17 wheels zenons dsc and cycle racks - advice please

[redditchmini]

Dear Mini owners,
I'm soon to order my cooper s but would like your advice on options :

- Wheels : 17' look great but will they make the ride too harsh - also are they run flat or not


- Zenon's : Reading through the threads I get the impression that setting up is essential , main beam is no different to convential ligting but the dipped beams are far superior. What are other members views ?


- Cycle Racks : I dont really want my BMW dealer drilling holes in thew roof - can anyone advise the best way to carry two cycles without trailer boards, electrics and drilling holes ?


- DSC : Does it make any noticeable difference ?


- Colours : Can anyone dirrect me to photos of electric blue MCS with 17; wheels with black and also body colour
roof. I dont like the white but I still cant make my mind up whether to go for black or EB.


Thanks for your time and help - all information gratefully recieved.

[Mugami]

impressions ok..

1. Rides to harsh on 17's
Define harsh. Granted its not a cladilac super soft feel. but rather you got the reg or sport suspension the Difference between 16-17's is minor and even then you would need to drive the cars back to back to tell a difference and its a whole heck of a lot better than my 87 toyota 4-runner or a 1994 Firebird ive driven.

2. Zennons.
yes there much brighter than normal headlights so visablitly in the lighted area is much better. I only wish the auto adjuster would let it carry a little further out.

3. Bike racks
Didnt know they had to be drilled. I dont have one for mine. But ive seen bike racks that would fit in the grove running around the mini's top and clamp to the top of the car with no drilling. these are universal bike racks.

4. DSC
Depending on the situration. Yes the DSC can make a big difference. Under normal non-spirited and non-emergency driving you may never notice it comming on. But on slick spin me on a dime siturations its worth everypenny.

5. Pics of a EB mini.
There all over the board do a search for EB pic. besides that no.. i really cant mine is/was Dark silver with White top.

these are my opinions and 2cw hope they help

[tonyp]

The package that I finally picked out was the Indi blue with black top/sunroof.

The Zenon package works great and the visibility is better.
I did not have the BMW place activate the daytime running lights because of the bulbs could run hot.

DSC is great on handling. You have the choice to turn it on/off mode.

Not too many people have the indi/black combo and I tinted the windows to sharpen the car looks. Will have pictures soon.

17-inch wheels help on handling and are runflats.

tonyp

[redditchmini]

Many thanks, your advice has been very useful.

So it looks like 17" wheels and DSC are definitely the options I need.


I've been able to find lots of pics of EB/White and EB/Black but cannot find any with EB body and roof. Can anyone direct me to one of these please.


thanks again

[Tom F.]

because for me it is not clear that the 17s provide better handling.

At the dealer I drove Ss with both wheels back to back, both had all season tires. I have some performance driving experience, mostly in Porsche 911s, so I felt I had some idea what I was looking for. On the other hand, it was not scientific: I did not check tire pressure between cars, etc, though both were demos and the dealers usually keep them to specs.

Doing donuts in a parking lot, I could not see, hear or feel a signficant difference as to when the rear let go, so I concluded that the traction of the two was similar.

The 16" wheel/tires are substantially lighter and so unsprung weight is lower, which definitely makes for better handling, perhaps trading off for the slightly larger contact area of the 17s. The lower weight of the 16s could also have a slightly postive effect on acceleration and braking ( less mass, less inertia to overcome).

When it came to ride on urban streets, however, there was a real difference- the 17s were harsher. Because my area has lots of poorly maintained roads and sidewall eating potholes, I decided to go with the 16s because of the additional sidewall depth to provide a better ride and protect the rims.

Finally, when I placed my order I noted that the SCCA National Solo II champion who frequents these boards, also chose 16" wheels for his MCS.

So it depends on where you drive and how you drive, but for me the 16s made a lot more sense, even though - since I ordered DSC and all the lights- the 17s would have been essentially free.

Hope this helps

[Tom F.]

It's Kev's car, in the photogallery.

[cleverzippy]

Saris bones cycle rack fits a treat on my MCS. Check out my gallery for pics.