18 Inch Wheels & Tyres for 996 Track Use Questions

Hi, After discovering track days this year I am thinking of getting some separate wheels for track day use. I have been told by other relatively new track drivers that a set of R-specs make a big difference. My car has the X51 kit and sports suspension so am looking at tyres as the first 'mod'. I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but I can't seem to find a relevant thread. I am driving a 2001 996 C2 on 18" GT3 (look) wheels and was hoping for some insights on the below: Tyres- R Spec? I would need to be able to drive on the track wheels from my home to the track and back. I am a track newbie, so need 'forgiving' tyres, ie ones that will give me some warning before trying to kill me. Where to buy them? Thoughts on need to get tyres 'zapped' http://www.gordonleven.com/zapped4racing/about/ Wheels Am looking for second hand wheels. There are a few on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Genuine-Porsche-996-911-GT3-18-inch-wheels-PCD-5x130-18x8-ET50-18x11-ET63-/142527758409?hash=item212f510049:g:kCsAAOSw8P5Z1IxR http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/18-inch-Genuine-PORSCHE-911-CARRERA-S-996-SERIES-2-ALLOY-WHEELS-V-RARE-/252909760049?hash=item3ae298ae31:g:H00AAOSwXeJYHbD5 Apart from Porsche wheels, what are my other options, and would they need any mods (spacers?) to fit my car? A few questions here, so thanks in advance for your help. Rob

while the first set are cheap for genuine gt3 wheels but will likely need spacers, the second set will fit your car well and are actually one of the lighter sets offered by Porsche so great for track days.

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Thanks Trev. One of the guys at the last PCNSW track day was sporting these on his 993 for that reason.

Depends what level you want to drive at?? If you want to drive it to its limit, then R specs are the go! But they will get you about 4, maybe 5 days at best of racing at optimal grip. You can go with an S compound like Yokohama's AD08R and it's an exceptional tyre that will last you well. With R compounds the Yokohama A050 is THE tyre to get, no question about it! They behave well on the adhesion limit and will not "snap" out on you, it's a linear breakaway. Gordon Leven Motorsport pre scrubbed my current set of A050's and I can tell you this; you won't be faster, but they are consistent from the moment you get heat into them until the last lap, that is the difference I noticed by having this done. With regards to rims, just make sure they're quality like the OEM ones you linked or OZ, BBS etc... I have seen lesser quality break on the track by simply hitting the ripple strip. Its fine to drive to the track on the R specs, we do it all the time. Cheers

OEM rims will serve you well, strong and light. Reasonable price as well. I went the slow learning route on tyres with hankook rs3 (high performance road) 2years use hankook td221 (fast and just behind a050)2years nitto nt01 (slower but cheap)1 plus years interesting to learn the different speeds ,sidewall flex, pressures etc...... Cheers

Those GT3 wheels being sold are mine, they came with my car as an additional set of track wheels when I bought it and I have since swapped to Rays / Volk TE37s. You can probably squeeze one more track day out of those A050s. I didn't need spacers to run them on my 997. PM me if you're interested. I would however back the idea that you patiently making your way up the tyre ladder as the grip threshold and subsequent breakaway on a high performance street tyre is much lower and more progressive than on a semi slick, it's better to learn the limits of your car on. Hankook have just released the RS4 which is worth checking out.

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Reading between the lines...you had them on a 997 GT3?  RennRob is looking for something to suit a 996 Carrera 2.  Quite different widths and offsets between them.

I still remember the first lap I did on r spec tyres years ago, it was a revelation how much stiffer, steering was sharper and so much more grip.  Road tyres are compromised to balance noise, longevity, economy, wet and dry grip, braking, price etc.  R specs can bin a lot of that and just focus on what gets your around a track quickly.  You will enjoy the difference but they are very noisy/rumble-y but who cares if you go fast!  Agree with edgy A050s seem to be the choice of most Porsche guys (and many others).  Also agree don’t buy shit wheels, R specs put a lot more load through wheels and suspension as does hitting kerbs at speed.  You don’t want a wheel to fail......

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If they fit under a 996 GT3 why wouldn't they fit under a regular 996?

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Beacause the whole rear end is set up different and that's why the wheel offsets are different. I haven't tried myself, I spent 2 years looking for my 996 without finding any at the time, but researched it and that was the consensus...however my understanding is you can make it work with spacers to counter the offset.  I think 305 tyres is the norm on the GT3 11" rims but if you fit the rims with spacers you'll probably need to run 295 to not foul the wheelarches.

Just remember spacers could be used at track but illegal on road unless factory spec, they also change setup.

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thats a very valid point!☝?, it's good to understand how your car behaves on the limit. IMO if the OP is starting out, my recommendations would be to buy a good S compound like AD08R (about $1.3k last time I bought) and spend the savings from going to R's (those run $2.5k~ / set) on driver instructor time. Thats money well spent.

Thanks to you all for your contributions, esp those who were taking some time out of your Bathurst viewing. I am tempted by the five spokes listed on ebay by AGR Wheels. They are using the identical photo for a set of Boxster wheels. A search of the forum reveals generally positive experience with AGR, but may give them a call to be sure.

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Double check the fitment then.  I believe the same wheel design was offered in 2 different widths/offsets.  One to suit Carrera and another for Boxster S.

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Thanks Trev, They have listed different offsets for each set which is encouraging. Just checking those out now.

The 18" Carrera wheels in the ebay listing are not the same as the photos. The photos show 18x7.5, not 18x8 (see the embossed 7.5 next to the air valve hole). I would double check if you are going to buy them. OEM part numbers on the back should be 996.362.136.03 for the front and 996.362.140.03 for the rears. They're a great seat of wheels as they provide a decent amount of cool air to run through them, but the rears do get exceptionally hot on a warm day. So if you ever decide to swap wheels out at track, make sure you have a pair of gloves handy which can insulate you from the heat. Meanwhile if you are thinking about @Kammo 's wheels. They can fit but you might need to roll the fenders. Gen 1 cars have to roll while gen 2's *can* fit without modding for ET 63. 18x11 ET45 or 57 supposedly fit fine. It also depends on your suspension setup as to how they will fit. If you're interested in them I can do a test fitting on my car for you.

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Thanks Mike, I had picked up that they were the same wheels in both ads. I have now discovered the exciting world of wheel dimensions and offsets. My car came with factor sports suspension and 18" Sport Design wheels, so trying to find the specs for those wheels by way of comparison. Not overly keen to roll fenders at this point, but many thanks for your offer.

Same offset in 7.5/10 minimal difference in 8

@TrevMcRev @edgy @Mike737 Thanks for the advice. I ended up getting the OEM five spokes and put Yokohama AD08R on them- will progress to R specs in time. looking forward to testing them out at the PC South Syd track/instructor day this Thurs.

Good luck at track. You'll be amazed at what a good seat of tyres can do for the car!