[BobsCooperS]

After being quite dissatified with what was listed here for wheel options, I did a little investigating. What I put on my MCS was a MOMO GT2 Anthrocite wheel. They also come in silver and white, so every color a MINI owner would need is available. I will be posting pics very soon in my gallery. But trust me, they look amazing. And just a bit of pricing advice for my fellow MINI owners. If you decide these wheels are good for you, OBBN Motorworks is pretty much the cheapest you will find. I don't work for them, so this is unbiased advise. They are in Georgia and I'm in Boston. Search them on the net, I think they are fabulous(the wheels, that is). Take care.

Bob

[MINIAC]

Anthracite MOMO GT2

[BobsCooperS]

thank you so much MINIAC

Bob

[DaveNagy]

More info on the size, offset, weight, and price would be appreciated.

Ah, what the heck. Let me Google around a bit...

Looks like 17" x 8" is a popular size for the GT2. That would work.

I haven't found an offset yet, although the cars that I've seem them installed on seem to suggest 35mm-38mm. Maybe a tad low, but certainly in the range that people have made work.

The going rate appears to be US$475 a piece. Ouch, they better be super light.

Yike, this page claims they are 26 lbs! Holy cow. It'd be cheaper just to throw a bag of cement in the boot! Yep, this other page confirms the weight.

But hey, I guess that's why this thread is in "Exterior Stying", rather than "Performance and Tuning". Something for everybody.

-Dave

[BobsCooperS]

Number one, I paid $276(US) a piece for my GT2, from the aformentioned company, OBBN...If youre getting quoted $450+, it's too much...If you are so concerned about unsprung wieght, why dont you rip out your A/C, complete stereo system, and all the extraneous weight thats in your "racing" Cooper...And I'll take a heavier wheel that doesn't snap in half hitting a pot hole, than a lightweight fragile wheel...just a few thoughts..

Bob

[DaveNagy]

Ah, $276 is a much better price than the ones I found. Good to know. Sorry if it seemed like I was insulting your choice in wheels. I'm not. They're just not my cup of tea.

You seem to assume a heavier wheel means a stronger one. It doesn't. (It does probably come down to: "Cheap, light, strong. Pick any two.") A good forged wheel will likely be both stronger and lighter than a GT2, but it might also be more expensive. Something like a Rota Sub-Zero is probably stronger, lighter, and cheaper than the GT2, but it's kinda bland looking. It's always something, I tell ya!

You seem to imply that things like stereos and AC affect unsprung weight. They don't. While saving weight anywhere on the car is a performance win, saving weight on the spinning bits is especially helpful. (Saving weight in the front, or up high, may also be conducive to handling.)

You also seem to assume that I won't be taking steps to keep my MINI's weight down in other ways. If so, you are again incorrect. I'll also be going with a lightweight tire. I've decided to forego a sunroof for weight and center-of-gravity reasons, and I will be replacing the battery with one which is about 30 lbs. lighter. I will (alas) be upgrading the speakers, which will add a few pounds. In my defense, I'll be using digital "class T" amplifiers, which weigh only a fraction of what typical class A/B amp do.

I'm not going to go crazy reducing weight; the back seat stays in for instance. But I see no reason to add weight "unnecessarily". I plan on going with 17" wheels, even though 16's would be lighter. I feel the improvement in looks outweighs the increase in weight. Sounds like you may lean further towards the "looks" side of that tradeoff than I do, that's all. (Nothing wrong with that.) On the other hand, some people will go all the way down to 15" wheels in a quest for ultimate lightness. That's cool too.

Again, good catch on the prices at OBBN. I may not be interested in these wheels, but our fellow motorers may well be.

-Dave

[BobsCooperS]

my S will be a perfect blend of performance and eye catching good looks...that was my ontention from the get-go...but, nonetheless, please feel free the web page describing them as 30+ lbs. Shipping weight, packaging and all was 52 lbs a pair...it doesn't add up, right???...maybe i was misquoted, but i was told 19lbs per...I would be very curious to see if I was mislead...light does = fragile...even dealers talked me out of $400+ wheels because while they are light, they can't take the punishment of everyday driving...again, please inform me if I was lied to...thank you

Bob

[DaveNagy]

I certainly don't want to accuse anyone of lying. I have no first-hand knowlege about wheels you bought. I have to rely on what info I've run across on the web. There's no telling if it's accurate. I'm no expert.

But it's an oversimplfication to say "light = fragile". Yes, if all other qualities of a wheel were held constant, the only way it could be made lighter is by removing material from it. That would make the wheel weaker.

But in reality, all the other factors are not kept constant, so it's impossible to gauge a wheel's strength by its weight, or vice-versa. What kind of material is it made from? What kind of casting/forging processes were used? What sort of design is it? (How many spokes, etc.) What's the quality of the workmanship?

I can't find much info on the Momo GT2s. Their website is pretty useless. What I have found elsewhere suggests that the 17x8 weighs 26 pounds, and is made from cast aluminum. That makes it fall towards the heavier end of the 17x8 wheels listed on http://www.wheelweights.net/ (In their list, the lightest cast wheel of that size weighs 15.6 lbs. The heaviest weighs 33 lbs. Of the approx. 90 wheels they list of those dimensions (cast and forged both), 12 weigh 26 lbs or more.)

So, the GT2 appears to be one of the heaviest wheels available in that size. One would hope that it would also be one of the strongest cast wheels available. I have no reason to think that it isn't. Then again, who really knows?

Can lighter wheels also take the punishment of everyday use? Of course. Forged wheels are stronger than cast wheels of the same weight. I believe that's an agreed on fact. A 26 pound forged wheel would likely be much stronger than the GT2. I'd feel pretty confendent saying that a (quality) forged wheel weighing only 20 pounds would also be stronger. But how about a 13 pound wheel, could it be stronger than the GT2? I have no idea. It's possible.

Since you've already implied that you don't really care how much your wheels weigh, I wouldn't worry about it. Just enjoy your purchase.

Post pics!

-Dave