Looking for thoughts on this. I have an R53 JCW, and am thinking about getting some 17x8 TD Pro Race 1.2 wheels this summer. My current thoughts on tire size are:

235/40 -- this is about 0.57% larger diameter than stock (205/45), wider tire = better grip?
215/40 -- this is about 2% smaller diameter than stock, moderate increase in tire width
205/45 -- same as stock, but no benefit (?) from same tire width, may be overstretched

As I'm also debating getting some coilovers to go lower (currently running JCW springs + FSDs), the first option sounds best to me. I'm currently running 18" R105s with 215/35-18 tires (1.4% smaller diameter vs. stock), and it lowers me enough that I scrape the front on some bumps already. I think a bigger tire can let me close the tire-body gap without getting too low to the ground...

Tire-wise, I've always wanted to get a set of BFG KDWs (I know they're noisy, but I like the tread and they perform well) -- these come in all three sizes.

Anyway, I would appreciate any pics folks can provide on their tires for this size wheel -- especially any running on an R53.

 

No answer for you as I have the same question. I have an R53 that I would like to lower about an inch and also want a 17X8 wheel with an et of 35. I was thinking of sticking with the same tire size? Hope you don't mind me jumping in your thread, didn't want to creat another and clutter the board.

 

Try this page


http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

 

What are you trying to get by using 17x8 wheels and BFG KDW-2 tires?

Wider tires and wheels with aggressive tread look? Not worried about cost, weight or performance?

17x8 wheels are already wider than stock, so any tire of 205mm width or wider will look much wider than stock. If you are buying both wheels and tires you want the tire size to match the wheel width for best tire performance and handling, not just barely fit.

17x8" TD Pro Race 1.2 does come in various wheel offsets. The smaller the number the more the tire sticks out. 37mm is very close to stock offset, but still will stick out about 26mm vs stock 17x7 rim. This is not a big problem until you- drop your suspension or mount wider than stock tires. It's an aggressive offset for the MINI.

If you do drop your suspension, coilovers that are fully ride height adjustable would give you the most chance the tires will fit. You may need to add front adjustable camber plates and rear lower adjustable control arms to increase negative camber to create more clearance but try the coilovers first.

If you want the ultra wide tire look you would want to consider-
BFG KDW-2 (Ultra High Performance Summer tire) 300 treadwear
235/40-17 $165 each, 23 lbs
Tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=104
The KDW-2 is a dated tire, it is aggressive looking but that's about it.
If you want more performance but wears faster then-
BFG g-Force Rival (Extreme Summer tire) 200 treadwear
245/40-17 $173 each, 24 lbs, 24.7" tire diameter same as 215/45-17.
Early tirerack test result-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=169
Or if you want great street handling and performance
Michelin Pilot Super Sport (Max Summer tire) 300 treadwear
215/45-17 $144 each, 21 lbs, 24.7" tire diameter
245/40-17 $203 each, 23 lbs, 24.7" tire diameter

The other option is the Pro Race 1.2 in 17x7 wheel for 2.5lbs less weight per wheel, offset 45mm or 38mm (more aggressive), $16 less per wheel.
see
http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...-pro-race.html
Then use 205/45-17 or 215/45-17 tires.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport in 215/45-17 is the tire to choose for street performance.

The choice is yours. More weight of wheel and tire will slow down handling responsiveness, acceleration and braking distance. If you drive only the speed limit and don't care that much except for looks then buy what looks good to you.

And wider tire= more grip?
Maybe-
Assuming you are using the same tire in different widths on the same width wheel then yes, wider tire can allow for more grip "if the size of the wider tire is optimal for the given wheel".
In the case of a 17x8 wheel the wider tire sizes will tend to allow more tread contact. However if you really want grip you should check out the BFG g-Force Rival tires, in any size for your MINI will knock the socks off of the KDW-2. For those that want a comfortable smooth ride for the street with good handling on demand then the Pilot Super Sport is the best option in 17" or larger.

 

minihune -- thanks for the pragmatic words of wisdom. To address some of your questions...

My objective is to get combination of better looks + performance out of the wider wheels. I realize 17x7 wheels will be about 2.5 lbs lighter, but the 17x8 wheels are already about 3+ lbs lighter than my R105s (and smaller diameter, which means less inertia to overcome), so I figured it would still be an improvement over my current setup. However, your comments are making me realize that tire selection might be more important than wheel width here.

As for the KDWs, I admit that my dated knowledge on those was that they preformed really well in the dry, and super in the wet. It sounds like things have changed since then, though, with newer/better options out there. Even though I like the tread pattern, I would probably prioritize performance to looks in general (although I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the looks of the Michelins -- they look like all-seasons to me...).

I'd read a few threads on the BFG Rival already, and agree they look like an awesome setup -- any idea on how they would perform in the wet? This will be my DD. Also, not sure I want to run a 215/45-17 size, though -- looking at various images on the web, they seem (to my taste) to be a little too beefy on the sidewall height. If I ran those on a 17x8 wheel (or 17x7.5, for that matter) would the sidewall height visually "decrease" due to the stretching on the tire...? I suppose lowering a bit (via coilovers) might help "hide" the higher sidewall, but not sure I'll like it. There's a lot of real nice tire options in this size, though, so I'll have to think about it -- I suppose this is a common Miata size, perhaps...?

[Some additional info on my current setup: I'm running about -1.9/-1.4 deg camber front/back (fixed IE plates in front), and the tops of my current tires (215/35-18) look like they're close to an inch inside the fender plastic... hence my desire to get a wider wheel that "fills out" it out better closer to the fender edge. The R105s are a +52 offset, though, if I remember right. I checked the inside clearance vs. the strut, and it looks like I have maybe a pinkie width or less there... so can't go inside any further.]

Anyway, thanks again for the comments! I'll rethink what direction I want to go based on your comments, and likely ask for additional advice/thoughts once I've come up with a new preferred approach...

 

I would expect that the best Max Summer tires will do better in the wet than the best Extreme Summer tires, and opposite in the dry.

If you check tirerack owner ratings the Extreme Summer tires top out at about 8.0+ in the wet vs 9.0+ for the Michelin Pilot Super sport.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=EP
vs
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ay.jsp?type=MP

Rivals in the wet should be fine for street use. You have to slow down a bit in the wet anyway.


245/40-17 tire on 17x8 wheel


215/45-17 on 17x8 wheel (the tire is more narrow on the tread)


235/40-17 on 17x8 wheel


Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Doesn't look fancy but has an asymmetric tread design with large blocks on the sides and notched center ribs with grooves to let out water. The key is in the different rubber compounds used to aid in traction (dry grip on the outside, wet grip on the inner treads).


By comparison Michelin Pilot Sport AS Plus (UHP all season tire)

 

I use 205/40/17 General G-Max AS-03 on 17x8s et25

EDIT: for the record, I had 215/40/17 Continental ExtremeContact DW on my 17x7.5s and that is one incredible tire. The wet traction is so good the road doesn't even feel wet, and the dry traction is just plain ridonkulous. I will definitely use them again when I get dedicated summer wheels.

 

I have the TD pro race 1.2 in 17x8 and run the kdw2 235/40-17 and it is my daily driver which is why the rivals where out as an option I need more than a 200 tread wear rating one reason I never bought the Pirelli run flats I have run Michelin in the past but they wear funny on the MINI mainly cupping.

 

Thanks for all the comments for far. After pondering all the points above, I think I've decided: 17x7.5 Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 with the BFG Rival in 215/45-17. I figure the 7.5 inch width addresses my desire to have a slightly wider than 7 inch wheel, and might also allow me to better take advantage of the 215 series tire. It looks like the 17x7.5 version of the TD PR 1.2 may weigh less than the 17x8 size, so the penalty hopefully isn't as large as the 17x8 size. (I say maybe, as I'm not sure the weights listed correspond to the MINI fitment specs...) There should also be less issues getting it to fit on an R53 vs. the 8 inch wide version.

FYI, here's a picture I found to someone running this wheel in the past (et42) -- I love the look (although it is an R56...:-). Not sure what tire size he's running, but I'm guessing it's lower profile than the 215/45 size.



[For those interested, the 17x7.5 size of the TD PR 1.2 is apparently a special order -- I talked to Aaron at Outmotoring, and he indicated he can order them, but it will take about 8 weeks to arrive...]

 

Miniman s -- any pics you can share of your setup? I'm still interested to see what this looks like...

EDIT: Nevermind -- I see you have a picture in your gallery -- looks great. How do you like the handling/performance on your setup?

 

I am running 17x8 Rotiform BLQs and I got 195/45/17... A little smaller but I want more low... I am happy with the comfort and it's got a slight stretch for clearance.

 

I like it. Less wheel spin and greater grip in the corners.