I'm just starting out with the Mini and I find myself in need of new tires at the very least. I'd also like to start looking at rims, just so I can get an idea of what's out there besides stock. Currently, for Autocross, I have Enkei RPO 1's, so I'm not opposed to aftermarket.

I was just wondering if the DC peeps had some suggestions regarding rims and tires. Beyond Tire Rack, I really am so overwhelmed with the sheer number of Mini sites that I just don't know where to start.

Oh yeah, I won't be replacing my current tires with run flats. For the lack of wear that you get with them, I don't see much of a benefit. I like 5 spoke rims, in silver and prefer 16" or 17".

Thanks in advance!

 

...until a flat tire leaves you stranded at the worst possible moment. Sure, a can of "fix-a-flat" and a cellphone might get you going, as does a spare tire (if you have an MCS you should consider buying the MC spare), but all of them are still a signficant inconvenience at best, and downright scary at worst (if you're in the middle of nowhere when you get a flat).

Keep in mind that just like regular tires, the wear will vary depending on brand and design. It's not fair to say that all runflats wear out really fast, because it's not true. Perhaps the ones you had before are not to your liking, but that doesn't mean a different set of runflats wouldn't meet your criteria.

Everyone has their reasons for choosing runflats or non-runflats, I am just trying to encourage you to make sure your reasons are sound (for you).

I am not much help on wheels, I'm afraid - I have stuck to a few of the many OEM choices and have been very satisfied with them.

 

How many miles are on your tires and have they ever been rotated? Rotating the tires at least every 6k and maintaining the correct tire preasure will insure you get the most life and use out of your tires. RF's don't wear quicker.

 

My experience through other people has been that the run flats in general don't have the wear life that a non-runflat tire has. I'm not interested in paying the elevated price for the run flats if I'm not going to get 30K miles.

I do appreciate what you are saying though about having the spare. I guess I feel safe, whether justified or not, having roadside service.

That's the jacked up thing about my tires. They aren't original to the car (I bought the car used) and I have no way of knowing how many miles are actually on them. Right now, I am dealing with the popped belt of one tire (big goose egg on the side of the tire) and a slow leak in another tire. They only have about 8-9K miles left on the anyway (according to the seller), so to me, it's reasonable to expect that I should probably replace all four tires anyway.

 

Can't say much about wheels, but I currently have *deep breath* 205/50/16" Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position S-03's *breath* summer performance tires on my MINI, and I love them. They stick to the road like a fat guy (ie, me ) on a cupcake!

They're currently having a closeout sale on them on Tire Rack, and I managed to get mine for only $100 a tire, marked down from around $200! Although, since they are a closeout, you might want to get an extra tire in case something dramatic happens to one of them to make it unrepairable. Or maybe the Tire Rack tire warranty would be able to do something? Dunno.


-Paul!

 

Just something to keep an eye on, but with summer tires and lower temperatures they don't have much grip at all. I think the standard point where they advise you to stop using summer tires is when the temperature drops below 50F. At that point the rubber really doesn't get hot enough to be effective.

 

Huh, I thought it was lower than that... Good to know!

I'm armed with some winter wheels/tires though, so I'm good.


-Paul!

 

tires:
i. I had a set of Falken all seasions I liked very much. Their snow performance dropped off at half way through the tire's ware, but the wet weather performance never went away. They had good grip in the dry for an all seasion tire.

ii. I love my Toyo Proxe RA1 S (edit: the correct tire is T1S at 1996 328ti pointed out thanks for the sharp eye) summer tires. These are a generation old - I got them on close out and the tread wear rating is kind of high for a performance tire. That said they hold the road well and have been waring well. DO NOT use these tires in the snow or cold weather

iii. This year I am going with a set of Blizzic (spelling?) snow tires for winter.

5 Spoke Wheels:
I love the Rota Slipstream wheels. If you autocross in Stock they are available in MINI friendly sizes. Tire Tack does not sell the rota line so maybe Tom will speak up and say where he got his. I also like the Inki RP01 rims but do not think you can get them in stock size.

Where:
Locally I like Radial Tire in Silver Spring. They have been a big sponser of the local autocross effort. The line there is always long so I take my wheels there and leave them to have the tires mounted. I got my SSR's and the AK Monza (which I do not think are available any longer) through them. Price shoping against Tire Rack they do well if you include the cost of shipping. Nationally and for items that Radial do not have stock Tire Rack is my first choice and they have a wider slection on everything.

 

You sure you don't mean T1S since they are now a generation old being replaced with the T1R. RA1s make great track tires once you can drive your street tires off your car. Or in my case, make up for talent.
Surprising the RA1s are lasting forever once they are worn down past the wear bars. Still grippy in wet as I found out at WGI last week. When I had driven my RA1s on the street they are entirely too much fun. I can get into trouble having that much fun so they dedicated track tires.

Winter. . .
From my several years of experience Blizzaks, they absolutely sucked. At the time they were the WS-50. Traction was horrible on dry. Extended braking distance. On snow, great. My choice for snows are Vredestein. We have them on two of our 3 cars. They perform better than the Goodyear RFs. Excellent on dry, not as good on snow as the Blizzaks but we don't get that much snow in our area. You do a lot more driving on cold dry roads then snow covered roads. Everything is a trade off. Many of the local BMW owners have switched to Vredestein from Blizzaks with very good results.

 

I want to second that opinion on Blizzaks. Blizzaks are the best snow tire available, bar none... but only when there is actually snow on the ground. In the DC area, it is an enormous trade-off, because Blizzaks are terrible on dry pavement, and they will also wear very fast on dry pavement.

Besides 1996 328ti's recommendation of the Vredestein, I would also like to recommend the Pirelli Winter 240 SnowSport and Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport (depending on your tire size preference). These Pirelli "Performance Winter" tires have a tougher rubber compound than the Blizzaks, and will not wear quite so fast during our varied winter weather. They also perform much better on dry pavement than any winter tire should, while still maintaining most of the snow traction that the Blizzaks have.

In my humble opinion, Blizzaks in DC weather are a mistake. If we lived up in the snow belt, no contest, Blizzaks all the way! Of course, some people will say that anything other than all-seasons in DC are a waste, but for those of us who like to have the best possible performance at all times, having 2 sets is the best!

 

Thanks your correct about the T1S... I must be going mental because I went to look before I posted (I keep looking at the RA1s for autocross but think I will stay with the Kuhmo's). I will/have made an edit.

Thanks on the word about the Vredestein's. I uses their street tires years ago and may go with them for a winter tire. I need a tire that is good in slush and snow because I may have to drive to work in the bad weather (got one of those jobs that don't shut down). I was planning to switch tires for weather events. The Vredestien's may be a better choice for this area.

 

Got something against Pirelli's?

 

Got something against Pirelli's?

too Edgey