Ok , this is now solved . I have been in touch with The Wheel Shop and after some debate they sent me a replacement 18" space saver meant for an Audi . This fits front or back with loads of clearance around the calipers. Here is a picture of the spec on the wheel.
Hopefully the final word on this. First of all many thanks for your input. I contacted The Wheel Shop yesterday and have received this reply which suggests they now understand they have an incorrect catalogue detail, at least for the MG4 Trophy ER. Hopefully, the 18-inch wheel they are supplying will do the job just as you described! To anyone else with a 24 plate MG4 Trophy ER with 18-inch wheels, if you have bought the 17 inch suggest you double-check it fits or get it swapped.
Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience
We are in the process of changing the listing from 17" to 18"
We can exchange the wheel for you for the 18" one
Really useful forum by the way folks, look forward to future input.
A rather long (I’m afraid) update to this saga that I thought I might share. It is purely for info and entirely up to the individual how they react to this …
Regrettably, since the above useful exchanges, and my initial very good experience with The Wheelshop, I have since had a very unfortunate and, frankly, very silly exchange with them. I tried some months ago to phone them to arrange, as discussed above, for the exchange of the 17” VW wheel
that they had specified and delivered as an exchange for my originally purchased 16” spare (this, my own fault and so at my cost). But as we all now know, and as led by the advice of Wheelshop themselves, the 17” VW does NOT fit over the 18” Trophy callipers.
Sadly, the woman who answered the phone professed to know nothing at all about this matter and didn’t understand what I was talking about. After more detailed explanation, she went on to say that the 18” wheel that I was asking for was exactly the same as the 17” VW one I already had, and so would not make any difference as it also would not fit. This seemed totally bizarre to me, so I tried to explain, very politely, that a 17” rim could not possibly be the same as an 18” rim, and could she please check what I was asking with the workshop or the boss. Eventually after much demurring, she reluctantly did so, and after a long wait, came back to say that she had spoken to both and they all agreed with her that the wheels were the same so would not fit. I then asked to speak myself to either or both, but she said that neither took phone calls from customers. I then asked for ‘Michael’ (as suggested above), but she said he was away. I tried once again to get her to simply swap the wheels anyway, but she just put the phone down. I then decided to try again via email, but simply received the following reply:
“As per our last interaction, we have advised that the wheel you are being recommended to by a forum will not solve the current problem [my bold]
. Once again, this is well out of the return window but out of good faith we will accept the wheel back and refund you the money. You can then purchase the wheel for a different vehicle but if that does not fit as advised, we will not cover fees to return it back. We will not tolerate disrespect towards the customer service team so at this time we can not help you.”
I replied briefly that the ‘disrespect’ was not on my part and included an image from their website of the exact 18” MG4 (‘Audi’) wheel I was seeking. Their brief response was that they had none and couldn’t help me, but would accept the 17” wheel back (at my cost) for a refund. I decided to cut my escalating losses and immediate returned the wheel. However, it then took a further 10 weeks and a ‘one last request’ to get my refund.
The excellent news, though, is that in the meantime, I had contacted
Spare Wheel City (somewhat tentatively, in view a few comments from others) about a listed
‘18” wheel to fit all MG4s with 18” factory wheels’, which they confirmed would fit. I duly ordered and it turned up after a week's delay by DHL, just the day before I was leaving for France again for 6 weeks – and of course, on trying, it did not fit! I emailed the firm and received an immediate and profuse apology from the owner, Wayne Powell, saying that they would collect it as soon as I returned home and it would be replaced – so long as he could find one that fitted for certain – or it would be refunded, all at no cost. As soon as I returned home, He immediately sent DHL in to collect with a promise to send the replacement upon return, and much to his credit, it was returned and replaced all within 48 hours! But the ridiculous factor here is that the replacement wheel was despatched from (yes, you’ve guessed it?) The Wheelshop! I immediately checked the rim ID per @AndyL61’s helpful post above, and yes, it was indeed the ‘Audi’ wheel. And it certainly fits the Trophy ER all round with miles to spare.
The significant advantage was that it cost just £125 delivered (or £145 with jack set) against Wheelshop’s £169.95 / £189.95 for exactly the same. Spare Wheel City now list the wheel as
‘18” wheel to fit all MG4s with 18” & 19” factory wheels’ on their MG4
link . I would suggest noting or sending Wayne Powell a separate
email saying that it is needed for the Trophy range with large front callipers, just in case – which is all I had to tell him. NB I can't see that he has any particular connection with The Wheelshop.
As I say, all just for information.
braumach.com.au
www.eurocarparts.com
