1.What is the best performing street use 17 inch tire? I'm planning on getting new 17inch wheels and tires. I need them to grip well under dry and wet conditions with MINIMAL road noise. No run flats please. And it's best if cost is kept under $125 per tire? Give or take $25.

2.Anyone installed NO2 systems on their Mini's? Someone commented it to me offhand, "Just stick a nitrous oxide system to that little bugger" or around those lines. Tell me your experience with it.

 

Hankook Ventus RS2 tires. Been using them for a couple years. Very good. $114 ea at Tire Rack last time I looked.

 

I'm going to say Nokian V's, best summer tire I've ever used. Excellent steering response and great grip rain or shine.

 

Dunlop Z1 star spec. Typically the better your dry grip the more tread noise you'll get. These are resonably quiet for their grip level. 215/45/17 $133 ea currently


Alex

 

I like those tires but the wear rating is a concern. I would suggest you get something with a bit more life.

 

1. I know you wanted "minimal" noise, I really REALLY like the Yokahama Parada Spec II's. I know quite a few other MINI owners who like them as well. BUT... they're a little noisy. It's never bothered me all that much, though. They run about $80 - $90.

2. If you have an MC, nitrous may be okay (absolutely no MORE than a 50hp shot...) I would recommend a 30-40hp shot. If you have an MCS, I would not recommend nitrous at all. Forced air intake systems plus nitrous is a bad idea unless you REALLY know what you're doing.

My question is... why nitrous? Are you going to drag race it?

Nitrous is not good for any engine... period. That's not to say that isn't safe to run. If you're not going to drag race your car... there's no need to potentially ruin a perfectly good engine over it. Especially, since it's illegal to use it on the street. So, while I might say "yeah, it's safe to run nitrous" I'm not recommending it for either the MC or MCS.

If you do go with the nitrous, and this is your daily driver, be careful not to use it too much. Overuse, will definitely do damage to your engine.

That's my $0.02.

 

FWD and 200+ HP = Fail :(

 

Are you saying the MINI can't handle more than 200hp?

Boy do you need educating........

 

+1!

It can totally handle 200+ hp. You might need extra aerodynamic help to operate efficiently, but it can totally take it. Why else have a JCW?

 

see this is exactly what i've been wondering. Why would anyone in their right mind buy a $30k+ MINI, no matter how fast. FWD car with a lot of power will always = FAIL

 

Guess that's why you got a justacooper.

Tell this to the guys running in the Super1600 class of the WRC, or the guys running in the Speed World challenge, or in the Grand Am series.

Nothing wrong with HP, just about how it is used.

 

Yeah, that doesn't make any sense . I've seen tons of FWD cars take the local drag strip, even some funny cars that are FWD. I don't see how it could be generalized like that.

 

thats an old figure that was paneded arround buy saab in the mid 90's and was an assessment of the tire and differential setups at the time, and is not relevant almost 15 years on

300+ is now more than usable in a front hooker thanks to newer and better suspension, diffs, and tire tech i know a couple of people who have minis that are running 260, 270, 280, 290 etc all as daily drivers and weekend track cars one chap over here has a 400 bhp turbo mini that eats porsches on track so tell him 200+ in FWD is not usable

 

BFG KDW

 

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx XL 215/45ZR-17, $95 at Tirerack.

 

I agree with some of you, WRC S1600 and other racing FWD cars are more than capable but you are talking about extreme applications with heavy duty LSD's. It's really hard to find a good stock car that with big power and without issues with traction. Heck my cooper has problems accelerating out of a turn and it's just 118HP.

Tires are not everything, and those that you mentioned are not the best you can get out there. BFG are actually garbage. The best stock tire that i've found is either Potenza RE070 or new star spec Dunlop. But still, if that inside wheel has too much power no matter what tire, it will be hopeless.

In the straight line, fine, you can live with FWD, but straight line racing is for kids.

 

Wow, that's making my brain want to explode....

It just doesn't make good logical sense. I mean, I'm a scientist... logic is kinda my thing.

Like James said, it would make sense if this were 15+ years ago, but now??? I don't think so. There are lots of front wheel drive cars with 200+hp from the factory. And I've driven a JCW. It was phenomenal! Granted the LSD helped a lot, but regardless... it was a 200+ hp FWD car.

 

we dont race in straight lines in UK , we have corners ive driven a 260 cooper S on a circuit and it felt nothing but composed and drivable and that was on stock suspension and no LSD, RWD will always be king but front hookers aint wrong wheel drive any more esp not in Europe a couple of the ford guys i know have focus RS's tuned to 400 and the fact the Golf GTi factory is well over 300 bhp and a front hooker and regarded as one of the best drivers cars here in Europe renders your argument - null and void

Also speak to the MK1 and MK2 golf GTI guys who are all tuned up and with modern brakes and suspension on are nigh unbeatable round the nurburgh ring all 113 corners of it

 

There is a guy up near where I live who runs the Dunlops on his GP and loves them.

 

i vote for the Yokahama Parada Spec II's I have had many diffrent tires on my 05 R53 and the Yokahama Parada Spec II's are the best (at least for me) as far as the nitrous thing unless your going to be racing that thing its a waste of $ IMO never been a big fan of the stuff. its good for straight line stuff but who wants to drive there MINI in a straight line?

 

I had a couple of sets of the Hankooks Ventus RS2's and loved them on my 06. Wanted to try something different on my 08 and bought the Dunlop Star Specs. They are far superior to any of the tires I have tried (including the Hankooks). They have a 200 tread wear rating which is good for the return in performance. You can't have it both ways. Long lasting tires aren't sticky.

 

TOYO's are also another great brand. The proxes are real popular around here.