I own a 2008 R56 Mini Cooper S with 16" run flat Good year Excellence tyres. One of the rear tyres's side wall is damaged as you can see in the picture attached.

My questions are:

- Is it possible to repair this kind of damage on a run flat or do I need to change the tyre?

- If I change the tyre, is it recommended to change both rear tyres for a consistent grip? All tyres are less than 3 years old.

- If I need to change tyres I will probably take the opportunity to change all 4 to normal tyres (non-run-flat) for a smoother ride on local roads. I don't mind not having spare wheel.
Any particular brands I should look for?

- A local tyre dealer recommended "Green Max" Chinese tyres which seem too cheap. Are there any good brands of Chinese tyres or would you recommend not going for Chinese tyres at all?

Thanks for all your help!

If you go for normal tyres, make sure you have the mobility pack with you.

Only punctures in the tread area can be repaired on any tyre.........sidewall damage like your photo is a not repairable for safety reasons.

Many tyre fitters and companies will not repair run flats at all, this is not for any technical reasons but because they cannot be sure that you have not driven in the runflat condition and so caused invisible sidewall damage.

Get the tyre changed for a new runflat - than with the money you would have spent on the other new tyres go into your local bmw garage and purchase the tyre insurance,this covers 2/3 tyre replacements per year due to punctures.Had three punctures on my 3 series within 4 weeks and 2 on my mini due to building work local.didnt have to pay a penny in excess and bmw changed them with no quibble - perfect
:)

I believe as I've done some research on the internet that run-flat tyres can't be repaired. Having said that with a standard tyre damage to the sidewall usually means a new tyre. If you are sticking to the run-flats I would just buy one tyre if the others are fairly new you will barely notice the difference.

I can recommend having literally this weekend done it changing to standard tyres. It has made the world of difference to my Cooper S (R56) and I won't be going back to run-flats. I can highly recommend Falken ZE912 all season tyres. They are designed for sports hatches and almost every review I've read of them have been positive. DO NOT BUY cheapo tyres! The Falkens are mid range like Avons for example and widely available although sometimes you have to order them in. I got them for £97 a tyre and to change all 4 was only slightly more expensive than changing the 2 run-flats that needed doing on mine.

I live in Shropshire and the roads round me are full of holes, if you live somewhere similar you will notice the difference instantly.

BlueBeastie mentions a mobility pack.. you can get them from Mini and recommend that too as it fits under your carpet in the boot and is your only option if you have no spare.

Also as a side note some of the tye fitters I went to told me that it changing to standard would invalidate my warranty and etc, etc. Feel free to confirm yourself but I contacted Mini and confirmed it made no difference.

get that tyre changed ASAP(today)

Thanks you all for your help.

I will buy non-run flat tyres for a smoother ride, and make sure I have everything I need to assist me in punctures.