Good evening all. After much research and changing my mind numerous times, I now feel ready to purchase a set of aftermarket tires/wheels. My potential order is for a set of 17x7" hyper black Enkei Rpm2 wheels (18lbs) and 205/45R17 Falken Ziex Ze 912 tires (22lbs), all from Edge Racing. Total is $1,161.62 including tax, shipping, mounting and balancing from Edge.




These will be going on a 2007 Pepper White / Black MCS with black bonnet stripes, black boot stripes, JCW black grill and glossy black headlight/taillight rings may be installed in the near future (gonna leave the belt-line and handles in their standard form for now). It currently has 16" S-Winders and all season 195/55R16 Continental all-season run-flat tires. Also it's a late build and therefore has the TPMS system; we'll have to see how I'm going to deal with that.

My MINI won't be tracked or auto-x'd at all. I live in the NE and plan to sell my OEM wheels/tires (for dirt cheap, btw ) as I don't have room to store them. Therefore tires that perform decently in the snow are a must. For me the most important aspects are ride, noise and handling (in that order). For my uses the stock tires perform well enough, so my goal is to at least keep that same level of handling while slightly improving ride/noise.

I'd actually prefer a black wheel with chrome lip but haven't seen any that I like and are within budget (want to pay $1100-$1200 including tires). The 'missing lug nut' look (more holes in the wheel than the MINI has bolts, if that wasn't clear ) is a big no no for me, so that greatly narrows down my options. For the price the only other wheel that I've come across to my liking is the ASA AR2 (also 17x7") from Tire Rack.



If I went with them I'd get the Goodyear Eagle F1 all-season tires. Only issue is the ASA's are 21lbs, I don't know if the company is quite as reputable and with tires the price is within 100 bucks of the Enkei's with Falken's.

So bottom line, how do you think the rpm2's would look on my MINI? I'm just a bit worried that the hyper black (which is really a more greyish tone, to my eyes at least) will look strange with my exterior, especially the black accents. Suggestions for other tires and/or wheels are totally welcome and greatly appreciated.
THANKS

 

One black with polished lip option for under $200. Only 18bs in 17x7 and tough.

 

That's a great price M

Good choice!

 

Very tempting. I know some find it a bit cheesy, but I love love the look of a wheel with writing on the outer edge. Also my other reservation with the rpm2 is I've read that Enkei's are somewhat soft. Therefore a good looking wheel that's tough while still being lightweight is perfect for me. What type of wheel is that and where could I find it online?
THANKS

Thank you. It really surprised me that such a good wheel and good tire can be had for such a great price. I'd hit the order button in a second, the only problem is I don't have any shops local to me which have them in stock and would hate to order a set of wheels that turn out to not match up well with my car. Hence looking to my NAMily for suggestions.

 

If improving your car's ride is your top priority, I think you should seriously consider fitting a 16" wheel rather than the 17" you are discussing here. While the Enkei's and Team Dynamics both are good-looking rims, at 18 lbs they are heavy. In the same price range you could get 16" OZ Ultraleggera's at 13.5 lbs, nearly 5 lbs. lighter. Because of its low weight, the MINI is exceptionally sensitive/responsive to improvements in the sprung/unsprung weight ration. A lighter wheel/tire combination simply works MUCH better in terms of ride compliance, wheel control and overall handllng. In addition, the slightly taller sidewall on a 16" tire (205/50/16 is the preferred size) will give you added ride comfort and greater rim protection as compared to a 17" with shorter sidewall. A lightweight 16" wheel/tire setup will give you better compliance, better protection and a more comfortable ride than the 17" you are currently evaluating. Aesthetically, there is really very little difference. If ride quality is indeed your top priority, you owe it to yourself to look at some lightweight 16" wheels.

 

Nevermind tazio, just found the Team Dynamics Wheels over at outmotoring.com while shopping for a few items to complete my black out. Unless there was another place you saw them?

See the only prob for me with ordering those wheels from outmotoring (same issue with the Privat Netz by Konig which I love and are available on ALTA's site) is that neither vendor offers tires. So I'd have to buy the tires from a separate source, pay shipping, then get them mounted and balanced (for a price) after the fact. While this may not be the hugest deal, my time and resources are always extremely limited (college student ) so for me it can be a potential deal breaker. That said, I'm really feeling those wheels! If I can find them at another vendor who offers tires as well, they may be the winners.
Thanks again to all.

 

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2. You can find it online at both Outmotoring and CooperSpeed. I was watching a Top Gear episode in which the guys competed in an endurance race and multiple cars, including theirs, were running TD 1s or 1.2s. These are the real deal. I've got the matte black 1.2s on my car.

 

Sorry, missed your previous post and meant to write CooperSport, not CooperSpeed. If you like these, give CooperSport a call. They list a price of $129 on their site, which is probably for a solid color 16" version, but you may be able to work a little holiday magic...

http://www.coopersport.com/usa/Team-...id-42-p-1.html

 

If you goal is better handling ride, I would go with the lightest wheel you could afford that can be used on a daily driver without breaking...

I'd keep the 16" sidewinders and put dedicated snows on them, and get summer tires for a light-weight 17" rim (about 17-18lbs)

Skip the all-seasons and run-flats for better all-around traction and ride.
A can of slime, a compressor, and a plug kit will fit in the access panels in the back and the new tires will transform the ride.

BTW, I bought a used set of Enkei's with curb rash (and 1-2 seasons of winter tread) for my winter rims... $500.

 

Agreed. And for tires, I can reccommend both of these.

 

Hey Diploman, thank you very much for the advice. That's actually my fault, I should have specified. While improving the ride is priority number one, call me shallow, but the overarching dictator to all of this is aesthetics. No offense to any who have them, but I'm just not a big fan of the MINI on 16's. Also, as I said, my current setup is 16's with RF's and all I'm looking for is a slight improvement in ride while maintaining my current level of handling. I can't imagine that relatively lightweight wheels with comfort biased tires like the 912's can reap any worse of a ride (which I actually don't find to be overly bad) than I already have. However, correct me if I'm misled in assuming that....

That said, I will take a look at the selection of lightweight 16's out there.

Thanks again!

 

Yea those are definitely competing for the top spot right now. They're the exact look I had in mind but couldn't find anywhere, and the price is right on point. If I can find a vendor that sells them as well as tires it's done!

As much as I'd love to do that, it's just not possible. I've heard awesome things about dedicated summer tires (the Direzza's especially) and the look is killer. However, I simply do not have the space. Trust me, if you saw my room you'd understand. I'm struggling now just to find a place to put the few OEM parts I've replaced with ALTA's (once I get the exhaust done, I'm really gonna be in trouble ). Being on campus is tough!

That's actually the reason I'm gonna sell the S-Winders and RF's for such a low price. Really just getting them off my hands without having to pay shipping is worthwhile to me. So an all-season tire is a must, as running summers during PA winters is practical suicide. Although I will be going with non-runflats along with those items you listed. Plus we have MINI roadside assistance, so it's all good.

 

If you're not looking to spend as much, and want a 16", here's some konig supermesh at a nice price (they usually go on ebay for about 50 more plus shipping)

http://www.jlbmotorsports.com/specials/16-SPECIALS.html

I also would love that set of rota boost if it were silver.

The konig supermesh is supposed to be about 15 pounds for the 16", but don't quote me on that. I really have no idea how strong they are, but I think Konig has made some pretty darn good replicas of other rims, rota too.

Oh yeah, I really like the look of the lip on the ASA's, even if they are a bit heavier than the enkei's. Team Dynamics would be sick too.

 

$399 per wheel would definitely blow my budget. But thanks all the same.

The lip on the ASA's is actually the main thing which drew me to it over the rpm's... Right now the Team Dynamics are leading (if I can just find them with tires :impatient), while the rpm's are in second and the ASA's a very close third.

For better or worse I'm pretty much decided on 17" wheels with 2xx45R17 tires. Leading me to another question...

All of the wheels I'm looking at are 7" wide. Are 205 width tires really my best bet? I've heard of numerous advantages, as well as disadvantages, of going for wider tires. I really like the look of wide tires and know they'd give me an overall larger wheel diameter (a good thing for me as I won't be lowering for awhile, if ever); but don't want to compromise performance for aesthetics too much more than I already have by opting for a larger wheel. The 912's are available in 205 ($82), 215 ($68), 225 ($82) and even 235 ($79) - basically the same prices. The F1's are available in those same sizes for $122, $131, $141 and $149 respectably. I know the last two options for each tire fit a 17x7.5" wheel but am not even sure if they'd fit on 17x7's anyway.

So should I go for 215's are larger (especially with the 912's where a larger size either equals the same price or cheaper) or stay with the OEM 205 width?

Thanks yet again to all!!!

 

That is 399 for the set. There is a thread on the supermesh a few pages back in this forum. I almost got them, but was worried about fitment over the r56 brakes.

 

Ohhh, my major bad. Just saw in grey (of all colors ) where it says "This is for an entire set of 4 wheels."
Damn, that's an amazing price... So did they turn out to fit??? And if so what changed your mind against getting them in the end?

 

I have been runnin' the RPM II's for a while now with no issues. I really like them! I've also been hearing from some people that they are becoming harder to get these days.

I'm running 18x7.5's. I searched for a while as well and found them through streetdreams.org

 

Wow, they look sick on your MINI!!! That's what I was looking for, a good photo of them actually on someone's car. Couldn't help looking through your gallery and this picture pretty much sealed it for me.



Gah, now I'm more confused than ever. I was just about to write in saying that I made up my mind on the Team Dynamic's, but now I really don't know... The ASA's are pretty much out so now it's just down to two.

See, my main concern is still that although the Enkei's clearly look amazing on a dark-colored car, that 'greyish' look may not fair quite as well on my Pepper White. So what do you guys think, rpm2's or PR 1.2's??? The end price is within $40 bucks including tires for either option, they both weigh 18lbs and are absolutely gorgeous. Only reservation with the PR 1.2's is still that I'd have to buy tires/wheels separately, then pay to have them mounted and balanced, but at this point I don't even care. I'm stumped!

 

I wouldn't worry so much about sourcing your wheels and tires separately. One option is to buy your rubber through Tire Rack and have them shipped to a local "approved" installer. You bring the wheels and they mount up all four for under $100.

 

imho, the 912's are garbage. im running them on my other car and
it just does not grip well at all in cold temps... and it's suppose to be
a/s tires too.

out of those 2 choices above, i would do the ASA's and AvidH4's/Sumi HTR+ combo.

 

I know when I was looking into getting these wheels, they were available in gun metal and silver, I think they may look good on a pepper white.
Here's another pic of them for ya...

 

Yep, finding that out is exactly what made me consider sourcing my wheel and tire separately to not be an issue at all. Regardless I'd have to get an installer to mount them on the car (don't have a lift) so getting that same installer to put the tires on the wheels isn't a big deal.

Well that's disheartening. I've read nothing but absolutely great reviews of the 912's; weren't they even deemed to be the best overall pick for tires? Also have you had any issues with them besides winter traction? I know they aren't snow tires and I honestly don't/won't be driving in the snow that much.

I'm surprised you mention the HTR+'s. They didn't score very well with neither the official or users reviews over at Tire Rack. I know that reviews only tell a part of the story, but it's really all I have to go on. The H4's scored midpack which is good, but the 912's on the other hand score way at the top.

Yea, that's a killer photo as well. The ones I'm looking at are hyper black, but (in all pictures I've seen) the name is quite misleading as it's really much more of a gun metal tone. Trust me, I don't at all need to be convinced that the wheels look good; just that they would on Pepper White. Sucks that no one has tried it... Actually that pretty good as I do like my MINI to be unique, but it makes the decision a lot harder.

 

well the truth is most people that run 912's are the low-budget younger
crowd who have no other experience than those buy 4 tires for $100
deals. lol

believe wat you want.

 

Oh my gosh, those exist - where!?! No, just kidding.

But do you have any complaints about them other than their cold weather performance? I mean if they're great everywhere but in the snow, that's already saying a lot. Tires are one mod I definitely am willing to splurge on. Although the price of the 912's is what initially piqued my interest, the specs/reviews on them is what kept it. Obviously my budget isn't unlimited, I just haven't heard of a better overall all-season tire than the 912 (here on NAM). Hence my asking.

 

ive had them on my car for about 2 weeks now and in the freezing
temps the 912's don't grip well at all. the last day or two has
been above freezing and it gripped better just about any a/s tire...
but sadly my a/s stockers 180AA that were brand new gripped much
better in 15F.

i suppose if you're in an area above freezing most of the time it'll
grip. i don't know about the warmer months yet.