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I've seen a few 987s with 981 20"s on them. Not sure if it requires anything else to make it work.
IMO they look way to big on the 987, not to mention extra weight and worse ride. I'd look into 19"s instead.
You’re probably aware of what will happen to the ride going to 20 inchers. My 987 came with 19 inchers and with summer tires I found the ride just too harsh. Backed off to 18s and like the ride much better. Probably not saying anything you don’t already know.
i am toying the idea of 18" to 19" for my 2010 Cayman S but learning from here i'll keep the 18s rides smooth now with custom PASM struts, Cayman R springs, and DSC Sport V1.
Good feedback from all. I was not really aware and certainly have no first hand experience riding 18's and 19's and 20's and knowing at all what the feeling is like between them.. Seems like sticking to 18" on a 987.1 is probably the way to go? Each time I see a wheel that grabs my eye, it is usually a 19" and not becuase I can tell it is 1" bigger, just the aesthetic of that specific weheel. Guess I should do a deeper dive into the 18" ones and see if I can find a good one I like the look of. My eye is drawn to the 19" and 20" 997 carrera and carrera S 20" with the larger amoutn of spokes on them... and teh 20 inch 991 carrera Cr 4S wheel set. (looking at USED stuff on ebay)
Good feedback from all. I was not really aware and certainly have no first hand experience riding 18's and 19's and 20's and knowing at all what the feeling is like between them.. Seems like sticking to 18" on a 987.1 is probably the way to go? Each time I see a wheel that grabs my eye, it is usually a 19" and not becuase I can tell it is 1" bigger, just the aesthetic of that specific weheel. Guess I should do a deeper dive into the 18" ones and see if I can find a good one I like the look of. My eye is drawn to the 19" and 20" 997 carrera and carrera S 20" with the larger amoutn of spokes on them... and teh 20 inch 991 carrera Cr 4S wheel set. (looking at USED stuff on ebay)
I have a set of 19" racing wheels, and 18" stock ones. The car accelerates, rides, brakes better with the 18" ones. It's an 06 Cayman S.
While lower profile tires theoretically give better performance, there's a limit to that and we're waaaay past it on modern cars. Nowadays it's all just for looks. My Cayman came with 19s and I really wish it didn't because it does not ride well on any sort of rough pavement.
Smaller wheels and tires have less unsprung weight and lower moment of inertia: as noted they'll ride better, keep the tires in contact with the pavement better, and accelerate/brake better (though that last one is probably more in the noise). Cheaper tires too, which is a plus.
The other thing I would do before ordering wheels, especially in 20s, is to confirm you can get the tires you want, in the correct size, for a price you want. I suspect 20" tires that fit a 987.1 are extremely limited.
I actually just went from 18s to 17s just so I could get the winter tires I wanted.
My 987.2 Cayman Base was optioned with the 19" Carrera S II wheels. My preference would have been the typical 18s most Cayman's are outfitted with, but I must say the Carrera S II wheels do look pretty stunning. They definitely do result in a more brittle ride, but a big contributor to ride quality in my car is the fact that my CPO'd Cayman came with brand new N spec Pirelli PZero tires which are probably the worst riding, performing, loudest, flat spotting summer tires created by man.
I drive my Cayman 70%+ of the time and my other ride is a more softer riding and refined 2016 BMW M235. I live in Kansas City where we have salty and icy winters that damage the roads and create heaving and such. It's hard to find a smooth road. Not until temps drop below the 60s and the PZeros apparently turn into solid plastic do I get bothered by the ride of the Cayman. I plan to change out the PZeros in a few months to some Michelin Pilot All Season 4s and fully expect the ride to improve substantially but still be taunt.
I bought mine with 20in wheels set up for racing. The look was all wrong, the ride was *HARSH*, and clearances to my coil overs was dangerously small i thought. Backed off to 19in wheels and am much happier. Given the change, I could see how 18in would be even more comfortable still.
Below is the car with 19in wheels. I wish I had a photo of the 20in wheels just to demonstrate how wrong the look was.
12-06-2023, 06:05 PM
987.1 that came with 18" wheels - Going to 20"
