I'm looking to put some nicer wheels on my R56. The car isn't tracked, but my daily commute is pretty 'spirited.' Driving a small car in Houston requires it to be. I was looking for a balance of weight, looks, and price. The price category tabled any forged rims. The car is black on black with black interior, and even the headlights have been 'joey'd' or 'camden'd' if you will. What I have settled on at this point is 18x7.5 XXR 006 in black with a chrome lip. The wheels weigh in at a whopping 22lbs. The lightest 18 I could find for what I was willing to spend was 19lbs (Motegi SP10), but did not suit my taste at all. I think 22lbs is actually lighter than comparable JCW rims though. Suggestions on my wheel selection are welcomed, but keep in mind I'm not looking to spend over $200 per wheel, and like the black mesh with chrome lip style.

My real questions are about tires. The 205/40/18 really limits selection. Stepping up to a 225/40/18 opens up the options. Will that fit though? How will it look on a 7.5" rim? The same rims come in a 8.5" but are a little heavier. How much would that effect the above questions? What tires are a good balance of price, performance, and longevity? I'm trying to keep the tires under $150 each. This is a daily commuter car, so lower road noise is a must. I also don't want to replace them every 6 months. I have Kumho Ecsta ASX's on my WRX, and they're noisy. I was thinking something along the lines of the General Exclaim UHP because they have pretty good ratings and are 2lbs lighter than comparable tires. And finally, I'll probably put some springs on the car at some point. Will the wider tires come into play at this point? I don't want to slam the mini, just even out the height, possibly a small bit of overall drop. I may just save the money and go coilovers on this so that I can just adjust if there is any rubbing...

 

I cant speak for the sizes you are looking at , but can tell you for a good commuter tire, the General Exclaim is very good, quite, excellant in the rain and wears well. I have owned 2 other sets of these on other cars besides the MINI and was pleased, i would not track them, or Autocross them, and if you do alot of canyon running they are not my first choice, but for daily driving they are great.

 

According to discount tire 225/40 is an iffy fit. 215/40 should fit just fine as well as 225/35. They also carry the Drag DR-19 which is 21lbs and looks very similar, only with a smaller lip.

The XXR 006 Black with chrome lip is backordered for 60 days. I haven't been able to find anyone who has them in stock to fit a mini... 18x7.5 black and chrome that is.

 

Just did 215/45/17 MIchelins on Rota RB's. Great ride, great handling and none of the harshness in the shorter sidewall 18's

 

If I were you, I would stay with 17" and under for DD commuting because 18" can be damaged relatively easily by road conditions. And it could be relatively expensive compared to 17" or even 16".