Other things to consider besides finding an 18" wheel as light as a 17" is that (as ForNgoods mentioned) the rotational mass moves out further from the hub. The tires generally weigh more as well, not to mention that they (tires) are usually significantly more expensive than the same width in a 17". Last but not least, the shorter sidewalls tend to make for a harsher ride.

All this being said, why are we not all running 15"?... looks mostly, a lot of people still choose 16"s for daily driving and the track, though the taller sidewall on a 16 can cause less crisp turn-in on a lot of manufacturers tires. all that said, if you like the look of 18's a lot better, there's no real reason not to if the look is the most important thing to you. Ultimately it's your car- do with it as you will.
I like the look of a lot of 18" wheels, but for the reasons I mentioned above, I'll be sticking with 17's.

Hope that answered your question.
Cheers,
Mike

 

Thanks Mike, those are some great thoughts I need to consider. I am still torn between 17/18 inch, ce or tes, bronze or gunmetal, polished lip or none.

 

I was looking through the pricing between the 17 and 18 tires and it seems like the pricing is around $200 more for a set, does that sound correct?

 

Sounds right to me about 30-60$ more per tire. There also used to be less of a selection in 18's but I think that's probably changing. You might want to check availability before you buy wheels though.

 

Can you guys suggest a tire for 17's and 18's?

 

Tire choice depends on a huge number of variables, IMO you can't really go wrong with any of the major manufacturers top selections. I like the OEM RE 050's myself, I deal with a lot of rain though. Tire rack has great database.. both tests and buyer reviews, I'd start there.

 

Usually an increase in weight.
Usually an increase in weight farther from the hub/axle/etc.
Usually an overall taller diameter including tire [exact same thing as making your gear ratios longer, which is the exact opposite of what people usually do with s2k's]


Will it make a difference depends 95% on you. Let's put it this way, going to the .57 rear end from stock is like going from 18's to 16's, tire size proportional. That's obviously a rough comparison, but it makes it easier to relate to. Some people really notice the difference, highway cruisers probably wouldn't.

I gaurantee a guy who just sold his 16's for 19's will tell you there is a difference in acceleration after he measures his 0-60.

 

This is simply not true. Unless you think someone is going to put a 50 series tire on an 18" wheel. The typical applications maintain stock tire O.D.

 

 

i'd like the look of 18s, esp like how the z4 has them. what i dont understand is how porsche and bmw are getting away with the HUGE wheels on their performance cars. the 911 and boxster can have 19's the m5 has 19s.