I've been doing lots of reading and research on wheels and I think I've made my decision: 3 piece 20 inch Modulare C11 with brushed centers and chrome lips (see attached pics). The concave, simple design really works for me. I’m choosing 20s primarily because I love the look of the bigger wheels. I don’t track the car and most of my driving is unfortunately in the city, so I’m not worried about losing a bit of power with the bigger wheels. As much as I’d like to lower the car, I drive it in the winter (original wheels on snows) and the stock height is already as low as I can get away with, so lowering is out. I have just a few questions left. I'm hoping some of the forum members/sponsors with similar wheel/tire experience can help me out:

1) My original concern with going with 20s was that I really don't want the ride to get much harsher. I read somewhere that I should choose my tires carefully as some will give a much harsher ride than others, and the right tire choice will help ensure the ride on 20s isn’t too stiff. Recommendations?

2) Another tire question: I’ve seen forum members putting wider than stock tires on (325’s on the rears?). They definitely look better, and it seems like a no-brainer since I have to buy new tires anyways, but am I missing something? What are the pluses and minuses of going with wider tires? Ride comfort is important. I definitely don’t want any rubbing or other issues. I just want to put the new wheels and tires on and not have to worry about them afterwards. Recommended sizes?

3) I’ll probably likely also do spacers to push the wheels out more. Although I’ve seen folks doing all different sizes, 15 seems to be the most popular width for the rear spacers. Is that correct? What about the fronts? Will I need longer bolts?

4) With regard to the wheels, are chrome lips the same thing as polished lips?

5) I’m going to want to put the Porsche coloured center caps on. Do I need to specify this when I buy the wheels to ensure the center openings are the right size for the Porsche caps?

Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Not an expert of any sort so take my answer with a grain of salt

 

I think C4SxM5 pretty much covered everything... however, adding to what has said, going to a larger wheel will sacrafice ride quality, it's unavoidable. Picking the right tire will help with that quality of ride though. I don't have much input on tire selection myself so I'll stop there.

As for wheel spacers, again, you probably won't need them. The offset of the OEM wheels are mildly conservative so most people will use spacers to push them out a bit (sometimes used with aftermarket wheels as well when the desired offset isn't achieved).
You're getting aftermarket wheels so depending on wheel width and offset, spacers shouldn't be necessary. Like C4SxM5 mention, ask for an aggressive offset/setup and they should fit nice and flush with the fenders right from the get go.

Most wheel manufacturers don't make chrome lips anymore, majority of them are polished. Again, stick with Polished lips because they're easier to maintain, easier to care for, easier to fix, and lighter than it being chromed.

In regards to the centre caps, I'm not sure you can order a set of wheels specifically to fit the Porsche caps. Ask the wheel manufacturer or the company you're order from if the Porsche centre caps will fit. They might know the answer.

 

I know you've sort of got your mind set on those wheels, but just to throw it out there, if you're interested I have a nearly brand new set of Champion RS128's in 20 inch that I'm dying to get rid of, at pretty 50% their new cost! They were used for 600 miles, literally! PM me if you're interested...

 

Thanks for the comments guys, including the PMs. Polished lips it is. I'm getting convinced to stay with 19's. Also realize I should be able to get the right offsets without the need for spacers.

Tom, sounds like a great deal on the Champions, but I'm pretty stuck on the C11's.