new rims/tires soon- questions about best setup for better handling.

i'm looking to get new tires and rims for my 325ci soon. i want my rim/tire size combination to be of best performance as far as rim diameter, offset, and width, as well as tire size.

i have already decided that i am going to go with vmr v710's. what i'm having a hard time establishing, is what the best size is for performance. i would like to go with 19's, but i'm not sure if it is going to change the diameter of the tire as it sits on my car- for example, i don't want a larger size tire on my car then i have right now and decrease acceleration performance.
also, is the general rule for tire width "the wider the better"? i know the car would grip better because more tire would be in contact with the pavement, but would it negatively impact performance as it would add more mass for the car to turn? or is it insignificant at this level? i'm looking at 8.5's or 9.5's as far as width goes.
also, i have been doing some reading regarding staggered rims. whats the general consensus for staggered rims as far as performance goes? is it mostly cosmetic? i figure it would be more beneficial to run 1" spacers in the rear so i could rotate the tires.

this tire/wheel combo will be going on my stock sport suspension on my 325ci. i plan on getting my car aligned according to the suggestions in this thread; http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ory+understeer
this is for a daily driven, non-tracked car.

lastly, i haven't found a distributor that carries the nitto NT05. can someone point me in the right direction?

sorry for the long read, and thanks a bunch in advance for the discussion!

V710s are not the way to go if you're looking for better handling/performance. Look for some lightweight 18s and some sticky tires.

what you really want is lighter wheels and tires. you likely don't want anything over 18" and staggered depends on how your car is set up. you'll find manny real track drivers prefer a non staggered set-up. TC Kline being one of them liking a neutral handling E46. go to the WT(Wheel&Tire) section of the forum. you'll find some good advice there

Originally Posted by ChrisTKHarris

V710s are not the way to go if you're looking for better handling/performance. Look for some lightweight 18s and some sticky tires.

exactly what I thought when I read the post.

Kosei K1s

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec > Nitto NT05

+ kosei k1s =

Originally Posted by m1356guy

Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec > Nitto NT05

+ kosei k1s =

That's my EXACT setup.

Originally Posted by ChrisTKHarris

That's my EXACT setup.

sh!t i knew u had kosei's just didnt know what tires u ran on the track....how u likey?

Originally Posted by m1356guy

sh!t i knew u had kosei's just didnt know what tires u ran on the track....how u likey?

dem rubberbands iz wicked good

Originally Posted by ChrisTKHarris

dem rubberbands iz wicked good

das what i thought. next summer im gonna get apex arc-8s wrapped in star specs


hopefully

Originally Posted by m1356guy

dunlop direzza sport z1 star spec > nitto nt05

+ kosei k1s =

+1

well, i'm pretty picky as far as styling goes. other then csl's i haven't really come across a rim style that i really liked and desired. i think almost anything other than v710's is out of the question.

what is the benefit of going with 18's over 19's?

Originally Posted by roastbeef

well, i'm pretty picky as far as styling goes. other then csl's i haven't really come across a rim style that i really liked and desired.

what is the benefit of going with 18's over 19's?

USUALLY 18s are lighter which has less rotational mass and handles better, 19s tend to be heavier which hurts acceleration, braking and handling.

1''Spacer????

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i'm looking to get new tires and rims for my 325ci soon. i want my rim/tire size combination to be of best performance as far as rim diameter, offset, and width, as well as tire size.

i have already decided that i am going to go with vmr v710's. what i'm having a hard time establishing, is what the best size is for performance. i would like to go with 19's, but i'm not sure if it is going to change the diameter of the tire as it sits on my car- for example, i don't want a larger size tire on my car then i have right now and decrease acceleration performance.
also, is the general rule for tire width "the wider the better"? i know the car would grip better because more tire would be in contact with the pavement, but would it negatively impact performance as it would add more mass for the car to turn? or is it insignificant at this level? i'm looking at 8.5's or 9.5's as far as width goes.
also, i have been doing some reading regarding staggered rims. whats the general consensus for staggered rims as far as performance goes? is it mostly cosmetic? i figure it would be more beneficial to run 1" spacers in the rear so i could rotate the tires.
this tire/wheel combo will be going on my stock sport suspension on my 325ci. i plan on getting my car aligned according to the suggestions in this thread; http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ory+understeer
this is for a daily driven, non-tracked car.

lastly, i haven't found a distributor that carries the nitto NT05. can someone point me in the right direction?

sorry for the long read, and thanks a bunch in advance for the discussion!

i see. if i remember correctly, the difference for the 18" to 19" v710's was a half pound, and each rim weighed ~25lbs. i'll have to try to find it again.

what do my factory 17's weigh? if i can match the factory performance with 19" v710's, i would be happy, but if i could increase performance, it would be even better.

FYI 25 lbs is NOT a light wheel. Under 20 lbs. should be your goal.

ya dude kosei k1s are 16.8 lbs...THAT is light, your factory wheels are probably somewhere are 23 lbs

look at enkei rpf1s too, u might like that style

Originally Posted by m1356guy

ya dude kosei k1s are 16.8 lbs...THAT is light, your factory wheels are probably somewhere are 23 lbs

look at enkei rpf1s too, u might like that style

or the Enkei NT-03M (one of my favorite wheels of all time).

Originally Posted by ChrisTKHarris

FYI 25 lbs is NOT a light wheel. Under 20 lbs. should be your goal.

i can't justify spending lots of money on lightweight wheels. i hate to say it, but weight is going to be secondary to styling and appearance for this one.

Originally Posted by m1356guy

ya dude kosei k1s are 16.8 lbs...THAT is light, your factory wheels are probably somewhere are 23 lbs

look at enkei rpf1s too, u might like that style

not a huge fan of the styling of either of those unfortunately.

Originally Posted by ChrisTKHarris

or the Enkei NT-03M (one of my favorite wheels of all time).

oh hell ya those are sexxx...do they fit on our cars because i remember seeing a pic of a similar wheel on an m3 with nt05s, and the "nitto" on the tire was painted white. sooo sick

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i can't justify spending lots of money on lightweight wheels. i hate to say it, but weight is going to be secondary to styling and appearance for this one.




not a huge fan of the styling of either of those unfortunately.

so then you're not really looking for a wheel with the best performance?