Since these things (like ultra low profile wheels) are generally big with the kids and not adult drivers, I wonder how long the fad is going to last. I would guess another two to four years, and then another ten years while the wheels out there get damaged and taken out of service.
In any case, it is one gimick
The fad has been lasting about 20 years here in NH…
It’s a fad that is as old as cars. Tires have been getting lower in profile all my life, in 1970 78 series was normal, 70 was low profile. Now 60 is about as tall as they come.
But if we’re talking 24" wheels and 30 series tires just for show, then yes, that’s a fad on its way out (I hope).
The super low profile tires…I HOPE are a fad…They don’t look good on anything…And worse on Trucks…But that’s just me.
I ended up with a used a set of 17"(215/45/17) winter performance tires on nice alloys for my previous 04 Subaru WRX that were pretty cheap. They made my car which rode pretty stiff ride like a skate board. I was so happy to put the stock 205/55/16’s back on. It rode quite pleasantly. The funny thing 04 WRX stock size is now the standard wheel size on a “economy” minded Civic now.
I don’t care how long the ‘fad’ lasts as long as I can buy a vehicle off the show room floor with reasonable, practical wheels.
If low profile tyres are such a good idea, why don’t big rigs have them? I think it would be interesting to see an 18 wheeler with low profile tyres heading on down the road. I’ll buy them when I see them on Peterbilts or Kenworths.
Oldmotorist
I agree with most of the other comments here; the big-diameter wheels with super-thin profile tires don’t really serve a purpose other than for looks. You really need to have a flat, smooth surface to get optimum results with them, and that’s just not the case with many roads in this country. Running big wheels with flat-looking tires will more likely result in rim damage and tire damage, and they’re very expensive to replace. You most often see them on low-riders and “donkeys” (cars on jacked-up sespensions with way-oversized rims); it’s sort of a rap/hip-hop based fad. To me they make a perfecly good car look totally ridiculous. It makes me sick to see someone put those on an older classic car, or a pickup truck from any era. And pickup trucks should NEVER, EVER be lowered. Lowering certain sporty cars by an inch or two is O.K., but with a truck, you either leave it at stock height, or RAISE it, if anything. My truck, which is 2wd, currently has about a 5" suspension lift over stock, plus somewhat oversize LT305/70R16 (33" diameter, 16" rim) tires; the stock tires were 29". In addition, I added fender flares, and had the original 3.42-ratio rearend gears replaced with a set of 3.90’s in order to compensate for the bigger tires, and my speedometer is almost right on. Like CSA, I like to have some meat on the rims. And, the higher ground clearance along with the larger mud-tread tires gives my truck more off-road capability, even though it’s 2wd. Also, when you put super-size rims and ultra-low profile tires on a truck, you greatly decrease its capability so it won’t do what it was designed to do, which is to tow and haul stuff too big and heavy for a car. I hope this fad will go away in the not-too-distant future.
Ok. I love low profile tires. Yes they cost a little (lot) more but I am okay with that because I take good care of my tires. My Yokahomas lasted 5 years on my cobra and I did have one side wall split. But homa replaced it for me because I am a good customer. I will never change back. Im 65-years-old and love them. A little bad in wet weather but but I live in the dessert so who cares.
I think the key here is moderation. I like tires a little on the low-profile side, but I think that 35 series tires are ridiculous. I agree with ClassicFan62 that these mods done on classic cars look really dumb! Regarding oldmotorist’s comment on 18 wheelers, comparing Peterbilts to passenger cars isn’t a valid comparison unless your putting 20,000 lbs. in your trunk. Big rigs and cars are very different beasts, and their tires are designed and chosen for very different purposes.