Nigel prefers Michelin over Goodyear
In this post, I said I was going to buy some new tires for Nigel today. I did.
The car originally shipped from the factory with Goodyear Eagle RSA 205/45 R17 M+S, which is a run-flat tire. The new tires are Michelin Pilot Preceda 205/45 R17, and they're not run-flats. They ended up costing less than half what the run-flats would have cost ($183 per tire versus $400 per tire).
As I mentioned in the earlier post, the original run-flat Goodyears on the MINI Cooper S have a speed rating of V, which is good up to 149 MPH. Since Nigel will go about 135 MPH or so, a V-rated tire is good enough. However, the only non-run-flat tires available in that size are all W-rated, which means they're good up to 168 MPH. That's overkill, and it means the tires won't last as long (a grippier tire means softer rubber, which means a shorter lifetime); but since it was the only choice I had, that's what I got.
My initial observation: THESE MICHELINS ROCK.
They're a lot grippier than the Goodyear run-flats, and the ride is significantly smoother. The factory tires were a bit rough over bumps, but the new ones smooth out the rough edges on the ride much more than I anticipated. I can still feel significant feedback from the road surface, but going over surface irregularities and bumps is a much more pleasant experience than before. The MINI is a stiff ride, so the isolation provided by these new tires is a welcome damper on some of that stiffness.
With the Goodyear run-flats, I could easily squeal the tires pulling off the line, and if I were to pull from a stop with the wheel already turned (as when turning right at a traffic light or stop sign), the tires would squeal every time unless I deliberately pulled back off the accelerator. The new tires are almost impossible to squeal; this will help both handling and the lifetime of the rubber.
Going around curves at high speed is similarly more stable; the MINI handles like a dream, bearing into curves at speed like there's no tomorrow. Of course, at high enough speed, I can feel the wheels slip a bit. With the Michelins, those same curves at the same speed are more sure, accurate, and solid. I didn't feel a bit of slip on any of the familiar curves.
The car has always handled curves like a go-kart; now it handles like a go-kart on rails.