When placing order for mc, if I were to order 16 inch r90's in place of standard 15 inch 8 spokes, is this a good idea? Would the r90's have to come with runflats if ordered from the dealer or would I be able to get all season tires? I like the look of the r90's, but is it worth the extra cost? Can I keep the original 8 spoke wheels? or can the dealer offset the price of the r90's by keeping the set of 8 spokes? In addition, does the upgrade to 16 inch wheels mean that the speedometer would no longer be accurate? I know I have asked a lot of questions but I have know idea about this sort of stuff. Thanks for any replies. :smile:

 

If you order 16" wheels they should come with runflats.
The cost is up to you but the wheel is an accesory, put on after the car reaches the states. Keep the 8spokes and buy the 90s once your car arrives and you can put on whatever tire you want.
Speedo can be calibrated by the dealer.
I wuold get the 7 hole wheels and sell them once the 90s are on. The 7 hole wheels are light and many members here use them as wets for racing or snow tires, so you should be able to get some $$$ back to pay for the 90s.
Chris

 

Thanks for the info FWD-MX5. Based on your reply I assume the 7 hole wheels are lighter than the 8 spoke? Are the 16 inch r90's heavy? How will the r90's affect the handling of the car. Be advised I will only be doing everyday driving. Will I notice a difference? What will the bottom line cost be (wheels, mounting etc.) from the dealer if I make the switch when the car arrives? Does anyone think this would be a bad idea and that I should just keep the 7 hole wheels on? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I don't want to regret any decisions later. I think i have become obsessed with deciding on my configuration. So far I am leaning toward a p/s mc with a cvt, black roof and red cloth seats with anthracite trim, prem. and cold weather packs. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I use the 17 R90s in the non-winter months and the 17's are very heavy
2pc wheels. the 16 R90's are much lighter. You won't notice a difference
in the weight for street driving (the most you will notice is a tad slower brake
respones if at all).

The thing about the R90's is that its a real pain to wash unless you have
a boar's hair brush. Im **** about keeping my cars clean so in the summer
time, I end up washing just the wheels almost every 3-4 days. The brake
dust build up is just the last thing you want on these beautiful wheels.

So, for the lowest maintance wheels, i would suggest you get the 5 spoke
16's. :smile:



_________________
03MCS IB/Blk: 123, Aerokit, R90 17x7, Anthrasite Int, TK5 16x7, 6CDMP3, etc.

 

Wheels and tires offer almost no regrets as they are the easiset and most common aftermarket upgrade. To answer your questions.
7 Hole wheels weigh 12.0#, 8 spoke 15.2#
The R90s have less than a pound difference (heavier) than the 5 spoke 16"s w/ the sport package. (20.9 vs. 20.1)
You will not notice a difference in the handling of the car. If you drove a Miata I would say you could feel the differece, as the Miata was designed to have light wheels. The MINI may actually gives a more solid feel with heavier wheels and tires.
MSRP for the R90s is $190 each. What a dealer will charge for tires, mounting and balancing is unknown. $190 each for wheels is in the middle of wheel costs. You could save some money,and still get lighter wheels, or you can spend big dollars and still get heavier wheels. I suggest a call to Alex at the TireRack and ask him about the wheel options. (You thought this would be easy, ordering a MINI, wait until you start to decide on wheels).
If you are set on the R90s, buy them from the dealer, or at Classic MINI (a NAM sponsor). Classic sells OEM parts at a discount, but your dealer should meet Classics price, since you are buying a new car from them. (minimum 10% off)
Once you have your R90s in hand, buy tires from the Tirerack and have them drop shipped to one of their recomennded installers, take the whells to the installer and have them mount the tires and put the wheels on your car and motor on.
Chris

 

Thanks for the info, much appreciated :smile: