drpolygon

OK, after doing a bit of homework, I'm now leaning towards a couple options.

THE "INEXPENSIVE" ROUTE:
ENKEI ENZO 20x8.5 all 'round

THE "DREAM" ROUTE:
LOWENHART BR-5 20x8.5 F, 20x9.5R

Now, I actually could afford the Lowenharts, but someone has to talk me into it. What are the benefits? Going with the more expensive wheels will also probably compromise the quality of tires I can afford. Let's hear some opinions! [Manaray, that means you! ]

TIRES (decided to go with 245-35R20 all around)
1) Bridgestone Potenza S-03
2) Dunlop SP Sport 9000
3) Pirelli P-Zero
4) Nitto NT-555

What are the best tires here?

/Cheers/Daryl

tinygs

Go with the Lowen..but, you will need at least a 265mm tire on that 9.5" rear IMO..."Wanna play you gotta pay" quality=$$$$ Tiny

D-MAN63

I believe MIKEGS4PE has the enzo's and it look pretty darn good. For me personally, I would get the LD1's, and go with TOYO T1-S brand of tires. All the tires you mentioned was good except P-zero's. My friend use to have them on his 20's but that thing made more noise than a MACK TRUCK. When it rained, lets just say it felt like the ground was covered in butter.

ap0718

In my opinion, I would go with the Lowenharts--High priced Luxury car need a high quality luxury wheel---when they look at your car, not only will they see Money spent, but it's the classy appeal of the Lowenharts, you know.

I'm running 20x8.5 and 20x10 Chrome Lowenhart LD1's with the Nitto NT555's---245/35 & 275/30. I think the Nitto's are the best, because they will last you the longest. I think they have the most treadwear.

I hope that helps, but definetly, go with the BR5's

drpolygon

OK well, thanks all for the opinions, I knew you would all recommend the Lowenharts, there's no denying the style!

However, this is a really serious purchase that is going to require some more actual performance data for me to determine whether or not I will get a return on my investment.

So, with that in mind, can anyone tell me what exactly I would be sacrificing if I went with the Enzo's? Because I'll tell you, I'll be sacrificing about $4000 more if I go with the Lowenharts!!!

ie) Can I still get the big brake kit? Are they more likely to wobble? Are they so heavy that it will bog the car down? Are they more likely to chip and bend? Are the offsets less accurate? Is the craftsmansip that much less that I would notice? Is the feel different? etc etc etc...

Also, thanks DIESEL, I forgot about the TOYO'S. Does anyone know what the least expensive tires out of the ones listed above are? Finally, maybe I should actually go 275/30 out back if I get the 9.5 Lowenharts. (Like manaray already said in a diff thread)

Let me know
/Cheers/Daryl

GS4Will

Daryl,

how are you?

about the performence data, we(well most of us) like the lowens for the quality and look. when you go to 20s, you are basically doing more for shows. i cannot coment on the ENZOS because i have never owned them. but i do know that some cheaper rims inferior quality might give you hard time when you try to balance the rims. again, i am not generalizing, just inform what i have heard before. in terms of BAD lemons, good quality name brands(real ones) have lower %.

for 20s, only nitto, toyo and pirellis have the correct size to my knowledge. i think nittos might be the least $$$, followed by toyos. both are good japanese tyres.

one of our members, WEI(gsintensive) will be selling his ENKEI chrome 20s, they are good original design, name brand wheel from japan. you might want to take a look.

will

Manaray

for me, I would do the Lowenharts. Not because Enkei wheels are bad, but I do't like that "Spyder" style wheel. Plus I like wheels that have LIPS.

And if you're going to do the 9.5" out back, I suggest a 275/30-20...

Oh, the reason why there is such a huge price gap between the Enkeis and the Lowenharts is because you're comparing a 1-piece wheel to a 3-piece wheel...that's somewhat like comparing a GS430 to a ES300 and wondering why the GS430 costs more!

Personally, I like the Nittos. I've had them on a few cars and they've always been excellent. Traction was on par with the Pirelli and Toyos but when it came to wear, the Nittos outlasted both set.

The Bridgestone S-03's are better handling tires but they don't last as long and cost quite a bit more...I guess you'll have just figure out what's more important to you. For me, I figure that I don't have the skills to outdrive the Nittos (and I have track experience) so why do I need better handling tires? I'd rather have tires that last longer in my case...

drpolygon

Yeah, up here in "Mountainy & Rainy" Vancouver it's all about wet traction. I need the best performing tire in the rain.

Sounds to me like it could be the Toyo's, but I'll compare Toyo to Nitto for price (factoring the Nitto treadware into the equation), and make my decision on that. I hope both have the right sizes. (If I go Lowenhart, then I will go 275-30 out back)

Right now, I've got a Dodge Durango with the factory Goodyear radials, and man, it's like traveling on a huge oil slick when it's wet. (It's really, quite ridiculous) I've almost rear-ended people like 50 times because of loss of traction.

I'll have a chat with my man up here, and compare the package prices today... I'll let you know what I decide. He could probably talk me into the Lowenharts; I really like the lips too.

/Cheers/Daryl