hi all, I have a 2013 r56 s, I am getting ready too buy wheels , offsets have me all confused, the plans are 17 x7 rim for now stock size 17" tires, later I want to go wider ( 215 or 225 x 40 0r 45 x 17 ) , working on funds for some coilovers, and big brake kit for front. I'm seeing all different kinds of offsets and I'm not sure what would be best for what I want to do, I don't want to have too use spacers for the 12.88 rotor 6 piston wilwoods to fit but want the car too have as much rubber on the ground as possible, also don't want the stretched tire look either

 

Here’s my recommendation: save and get the coilovers first. Some coilovers need extra space due to damper, spring, or adjuster design. If you don’t want to run spacers, you’ll be upset if you buy wheels only to find out they don’t fit with you new coilovers.

Then, since you want the big Wilwood brake kit, get that next. Or, at least go download the fitting template.

Now, all that being said, you’ll probably end up with a wheel in the 17x7.5 +45 size. (OEM GP2 wheel spec) That size wheel paired with a 215/45-17 tire, and I think you’ll be rolling happy. Some 17x8s can be made to fit, but they get close to the strut, and you have to give consideration to alignment and camber to get them under the fenders. A 17x8 +45 paired with a 215/45-17 would be a decent setup also.

One last thing, pay attention to wheel weight. Your Mini wants light weight wheels. The OEM wheels are much too heavy.

Here is a very good wheel and tire fitting calculator:
https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?whe...75in&wcl=0.593

 

I might as well chime in since I know the information will be useful. I’ve been down this road with almost every Mini that I’ve owned since I can’t keep anything stock lol. I can do all of the wheel width/offset calculations in my head now. I’ve also gone through quite a few different suspension setups on my GP2 and have spent way too much time adjusting everything. I agree that if you have to do everything in stages, get the Coilovers first. Just be aware that you most likely will have to use spacers with stock wheels due to clearance between the inner tire and coilover. My advice would be to get the Coilovers, lower rear adjustable control arms, adjustable swaybar endlinks, wheels/tires all at the same time. I’m guessing since you are getting Coilovers, you are lowering it a little. I wouldn’t skip the lower rear adjustable control arms since you will need to adjust your camber. I would try to get Coilovers with camber plates if you can to help dial in the front camber. (There is some adjustment from factory but depending on how much you lower the car it may not be enough. You could elongate the upper bolt holes too if you are on a budget).The adjustable swaybar endlinks aren’t necessary but they will allow you to completely remove any preload on the swaybar after adjusting your ride height.

As far as wheel and tire sizes, it can get confusing. There are a few wheel offset calculators like the one mentioned above to help you out. I’m running a 18x8 et32 (offset) with 215/40 on my GP2. The et32 was necessary to clear the Coilovers with the 8” wide wheel. As the offset number gets bigger, the wheel gets closer to the coilover. The wheel width also affects offset though. I have about 6-7mm of clearance between the inner tire and coilover. This setup also gave me the flush fitment that I wanted. The 17x8 et45 mentioned above wouldn’t work without a spacer. I would recommend a 215 tire over a 225 for clearance issues and just focus on getting a stickier tire. Most people overlook this and just assume a wider tire will be better when in fact that they may be better off with just a sticker tire compound. Also, don’t forget that a 215 tire will weigh less than the 225. As mentioned above, wheel and tire weight are a huge deal. You’re going to find that most of the recommended wheels have very conservative widths and offsets so you may have to do some searching to find the right wheel. Check out the wheel thread on this forum. It’ll take you about a week to go through every page lol. If I had to give you a quick recommendation for what to look for. 17x7.5 et35 with a 215/45.

If you have any questions let me know. Everyone on this forum is very helpful so finding the answers to your questions shouldn’t be hard.