Why do we have to have low profile tyres to look "sporty"?
Discussion
NGRhodes said:
Exige77 said:
I think the main reason for bigger wheels is so larger diameter brakes can be fitted.
Not seen an evidence this is true for road cars (it is for race cars, in an old CCC magazine they featured a BTCC touring car that lapped faster in 17in wheels than 19in, but needed the bigger brakes to last a race that could fit under then 19s).How big diameter brakes are needed ? My Audi A4 has 320mm discs under 16in wheels.
Small brake discs and their little floating calipers do look silly when they're so clearly visible behind 20" wheels.
NGRhodes said:
Agreed, lots of variables, cant make sweeping statements.
In the article Jon says they are same width tyres (225) and rolling radius differs by just 0.4%, do you mean there is significant enough variance within this width rating to make a difference ?
No I just meant to say that often the width grows with the tyre size and despite the profile ratio going down too, the sidewall height won't go down as radically as in Jon's test (because he kept the same width and similar radius). In the article Jon says they are same width tyres (225) and rolling radius differs by just 0.4%, do you mean there is significant enough variance within this width rating to make a difference ?
NGRhodes said:
Exige77 said:
I think the main reason for bigger wheels is so larger diameter brakes can be fitted.
Not seen an evidence this is true for road cars (it is for race cars, in an old CCC magazine they featured a BTCC touring car that lapped faster in 17in wheels than 19in, but needed the bigger brakes to last a race that could fit under then 19s).How big diameter brakes are needed ? My Audi A4 has 320mm discs under 16in wheels.
Very high performance road cars having massive discs needing massive wheels. That is a fact. Check high performance cars.
This has set an expectation that high performance cars have big wheels.
Many with lesser mid range cars want their cars to look sporty so everyone is stuck with the bigger wheels.
Check the highest performance Audi A4.
RizzoTheRat said:
Is it just a British thing? I'm in the Netherlands and the 18" wheels on my RHD Octavia are bigger than virtually any other car on our street, there's a lot of BMW/Merc/Audi/etc around here on way smaller wheels than you'd usually see in the UK.
I read somewhere a long time ago that British people were particularly keen on external features and would pay for them. Germans etc. Preferred the interior features and higher spec engines. Nowadays, almost all cars have all the internal features and performance needed anyway.
AW111 said:
When I was looking at wheel & tyre (and brake) options for my '87 MR2, I looked at what the US (tarmac) autocross and track guys were running.
It was inevitably narrower and smaller than many fast street cars.
Smaller wheels are lighter (in general), lighter wheels handle better.It was inevitably narrower and smaller than many fast street cars.
MC Bodge said:
I read somewhere a long time ago that British people were particularly keen on external features and would pay for them. Germans etc. Preferred the interior features and higher spec engines.
Nowadays, almost all cars have all the internal features and performance needed anyway.
For you sure but not for me, and I am not even British nor German, not that I believe in hollow national stereotypes.Nowadays, almost all cars have all the internal features and performance needed anyway.
nickfrog said:
MC Bodge said:
I read somewhere a long time ago that British people were particularly keen on external features and would pay for them. Germans etc. Preferred the interior features and higher spec engines.
Nowadays, almost all cars have all the internal features and performance needed anyway.
For you sure but not for me, and I am not even British nor German, not that I believe in hollow national stereotypes.Nowadays, almost all cars have all the internal features and performance needed anyway.
The point being that that if many/all modern cars are loaded with gadgets and have good performance, maybe people everywhere will then pay for external extras?
MC Bodge said:
Less stereotype and maybe based on what people have historically bought in different countries?
The point being that that if many/all modern cars are loaded with gadgets and have good performance, maybe people everywhere will then pay for external extras?
The point being that "good performance" is very subjective. The point being that that if many/all modern cars are loaded with gadgets and have good performance, maybe people everywhere will then pay for external extras?
nickfrog said:
MC Bodge said:
Less stereotype and maybe based on what people have historically bought in different countries?
The point being that that if many/all modern cars are loaded with gadgets and have good performance, maybe people everywhere will then pay for external extras?
The point being that "good performance" is very subjective. The point being that that if many/all modern cars are loaded with gadgets and have good performance, maybe people everywhere will then pay for external extras?
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 4th January 17:05
305/35/20 square. I think it depends on multiple factors - vehicle weight (in my case, 4200lbs/1906kg), suspension adjustability and to a lesser extent, environment (in my case, zero chance of snow or ice). The tires on my car work well though I do swap the rears when I'm trying to impress myself.
MC Bodge said:
(of course, a self-respecting PHer needs 400Bhp for their shopping car)
I disagree, as you don't need 400bhp just do the shopping. But a 400bhp car will also manage the shopping trips, and will often be more fun and an incentive to do a detour IME as an everymans car (whatever that means). But sadly even nowadays, not many cars have the performance needed anyway.Edited by nickfrog on Monday 4th January 17:34
nickfrog said:
MC Bodge said:
(of course, a self-respecting PHer needs 400Bhp for their shopping car)
I disagree, as you don't need 400bhp just do the shopping. But a 400bhp car will also manage the shopping trips, and will often be more fun and an incentive to do a detour IME.On a serious note, no one needs more than 200bhp but usually the higher the pony count is, the better the overall package is. It’s great to know it’s there if you need it. An odd little exuberance here and there certainly puts a smile on my face even if just going to the shops.
Exige77 said:
I don’t know how people manage with only 400bhp. Shopping must take an age.
On a serious note, no one needs more than 200bhp but usually the higher the pony count is, the better the overall package is. It’s great to know it’s there if you need it. An odd little exuberance here and there certainly puts a smile on my face even if just going to the shops.
Exactly. I reckon I could just about get there in the 130bhp 3008 but for some reason I always take the M2. On a serious note, no one needs more than 200bhp but usually the higher the pony count is, the better the overall package is. It’s great to know it’s there if you need it. An odd little exuberance here and there certainly puts a smile on my face even if just going to the shops.
nickfrog said:
I disagree, as you don't need 400bhp just do the shopping. But a 400bhp car will also manage the shopping trips, and will often be more fun and an incentive to do a detour IME as an everymans car (whatever that means). But sadly even nowadays, not many cars have the performance needed anyway.
I’d say last generation performance cars are more useable than the current crop tbh. Edited by nickfrog on Monday 4th January 17:34
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