TSW Sochi w/ Michelin Pilot Super Sports
 

This is a review of the TSW Sochi wheels mounted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in a square setup. First of all the specs:

• 2011 G37x Coupe Moonlight White
• Daily Driver with 10 mile round-trip commute. Bi-weekly drives of over 300 miles round-trip. Midwest region. Stock wheels and tires used during winter.
• Lowered on Swift 4N911 springs. You can see a review of those here.
• TSW Sochi, Rotary Forged, Gunmetal w/ mirror Face 19x9, +32
• Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/40-19

And a pic:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.myg...8c71c07664.jpg


For reference purposes, my previous setup was:

• Stance SC-5 Matte Silver w/ Chrome Lip 19x8 F; 19.9.5 +35 R
• Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 255/40-19 square

Summary

• Sochi and PSS feel light
• Sochi and PSS are even more comfortable than stock
• I prefer the look of the SC-5

The Sochi is rotary forged, so it is noticeably lighter than you would expect for a 19" wheel. Even out of the box, I could tell that the Sochi was much lighter than the SC-5 and even a bit lighter than the stock 18s. The Sochi-PSS combo feels lighter when driving as well. The SC-5 in particular seemed to hamper the car during acceleration and into turns. I switched to the Sochi because I wanted something lighter for autocross.

The PSS are noticeably more comfortable than the stock tires. Surprisingly, bumps seem to be slightly softened with the 19" PSS. The Ventus was also very comfortable, but bear in mind that it was a 255, not a 245 like these PSS.

A few more pics:


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.myg...52a6541623.jpg


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.myg...788c496f28.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.myg...ad0fd67a64.jpg

The Sochi is easier to clean than the SC-5 because there are fewer nooks and crannies. And of course, there is no chrome to worry about. Also, the gunmetal color obscures the break dust somewhat.

Since my Sochi are only 9" wide, there is only a hint of concavity. One issue that I had with the 19" SC-5 is that the chrome lip made the wheel appear smallish. I don't perceive that with the Sochi.

Note that the mirror finish reflects the surrounding colors. So, if you are driving on blacktop at dusk, the wheels might appear to be a gunmetal color. If you are driving on concrete at noon, they might appear bright silver. Sometimes they even take on a rainbow hue. I would have preferred if the face was just plain machined silver. That's why I liked the Sc-5s. If I was only concerned about looks, I would have kept them. But, the Sochi are a better balance of looks and performance at a slightly lower price.