I know my MCS that is ordered has no spare and only run flats. My fear is that I could be say driving to Vegas or some other place and finding a run flat could be difficult. My Honda has one of those small temporary spares in the trunk and are really odd but in a pinch could really come in handy or just better piece of mind when your not close to home. I thought you could purchase one of these and keep it in the back on certain trips. Can you buy these little tires somewhere. I don't ever see them in tire stores or even offered. I guess I could just put a regular tire in the back for certain trips but those small tires seem really small and less cumbersum. A can of seal a flat is fine when in town but again if I am on somewhat of a road trip, this seems less safe. What is everybody doing if anything or is this a non issue with run flats.

 

I got a MINI Cooper (non-S) with 15" non-run-flat all-season tires. It has a spare.

 

Get a Mini Cooper (non S) doughnut from a junk yard. I did.

 

im looking for one of those small spares as i got the same runflat prob on long trips. i guess u could search for vw small spares...i think they would fit..coz im searching for the same ones

 

is there an original mini cooper spare tire? Is it the donut type? Where is it stored?

 

so if i bought a mini cooper (non S) spare tire is there a place in my 07 MCS to put the tire in?

 

The back seat or boot. I don't think you'll have built-in place for it on the underside of the car like we Mini (non-S) owners have.

 

yeah because i think i just need the tire for a long trip like from LA to Vegas or SF.. Thanks!

 

Someone in a local club in AZ posted that he got a 15" compact spare for a 2005-06 Chevy Cobalt that works great on his Mini (17" wheels). He got it from a yard for $65 and got a bag from NJbaglady.com so it stows in the boot nicely. He drove it and did not notice a difference in handling or ride with it on (on the rear of course).

 

The centered exhaust system on the S prevents using the spare tire area underneath. The non-S exhaust is offset to the right for this very reason.

 

Buy a Mini spare & tire (dealer or aftermarket.) R53 spare will have 10mm lug bolt bore diameter but it still bolts up using the R56 12mm. lugs. Seats well.
-Be sure the spare fits over the R56 front brake caliper OR be ready to rotate front to rear in the event you actually have a flat (I carry 2 jacks for this purpose.)
The spare fits behind the passenger seat perfectly.
-Be advised that these EM. spare tires need careful air pressure checks as they tend to loose air (do it every 2 months & at the pressure level specified on the tire.)
In my 4 years driving R53's and now an R56 I have never had to use my spare tire and I get to enjoy my Cooper S sans the runflats.
Good luck

 

The MCS could really use one of those collapsible space-saver spares that inflate to full size. They were shorter rather than thinner to conserve trunk space, accomplished by unfolding when inflated (they came with a can of air).

But I don't know of any application that had 4x100 FWD offset, and I doubt anyone could dismount them without damage (heck you couldn't even get them to refold after deflating)...

 

Mini Mania claims to have one that is compatible with 2002-2007 MINIs.

http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM.../InvDetail.cfm

 

Question: If the exhust system prevents a full sized spare on the MCS, can one fit if the boot floor were modified? Like a sunken floor? Or does the exhust system sit there and there is no extra room at all?

 

FYI, you can raise the entire side of the car using the front jacking point. No need to carry two jacks.

 

I agree that carrying a small spare initially sounds like a good idea.
On the other hand, what is the point if you have runflats? You can (supposedly) drive 50 miles on a flat runflat. You can (supposedly) drive 50 miles on a space saver spare. Other than getting an extra 50 miles in your journey, what do you get? I guess that would save you from buying another (expensive) runflat (but would have to replace the space saver anyway), but it seems you can get the same from a plug kit and compressor, which take up less room and add less weight, and don't require you to change tires.

I was tempted to bring a full size spare on a 2,500 mile road trip, but didn't have the room...

 

RF's are not immune to damage, tearing and sidewall shreading. I destroyed one hitting a section of rebar (BMW Z4.)

 

Nor are the wheels themselves... i hit a rock in the middle of the night going through Montana years ago... not only was the tire toast (this was a traditional tire then), but the wheel was bent badly enough that you couldn't drive on it. To me, its cheap security.

Here is my write-up from our club newsletter that was mentioned earlier. Page 8.
http://www.dynamicminicollective.org...vol3issue1.pdf

 

Is it possible to match 2 runflats with 2 non-runflats? I mean both on the same axle, of course. We're running (oooh, pun) through the fronts faster than the rears, and even with rotation I suspect one pair will wear out before the other. I'd like to get every mile possible from those expensive rings if it's possible to do this.