Nik - The JCW wheel is also a really good upgrade to the stock wheel. I have had one in my old JCW R53 so know it well and can make the comparisons. That said, our Corsa-D still wins for a bunch of reasons... proper true flat bottom for legroom gain, slightly smaller diameter, more oval rim profile so that rim is chunky without feeling excessive, and - important to a lot of people - almost total design choice on materials, leather/Alcantara colours, stitching colours, stitching pattern, noon marker if you want one, you can even spec with or without thumb rests or choose rim thickness.
Your car looks fantastic so you are set (and I'll be PM'ing you for thoughts on other updates to mine).
For anyone else considering upgrading from the stock wheel and wanting to see all the MINI wheel models and design choices we have, check out our wheel configurator here: https://guardiandesigns.eu/collectio...ng-wheels-2002
This was a couple of weeks ago now so definitely overdue to post some pics. Switching up wheels is always a fun challenge because lots of different looks possible but I had a pretty clear idea what I wanted for this little quick wagon. Went with Neuspeed RSe52 in the 18x7.5 +45 size. Weighed them at 19.5 lb each which is more than decent for an 18" street wheel (non-forged) and 2.5 lb lighter per corner than the 17" Conical Spokes. Important to me was also being available in a clean silver finish which is now getting "Poppy" closer to the OEM+ build intent.
The offset change is mild (9mm spacing versus stock) but what a difference it makes in the car's stance. MINIs are definitely not the worst offenders at having high offset / sunken wheels (BMW is, and even worse are most of the Japanese sports cars) but with the 9mm change outwards to my eye the stance finally looks "right" (the way should have from factory).
For tires, I have become a bit of a fan of Contis over last few years so for this set decided to stick with them... Continental Extreme Contact Sport in 215-40-18 for these wheels. I ran these on my last modded NC MX5 and they have proper high grip levels but are comfortable and work really well in rain. They are not the ultimate in feel (Contis always tend to have a slightly "soft" feel to their sidewall) but the flip side is they are light and they ride comfortably for something with this much grip on tap.
Big thanks to my friend Andre at Slick Auto who sourced the tires and also fitted them to the Neuspeeds. And to ECS Tuning who had their usual fast and straightforward purchase and shipping (even up to Canada, which can complicate things sometimes).
Ok enough words... wanted to share some pics since I have not seen a lot of R55 with 5-spokers!
A MINI wheel just chillin' on the couch...
Just off the lift at Slick Auto... that's Andre's legit race car ToyoBaru in the background (currently broken but getting new motor to re-fit the supercharger... until then it gives others a chance to set some good times at Calabogie Motorsports Park lol)
After gentle scrub-in on back roads headed over to my local MINI specialist shop (planning suspension and exhaust upgrades soon)
Coming together slowly but surely... our Corsa-D steering wheel on the inside and summer wheels and grippy tires on the outside and warmer weather... makes me just want to head out and drive for sake of driving!
I love 5 spoke wheels, And they sit great on your vehicle. Did you have to run spacers, or did you order the proper offset wheels adn hub size to avoid any extra items to make the wheels fit?
This is my first Mini and I'm getting used to the small things of it, like its tiny diameter wheels (which I LOVE for tire pricing). I LOVE WHEELS, but I have to say the factory wheels I have I quite enjoy at the moment. BUT I want to learn more about their specs (hub bore size, lug spacing, 4 114.3??, diameter, width, offsets...
I'm from the Bimmer world of e31, e46 & e53 so this little rocket catches me off guard when driving adn I need to learn more about it. Glad to have a manual again (since I sold my manual e46 M54).
Keep up the nice work.
I love 5 spoke wheels, And they sit great on your vehicle. Did you have to run spacers, or did you order the proper offset wheels adn hub size to avoid any extra items to make the wheels fit?
This is my first Mini and I'm getting used to the small things of it, like its tiny diameter wheels (which I LOVE for tire pricing). I LOVE WHEELS, but I have to say the factory wheels I have I quite enjoy at the moment. BUT I want to learn more about their specs (hub bore size, lug spacing, 4 114.3??, diameter, width, offsets...
I'm from the Bimmer world of e31, e46 & e53 so this little rocket catches me off guard when driving adn I need to learn more about it. Glad to have a manual again (since I sold my manual e46 M54).
Keep up the nice work.
I'll answer, and I'm quoting your post because 8-series!
Those wheels are made specifically for the 4-lug R-series Minis, so no spacers needed! OEM wheels are 4-lug, 4x100 lug spacing. Sizes and offsets are all over the place, but the basics sizes are 16x6.5 +48, 17x7 +48, and 18x7 +52. There are 15-inch sizes, too, but none of the OEM 15's will clear the Cooper S brakes in the front.
PS thanks kindly for the wheel specs range.
I just looked and have 205/45R17 tires. I haven't had such a narrow wheel since my Hyundai Accent 2 decades ago. I'm gonna LOVE the low price on tires.
PS thanks kindly for the wheel specs range.
I just looked and have 205/45R17 tires. I haven't had such a narrow wheel since my Hyundai Accent 2 decades ago. I'm gonna LOVE the low price on tires.
Welcome to the forums. I am also a big BMW fan. Love seeing that 8-series and the new Clubman looks great next to it!
Just like Nik said above, no spacers are on my summer 5-spoke Neuspeed wheels in pics above. All the wheels made by Neuspeed are specifically sized to fit the MINI well without requiring spacers and even take the factory center cap. You can check out their selection here: https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2012-...uspeed_Wheels/
