I'm looking to get new tires, wheels, and possibly lower my MINI as well. The problem is: I don't know wtf I'm doing or where to start.

So my first questions is if there is some kind of nice tutorial somewhere on what all the numbers and everything mean...?

I have s-winders right now and basically I just want something better looking and easier to keep clean. Also I just feel like the car sits too high...even though I have scraped that plastic front piece a couple of times already

I don't really have a problem with the runflats...but people keep reporting great results after replacing them, so I figure why not? I am slightly concerned about what to do in the event of a flat though.

So my questions are...what should I be looking at? I have an hour commute (each way) and I want to maximize gas mileage and ride comfort. I won't be going to the track and I'm not made of money. I'm just looking for a more comfortable and sweeter looking ride.

Also-how does the TPMS system work with new wheels and tires? Can I just swap it, and how difficult would that be?

I also have absolutely no clue what to look at for lowering the car...

So how much am I looking to spend for everything...and would I be ok going to a local shop to get this stuff done, or would it be better to go to MINI (an hour from me, but close to work, so it's not a huge deal)? I'm not looking to buy everything top-of-the-line, but I don't want crap either. Maybe a nice sale would be good for me

Sorry for the long post but any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

Sorry, there isn't one place to answer all of your questions but the best thing is to search for topics. Your questions cross over various topics from Tires to wheels, brake dust, upgrades on suspension/pros and cons of lowering and TPMS.

First- if you don't want dirty wheels then change brake pads to something with less dust. This is easier on the older MINIs R50 and R53. More pad choices including ceramic pads that work for street and dust less. You can also get wheels with less surfaces to collect dust like a simple and clean 5 spoke design vs 16 little spokes or a mesh wheel- very hard to clean. Another idea is to get a wheel with a darker finish like black or anthracite and polished lip for accent.

S-winder wheels are 16" and nothing wrong with that, it's functional but not unique unless you paint them to the color of your MINI. Aftermarket wheels are available from 15x7 to 16x7 or 17x7, you can also pick wheels that are less wide but tires will fit well when you have 7" rims in general. Lower weight is a good thing. Look for 4x100 bolt pattern and wheel offset of about +38mm to +45 mm for best clearance.

If you lower your suspension you get less clearance- no oversized tires, keep to stock tire diameter of about 24.3" or less and maybe an offset of about +40mm. Lowering springs can be added ($300 for parts and four hours labor) using stock shocks or you can add Koni Yellow shocks. Some owners don't want to lower but get a better suspension, then consider Koni FSD shocks ($680 parts and less than 4 hours labor), This would improve ride quality for street and some performance driving.

Another common upgrade is mild lowering and better suspension with JCW suspension. Try to find others that might have installed this and go for a ride. The problem with lowering springs is the ride can be rougher especially on rough roads. Not as comfortable for daily use but gives better handling.

TPMS is on all 2008 MINIs and is on each wheel. If you change tires or change wheels you have to be careful not to damage them. You can remove TPMS from each original wheel and put them on the aftermarket wheels. Then reset the TPMS, you might need the dealers help. If you leave TPMS off then your dash light will come on and stay on for TPMS but it won't damage anything.

Runflats are fine for most daily use but are expensive and give you a limited selection of tires. If you keep the S-winders you can use many non runflats like 205/50-16 tires in summer or all season Ultra High Performance. If you keep your stock suspension then consider also 205/55-16 size which is a little tall for a lowered suspension.

Changing to 15" wheels allows for many more sizes like 185/65-15, 195/60-15, 205/55-15, etc. You can even choose Grand Touring All Season tires in some of these sizes for street comfort and still not bad handling for a MINI.

You can always email or talk to Alex@tirerack.com for more info or Leo@edgeracing.com, both vendors have wheels and tires, tirerack has brake pads and suspension upgrades.

 

Spectacular answers to all the questions. I also have the S-winders and the stock size is 195/55/16, and I too am a believer in keeping the overall stock size. I have also heard that some aftermarket tires won't accept the TPMS system, but its a bit rare, and your local tireshop or tirerack would probably be able to tell you especially since TPMS is becomming more standard, and I think becomming mandatory soon if its not already. I have also been thinking all of the exact same thoughts that you have asked about and put some and a fewmore into work, just PM me if you want to know any other questions about the direction I have gone.