18" x 7.5 on Polo GTI?

[Chipped]

Hi All,

My second hand '06 GTi has a few dings on the factory wheels and the tyres are on the way out. Was looking at new rims and tyres.
The local tyre guy suggested 18" x 7.5 but i'm thinking he wants to upsell.
I'm also concerned about the handling as I also have some Eibach lowering springs in the pipeline. 17" x 7 sounds logical to me and most of the aftermarkets you guys have on this forum are the same.
Look at so many wheel options incl. BBS and Enkei but nothing would look as funky (and unfortunately as bogan) as the Advanti Medusa's on my White Polo Gti with black bonnet V spray.

Would appreciate any Dub thoughts.

THanks in ADvance

[Timbo]

I reckon 18x7.5 won't fit, especially with the Eibachs....although perhaps with the right offset...! And then there's finding the right 35 profile tyre!!!

I have BBS RW II's in 17x7.5, with 205/40 x 17 tyres, and the Eibach springs. No rubbing problems.

[Tim]

i think 18" will look too big. Especially with such a low profile tyre. If you have any wheel gap at all it will make it look like a rollerskate

[naughty]

i think 18" will look too big. Especially with such a low profile tyre. If you have any wheel gap at all it will make it look like a rollerskate

it doesnt look bad - heres a 18 x 7,5 - and it looks decent





they will work perfectly with eibachs as long as the drop isnt much more than 40mm - in fact the 30mm eibachs would be perfect - but be very warned - only do this if you always drive on perfect roads

i had to replace those since i lost three tyres within 6 months - cos that 35 profile really hated hitting potholes - each time it was the sidewall of the tyre that got damaged - so there was no way to repair it - and pirrelli P zero nero tyres are not cheap - so i got rid of th erims and tyres and went to 17" rims with 205/40/17 tyres - and those are holding up much better - also the shocks dont bottom out as much and the ride is generally smoother - so i dont reckon you should go to the 18" rims as a matter of safety and comfort

but in terms of looks - it can potentially look terrific if you like the oversized wheel look - mine wasnt dropped yet - but remember that the GTI already comes dropped 15mm compared to the other polo's - so with the 30mm springs you will only go down a further 15mm

[Matt P]

imo 17 is as big as you'll wanna go

ive got 17x7's with 205/40s and the ride is a bit harsh compared to stock

17s will look good, 18s are too big, remember, its a hot hatch, not a sick uleh mobile

[Grant]

IMO 18s on a polo seem borderline awkward looking. even though they fill guards, they seem a little big for the overall size of the car... and they make your brakes look pewny

[Chipped]

Thanks dubbers, just needed to hear it from fellow poloists.
17"s it is.
Ok so I am only going to get another 1.5cm out of the Eibachs? hmmm hardly seems worth the $800 odd dollars for Eibachs supplied and fitted....

[DubSteve]

I think you should fit 17x10s easily under the guards of a polo

[Grant]

Thanks dubbers, just needed to hear it from fellow poloists.
17"s it is.
Ok so I am only going to get another 1.5cm out of the Eibachs? hmmm hardly seems worth the $800 odd dollars for Eibachs supplied and fitted....

Yeah mate the eibachs are a modest drop. Not really worth the coin if you ask me. The H&R springs drop it lower, especially at the rear. There is a group buy atm organised by GT3 (Neil) if your interested, the link is below. Has some nice picks of his car with the springs and 17s fitted. The price is good so if your interested contact him very soon as I think the order is being finalised monday.
Group Buy

[Bubu]

I think a Polo on 18's looks hot.

The pics of the Polo here is apparently riding on 18's:

[Bubu]

Found another picture of a Polo that (looks like) its on 18's.

[Tim]

those couple of pictures explain what i meant about wheel gap in my previous post.
The red polo looks nice cos there is no wheel gap. When your wheel gap exceeds the tyre height it starts to look a bit naff.

Having said that. Not many polos go as low as the red one! most lowered ones ive seen still have a substantial wheel gap

[Chipped]

Tim I see what you mean about the gap.
How about max width? I have the option of 17 x 8" but I wouldn't want any wheel arch scraping...might get my ruler and see how much clearance there is.

[Whubbsie]

Tim I see what you mean about the gap.
How about max width? I have the option of 17 x 8" but I wouldn't want any wheel arch scraping...might get my ruler and see how much clearance there is.

thats something I want to know too, I'm happy to stick with 16s just want them wider, how wide can you go??

[Lorenz]

Tim I see what you mean about the gap.
How about max width? I have the option of 17 x 8" but I wouldn't want any wheel arch scraping...might get my ruler and see how much clearance there is.

Tyres wont scrape if you get the right sized tyre on the 8s. Id go 8s over 7s any day. 215/40 will sit nicely on the 8