D Car — November 2003

For a sport compact, the qualities you want from a tire are a little different from those for an ordinary car, because appearance matters too. We asked Ima-san of Prison #8, a shop in Ibaraki that knows sport compacts and tires inside out, what tires suit a sport compact. ‘If you want serious performance from a Civic-class sport compact, a 15-inch wheel with an S tire is probably best. Stock wheels are 14 or 15 inches, so that is plenty. But with a sport compact, the point is to stand out, and 15 inches can look a little underwhelming.’

‘What about running different sizes front and rear? Using smaller wheels up front and larger ones in the rear to give the car a nose-down stance comes from hot-rod-style rear-wheel-drive cars, but if you are after a cool look, it can work on a Civic or Integra too. Going bold and changing by about two sizes—say F16/R18—might look good…’ The idea is to use the largest wheels and tires possible to give a sport compact more presence. Different wheel colors or designs from side to side are also an option and can look stylish.

The Supra owner featured in the magazine’s September issue went all-in, stretching the tires over very thick spacers. The car is an ultra-widebody Supra, over 21… wide, that overwhelms everyone who sees it. ‘Isn’t that too much?’ Despite its dramatic appearance, the car’s extreme width brings problems. ‘Exactly. For now I am nervous about it, so I drive cautiously on the highway. I plan to switch soon to 305- or 315-size, 20-inch tires so I can drive it harder. But that will cost even more…’ The owner explained that widening the body by about 20 centimeters per side makes it difficult to bring the wheels out flush with the body. The front uses 19×10.5J wheels with 245 tires…

← A sport compact’s ideal wheel size also depends on whether it has an aero kit. With a full aero kit, 18-inch wheels are a good fit on a Civic-class car.

No aero kit (stock body)

For the Civic class…

Create a sport-compact look

What tire-and-wheel combination should I use?

17-inch

18-inch!

With aero bumper

‘I would go from 17 inches to 18 inches. Without an aero kit, 17 inches is fine, but once you add aero, 18 inches gives the car more presence. The aero kit also fills the extra space created by the larger wheels. The best tire sizes would be 205/40R17 or around 225/35R18.’

‘It might rub when you turn the steering all the way to the lock, but trimming the inner fender and folding back the fender lip should take care of it. Nineteen-inch wheels can just barely fit, but they rub everywhere…’

With 18-inch wheels, the tire may hit the wheel well…

18-inch

Use different-size wheels front and rear to create a nose-down stance

Create the look!!

…so I would not recommend that.

18-inch

17-inch

Running different wheel sizes front and rear…

↑ Using smaller-diameter wheels in front and larger ones in the rear is a hot-rod style, but it can also be used on a sport compact…

…is also an option.

← An 18-inch wheel with a 35-series tire on a Civic is a tight fit, but it has plenty of impact.

The trials of an ultra-widebody Supra

…it is.

25/30 +12J, with a thick spacer…

Featured in our September issue, the Supra that caused a sensation was built with 19×12-inch wheels and 285 tires…

…built by the club, with an overall width of 21…

Right?

…but as for the tires and wheels…

‘That’s right. The wheels I’m running now are Work Equip’s ultra-deep-dish models. In this size, there are only a few choices… At the moment the rim is flush with the body, but next I want the tire itself to sit flush. The widebody definitely has plenty of presence, but it seems to bring its share of headaches.’

The tires are stretched a little…

And the wheels too…

↑ With the body widened by about 20 cm on each side, bringing the tires out flush with the body is no easy task.

D Car — November 2003

About this issue

Page 94 — English draft translation