I think most of the basics have been covered. However, I do wish to clear one little detail up. It seems that many equate better performance with reduced comfort. I find being isolated from the road dangerous as it can easily lead to loss of control, especially in sub-optimal conditions.
Do you know why JDM and EDM cars perform so much better than USDM cars though? Because USDM cars place such a premium on comfort that they tune the suspension to where road feel is absent, then double-stuff the seats to where you can (and likely will) forget that you’re even driving, and finally slap some 70-profiles on just to make sure you can’t feel the car. Gawd forbid that you feel lateral acceleration in excess of 0.02G, so USDM cars actually “benefit” from excessive sidewall flex by further isolating the driver from the road.
That said, low profile tires can also get a little overboard, but something with a profile in the 45–55 range is generally a good compromise between improved handling and risking rim damage. I’ve see some upsize the rims to where they use a 20 or 25 profile tire, and those cars tend to be “trailer queens”, unable to handle public roads without risking a bent rim.
FWIW, WRC rally cars tend to use 205/65–15 for gravel stages where they jump and hit ruts worse than potholes while switching to 235/40–18 for asphalt stages. As I doubt anyone here drives like this, I think the rim damage aspect is overplayed a little bit. If a 65-profile is good enough for that, then I fail to see how a 40-profile would damage the rim when driven the way most people drive.
And if comfort trumps control on your priority list, please, PLEASE do not drive. It’s not your living room; it’s a 2500–6000 pound hunk of metal that could kill people if you get too comfortable to remember that it’s not your living room.