56 replies to this topic

[Cooperman]

Both mine and my wife's road cars have stupid low profile tyres. Mine has 275/40 x 19 on the rear and 245/45 x 19 on the front. Whilst the suspension has been designed for these sizes I would prefer smaller and narrower wheels with more compliant tyres.
It is just a gimmick really although in wet or slippy conditions a narrower tyre is safer.
But the classic Mini was not designed for 50-profile wide section tyres.

[mab01uk]

 

why on earth did rover bother to do the sport pack? To appeal to a certain type?

 

 

 

Sportspack-like body kits had apparently been popular in Germany for a while (think LAMM cabrio) and so BMW pushed for it.

 

 

Also the Mini Silverstone (1993), Mini Silver Bullet (1995) and Mini Blue Star (1996) Limited Editions for Germany

https://en.wikipedia...ons#Export-only

 

Mini Silverstone

• Market: Germany
• Year: 1993
• Engine: 1,275 cc
• Exterior colour:
  • Black
• Decals/badges: Coachlines and crossed-checkered-flag "Silverstone" decals
• Interior: Leather seat edging with cloth inserts and red piping; birdseye maple dashboard, door cappings, and gear knob; maroon carpets
• Equipment: 6x13 "Revolution" alloy wheels, "German" wheel arches

Mini Silver Bullet

• Market: Germany
• Year: 1995
• Engine: 1,275 cc
• Exterior colour:
  • Silver Metallic
• Exterior trim: Body-coloured wheel arches
• Decals/badges: Coachlines with "Silver Bullet" decals
• Interior: Full black leather seats with red piping; elm dashboard, door cappings, door pulls, and gear knob; black leather gaiter; Magnolia instruments; black carpets
• Equipment: 13x6 five-spoke "Revolution" alloy wheels, Sportspack wheel arches, twin spotlamps
• Production: 400 for Germany

The steering wheel used in the Silver Bullet is a RAID model 13D.

 

Mini Blue Star

• Market: Germany
• Year: 1996
• Engine: 1,275 cc
• Exterior colour:
  • Tahiti Blue Metallic (JRJ)
• Exterior trim: Body-colored wheel arches
• Decals/badges: Coachlines with "Blue Star" script decals
• Interior: Full blue leather seats with gray piping; elm dashboard, door cappings, door pulls, steering wheel, gear knob, and handbrake grip; blue leather gaiter; Magnolia instruments; black carpets
• Equipment: 13x6 alloy "Sportspack" wheels, "German" wheel arches, twin spotlamps
• Production: 500

The steering wheel used in the Blue Star is a RAID model 13D.

Edited by mab01uk, 11 October 2017 - 11:34 AM.

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

Rover and Austin rover marketing staff were nuts. The more you look into it the more so called "limited edition" models there were. The most limited edition ones now were probably the standard models like Mayfair and city's. Saying that, perhaps they were geniuses, keeping the car in production for 40 years.

[some1158]

Rover and Austin rover marketing staff were nuts. The more you look into it the more so called "limited edition" models there were. The most limited edition ones now were probably the standard models like Mayfair and city's. Saying that, perhaps they were geniuses, keeping the car in production for 40 years.

 

Yes, most of the LEs were cosmetic upgrades on the standard City/Sprite and Mayfair cars, but they did allow Austin Rover/Rove to try out things which weren't normally available on the standard cars, e.g. when the Racing and Flame (and Sky and Rose) cars came out in 89 they were unique in having two colours, and some of the 90s LEs used unusual paint colours. 

 

The LEs were largely killed off in the MPI era when greater individual personalisation was available and cars were built to order to a greater extent than before. Previously an LE would have been an obvious way of having a distinctive car, but once the options list increased you could have something that was more or less unique.

[wingnut]

I bought a brand new sports pack new in 2000,purely on the looks and did not drive one beforehand.I just assumed that they would drive like all the minis i had owned previously,with maybe just a little heavier steering.

Oh how wrong was I!

I had nothing but trouble with uneven wear on the front tyres,not pulling up in a straight line and wayward steering.I kept it for a year and then down traded to a 1991 rover cooper.It drove so much better and rekindled my love for minis

10 or 12 inch wheels with skinny tyres all the way!!!!

[hennasxi]

I own both a 12" shod MPi and a Sports Pack and yes the 12" one is quicker, handles much more precisely and more old school mini like than the Sports Pack, so everything that has been said is true.  However, you cannot deny the Sports Pack look brought the old mini right up date on the styling angle and especially the silver roof 2000 model year cars are very eye catching.   So I am lucky enough to have the best of both worlds in the form of the MPi.   The little 145 tyres in the 12" rims do give incredible levels of grip for what they are, which is more to do with the more natural setup of the car.   Everything is under extra stress with the 13" wheels on, and they do eat bearings as a result.

[Cooperman]

I know it's a personal opinion, but I always think the cleanest and crispest Minis are the early cars with no 'embellishments'.

Once they started adding things like arch extensions and very wide large wheels the original superb clean design disapperared.

I saw a Sportspack on the road recently and it looked like a 'bitza' with the very wide arch extensions, etc, plus the big wing/door mirrors.

Look at the original 850 and see how smart and 'unfussy' it looks. It is functional and neat.

 

The only poor point with the early cars was the lack of interior trim. This did improve over the years, but the early cars did not even have a coolant temperature gauge, just a speedo and fuel gauge.

[mab01uk]

but the early cars did not even have a coolant temperature gauge, just a speedo and fuel gauge.

 

Modern cars are full of gadgets but many no longer have a coolant temperature gauge, I have been informed that this is because the average driver today would not know or care what it is for, so in case of a problem the onboard computer will just tell you to stop asap or visit the dealer workshop.

Where coolant temperature gauges are still fitted they are usually 'dumb' gauges which move to 'normal' quickly and do not register variations in temperature unless it becomes extreme......this is so that the modern driver does not get alarmed or confused by too much movement of the gauge between hot and cold!

Edited by mab01uk, 31 October 2017 - 11:24 PM.

[silver_toes]

Wow, really interesting thread

 

I have an MPI sportspack on 13's. I have to admit, when i bought it I didn't know much about minis. It looked nice and I did the typical thing of falling in love with it (a bodywork restoration and engine/gearbox rebuild may have slight lessened my love for it more recently though  )

 

A few months ago I had the privilege of driving a stock MK3 Copper S on a track. I have to say the handling difference between a stock mini on 12's (I think) and my overweight MPI on 13's is massive. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have chosen a mini on 10's or 12's

[Midas Mk1]

Sportspack on 10's is a winning combination, best of both. 

[pete l]

Wouldn't that look out of proportion ?

[Midas Mk1]

Nope...

[pete l]

Got any pics ?

 

I'm asking because I will be on wide 12" wheels and would like to know what they would look like with sportspack arches

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

Got any pics ?

 

I'm asking because I will be on wide 12" wheels and would like to know what they would look like with sportspack arches

you would need to do the arches too

[Cooperman]

The increased frontal area of the later cars means they are slower for the same power than early cars.

If you look at the drag caused by the arch extensions, the wider tyres and those huge wing mirrors it is huge.

In the wet a Mini is best on 145 section tyres as the increased contact pressure between tyre and road helps grim and also squeezes the water out better. For dry roads a 165 section is the widest to use for optimum road-holding. I always think handling is best on a 145 width, wet or dry. 

 

Choose the best wheels then select arch extensions of the right size, as narrow as you can get away with. A standard 4.5" x 12" wheel needs no arch extension and that is ideal.