I am planning to replace the runflats with light weight wheels and performance tires.

Recommendations on 4 things:

1. Light weight wheels
2. 17” x 7” or 18” x 7.5”
3. performance tires
4. tire size

thxs,
jas

 

this question is bit too broad

you need to tell us if ur going for looks versus comfort thus 17 vs 18

there are millions of tire brands..please see the tire rack forum

i have gone with 17X8 43 offset, 215 45 17 in yoko avs es 100

most guys here run 17X7 or 17X7.5

for 18s u can run 215?/35/18

 

Tirerack.com
Kosei wheels and Yokohama AVE S100 tires or Parada Specs.

 

for lighter whels u can try volk, rays, spoon, ssr, panasport (rel. light),

i could go on and on :smile:

 

Moderators-
Please move this thread over to Tires and Wheels- thanks.

Minnie_C,
ALoha and welcome to MCO.
Runflats are quite good and are very expensive. They serve several purposes. Do you have a Mini Cooper or Cooper S?
The runflats on a Cooper S can be as high as $165 to $200 per tire and they provide safety for those who do get a flat. Also the Cooper S doesn't have a spare tire.

So why do people not use runflats? There are many reasons. They don't do as well in the snow so if you are in an area with much snow then consider show tires.

Also the runflats tend to be harsh riding and not that good for performance as on the track. I have an MCS and still have my runflats and S-lites after 5000 miles.
If I drive on smooth roads they do OK, not too noisy, not too rough or harsh, grippy enough on the corners and track. Not great in the wet but not too bad. No squeeks or scratching out sounds, I never loose traction.

I've replaced them with lightweight 17x7" rims and Yokohama AVS ES 100 215/45-17 tires mostly for better handling and grip, better wet traction on
the street and the track, and lighter weight. Some people like the non standard look of the aftermarket wheels- there are many finishes to choose from.

So for you.
Lightweight wheels- the stock wheels on all MINIs tends to be very heavy. The exception would be the 15" wheels in alloy.
Aftermarket wheels will run about $800 to $2000 a set of four. Think about it for a bit before deciding. Think about what you want to use the wheels for.

Size- For the MC 16x6 or 16x6.5" tends to be standard and for the MCS 17x7" is standard. You can get wider rims but they add to weight and don't really add that much more to traction or grip. They might look wider if you like that look- but wider also means heavier. If you are truely after lightweight then think about 16x6.5 or so for the right mix of size and width with a good tire fit. 18x 7.5 would look oversized on a MINI and would be really heavy with a HARSH ride. A few people like this type of look. Talk to owners of MINIs that have 18" rims and see how they like it.

Performance tires- many many many to choose from depending on what you like. Looks? Performance on the street vs track, wet vs dry, in the snow vs turns?
You might email Alex at tirerack.com for some basic info or check the many threads on wheels and tires on MCO for more info.
Common tires people like are: (in no particular order)
Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position S-03
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3
Yokohama AVS ES 100
Yokohama Parada Spec 2
Toyo Proxes T1S
Falken Azenis Sport

There are very many choices and various prices.
Tire sizes for 17" rims are usually the stock 205/45-17 or optional 215/45-17 ro 215/40-17
18" rims usually get 35 series tires
16" rims usually get the stock 195/55-16 or optional 205/50-16 or 205/45-16

Warning- if you change to non standard size rims and tires your dealer may choose not to honor your warranty on suspension problems
for your MINI.