Hooray for science is all I can say. I seem to remember saying exactly this (that heavier wheels make a very very small difference to acceleration and deceleration), and that the only difference would be in ride and handling, and I got soundly howled down by all. About time we had some sense in here.
Some of the people in here actually said they could pick the difference in acceleration
And in the real world, having a wider tire offering more grip might well make more difference to the times (particularly in decelleration) than a lighter wheel with a smaller tire (as for MINI stock).
Ride in theory won't be as good with a heavier wheel though. However choosing the stock 17's over the sixteens may give you a car that corners better, and brakes quicker on smoothish road.
