bassn_07

I've been thinking about purchasing a set of rims for a while now and I may want to go with 18"s. I've rode in E55's with both 19"s and 20"s and I really prefer the ride on 18"s. I might move up to 19"s but 20"s are definitely out of the question. 20"s def look bad azz but the ride was horrible...IMHO. So, my question is, would it be a waste of money to purchase some 18" HRE comp series rims or would they be somewhat beneficial in both performance and looks? These rims are not cheap and I’m just trying to get a few opinions on whether it’s worth the money or not over stock chrome rims.

Fast55

Perfect choice, especially the competition series, they're super light. If performance is most important, 18's make sense. Now throw on some Evo rotors and it'll feel like you just gained 50 HP.

juicee63

I agree 100%, lighter wheels and rotors, calipers are a HUGE improvement. I think 19 is the perfect combo of looks and performance but 18" has superior tire choices. Although I prefer 19, you have 10x more tire choices in an 18" and generally they are lighter.

This will free up 35-70 hp on your car

ENTIZY1

honestly i have 20s on mine and they look sick....but keep in mind that you are going to lose at least 10 hp to the wheels if you go up in size. i would stay with 18s but consider lowering the car or it will look funny.

BenzoBoi

Not at all. I will be in the process of acquiring a set of 18's VERY soon too...

evilb

Ok well, you asked for opinions, so here's mine

18's on the E55 looks ridiculous. Similar to 18's on the new Shelby GT500--just plain silly. The car is too big. So, yes, actually spending money on a new set of 18" wheels is crazy IMHO.

I've driven E55 Bulldog's car for a considerable amount of time, and he has Lorinser 20's. Rode smoother than my RS4 on 19's.

Regarding the comment about having to lower the car if you stick with 18's... I disagree. I think it looks even more retarded if you're lowered on 18" wheels. Like an Integra slammed on 17's.... 19's and 20's -- you must lower it.

B

phatmitzu

18" looks too small on the 55.
HRE comp series rims are very light to start with, so from 18s to 19s will not make THAT much of a difference...unless you are going to use it for hardcore drag racing, I would go with the 19s.

ROCKETW19

I agree with evilb 18s just look like you have no clue about cars and style. Dont throw out the performance line either cuzz 99% of your driving is on the streets.
I dont even like 19s all that much but for sure not the HRE comps they use a steped lip and they look like 18s. I dont know how you can tell the ride difference between these rims cuzz I have had all sizes on my E55 and they all rode like stock. execpt the stock 18s on DRs the side walls would give going around corners at any speed.

Get some 20s for DD and some 18s with DRs for the track days.
I dont care how fast your car is if it dont look good it sucks IMO. Now if you like the way 18s look then dont let anyone stop you from getting them.

Timeless

I can tell you the 19s will definitely make your daily driving noticeably rougher especially when lowered also....but they look so much better.

jangy

I have 18" HRE comps and the EVO rotors and love the setup. To me, 19s and 20s are ugly because they are narrow. I run 265s in the front and 295s in the rear and the car sits FAT!! Good luck getting that width with even 19s....

bassn_07

Me personally, I definitely noticed the difference between my stock 18"s and another E55 with 20"s. Of course the car was lowered like 99.9% of E's with 20"s. I've also never seen a E55 with aftermarket 18's but me personally I don't think stock E55's look horrible. I also hear about so many people here in the bay area going with 20"s only later to regret the decision...rough ride, bent rims and so on.

I guess the question really to ask is how much of a performance difference will I see with lighter 19"s versus stock heavy chromed 18"s? I also plan on getting Evosport floating rotors as soon as they are needed. Performance is definitely a high priority because I don't plan on changing out rims at the dragstrip. I thoght this is something you recommended on a earlier post "running what you have" (Rocketw19)?

bassn_07

Are you thinking of replacing your current rims with 18's or for the dragstrip only? The reason why I ask is because your car looks sickkk as is!

MikeRPA

get PP e63 rims if you want 18's

ROCKETW19

You noticed a ride difference due to the car being lowered. I really doubt you can tell from anything else. Of coarse it also depends what size tires the 20s have thoes 285/25 are not what I would run and you might feel thoes.
I do agree run what you have everyday. but it seemed like you are realy wanting performance. Street wise you will never notice the the lil performance loss from 20s to 18s but you sure will notice the looks IMO.

BenzoBoi

Thanks... The HRE's will be staying...I am keeping those for the everyday wheels...The new 18's will be for the dragstrip & when I get bored of the HRE's...

bassn_07

Makes sense. Thanks for your honesty, and it seems that most think 19's would probably fit my needs...both in performance and looks.

Zod

I have 18s and they look fine, did I wish they came in 19 hmm maybe just to see.

The bmw m cars, P cars and even AMG have 19 in their sport AMG packages. So it must not be that bad if all said car manufacturers are doing it.

Just if you live in an area where going any higher then 19 will mean rougher ride and less performance it starts to make sense not to get them.

I am not a fan of changing tires every time. Mind you all our fun is on normal roads so....(no drag strips here) the streets are the strip

To help you make this decision, find out what tires you want to run and what sizes they come in, keep a back up option available (tire choice), then cross check this with the wheels you like. Try to go 295-305 rears to help with all that extra torq you have now

What tire combo are you currently running?

155

The W211 is a boat. IMO the 19's are the best compromise between looks and performance...

Finnish C32

vote for 19's

Max.H

yes, 20s for dd, 18s for having fun.

bassn_07

This has been a tough decision since the first day I purchased my car. Believe me, if this was a easy decision I would've had them a long time ago. So far 19's might be the way to go...for me. I still refuse to change tires out at the track because I'm too damn lazy. I've only been to track a couple of times but it's really nice to drive there, run, and then drive immediately home after your last run.

Thanks for all the opinions....shiiit, I should just purchase some Evosport floating rotors ans be done!

jdeastbay

I moved from stock 18's to CL63 rep 19's about 2 months ago and have been very happy. Much better look, and ride quality is very close the the stock even around the bay area.

TopGun32

my ride with 19's is just about the same..

only in S Mode 2 you can feel the bumpy roads.

but my C32 is way rougher than my E55 on S mode 2 and 19's... and my wife likes driving my C32.

honestly.. the difference is minimal.

I'm not drop yet.. therefore I will use the starsys to lower just a bit.. maybe that will make the difference.

18's are nice.. only if they were E63 or CLS550 AMG package rims.

Fast55

One more time for the kiddies who think looks are all that. 18's give many more choices in tires, not just for drag racing either. The other plus is that they are slightly cheaper. 19's don't really hurt much, but again, they do limit your choices just a little. Anything beyond that and the ride will suffer, period. You also have maybe 4-5 tire choices max., along with higher prices. You will need good measuring equipment and repeatable testing to see the handling advantage of any wheel/tire size over 18's, but it'll be easy to see how much a heavier wheel/tire slows you down at the drags. Your idea of lighter rotors is probably money better spent. You will never see 18"+ wheels on a track car, and for good reason.

transferred

I wouldn't go bigger than 19" on anything but a truck or SUV. I think the stock 18s look good, but can understand wanting 19". I have the very heavy but gorgeous 19" on my S, but also lightweight 18s from the prev owner for the drags. 20s on the W211 will make it look like those Dodge Chargers you see running around, imho