Stock 200q20vt BBS wheels vs. urS4 wheels

[Eric_R_Kissell at whirlpool.com]

Steve,

I guess I need to update my registry photo. I will try that right now.

OK - I am back. The registry would not take my latest photo. Probably
something to do with the computers here at work. I will have to try the
update from home.

I am sending you a picture of my car with its current URS4 wheels. I really
like them. Cosmetically they really make the car look sharp.

I picked these up for $250, so I could not pass them up. The seller was
nervous they would not sell on Ebay, so I offered to buy them for $50 over
the $200 I had already bid. That's just the kind of nice guy that I am ;-)
The condition is OK but not perfect. Curb rash is not really too bad at
all, but the clearcoat is just starting to cloud in some places. I will
probably refinish them at some point, but they really look very nice from 5
yards away. Did I mention that they only set me back $250.

Oh, and you can see the non-turbo eurolights I got for $80. I am a very
value-oriented upgrade type of guy :-) These lights did not sell at an Ebay
auction I was trying to steal, so the seller contacted me and offered them
for my last bid of $80. A very small price to pay for awesome light output.
And no, I do not mind the look of the non-turbo lights. Did I mention that
they only cost me $80?

Anyway, back to the wheels.  Ride is not really affected too much. Notice,
I did not say "not at all" but I really have not noticed too much
harshness. I run Koni Reds set at about 1/2 of the possible adjustment. I
have not idea if the adjustment range and the resulting damping are
linearly related, but I would suspect they are not. Where they are set now
feels about right. Some days I feel slightly under-damped and others
slightly over-damped, so I guess they are close to where they need to be
for my drive.

IMO I ruined the ride in a 1987 VW GTI 16v once by going from 14" to 15"
wheels and Bilsteins, so I was a little concerned going from 15" to 16" in
the 1991 200q 20v, but after doing the upgrade I am happy. Of course, for
only a $250 investment, I figured I could always resell the wheels and get
my money back if I was not happy. Plus, plenty of people run 17" wheels, so
I figured 16" was probably fine.

The wheels came with Dunlop FM901 tires. These had severe inner tread wear
but plenty of tread elsewhere. I run very neutral camber and toe settings,
so, being "value minded," I am running these tires and they seem fine.
Maybe I can get a year or two out of them before I replace them. Between
the shorter sidewall due to 16" wheels and the summer compound of the
FM901's, the cornering is somewhat improved, though I rarely do anything
too aggressive compared to some of the people I read about on the list.
That being said, I have certain curves and turns that I do every day that I
have pushed beyond what I used to consider "aggressive but prudent" without
any drama. Just big smiles.

As for advantages of the stock wheels, I believe the stock 15" wheels are
lighter than the 16" URS4 wheels. I have not noticed any ill effects yet,
though. The 16" wheels will likely have a better selection of performance
tires available.

I say go for it if you have your eye on a good set.

HTH,
Eric