But Why Are the Wheels So Big?

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
10/17/2019 at 09:12 • Filed to: None

I was watching Full Charged’s video on the VW ID Buzz, and in. A few clips they show it compared to the classic VW microbus. All I could think was “why are the wheels so big?” Not just the wheels, but the wheel wells, and tire diameter. Especially on an Electric are that is supposed to be all about packaging and space efficiently, why waiste so much space on huge wheel wells?

Also I think the skirted rear fender should have been kept.

It’s almost as if automotive designers start with big ass rimz, and then draw the rest of the car. Just look at these design sketches they look even worse. Proportionally those would be like 30” wheels.

And yes this is just a conespt car, but the preproduction ID3 which rides on the same platform has, 18” wheels as standard, as well as 19,and 20” options. Those 20”s are the ones on the Buzz concept. Also I really hop the sumo the Buzz name, just all it a bus.

DISCUSSION (28)

bob and john > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 09:30

for electric cars it ALMOST makes sense if they are using hub motors (notice how I say ALMOST)

benn454 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 09:44

Because wheels are like jewelry for your car and people like to show off.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > benn454
10/17/2019 at 09:46

Your profile picture perfectly expresses my feelings.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 09:51

I don’t know, I find the ID3 to be quite ugly to my eyes, and the ID3 Buzz to be the same....they should’ve tried to make it look more similar to the old bus to me. :(

If they brought the Honda E-One over here and gave it more range (220km is barely enough for me to get to Halifax one hour away and back...) , I’d be super happy. I’d say that is my favorite-looking electric car right now.

Future next gen S2000 owner > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:04

Because people are terrible and have assumed that bigger wheels are better even though they aren’t.

True fact.

ranwhenparked > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
10/17/2019 at 10:05

Im really hoping the Nobe 100 isn't vaporware and makes it to this side of the ocean. Pretty sure it doesn't fit my needs, but it's so damn pretty, I'd buy one anyway as a second car.

Tripper > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:06

Car designer :

Brain: Put big mothafuckin wheels on that bad boy

Car designer: why?

Brain: Ya gotta

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
10/17/2019 at 10:07

I liked the buzz until I saw it next to an old bus. It’s proportions just seem a bit off. I 5ink the headlights being above the V line on the front is part of the problem. Why not just have round lights?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/17/2019 at 10:10

You’re not wrong. My boss put chrome 22”s on his 65 Lincoln. Looks like hot garbage.

benn454 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:11

It's come in handy way too often.

kanadanmajava1 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:14

One professional car designer once said to me that if wheels look small under a vehicle there’s something wrong with the design. I don’t completely agree on this but I’m not a designer myself . Here’s one design o f his. H e made this while he was still a professional truck designer .

Kinja'd!!!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:18

This whole BIG wheel, tiny sidewall trend needs to fucking die already. Give me back some tires that can actually absorb the road.

CobraJoe > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:25

The wheels might be unnecessarily big, but there is a benefit to bigger diameter tires: Rollover.

Bigger tires roll over bumps easier and don’t fall as deep into dips.

But I’ll agree that large diameter tires don’t need large diameter rims. I love some sidewall.

and 100 more > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:26

Small van + tiny wheels = Da ihatsu

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > kanadanmajava1
10/17/2019 at 10:28

I get that the wheels should be proportional to the rest of the car, but this seems like over compensation to me. I’d love to see 15” wheels be normal again.

kanadanmajava1 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:36

With the old VW bus you sit over the wheel wells. With concept the wheel well extends way above the beltline’s half way. Instead you are sitting in where the second seat row would be in the old one. With sensible sized wheels this silly detail might start to look even weirder. The visibility frontwards of the concept bus must be incredibly bad.

jimz > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 10:38

well, larger wheels can fit larger brake packages. I’d wager the relatively tiny brakes on the old microbus would be short lived and heat/fade prone. IIRC there were some Audi cars from back in the day which used inboard brakes to get out of the restriction of small wheels.

but yeah, a lot of cars today take it to absurd levels. but big wheels have long been a popular aftermarket upgrade. So the OEMs all wanted a piece of that action.

bhtooefr > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 11:41

In this specific case, I’m wondering if this is part of a trend that was a thing in the early 2010s, the “tall and thin ” trend that some automakers and ire companies were trying to push:

https://www.moderntiredealer.com/article/312194/the-skinny-on-tall-thin-tires

The tl;dr is make it narrower to reduce aerodynamic drag, take advantage of the fact that beltlines are jacked up nowadays to make it taller to reduce rolling resistance.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CobraJoe
10/17/2019 at 12:02

Bigger diameter tires are fine, Huge wheels with 35 series rubber however is just stupid.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > jimz
10/17/2019 at 12:02

15" wheels can easily fit more braking power than the average vehicle will ever be able to safely use.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 12:06

I wish all non-performance cars came with a maximum of 17” wheels. That really seems to be the crest for tire cost. But unfortunately due to proportions and aesthetics, 18s on everyday cars seems to be the norm.

I want VW to roll the Buzz out already. My wife is dying for one but I want them to work out the kinks, get past nostalgically inflated high demand, and then settle into everyday used car prices.

CobraJoe > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
10/17/2019 at 12:42

I completely agree, but there is a comfortable middle ground in there somewhere, too much sidewall and the car starts feeling a bit bouncy and wobbly, too little sidewall and it starts being jarring over bumps and easy to damage.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 13:09

I hate the 20" rims on my wife’s Yukon and have been keeping an eye on craigslist for 17/18 inch GMC rims

TheRealBicycleBuck > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 13:24

Does the concept use hub motors? Bigger wheels would provide space for hub motors.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 13:56

Yea h, for being retro they gave it too many modern styling details. The headlights and taillights just look really out of place on it to me.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > ranwhenparked
10/17/2019 at 13:58

It is very awesome, but (and forgive me for forgetting), did they ever design it to meet any sort of crash tests?

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/17/2019 at 15:29

What the family car is going to look like in 2050:

Kinja'd!!!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CobraJoe
10/17/2019 at 15:58

Generally a 60-70 series sidewall is that middle ground for me. Once you get into the 55 and under sidewalls the ride starts declining very quickly.