16s OR 17s The MASS-DEBATE!! Ahem! ;)

[Glennclio16v]

Well thanks for that advice kev...THEYRE BEING DELIVERED TODAY!!!

....only joking! Im concluded that looks are what its all about at the end of the day!

If i want to prove the performance at the pod ill stick the ol 15s on forra day!

 

[BenR]

i have a set of 17" tyres (235/45) which were delivered by accident with my 195/50/15 tyres and they are huge compared to the 15s. There is no possible way that the rolling raduis is anywhere near the same, and no arguements, i have seen them and compared them........17" wheels are huge!!!! and are larger in every respect.

 

[cse]

yeah, but they are 235/45, not 205/40 which u would usually go for.
105 side wall compared to 82

 

[BenR]

oh well, never really dealt with 17s, but they were fing huge!!!
dunno why anybody would want anything that big!

 

[GR7]

Agree with you there Ben, my hubby has 18" spokey wheels on his Beemer and they seem massive!

 

[BenR]

the only ral place for huge wheels in on a car that can use them. I have seen porsches at my dad garage on 18s and 19s, and a GT1 on 20s!!! and they just look stupidly large!!!! i mean, the front tyre on teh GT! was larger than a rear on a 996 turbo!

 

[GR7]

I think that the height of the seats in the 172 is already too high without raising it more with huge wheels!!

 

[BenR]

AGREE!!! but, if you notice, the windscreen is huge and goes really far doen, so, it tends to make you feel alot higher up.

 

[Black172]

Anyone heard of or considering "Lenso VPD"?? ...17" weighs in just under 7,8kgs a piece! (compared to 7,2kgs for the much debated OZ SuperL).

pictures at

http://home.swipnet.se/wheelbase/

and

http://www.dvr.be/nl_lenso.htm


Admittedly, not the wildest alloy when it comes to design!! But the weight and price is hard to beat!!
What do you reckon? 17" Lenso VPD mated with a pair of Toyo Proxes T1-S on a pearl black 172mk1...

Eventhough great alloys, OZ SuperL and SuperTs are becoming too common, want something differnt that is not just design but also performance...
cheers!

 

[BenR]

ive always liked that style of wheel. Keeping with the jap racing theme. I say go for it, nice and different, but maybe in a gun meatal, or charcoal etc.

 

[Black172]

Thanx BenR! yeah, the Lenso VPD seems to be used among Jap car racers here in Sweden, and a lot of these guys use their car for trackday excursions!! so how wrong can it be right...

was thinking abour silver, but it is also available in antracite grey (could be cool on a black car perhaps...)

Well see what happens! Springtime is almost here!!!
cheers

 

[Black Clio]

wanna see some nice jap wheels with charts, check out http://rayswheels.co.jp/

 

[BenR]

nice, i alos looked at tons of american sites as they have really spesh wheels!"!!

 

[Nick Read]

Well just to finish this debate off, I just ordered my 7x17 Wolfrace Octanes in Hyper Black...plus a 285mm big disc conversion, which is the reason why I needed bigger wheels in the first place. Once Ive worn out those I might go for the 305mm conversion...

So to add another angle to this argument, I am running 17s for the exact same reason that all big wheel racers (touring cars, WRC etc) run big wheels - because they have to to fit bigger brakes inside. Ive got the bonus that they look the nuts as well though!

Well see what the handlings like, but to be honest, Im used to my Clio rattling your teeth already - with a 35mm drop on Koni adjustables and Powerflex poly bushes on the anti roll bar and lower arms its a pretty harsh ride anyway.

 

[klmillard]

Nice 1 nick

 

[GR7]

Black 172, the wheels you like look very much like the OZ Chrono-Evolution!

 

[GR7]

If anyone is thinking of getting Super Leggeras, a friend came up today to show me his new ones on his Pug GTi (I have some pictures) and he wishes hed got one size bigger than he actually wanted, because they look one size smaller than they are (if you can understand), possibly because the spokes dont go to the edge of the rim, The rim looks slightly separate from a distance and the spokes appear to be inside it!

 

[Fred@BTM]

Thats exactly what annoys me about mine, they dont really look like 17s, oh well, roll on the coilovers!!!! The car will go much lower!!!! Hopefully this will make my wheels look bigger!!! Or i might sell them and get 18s ummmmm????

 

[Glennclio16v]

Well, at long last my wheels new 17" SuperLegs are on my valver - had their first showing down Saaafend on saturday!!

Have to agree they dont look that big at first - but on closer inspection they fill the arches right the way round!

I am now very happy with my choice as the colour and style of the wheels goes so well with my black clio!

I have noticed very little lack of performance so far and the grip has been greatly improved!

Forgot to weigh my standard wheel when i took it off but my SLs were 16.6kg rim+trye!