17" ET20 8.5J with 205/45R17. Impossible? Take a look!

[gtr_gtti]

Looks proper now!

[Jamie N]

That's a crazy small offset Fabian, how does it drive with those?. Nice color!.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

You can bolt on any number of replacement wheels, but Lotus used the high offset wheels FOR A REASON. Their spec was to eliminate the steering problems that front wheel drive creates. Any changes in diameter or offset defeats their design and although the car will still stay on the road, it now has a compromised suspension.

If you had gone with wider rims/tires and something like ET 45, I might think the difference might e negligible, but just filling the wheel wells for cosmetic gain is never a smart choice.

Just be careful driving the car hard as it might not track as well as the original design allowed.

[Rambo]

Looks great though But it would look even better with clear front sidelight/indicator lenses. And round Elise lights at the rear

Love the colour and the photos against the industrial backdrop

PS watch how it handles/steers as it will probably feel you are driving down a ploughed field

[HJ2]

I love the colour and the look of your car! 'm actually a bit jealous I always wanted an orange Elan
The wheels look ace, but like the others the change of geometry worries me a little. Post us an update with your driving experiences before and after this change!

[Giniw]

Aren't the rims a bit wide for the tires? On the first photo the tire looks like it's a bit narrow especially on the rear?
(you really should put back the spoiler rubber lip)

The handling and tires rubbing on the wheel arches would worry me too!

[gtr_gtti]

You can bolt on any number of replacement wheels, but Lotus used the high offset wheels FOR A REASON. Their spec was to eliminate the steering problems that front wheel drive creates. Any changes in diameter or offset defeats their design and although the car will still stay on the road, it now has a compromised suspension.

If you had gone with wider rims/tires and something like ET 45, I might think the difference might e negligible, but just filling the wheel wells for cosmetic gain is never a smart choice.

Just be careful driving the car hard as it might not track as well as the original design allowed.

I read about it in one of the articles, whereby lotus needed to strike a balance in acceptable ride harshness, handling, production costs and style. The later Elans came with 16" alloys with wider tires, which looks better than the tiny 15" imho.

So far prior to fitting up the wheels, i had installed the SJS coilovers, so it doesn't rub the fenders on bumpy roads. But immediate handling feel is good so far. I have not tracked the car, and I'm not planning to track it, so i guess its ok since I'm primarily gonna use it for display in classic and retro car shows. Think of it as a girl with makeup and evening gown rather than a girl dressed in sports attire all ready for a run! Both works but for different purpose

[gtr_gtti]

Looks great though But it would look even better with clear front sidelight/indicator lenses. And round Elise lights at the rear

Love the colour and the photos against the industrial backdrop

PS watch how it handles/steers as it will probably feel you are driving down a ploughed field

Thanks! So far, its all good. Handling ironically feels more stable and plated at higher speeds, most probably due to its wider track width now. I dialed in a little more rear camber to eliminate chances of lift off oversteer but i do expect more understeer at higher speeds, but most of the time, i drive slower with top down.

[gtr_gtti]

Aren't the rims a bit wide for the tires? On the first photo the tire looks like it's a bit narrow especially on the rear?
(you really should put back the spoiler rubber lip)

The handling and tires rubbing on the wheel arches would worry me too!

Yes, the rims are 8.5J, would be nice if they were 8J thought but it wasn't available. The correct tire width is supposed to be 225 instead of 205 for these rims. but nevertheless, since this is a FWD car, i guess its good to have front and rear using the same width. But incidentally, i created a hellaflush look for the Lotus M100. I might be the 1st in asia to do so? LOL.

The front rubber lip is pending installation. I gotten an aftermarket one.

[clemo]

Looks nice ..

Can we see some shots of the interior and engine bay as well?