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      11-10-2019, 10:10 PM   #1
sirhodjibob
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Who's running winter tires on their Z4M?

I'm sure there's a few of you diehards driving your Z4Ms in the cold...

What tire and wheel combination are you all using?

I just moved from the Southwest and will be purchasing my first set of winter tires, ever (FML). I have zero intention of driving my Z4M in the snow, instead my intention is to be able to enjoy the car on the cold clear days and help preserve the summer tires on my current wheels. I also want to downsize from the 19" CSLs I have to an 18" wheel for better pothole protection/better ride quality.

Here's what I'm looking at ordering:

Apex EC-7
F: 18x8.5 +35 225/45/18
R: 18x9.5 +22 255/40/18

The tires I am considering are the Michelin Alpin Pilot PA4. Anyone run these or know of a better winter tire for cold dry grip? Also curious what size you all are running. I'm leaning towards the stock sizes for a taller sidewall (compared to say a 235/40/18 & 265/35/18).


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      11-10-2019, 10:16 PM   #2
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Not on my my M but on my older 3.0 I ran the Sottozero in 225/255 and it was fine (and quite fun lol). Either go stock or 245 square...
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      11-11-2019, 12:31 AM   #3
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I have purchased everyhting, but not installed them yet. This will be my first year running winter tires on my 2006 Z4M Roadster.

Apex ARC-8 18x9 square, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 235/40/18.

I live on the west coast of Canada, in Vancouver, so the weather is mostly cold and wet, not much snow. If it does snow or is too icy, I would likely not drive the car.

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      11-11-2019, 10:31 AM   #4
sirhodjibob
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Sweet. Thank you for the feedback, I placed my order. Is it bad now I am hoping for cold weather to use them?
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      11-13-2019, 10:57 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eggman51 View Post
Apex ARC-8 18x9 square, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 235/40/18.
I ran 17's and 225/45/17 square before upgrading to the PFC BBK that necessitates 18's (and winter storage) - ride was niiice and only concern in winter was lack of ground clearance + iced over tire tracks leading to a cracked front plastic undertray.
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      11-14-2019, 12:42 AM   #6
sirhodjibob
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Yes I bet the ride was nice with 17s! I may upgrade to Stoptechs in the future so 18s it is (plus...I'm shallow).

As a follow up the Alpin PA4s are out of stock and not in production per the rep at Discount Tire. So I went ahead and ordered a different performance winter tire- Yokohama V905s. There are not many reviews out but the few that do praise its dry cold weather traction so we'll give it a shot.
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      11-16-2019, 10:03 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirhodjibob View Post
Yes I bet the ride was nice with 17s! I may upgrade to Stoptechs in the future so 18s it is (plus...I'm shallow).

As a follow up the Alpin PA4s are out of stock and not in production per the rep at Discount Tire. So I went ahead and ordered a different performance winter tire- Yokohama V905s. There are not many reviews out but the few that do praise its dry cold weather traction so we'll give it a shot.
My go to in past have been Blizzak and Hakkas, both excellent tires. Keep us posted on the Yoko. Never used their winter tire but huge fan of their AD08Rs.
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      11-19-2019, 01:09 PM   #8
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I have winter driven my Z4 3.0i for the last 4 years, the last 3 have been on hakka 7s non-studded (225/40/18 square on 18x8) and they have been awesome. There is noticeable tread squirm in the dry, but once there is snow on the ground, they are almost unstoppable. Limiting factor becomes ground clearance. The amount of grip they provide is truly amazing, and provide a lot of control when you WANT to go sideways
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      11-20-2019, 06:05 AM   #9
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Blasphemy!:
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      11-21-2019, 12:15 PM   #10
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Its not the snow or the cold that gives me the heebie jeebies about winter driving; its the cursed road salt and gravel they use here. The stuff eats cars alive and corrodes the heck out of all the undercarriage components, boots, brake and fuel lines etc.

Snow + Cold + Z4 = Fun

Snow + Cold + Z4 + Roadsalt = rusted out car after a few years
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      11-21-2019, 02:59 PM   #11
sirhodjibob
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Success! Ride quality is noticeably better with the 18s, although as expected these tires are much noisier. Hopefully will improve as they break in. My only concern is with the more aggressive offset of these wheels it throws up a lot of gunk on the side of the car. May need to track down a set of unobtanium mud flaps.





Quote:
Originally Posted by Huz-Z View Post
Its not the snow or the cold that gives me the heebie jeebies about winter driving; its the cursed road salt and gravel they use here. The stuff eats cars alive and corrodes the heck out of all the undercarriage components, boots, brake and fuel lines etc.

Snow + Cold + Z4 = Fun

Snow + Cold + Z4 + Roadsalt = rusted out car after a few years
Luckily we don't get nearly the amount of snow you all do. You may want to look into Ammo NYC's winter driving videos and get some Ammo Winter Boost wash soap. Should help fight corrosion so you can keep driving your fun cars. I have had absolutely amazing success with his other products. I plan on trying it this winter although I will probably chicken out once they salt the roads.
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      11-24-2019, 01:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirhodjibob View Post
Success! Ride quality is noticeably better with the 18s, although as expected these tires are much noisier. Hopefully will improve as they break in. My only concern is with the more aggressive offset of these wheels it throws up a lot of gunk on the side of the car. May need to track down a set of unobtanium mud flaps.







Luckily we don't get nearly the amount of snow you all do. You may want to look into Ammo NYC's winter driving videos and get some Ammo Winter Boost wash soap. Should help fight corrosion so you can keep driving your fun cars. I have had absolutely amazing success with his other products. I plan on trying it this winter although I will probably chicken out once they salt the roads.
Exhaust, drop, aero trim, lip and shoes all look great!
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      11-26-2019, 12:58 AM   #13
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Thank you!!
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