Which Run Flat Tires are you using? How do they look on your mini? Please post pics to see

 

Perhaps the reason no one out of over 300 views have responded to your question is because run-flats are so hated that no one cares what they look like.

 

Hated? Why?

 

So, you are concerned with what they "look" like? I usually choose my tires by how they perform, not what they look like.

 

If you have found an objective tire performance tester please do tell!

 

Read the reviews on tirerack.com

 

Would someone that sells tires be objective you think?

 

All but the most recent run flat tires gave a horrendously harsh ride, twitchy steering over irregular road surfaces, amplified the torque-steering effect when adding or reducing power and cost double what a high quality tire like Michelin Pilot Super Sport would have cost. Also, the only flat tire I've ever had on my 2010 MCS was with run flat tires and the tire was ruined anyway. They suck unless you're getting the latest versions.

 

Which are?

 

Reviews, he said. As in by customers. Maybe you've heard of them.

 

Love them or hate them, the run flat has a long history with MINIs.

http://new.minimania.com/Are_Run_Flat_tires_Running_out

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Most of the run flats that were in use prior to about 2 years ago. Specifically, in my case, the original Continentals that came with the car in 2010.

 

How can i tell which RFT are the latest RunFlat generation? Say im looking for Continental, Pirelli, Dunlop, BridgeStone or Michelin, what exactly codes do the latest generation run flats have?

 

People seem to like the ride on the new Bridgestone Driveguard, although I haven't used them myself.

 

I have the Bridgestone Potenza 205/40/18 runflats on my car for summers:

and Bridgestone Blizzak runflats for winters:

 

Spiney, thanks man, they do look awesome! BTW are they stretched and also are you happy with them? Which tires did you have before?

 

They're not meant to be stretched, I think it's just the way the sidewalls are shaped on the summers, and I think the tread on the winters is narrower than the usual for a 205 for added bite into the snow.

I'm OK with them, the ride is decent enough, and I like the steering feel with the stiff sidewalls. I also think that the thick sidewalls have helped protect my rims from the medieval cart tracks that they call roads in Massachusetts. I don't track the car but for road use they have enough grip for what I do.

 

I have a feeling that your rims have a different offset! Am i correct? :-)

 

They're a touch wider than OEM wheels (summers are 18x7" and winters I think are 17x7.5") with a smaller ET than standard so they are closer to flush.

 

Im no expert but i have a feeling that this slight difference causes the stretch!

 

205 is 8.2" so the tread should be wider than the rims, but the actual cross section of the tires varies by manufacturer and type so some may look stretched and some may not. I definitely didn't try for a stretch, I personally think it's pretty silly to run with tires that are way too narrow for the rims. These are in the range of recommended sizes for these rims, the winter is on the low end but those wheels were so nice and a good price on a Tire Rack close out that I couldn't resist!

 

Drop by a MINI dealership and see what they're putting on the new cars. A variety of brands and sizes. You should see something with the same wheel size as yours and then you can go out and buy the same tires.

I test drove a standard MINI with 4 doors about 6 months ago and I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the ride was with the newer runflats as compared with the Continentals my car came with 5 years ago.

 

Without asking a dealership (the new mini can be fitting a specific brand for a reason other than the best tires) isnt it possible to know what the newest RFT are for each brand?

 

I'm running current production Bridgestone Driveguards and have no complaints except price. The only way MINI would CPO my car is if I had new tires put on before purchase and they said they had to be run flats.

 

Cpo?