Hi,These wheels are for sale locally and i'm thinking about them for my 2003 Mini S. They are 17' and are supposed to be off a new car with no miles. Does anyone know anything about these? Would they be a good fit for my car? Anyone have them? Pros/Cons? Thanks much!

 

Those look like conical spokes off of a R56 s. I don't think they will fit because of the bolt size difference between the R53 and R56 (12.5 vs. 14 mm) I could be wrong, but I would think it is worth checking out.

 

Good point, thanks rj

 

Bolt size shouldn't make a difference as long as the bolts seat properly.

 

They will fit just fine. The lug bolts seat without issue. Depending on price, however, you might be able to get better aftermarket wheels. The stock 17" wheels are HEAVY. Like 24-25 lbs each! You can get decently inexpensive aftermarket 17" wheels that are more in the 14-16 lbs range. That equals better mpg, braking, handling, acceleration, etc. So, price it all out.

 

Hmm, another good point. These are listed for $500 for the set of 4

 

You won't find a quality set of aftermarket wheels that come close to 14-16lbs. You can't go wrong with OEM wheels if you want reliability (they're strong) for the money (used).

 

This statement is grossly untrue.

However, I will say that you'll have to spend a bit more than $500 to get a quality set of 17" wheels in the 14-16lbs range.

 

Perhaps I didn't phrase that post too well. For the same amount of money he won't find quality aftermarket wheels in the 14-16lb range.

 

To the OP, what wheels and tires do you have now? 16"? if so, you might have 195/55-16 tires which are more comfortable than moving to 17" wheels and 205/45-17 tires which have a stiffer shorter sidewall. It can still be OK with the right tire to provide some comfort along with good handling in dry, wet or some snow.

The wheel is an R121 Conical spoke 17x7" et48mm, it is reported to weight 24.5 lbs each. That's typical for OEM 17" wheels. The R121 will fit both older and newer MINIs.

$500 a set used is not a bad price but you can buy aftermarket wheels for the same price that will weigh less. The lighter the wheels the more they may cost due to better wheel construction to achieve a strong but light wheel. A lighter wheel is good for better handling, acceleration and braking even with only street use, just be careful not to hit speed bumps or potholes.

Tirerack.com has many wheels in different sizes and styles, in 17" from about $106 each (20-24 lbs each)

Example of budget wheels and weight:

Sparco RTT524 in Machined with anthracite accent finish
17x7" et42mm, 20 lbs each $109 each (closeout)

Example of light weight on a budget:

Kosei K1 TS in Silver or light grey
17x7" et42mm, 15 lbs each $196 each

 

that's a fair price, if they are new. i wouldn't pay over 5hun though if you are just looking for aesthetics they are nice. otherwise shop around on here. there are people selling nearly new quite often and bout the same price. the conicals are just meh imo

 

Hi all, Thanks so much for all the info and thoughtful replies. I've decided to pass on these. My current wheels are the 17" s-lites (i belive they're called) and i love the look, they're just dinged and tired looking. Having said that, that average person probably wouldn't notice. I agree, for the money or a little more, i could get some sharp looking, lighter weight wheels. I'm on the fence about getting away from the stock look. In any case, i'll keep looking and dreaming.