Hi – I am looking to buy these porsche 993 Cup wheels for my 1988 951. The wheel dimensions are as follows (wheels are OEM, not replica) Dimensions for Back wheels : 17 x 9 with Pirelli P6000 255/40/ZR17. Front wheels : 17 x 7 Michelin Pilot SX 225/45/R17
I am pretty sure that these wheels will fit my 951 given the later year offset, but I was wondering if this dimension of tires affects the handling and performance of the car? in a negative way?
Thanks!
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As far as fit, if there is a problem it will be with the offset… a 951 should be able to sit 17x7s and 17x9s without any issue.
As far as performance, when looking at wheels/tires there are three areas that come into play: contact area, gearing, and weight.
Contact area is mostly simple, more is better! With taller and wider wheels, you are getting more contact, and thus more grip. The only possible negitive here (depending on tires used and specifics of suspension setup) is that adding too much width in the front will begin to limit the slip angle where your tires will be effective. Though the tire widths you’d fit at 7″ are not likely to run into problems.
Gearing: while taller is better for the contact patch of the tire, it will increase the overall gearing, which can have a negitive impact on performance. Though if your tire sizes are basically the same, this won’t matter (though it will also negate the increase in grip you get from having taller wheel/tire combo).
Weight: this can be a killer as we are dealing with unsprung rotating mass. Depending on what you are taking off, the 993 Cups are most likely a couple pounds heavier each (and the corresponding tires are likely a pound or two heavier than their 15 or 16″ counterparts). Ultimately, you may feel a little difference in acceleration (potentially even braking, but probably not for this small change)… but likely not too much (the more power you have the less noticable this will be).
The other negitive here is with the tires… mismatched tires are never a good idea from a performance standpoint (though this is easy enough to correct).
Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.
Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.
Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)