I have a JCWs body kit and the front spoiler looks super close to the pavement . I am curious what kind of winter snow hit it can take before it gets damaged? Maybe I should ask the folks in that forum ?

 

It's my daily driver meaning it's driven in the snow a lot. I run a set of Blizzaks, and have never gotten stuck-ever. Driving in deep snow is actually a lot of fun!

 

Why.. YES I DO

 

Yes, I do too! Sold my SUV last summer, drove to work and back today on I-476. Handles well, but I don't like the ice chunks in the middle of the road. Can't really avoid them.

 

I hate driving in the snow. Don't have anywhere to store a set of winter tires. When I so have to drive in the snow she's all over the place. Yesterday in the storm the highways weren't plowed and i was fishtailing home......in a front wheel drive car!? I have 17x7 summer tires so i guess theres my issue. Even if i did have winters on the other drivers here in NYC are idiots when it gets snowy out.

 

Yup. My "S" is a daily driver, and I live in Alaska. With a set of studded winter tires (Pirelli Winter Carving 15" in my case), I find my MINI to be surprisingly surefooted on snow and ice. I prefer it over my Jeep in all but the most extreme circumstances.

With that said, we haven't had a whole lot of snow here this winter. It has been a very strange winter...

 

Another fan of the 15" Pirelli Winter Carving studded tires mounted on a set of dedicated wheels.

Here in the mountains of WV (I live close to Snow Mtn. Ski Resort), they've never let me down. My MCS is my ONLY vehicle, so I want the best in winter traction.

 

Well, after the snow in our mid atlantic region these last couple days, I am shocked and dismayed at how poorly the cooper did. It has the factory runflats. I hated them before. I hate them more now. Dedicated snow tires it is. This is a daily driver for us and our other car is a Subaru Outback. Can't afford to be so limited. I need to be at work in all but the worst of conditions and I cant leave my wife a car that can't get around. Why oh why does MINI insist on the runflats. I have never experienced as bad a tire before.

 

No room for a spare

 

--

 

My bad- kindof. I know we're in a hatch talk forum but talking tires and winter performance. it's all the same. I have a Clubby. I will be getting a donut. 20 years ago, who'd have imagined we'de be liking the idea of a donut?

 

You want some? New Jersey seems to have stolen your snow.

 

I have owned two R50 hatches and specifically ordered them with 15" all season tires to avoid the RF tires and have a donut spare. Most R53 owners are not aware this option is not open to them because the battery was located in the rear where the donut spare is in the R50 and no space is provided for a spare in the R53 so.....the manditory RF tires !

 

The summer tires are really bad to use below about 45deg and will have no traction in snow and lowered traction in the wet.

Get a good set of All Season tires. I ran them for years on our MINIs and they did really well. At that time we had a Jeep for the deep snow so we didn't get snow tires for the MINI. I even ran them into snow country instead of using the Jeep to go skiing. Worked fine. A lot of people like the Michelin AS tires for performance and other like the Conti ASW for their ride. Both will do well in the snow. Bridgestone AS tires are another option, although I am not a fan of the G019s because of the noise and bad ride.

 

Summer tires are the kiss of death on snow and ice.

No way could you pay me to roll them in the winter. I made that mistake once.. Never again.

 

Yes I know, silly me lol, I mean people driving excessively fast and reckless in this slick weather.

 

Im going to get a good set of all seasons soon. Haven't had a chance with work.

 

We had about 8" of dry fluffy snow last night. Had to take my fiance to her work (she's scared to drive in it). Love the slight oversteer that the car develops, but not the way traction control works.

 

Wow, didn't think 15" wheels would fit on an R56. Got pics of your setup?

 

Not right now, but I'll take some tomorrow and get em posted.

 

Your problem is not run-flats, but the fact that you are attempting to drive in serious snow on factory summer or all-season tires.

Get proper snow tiers and your MINI will be unstoppable at anything under 1" of snow (then you need a snow plow).
Above 1" you risk getting the belly of the car beached on a snow bank with front wheels loosing contact with the ground, like this guy:

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As I said in an earlier post I live In Anchorage Alaska. I bought my mini From Seattle before the Current Dealer opened. It arrived in December and I didn't think that I would be able to get it home, it did so poorly on the icy roads. It had the Summer run flats on it. I changed to Blizzak Winter tires and it was absolutely transformed. It does fantastic in both deep snow and icy roads. I have been driving it daily for three years now and haven't been stuck yet. I just bought my wife a 2014 Clubman with all season tires and it does very well also. Almost as well as mine with the Blizzaks. I have driven in over a foot of snow with no problems.

 

Here's the pix I promised last night.

I had the 15" Pirelli's left over from my '03 MCS, and they didn't have many miles so that's why I bought wheels they would fit. I called Alex at TireRack, and he set me up with these wheels, including the TPMS.

 

Wow. Like the others I thought 15" wheels would not clear the larger calipers used by the R56 S model brakes.

Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

Be careful - few 15" wheels will clear the calipers, many will not.
Don't jump to the conclusion that 15" wheels are a slam dunk !

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