You know what we haven't talked about too much...wheels. What would everyone want as far as options, sizes, looks, etc.

There's a big push towards way oversized wheels, like 19, 20, and 21 inch on cars. Personally I don't care for wheels bigger than 17in from an aesthetic and/or function standpoint.

Should the new ones be a traditional 5 spoke design, or something else (lace patter, a close 10 spoke like the last SS wheels?) One thing I'd really like to see is some 'dish' to the face of the wheels. The Mustnag and BMW cars pull it off, and I really think any kind of disch (even a slight one like the last vrsion SS wheels had) looks much better than a flat profile. I kinda liked the 'salad shooters' for they're 3D look. I did a CAD model of a wheel I thought would look cool, just designing as I trained.

Just thought I'd throw a new topic in the arena.

 

17"ers.... across the board, maybe 18"ers on the top of the line.

Anything more and it looks a little crazy, anything less looks frumpy

 

I really like the deep dish look. I say 5 spoke, but but some meat on the spokes. I dont like the Y2K vette wheels. They look like they are going to brake.

Oh, and size, 17" with the option for 18"

 

NO HUB CAPS THIS TIME

16" with optional 17" on the V6
17" with optional 18" on the V8 models

 

One thing to keep in mind....

In the mid- '80's when the F-body got 16" wheels, everyone thought that was massive...and for the time, they were truly cutting edge.

16" wheels are no big deal anymore. 17 and 18" wheels are very common today, even available on cars like Cobalt.

In 2009,2010,2011...things will probably change. 18" wheels will be as common as 16 inchers are today. For performance car applications...19", 20" and maybe even beyond.......will not be uncommon.

 

I will take those common wheels . 17", 5 spoke deep dish, 18'' maybe so long as the tire has some sidewall. Huge wheels push up the cost of new rubber, add unsprung mass, hurt accelaration and fuel economy (important if we want to avoid gas gulzer tax).

 

Ditto that! also leave the plastic bolt on center caps off. I like exposed lug nuts (like the Firebird and ZR1 wheels)

 

This is true, although that doesn't mean better, and who's to say this isn't a passing fad? taller wheels also mean taller rubber (from what I've seen), which throws proporations off.

I'm on the fence on anything over 18 inches....

 

i see what you mean but i dont think wheel sizes will continueto grow. the overall diameter of the tires hasnt really changed alot, mostly just the profile

 

There's gotta be a limit to how size begins to affect performance..
But I'd agree with 18's "standard" and optional 19's or 20's, or a mix like the Vette 19's front and 20's rear...Look at cars like the "Prowler", large but NOT too large, THO cars I see running around with 21+'s look foolish...And 16's are all but dead, there's very little selection of them compared to 15's or 17's...And I agree, there's NO EXCUSE for hubcaps in this day & age...except on a winter tire package.(Have you seen the "spinner hubcaps?... )
And I think they should try to play around with a "5-Spoke" design, BUT something new, like when they came out with the IROC wheels...and I would LOVE to see something available in a"Polished Finish", classic and timeless...

 

Me too, but I might change my mind in 5years.

 

yep... 19s at the very most.

And wheels with depth look better than wheels without depth

 

Quite honestly its really going to depend on what the car looks like. 17 or 18's might look perfect. 19 or 20's might look stupid, or they might look ok. Until the car is developed more, we won't know.

 

I've always believed in function over form. When the '98 Camaro made it's debut...I thought yuk. That front end was hideous. I still bought a '98 SS though. I did it for the engine and the Camaro nameplate and have zero regrets. I got over the "catfish smile" and decided to buy another one at the end.

The wheels on a possible 5th gen shouldn't be so large that performance will be sacrificed. When you go below a certain sidewall height you get less traction on the launch. On the other hand, when you go above a certain sidewall height you get poorer grip in the twisties. The ideal sidewall height will fit in the middle to provide good entry level performance in both situations. I think 17" is a good "middle-of-the-road" wheel size that provides ideal sidewall height with a tire diameter that isn't commonly seen wearing an AT or Bogger label.

We should assume that the tire diameter will most likely remain at a constant. I'll use 25.7" based on OEM tires for the 4th gen Z28 and SS models. If you go larger to an 18" you'll decrease the sidewall height by 5%, a 19" wheel will decrease it by 10%. GM could go with a larger tire diameter to allow sufficient sidewall height with 18"+ wheels, but then the issue of increased rotating mass comes into play. That's not acceptable to me. Unless we start machining titanium wheels cheaply or find a lighter weight rubber, what's the point in going larger? That's where my function over form belief will keep me happy rollin' double deuces minus 5. A visually refreshed 17" ZR1 will do just fine.

 

What are ya sayin' there?.....