the obvious flipside to that might be that if 19's were optimal for performance reasons on the 996 platform then porsche might have made them standard on the gt2 or gt3's. so obvious, i don't even know why i mentioned. it

 

Thats a very good point! But I think that lots of people prefer 19" aesthetically. Also to a lot of consumers, they think the number 19 being bigger than 18 = Better. Haha. The wheel wells on the 997 were designed bigger, so there must be a reason!

 

Not to thread jack, but I have the same Wheel specs for my HRE's... Do you get any rub on the inside of your fender when you turn the wheel hard right?

 

I have a set in stock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PORSCHE-996-...item1e75620f70

 

[QUOTE=TabooPc;3719804]I mean the difference is going to be very minimal... Its only an inch of diameter... The unsprung weight may be a little more, but its not enough to make a huge difference. If 19" wheels were a major performance loss they wouldnt be putting them on the 997's stock...[/QUOTE

You have a point but a company has to go with the times and avaliabilty.
In rotating mass less is always better and does add up..
Just my thoughts.

 

no i don't. only rubbing at the wheel liner i ever had was on 19's at hard lock turns.

 

Almost all of our Porsche 911 setups were 19's and above. Go with 19" for the sick look to it. Send me a PM if you need some custom made forged wheels for it as well.

 

18. better performance.

Screw looks. (personally I like the look of the 18 too, the 19" says "I dont knwo wtf I am doing"... )

Go with a 18x9 front tire- you can fit 235/40 or 265/35 up front...with 315/30 rear. I like the 265 fronts- meaty.

A

 

[quote=johnspeed;3719932]Not so. It's the additional amount of RUBBER on the 18 incher's that make the car behave and drive soo much more smoothly.

 

D2Forged has done some KILLER setups for the Porsche's.

...We carry their line as well.

 

You said you're more concerned with appearance than performance, so I'd say 19" for sure. I have both, 18" OEM hollow spokes with slicks for the track and 19" HRE for the street. The roads here in CO are pretty good all in all versus the Northeast where I lived most of my life, so I don't have any complaints about ride quality. When I do drive downtown (which is rarely) where the roads are the roughest of anywhere I know, the ride is definitely a bit rough. But I've also driven on the street sometimes with the 18" wheels and the ride is rough too. I've never had any issues with dented/damaged wheels or tires. The only issues I've had with 19" wheels are with PSM because the system is really sensitive (though I suspect I have a faulty ABS sensor that may be the root of my issues, not confirmed though).

As for performance, these cars already have more performance than you can reasonably or safely use on the street. Having an 18" versus 19" wheel isn't going to make any real difference in that, so it really just comes down to ride quality being the only negative.

All in all, every single person that's seen my car in person or in pictures with the 18" and 19" wheels says it looks better with 19" wheels. And the opinions on this forum consistently go that way too, including in this thread. So given that's what you're concerned with, I'd say the choice is clear: 19" for sure.

 

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

A few thoughts... My absolute favorite looking wheel for these cars is the HRE P40. There are several knock offs out there as well, but they are all in 19" sizes. If I could get that wheel in 18" I would do so in a heartbeat.

I want to run wider tires. Ideally 315 in the rear, and the 315/25/19 is a closer diameter match to the stock sized 295/30/18's. Front will be either 235 (but would love to do 255/265 if they would fit without rubbing.)

Already have lowering springs, so I'm thinking that if I went 19's, I would go with a 255/30/19 front, and 315/25 rear. For 18, it would probably have to be 235/40 fr and 315/30 rear. I doubt 265/35 fr would fit without rubbing on a lowered car, but if someone says otherwise, please let me know.

I don't want the car to become annoying to drive, which could be a problem with 19's. As far as aesthetics go, let me clarify what I meant by that. I can get the P40 wheel in 19, and that beats any 18" wheel in looks for me. If I was getting the F14's for example, it really doesn't matter to me whether it's in 18 or 19, at that point, I just want to run wider tires and not have to worry about rubbing.

Sigh. Sometimes it sucks being so picky about my cars, haha!

EDIT: Looks like 70% are suggesting the 18" so far.

 

Its good to be picky! The p40's are some of the best looking wheels ever made.. Its why everyone copys them.

 

but it should matter. since no one will argue the 19's will make your car handle BETTER! so it sounds as if you've answered your dilemma. eg if you get f14's you can stick with stock gt2 sizes/offsets ( or go 9 in front as i have.. which no one in their right mind can tell you is not a good setup ) the lowered 996t on 18's w/ proper stance, looks better ( imo ) than one at stock height on 19's.. ( just my personal pref )

so then you'll have the maximum amount of rubber on the road ( 315 rear ) and with your car being lowered along with a proper gt2/x73 alignment ( assuming you'll pay attention to that as well ). anything strange remaining that doesn't seem quite right in the handling dept won't be the cars fault... or the 19's!

remember, 19's are not problematic when driving on freeways or sitting at "cars and coffee" so all this is really dependent upon what your primary style of driving ( or flossing for that matter..) might be. to each his own and as you've said. at the end of the day.. it's only an inch.

 

Go ahead and put whatever it is you like on your car. I've been modding my cars since the early '70s, mostly muscle cars. Personalization is what it's all about. If it wasn't for people like you and I all the Porsche's on the road would look alike. Some owners mod suspension, some mod engine. I put 19" wheels on mine. I didn't notice that much of a difference with comfort but I'm in a sports car, not sitting on a couch.