For those that have made the switch from 18's to 19's

[papasmurf]

how much did the ride quality suffer? My rear tires are shot and the fronts do not have too many miles left (factory 18" setup) so I have been debating about making the switch to the 19's I have been wanting (19" carrera sport/10spoke wheels) for quite a while. I am not looking for an opinion on whether you think Porsche sanctions 19's on the 986, etc...people have done it and their cars did not fall apart. I am just looking for some real world opinions on the ride quality after doing so. For the most part I only drive the car twice a week except for the brief time in the fall and spring when the weather is perfect so it is not something I have to live with necessarily every day. I did a quick PS mockup of what the car would look like with the wheels (not my car but mine is silver too) and stripe and I dig it...just unsure about the ride.

[gforce]

I changed my wheels to 19" many years ago. Went with the Gemballa rims (which can still be purchased from the supplier as gemball no longer provide). There was no noticeable ride deterioration but there was a noticeable handling impovement. I also changed the suspension to the sports suspension so the whole effect was quite impressive. I suggest you go for 225x35 front and 275x30 rears. I have tried 295 and 285 rears but I now have the Michellin Super sport at 275. Whether the tyres rub slightly on the gaurds seems to be more related to the tyre shape as the 295s barely rubbed but the 275 with rim protectors seem to rub when I hit a bump but nothing drastic. Overall I would suggest the change as it does improve overall look as well.

[1rooster]

I bought my Boxster 4 years ago and it had 19's on it.I love the mride and the handeling.I drove a couple Boxster with 17's and 18's and to be honest I noticed no observable differences.

[EJ-Fresno]

I am asking myself the same question: should I go to 19"?
I found a set with 235/35/19 tires in the front and 305/30/19 in the back. Will they fit?
Thanks!

[husker boxster]

I go from 18" snow tires to 19" summer tires every yr. No big deal.

The tire you run will make more of a difference. My Caymans both came with PS2s and they were crappy tires. I currently have PSSs on my Cayman and love them.

[Perfectlap]

it's not so much the size but the weight. Below ~24 lbs. and you won't really feel a difference over the OEM 18"s. Slap on some 30+ lbs. boat anchors and everything suffers.. acceleration, fuel economy, rattles, lighter wallet from the sneaky tire mark up for that extra inch.


And aesthetically, the 986 (imo) looks best with wheels where you can't see clear across to the rotor.