whats the lowest profile tire I can get for a 17" rim, the rims are 17 x 9.5 I know everone runs 275/40 but is there anything lower.

 

i think everyone runs 45 series. you can also get 40 series (like you said) or even 35 series. but keep in mind getting lower profile tires will affect the overall dimensions of your rear tire which will also affect your speedometer.

 

You can definately go as low as 35, but you will have an extremly large fender gap. Our cars have a large enough gap as it is.

 

In a 17" tire for that width of wheel, you are going to have a hard time finding a shorter sidewall than a 40 series.
If you go with a narrower tire, for example a 255 instead of a 275.
You will get a shorter sidewall. 40 stands for 40% of the tread width. So 40% of 255mm will be a little shorter, than using a 275/40R17.
How important is width, if you have a lot of power you probably don't want to downgrade to a narrower tire, but for a V6 or "Low Output" V8 a P255/40R17 should work fine.
The height difference is (275/40)25.7" diameter vs. (255/40)25.2", so only about a 1/2 inch difference in overall height.

 

I was just thinking a lower profile tire would look good and fit better in the wells,

I want to lower the car as much as possible, iwas thinking coilovers in the rear to stiffen the ride and some kind of adjustable racing strut for the front.

I want to keep a little drivablitity, I just want the car to look good, I have too many tickets already for speeding and burnouts and racing, now racing is the worst you can get. So I just want to cruize in a nicley in a hard riding lowered car, I like getting whiplash on every bump.