Aftermarket wheels?

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MichaelC

MichaelC

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I would like to get some lighter wheels for my Countryman SE, and I'm curious which wheels other owners have selected. Show me your wheels!

And if anyone knows the weight of the stock 19" Kaleido Spoke wheels, that will help me narrow down my search. It seems I can find every other spec except the weight...
 
Some outdated MINI parts catalog says the 2010-2016 R60 18-inch Double Spoke 127 is 29.3lbs. Personally I would like to say the OEM wheels you are inquiring about is well north of 30lbs.
 
So I looked into the wheels for the U25, and there are very limited options. The worst part is that you will probably have to import the aluminum alloy wheels from Canada (i.e. Fastco) that will be subject to tariffs. If you want to replace the 19x8in OEM wheels with a direct fit (no spacers), then you will need something in the 40-48mm offset range and 5x112mm bolt pattern. USA unfortunately is not a big global player on primary aluminum production.
 
Yeah, I looked at Fastco briefly. You're right about tariff troubles making everything more difficult/expensive.
It's also kinda weird that TireRack doesn't provide any wheel options for the U25, even though its specs are basically the same as other MINIs (66.6mm center bore, 5x112 PCD).
 
So I finally got around to comparing the wheels to the F56 (195/55/R16), but I don't have a scale handy. The F56 wheels with the tires mounted feel like 41lbs. It's pretty easy to one hand lift it. The U25 wheels (245/45/R19) feel beastly! I can't even one hand lift the wheels off of the ground. My estimates put it in the 62lbs range...

tirecomp.jpg
 
Yeah those winter tires on the U25 are about 26.3lbs so maybe the wheels could be 32lbs or heavier. All I know is my body hurts after pulling out all four tires to clean out the wheels...actually putting them back onto the wall storage is what was killer.
tirecompact.jpg
 
I wound up getting 19"x8" ET45 Romac Diablo wheels with 245/45R19 Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires. Hopefully I'll be able to give Dory a proper hand wash this weekend so I can take some glamour shots.
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According to my bathroom scale, the stock Kaleido Spoke wheels with Continental ProContact GX tires weigh in at 60.6lbs and the new shoes are 51.6lbs, for a savings of 9lbs per corner. Not a huge reduction, but better than gaining weight - and I expect the new Michelins to fare much better this winter than the Continentals would have.
 
That is a pretty substantial amount of unsprung weight shaved off at 9 lbs per corner! It's probably going to feel like taking off ankle weights.

Keep us updated if you notice any range loss with the Cross Climate 2s!
 
Some better photos below. I'll need to put more miles on the Cross Climate 2s before making any official reports on how they perform. So far, they seem to be about as quiet as the stock Contis at slower speeds. They might actually make a little more noise, but the Countryman seems to be adequately insulated that it isn't noticeable. Lateral traction definitely seems improved, but haven't had a chance to really push them yet. Trying to test out traction has resulted in less efficient consumption, so will wait for more "representative" driving before drawing any conclusions. ;)
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The only downside with the lighter wheels is now you can actually see the high voltage wiring for the motors. I'm glad you picked a more low maintenance wheel, as my black wheels are just a pain to keep clean. Ceramic coating the wheel face (I don't coat the barrels for wheel balancing) worked out great!
 
teslarati97 said:
The only downside with the lighter wheels is now you can actually see the high voltage wiring for the motors.
Click to expand...
Robust, visible high-voltage wiring: The modern equivalent of side exhaust pipes. I expect there will soon be a market for fat, clip-on, fake high-voltage insulation to be the modern equivalent of oversized exhaust tips.
 
insightman said:
Robust, visible high-voltage wiring: The modern equivalent of side exhaust pipes. I expect there will soon be a market for fat, clip-on, fake high-voltage insulation to be the modern equivalent of oversized exhaust tips.
Click to expand...
That would be a good idea to make it all symmetrical. You can see the exposed wires by the driver side rear CV joint boot. There is no plastic shielding, but the HV connectors are partially covered (kind of hard to see from this angle). Slightly concerning for salted roads...don't try to ford a river in the U25!

u25bevwires.jpg
 
Made the switch to winter tires because overnight temps are dipping below 32F already. Winter tires use the OEM one. Driving dynamics wise, it feels certainly less agile and much heavier. However, the bumps are less pronounced with the OEM wheels. I'm guessing the rear air suspension is calibrated from the OEM wheels.

summer1.webpwinter1.webp
 
I think the mass/inertia of the heavier wheels dulls bumps in the same way agility is dulled. I have noticed that difference on every car I have swapped between the heavy stock wheels and lighter aftermarket wheels.
 
Yeah, it's just that the heavier wheels are more pronounced in the U25 than the F56. Only 6 more months to go before I swap back to the lighter wheels and A/S tires.
 
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