As you may know, I got a set of aftermarket 18" Carrera wheels with Falken tires. They were replacing stock 17" wheels with Michellin P/S tires. First let me say, that like randellneighbor, the new wheels are beautful. But I am still getting used to how the car handles with the new wheels.
Even though the new 18" are wider, 8 inch front 10 inch rear, than my stock 17" wheels, the area of the tire that contacts the road is the same with the 18" Falken tires as with my 17" Michellins. The Michellin tire has a very flat profile on the tread, while the Falken tires are noticably more rounded, especially at the sides of the tire. The sidewall is lower in the Falken tires but the tread pattern is noticably deeper than on a new set of (few hundred miles) Michellin P/S.
I would have thought that the 18" tires would be wider, no doubt if I could have afforded 18" Michellin's they would be wider. I also would have thought that the lower sidewall of the 18" Falken tires would make for crisper handling. So far, that appears not to be the case. On hard coneriing the Falken tires seem like they are flexing (I think I am running the Porsche-recommended tire pressures) and not providing as firm of contact on the road. I understand that they have a harder rubber compound, but the tires are not sliding, it is almost as if the deeper tread pattern is making the tires "squisshy" on hard turns.
On the plus side the Falkens are a quiet tire and they provide a nice smooth ride, right up to the triple digits. I was just hoping for better cornering with the wider wheels, I guess you get what you pay for. Did I say that the new wheels look great....
Ed
