[///MIKE M]

Why don't you just consider getting a cheap winter beater truck?? I did this and never looked back. The piece of mind of not having some moron hitting YOU is priceless. I always trusted myself just not the others sliding around on the road. I love my E53 X5 3.0. Your looking at a few thousand for a snow set-up, spend a little more and keep the miles off the M2 during the winter. I do have to say I really miss driving the M2 alot!!

I drove my lowered E46 M3 on Blizzaks for years in our NJ winters while literally plowing through snow, I assume the M2 would be similar if not better. Proper tires are amazing with the 50/50 weight distribution these cars have.

And I'm local to you if you want to check out an M2 let me know

[SeanWRT]

I don't know how much fun you'll get from driving a m2 in snow. An AWD would make much more fun to my understanding.

[Corinne]

I'm just going to have the summer tyres on mine and it's not going out in the snow or freezing rain. I don't want the underneath to be eaten away by salt all winter... If that means I can't use it in december and january it's ok.

[Aronis]

Originally Posted by Corinne

I'm just going to have the summer tyres on mine and it's not going out in the snow or freezing rain. I don't want the underneath to be eaten away by salt all winter... If that means I can't use it in december and january it's ok.

That is a good concern, if you bought a Ford. I have found that German cars in general are made from better materials and hold up very well to winter conditions including road salt. It snows in Europe too.

My RS6 has a 145,000 miles on it, drove through every winter for 13.5 years, and any time I work on it I marvel at how little corrosion I see on bolts and as such have never had a problem taking a nut or bolt off to work on it.

My experience with prior BMW's was very similar, 60k miles on an M3 over 5 years and again every winter I drove it (my only car) and lived in a harsh environment with lots of salt on the roads. So while that is a concern, not a winter driving deal breaker for me.

However, no question that the car holds up better cosmetically if you avoid snow and the need for a SNOW BRUSH!

When I was younger my cars were always cleaner, we all go through that phase and your priorities change, when I spring clean my cars it's still a big thoughrow job, but takes me longer every time I do it. Fortunately the M2 is SMALL! When you buff a Sienna Mini Van, you need to set aside a long painful day in the sun. And our Q7 has as much or more surface area and it's a long job too.

I was out in the garage replacing my 077-906-283-E-VAG EGR Valve on the RS6 and both my M2 and the RS6 are so dirty due to winter driving I could just cry....

Mike

[ZPrime]

Snow/"winter" tires make a *huge* difference in handling, and they've definitely gotten better with time.

All-seasons really should be called no-season tires.

I live in the Ohio snowbelt (lake-effect snow is a PITA) and feel that snow tires should be mandatory for all winter-driven cars here...

[bedensbrook]

Originally Posted by ///MIKE M

Why don't you just consider getting a cheap winter beater truck?? I did this and never looked back. The piece of mind of not having some moron hitting YOU is priceless. I always trusted myself just not the others sliding around on the road. I love my E53 X5 3.0. Your looking at a few thousand for a snow set-up, spend a little more and keep the miles off the M2 during the winter. I do have to say I really miss driving the M2 alot!!

I drove my lowered E46 M3 on Blizzaks for years in our NJ winters while literally plowing through snow, I assume the M2 would be similar if not better. Proper tires are amazing with the 50/50 weight distribution these cars have.

And I'm local to you if you want to check out an M2 let me know

A winter beater is a definitely a thought. Regardless, the car - M2 or 440xi - will be driven year round, so I would need to purchase a snow set on 18's.

Will definitely take you up on checking out your M2 when the weather warms up, Mike! Virtually impossible to find one at a dealer to look at, let alone drive around the block.

Btw, and not to hijack my own thread, but this European Delivery trip in early October will be epic. We (me, wifey, and my 24 y.o. son) are renting a chalet up in the Swiss Alps to see the annual Axalp air demonstration. Swiss Air Force F-18's and F-5's doing live-fire gunnery runs through a high mountain valley...it will be awesome. And I promise to post pictures here...otherwise it didn't happen, right?

[JPizzz]

Anyone try out winter tires on the 19” wheels?

[seis-speed]

http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JKBdOE2z4O4

RWD is more than fine. Throttle and tires.

[Hallongrotta]

I have 19" Aez antigua with Nokian Hakkapelitta 8 studs 245/35/19 works fine in snow.

[JPizzz]

Originally Posted by Hallongrotta

I have 19" Aez antigua with Nokian Hakkapelitta 8 studs 245/35/19 works fine in snow.

Thanks man!

Going to pickup the m2 this week. I’m dreading the headache of driving tires back and forth for changes. Especially since I don’t own an suv

[akkando]

Snow driving tips from m4 owner.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by JPizzz

Thanks man!

Going to pickup the m2 this week. I’m dreading the headache of driving tires back and forth for changes. Especially since I don’t own an suv

What headache? Put them on separate wheels, keep them in a stack in your garage...? Not a whole lot different than changing a flat, but doing it 4 times.

[JPizzz]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

What headache? Put them on separate wheels, keep them in a stack in your garage...? Not a whole lot different than changing a flat, but doing it 4 times.

Looking to get winter 19” tires for the stock wheels, would prefer not to buy new wheels.

[M2Nebula]

Originally Posted by JPizzz

Looking to get winter 19” tires for the stock wheels, would prefer not to buy new wheels.

Bite the bullet and buy a dedicated full winter tire/wheel set-up. It will pay for itself especially if you happen to slide into a curb and damage your stock alloys. Not only that, but running around twice a year to switch out tires and risking that the installer may damage your wheel(s) isn't worth it.

Too bad you just can't buy basic steel wheels any longer as they were cheap, took a beating, and looked pretty cool in black with some aggressive snows mounted.

[QM]

Originally Posted by M2Nebula

Bite the bullet and buy a dedicated full winter tire/wheel set-up. It will pay for itself especially if you happen to slide into a curb and damage your stock alloys. Not only that, but running around twice a year to switch out tires and risking that the installer may damage your wheel(s) isn't worth it.

Too bad you just can't buy basic steel wheels any longer as they were cheap, took a beating, and looked pretty cool in black with some aggressive snows mounted.

Agree with MNebula. One reason I didn't go with just a tire swap is the hassle of driving the tires back and forth. Just bit the bullet once on a wheel/tire set that I store in the garage and swap out myself. There are many options. The Apex special on this site has a picture of my LBB with their 18" wheels and Michelin X-ice3 tires. 19's would look even better. Don't forget even if you sell the car, you can recoup some of the cost by selling the wheels with or without the tires.

[JPizzz]

Thanks guys. It certainly would be more convenient. What would I be looking cost wise for 18” set? I know 19” tires are around $300-$350 a pop.

[gmzanatta]

Originally Posted by JPizzz

Thanks guys. It certainly would be more convenient. What would I be looking cost wise for 18” set? I know 19” tires are around $300-$350 a pop.

BMW makes an M2 specific set that is pretty damn good and hard to beat on the price. I think the whole set (wheels + tires) is around $2,700 CAD or so.

They're staggered 18" 640Ms running 235/40s up front and 255/35s out back.

The tires I got with mine were Michelin Alpin4's which are pretty decent.

EDIT: see my earlier post for photo of the set and car deep in snow http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...34&postcount=4

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by JPizzz

Thanks guys. It certainly would be more convenient. What would I be looking cost wise for 18” set? I know 19” tires are around $300-$350 a pop.

From TireRack, I just purchased:
4x MSW (OZ sub-brand) "Type 77" wheels, 18x8 ET29
4x TPMS sensors
4x Michelin XIce XI3 tires, 225/45R18 XL

Final price, including shipping to my office, was $1,574.16.

Wheels were $142/ea
Tires $163.40/ea
TPMS were $54/ea

TireRack mounts & balances the whole setup for free as well; normally that's $30-40/wheel at most tire shops.

Shipping was $136.56 - kind of wish I had asked if I could use my company's FedEx account, since I just shipped a different set of wheels & tires to New York (roughly the same distance as TireRack to me) and it only cost me ~$65...

Poke around through TireRack's "Winter/snow packages" section. They suggest a 245/40 tire on 18x8 or 18x8.5" wheel, but I purposefully went down to the 225/45 for a narrower tire which is better for snow. (Why they don't list this as an option I'm not exactly sure.) Both TireRack and my setups are square though, which means you can rotate the tires to help with life as well. The Michelin Xice are directional, so you can't do a left/right swap across the car, but you can at least switch front to rear which should help given that the rears are going to wear faster (being the only powered wheels).

If you don't want to equip yourself to change the wheels out at home, you can still fit all 4 in the car and have another shop do the actual tire change (it certainly is quicker and easier with a lift and air tools). Pick up a set of wheel bags / tire totes to put them in to keep filth off your car, and then you put one in the trunk and 3 in the back seat. Might make it hard to carry a front seat passenger though (I had to move the front seat up a bit and then adjust it back to hold two of the wheels in place).

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

BMW makes an M2 specific set that is pretty damn good and hard to beat on the price. I think the whole set (wheels + tires) is around $2,700 CAD or so.

They're staggered 18" 640Ms running 235/40s up front and 255/35s out back.

The tires I got with mine were Michelin Alpin4's which are pretty decent.

EDIT: see my earlier post for photo of the set and car deep in snow http://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...34&postcount=4

That price is outrageous, especially given that you can't rotate that setup, which will basically cut the life of the tires in half.

Granted, they are OE BMW wheels... but they aren't forged, they are not really any different from any other higher-weight cast wheel built to TUV specs. You can find plenty of quality aftermarket wheels that meet these specs and don't cost what BMW wants to charge for cast wheels.

[M2Nebula]

ZPrime ^ No Brainer at that price. Think the square and narrower set-up was a good decision as well. Thinner and a bit higher side wall makes sense along with rotation option.

[gmzanatta]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

That price is outrageous, especially given that you can't rotate that setup, which will basically cut the life of the tires in half.

Granted, they are OE BMW wheels... but they aren't forged, they are not really any different from any other higher-weight cast wheel built to TUV specs. You can find plenty of quality aftermarket wheels that meet these specs and don't cost what BMW wants to charge for cast wheels.

Note the price is in CAD dollars. I've no idea what it is in the US, but for us that's pretty damn good, most stuff carries a 30%+ premium over you guys south of the border.

Just the tires are over half the cost of the package....we always get ripped off

[DSTR]

My Michelin PA4, 19 winter tires arrived today. Tomorrow the car goes to my dealer so the tires are mounted to the original M2 wheels. Will miss my silver/ferric-grey 437's but they will be safely stored at the dealer.
Will be fun hopefully to drive the M2 in winter with these Michelin winter tires! Its a car, your drive and enjoy it!