[Mighty_Lothar]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

43,000kms update (4,000 kms post remap) + New rims and tyres!

New Michelin PS3s + Borbet Lv5 Alloys

I started working on the tyre and rim upgrade project. Tyres and wheels are important safety aspects of any car, more so on fast cars. I wanted to be thorough with specs and numbers.

Now the stock specs on my car were as below
Rim : 16" x 6.5J (16" OD and 6 1/2" wide)
Offset : 50mm
PCD : 112
5 bolt.

I was keen on going for 225/50/16 Michelin PS3 as the size was perfect in terms of maintaining the outer diameter of the wheel and also the PS3's were good performance tyres as well. But I was not happy with putting such wide tyres on 6.5 inch wide rims. THe rubber would stick out too much and I don't know what impact it would have on the handling. This was one of the reasons for going for the Borbets apart from the fact that I really liked the design.

112 pcd is common with all VAG cars and Mercs so it was not much of an issue. The 16 inch LV5s came in 7 inch width, which was ideally suited for 225 tyres (though 7.5 would have been even better) There were a variety of options with the offset. We can choose from ET 50 to ET 35. The wheel offset determines how far in or out the wheel will seat in relation to the hub. With ET 50 the wheel will sit inside, whereas with ET 35 the same wheel will sit about 15mm outside when compared to ET 50. YOu get the same effect that a 15mm spacer will give, by changing a 50 offset rim to a 35 offset. I decided to go for 45 offset as it would space out the wheel a little and also give the inner tyre a bit of clearance with the suspension components. Going too far out puts extra load on the suspension and wheel bearings and the looks also can for a toss.

So here are the specs that I gave to the Pete's guys to order for me.
Borbet LV5
16" x 7J
112 PCD 5 bolt
ET 45

Hi Santosh,

First all, a very nice and detailed thread

I am looking for some better and wider tires for my vRS and was going through your thread. Was the Rim width the only reason you went for Borbet LV5?

The below Yokohama website says 225/50/R16 should go fine with 6 to 8 rim width.

http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/detail/s_drive

Cheers,
LOTHAR

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

Hi Santosh,

First all, a very nice and detailed thread

I am looking for some better and wider tires for my vRS and was going through your thread. Was the Rim width the only reason you went for Borbet LV5?

The below Yokohama website says 225/55/R16 should go fine with 6 to 8 rim width.

http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/detail/s_drive

Cheers,
LOTHAR

I don't know if this helps, but I upgraded to 225/55R16 on the Laura with stock 6.5J rims - and since then, it's not as confidence inspiring on quick lane change manoeuvres.
In a straight line, or while cornering there is a marked improvement no doubt, but high speed emergency lane switches seemed to be a little less confidence inspiring than with stock tyres.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Mighty_Lothar

Hi Santosh,

First all, a very nice and detailed thread

I am looking for some better and wider tires for my vRS and was going through your thread. Was the Rim width the only reason you went for Borbet LV5?

The below Yokohama website says 225/50/R16 should go fine with 6 to 8 rim width.

http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/detail/s_drive

Cheers,
LOTHAR

Tyre websites will give as wide a range a possible so that you don't turn away from your purchase decision. For 225 tyres 6.5J Rims are OK but they are not the optimum size. To be honest, I did not go for the Borbet Alloys for the width alone. But OTOH if I did not get the optimum width I would not have bought them. I liked the design and wanted a better stance for the car, and I was happy I could order them with the offset that I wanted. They have changed the character of the car.

I love the aesthetic appeal that wider tyres add to a car. But overly wide tyres on narrow rims look bad. Actually 225 tyres look great on 7.5J rims.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I don't know if this helps, but I upgraded to 225/55R16 on the Laura with stock 6.5J rims - and since then, it's not as confidence inspiring on quick lane change manoeuvres.
In a straight line, or while cornering there is a marked improvement no doubt, but high speed emergency lane switches seemed to be a little less confidence inspiring than with stock tyres.

Another reason why I wanted wider rims was exactly the thing that you have described. I had changed to 205 tyres on 6J rims on my Corolla which rode on 195 section tyres. I felt the car was not as agile as before when changing lanes. Due to the narrow rims, sidewalls have to turn a long way in, maybe that affects handling while cornering?

With my Laura on 225 tyres and 7J rims I feel lane changing ability has improved over stock. Of course the Bilstiens play their part.

[Chethan B G]

100% and adding to that: Sometimes, I get a weird feeling while cornering in ghats. Something like that of a twisted ankle. Not sure if the softer side wall is adding to the problem.

My next change will be either a lower width tyre or a higher width rim. This is for sure, but I have not decided which one as yet.

Not sure how 215/55 profile tyres would behave on a 6.5j rim?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I don't know if this helps, but I upgraded to 225/55R16 on the Laura with stock 6.5J rims - and since then, it's not as confidence inspiring on quick lane change manoeuvres.
In a straight line, or while cornering there is a marked improvement no doubt, but high speed emergency lane switches seemed to be a little less confidence inspiring than with stock tyres.

Wait don't you have 225/50 R16? The size we discussed? I'm very surprised about what you state.

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Another reason why I wanted wider rims was exactly the thing that you have described. I had changed to 205 tyres on 6J rims on my Corolla which rode on 195 section tyres. I felt the car was not as agile as before when changing lanes. Due to the narrow rims, sidewalls have to turn a long way in, maybe that affects handling while cornering?

With my Laura on 225 tyres and 7J rims I feel lane changing ability has improved over stock. Of course the Bilstiens play their part.

While in theory you are correct. When I had the PS3s in 225/50 on the stock rims, they were a huge improvement in every way including lane changes. Now that I am on softer sidewalls I can feel some roll while changing lanes. It is still better than stock was but not as good as the PS3.

So I would say 225 is just fine for the stock rims on the Laura, Jetta, etc.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Wait don't you have 225/50 R16? The size we discussed? I'm very surprised about what you state.



While in theory you are correct. When I had the PS3s in 225/50 on the stock rims, they were a huge improvement in every way including lane changes. Now that I am on softer sidewalls I can feel some roll while changing lanes. It is still better than stock was but not as good as the PS3.

So I would say 225 is just fine for the stock rims on the Laura, Jetta, etc.

That only bro - my bad!

On the way to one of our DDT drives, had to make a quick lane change - car felt a little wobbly.
As long as such sudden movements are avoided - I am loving it, but that's why I was thinking of changing alloys too if you recall correctly.

[avinash_clt]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Now that I am on softer sidewalls I can feel some roll while changing lanes. It is still better than stock was but not as good as the PS3.

So I would say 225 is just fine for the stock rims on the Laura, Jetta, etc.

Agree with Akshay. I am on my second set of 225/50 R16 tyres. First were a set of Michelin PS3 which lasted for 34000km. Replaced them with a 225/50 R16 Yoko Advan Sport, which could be sourced only as a run-flat version. Since my first upgrade was within the first 400km, I can't compare any effect during lane changes. Back then I could instantly feel the better grip, lesser torque steer, lesser instances where the TCS lights would blink and better grip around the corners.

I have had to crash through some bad patches on the road at high speeds, but the odd looking sidewall sticking out didn't take any damages. On the other hand my polo which has 205/50 R16 on 7J rims is more prone to sidewall damages. So if you can live with how the tyres look from the side, 225/50 shouldn't be a problem on stock rims.

Cheers,
Avinash

[Santoshbhat]

80,000 Kms up.

Crossed 80,000 kms last month on yet another highway drive. The car has been on exclusive highway duty since the beginning of the year. Saw off another service in August, with no major repairs or replacements, just the usual fluids and filters.

The TSI motor never ceases to amaze me. I have been filling up Shell V power petrol for the last few highway drives and find that the engine seems to feel a bit more powerful and smooth when on V power. With the TSI motor running V power, and the car riding on the Bilsteins and the Mich PS3s on the fast smooth NH4 tarmac, you wish the journey never ends.

All good things have to end, I guess. The TSI will soon be making room for a new kind of beast. I am finding it hard to believe that this is actually happening as everything happened so quickly. Will be taking her out on one last highway drive, and I can't help but feel emotional as this has been one amazing ownership experience of an amazing car.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

The TSI will soon be making room for a new kind of beast.

I bet it will be a Beamer as only that can upstage the brilliant TSI...

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I bet it will be a Beamer as only that can upstage the brilliant TSI...

Now that was an easy guess. But its not just any Bimmer that can upstage the brilliant TSI. Only a 6 Cyl BMW can satisfy a TSI owner, so we brought home a white BMW X3 30d M Sport on the last day of 2015. Our family's first ever Diesel car over 3 decades of car ownership! Will put up a detailed ownership thread once I spend good enough time with the car.

Thank you all for your support and interest. Sadly the TSI cannot co-exist at this point in time and I will be letting her go shortly. But not before one last highway drive with the best car we have owned till date. The X3 has some pretty big shoes to fill.

[Chethan B G]

Hi Santosh,

You must be having real fun with the X3. Lucky man! Congratulations!

I am eagerly waiting for your ownership report!

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Hi Santosh,

You must be having real fun with the X3. Lucky man! Congratulations!

I am eagerly waiting for your ownership report!

Hey Chethan, Thanks man. BTW my X3 review is up and running . http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3912031

[Santoshbhat]

7 yrs/ 93,000 kms Update


This is an unusual update. I am updating a thread on a car that was sold about 2 years back. The new owner happens to live close by and is in regular touch with me about the car, from service needs to upgrades. The Laura TSI is a true enthusiasts delight and I am happy that the new owner is enjoying the car, making upgrades and basically using it the way it should it be used.

I had stopped after doing a Stage 1 remap + Bilstein struts + Bortbet alloys. I consciously avoided the stage 2 upgrade as I did not want a very loud exhaust since I was using the car extensively on highways for work and family trips. Loud exhaust noises can be fun, but even for an enthusiast the constant drone can be a bit too much on long drives. Maybe I am getting old! Wait.... maybe not - I got a GTI after all.

He wanted a louder exhaust and got a Miltek catback exhaust fitted to the car. After fitting the exhaust, he faced a weird problem of increased turbo lag. He was getting boost around 2,500 rpm (or even later) as against 1800 to 2000 rpm before. The turbo was fine and he checked for leaks etc..., but the issue persisted. I don't know if this was the result of a hardware change without fine tuning the map? He even toyed with the idea of removing the catback and going back to the stock setup. But he was bold enough to take the leap in the other direction - A proper Stage 2 upgrade. The car is now running a Pete's Stage 2 setup with an SS decat downpipe putting out about 220 ~ 230 hp. The turbo lag issue is now sorted out.

I drove the car recently over a short distance. Felt amazing to sit in the driver seat after so many days. What a car this is!! I was driving a manual after a long time too. The car is properly fast, with plenty of torque steer in 1st and 2nd. The exhaust sounds great too and as you build up revs you get a nice turbo whoosh to go with it. Redlining can become addictive. I felt that the bottom end driveability had suffered a bit , but the mid range and top end were just mad. The manual transmission is a pain though. The car traditionally has a tendency to stall and you need to be very precise with clutch inputs. While the clutch is holding up pretty well even after 93k kms even after several remaps etc..., it is no fun in traffic. Constantly shifting between 1st and 2nd is a pain and this really makes it a city unfriendly car. In fact the owner went through the same thing that I went through and bought a Polo GT TSI for his city commute. Laura TSI ----- > GT TSI - that is such a common route. This car is now a weekend / highway warrior. I can only imagine what it would be like on the highway.

The car is holding up beautifully otherwise and feels as tight as always. Interiors are in perfect shape too and other bits like brakes, suspension and electricals are all in fine shape. The Laura TSI is a true legend.

Some pics ....





Disclaimer : Pictures and review posted with owner's permission.

[anuragbagur]

I happened to read this thread after a very long time! Santosh sir, your ownership and upgrade write-up in particular instigated me to pick up the Laura and it has truly been a memorable experience for me over the years. This is one car which you just do not want to give up because of the outstanding mod potential. I also have the same shade and a Pete's stage 2 set-up. And yes, just like you and your Laura buyer I have ended up picking up with GT TSI for city commutes (Sold my Fabia diesel). Laura with stage 2 just does not make sense any for city drives. It will be very helpful if you could ping me your Laura buyer contact details separately so that we can share our ownership experience (and niggles)

[Vinith7979]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Pictures of the car with the new rims and tyres.

Sir do you still have those 16 inch l&k alloys?