Err, yeah, that’s the one…
Right, so I’ve baked my noodle trying to work this out, but I think I’ve almost cracked it…
Standard, I've got 6x15" ET43 rims wearing 185/65 R15 88T's. T is 118mph rated, faster than Bella will ever go without being driven off a cliff :amazed:
New rims I've seen are 7 x 15" ET40 rims - the 1010Tires Offset Calculator makes that 10mm less internal clearance and 16mm outward extension. On another forum it says that the Grande Punto can take wheels with offsets between ET35 and ET45 and several big-name alloy wheel retailers list these wheels as fitting my car, so that should be all good right? The manufacturer stated weights would appear to be a bit lower than standard, should that help keep acceleration at the same level and keep my speedo accurate?
I also want some lower profile tyres - not crazy Hella-thin profile, just a bit sportier-looking cos my sidewalls are HUGE – 120.25mm by my calculations (185 / 100 = 1.85 x 65 = 120.25??).
The ideal would be improved drivability, but I’ll settle for exactly the same or not noticeably different, obviously I’ll have to take slow bumps even slower and annoy a few peeps, but revenge, cold dish, etc.
I've got my eye on Falken ZE914's. 205/55/R15 are the smallest option that match the load index and speed rating - 88V (149mph, Bella might crumble) sidewall size would be 112.75mm... not that much smaller really, but I want to be safe and keep my car actually, y’know, drivable? So these should be the puppies no?
So with a static suspension drop of 35mm on some Koni STR.T’s and an additional 7.5mm my car will be a frankly whopping 42.5mm lower. What do we think? Sensible or a disaster waiting to happen?