Hello, all. A little background... This is my first post on NAM, although I've been following the forums for a while now. I'm ordering a new MCS this week and am considering purchasing an aftermarket wheel/tire package through my dealer (they have a Tirerack account).

I intend to do my share of autocrossing and track days, and I'm coming from an Audi A6 2.7T, which is kinda heavy and really can't get enough tire width. I would like to do 225/45/16 on the Mini and I realize a bit of trimming of the fender liner will be necessary to avoid rubbing, but I'm ok with that. I would also like to stay with a 16" wheel for a taller aspect ratio and a slightly more compliant ride.

First question: Is there benefit to be gained by going wider or is the Mini so light that it doesn't matter? My understanding is that wider tire = wider contact patch = lower slip angle, less heat to disperse per square inch, and less weight to bear per square inch. But I could be overestimating the importance of this for the Mini...

Second question: I ran a Tirerack search and there seems to be a lack of high performance 16" rubber in the wider sizes, presumably because there isn't much demand for these sizes. For those of you with 16" wheels, did this affect your decision at all?

My search results:
- 225/45/16: 3 choices - Michelin Pilot Sport (original, not PS2), Bridgestone S03, and Toyo T1S (not from Tirerack)
- 225/40/16: 1 choice - Michelin Pilot Sport (original, not PS2)
- 215/45/16: None
- 215/40/16: None
- 205/45/16: Lots of selection, but too narrow?
- 225/40/17: Lots of selection, but in 17" sizes

Please share your opinions...

 

First Question: I'm not an autocrosser, but yes, I've read here from autocross winners that the more tread (width) you can put on the ground the better. You can check out the autocross forums here and see what people are running.

Second Question: Can't answer as I've got 15's. You can run 225's in 15 size if you want, probably without rubbing. :smile:

 

Falken azenis st 215 and 615, great hp tire. Lot's of autoxers use this tire. I have 215/45/16 with m7 lowering springs, and get rear tire rub, slightly (not enough to bother me). couldn't tell you without lowering springs how big you could go, but with the stock springs, it worked fine, no rubbing, just looked like a 4x4

 

pure&simple,
Aloha and welcome to NAM.
I assume that your MINI will get OEM stock wheels for street use and these aftermarket rims and tires will be for track and autocross only or
Do you want to use the aftermarket rims and tires for street use AND also for track and autocross.

Dedicated track and autocross tires would be much different than ones that are used for both street and autocross/track.

Question 1. Generally for track and autocross you'd want a wider tire. 225mm is fine but the cost is a heavier tire, more expense, more rolling resistance and lower mpg for street use. Handling will be good except if you run stock alignment and camber- then you WILL wear your tires out very quickly at the track and at autocross.

A stock MINI is camber challenged in the front- (only -0.1 to -0.5 degrees for most MINIs). If you add front camber plates that would take you out of stock class for autocross but you will make better use of wider tires on the track and at autocross. Warning: on the track you can burn through a new set of tires in one day due to stock camber.

Question 2. For dedicated Track and autocross rubber you can find various tires that will fit a 16x6.5" or 16x7" rim. If you want to autocross you have to decide whether you want to stay in a stock class and run 16x6.5" rims which are rather limited in selection (AK monza, OEM X-lytes, or SSR comps).

For a street tire that you can use on the track or at autocross this is all a compromise. Nothing works well for both although the Toyo Ra-1 and Falken Azenis Sport and new ST-615 are worth a look.

In 225/45-16 you have the Yokohama AVS ES100 at a reasonable price that is a street tire that can be used on the track and autocross (not the best but not that expensive). Problem is that this tire size is meant for rims 7 to 8.5" wide with perfect fit on 7.5". If you use a rim that is 16x6.5" you can mount it but it will run a bit narrow- it is possible. Outer tire diameter of 24" is fine and rubbing isn't a problem if you don't lower too much or choose a wheel offset outside of about +42mm to +48mm.

Talk to alex@tirerack for more info on tires that can be used on 16" rims.

 

Thanks!!

I hadn't thought that far ahead.... . After all, I don't have my Mini yet. :smile: A nice street setup is what I'm after initially. I'm more interested in enjoying my street ride than being competitive in my autocross class. I'll eventually move to race rubber when funds allow. I had a set of Kumho Ecsta V700s when I was doing track days with my Audi... amazing grip. Thanks for the tip on camber - guess I'll bump camber plates up on the mod list.

Your comment on race rubber prompted me to do another search on Tirerack for competition tires. The most popular sizes seem to be 225/50/16 and 225/45/17, but those are both slightly too large for the Mini. I'll take a look in the autocross forums to see what folks are running.

Search results:
- 225/50/16 - 22 choices
- 225/45/16 - nothing
- 225/40/16 - nothing
- 215/50/16 - nothing
- 215/45/16 - nothing
- 215/40/16 - 1 choice: Kumho Ecsta V710
- 205/50/16 - nothing
- 205/45/16 - 7 choices
- 205/40/16 - nothing

- 225/45/17 - 21 choices
- 225/40/17 - nothing
- 215/45/17 - 1 choice: Pirelli
- 215/40/17 - nothing

 

Both sizes can be made to fit, with enough plastic "massaging" High HP cars recomened, due to both sizes being a taller diameter (approximatly 25.0) - this will only make your gearing taller.

Alex