M5/M6 owners. How do your cars perform in the winter(tyres)

[Zod]

TVR newbie said:

What winter tyres do people recommend for the M5 E60? i live on a slight incline so don't fancy having the M5 wrapped up in the garage over Xmas if i can help it (although i do have the wife's R32 which is AWD)so may get it some winter boots

Cheers all

The offical BMW wheel and tyre combination is 245/45/18 all round. You need their special 18" wheels though because normal 18" wheels are unlikley to fit over the brake discs.

[mondie]

Its coming up to the time to start thinking about winter tyres.

Anybody got a set of OEM 18's alloys and tyres for sale? I found an expired listing but have no way of contacting the seller.

Plan B will be to find some 19" tyres for my M6 style rims but l would prefer to run 18's.

[ecain63]

mondie said:

Its coming up to the time to start thinking about winter tyres.

Anybody got a set of OEM 18's alloys and tyres for sale? I found an expired listing but have no way of contacting the seller.

Plan B will be to find some 19" tyres for my M6 style rims but l would prefer to run 18's.

Mate, just because Harrods and local radio are pumping out the Xmas tune doesn't mean you can mention the white stuff just yet. It's only August, not even proper summer yet. Lol

[ecain63]

mondie said:

Its coming up to the time to start thinking about winter tyres.

Anybody got a set of OEM 18's alloys and tyres for sale? I found an expired listing but have no way of contacting the seller.

Plan B will be to find some 19" tyres for my M6 style rims but l would prefer to run 18's.

Mate, just because Harrods and local radio are pumping out the Xmas tune doesn't mean you can mention the white stuff just yet. It's only August, not even proper summer yet. Lol

[mondie]

Ha ha, in NE Scotland will summer ever come this year? Its my first winter in the UK so I guess l am starting to plan early not knowing what to expect

[pjv997]

mondie said:

Its coming up to the time to start thinking about winter tyres.

Anybody got a set of OEM 18's alloys and tyres for sale? I found an expired listing but have no way of contacting the seller.

Plan B will be to find some 19" tyres for my M6 style rims but l would prefer to run 18's.

I have a set of OEM 18" winter wheels plus winter tyres from my E90 M3 that I plan to sell this coming winter to part fund a new set of winters for my F10 M5 - only ended up doing a few thousand miles on them - not sure if they'll fit the E60 though.

[mondie]

Just took delivery of a brand new set of BMW M5 specific 18" alloys and Continental winter tyres for 1700 Euro delivered from a seller in Germany. Good deal as I was originally hoping to find a used set for around 1100 quid. Email me if you would like the dealers details, he is honest and a good communicator

Cheers
Simon

[Adam3441]

I'm a winter tyre believer after running a 530D in snow last winter. It would leave 4wd cars standing up steep hills with its winter tyres. They're that good.

I'm surprised insurance companies don't insist on winter tyres in winter like they do in parts of Europe. Would save everyone a lot of money in accident repairs in the long run. Much safer.

[sinizter]

pjv997 said:

I have a set of OEM 18" winter wheels plus winter tyres from my E90 M3 that I plan to sell this coming winter to part fund a new set of winters for my F10 M5 - only ended up doing a few thousand miles on them - not sure if they'll fit the E60 though.

The E92 M3 18" winter pack will fit the E60 non-M models. Not sure of the M5.

I had an M3, then got a E60. I had the offsets checked and they will fit, with a slightly smaller tyre profile than the normal 18" alloys - so speedo will overread by a little.

I have yet to try it on my car, but in theory, all the numbers stack up.

Using the M3 19" winters on my E60 530D will work out cheaper than selling them, acquiring new 18" (I don't want the OEM 17" winters for the 530) and getting winter tyres on them.

If you want correct details for all the offsets, etc, unless your local dealer is good, contact Carss BMW @ Bury St Edmunds. Their parts guys are incredible. Sadly the same cannot be said for Norwich parts section.

Edited by sinizter on Friday 24th August 11:28

Edited by sinizter on Friday 24th August 11:28

[Roidster]

Firstly, there is only one set of genuine 18in wheels that will fit over the front brakes on the M5- the Double Spoke 184M.
The original tyres for these are Continental Winter Contact TS810 245/45/R18 100V Extra Load. At the front, they clear the calipers by about 2mm if that!

Their snow performance is great, and when they are new so is everything else.
But when they get down to about 5mm, they lose traction even in the dry. Some of this will be the 40mm less width of rubber on the road, but mine have become a liability. I'm sure they are great in snow (as you would probably be happy to be moving at all so probably slowly).

I swapped back to summers today, and the difference is nothing short of phenomenal.

So, I want to keep using the winters (not this year as the weather is above 7deg now), and I'm happy to try different tyres but the question is which ones would be better? What are others using in that size?

I like the reviews of the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's. Anyone tried them on an M5?

[Zod]

driver67 said:

With winter tyres on, you will breeze by 4x4's with normal tyres on.

I had one for five years and that was literally my experience. 4x4s on wide, block-threaded tyres would flounder on snowy hills while I drove serenely past on my winter tyres.

[AW10]

Zod said:

I had one for five years and that was literally my experience. 4x4s on wide, block-threaded tyres would flounder on snowy hills while I drove serenely past on my winter tyres.

And your wheels (with new tyres) are still doing much the same!

[Zod]

AW10 said:

Zod said:

I had one for five years and that was literally my experience. 4x4s on wide, block-threaded tyres would flounder on snowy hills while I drove serenely past on my winter tyres.

And your wheels (with new tyres) are still doing much the same!

Those tyres were on their last year, as are the winters on my Aston now.

When they go off, you know it, even though they're still very legal.

[AW10]

I actually used them for another 2 south coast winters and they were fine. But for a trip to the alps I fitted new tyres. I sold the used ones on gumtree to someone who took their car to Munich over the Christmas holidays - I think he made it there and back!

[Zod]

Impressed!

[SBN]

Roidster said:

Firstly, there is only one set of genuine 18in wheels that will fit over the front brakes on the M5- the Double Spoke 184M.
The original tyres for these are Continental Winter Contact TS810 245/45/R18 100V Extra Load. At the front, they clear the calipers by about 2mm if that!

Their snow performance is great, and when they are new so is everything else.
But when they get down to about 5mm, they lose traction even in the dry. Some of this will be the 40mm less width of rubber on the road, but mine have become a liability. I'm sure they are great in snow (as you would probably be happy to be moving at all so probably slowly).

I swapped back to summers today, and the difference is nothing short of phenomenal.

So, I want to keep using the winters (not this year as the weather is above 7deg now), and I'm happy to try different tyres but the question is which ones would be better? What are others using in that size?

I like the reviews of the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4's. Anyone tried them on an M5?

I too have these continentals and in the dry at half worn they lose traction really really easy. Can't wait to put my summers back on now the winter (if you can call it a winter this year in East Anglos) is over