Toss up: form versus function

Optional higher sidewalls soak up everything that a pockmarked Joburg cityscape throws at it.

- Brendan Seery

In the world of automotive design and engineering, there is always a tussle between Form and Function — basically, what a vehicle, or part of it, looks like compared to how it works.

And nowhere is this more evident than in wheels and tyres which are some of the most effective items to use to "sex up" a dull design.

Look at how many "pimped" VW Polos there are on the road with striking alloy wheels, impossibly low profile tyres and even with lowered stances.

Most of these add-ons bring nothing to the table, performance-wise, but bro, they look way cool when you're showing off to your mates on the sidelines of the illegal Friday night drags.

It is true that low-profile tyres can significantly improve the grip of a car — but you would mainly need this on a racetrack, because generally, for day-to-day driving, the lower the profile, the less comfortable the ride is going to be.

That makes sense because the tyre sidewall in a low-profile tyre is smaller, hence the name.