I've searched the forums for the last 2 hrs and can't seem to find the answer i'm looking for.

New to me 2008 Clubman S.. 65K and beautiful...absolutely love the car..

Came with aftermarket 17" wheels which ehh are ok.. OZ racing and I'm sure from tirerack.

the ride is not good on the bumps of Vermont. Accelerating through corners and some smaller bumps will throw the wheel a bit. and the hits can be really harsh (gotta hang on)

In town low speed over bumps are jarring. Of course my first 600miles in the car were on really nice roads and i never noticed.

I could go a couple ways here but does this description sound "normal?"

My options are 16" wheels and new tires, i'm ok with that.. ive been looking around for a set of 16" takeoffs

Coilovers that have a broad range of adjustments.(close to stock height) Where i could lower in the summer with summer tires and raise in the winter with the winter tires.. etc etc.. any suggestions? BC, XYZ.. something in the 800-1200 range

new shocks? I saw some info on the koni shocks.. do they help?

Suggestions?

BTW love the mini and the wife wants one now to replace her audi.. lol

Cheers,
~c

 

Mini's are rough on back roads and handle great on smooth roads. The two best setups I'm aware of are Koni yellows with NM springs. The other is Ohlins coilovers. Both lower the car, but give a good ride. The cost is a big differance, the koni's can be had for a good price when on sale.

 

Step 1: Ditch run flat tires (RFTs). This will absolutely transform your ride quality.
Step 2: 16" tire will provide a slider bigger cushion, but even more variability will come between different tire models: some have way stiffer 16" sidewalls (RS-3's) than other 17" tires. Research reviews on tirerack.com
Step 3: At 65K miles your shocks are gone, or mostly gone. You are likely bouncing off the bump stops! For civilized street ride, consider Koni FSDs. Avoid coil-overs unless you (a) want lower ride and lower ground clearance on bumpy Vermont roads; (b) can justify stiffer springs that will make the ride even bumpier; or (c). want to track the car or compete at autoXs.

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