Tires & More
 

While I must wait untill 2000 for my 225Q, I have followed the ups and downs--worries about transmissions, being able to fit in, etc.
Questions have arisen about the 16 v 17 for snow use. What difference will it make if the footprint is the same and the total height of wheels and tires are the same. Imput would be appreciated.
Nice comments and photos from the NJ group. However, I am not sure that I would buy a used car from any of them. Nice cars, nice friends and good hamburgers, what else could a person ask for.
P.S. Koo I like the green . I, also, like the additional wheels. ENJOY

Re: Tires
 

Grossly oversimplified:

Much of the reason to go to a smaller diameter wheel is to use a higher profile, narrower tire. You'd go from a 225/45-17 to a 205/55-16, or even, if they'd fit, to a 195/65-15. You end up with a narrower contact patch, with the same length of patch, resulting in a patch which favors forward traction/braking over absolute cornering power. That's the ticket for snow.

Tire dynamics are very different in snow from a dry road. In snow, you want a more heavily loaded tire, with a heavily siped, open tread pattern, to really get down into the snow for traction. Those are all antithetical to maximum cornering on a dry road, why is why an "all purpose" tire is such an illusory concept.

DMoore
'98 A42.8Qtip
'00 S4M

Re: Tires & More
 

You are better buying the TT with the 16" wheels and then upgrading with aftermarket 17" or even better, 225/40R18. Then you can make your OE 16" the snow tires.....maybe a nice Pirelli Winter Ice should do the trick.