I bought a set of 15" rims with pirellis for winter from a former MINI owner, not realizing they wouldn't fit on my 2011 MCS. So, now I'm hunting for a set of winter rims/snow tires. Do you have a set you are selling?
Also, let me know if you are interested in the Pirellis on 15s...
Have you checked to see if the 15" alloys fit yet? I was under the impression that very few 15" wheels (steel or aluminum) fit 07'-12' MCS. In any case I have a beat up set of 16" aluminum wheels I could let go of if you need them, no tires though.
Barrel size = inner diameter of the rim. Some rims have a very deep recession in the middle for mounting tires and that squeezes the barrel inwards which reduces the clearence. Some rims just don't have that much thickness in the barrel area so they tend to have more clearence available.
Case in point - on my R56 MCS the stock 16" rims just barely clear the front brake calipers. A lighter aftermarket rim may have less metal in the barrel area and hence a larger diameter on the inside. Each rim varies. You have to measure to be sure.
Have some fun, ask most wheel resellers how much the rim weighs or what is the barrel diameter and listen to the confusion that follows. I love the tirerack as they either have the information at hand or will call you back with it.
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2007 MCS Laser Blue 2010, 2008 BMW Oktoberfest Autocross - Stock Mini First Place
2009 BMW Oktoberfest Autocross - Stock Mini Second Place BMW CCA Driving Instructor/Engine Mechanic/Speech Recognition Specialist