Ok newbie question and looking for opinion.

I am looking at purchasing a set of the TR Motorsports C1s for my 2013 Cooper (non-s) with 205/50 R16 Continental ExtremeContact DW tires.
The 16x6.5 C1s are 14.4 lbs; the 16x7 C1s are 15.2 lbs. Obviously I would like to stay with the lightest weight if possible.

My question:
With the 205 width tire, would I lose much 'turn-in' on the 6.5" wide wheel vs the 7"?

I had a Mazda Protege MP3 a while back and remember going from a 205 to 215 and it lost a LOT of turn in feel, however, it may have just been the tires. This is mostly for daily driving with Autocross 2-3 times per year.

Opinions? Experiences?

Thank you!

 

6.5 is OEM, the measuring rim for the tire, are required in SCCA Solo2 stock classes, and work well. Although the 7" would be marginally better, I suspect if you drove each rim back to back you'd be hard pressed to feel the difference. The tires are on closeout at TireRack for $84. They are excellent in the rain, good in the dry.

 

Yes, thank you. I usually run in ST anyway, so I dont HAVE to have 6.5 width; it would purely be for unsprung weight reasons to choose that.

The $84 price on the Conti's at tirerack seem to be a great deal, so hopefully I can get into a set before they are all gone. My main concern is noise, followed closely by grip, so I think its a good tire choice for me.

Thanks for the input!

 

I think overall your best bet will be-

16x6.5

Due to:
Less cost
Less weight
Fits 205/50-16 tire size perfectly
Legal for Stock class SCCA autocross this year, next year you can also run 16x7 in street stock class.

Handling is largely based on the tire you choose not due to the 6.5 vs 7" wheel width.
Tire size with lower sidewall and tire model with stiffer sidewall construction will usually allow for more responsive turn-in.

The Continental ExtremeContact DW is known for a more comfortable ride with good handling so it is likely you will be fine.

 

Thanks everyone for the info.

I usually run in ST anyway but might consider running in HS next year if the tires change to 140 tread wear. Will have to see.

I decided to go with 16x7" but actually went with Konig Foil's due to them being available in Silver (vs the Light Grey on the C1s). Since this is more for daily driving than serious autox, i figured that I will have to look at them each day and I should get the color i want! Only sucky thing is that they are 40mm offset, so that means they wont be within spec for HS even if the change happens to allow 16x7s next year. But I'm not that competitive: just locally and I will get some dedicated wheels/tires if I decide to be more active.

Thanks everyone for the input! I'll put up some pictures once they come in!

EDIT: Just an update - I just got a call back; Konig Foils are now discontinued and are no longer available... so I just canceled my order and decided to order the TRMotorsports C1s in 16"x7" from TireRack. I chose the 7" wide so I can run a 225/45 more comfortably in autocross later on, if I decide to, that is.

Installed! See pics here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...3-post529.html
Thanks again!