When I was figuring out what I wanted on my Mini before I placed an order, I was adamant about getting silver wheels. The white just looked to "cutesy" I guess. Well, to make a long story short, I had the option of getting a car that someone backed out on about a week after I put in an order, rather than wait the couple of weeks that I'd otherwise have to wait. The only thing different on it was that it had white wheels instead of the silver <sigh.> My parents told me to give them time, that I'd eventually love them. THEY WERE RIGHT!! The white wheels make my chili red cooper!! They just set the car off and scream "hey everyone...yoohoo...Look at me!!!!!!" As far as cleaning, they aren't really that bad. In fact...you can just wet them down and wipe the dust off. I've had other white wheels in the past, and these are by far the easiest to care for.

 

I'll be ordering my MINI in the coming months and I'm looking to get a CVT Cooper in Indi Blue with White roof/mirrors. It looks absolutely fab with white wheels but I know they're a pain to keep clean, especially with front and rear discs!!

To anyone out there with the white wheels, what do you use too keep them clean? I use Eagle One for aluminum wheels on my car now and the brake dust comes off very easily. It's almost like a wax for wheels. I'm just concerned because when I test drove a MINI this weekend with white wheels, they were filthy!! You'd think the dealer would clean it up a bit!

While in the dealership I also noticed two new wheel designs that are not featured on the MINI website or in any of their literature. I was told they were options for the 2003 model Cooper and Cooper S.

I won't be looking to get my MINI until June of next year so it'll be interesting to see what changes I'll make given the new options they offer.

Bill

 

White wheels aren't really any harder to keep clean than normal silver wheels. My friend has white wheels on his Mini (I have silver) and he complains that they show the dirt more but thats just because he only cleans the car once every 3 weeks. We both use the same wheel acid stuff. If you want to stand out from the crowd then why not get them chrome dipped? It would cost about $80 per wheel, depending where you look. They would look excellent but would definately need a LOT of care and attention to keep them looking shiny. Worth it though.

 

I haven't found anything that is a "miracle cleaner" yet. Just keep after the wheels routinely. I am faced with the same problem on my current car, a Saab 9-3. The brake dust builds up just after a few days. The only solution I found was to change out the pads to EBC Greenstuff performance brake pads I got from The Tire Rack. They are a Kevlar compound that is much cleaner also the performance is great for autocross and daily use. I know I sound like a commerical but it is the best solution so far. I havn't checked if they are availble for the MINI as of yet.

 

Re: the new wheel options you saw at the dealer.
Were they all 17" wheels or any new 16" wheel options? I have been put on the list to order my MCS but have a chance to revise my order in October for my 2003 model.

 

a

 

They were 16" wheels. One of the showroom's cars, a Cooper, was fitted with one pair and it looked sharp.

 

anyone got a picture of the new wheels? it would be interesting....

 

Just FYI,

My MINI S pours out the brake dust like mad, and it's not because I use them abnormally.

Keep in mind that White wheels will show all that brake dust a lot more than the Silver mini wheels.

BTW, I just had my 17" stock Mini S wheels chromed. FANTASTIC! The reason it works on the mini is because of all the other chrome accents. Any other small car and they would probably look goofy.

 

PatrickH,
Post some pics of that S!
I would love to see how those wheels look.
Thanks,
SW

 

Getting the silver or white rims was a tough choice for me. I ended up ordering the white rims mainly because I went with a Chili Red S with white roof and bonnet stripes. I also opted for the white rear brake light overs. The white rims look great with the Chili Red, Indi Blue and BRG. The other colors I thought matched more with the silver rims. I'm glad to hear from other people that the white rims are easy to clean and don't get too terribly dirty to quickly.

 

>>
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>>BTW, I just had my 17" stock Mini S wheels chromed. FANTASTIC! The reason it works on the mini is because of all the other chrome accents. Any other small car and they would probably look goofy.
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There is exactly the same amount of brake dirt on every different colored wheel under the sun, you just have to clean them. It's kinda like having to shower daily, whether you look dirty or not. Ron.

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sirron

 

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There is exactly the same amount of brake dirt on every different colored wheel under the sun, you just have to clean them. It's kinda like having to shower daily, whether you look dirty or not. Ron.

 

Silver.

 

Vote for the Silver wheels as wheel. The only color choices that support white wheels are Indy Blue and Chili Red. Possibly BRG.

Overall to me the white wheels are too cutesy looking (Best left to chick cars such as the VW Beetle), a pain to keep clean and they tend to look cheap to an extent.

 

I had the option of getting a pre-spec S 2 months early. I was not wild about the WW, but the dealer said they could change them out when the car came in. During the wait for the transit I got to like the WW more and more. I now have DS MINI with WW and love it. I clean the car once or twice a week so dust buildup is not bad. MINI2 has pics of my car in my gallery.

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DS 'S', MFSW, Auto AC, DSC, fog lamps, Cold Weather Pkg.

 

I do have one observation about my new "chromed" stock 17" S wheels.

For whatever reason, and I can't explain it, the "chromed" wheels look smaller than the stock "silver-ish" color. I know it's an optical illusion, but others that saw them before and after have said the same thing.

I'll get some pics up soon.

 

Well... the white rims are easy to clean, but they also get dirty very quickly, and show the dirt far more than the silver or alloy. Espree "Wheel Magic" gets off the dirt easily--you just spray it on and hose it off. There will be some places that you will have to wipe off by hand afterwards.