In my opinion the R115's that came with my 13' hardtop S are not aesthetic in terms of the sport-performance look I would like. TBH my favorites are the R108 wheels. Recently found this eBay buy-it-now of some R112's (which I also quite like)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380832412581?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
However the price immediately throws up red flags. And I'm not quite sure what the seller means by "COMPATIBLE" wheel.

I wanted to ask the MINI people of this forum who have the experience researching wheels before a purchase what you think of these wheels. The seller lists the MFPN as 36116784130 which upon google searching is correct for the R112

- Are these legit wheels?
- If you were looking for R112's would you buy these?
- This ambiguous WTAM SKU # ALY71346U45N says "WTAM SKU'S that end with UXXN means the item is a Brand New Compatible item."
- Once again what the heck is a compatible item?

If you have any doubt about the legitimacy of these wheels please say so as I will highly value the words and not proceed forth.

And that being the case, just wait for some 108s to pop up on the forum or save up and drop the 800+ on some new anthracite 108s.

Thanks for your time and responses.

-Motor on

 

I work for this company, I found your post searching google. Compatible is a "legal" word on ebay for "replica". The wheels are replica wheels, made to factory Mini specs. They are made from the same material and to the same specs as the factory wheel, but they are not made by Mini. This style wheels comes in silver and black painted, if ordering make sure to check the description to choose the finish you'd like. We manufacture and import "replica" wheels for almost every make of car, all wheels come with balance guarantees and warranty. Feel free to email us through ebay with any more questions.
Thanks.

 

R112's, AKA Challenge wheels, are pretty popular and come up for sale frequently on the marketplace here. Going rate is about $1000 with tires and sensors. Depending where you live, shipping can make or break a deal. Challenge wheels require significant effort to keep clean, but I like the look (I may be biased, though).

The choice is yours for the replica wheels. IMO, the warranty would be very important on these. If any arrive bent or unable to be balanced, will they be replaced?

I also recommend searching the marketplace and your local craigslist to see if any are up for sale.

Have fun,
Mike