Mach V Awesome Wheels

One of the first modifications we made to the car was the change out the factory wheels and tires.  The stock wheel is a 17x7 cast aluminum design, with a 215/45R17 tire.  We swapped on our own Mach V Awesome wheel, which is a 17x9, and fitted up a 255/40R17.  With the car at full height, it doesn't seem to rub the tires, but it looks like it would come close.  Once we lower it, we will add some camber (especially in the front), which will probably get us enough clearance to avoid rubbing.  A 245/40R17 should fit without rubbing in any case.

I worried that the MUCH wider wheels and tires would detract from the overall "frisky" feel of the car, but after mounting everything up and driving the car, I really didn't notice any difference.  That probably has something to do with weight.  The stock wheel and tire weighed 41.4 pounds.  The Mach V Awesome with a Pirelli 255/40R17 weighed in at only 37.3 pounds!

Grip seems significantly higher with the wider rubber, but it's not like you can't break the thing loose.  And it looks pretty tough, too, although it's even more obvious how tall the stock ride height is.

We'll report back on whether we can keep this much tire on the car without rubbing on the bodywork, once we get it lowered down a little bit.