Well... I thought I was done with the hard part when I decided what rims I wanted, but I was obviously wrong because I'm very unsure of what tire size I should go with. Before making a purchase I'll make sure I contact someone at Tire Rack personally, but I'm all about getting initial suggestions.

I'm gonna go with the 17" Kosei K1 TS rims, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 because they seem like the safe bet (although I'm open for suggestions here). I'm not sure what size to get though.

I plan on using these wheels/tires mostly on the track. Occasionally I'll use them on the street, but I do a lot of driving so I plan on still using the stock runflats most of the time just to be safe and to save the tread on my new ones (I can almost hear you guys laughing ).

As far as sizing goes I think the options are 205/50/17, 215/40/17, 215/45/17, and 225/45/17.

Since performance is my main concern, what do you guys think? Are there any potential rubbing issues with any of the sizes especially because lowering the car is also something I plan to do in the future.

Any feedback would be appreciated . Thanks!

 

When you call tirerack ask for Alex, he knows MINIs.

When looking at rims you would be wise to also think of appropriately matching tires at the "same time". This way you get the tires in the right size and the rims that will fit and look the way you want.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 is a good street tire (on special now) that can be used for the track but it is not a dedicated track tire that should be saved for track use only. There might be some options but the problem is a track only tire should not be used on the street or barely so. If you want more track performance but still drive on the street another option would be Falken Azenis or Hankook Z212 but tirerack doesn't sell those.

For sizes you have to think about your suspension whether stock or lowered and your need for load ratings to be adequate for street use.

205/45-17 is the stock size for 17" wheels on the MINI.
205/50-17 is available but at 25.1" tire diameter is greater than stock and if you lowered your car it would rub. This is not a common choice for tires.

225/45-17 is also available but at 24.9" tire diameter is greater than stock size and wider as well. This will rub when you lower your MINI. You'll have to trim the inner wheel well plastic with a dremmel tool.

215/40-17 is a good choice but has a lower load rating so don't load up your car for a long trip with four people. Since this is a stiff 40 series tire expect the most harsh/noisy ride and don't hit any potholes or you risk damage to your rims/tires/MINI. Some owners run this size for general street use and do ok. No problems rubbing stock or lowered.

215/45-17 is a very common choice, slight rubbing if lowered, more comfort for road use, good performer for track and street. 2 pounds heavier than the 215/40-17. Outer tire diameter 24.6"- makes it a bit tall hence close to rubbing depends on how lowered you make the suspension. In the rear about a one inch drop might rub a little.

If you don't plan to lower your car for a long time then it doesn't really matter about the rubbing because the tires will wear out and get too old for continued track use. People that drive on the track go through sets of tires like you cannot imagine even if you are not trying to wear them out.

Give alex a call.

 

That was exactly what I needed...

thanks a bunch :-)

 

Go to EDGE RACING and you'll find Hankook, Falken and Toyo. Lot of tracked people only uses Toyo RA-1