JCW wheels on a ONE?!?!?

[andyjt1990]

Im thinking of getting the black john cooper works R105 wheels?

has anybody had any experience of this? whats the ride like and so on?

thanks

[fov_koss]

Well as i wrighted bellow in post about cooper and original 17 wheels... Even coopers acceleration getting much whorse with 17 heavy wheels. Ofcource the ride is much better. But it wont accelerate ! Thease wheels are needed if you want to go on faster speeds thrue coners... But why do you need this if your car will not get to this speeds in such short tyme anymore... I'm thinking to get light wheels. But you must try 18's on mini one. You will be surpriced...

[Interludio44]

downsides:
- they're heavier so it'll affect acceleration and fuel economy.
- less sidewall in the tyre means less "give" -> it'll be noticeably less comfortable, especially with potholes.

upsides:
- looks great!
- less sidewall in the tyre means less "give" -> slightly sharper in the corners!

[Paul]

Basically what Interludio44. The only real plus sides with bigger wheels per se is you can fit bigger, better brakes under them and if you live in a place where roads are super smooth and flat you can get more grip and control. If you go 17", in fact whatever size wheel you chose, the lighter the better.

Downsides are decreased acceleration, deceleration, worse ride comfort due to smaller sidewalls, less flex so less "give" and feel when cornering on uneven or "close to the edge" roads, increased road noise (often) due to wider wheels and tyres, more expensive tyres.

I can't personally see any good reason to fit 17" wheels unless you plan to fit big brakes or they came with the car you specced already. If I was going to buy new 17" wheels then I'd go aftermarket for some nice light rims, unsprung weight makes such a huge difference to the character of the car.

There's always pros and cons, but I feel with big wheels, unless you're careful AND have a powerful MINI, the most common benefit is a perceived improvement in looks and style.