Wheels & Tires

The second major item I got for my Cabrio was wheels and tires. Since one of the primary goals for my car was image, I purchased chrome wheels. While chrome looks nice, they are a real pain in butt to keep clean. The chrome shows every tiny bit of brake dust, dirt or smudge. in hind site, I may think twice about getting chrome rims again.

My wheel of choice at the time was the Momo Arrows, 17" x 7.5" with a 35mm offset. The Cabrio uses a 4/100 bolt pattern (4 lug nuts with a 100mm spacing between them). My girlfriend worked at a tuning shop and picked them up for me at cost. They were not chrome, but we sent them out to get chromed. This was about $100/wheel.

I have heard of guys putting 18" wheels and tires on their cars, but I am sure it is a very tight fit. The Cabrios in North America here come form the factory with 14" wheels and tires. Generally, plus-2" (16" rims w/ a 205/45R16) is a safe bet for upgrading your wheels and tires without having to worry about rubbing the fenders or modifying the body to accept the bigger rubber. I chose 17" rims with a 215/40R17 footprint. With the lower suspension, the back wheel slightly rubbed the inner lip of the fender. I had the tire shop trim the inner fender about 1/2" off. Now the only rubbing occurs if the chassis is heavily loaded (four apssengers and luggage) and we go over a huge bump. I usually ride with only me in the car or me plus one other person. I'd probably not recommend an 8.0" wide wheel without going to fender flares or some other means of clearancing the fenders.

For tires, I went for economy. Since I use my car as a daily driver, I knew I would be going through tires fast! The Nitto NT-450 "Extreme" tire is a decent tire for the price. Many people I have talked to have had problems with Nitto tires, but I have not had such experiences. This is my second set and they have not given me any trouble.

Dunlops are well known for their sticky grip. I had a set on my Corrado SLC and they worked exceptionally well, they were also more expensive than the Nittos. There are many brands out there, so do your research to find the tire that matches your driving style and price range.

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