I am about to trade my 2004 Mini Cooper S for a new 2009 Mini Cooper S. I have a set of 15" steel wheels (OEM) I have used for my 04 for winter tires. Will these rims fit the new 09 S, or do I need to move to 16" rims? Thanks.

 

As a general rule 16s are the smallest you can go on the r56, but if you have the wheels why not take a few minutes and try to mount them and see if they will work.

 

Yes, the problem is clearance over the front brake calipers.

It might fit, you have to try it out. The R56 has 14mm bolts while the older MINI has 12mm bolts. Hopefully that is not an issue. If the wheel doesn't fit the bolts then that is the problem. You can use stud converters to change the bolts on the R56 to studs of 12mm.

Bring your winter wheel to any R56 MCS and try it out. Either a friend's MINI or at the dealership with their permission. Tell them fitment will be a deciding factor on the purchase.

 

The 15's will NOT fit on the '09 MCS.

 

Just out of curiosity, do you have a picture of the 15" rims, or what they were called? I didn't know that any of the OEM MINI wheels were steel.

 

Delta spokes maybe?