Wheels and Tires

The factory wheels are very narrow O six inches on most cars. As you may have noticed, the stock 205 or 215-width tire bulges out from the narrow wheel. A wider wheel will give you much better turn-in response as a result of the wheel matching the tire width better. A wider wheel means you can also increase the width of the tire.

While you are upgrading wheels, you may want to increase the wheel diameter by an inch or more. A larger diameter wheel means a tire with a lower aspect ratio, and a shorter sidewall. The thinner sidewall can have some drawbacks in decreased ride comfort, and if you live in an area infested with potholes, you may not want to get too extreme. But a shorter sidewall gives more responsive handling on the track, and it really improves the looks of the car.

Options for 1G cars include 16x8' wheels with 225/50 tires, 17x7.5' wheels with 225/45 tires, and even 18' wheels with 225/40 tires. 2G owners can install 16x8' with 225/50, 17x8' with 225/45 or 235/45, or 18x8' with 225/40 or 235/40.

Note that 235 tires are pretty wide for the factory body work; if the wheel offset is not just right, the tires may contact the body work. 225's are safer in terms of clearance.

For those of you with base model cars that have 14-inch wheels, this upgrade completely transforms the looks and handling of the car!