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[llis]

I've been reading the threads, and seeing recommendations for tires in various midwestern snowy cities/states. Mountains are a bit different, so I thought I'd just ask:

In December I take ED on an M3 E93 with lovely 19" rims. Setting aside for the moment any question of snow tires in Germany, once the car is back home here in Colorado sometime late January, I'm going to have plenty of winter left to deal with.

My alternate car is a Z4 roadster, so my hunch is that the E93 is going to be the primary car for trips around town and occasionally through the mountains, sometimes on small roads.

With the clearance I'll have, I know I won't be bounding through everything like I did on my old Jeep or even on my soon-to-be-returned 335xi, but I do anticipate facing not just the usual snowpack and slush, but sometimes powder from ongoing snowfall.

Which is all a long preamble to ask, What snow tires would be best for my M? (I realize that 18" rims are the way to go.) Any thoughts or insights welcome!

(This question goes the same for the 07 Z4 3.0si w 18" rims I just picked up.)

Thanks!

[llis]

Giving this a bump, because I need to make some decisions in the next few days. I skipped the ED mentioned above to take an E92 off the lot. (Wow I love it love it love it!)

So now I'm looking at the wheels, tires and wheel-tire packages from places like Tire Rack. Any suggestions for someone who lives Colorado?

[Radiation Joe]

This depends on what you are willing to compromise. You can get dedicated snow/ice tires like Michelin X-ice. They won't be very good in cold dry conditions, though. My choice is the Michelin Alpin PA2s or PA3s. They're ok in snow and outstanding the rest of the winter time, assuming you're in sub-40 degree weather constantly.

You should both this site for more information and go the TireRack site via the button on the top of the page to do your own research.

[gthal]

+1... I have the PA3s on now and they are great tires in dry cold weather. On really bad days I'll leave the M3 home. If I absolutely HAD to have it available every day, I would go with WS60 or X-Ice tires for sure.

[mpardun]

Originally Posted by llis

Giving this a bump, because I need to make some decisions in the next few days. I skipped the ED mentioned above to take an E92 off the lot. (Wow I love it love it love it!)

So now I'm looking at the wheels, tires and wheel-tire packages from places like Tire Rack. Any suggestions for someone who lives Colorado?

Jerez black E92 from Murray by chance?

I am interested in the answers here - taking PC delivery in 3 weeks...

I was looking at:
Blizzak LM60's (best OEM like fit match and well rated for snow, a little "soft" on dry)
Pirelli SottoZeros (seem to have better dry handling characteristics)
Dunlop 3D's (seemingly a good compromise for CO: good handling dry and good occasional snow)

[STALKER]

I find Dunlop Wintersport M3s or 3Ds have a great balance of dry, ice and snow grip.

[signes]

Colorado guy chiming in. I have used Blizzak LM, Dunlop, and others over 5 winters and they are all good for "performance" snow tires - nod goes to the Wintersport M3 out of those. Good dry performance, holds up well to the power/weight of the car and does pretty well in snow.

If you are really going to drive in the mountains like I do, not just on city streets, I would strongly recommend a more aggressive snow and ice tire. My choice is the Nokian Hakkapeliita R, 245/40 all around and they are by far the best I've ever had for snow traction. I am heading into my third winter with these and I can't recommend them more strongly. The downside is that they are **very** soft so with the amount of dry warm-ish days in Denver, the tread can burn down quickly. Also, you won't be doing much full throttle driving - 414hp quickly overwhelms them. But, if you are looking for the best traction and not having to worry about getting stuck, these are the best. (If you want to buy from the Rack, who doesn't sell Nokian, a comparable tire would be the Blizzak WS-60 (or current equivalent.))

[ben@tirerack]

For mountain driving in an M3, I would go with a more serious snow tire, (like the WS60, or the Nokian recommended above). When contemplating serious winter weather combined with steep slopes, I'd much rather suffer the boredom of a 'squishy' winter tire on the dry days than the white-knuckle nervousness of not having enough grip if the weather turns nasty.

[llis]

On the Tire Rack website, it looks like I can get some 19" Blizzak LM-60s for my 19" rims. Recognizing that this would not be ideal due to the low profile, could I get by with these in a pinch?

(Context: I have a hwy trip coming up where I need to cross the Rockies and Sierras. Nothing more extreme anticipated beyond the California potholes.)

[Ryan@IND]

Originally Posted by mpardun

Jerez black E92 from Murray by chance?

I am interested in the answers here - taking PC delivery in 3 weeks...

I was looking at:
Blizzak LM60's (best OEM like fit match and well rated for snow, a little "soft" on dry)
Pirelli SottoZeros (seem to have better dry handling characteristics)
Dunlop 3D's (seemingly a good compromise for CO: good handling dry and good occasional snow)

Great choices, but consider the Vredestein Wintrac Exteme or the Nokian Tires. Will send you an email on this.

Originally Posted by STALKER

I find Dunlop Wintersport M3s or 3Ds have a great balance of dry, ice and snow grip.

agree but the deeper snows can benefit from something like the vredestein wintrac or the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R.

Originally Posted by signes

Colorado guy chiming in. I have used Blizzak LM, Dunlop, and others over 5 winters and they are all good for "performance" snow tires - nod goes to the Wintersport M3 out of those. Good dry performance, holds up well to the power/weight of the car and does pretty well in snow.

If you are really going to drive in the mountains like I do, not just on city streets, I would strongly recommend a more aggressive snow and ice tire. My choice is the Nokian Hakkapeliita R, 245/40 all around and they are by far the best I've ever had for snow traction. I am heading into my third winter with these and I can't recommend them more strongly. The downside is that they are **very** soft so with the amount of dry warm-ish days in Denver, the tread can burn down quickly. Also, you won't be doing much full throttle driving - 414hp quickly overwhelms them. But, if you are looking for the best traction and not having to worry about getting stuck, these are the best. (If you want to buy from the Rack, who doesn't sell Nokian, a comparable tire would be the Blizzak WS-60 (or current equivalent.))

^ totally agree on the Nokians. by far, the best winter tire that we have seen. downside is lack of sizing, but for a dedicated set, you can run the 245/40-18 all around and it will be your best friend in the winter.

the Hakkapeliitta is Nokian's studless premier winter tire that works as well as a studded tire. the dry traction is also great. for most of our midwest customers i tend to offer their WRG2 version but for the deep snow of colorado, i highly recommend that you give these a try.

check out the latest consumer report too...



More information on this thread: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=449740

[signes]

Originally Posted by llis

On the Tire Rack website, it looks like I can get some 19" Blizzak LM-60s for my 19" rims. Recognizing that this would not be ideal due to the low profile, could I get by with these in a pinch?

(Context: I have a hwy trip coming up where I need to cross the Rockies and Sierras. Nothing more extreme anticipated beyond the California potholes.)

Not sure when you're planning on going, but based on what we got today and will get Thursday, I wouldn't do it. If you are sure the roads are clear all the way, you would be okay.

[signes]

Julius, any more scans you could post with text? Curious to see what they say about the WR G2 and Hakka R. Kind of funny seeing those ratings for the R, pretty consistent with my experience.

[H Bomb]

i ran the LM 60's last winter on a 19 inch set of VMR 710 wheels. i got a little skinny setup from stock but still wanted staggered setup so i went with 235/35/19 on front and 255/35/19 on the rear

i was suprised how well they worked in the snow and ice and cold. when it is warmer out they do get a bit wishy washy as they are soft compared to the stock summer tires. i was able to go in a few inches of snow and only thing that would stop me from deeper stuff is the low front end

but overall it was a blast driving it in the fresh powder drifting around. on the ice the grip was very predictable. out of all my M's this one is the best in the snow yet or more confident feeling in it say compared to my M5 i had before this that was very tail happy and almost to much rear biased for icy stuff. this car is very controlled though and only gets loose if you want it to. the MDM mode actually worked very good in the icy stuff and kept it planted on downhills etc

i still have some tread left so i will run the LM 60's for a month or so and then try the newer LM 25's that are on tirerack

good luck and congrats on the new M

H

Originally Posted by llis

On the Tire Rack website, it looks like I can get some 19" Blizzak LM-60s for my 19" rims. Recognizing that this would not be ideal due to the low profile, could I get by with these in a pinch?

(Context: I have a hwy trip coming up where I need to cross the Rockies and Sierras. Nothing more extreme anticipated beyond the California potholes.)

[Brosef]

I had Wintersport 3D's on my 335 and Sottozero's on my 911. Just ordered the Wintersport 3D's for the M3. Dry traction is most important to me since I rarely leave the greater Chicago area, and the streets are usually plowed right away.

[mpardun]

Originally Posted by H Bomb

i still have some tread left so i will run the LM 60's for a month or so and then try the newer LM 25's that are on tirerack

LM25's appear to have been discontinued...they have been around a while if memory serves.

[llis]

Update: Just ordered 18" Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires, staggered 235/255. My only other option for staggered (in my timeframe) was the Michelin PA2 (not PA3). I'll know soon enough whether I made the right choice.

Being pressed for time, for wheels I'm going with the fugly Sport Edition A7 7-spoke cheapies (which are the ones Tire Rack offers in their winter wheel/tire packages), with TPM sensors. I'm looking for something sexier, since I'll be wearing the winter setup for a pretty solid 5 months a year, but with holiday driving plans I could not wait … or deal with the generally clueless wheel dealers.

(Why is it that wheel dealers selling all these sporty wheels know next to nothing about wheels for E92 M3s? "Will this style clear the brakes?" "Uh they should." "Will I need spacers?" "You might.")