Calling owners of 19" wheels-- are they worth it?

For all you guys who put 19s on your 996, are they worth the cost ??? I've read many posts on the topic, all of which conclude (I'm oversimplifying and generalizing here): 1. there's very little difference in ride quality between 18s and 19s except that 19s are a bit stiffer; 2. there is a slightly greater risk of rim damage with 19s, but it's probably not a deal killer in that it's only a slight difference; 3. 19s put slightly more stress on your suspension, but, if you don't track the car, it's probably irrelevant (I have the x74 suspension-- not sure which way that cuts vis a vis 19s); and 3. 19s look better, but are expensive ($5k with tires). Am i off on any of these points? Personally, I love the way they look, but am reluctant to spend so much money for a performance-neutral mod (perhaps even a performance-negative). So,I ask those of you who splurged for 19s-- are they worth the dough? if yes, can you recommend a rim/tire? Thanks. GBG

CBG, you're right on. They look waaay better than 18's With my ROW M030 the ride is stiff, with your X74 it would be even stiffer.

A lot of people here say they are just for bling purposes. In many ways they are probably right. But then owning a Porsche is bling too. But since I fitted 19" wheels to my 996 it does seem to be planted to the ground a lot more and stiffer. As for handling, there is some extra handling benefit but I can only speak for street use as I have never tracked it. The downside is you will have to roll your fenders, the tyres are expensive, they are not Porche approved and you will feel every bump beause of their extremely low profile. But IMHO they are worth every penny. In regards to causing suspension problems, I doubt it. I have had my 996 for 4 years now with the same wheels and never had any suspension problems......I just hope I haven't spoke too soon Also, you will note that the 997 S now sports 19" wheels as standard.

I would recommend the Cargraphics 19s or the HRE 542s A little on the pricy side but look sweet IMHO.

Thanks guys. Sounds like with the x74 suspension-- already a pretty stiff ride-- I should pass on the 19s. The 18s look pretty good, so 19s are not one of those mods that keep me up at night.

19's are not worth it for performance...Looks - yes - but no performance advantage. I took 19's off my car and put 18 5 spoke lightweights on, saved a ton of weight and money too! My car performed much better at autocross and I steadily saw improvement over 19's in my times each tim. My spirited drives up the mountains have been much better and I have been able to keep up with my friends 04 with 18's... I am living proof that (heavy) 19's are a waste for performance. The rs97 monolites from champion ar light but very expensive. Robert

It depends a lot on what wheels and tryes you use in regards weight. But you could take out your spare and that would balance things up fine. IMHO, 19" wheels won't effect performance at all. Why do you think the 997 S has them? If PAG thought that they reduced performance they would not use them.

996 was not designed for 19's.....997 yes............

1st off IMO there is really no performance difference between the two on the streets. Yes 18" might have a slight advantage on a track because the slightly taller tires have some deflection so that the contact patch will shift with the body weight thus giving a better patch to grip the road. As far as weight there is not that much of a difference if you are comparing the turbo look and a good wheel like HRE. Both are bout 25lbs. I know some Kinesis wheels are as low as 22lbs. So the slight weight difference is negliable unless your at the track. GBG your initail post is about 100% correct so it depend if the look is that important to you. IMO the ride is not really stiffer, unless you drive some really crappy roads. I do notice more road noise from my 19", but I'm using a very wide rear tire 315/25. More tire more road noise.