OK, I see the nice winter tires Alex just posted for the MINI

and

I feel left out being in a snow deprived zone.

I want to have some slippery fun too.

But after driving 5 winters in Chicago with three in the -80s with windchill and on All Season tires, I'm not going to move yet.

However this makes me think...

Are those yummy winter tires GOOD for other uses?

Like daily driving in a wet environment (gotta say it's been raining where I live everyday)

Or on loose surfaces and unpaved roads (not really off roading but sometimes there can be dirt roads in country areas).

Or just for fun!

So I'm looking at the Winter Performance tires and see-

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D (the sizes are a bit tall for the MINI)


The reviews are enticing. There is no treadwear number but tread depth is 11/32" which seem like the grand canyon when I'm used to driving with 4/32" on the track.

For MINI use:

15" maybe 195/65-15 $85 each H speed rated
Fits rims 4.5-6" wide, 20 lbs 25" tire diameter.

16" maybe 205/55-16 $90 for H speed rated/ $96 for V speed rated
Fits rims 5.5-7.5" wide, 21-22 lbs 24.9" tire diameter.

17" maybe 205/50-17 $124 each V speed rated
Fits rims 5.5-7.5" wide, 24 lbs 25.2" tire diameter.
225/45-17 $134 for H rated/ $141 for V rated
Fits rims 7-8" wide, 23 lbs 25" tire diameter.

If you have a MINI with stock suspension then 195 or 205mm wide tires of 25" tire diameter won't liked rub much but the 225mm tire is wider and could rub a little in the rear fender well against the plastic. 24.9 or 25.0" is not bad. 25.2" is pushing it. I run tires that are 24.7" and those rub a little at first- trim it or let it wear down naturally. As tires wear the tire diameter is less. If you have to load the rear of the MINI with people or stuff this is not as good.

There are other winter tires worth a look as well. I just like this one.

From a winter point of view you don't really want your tire filling the wheel gap much because the icy snow gets trapped and stuck in the wheel wells when you drive plus a narrower tire will cut through the snow better.

But my interest is more for wet use with good wear and good comfort.

Can I use this for wet autocross???? Sometimes we get pouring rain and we NEVER call off the event except for lighting or active hurricaine overhead.eek2:

 

OK, I found the answer.

See
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...ing-page2.html

Car and Driver did a test of three tires using Goodyear Eagle F1 tires

Summer
vs
All Season
vs
Winter

For snow the snow tires are awesome
the All Seasons were OK
And the summer tires got an "F" (not for fantastic).

But they also did the tests on the track in dry and wet.

In the Wet
the Summer tires were best
the Snow tire did very well followed by the All Season tire.

OK so for wet autocross it will have to be a really good Max Performance tire or better with excellent wet handling. R compound tires made for wet are also in the running.

Sounds like a good snow tire could be used in rainy weather without much trouble.

 

F1's are top tier with respect to rain. Nokian WR's are as well and carry the severe weather 'snowflake' to boot. they aren't so hot on dry pavement though despite being an A/S tire

 

As the test indicated, the summer tires will do best in the wet. But keep in mind that if temperatures get low enough (40 degrees or lower, I'd guess), then those summer tires will give up more of their grip compared to the snowtires which are designed to operate at lower temperatures.

Since you're unlikely to see those conditions on a regular basis in Hawaii, you're better off sticking with the HP summer designs. Unless you really want to see the look on the delivery guy's face when he notices that he's delivering you a set of snow tires.

Even though you *could* use the snow tire for wet autoX sessions, I don't think you should.

 

Yes, Temperature is a big factor. Right now it's 75 with a high today in the low 80s like partly sunny with some clouds and light rain.

Still plenty good conditions for-

Extreme Performance
Max Performance
Ultra High Performance

Summer tires.

About the wet autocross-
For the serious
there are Wet Hoosiers and
Yokohama A048 that are popular.

Even Kumho Victoracers full tread can be good as is the old standby Kumho V700 full tread.

Just trying to think out of the box about using other tires that might otherwise be good in wet either for street use but no snow or in competition.

I still think the snow tires would be awesome in loose gravel, dirt roads, sandy roads or on other slippery surfaces (cobblestones?).

We did have a few years ago a show car MINI sponsored by the dealership for an autoshow what was set up to look like a Rallycar MINI with lights and snowtires to make it all terrain looking. Those tires and wheels were later sold to an owner that needed them for driving on unimproved dirt roads over on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

I've heard that for high-perf summer tires, BFG KDWs work great in the rain (overheard from Randy @ M7 a while back)... FWIW

 

uhh...what do you guys know about rain? you live in SoCal

 

What are you talking about? We get like 5 inches a year sometimes! Actually, I may be moving to DC in a few months, so I'll get to experience a lot more rain soon (I'm looking at winter tires right now...).

I was talking with Scott @ CentralCoastCoopers a while back (while he was doing some camber plates and swaybar install for me)... he also highly endorsed the KDWs for high-perf summer tires -- he said he was the fastest MINI on non-track tires at an event a few weeks back (at the time I talked with him). But he couldn't wait to take 'em off, as the noise (search KDWs and you'll see what I mean) was unbearable to him...