Why do we have to have low profile tyres to look "sporty"?
Discussion
I'm getting increasingly naffed off with the ride quality and fragility of the silly wheels and tyres that are fitted to stuff these days, from the stupid, kerb vulnerable 30 profile tyres on my car to even run of the mill stuff like the OHs V70 (225/45). They're a pain in the arse (literally) and these days I'm cringing at the state of the roads.
I guess it's market forces, but wouldn;t it be lovely if this was the sort of wheel and tyre combo that became more fashionable....
Imagine the ride quality. Imagine your pristine rims. Just how cool would most cars look on a set of those? I think a lot of German kit riding around on 30 profiles would look better on these.
Is it just me?
I guess it's market forces, but wouldn;t it be lovely if this was the sort of wheel and tyre combo that became more fashionable....
Imagine the ride quality. Imagine your pristine rims. Just how cool would most cars look on a set of those? I think a lot of German kit riding around on 30 profiles would look better on these.
Is it just me?
syl said:
What is the profile of those rears? They do look to extend out though which should protect the rims.
I dunno, but they look pretty big and bouncy to me. But you get the idea - big fat high sidewall tyres can look cool as.Just having a look - for a standard Challenger
Sizes like 235/55R18 - bloody marvelous.
245/45ZR20
45 profile as low as it goes and on a decently fat tyre and with the tyre fat enough to protect the rim.
Edited by Dog Star on Wednesday 21st March 12:21
Dog Star said:
I dunno, but they look pretty big and bouncy to me. But you get the idea - big fat high sidewall tyres can look cool as.
Just having a look - for a standard Challenger
Sizes like 235/55R18 - bloody marvelous.
245/45ZR20
45 profile as low as it goes and on a decently fat tyre and with the tyre fat enough to protect the rim.
isn't it a bit pointless saying a "xx" profile is tyre is good/bad? - as the sidewall height is based on the profile as a % of the widthJust having a look - for a standard Challenger
Sizes like 235/55R18 - bloody marvelous.
245/45ZR20
45 profile as low as it goes and on a decently fat tyre and with the tyre fat enough to protect the rim.
Edited by Dog Star on Wednesday 21st March 12:21
i.e. a 225/45 has less sidewall than a 265/40
I think it depends on the car. A like a fatter, chunkier looking tyre, I can't remember the profile of them but here is my last Evo, 17" alloys and it's tyres next to my Fiesta's 17" alloys and tyres for comparison. For reference, think Ferrari F40 for the ideal tyre to wheel ratio IMO.
Enkei RPF-1 17x9.5 ET 35
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11a 235/45/R17
[pic] [/pic]
Another photo with side profile. I think fatter tyres look more purposeful.
[pic] [/pic]
Enkei RPF-1 17x9.5 ET 35
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11a 235/45/R17
[pic] [/pic]
Another photo with side profile. I think fatter tyres look more purposeful.
[pic] [/pic]
Edited by neil1jnr on Wednesday 21st March 13:12
loose cannon said:
All well and good if you want to change your brake disc size to fit them over
How many cars have such large brakes that they couldn't fit a rim with a 45 profile tyre over? I'll give you a hint, it isn't many. Far more common is the rather daft look of a ~250 mm disc lost inside a 19" wheel.It's just a cosmetic thing really, people like the look of larger wheels and in turn tyre profiles just get lower and lower. It's not always a good thing though that's for sure, my mum has an Audi A1 which she bought at 2 or 3 years old, the first owner had ticked the, 'bloody stupid wheel option' so it has 18" wheels on it. Sure they do look nice but not only are they stupidly vulnerable the ride is awful! It doesn't justify the lack of sportiness the car has (120bhp).
For the right car, like the one shown in the first post, it can look great with chunky, wide tyres but it's partly down to the stance and style of the car. A proper 4x4 with big tyres and wide stance can look awesome but I do think that a sporty car can often look better with more alloy and a bit less tyre, within reason for road use that is.
For the right car, like the one shown in the first post, it can look great with chunky, wide tyres but it's partly down to the stance and style of the car. A proper 4x4 with big tyres and wide stance can look awesome but I do think that a sporty car can often look better with more alloy and a bit less tyre, within reason for road use that is.
Alex_225 said:
For the right car, like the one shown in the first post, it can look great with chunky, wide tyres but it's partly down to the stance and style of the car. A proper 4x4 with big tyres and wide stance can look awesome but I do think that a sporty car can often look better with more alloy and a bit less tyre, within reason for road use that is.
That's the point I'm trying to make though - I don't necessarily think that the "sporty" cars do look better on the rubber band tyres; I bet a 5 series BMW would look ace with wheel like in the first pic.The first pic was just an example I picked simply because when I watched Sundays Top Gear they caught my eye and reminded me.
280E said:
I'm sure many PH-ers will remember when /70 was considered 'low-profile'
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