More visual than anything I think.


The 19's look much better on the Cayman, especially due to its large wheel wells. I would have to say that if it was strictly for performance I would go 18's because you are bound to be saving a little weight if anything.


I have the 19' Sport Designs and love them. I think they are the best looking wheel I have yet seen for the Cayman! But then again, I am biased of course/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/thumbsup.gif

 

Do you think it would be a mistake to put the boxster s wheels on a cayman s? I think they look better than the stock cayman s wheels, but perhaps boxster s wheels are not cayman worthy...

 

My winter wheels are Boxster S and they look pretty good! I agree that they look better than Cayman S wheels on a Cayman.

 

Do you think it would be a mistake to put the boxster s wheels on a cayman s? I think they look better than the stock cayman s wheels, but perhaps boxster s wheels are not cayman worthy...

What do the Boxster S wheels look like? Got a pic?

 

19's are mostly for looks.....if that's what you like. IMO the 18's look the best on the car though as the 19's tend to make the brakes look small, the 18's seem to frame the brakes perfectly. A lot of professional drivers also like the 18's for driving 'feel'.....and so do I. The 19's will offer slightly more grip on a nice smooth track though. The interior of the Cayman is not a quiet place to begin with, but I didn't notice any more noice with either size tire/wheel. IMO....if you are not hung up on the 19' wheel look, stick with the 18's. They look great, are easy to clean, tires will be cheaper, and best of all they're free!

 

The 19' wheels perform better in corners due to less flex in the side walls, it is a noticealbe difference. You do have a rougher ride for the same reason. As far as noise is concerned, that is not a function of the wheel but of the tire tread. If you look at Porsche's alternatewheels none of them are 18s, and this company rarely does anything for looks.

 

Without objective data, I would not venture an opinion as to the relative driving merits of 18 or 19. But there are two factors favoring 18s. One is that a set of tires is about $200 less, and that if you are racing inclined, there are many more choices of tire in the 18 inch size. Or so I'm told. As far as Porsche not doing things for 'looks', direct your attention to the option list - leather, aluminum, carbon, etc. etc. etc.


Marty

 

Without objective data, I would not venture an opinion as to the relative driving merits of 18 or 19. But there are two factors favoring 18s. One is that a set of tires is about $200 less, and that if you are racing inclined, there are many more choices of tire in the 18 inch size. Or so I'm told. As far as Porsche not doing things for 'looks', direct your attention to the option list - leather, aluminum, carbon, etc. etc. etc.


Marty

.........or money for that matter. I think the factory wheel options for Porsche's are one of the biggest money grabbers on the list.

 

There was an PCA auto-cross last month and a Cayman S on stock 18 inch wheels and tires set second fastest time. Unless your a very very good driver I don't think you would find much difference.

 

The 19' wheels perform better in corners due to less flex in the side walls, it is a noticealbe difference. You do have a rougher ride for the same reason. As far as noise is concerned, that is not a function of the wheel but of the tire tread. If you look at Porsche's alternatewheels none of them are 18s, and this company rarely does anything for looks.

I do not know if this is true, 19' wheels are better because there is less flex in the sidewall...the sidewall of what, the tire? I think you can get a tired rated the same for each size, and the 18' wheel will be lighter as will the tire, both an advantage with less unsprung weight...The 19' will ride harder/louder, I agree with that...andI would dare to say that Porche doescare quite a lotabtpleasing the consumerin the 'looks' dept.

 

Thanks much for the feedback. I guess I'll just have to do a test drive comparison, but I'm leaning toward the 18s at this point because I'm no track star--just dabb;e a bit--and I ocudl use the cash for some other everyday options, like self dimming mirrors. tThanks again.

 

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I do not know if this is true, 19' wheels are better because there is less flex in the sidewall...the sidewall of what, the tire? I think you can get a tired rated the same for each size, and the 18' wheel will be lighter as will the tire, both an advantage with less unsprung weight...


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The less flex, the quicker the turn-in.




I believe there is a comment somewhere that Walter Ruehl (sp) said something about if you want the fastest time, use the 19' but for everyday driving, the 18' would be easier to live with.


Yes, there is the unsprung weight thing but unless you RACING ... actually racing maybe in autox, you won't notice it.
I was thinking 18' but ended up with 19'. The turn-in IS quicker. I could 'feel' it. The ride is not harsh at all. I'm used to a really tight suspension and while you do feel some bumps on the road, it aint bad at all.

Edited by - chows4us on 10/13/2006 12:14:07 PM

 

I do not know if this is true, 19' wheels are better because there is less flex in the sidewall...the sidewall of what, the tire? I think you can get a tired rated the same for each size, and the 18' wheel will be lighter as will the tire, both an advantage with less unsprung weight...

An 18 inch wheel will not always be lighter than a 19.
An 18 inch tire will almost always be heavier than a 19 inch tire. (more mass)

 

joepowell,


As for your question on the Boxster S wheel, a search will show that I asked a similar question a few months back and got a healthy response including some good photos.Though I really liked the Boxster S wheels, a co-worker convinced me to stick with teh stock and I'm glad I did. They're actually really good looking in person and easier to clean than the Boxster S wheels.

 

I think everyone will have a different opinion as it is really more of a personal preference. I had 19's and couldn't imagine having anything else.



Russ

 

I drove 2 similarly equiped Caymans but one with 18's and the other 19's back to back before buying. The 19's do turn in slightly quicker but only on initial feel. Over harsh pavement, I found the 19's 'skittish' in mid corner compared to the 18's. I also found that with the 18's, it would be smoother and quicker to recover after the rear loses tractionfrom leading the throttlepost-apex. Despite loving the look of 19's, I chose the 18's.


Atlas_Croc is correct. Going to 19's is one of the biggest money grabbers Porsche has going. Do we really think it costs the wheel manufacturer$2000 more to make four 19' wheel compared to four 18'? Even $1000 more? ....they sure are good looking though!

 

' Do you think it would be a mistake to put the boxster s wheels on a cayman s? I think they look better than the stock cayman s wheels, but perhaps boxster s wheels are not cayman worthy...'



Its the same car. It makes NO difference at all.

 

My car came with 19" Carrera S. I bought a set of Boxster S wheels. I first used them for track tires, then for winters. I still like the way they look and think they're better looking on the Cayman than Cayman S wheels.

19's are prettier and they turn in quicker. I really like the looks of my Arctic Silver car with Carrera Ss on it. That said, I really think that red Cayman with the Carrera Classics looks cool...but with Silver, I like the Lobsters.

Both of these standard Porsche wheels are cast and fairly heavy. I bought a set of 18" Forgestars when I dedicated the Boxster S wheels to winter tires.

I bought a set of Champion RG5s, also forged, and a set of Michelin PSS for non-winter street duty. They're my "dress" wheels. I can tell you that low unsprung weight is a good thing...not so much on a smooth track but on a lumpy street. The wheel follows the road better and stays in contact better. There is also a small advantage in acceleration and deceleration. You can feel the difference on the bumps between heavy cast wheels and light forged wheels, but you can't tell the accel/decel difference.

My Carrera S wheels are for sale with a set of decent Nitto NT-555s on them if anyone is interested. No curb rash...also no TPMS senders, but I have a source for new ones at good prices.

:cheers:

 

I love the look of the 19's over the 18's. I did like the look of the stock Cayman S wheel. But I really liked the 19's. I picked the Carrera S wheel, which I liked best out of the 19's. Also, the Carrera S wheel is the lightest of the 19's and just at light as the stock Cayman S wheel. Actually the 18' rear tire is 3 lbs heavier than the 19'. Therefore, no gain in unsprung weight,(or less for the rears) and better handling. The Carrera S wheels are also the least expensive of the 19's! I have never regretted going with the 19's.

 

Go 19's/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/thumbsup.gif

 

My car came with 19" sport design wheels and I really like the look. However, when track time came I switched to 18" with Falken tires. I was pleased with the results. I have since mounted winter tires on the 18" wheels an will use them until spring.

 

Do you think it would be a mistake to put the boxster s wheels on a cayman s? I think they look better than the stock cayman s wheels, but perhaps boxster s wheels are not cayman worthy...

I have 18" boxster s wheels. If so inclined look under my profile for an image. zedd06

 

Does anyone know which if any of the wheels available for the Cayman are forged? I am assuming they are cast. Is this correct?

 

Does anyone know which if any of the wheels available for the Cayman are forged? I am assuming they are cast. Is this correct?

I believe only the Turbo wheels are forged......all the rest are cast.

 

I have both 18" and 19" wheels for my Cayman. The 18" are Boxster S wheels and the 19" wheels are the Carrera S wheels. I got the 19" on the car, then bought the 18" wheels about 3 months later, to use on the track after cording my 19" Mich PS2's on my second autocross, since I can get used Hoosiers in 18 but not 19. With identical tire models on each set, the 19's DO corner better and feel livelier, so unless you plan on feeding it lots of rubber on a regular basis (ie chewing them up on the track) I'd get the 19's. The 18's are lighter (I noticed that last night when I swapped them for an autocross tomorrow) but if you're just driving your car on public roads, you'll likely get 15k-20k miles on a set, so the increased price of the tires is not too much and will be offset by the performance (and IMO, the looks). As for the 18" wheels, the Boxster S front wheels are 2 oz heavier that the Cayman S, but the rears are 1 oz lighter that the Cayman S wheels, so not much difference between the 2. I personally thing the Boxster S wheel is much more attractive, and more similar to the Carrera S wheel, which I think is the nicest looking wheel Porsche has ever offered. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong. Greg

 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Women subconsciously prefer the larger girth wheels…go for the 19s!

 

19's changes the ride dramatically, i drove another cayman with 18's and it ride so good LOL

btw the best oem wheel for me in 19 is the carrera sport..

 

Most drivers wont experience a performance difference between 18s and 19s. Also, some one correctly pointed out that the tread is the biggest contributor to road noise. For 90% of Cayman buyers, wheel choice is a cosmetic decision. I have Carrera S wheels, I love the look, but would prefer to clean Carrera Classics on wash day. For that reason sport designs were out for me. My advice would be to model the look on the configurator on line and pick what you think looks best. 19s may cost more money as an option, but it's much less expensive than deciding to switch after the fact. Lastly, I would not pay extra for Boxster S wheels (I don't know if it's an upgrade or not.)