires with them as well. I don't have any pictures of the car yet (but I'll get them soon).
I feel kinda conflicted because the car kinda does look like a roller skate.
What are my next steps? I'm planning on getting some coilovers that'll drop me about 2 inches, get some fender work done, and maybe add in some functional camber so everything fits in perfectly.

 

That’s pretty much it.

Aftermarket wheels always look terrible at stock height.

 

Yeah I think the main thing I don't like too much at the moment is the poke that seems to be coming out, is this because I chose a 45 offset? It seemed like in the pictures I saw, the poke wasn't as noticeable for cars with 45 offset. Now that I look at my wheels I feel like I should've chosen maybe a 50 offset or something like that. A popular option that some people are choosing online is to add some functional camber maybe around negative 1-2 degrees so that it looks a bit more flushed. Should I go with this strategy?

 

An AP2's stock wheels are 17x7.5 and 17x8.5 with like a 58-60 offset. So...shouldn't be a mystery why your 17x9 +45 is poking out, right? You've added like 21mm (0.8") of outboard wheel face.

For a car with 17x9 +45 to look right, it really needs to be lowered, as demonstrated in posts above.

Yes, you'll need to add camber. And you'll probably need camber adders up front (adjustable upper balljoints, or offset bushes) This is upper joint correction. This is the easiest way to sneak a tire past a fender. Very sneaky.

If you do opt to go with upper joint correction...remember...even though its slotted...its not an adjuster. Its an adjustment range extender.

Before going to the alignment shop, set the camber so that the wheel clears the fender by a desirable amount, with your factor of safety built in. Then lock that mother down per the instructions. After that...forget it exists, essentially

With a +45, you can opt for offset lower joint correction instead, to give the front a wider and (IMO) more attractive stance as compared to upper joint correction. Downside being that you'll need more fender work with lower joint correction.

Some lower joint adjusters have RCA built in (buddy club). Some have RCA plates separate (HR/Megan).

**If you add or get RCA as part of thid lower joint correction, remember that they will lower the car!

Buddy club lower joints are adjustable. Most others are not.

I prefer hardrace for their overall quality.

So...also as suggested above...buy coilovers. For MANY MANY reasons.

I think you chose the right size and offse . Its really versatile and leaves tons of options on the table.

Functional camber for what?

Track use and 200TW tires? That's like -3 to -3.5 up front and -3 in back *depending on your setup and preference.

On the street, that's obviously too much.

For 300TW tires, its also too much.

Camber angles are determined by setup and intended use.

You'll need an alignment BADLY if you do either camber adder method. Like...same day. Your tires will be squealing on the way there. I like to add 2 full 360 degree turns of toe IN to the front tie rods just to drive to the shop when I add camber corrections.

 

Next step is get the fenders rolled. If you lower it before doing that you are really risking damage to the fenders, tires etc. Have the fenders rolled then put your coilovers on and have the alignment done.

 

Sounds good, thank you for your help @ B Serious! There were a lotta terms that I wasn't very familiar with but I'll make sure I study them and make the most out of your suggestions. Even though the car looks like a roller skate at the moment, I believe that the coilovers and alignment would allow the car to look exactly like I would like it to. I'm also going to get work on the fenders at the same time the coilovers are going to be installed, but that seems to be a while away.