Are there any 15 X 7.5's available to fit the S? I haven't seen any. How about 16 X 7.5? The only two I have found with the correct PCD and offset are Kosei K1 Racing and SSR Competitions. Are there any others? (I don't want to use spacers)

 

There are 2, 15x7.5's, that I know of that fit the Racing Hart cp-035 +40 and the SSR comp at +43. I know you said "no spacers" but the SSR's will rub the rear trailing arm slightly under autocross conditions. I ran several events with mine before I noticed a slight scratch in the paint on the arm and never heard any noise, for that reason I recommend a thin spacer at the rear if you go with the SSR's. What I have is more like a shim than any spacer I've ever seen. I appears to have been made out of 1/16" sheet aluminum into a universal 4/5 lug spacer. Because it's so thin and on the rear I feel it can be safely used without worring about the lost thread engagement, however I converted my car to wheel studs very soon after buying it and the 1.75" (total length) studs I'm using add just a little more thread engagement than I lost with spacers.

I got some 16x8 +42 Volk ce28n's 2-3 months ago and still haven't put tires on them yet but the wheels do clear everything but I will need to take a close look at tire to front strut clearance when I get around to putting the tires on them and about half expect to need the spacers I now use on the rear with the 15x7.5's to be needed on the front with the 16x8's.

 

I didn't know the Comp's came in that size. Thanks. However, I really don't want anything extra between the wheel and the hub. Maybe I'm worried about nothing, but I do know I'll worry when driving *spirited*. To passenger: "What was that noise? Did you hear that? What side did it come from?"

I couldn't find the CP-035's in 15x7.5 anywhere http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/wheelmodels/312 . I'll start calling around. Those are great rims. I was considering them for my Golf awhile back. I could also get Volk TE-37's in 15x7.5, but they are +43 as well, so some sort of spacer will probably be in order. Plus, I can't afford to buy the Volks AND powder coat them (going black)...powder-coating Volk's almost seems sacriligious anyway. I think the Work Emotion CR's might come in 15x7.5, but once again, I will have to call around.

So, you're bumping up to a 16x8? Are you just doing it for the wider track or more sidewall stiffness too? Did you find 15" wheels to be inadequate on autox courses? No matter, a 16x8 wheel is going to look incredible on a Cooper.

 

To find the SSR comps in 15x7.5" by going to tirerack and logging in as a Mazda Miata not a MINI or you will only get up to 15x7" wheels. The 15x7.5" wheels will be about 0.25" wider to the inside and outside of the fitment on the 15x7" wheel when used on a MINI.

Remember as you get the wheels wider your tires will be much wider and you may hit cones and other things (potholes and ruts) more easily so you may have to adjust for tight corners or obstacles.

To get wider rims you can look at Kodiak wheels.
http://www.kodiakracingwheels.com/wheels.html

You'll need lots of negative camber to make full use of wider wheels-
About -2.2 degrees in the front and about -1.5 degrees in the rear.

 

Do a net search for the Hart's, Gruppe-S had them but it looks like not any more. They have alwaws been special order as well and will probably take 6-9 weeks to get AND they will probably cost you as much or more than the te-37's and way more than the SSR's. The Volk's would take even longer to get!!! I have a set of the cp-035's in Winning Gold for my Subaru and I think they are the best looking wheels I've ever had and I've had lots!!! You would probably be the only person in the U.S. with 15" Hart's on a MINI.

As far as my 16's go, I ordered then to give me a broader range of tire choices for autocrossing. The only real choice for STX in 15's up till now has been the 205/50/15's. Wider is almost always better for autocrossing and one of the tires I'm considering is the Falken 451 in a 215/40/16. This tire is known to have soft sidewalls and that makes a wide wheel more important than on some other tires like Azenis RT-215. Hankook has a lot of 16" sizes coming out in their new z212 which is expected to be very good as well.