Lots of good discussion being had in this thread regarding 19" wheels on the Countryman.

I've decided to take the plunge and get on board with 19" wheels. I just love the way they look on the Countryman. So now it is time to pick wheels and tires. Here is where I'd love input from the learned minds on this forum! You guys have good taste, so help a brother out!

A. WHEELS

I am basically down to two choices, but am open to suggestions if you guys have other thoughts.

1. Elbrus I08 in Anthracite

Size: 19x8.5
Offset: 42mm
Weight: 27.4lbs.
Price: $174 per rim

Pros:

Love the looks, particularly the rim design. Just a great design. If the anthracite is like the Mini OEM finish, it will look awesome on the car.

Also the price is right at $174 per rim. That's not too bad at all.

Cons: A little heavier than I'd like at 27.4 lbs. I don't know how heavy the stock OEM turbofans are, but I'm guessing this isn't that far behind.



2. NM Eng. RSe14 in black

Size: 19x8.0
Offset: 45 mm
Weight: 22 lbs.
Price: $330 per rim

Pros: WEIGHT! (Or the absence thereof!) These things are crazy light and I'm sure would improve acceleration and braking. Maybe even MPG.

Cons: Price. These things are pretty expensive, though I can still afford them. (Edit: The wheels can be found at http://www.customcarscentral.com/neu...w#.T9wRk475ERU for $300 a piece, and at http://www.oxspeed.com/app/site/main...-AE110190A0B4# for $270! Not "cheap" by any means, but getting better!)

While not strictly in the "con" category, I am not as crazy about the looks as I am about the Elbrus wheels. They are definitely growing on me, though. Every time I see them, I like them more.

Also, I don't know what impact their ultralight weight would have on their durability. I have a background in bicycle racing and the one drawback about light wheels is that they often were not durable and would get out of true fairly frequently. Not sure if that holds true (pun not intended) for car wheels as well, since there are no real spokes and the rim is a solid piece.



B. TIRES

The two questions here are type and size.

Regarding type, I am pretty sure I will go with Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They seem to get great reviews and everything I've heard about them is that they are quiet, sticky, and light as a feather. Only downside is they are expensive. Still, I'm pretty sure I'll give these a go. (I'm also considering BF Goodrich g-Force T/A KDW 2.)

The bigger question is size. I am leaning towards 245/40/19 based on MotoGreg's setup, which looks killer.

Attached (across two posts) are charts showing different tire/wheel combinations and their effect on overall diameter, etc.

As you can see, 245/40/19 is a little taller and wider than the 225/45/18 on the stock setup. I figure that the significantly decreased weight will more than make up for any loss in acceleration and torque.

235/40/19 is probably out because it seems there are so few tire choices available in that size.

225/40/19 and 245/35/19 are very close to each other in overall diameter and are very close to stock; both are less than 1% off. 245/35/19 produces a very short sidewall (3.37"), however, and that might increase the odds of damage to the rims as well as make the ride more harsh.

I am really not sure what to do with tire size and would appreciate some input from the board.

Pimp my wheels and tires, guys!

 

Below are the final two tire/wheel size charts.

 

If they were the same price, I'd say the NM's - I love that wheel. But at half the price, the Elbrus are a pretty cool looking wheel so they'd get my vote. If they had it in black, I think I'd be all over it myself!

 

They do have it in black... http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...All&sort=Brand

Hujan, you might want to do more research before buying the BFG G-Force KDW. Once they get past about 1/3 worn they get choppy and extremely loud and rough. You can't go wrong with your other choice, the Michelins.

The BFG G-Force Sport is a great tire, I ran them on my '05 MCS. They aren't a "max performance" tire like the KDW, they're rated as "ultra high performance" which is one step below "max performance". They have low noise, comfortable ride, and good treadwear. The slight gain in outright traction the KDW will give you over the Sport just isn't worth it, especially when you want to throw them in the trash after 10k miles because they're so loud. The G-Force Sport and the Potenza RE760 (what I put on our car) are almost identical, but the Potenza is slightly narrower (in 245/40/19) and rides a little smoother and quieter.

EDIT: I just checked TireRack and saw that the KDW is not rated "max performance" but "ultra high performance" which is the same as the G-Force Sport and the Potenza RE760. So even more reason not to buy the KDW.

Since you asked for opinions, mine is this: If you want a "max performance" tire (300 treadwear rating) then I'd go with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. If you're willing to give up a very slight amount of outright traction in exchange for price, ride comfort and treadwear (340 rating) then get an "ultra high performance" tire... and if you go with that catagory then I'd go with the Potenza RE760.

My Hyundai has 312hp and in order to get the Potenza's to slide I have to have the wheel crossed up with a lot of gas while dumping the clutch... I think they offer more than enough traction for the CM.

 

That isn't quite black but close. The bronze might look OK on my car, but I don't know if I'm crazy about that.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...2&autoModClar=

These

And 245/40/19.......

 

While I would be partial to an 8.5 in wide wheel over an 8.0, I do like the style/weight of the NM.

 

Thanks for the posts, everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. Size-wise, it looks like got at least two votes for 245/40/19 (Bakerbirdz and MotoGreg).

It looks like there is a slight tendency for the NM wheels if cost is taken out of the equation. (For what it's worth, my old lady loved the NM wheels . . . until she saw the price tag, then asked, "How much are the other ones again . . . ?" )

If NMs were 50% more than the Elbrus wheels, it would be hard not to go with the NMs. But 100% more is tough to swallow. For what it's worth, I found them for 10% cheaper from a different website: http://www.customcarscentral.com/neu...w#.T9wRk475ERU

Great find, Bakerbrdz! Style and weight of the NM wheels for the price of the Elbrus wheels. The ONLY hangup is the non-black area inside the rim. Not sure how that would look on the car. I'll need to do some web surfing to see them on some cars. Thanks for pointing them out.


Yeah, I forgot to include that in the pros/cons for each wheel. I, too, would prefer an 8.5" wheel over an 8. Frankly, a lot of the weight difference between the two wheels can likely be explained by the difference in their widths.

Thanks for the insight, Greg. Looks like I'll be steering clear of the KDW. I'll take a look at the BFG G-Force Sport. But like you say, I am very much inclined to go with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. I honestly haven't heard a single bad thing about them (other than the cost, of course).

So it sounds like you'd score them:

1A. Bridgestone Potenza RE760
1B. Michelin Pilot Super Sport

2. BFG G-Force Sport

I'll definitely give your input some thought. It's much appreciated.

 

Some wheels I considered for our CM:

Ace Convex in matte black or titanium. They have a 19x8.5+40 which is perfect, and I love the look of them. These were my #1 wheel choice, but I didn't want to have the same wheels on both of our cars, so I didn't get them... and I'm still second guessing that decision. I got mine for a steal since they used my car in their advertising, but I know that you can get them for way less than retail from Victoria Tire & Wheel. Here is a link:

http://www.acealloywheel.com/BMW-M-N...er_1_1037.html








VMR wheels are popular with Euro cars, BMW in particular. The V713 has 10 spokes that are actually 5-pair of spokes, slightly different to the 10 evenly spaced spokes of the V710.
Both the V713 & V710 come in a 19x8.5+45 with 5x120 bolt pattern, and they even come with the BMW/Countryman hub bore so you don't even need hubcentric rings. These would be the perfect fitment, and modbargains.com sells a set of 4 for $999... What more could you ask for? Who is going to be the first to put them on a CM?
I wish I would have looked into these more when I was shopping for wheels. I think if I had it to do over I'd probably get the V713.

http://www.velocitymotoring.com/wheels_v713.html

Here are a couple pics of the V713 on BMWs:

In Hyper Silver...



In Gunmetal...



In black...



or the 10-spoke V701...

http://www.velocitymotoring.com/wheels_v701.html





I had (now discontinued) Tenzo Mach-10 wheels on my '05 MINI Cooper S, which looked very similar to the VRM V701 shown above, and they looked great on the MINI.



Also, TSW has some nice wheels. The 9-spoke Interlagos Rotary Forged is very light weight and good looking. Unfortunately their fitment guide is under construction so who knows if they offer it in an offset for the CM. Here is a link:

http://www.tsw.com/alloy_wheels.php



Couldn't find a photo of them on a MINI, so...




As you can probably tell, I'm partial to 9 or 10-spoke wheels. I think they're a perfect compromise between the all too common 5-spokes and all the varieties of mesh-type wheels. Obviously, everyone has their own personal taste and style, but for me, mesh-type wheels make a car look "heavy" and bulky if that makes sense. To me, 10-spoke wheels make a car look sportier and more aggressive looking.

 

vote for VMR wheels and PSS 225/40/19

 

I agree with you on the VMR... the more I look at the photos the more I like them, both of them. Plus they have more styles that I didn't even show. But on tires, I don't see the point of 225. Why bother with 8.5" wheels if you're going to put skinnier tires on them? 245 is ideal for 8.5" while 225 fits better on an 8" wheel.

 

OXSpeed has the NM wheels listed for $264. Don't know anything about the company but that's the best price I have found.

 

Those ones looks pretty sweet, but the link to the Ace website suggests they are not currently available in 19x8.5 in matte black. Could not find them on the VictoriaTire website, but that is very likely due to pilot error.

The point you made about different tastes rings true. I hate to admit it, but . . . the VMR 713s don't do it for me. Now the 701s on the other hand look pretty sweet! Any idea how much they weigh?


Of the ones you mentioned, I actually like these TSWs the best. The spoke number, spacing, and thickness looks good to my eye. Good find. How light are they compared to the VMRs?

I hear you and I tend to agree. On the other hand, sometimes the 10-spoke wheels, if the spokes are too thin, can make the wheels look too spindly which you would be able to get away with on a two-door coupe, but might look silly on the Countryman. Wish we could find a way to mount these things up on a Countryman to see what they looked like!

Keep the good ideas coming, Greg. I really respect your opinion and appreciate the suggestions. I know its helpful to me and I hope it is/will be to others as well.

 

Great find. Indeed you're right. It's almost suspiciously low, though. Would definitely suck to get a knock-off wheel!

I'll edit the original post with the links to the alternative buying sites. Again, good find.

 

The weight of the TSW is listed here... http://www.tsw.com/alloy_wheels_interlagos.php

I don't know about weights for the VMR. I wouldn't get too caught up in weight; that is something that gets blown out of proportion on car message boards. In the real world you can't detect any difference in performance unless it's a large change in weight. Also, tire weight is much more important than wheel weight... the further outward the weight is (think centrifugal force) the more it matters. Likewise, as far as wheels go, it's better to save weight on the rim part of the wheel vs. the center lug hole/spoke area.

I went to Cars & Coffee this morning and saw the VMR V710 on two different cars, they look nice in person.

I have a lot of MINI photos saved on my computer. Here are some with different wheel designs to think about, or maybe it will just make you more confused

A 6-spoke design...



Some 7-spoke wheels...







10-spoke wheels...





The wheels on the red car above are very expensive Advans. The V710 is a drastically cheaper copy of the Advan.

A multi-spoke wheel...



A mesh-type wheel...



These days the choices are almost endless. You can find just about any style of wheel you'd like and have it be available in your fitment from one brand or another.

 

I don't think those will fit the MINI. TSW's configurator doesn't list the Countryman as one of the models to view the images of the wheels on the car...BUT if you go to TireRack's competitor (not sure if I am allowed to post it, but it starts with a "Dis"), you can view whichever TSW wheels will fit the CM with their interactive viewer. It doesn't look like the Interlagos is compatible though, sadly.

 

Unfortunately, you can't go by that. I had two different guys at TireRack tell me my wheels don't fit the CM and they didn't want to even ship them to me. If nobody bothered to update their computer program that tells them what fits what then they assume it won't fit because "the computer said so".

If you want something done right you have to do it yourself. That's why I like it when wheel manufacturers list all the specs, so I don't have to rely on a tire salesman who may not have all the correct information.

 

I don't think they have the correct sizing for the R60 in the Interlagos. FWIW, I prefer safe fitment sizing, not aggressive where it may or may not rub.

TSW Shows a 18x7.5 size not shown below, but another site specifies 18x7.5 PCD 5x114.3 (5x4.5) ET 45, 6.0"BS - Wrong bolt pattern.

Take a look:

.

You can try to make it fit, but based on what I see above, it doesn't look like it would fit without running into some sort of rubbing issue. But what do I know, I can't even tell the difference between a 4 lug and 5 lug wheel...

 

5 x 114.3 is WRX STI wheel size....WRX is 5 x 100

 

Good find on that chart, the one the TSW website is under construction. And like I said on the other thread, sorry about the 4 vs 5 lug thing! In hindsight, rather than saying that wheel is a 4 lug, I should have instead asked if it also comes in a 5 lug version. Poor choice of words on my part.

Based on that chart, these 2 are a great fit for the CM...

18x8 5/120 et35
19x8 5/120 et35

Those prices seem good for a lightweight, forged wheel.

 

Thanks for the comments, MotoGreg. Your posts are a treasure trove of information.

Thinking about it further, I must admit that the VMR wheels just don't do it for me. I do very much like the TSW wheels, though. I really like the Interlagos you posted. I also like the Mallory 5. Good looking multi-spoke wheel:



Based on the options you showed me, I have deduced that I do not like wheels with very few spokes or thin spokes, at least on a car like the Countryman. I am a 9- to 10-spoke man, and generally like a little beefier spoke. (I love the 10-spoke wheels on that green Mini, but in black, of course.) I'm also not a huge fan of the "mesh" type (unless you would quantify the RSe14 wheels as a "mesh" wheel).

Edit: Also just saw the TSW Nurburgring. Not sure how I missed this one before. Looks AWESOME in matte gunmetal. Might be my favorite so far. Has the look of the RSe14 and the weight and width of the Interlagos (21.4 lbs. at 19 x 8.5"). Can't tell if it fits, of course, but I really like the look of that wheel:



So, for me, the candidates are as follows (in no particular order):

1. RSe14
2. TSW Interlagos
3. TSW Mallory 5
4. TSW Nurburgring
5. Elbrus I08

(I also kind of dig the TSW Brooklands but the old lady hates them. They would be perfect if the spokes were tapered a little.)

I guess the big question at this point is how to determine if any of the TSW wheels will fit the Countryman? Is it just a matter of bore size, bolt pattern, etc.? If so, it would seem to be as easy as a look at their website or an e-mail to them, right?

 

http://www.rotawheels.com/wheel.php?id=45

 

Doesn't look like they come in 19" or am I missing something?

 

^They aren't available in any safe sizing for the Mini. I don't know why he's relating his WRX when this is clearly a MINI forum.

 

Hujan, Here you go...for the Nurburgring: