After talking to them for well over an so far across 3 phone calls they have given me 3 reasons so far, each knocked down so they come up with another:
1. it will affect the handling of the car too much to move from 17" to 18". 17" to 19" is fine.
2. the wheels in conjunction with the bodywork changes will make the car look like a boyracer car (errr... it's already a GTI, so it already fits your stupid (and somewhat sexist) terminology - and I'm 30 looking for a nicer looking car, not 16 trying to collect the ladies at my local turning circle! ).
3. back to safety. It will affect the balance and alignment. Surely it's the wheel itself that is balanced and then alignment is not altered by a wheel?
When pushed harder and asked for common sense to be applied, I have been given "our underwriters carried out analysis on accidents vs people who upgraded their wheels by 1" - they decided to block people from doing it as there was a trend occurring".
Yet that trend stops with 2" bigger?
They don't want to hear about the fact that these are factory-supplied wheels from an Edition 30 or even the obvious one of the 18" Monzas being a factory option. It's literally the most illogical thing I've heard in a long time.
I asked would my car have a claim voided if I fitted them - the fella on the phone is dead on and says "listen, these calls are recorded so I can't say what you should do (hint hint, fit them and never worry)". Then I said surely the notes on my policy are now taken up with wheel-related nonsense, so the first thing they would check to get out of a claim would be wheels... he agreed that I would be stupid to fit them now.
So, anyone got a set of 17" BBS CH for sale?
Christ on a stick.... if only I didn't open my big mouth.
*(Sorry for crapping on your thread greenman!)