Go for the 7.5" with 215 tyres. I have 7.5 x 17" wheels on my 155 and on full lock the tyres *just* touch the plastic liners inside the wheel arch. I think wider tyres would touch more solidly.
If you want to use 215's you only really need 7" wide rims. I run Alfa 'Selespeed' style 17" x 7" rims on my 156V6 with Dunlop SP9000 Sport 215 x 45 x 17 tyres(apparently different brands/ models of tyres can have slightly different dimensions for a given size). No catching or rubbing problems lock to lock.
I'm using 8x18 rims with 225/40zr18 tyres, With 5 people and luggage there's some interference with the rear bumper (not the arches). The car is lowered, I guess that's part of the problem.
I fitted 225/45x17" to my 7x17" Alfa alloys. This was a very tight fit at the front because of the top wish-bone, but any 17" wheel with an offset of about 35 will fit without problem with 225/45 tyres. Now I use 225/50x16" tyres as the roads where I live are so full of pot holes that I was sick of using 45 profile tyres.
So someone else also runs 225/50 16's. I have found them to be a huge improvement over the standard 205/55 16's though it's probably more to do with the tyres themselves rather than the size. My original tyres were Firestone Firehawks and the new ones are Dunlop Formula FM901's.
Did you fit them on the standard width Selespeed alloys? I did and while they are the max width tyre for that rim width they do bulge out quite a bit. But at least they protect the rim which tends to stick out quite a lot as well. No more scraping the alloy up against the kerb when I get too close.
And what about the tyres scraping in the wheel arches? I get a little bit of scraping at the back when the boot is loaded and I hit a sudden dip at speed but nothing at the front. Not sure where the rear tyres are touching though. For this reason I'm not sure about fitting lowering springs. The car is a family car afterall.
But the best thing about the wider tyres is the grip they offer and the "look". Even in the wet I've yet to get the tyres to break away. In the dry there is too much grip to wheelspin from a standing start even if I floor it aggressively from standstill. I think I need to take it to a race track to find the limits now - not prepared to go that hard on a public road.
I was a bit nervous a fit the 225/50 tyres as I haven’t seen any one else with them. I agree with everything you’ve said about the tyres. I fitted Bridgestone SO2, which were far too expensive but plenty of grip and fitted them on the standard 16” Selespeed wheels.
My car has Novitec anti-roll bars but standard ride height. The rear tyres did touch the arch at first, but I carefully removed some of the lip and now its fine. I got plenty of the guys at work to sit in the back and the boot so I could see where it was touching. On the front I fitted 3mm spacers to give a bit more clearance from the top wishbone.
The tyres look great and really fill up the arches even if they do look a bit bulged out.
I think I'll order OZ Mito 2 17x7.5 with 215/45 tyres.
Eugenia
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