I am finally at the point to buy some 18" wheels and tires.
I do not auto cross or anything and I love the look of 18's

I was looking at a few different wheels
Motegi ff7 24.5lbs
Enkei or-52 ?
5zigen fno1r-c 18lbs

I know that the lighter wheel will perform much better and that is my only hang up with the motegi's,but I really like the look of them.
I would love the ssr comp's but that is too rich for my wallet.
I have a chance to get the motegi ff7's with Falken ZE 512 tires for 980 out the door. Sound any good?
Any reccomendations?
Are these tire ok?
Thanks to everyone who responds and helps me get a little closer to my decision.

PS 05MCS Hyper Blue, Chrome mirror caps, Alta intake & M7 Springs

 

Well, I have the Motegi's and I can say, for a mid-level mass produced wheel, they are just fine. I expected and got what i paid for.

They are hardly perfect, but if your goal is a nice look for a reasonable cost, then go for it.

FYI- I put them on the scale after mounting, and the overall unsprung weight is still less than the S-Lites that I had, so I was happy.

In my case, I planned to buy track specific rims, for track days, so the weight of the Motegi's was not a huge concern, so long as I did not increase the rolling stock.

 

JCW Driver
Seeing your pics was one of the reasons why I like them so much.
They just look so damn good.
I have been looking at all the pics I can find of wheels

 

Get whatever you LIKE and looks good; don't let the wheel and tire weight worry you if you're not a racer.

 

Go with whatever looks nicer... BTW, would 225/40/18 fit (+40ET)?

 

I doubt that 225/40/18 would fit as my car is lowered
I am going with 215/35/18


Any opinions on the Falken ZE 512 ?

 

I had that Falken tire on my last car. It's a great value, a comfortable tire, and it performs pretty well in wet and dry. It is not a high performance summer tire, it's doesn't really excell at anything; but for the price and what it does do well, I'd buy it again. Main ideas here: comfort, decent tread life, excellent price, give up a little performance.

mb

 

I would not recommend moving to the 40 series tire. It will not fit, especially on a lowered car.

Regarding brands:
I can't speak to the Falkens, but I can recommend the Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S. It is a very nice all around tire, that has a very well done compound which gives the tire a silky ride. A nice complement to the lowered suspension.

I wen't from 17" Toyos, to the 18" Pirellis and the ride was actually better. Which made me think... But it was.

Go figure.

I don't think the Pirellis are cheaper than the Falkens, though.

 

40s on a lowered car would rub, especially 215/40/17s would definetely cause problems. I enjoyed 215/35/18s, which were a little better than the 17" Pirelli RFs. Like Ryephile said, if you are not a racer, do not listen what everybody says, those people prolly use less than 50% of their car's limits but will give you all the advice when it comes to lighter wheels and tires. Finally nothing looks as good as 18s on a lowered MCS

 

JCW Driver
The P Zero Nero was one of the other tires that I had in mind as I had them on my VW Corrado.

I think that I am going to go with the motegi's until I can afford some SSR's
Unless anyone has any other suggestions?

 

Dinger28
I"m running 225/40/18 for street and track. I really like the looks but I did trimed some body parts. But even on a time attack track even, It didn't rub Visit www.Superlapseries.com and my pic is on the cover. BRG/W Eastsidemini with M7 Cosworth stage 2,Pss9 full 2" drop, Toyo Ra-1, 18" Konig wheels, Wilwood 13" BBK and on and on..............

 

I am running PSS9s (big drop) with 18" Euro Cross (17 lbs ea) with 215/35s and have had no rubbing issues at all. I have my PSS9s set for a hard ride too.

 

The OZ Superleggera is about the best bang for the buck, and looks great. Very light for a non-forged wheel. No need to ever upgrade it unless you earn your living with your car. Perfect choice for driving around the South Park parking lot.