I replaced my 17" S lites w/OEM Goodyear runflats this weekend with 15" OZ Ultraleggeras (12lbs/wheel) and Yoko AVID V4S in 205/55/15 and I'm amazed how much better the car rides now. feedback is just as good, transition is a little softer, but over potholes & bumps it's amazing. I hardly get any kickback from the steering wheel from deep potholes, half my rattles are gone, and most of those nasty road imperfections that would upset the MINI in fast turns don't affect her anymore. Acceleration seems a little brisker as well, and I'm not dodging potholes anymore. Overall this was a big upgrade to the suspension, and I'm not slowing down for all the craters and railroad tracks around here as much anymore. I am curious to see how the Yokos do in the rain as the tread design is unidirectional. The 205 Yokos look wider than the 205 Goodyears, both mounted on 7" rims, maybe due to the shoulder design, and with the 37mm offset of the OZ the 15"s appear to stick out more than the OEMs. But no clearance issues, and the OEM calipers seem to have a lot of clearance. Also the stock lug bolts & stock lug wrench fit fine with plenty of clearance. The MINI feels 200lbs lighter! If anyone is looking for some clean low mileage S-Lites in the S. Carolina area check the classifieds...

 

Did I miss the Pics?

 

...no pics yet, spent the weekend breaking in the new tires, will post pics soon.