Initial Blizzak Impressions

 So, I decided to put winter tires on the GLI.  Any time I do winter tires, I always get a set of rims to go with them.  To me, the initial cost of another set of rims is worth it, if for no other reason than it makes swapping winter and all season tires simple.  All it takes is a socket, breaker bar, torque wrench, jack, jack stands, and about 45 minutes.

Offset?

After getting the Blizzaks mounted up, I walked around the car at home, looking at it a bit more closely.  That's when I noticed what looks like a minor offset issue.  Check out the following two pictures:

The first picture was taken in the summer, after I spent time applying a ceramic coating to the paint.  The second picture was taken with the winter wheel and tire package on the car.  As you can see, the tire sticks out from the body more than stock.

Here's another shot with the stock tires mounted:

Again, with the stock wheels, the tires don't protrude.  Here are some close-ups of what I'm talking about:

Front viewed from the front

Front tire viewed from the rear

Rear tire viewed from the rear

I think with the tires jutting out, the side of the car will get splashed much more than happens with the stock wheel.  This shot pretty much confirms that:

Note the spray on the car door.  I really wish Volkswagen would make splash guards for the GLI.  They are available on the standard Jetta, but curiously, not on the GLI.

Either way, I'm glad I treated the car with a ceramic coating, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that holds up over the winter season.

Unsprung Mass

I put about 50 miles on the car to day, running around town doing errands.  The temperature was in the mid-30s, and I was curious to see how much grip the tires had.  Gradually, I worked up to full-throttle pulls in second gear.  To my surprise, the tires didn't spin.  Instead, they just gripped and the car shot forward.  I was thrilled!

Driving a bit more, I got the impression that the GLI felt faster than usual.  At first I thought I was imagining things.  The more I drove, and the deeper into the throttle I got, the more convinced I became - the car felt noticeably quicker.  That got me thinking about unsprung mass.

Remember, when I selected a new set of wheels, I prioritized wheel weight, simplicity, and ease of cleanliness.  I knew I picked light wheels.  What I didn't know is how they compared to the stock wheels.

I looked up the weights this evening.  The stock wheels weight 28 pounds, while the winter wheels weigh a mere 19.6 pounds.  That's almost 10 pounds of unsprung weight per corner!  No wonder the GLI felt light on its feet.