Wheels at the end of the tunnel...
So as many of you may know I have been obsessing over changing out the wheels on the MINI since the day I brought it home. To me this upgrade is fundamental to making the car "mine" - Of all the mod's I've done so far- none will make the car as visibly unique as a new set of wheels.
As most MINI-people know- the stock rims are very heavy for their size and the run-flat tires are also quite hefty. Additional weight in these areas yields a number of undesirable results for the car enthusiast. Without getting too into it here are some in a nutshell:
Those of you who know me well are aware that the goal of these new wheels has little or nothing to do with god-awful "bling"- and everything to do with a balance of style, performance and value.
With that in mind, I have been searching for over a year for the perfect set of rims that will not only complement the MINI's style, but simultaneously improve handling and reduce unsprung weight.
I have to say that I think the search - though long and tedious has been worth the effort. Like many great journeys, this has been one of self discovery, perseverance and patience. As long as I have been driving I have prided myself on wheel choices for my vehicles- while I think there are many wheels that will look great on just about any car- I think finding that one wheel that is perfect can make all the difference. This can be a tricky process. For those of you who have been wondering what my secret is- get ready because you are about to get a glimpse into the twisted mind of a wheel fanatic:
(that may be the dorkiest sentence ever written)
Ok so here's how I do it:
1. The first, and by far the most important thing I look for is the overall "line of the car": Is the car made up of sharp lines or soft lines? Curves or angles? In the case of the MINI its a combo- the front is very round and the back incorporates the sharp angle of the spoiler and roof line. The wheel's design should complement the cars natural lines and not feel like an afterthought. I've found that one good place to start when trying to determined a cars line is with the profile of the front fender by the headlight- followed by the rear fender at the tail light. This method has never failed me in the past but proved challenging on the MINI. What I soon found was that some wheels that looked great on the front of the car- fell flat on the rear. This was gonna be fun...
2. The second thing I try to define is my overall goal: Performance? Aesthetics? Value? In this instance it was definitely all three but in this order: Value, Performance, Aesthetics. My budget was the major determining factor throughout the selection process, but it was followed closely by "performance" which can be determined by wheel weight and the credibility of the brand. Once I had decided a target weight for the wheel- that narrowed the playing field by quite a bit. Most aftermarket wheels, even some of the expensive ones are surprisingly heavy (upwards of 20lbs at 17") I decided that my goal weight was 17"lbs at the max (which is not super-light, but is respectable)- that would save me about 3lbs per wheel (before the weight savings in tires) and still give me enough of a range that I should be able to find something nice. Turns out that was a good choice.
3. The third thing I do is look around and see what's popular: Whatever the most popular wheel is at the time, or for that specific car I avoid like the plague- Part of the objective is to make the car my own- falling into step with the masses is counterproductive. In this case I saw a lot of people going with the OZ Superleggra (I've seen at least 5 MINI's on the road with them)- They look pretty good- but would not be unique. They are also pretty expensive. So I wrote those off right away. I also noticed that Hamman was becoming a popular brand to see on the MINI- and they are definitely gorgeous but man are they heavy (I've heard them called boat anchors) - so those were out too.
4. Having set the parameters of my search- it's time to begin the hunt: Of course 90% of my searching takes place online- hitting message boards, galleries, car magazine sites etc- and wheel sites- my favorite of which is The Tire Rack. I like this site not only because I have done business with them in the past and they provide excellent service- but because they have an interactive site which allows you to "try on" different wheels with your vehicle - to see how they look. The system isn't perfect but gives you a pretty good idea prior to purchase. I was disappointed early in my search with the lack of selection offered by TireRack for the MINI. This lead me to branch out and for a while toy with the idea of buying from a less reputable site. I did find that there are some VERY competitive prices out there for wheel and tire sets if you are willing to hunt around for them.
In the year that I have spent searching for the perfect wheels I have looked in magazines, online, local events, and even done numerous photo mockups of my car sporting various styles of wheels and to tell the truth, not too long ago I was beginning to get pretty discouraged and almost settled on a wheel I wasn't sure about- then it happened...
"It" happened like so many great things happen in our lives- unexpectedly. I was surfing around NorthAmericanMotoring or NAM (a popular MINI message board) seeing what was new when I came across a post about somebody who had just repainted the panels in their interior to match the body-color of the car- I was a little bored and I decided to have a look. As I was looking at the pictures posted of the interior- there was one that caught some of the exterior in the shot- I almost didn't notice it at first but then it caught my eye... that glint of silver...could it be? I desperately scanned the post looking for more information on this car - I had to see a pic of this car from the outside- and then ..."thanks be to god this guy has a website!" click - click- click and it was all over- just like that. I must give credit where credit is due so here is a link to the site that ended my search:
The automotive homepage of Rod and Lisa W**** of lovely North Carolina
They have some great pics of the wheels on their site- here is a link to their Gallery
These wheels are Kazera KZ-V's
One note on the wheels in question:
As shown in the photographs they are 18"- While they look pretty stunning in 18", I will be purchasing these wheels in 17" for ride and performance considerations.
So what was it about these wheels that made them click so well- I think it's the split spoke design coupled with the bright silver finish and polished lip.
The split spoke mirror the stripes on the bonnet (hood) - and also combine a hard and soft line- they are straight in the spoke then curve into the wheel.
I knew I wanted silver for the wheel finish - but was having trouble finding normal silver as opposed to the new and popular "hyper-silver"-
And the Polished lip will react nicely with the chrome accents on the car.
Now I only had two questions... the questions that would be the true acid test- price and weight...it was off to TireRack
Turns out they are indeed 17lbs and fall well within the price range- it's like it was meant to be
I know what your sayin- this truly is an inspiring tale but what did you learn about yourself throughout this amazing saga? It's simple- I learned that patience and perseverance is key- had I not been patient and kept up the search I would have probably wound up rollin' on the Rota Tarmacs ( a fine wheel btw) from RSpeed- which wouldn't have been horrible- but had I come across these after the fact- it would have been heartbreaking. So the moral of the story is take your time when selecting wheels and don't settle for "good enough"
So when do they arrive? Funny you should ask. As you may have noticed there is a countdown running in the upper right hand corner of this page- that timer is counting down to my birthday- at which time I will purchase these wheels and the circle will be complete!
If you read this far I feel like you should get some sort of prize or something - this really was a rambling entry- but I guess it's been a long time in the making. I guess I can pass on some of the wheel related websites I unearthed in my travels- here ya go:
The TireRack
Edge Racing
WheelMax
1010tire
OutMotoring
RSpeed
WheelSpecs
DiscountTire
SpeedandStyle
DragonWheels
CheapWheels
RotaWheels
REV Wheels
The Wheel Exchange
Those are a pretty good start- it also helps to hang around the message board associated with your particular type of car. Some good ones for the MINI are:
NorthAmericanMotoring
MINI2
Let the countdown begin!
As most MINI-people know- the stock rims are very heavy for their size and the run-flat tires are also quite hefty. Additional weight in these areas yields a number of undesirable results for the car enthusiast. Without getting too into it here are some in a nutshell:
- Harsh ride
- Slower 0-60
- Greater strain placed upon suspension components
Those of you who know me well are aware that the goal of these new wheels has little or nothing to do with god-awful "bling"- and everything to do with a balance of style, performance and value.
With that in mind, I have been searching for over a year for the perfect set of rims that will not only complement the MINI's style, but simultaneously improve handling and reduce unsprung weight.
I have to say that I think the search - though long and tedious has been worth the effort. Like many great journeys, this has been one of self discovery, perseverance and patience. As long as I have been driving I have prided myself on wheel choices for my vehicles- while I think there are many wheels that will look great on just about any car- I think finding that one wheel that is perfect can make all the difference. This can be a tricky process. For those of you who have been wondering what my secret is- get ready because you are about to get a glimpse into the twisted mind of a wheel fanatic:
(that may be the dorkiest sentence ever written)
Ok so here's how I do it:
1. The first, and by far the most important thing I look for is the overall "line of the car": Is the car made up of sharp lines or soft lines? Curves or angles? In the case of the MINI its a combo- the front is very round and the back incorporates the sharp angle of the spoiler and roof line. The wheel's design should complement the cars natural lines and not feel like an afterthought. I've found that one good place to start when trying to determined a cars line is with the profile of the front fender by the headlight- followed by the rear fender at the tail light. This method has never failed me in the past but proved challenging on the MINI. What I soon found was that some wheels that looked great on the front of the car- fell flat on the rear. This was gonna be fun...
2. The second thing I try to define is my overall goal: Performance? Aesthetics? Value? In this instance it was definitely all three but in this order: Value, Performance, Aesthetics. My budget was the major determining factor throughout the selection process, but it was followed closely by "performance" which can be determined by wheel weight and the credibility of the brand. Once I had decided a target weight for the wheel- that narrowed the playing field by quite a bit. Most aftermarket wheels, even some of the expensive ones are surprisingly heavy (upwards of 20lbs at 17") I decided that my goal weight was 17"lbs at the max (which is not super-light, but is respectable)- that would save me about 3lbs per wheel (before the weight savings in tires) and still give me enough of a range that I should be able to find something nice. Turns out that was a good choice.
3. The third thing I do is look around and see what's popular: Whatever the most popular wheel is at the time, or for that specific car I avoid like the plague- Part of the objective is to make the car my own- falling into step with the masses is counterproductive. In this case I saw a lot of people going with the OZ Superleggra (I've seen at least 5 MINI's on the road with them)- They look pretty good- but would not be unique. They are also pretty expensive. So I wrote those off right away. I also noticed that Hamman was becoming a popular brand to see on the MINI- and they are definitely gorgeous but man are they heavy (I've heard them called boat anchors) - so those were out too.
4. Having set the parameters of my search- it's time to begin the hunt: Of course 90% of my searching takes place online- hitting message boards, galleries, car magazine sites etc- and wheel sites- my favorite of which is The Tire Rack. I like this site not only because I have done business with them in the past and they provide excellent service- but because they have an interactive site which allows you to "try on" different wheels with your vehicle - to see how they look. The system isn't perfect but gives you a pretty good idea prior to purchase. I was disappointed early in my search with the lack of selection offered by TireRack for the MINI. This lead me to branch out and for a while toy with the idea of buying from a less reputable site. I did find that there are some VERY competitive prices out there for wheel and tire sets if you are willing to hunt around for them.
In the year that I have spent searching for the perfect wheels I have looked in magazines, online, local events, and even done numerous photo mockups of my car sporting various styles of wheels and to tell the truth, not too long ago I was beginning to get pretty discouraged and almost settled on a wheel I wasn't sure about- then it happened...
"It" happened like so many great things happen in our lives- unexpectedly. I was surfing around NorthAmericanMotoring or NAM (a popular MINI message board) seeing what was new when I came across a post about somebody who had just repainted the panels in their interior to match the body-color of the car- I was a little bored and I decided to have a look. As I was looking at the pictures posted of the interior- there was one that caught some of the exterior in the shot- I almost didn't notice it at first but then it caught my eye... that glint of silver...could it be? I desperately scanned the post looking for more information on this car - I had to see a pic of this car from the outside- and then ..."thanks be to god this guy has a website!" click - click- click and it was all over- just like that. I must give credit where credit is due so here is a link to the site that ended my search:
The automotive homepage of Rod and Lisa W**** of lovely North Carolina
They have some great pics of the wheels on their site- here is a link to their Gallery
These wheels are Kazera KZ-V's
One note on the wheels in question:
As shown in the photographs they are 18"- While they look pretty stunning in 18", I will be purchasing these wheels in 17" for ride and performance considerations.
So what was it about these wheels that made them click so well- I think it's the split spoke design coupled with the bright silver finish and polished lip.
The split spoke mirror the stripes on the bonnet (hood) - and also combine a hard and soft line- they are straight in the spoke then curve into the wheel.
I knew I wanted silver for the wheel finish - but was having trouble finding normal silver as opposed to the new and popular "hyper-silver"-
And the Polished lip will react nicely with the chrome accents on the car.
Now I only had two questions... the questions that would be the true acid test- price and weight...it was off to TireRack
Turns out they are indeed 17lbs and fall well within the price range- it's like it was meant to be
I know what your sayin- this truly is an inspiring tale but what did you learn about yourself throughout this amazing saga? It's simple- I learned that patience and perseverance is key- had I not been patient and kept up the search I would have probably wound up rollin' on the Rota Tarmacs ( a fine wheel btw) from RSpeed- which wouldn't have been horrible- but had I come across these after the fact- it would have been heartbreaking. So the moral of the story is take your time when selecting wheels and don't settle for "good enough"
So when do they arrive? Funny you should ask. As you may have noticed there is a countdown running in the upper right hand corner of this page- that timer is counting down to my birthday- at which time I will purchase these wheels and the circle will be complete!
If you read this far I feel like you should get some sort of prize or something - this really was a rambling entry- but I guess it's been a long time in the making. I guess I can pass on some of the wheel related websites I unearthed in my travels- here ya go:
The TireRack
Edge Racing
WheelMax
1010tire
OutMotoring
RSpeed
WheelSpecs
DiscountTire
SpeedandStyle
DragonWheels
CheapWheels
RotaWheels
REV Wheels
The Wheel Exchange
Those are a pretty good start- it also helps to hang around the message board associated with your particular type of car. Some good ones for the MINI are:
NorthAmericanMotoring
MINI2
Let the countdown begin!
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