2010 Paris Auto Show: How Low is Too Low Pro?

The ride doesn't bother me so much- it's the increased susceptibility to tire wheel damage on less than perfect roads.

Looks awesome. One problem though. I live in Detroit and around here, as well as around many other large American cities, our roads are horrible.

A friend of mine with an S5 with 19" wheels blew out 3 tires and bent 3 rims in one 12 month period.

It just doesn't make sense. Maybe on the Autobahn, which is maintained to a much higher standard than our highways, it would.

I don't even see how it looks awesome. Maybe it is just personal preference, but I see nothing wrong with being able to actually see the tires, so long as the wheel/fender gap is acceptable.

Sorry Edmunds, but that's not a 3 series sedan.

Thats a coupe.

The shape/position of the taillights reveals this, as does the absence of the rear door line near the wheel well.

Get your facts right you guys :)

But anyway, I agree that these tires are too thin.
But as long as the wheel gap is proportionally small, I really don't have a problem.

Plus if it's a BMW it's probably wearing god-awful RFTs. Or as I grew to know those tires...$400 per pothole. 2 BMWs with RFTs and 1 Cooper - in all cases they were replaced with real tires.

The cars I often see on the roadside are Bimmers, their ultra thin tires blown and wheels dinged.
Also keep in mind that rains encourage freeways to spawn potholes waiting to eat those tires and wheels.

What looks nice in concept sketch or on an auto show floor doesn't necessarily play nice in real world.

It's one thing for the aftermarket to push the ultra low-pro tires, but for manufacturers, especially performance oriented ones like BMW that should know better, is absolutely rediculous. How many tests have been done that prove beyond a doubt that ultra low profile tires hinder perfomance??

Yes, if you start out with a small diameter wheel, increasing the diameter along with widening the tire can aid and traction and handling, however you eventually reach an event horizen where the weight of the wheel becomes detrimental and performance suffers.

Do we really need 3 series BMWs with 19s? 7 series with 21s? American trucks with factory optional 20s and Escalades with 22s? I think it started with the OEMs seeing all the dollars going into the aftermarkets pockets, but what they fail to realize is that sometimes people buy aftermarket, precisely because it is not factory! This is the "stock sucks" attitude that prompts people with severly impaired taste to put extremely cheap looking chrome wheels in place of OEM provided BBSs or Speedlines.

Agreed with agnh. The people who want huge wheels are not going to care about factory huge wheels. The people who are going to stick to stock wheels aren't going to care about extreme sizes anyway, unless the dealer gives them no option.

"How Low is Too Low Pro?" For a normal tire? 45 is as low as I go. For wide tires, I'd go down to 40 or 35.

Road and Track's latest issue had an article referencing a test of wheel diameter on a compact Citreon, where 10-inch wheels were superior in HANDLING, plus the expected weight, efficiency, and aerodynamic categories when the body and suspension is adjusted appropriately. The takeaway: big wheels are only needed for big brakes.

Having recently purchased a new mountain bike, however, 29-inch wheels (up from 26) are the new rage. So, I assume there is also an advantage of bigger wheels not getting hung-up in big holes. If your roads are really bad, I guess that could be a consideration.

"but what they fail to realize is that sometimes people buy aftermarket, precisely because it is not factory! This is the "stock sucks" attitude that prompts people with severly impaired taste to put extremely cheap looking chrome wheels in place of OEM provided BBSs or Speedlines."

That is a good point. And the contact patch becomes very suboptimal with really short sidewalls like this. Imagine how important precise camber becomes with a tire that has no "give" to it.

And as far as the wheels themselves, I was pleased to learn that my 05 CTS-V sports Speedline wheels. They are forged, strong and light. Sadly, far too few OEM wheels are made this way. I believe the long term Z06 also has Speedline wheels. Given that mine are 6-lug, it's even harder to justify replacing them. Yet people insist on it (possibly to a heavier, weaker wheel!!) for just the reason you cite.