I've got an R53 and am looking to get new wheels. I want really good fitment from the edge of the tire to the wheel arch, with just enough space to be able to turn the wheels. I'm wanting either 17's or 18's for diameter. I also want the front and back to be different sizes because I want the rear tires to be wider than the tires in the front. Info, opinions on what looks best, and what you have on your car and pictures would be awesome!!

 

You want wider tires in the back on a front wheel drive car?

 

Honestly I really hadn't thought of it that way before, I just really like the look of wider tires in the back. A friend of mine has a BRZ and his rear tires are quite a bit fatter in the back seeing as it's a rear wheel drive car.

 

I know what you mean. On my Vette I have 285's in front and 315's in the rear, but obviously a rear wheel drive car. Different widths also make it impossible to rotate your tires. You definitely want to be able to do that on a front wheel drive car.

 

OK, you want it to look aggressive with staggered tire or wheels. What is this for? Car Shows, fun project, street use only, any performance driving?

What suspension do you have now? Any plans to lower? What tires do you have now and how do you like them? What are your roads like? Any cold weather?

What you ask for is fine for high power RWD or even AWD sports cars. On a FWD car you get totally overworked front tires that are doing all the steering, most of the braking, and delivering all of the power. The rear tires are being pulled along and sometimes used when turning hard but the inside tire often lifts up.

Usually you want the front wheels and tires to match front and rear so that you can rotate for better wear. You can still get an aggressive look by using a rear spacer provided the rear wheel offset is not too aggressive to start with.

The wider the tires front or rear the less clearance you have with any lowered suspension. The rear tires can be wider than the front since they don't turn. But wide wheels and tires in the rear aren't really helping with performance since more weight requires more power to move the weight. Also the cost of wider wheels and tires is usually more.

So for a fun project or just for car shows you can do what you are thinking but for any performance driving there are better ways to use your MINI.