17's or 18's
 

I keep going back and fourth, I need some help.


I like 17's because of weight and ability to fit more sidewall.
I like 18's because they look freaking sexy and there's more available in +38 offsets.



Car is a daily driver/road tripper/weekend AutoX'er.

Help me decide- vote and comment why you voted for that one!

No 16s? Is it lowered at all?

17s provide better performance, they are also cheaper.

16's? no way! It's on S-Techs.

Wheel style plays a major part in how large they appear on the car. Some in 18 with thin lips and spokes, like Ultralegerra's, make the wheels look too large and expose our small brakes which isn't terribly desirable. Some in 17 perhaps with lots of spokes and a fat lip look too compacted and busy like BBS LM's.

If size appearance makes a difference to you (and let's be honest, it does to most of us) check out the Wheel Gallery thread to see what styles of 17's look nice and proportional.

Overall 17's have several advantages over 18's. They're lighter and cheaper. Also they have a good sweet spot in the amount of sidewall for a daily driver while not negatively impacting your gearing or placing more mass further from the hubs. 17's still have a great selection of wheels and tires, they still look good, and won't have any issues clearing most brake kits, all of which could be a concern with 16's. If you want an autocross only setup in the future however, a dedicated set of 16's isn't a bad idea.

In addition before you pull the trigger I encourage you to take a look at the prices of popular performance tires in comparable 17 and 18 variants. I think you'll be shocked to see how much more expensive the 18" versions are for several models.

Not gonna lie, certain wheels styles in 18 are dead sexy. I lust for a set of 18" LM replicas, but 23 pounds per wheel is kinda brutal. I may settle for 17" silver RPF1's and get the lips polished. Not quite as nice but a similar effect and a hell of a lot lighter.

18s look sick. I was going to pick up some 18x9.5 TE37SLs last weekend but I decided not to. I'm actually selling/changing a bunch of stuff around because I was setting my car up for 18s and I ultimately decided to stay with 17s.

It's just easier to deal with, lot more flexibility in sizes and price, and it doesn't overpower the car. The key is to make the car flow. 17s with a good drop, subtle lip kit, and maybe a small rear wing is all you need.

18 X 9.5 Enkei RP03's in SBC. I won't go back to 17's. Look incredible dropped on my V3's.

I do car shows, occasional spirited drives, no auto X. 18's are for me. Plus they look very aggressive.

Why not? Better performance, more sidewall for increased ride comfort, less weight, cheaper on tires.

The offset is the only reason I'd choose an 18 over a 17. The car on size 17 shoes looks just fine in my opinion.

18-9.5 Rota T2R's wrapped in 265/35ZR18 BF Goodrich tires and I wont go back. Low profile tires and the car sat lower than stock tires and rims.. and the grip.. oh the grip in the corners

I don't like the look of a Twin on 16's...17+ is a must IMO


And it looks like 17 it is...


17x9 +45 RPF1 in SBC w/5mm spacers

Looks?

If you like the look of 18s more, then you have you have to weigh that against the performance, cost of the wheels, and cost of the tires for 17s. That's a decision only you can make. Just the monetary difference if you keep those wheels for a while is going to be very substantial.

I'm going 17 as well, for all the same reasons. It is a little frustrating to look at the wheels available for purchase by all the vendor companies and just see a million 18x9.5 wheels everywhere- seems like everyone just wants to go supermassive flush 255s at 22 pounds per wheel. I would rather see a ton more 17x8 and 17x8.5s for people that would rather spend less money and buy high quality 225 or 245 track rubber and still be at 17 or less lbs per wheel. Seems like no one is really going that direction- most wheels aren't even available in those offsets and sizes anymore. Everyone is focused on "Is it concave OMGWTFBBQ?!" instead of weight.