>>In other words, would 17" aftermarket wheels that weighed the same as the 16" MINI wheels yield similar performance results?

No, the performance lies in where that weight is distributed to. Rotational mass (remember that high school Physics class you slept thru becuase it would never have any bearing in your life? Now it does matter ). The further away from the center of rotation you put that mass, the harder it is to turn.

 

i love the way the 17's look on the car
and i think they handle great (never tried the 16's)
and my other car handles like a 1968 Ponitac (wait it is a 1968 Pontiac)



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YES

 

as an afterthought about performance differences bwteen 16s and 17s:
the 17's are wider and probably have more cornering power. The stiffer ride will also improve cornering further, except on bumpy roads. That said, my primary problem in putting the MCS power to the road lies not so much in wheel grip (straight line or curves/bumps) but in wheel spin related to not having an LSD, when e.g. the inside wheel in tight corners spins or even lifts. Top on my wish list right now is an LSD.
I also wonder about the 0-60 mph spec differences between MINI data and test results from magazines. MINI claims 6.9 seconds, and I think that is actually an acchievable value, some have even bettered it. However, most car mags list 7.4 to 7.9 secs as their 0-60 results. I would speculate that this is the result of most of them testing with 17" runflats, and with sunroof (and leather probably adds some as well). So, I would believe best drag speeds to come from an MCS with no sunroof, no leather, and 16" V spokes (the 16" v-spokes are lighter even than the 15" wheels). Best cornering might come from a 17" car, were it not for the lack of an LSD. Just food for thought.

 

Here's what I did, and it was influenced by the fact that I need a second set of dedicated winter wheels/tires:

Ordered my MCS with the 16" rims and all-season (no-season) tires. Got all the other goodies of the sports package a la carte. Saved about $0.07. Ordered up some 17" BBS RK rims at 17.5 lbs per wheel and performance tires. I will use this setup for my summer motoring and the 16" wheels for winter. I am hoping, but not too confident, that the run-flat all-season tires will be adequate for winter use. If not, I'll have to spring for four winter tires. For me, this made the most sense. I will have two sets of relatively light rims, both of which I like asthetically. I'll have a set of 17" rims for summer use without having to deal with the excess weight of the S-Lites. As far as having regular tires and no spare, I figure I will just buy an M Mobility pack from BMW to keep in the trunk.

 

I'm getting 15" minilights ASAP, which is soon since it's like 10K and the 17's are damn near bald. I rotated the 17's and OMG theay are THE heaviest whell tire combo I've ever held!

I cannot image what 15"s will be like. Runflats are ridiculous. This is a commuter car for the wife and she's gonna call me when a tire goes anyway. So I'm just going with a spare at home.

Ian