mike.cars

Hi Corey, Great advice and information. Thank you very much! -Mike

Hello MINIacs, I am new to the MINI world and look forward to joining the group in person soon for one of the weekend rides. I recently purchased a 2017 2-dr JCW from New York, and it came with Blizzaks (year code 2023) on the stock wheels. I'm guessing the previous owner had a set of summer tires on aftermarket wheels. I have a couple of questions/thoughts I'd like to ask more experienced MINIacs than myself... 1. How would you feel about running Blizzaks on some spirited driving like on the Oct 20 or Nov 2 runs coming up? Too warm to run that kind of tire? What are the negative aspects of spirited driving a winter tire in warmer temps - faster degradation, any safety concerns, etc.? 2. What would you do in my situation with these relatively new Blizzaks? A couple options I am considering are: Replace the Blizzaks now with Michelin PS All Seasons (what to do with the Blizzaks then?) Ride out the Blizzaks through winter and in the spring, get a set of aftermarket wheels with Michelin PS 4S's and keep the stock wheel/Blizzak setup for the winter Maybe some other option I'm not thinking about... I just moved to DC in June so I'm not sure how cold it gets here over the winter. I called GT Peace last week when I was thinking about getting some Pilot Sport All Seasons through them, and they seemed to lean toward keeping the Blizzaks on through the winter and doing a summer tire on aftermarket wheels in the Spring. What do you think? Thanks for your time and help! Mike

Hello MINIacs, I was looking for an "Introduction" section on the forum but couldn't find one. Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong spot. I just purchased my first MINI, and it's a 2017 JCW... well, you saw the details in the subject line. I have been a "car guy" since birth and am quite excited about this new driving experience. Previous notable vehicles include a 2007 Audi RS4 sedan (2 of them, actually), a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C 63 S sedan, a 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser, and a couple motorcycles (Royal Enfield, Buell). So yeah, a front-wheel drive, turbocharged 4 cylinder hot hatch is definitely a different type of car than I'm used to. But I'm super pumped about it! I'm also new to DC and have already poked around a little on the forum about trustworthy shops (sounds like GT Peace is the way to go), aftermarket wheels, and group rides. I'm hoping I'll be able to join on some rides soon and get to know members of the community better in person. See you soon! Mike