I was looking into purchasing 18 inch OZ Ultraleggeras. OZs have a reputation of bending easily when hitting anything other than glass smooth road surfaces. Is this true for the ultraleggera? I don't want to spend a lot of money to have the wheel bend on the first pot hole I encounter. I have a BMW e30 with 15 inch BBS 3 peice wheels, that have the same reputation of bending, but I have not had a problem with them. If you have any experience with OZs, please advise.

Thanks

 

Light weight= be careful.


see
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=118923

No matter which light wheel you choose, nothing will be bullet proof if you hit a deep pothole going fast.

So be aware of the danger and if you live in a place that has many potholes then drive slow enough to dodge them or buy some spare rims.

Driving at night, in the rain, on unfamilar roads and at speed would be very risky with light rims.

You can damage your rims, your tires (low sidewall) and your suspension.

 

I have them "17's, no probs so far, almost a year old on cruddy Central Cal. roads.

 

I have been running Ultraleggeras on m 07 MCS for several months, without incident. I am very happy with these elegant wheels.

However, I chose to stay with the OEM 16" diameter, which according to reports is said to be optimal for the MIN by the designers. I am running 205/50/16 tires that have enough sidewall to provide substantially more rim protection against pothole hits than would the 30/35 profile an 18" wheel would take. The 16" Ultraleggeras could also accommodate a 55 profile if I wanted to increase overall diameter and sidewall height. In addition, the 16" wheels are lighter than those of larger diameter.

If you are concerned about possible pothole damage, consider going with a smaller (and lighter) wheel with a little more tire sidewall.

 

Is this tire close in size to the recommended 195/55 - 16?

 

195/55-16 is good for runflats and is the stock MINI tire size.

205/50-16 is slightly less tall but very close to stock size and is fine for use with stock sized 16" rims or rims about 16x7". This tire works well for street use and for MINIs with stock or lowered suspension.