Can anyone help with this decision. My new MCS just arrived in NY today
equipped with S Lite 17" wheels and all season tires.
I have read all or most of the posts about these run flat tires and
have decided to use them for winters only.
This will be my daily driver and weekend warrior for autoX, future mods
include sway bar, H-Sport lowering springs, camber adjustment devices,
intake and exhaust. The wheels, 16x7, 45mm 13.5 lb. Rota slipstreams or
start looking at 17x7 wheels the tires will be Yokohama AVS ES100 or Kumho MX.
Experienced opinions please.

 

well i have had 15s-19s on various cars i have owned

for the mini and smaller cars i prefer 16s

my mini came with 16s x lites, with the sp5000 tires

i got a set of 17 inch s lites with sp9000 dunlop for free, so i upgraded to those
i was pleased wtih the handling upgrade

the best would probably be 16s with some falken azenis

however i am a fan of wheels with deep dish lips. the only lipped wheel i found were in 17X8 variety, and thus i chose to go wtih that

hope that helps

 

I side with 16's and a nice ridgid sidwall on your 205/50/16 tire. Lets lower unsprung weight, and watch acceleration and braking improve. I would go to a Max perfomance tire for double duty.

Alex

 

Alex,

I suppose I already know the answer to this question, but for those of us who will drive our MINI every day (and need the runflat feature), would you recommend the 16's or 17's??

Spike

 

The 16's are better for daily drivers for several reasons.

1) lower weight
2) more sidewall so there is more ride comfort there
3) you can mount more agressive all season tires in the winter
4) you can still get some awesome performance tires, probably the best performance tires, the Falken Azenis 215/45/16 which don't come in a MINI suitable 17" size.

 

Hi Dave,

That is great advice. Thanks.

One last question if I might. Are the Falken's suitable for Auto-X ? As soon as I can, I'm planning on taking a high speed driving class and then taking the MINI to the track. If not, any suggestions ?

Thanks again for the great feedback !

Spike

 

I'm using the Falken Azenis 215/45/16s for autocross
The TeamMCO car is using the Falken Azenis 215/45/16s for autocross
Randy is using the Falken Azenis 215/45/16s for autocross

'nuff said.

 

dave.
do you think that size would look goofy with stock suspension?

 

nfo,

The stock suspension looks naturally a little high to my eye. I have seen the Azenis on a Cooper S at stock ride height (this was ficcions's car before he got the h-sport springs) and it didn't look goofy, just a little high - but not any worse than stock.

Dave

 

thanks dave.
i'm trying to weigh out my options.
i really like how 16's look on lowered mini's, but
my wife is really against me changing the suspension. (boo!)

 

nfo divorce ur wife

and buy the ac schnitzer

 

ryan.
she'd curse you out in tagalog for that one!

 

i understand tagalog

and hey its america, its never too early for divorce

ask dennis rodman

 

ryan...
2000 posts! amazing!
i used to see rodman all the time at a club i used to DJ at in chicago.
he really is a freak! it's not a front!

 

tahnk you

yeah i know, he is a freak
one of my all time fav players

what u see is what u get!
i love that

 

Wow, Tagalog, eh? You really need to come to the next Chicago get-together, and bring your wife! But back to the discussion: I'm thinking I'm going to switch to 16's too, but I don't have the cash to throw around to lower and get wheels/tires at the same time. I would rather do the wheels first, but I don't want any goofiness...

 

I have the 16" v spokes and theyre great. The ride isnt bad and the handling is great. The acceleration was better when I had the 15"s but they didnt look as good

nfo is your wife filipino? I didn't know you understood tagalog ryan, I understand it and can speak it a little. I'm still workin on it

 

>>The 16's are better for daily drivers for several reasons.
>>
>>1) lower weight
>>2) more sidewall so there is more ride comfort there
>>3) you can mount more agressive all season tires in the winter
>>4) you can still get some awesome performance tires, probably the best performance tires, the Falken Azenis 215/45/16 which don't come in a MINI suitable 17" size.
Thanks to all for your comments, the above are what appeal most to me. I have placed my order for a tire and wheel combination with Yoko. ES100 tires for their rain performance ( hate driving in pouring rain at night with all the deer in my area) as well as dry and higher tread life rating. I have a set of 4x100, 15x6.5 38mm Rota Circuit 8's with just a trace of tread left on the Kumho's ( closer to slicks ) for the AutoX course.