Carrera III 18" wheel on 987S?
 

Of all the Porsche wheels, I like the look of the 18" Carrera III best. Better than the 19" Carrera Classic.

Don't know why, but while the 19" Carrera Classic is available as an option on the Boxster S, the 18" Carrera III is not.

Is there any reason (mechanical or otherwise) I should not ask my local dealer whether I can get the Carrera IIIs on a new 987S?

I thought I'd bump this question and try again. I still haven't been able to get a clear answer about whether the 18" Carrera III wheels fit on the 987S.

Might there be an issue about width that makes these wheels incompatible?

Does anyone know if the same tires would fit the 18" Boxster S wheels and the 18" Carrera III wheels?

18" Carrera III Wheels
 

I am trying to figure out what I am going to do for 18" wheels on my '06 Boxster S and have been looking into these wheels as well. First the front wheels will fit as I have found the width and offset to be identical to the 18" wheels for a 987. However, the rear wheels are 10" wide with a much different offset than the 9" wide 18" Boxster S wheel (and than my 19" Carrera S wheel).

This doesn't necessarily mean they will not fit but may require spacers to address the offset. My 19" wheels are 9.5" wide so the additional half inch of width may not be an issue. I'm really not sure and don't know how you could find out without someone actually test fitting them to a car. I'd ask the dealer and see what they say but wouldn't be 100% comfortable until someone mount them to a 987 to find out.

I think I will end up with some take off 18" Boxster S wheels for my track wheels but I may wait (how long??)to see if I can get some Cayman S 18" wheels as I like the style much better.

If you're looking for a set for the track you may be better off with 17s - both for performance and for your wallet.

Not sure whether the hub design is so different that spacers are the only option - and large ones at that

Why go 18 Carreras when the 19 Carrera are on the options list ??

There's also a new 9 Spoke Carrera wheel available now in europe - check the on-line configurator

In Germany you'll be able to specify the 18" Caymna wheel form Dec 05 builds for an upgrade cost of about $400

I want to keep the tire and wheel widths close to what the factory sizes are for a 987 Boxster S and that is a real limitation. I understand you can downsize the sizes and wheel widths to go with 17's but finding wide tires and wheels for the rear would be pretty tough.

(1) It should be a lot cheaper for the 18" wheels {over $1,000 compared to the 19") and then also for the tires replaced over time.

(2) I've read enough to have formed the belief -- based only on opinions of others and not my own inadequate personal experience -- that the 18" provide both a more comfortable ride and better handling.

So, while I like the look of the 19" Carrera Classics, I'd rather have the 18" Carrera IIIs -- if they fit and I can get them on a 987S.

OK, I am completely confused by this information (and I guess it will show how little I know about the Boxster -- which I am planning to buy but don't own yet).

Are you saying that the front Carrera III wheels are a different size than the rear Carrera III wheels?

Does that also mean that the front 18" Boxster S wheels are a different size than the rear 18" Boxster S wheels?

So, there is no tire rotation changing front and back, but only left and right?

Probably stupid question no. 4: Why would the front Carrera IIIs be the same size as the 18" Boxster S wheels but the rear Carrera IIIs be a different size than the rear Boxster S wheels?

When Porsche was originally designing the Boxster and the 996, the design teams worked in parallel, using the same front ends. This saved a lot of expense, and makes the parts supply easier to maintain. From the firewall forward a Boxster and Carrera 996 aren't that much different. The doors are the same too, I think. In the back end, it gets completely different - Boxster with a mid-engine and 996 with engine behind the wheels. The carrera's larger engine, more torque, wider track, and rear location need bigger wheels/tires to keep everything planted and under control.

Hope this helps - I was a couple of cars behind a Carerra cab last weekend in our club drive - LOTS of rubber back there! :)

Yes, different size tires and wheels on the front compared to the back on the Boxster and 911. I haven't seen in manual what they recommend for tire rotation but if your car has a non-directional tire you could rotate left to right but you'll never be moving the front to the rear.

As stated above, the 911 and the Boxster are different animals from the seats back. Even where you see a wheel style offered on both cars the rear wheels are built with different widths and offsets. As a result, it isn't as simple as just bolting a 911 rear wheel on to a Boxster.

OK, got it, thanks.

So, does that mean the rear wheels for the 19" Carrera Classics offered as an option for the Boxster are a different size than that 19" Carrera Classics that are optional for the 911?

Yes, according to wheelenhancement.com the 19" Carrera Classic for a 911 is 11" wide and the 19" Boxster version is 9.5" wide. They may look the same and be the same diameter but the width and offset is different.