The GTI is has been the hot hatch for enthusiasts since the 80’s. If you have a GTI you may be looking into buying new wheels for your car for numerous reasons. Maybe you want to go with a different tire size or just want upgrade the look. Maybe your machined aluminum factory wheels are eaten up with curb rash. In our Fit Check series we like to breakdown our suggested fitment options into three categories, “No Hassle”, “Slight Flex” & “All The Wheel”.

Wheel fitment for the GTI has not changed much in a very Volkswagen fashion for almost 20 years. In this video we are going to cover fitment options for the MK5, MK6, MK7 & MK8 GTI (2006-2025).

All those these cars come with a hub size of 56.1mm and a bolt pattern of 5×112. The diameter range for these cars will be from 17″-19″.

No Hassle Fitment

The no hassle category is typically for those who want to keep their OE tire size and just want to change their wheels. Fortunately for most GTI owners the 225/40/18 tire that comes from the factory is a popular spec used for aftermarket wheels so your factory tires can be easily transferred.

The suggested range for the no hassle fitment would be from a 7.5″-8″ wide wheel with an offset from et40-et45. This slightly lower offset and wider width than what comes from the factory will help fill out the wheel well and minimize the sunken in fitment.

Suggested Fitment: 17 or 18×8 et45

Slight Flex Fitment

Our slight flex category is typically for those who are looking to take it a step up and change both their wheels and their tires. However for the GTI in particular, a lot of people like to keep their same factory tire spec even when moving to aftermarket wheels. The range for this fitment is going to be an 8.5″ with an offset range from et42 to et45. This is going to be by far the most popular fitment for these cars and is the bread and butter size amongst most enthusiasts.

Suggested Fitment: 18 x 8.5 et42/et43

ALL THE WHEEL Fitment

If you are looking to go all out and want your car to be as aggressive as possible then the “All the Wheel” category is the one for you. This category is quite literally all the wheel your car can take without having to do stuff like suspension modifications or fender rolling.

If the slight flex fitment didn’t satisfy your needs to look aggressive then this is the last stop. In the all the wheel category we push the fitment to it’s limit. We would suggest a range of sizes from 9″ width from a et42-et45 offset. The extra width might necessary for those looking to run a wider tire. This fitment walks a fine line between being the proper fitment and being too aggressive. We suggest you do not over tire these cars.

Be aware: Due to the aggressive nature of this fitment, modifications like camber adjustment or fender rolling will likely be necessary to avoid rubbing. Konig strongly recommends consulting a professional installer to determine the modifications needed for your specific setup.

Suggested Fitment: 18” x 9.5” ET35

Final Wrap Up

You may have made it this far and be thinking, “that’s a pretty small range of sizes from no hassle to all the wheel.” and you’re right. Fitment for the GTI has remained the same for quite some time now and these cars really do not take a large range of fitments.

We would like to stress that GTI owners with the performance package should be aware of brake clearance. Although the performance package brakes are not as big as some aftermarket options it may still prove to be problematic for some wheel designs.

Let us know what car you want to see on our next Fit Check video!

Volkswagen GTI (2006-2025) MK5-8 Wheel Fitment Chart