not convinced R56 fitted with 18's

[Scottie]

click here (http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=125099&d=1164670218)


click here (http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=125098&d=1164670218)

IMO people fitting 18's are going to have to lower the car.

even without lowering in normal stance the car really does stand high with them on. It's not a look I'm liking.

[ianking]

Are those mini wheels or after market. They look nice although you are right about the car needing lowered. I do like the wheels on the black E46 sitting next to the mini though.

[Scottie]

they LOOK after market to me. Then again it's Europe so they might be able to get different wheels to us.

Think it is going to be really hard to fill those arches up without lowering even 18's don't do the job with the lower profile tyre.

Been reading over in Mini2 with the suspension having more travel. Paul Mullet was out testing the loan cooper S with 17's on and the wheel arch trims and inner lining came loose on both sides what caused this wheels rubbing.??? Oh dear:(:(

"After returning I thought I'd take a few snaps of the now comparatively filthy Cooper S. Of note was that the apparently modified rear aerodynamics to reduce spray and muck on the back of the car appear to have negligible effect, I couldn't see out of the rear most of the journey, and it was filthy as you'd expect when I got out to inspect things. What I wasn't expecting was to find bits of trim hanging out of place, apparently broken, on both sides of the front wheels. The grey plastic wheel arch trim had at some point on my drive had popped out of place at the rear of the front wheel arches, on both sides. It appears to the untrained eye that the wheels maybe rebounded, hit the trim and knocked it out of place! This was a BIG surprise for me, because these are roads I tackle frequently in my own Cooper S without incident. Was it due to the softer suspension allowing more travel, when did it happen? I have no idea, there's uneven and slightly jarring bits of road on the route, but as I've said I've never had a problem before, and I don't recall any of the tens of MINIs on the Darkness Run knocking wheel arch trim lose on both sides either. Whatever happened, it was disappointing to find to say the least"

[james f]

i think your right Fi they defo look aftermarket (look like kahns or wolf race to me) but it relay dose need to be lowered at least 30mm by the looks of it minis always do look better with a bit of drop on em just trying ot find the 20mm koni springs for mine other wise i will destroy the bottom on our drive

[sh@z]

Even on the older mini, with 18s and not lowered, it looked like a 4x4, so not a lot has changed. I reckon that one looks worse because its such a new car and the suspension hasn't had a chance to settle a bit.

[Gismo]

I reckon those Mini's have the suspension blocks still in ;)

[ELFMAN]

It's yon MASSIVE wheel arches! Wheels def. look 'aftermarket'. Also being brand new, as Sh@z said, it hasn't 'settled' yet. I mentioned ages ago in one of my rants that whereas 16's are OK on the old car, they look TINY on the R56, so 17's are the new 16's, and 18's are the new 17's.... Glad to hear that the much touted “improved build quality” is shining through though.

[Scottie]

as much as it pains me to say this Elfman I think your right about the massive arches:eek: but I now think of it as the new design feature.;) my 16's look tiny:( and 17's with the lower profile tyre dodn't look any better:(

[euan]

I'd be interested to see the arches painted, may just stop the illusion that the wheels are small!

[ELFMAN]

Fiona, you're not getting it. It's no fun if you start agreeing with me!

I think the new car looks pretty good with, say, those shiny R105's (I may have the name wrong), however, there's a photo in the JCW Brochure for the R56 with a new style of 18" Alloy which is, to use the technical term, “Boggin'” and it still looks too small. I think the new car will be quite reliant on wheel style/size to get that 'balance' right - but you're still going to have to go a size bigger than you think, with the attendant Ride/ Handling pitfalls. Hmmm. See, it's BIGGER than the measurements would have you believe (fnaaarrrrr etc)... But I think with a bit of thought it can still look great. Just not as great as the old one. I know a set of wheels that I reckon would look FAB on the R56, especially a red/black roof one. I was going to go for them if I bought one, but I didn't..... and I'm not telling you what they are.

[ELFMAN]

PS, You could obviously lower it to compensate for the gap, but then that fabby new suspension everybody loves is in the bin...... Again, do you go for looks, or do you go for a drive???