What options do I have for my 996? I'm running 18" now. Can I run 19"? Does anyone have experience with the rims from OEM Wheels Plus in LA?

 

Good morning,
I have a 2001 996 and was faced with the same issue. Many on the blog said stay with the 18", i personally chose to go with the 19". I don't track my car and really never really gave it any thought. So it's only been a few days with the 19's and so far so good. So unless you plan to track your car or you are worried about what the pureists think roll with what makes you happy....you paid for it, you drive it and you have to like it........DO YOU!!!

 

Many people do put 19" wheels on the 996. There are trade offs, and you should be aware of them before you make your decision. Personally, I'm one of the 18" wheel guys. It's not because I'm a purist, it's because when I weigh the benefits of the 19" wheel against the benefits of the 18" wheel, I am more comfortable with the 18" option.

Do some research and choose what you like. I know some people have even gone to 20" wheels on the 996. Again - I wouldn't do it, but it can be done.

 

Have to agree with Dennis C on this, I to am not a purist but am staying with the 18" ers. The car was engineered and set-up for 18's so be aware of the trade offs and tire sizing. Also, if you do go the 19" way be sure to get the correct offset and be careful driving it for the first little bit as the handling will be a tad different.

Not trying to persuade you one way or the other, it's your car, do what make YOU happy. Look at all the different colors, stripes, front end lips, wings and on and on, there are gazillions of different options, the most important thing is each owner likes their car and set-up.

 

Please keep in mind there is nothing more sad than replacing thousands of dollars worth of European OEM alloy with much heavier aftermarket chrome and glitter. If I were to embark on a wheel mod I would always aim to reduce rotational mass and unsprung weight to improve driver experience and reduce wear and tear. Doing nothing to wheels and simply lowering your car to OEM bumper height with ROW030 springs will improve fender looks and driving dynamics. Much cheaper than new wheels & tires and will spare unnecessary discomfort, suspension wear, or worse. My opinion of course.

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...gn-wheels.html

OEM 18" 996 MY'02 carrera 5 spoke : Front 20.50 / rear 22.70 lbs
OEM 18" 996 Sport Design wheels : Front 26.45 / rear 28.88 lbs

 

If you can find OEM Turbo Twist wheels I'd go with that and lower the car.

 

I have a '99 C2 and went the way of 19" wheels but like someone else said, make sure you get the correct offset for your car. I didn't want to spend an arm-and-a-leg on wheels so I chose the Victor Equipment Innsbruck. Nice looking wheel but they offer no custom offset. In this case, I had to roll my rear fenders. The fronts fit perfectly.

 

Bought my car with 19s already on it (zero track/DE/autoX use so no urge for me to change to 18s/17s). This is the only rim size I know and cannot imagine my car with anything smaller.