I'm thinking about putting these wheels on my AB/AB 07 MCS with JCW Aero Kit, Stage 1 & Suspension. Oh yeah, LSD.

http://www.wheelsdirectonline.com/konig/britelite.htm

I used to have BF Goodrich Traction T/A on my 02 Cooper and I loved the ride and how they performed at the track.

Anyone have any suggestions for an all-season high performance tire?

I was looking at the 205/45ZR17 Avon Tech M550 A/S (link).

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

First for the wheels you should confirm that they even fit the MINI 14mm bolts for the hub, some wheels only fit the older 12mm bolts.

Now you have silver or red finish and three sizes

15x6.5 19lbs
16x7 21 lbs
17x7 23 lbs

Offset are not listed but you want about +42mm if you can get it.

None of these wheels are light weight. More like MINI weight or even a bit more. If you don't mind that then it's OK but given you need to fit the rims over the JCW brake calipers then 17x7 seems the safest.

Tire size can be-
205/45-17 Stock sized
215/45-17 a bit tall at 24.7" but OK
215/40-17 a bit shorter than stock and a rougher ride- not really suited for daily street driving if you value comfort and not really good for anything but smooth roads.

While All Season High Performance tires are OK for a base Cooper

You have an MCS with JCW trimmings and LCD so I would not be recommending any High Performance H speed rated tires for you under normal circumstances unless that is expressly what you are looking for.

Given your 17" tire sizes the best bet would be in
Ultra High Performance All Season tires or
Ultra High Performance Summer tires.

If you have any snow then the summers are out unless you have separate snow tires.

Avon tech M550 A/S $99 360 treadwear W speed rated
and
Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $122 420 treadwear Y speed rated
come in 205/45-17 and are All Season tires that are worth considering

In the same size for Ultra High Performance Summer tires
there are
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 $124 240 treadwear W speed rated
Kumho Ecsta SPT for $99 320 treadwear W speed rated

If you consider 215/45-17 then in
Ultra High Performance All Season tires you get
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...ireSearch=true
A much bigger selection with some very good tires that balance performance with comfort and all season treadwear.

Top rated:
Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS $153 400 treadwear W speed rated
Yokohama ADVAN S.4. $171 400 treadwear W speed rated
Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season $130 420 treadwear Y speed rated
Pirelli PZero Nero M&S $123 400 treadwear W speed rated

And good value tires like:
Avon tech M550 A/S $99 360 treadwear W speed rated
Kumho Ecsta ASX $90 420 treadwear W speed rated
Yokohama AVID W4s $95 400 treadwear W speed rated

So you have lots of choices and ultra high performance tires suit the character of the MCS better than High Performance tires. The W and Y speed ratings will handle the heat better if you do decide to push the tires and are generally better tires for performance driving than H speed rated tires. H rated are fine for daily street use at legal speed limits and while you can run them on the track there are better choices in the same price range generally.

Are there any other choices for rims that are good looking but lighter?
When you shop at tirerack.com you will see that they do ask about what year MINI you have and that is to ensure fitment with the new vs old bolt sizes. Other vendors for wheels may not realize that this difference exists nor do they know about the larger front brake caliper on the new R56 MCS that is not present on the R56 MC.

 

wow! thanks. i know they are heavy but these will be my every day rims. i will get some track rims and tires next spring.

i have an email in to the vendor for the specs. i wish tirerack carried these. ive bought all my tires from them in the past.

i do 4 or 5 track days from spring through fall. any suggestions for similar wheels?

 

Also when you say offset should be about 42, what are the tolerances? 40 ok?

according to this site the details for the 17/7 are:

bolt pattern: 4/100
offset: 40mm
weight: 17.4lbs

 

The number of possible wheels is great- again fitment is key- large enough for brake clearance, good offset of about +42mm to +48mm. Light weight is helpful but can be costly. All Season tires would not be a good choice for the track. Usually Max performance summer tires or better.

The rims you selected (17x7???) is OK for daily use but it's really similar to OEM rim weights. Hopefully they are solid and can take poor roads. OEM rims will bend and break with potholes too.

If you go with your wheel vendor to get tires you are very limited-
In 205/45-17

Falken Ziex Ze-512 for $95 each 360 treadwear
Ask about Ze-912, it's better and replaces the 512 and is probably cheaper at Edgeracing.com ($82) but you pay separate shipping and mounting and balancing.

In 215/45-17
And for the value
Kumho Ecsta SPT (Ultra High Performance summer NOT all season)
$91 320 treadwear
Kumho Ecsta ASX (Ultra High Performance All Season tire)
$90 420 treadwear
Falken Ziex Ze-512 for $76 each 360 treadwear again, ask for Ze-912

 

Offsets can vary. You need to confirm this for the wheels you intend to get from the specific vendor.

Normally +40mm will be close but OK, you'd be wise to stick with stock sized tires for best clearance. 215/45-17 is taller than stock and wider so less clearance. +40mm means the tire/rim will stick out from the wheel well by 8mm more than the stock wheel. If the tire is tall and wide then that would risk rubbing of the wheel arch plastic with the edge of the tires esp in the rear.

I'm not sure how low the JCW suspension goes for the 2007 MCS. The lower it goes the less clearance you get.

How much clearance do you have now with the stock wheels and tires?
Is it close in the rear or more than 1-1.5" clearance?

Why is the weight 17.4 lbs and not 23? That's suspicious.

 

I had those on my previous car as well and was really impressed. This time around I stayed loyal went to BFG KDWs which I have been very impressed with so far. Solid tire with tons of grip, the mini uses it well. Performed great under autocrossing, providing good input of grip and the mini used the edges completely and perfectly They arent allseason but they have big tread blocks, maybe theyll work

 

I've been running Yoko AVS ES100's on my '04 since I bought it new and was always happy. I need new rubber and wonder if I should change to a different tire? I live in Dallas, want reasonable performance though I don't track my car. I don't want top of the line as I will either sell the car in the next 6 months or make it my second car and reduce the driving.

 

Yokohama AVS ES100 comes in many MINI friendly sizes and for the money is a good value for a middle of the road performance minded tire. There are many other good value tires out there.

Which 2004 MINI do you have? MC or MCS or cabrio?

Which suspension? Stock? What other modifications do you have?

What is your budget?

A few options would be Kumho Ecsta SPT in ultra high performance summer or Kumho Ecsta ASX if UHP All Season. They are OK and offer good value.

 

Mini S, modified w/ pulley, chip, intake, cat back, sway, shocks. Budget?125-150 each mounted I guess.

 

With MCS and mods you really are looking at Ultra High Performance summer tire with the option for UHP all season for longer lasting tread.

Both those Kumho ecsta tires are fine for the value.

What size wheels do you have? 17 or 16"?

For stock suspension height then-
205/45-17 or 215/45-17 is ok
or
205/50-16

 

Sorry, responded to that one on my phone, I've got 17's.