[Robin_NL]

Yep I've changed the setup to staggered 235F 255r only because of traction(problems), but it;s better to have smaller tyres (square) when in snowy circumstances but anyway...

Cheers
Robin

[quikM2]

I have to agree quite strongly with gmzanatta in this case Robin_NL . Winter tires don't exist because of marketing. they exist to save not only the life potenitally of driver but also of other people on the road or pedestrians. MPSS are not an all season and barely even a routine summer. they are a track ready street tire designed for hot temperatures. If it's cold outside hovering around freezing and you hit a patch of ice in a rwd car you are going sideways or you won't have a chance of stopping. I was in my subaru which is awd as you know i'm sure a few years back and left the summer dunlops on and we had some rain around 5c and overnight it dropped to 0c and in the morning i was going 15km/h around a corner and hit the patch and my car just started to drift all the way into the curb. Another time heading to work in my Audi S4 with winter tires but performance winters as opposed to snow and Ice and I hit a patch on a straight away and I slid for 15 feet. Lucked out huge there were no cars in front of me. All traction disappeared. It's not the conditions you leave your house in (cold and dry), it's the conditions that can happen at any moment. I don't think it's a joke or a shrug your shoulders kind of thing as dismissing your own safety is one thing but taking a 370hp rwd car out with track ready summer performance tires is a recipe for disaster and even if it only happens to one guy one place thats too much.

(Slowly steps off soapbox.. )

[Jadar]

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

Are you crazy??? I don't mean any offense, but you're on a suicide mission if that is your plan.

The MPSS are absolute garbage below 5C and below 0C you might as well be driving on caster wheels. They will have zero grip even on dry pavement when it gets that cold because the rubber hardens, nevermind if you get unlucky and hit an ice patch or something.

There's a reason why winter tires exist. People like yourself, who think "Oh it's dry, I can do this" are the cause of countless accidents every year.

/rant

While I agree it's not safe on a summer tire but 50F is pushing it a bit you can drive as long as you're mindful to take extra caution. But you start falling 40 or bellow I'd leave that car parked.

As for the patch of ice...don't care what tires you have it's not saving you.

I always tell all the brave folks with suv's ice is ice even if you had 8 wheel drive.

I run blizzaks on all my cars and am a firm believer in proper tires and winter setup.

WS-80 are on the wife's 2 series's
DV-2 on the pickup truck
My 335i stays stored below 40.

I don't take chances like that.

[slashrawr]

Originally Posted by quikM2

I have to agree quite strongly with gmzanatta in this case Robin_NL . Winter tires don't exist because of marketing. they exist to save not only the life potenitally of driver but also of other people on the road or pedestrians. MPSS are not an all season and barely even a routine summer. they are a track ready street tire designed for hot temperatures. If it's cold outside hovering around freezing and you hit a patch of ice in a rwd car you are going sideways or you won't have a chance of stopping. I was in my subaru which is awd as you know i'm sure a few years back and left the summer dunlops on and we had some rain around 5c and overnight it dropped to 0c and in the morning i was going 15km/h around a corner and hit the patch and my car just started to drift all the way into the curb. Another time heading to work in my Audi S4 with winter tires but performance winters as opposed to snow and Ice and I hit a patch on a straight away and I slid for 15 feet. Lucked out huge there were no cars in front of me. All traction disappeared. It's not the conditions you leave your house in (cold and dry), it's the conditions that can happen at any moment. I don't think it's a joke or a shrug your shoulders kind of thing as dismissing your own safety is one thing but taking a 370hp rwd car out with track ready summer performance tires is a recipe for disaster and even if it only happens to one guy one place thats too much.

(Slowly steps off soapbox.. )

But isn't everyone a racing driver who powerslides around every corner while channeling Jezza shouting "POWAAAAAAHHH!"?

[Robin_NL]

I agree when you get from dry roads into icy/snow circumstances you NEED swintertyres, but when it's +4 Celsius with your new PSS tyres even when it's raining(overhere example) I prefer my PSS over wintertyres in braking and handling. I tested it thoroughly with my ex 1M. Winters vs summers.

But if we're not going to get any snow overhere PSS are sufficient overhere also below zero, been there done that(last week it was -6 Celsius at some nights, everything fine, dry weather)

But in snowconditions , ALWAYS wintertyres!

Cheers
Robin

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by slashrawr

But isn't everyone a racing driver who powerslides around every corner while channeling Jezza shouting "POWAAAAAAHHH!"?

Yep!, exactly one year ago, rainy Zandvoort, used wintertyres

Cheers
Robin

[ajvdh]

Originally Posted by quikM2

I have to agree quite strongly with gmzanatta in this case Robin_NL . Winter tires don't exist because of marketing. they exist to save not only the life potenitally of driver but also of other people on the road or pedestrians. MPSS are not an all season and barely even a routine summer. they are a track ready street tire designed for hot temperatures. If it's cold outside hovering around freezing and you hit a patch of ice in a rwd car you are going sideways or you won't have a chance of stopping. I was in my subaru which is awd as you know i'm sure a few years back and left the summer dunlops on and we had some rain around 5c and overnight it dropped to 0c and in the morning i was going 15km/h around a corner and hit the patch and my car just started to drift all the way into the curb. Another time heading to work in my Audi S4 with winter tires but performance winters as opposed to snow and Ice and I hit a patch on a straight away and I slid for 15 feet. Lucked out huge there were no cars in front of me. All traction disappeared. It's not the conditions you leave your house in (cold and dry), it's the conditions that can happen at any moment. I don't think it's a joke or a shrug your shoulders kind of thing as dismissing your own safety is one thing but taking a 370hp rwd car out with track ready summer performance tires is a recipe for disaster and even if it only happens to one guy one place thats too much.

(Slowly steps off soapbox.. )

PSSs "are a track ready street tire"? With a 300 treadwear rating, I'd precede the word 'track' with 'barely' in that sentence. They're a big step down from, say, RE71s, or Sport Cup 2s (Michelin says not to even store the latter where it freezes, let alone drive on them). I've driven PSSs on both my M2 and my previous ride (track package equipped 228i) in sub-freezing temperatures. Yes, you want to stay away from actual ice, but dry pavement doesn't offer any issues.

I swear, it sounds like a lot of people here don't understand that the gas pedal isn't an on-off switch. Just 'cause you have 365 HP doesn't mean you use it all the time. Power is very easy to modulate in the M2, particularly in 'Comfort' mode.

As has been posted before, some of us survived the era when there were plenty of cars with significant power, and a complete lack of safety gizmos. I used to commute in S. Florida downpours in a slightly built up Sunbeam Tiger which had a higher power:weight than the M2, along with some intriguing handling characteristics. I knew enough not to mash down on the fun pedal in those conditions.

[gmzanatta]

Originally Posted by ajvdh

PSSs "are a track ready street tire"? With a 300 treadwear rating, I'd precede the word 'track' with 'barely' in that sentence. They're a big step down from, say, RE71s, or Sport Cup 2s (Michelin says not to even store the latter where it freezes, let alone drive on them). I've driven PSSs on both my M2 and my previous ride (track package equipped 228i) in sub-freezing temperatures. Yes, you want to stay away from actual ice, but dry pavement doesn't offer any issues.

I swear, it sounds like a lot of people here don't understand that the gas pedal isn't an on-off switch. Just 'cause you have 365 HP doesn't mean you use it all the time. Power is very easy to modulate in the M2, particularly in 'Comfort' mode.

As has been posted before, some of us survived the era when there were plenty of cars with significant power, and a complete lack of safety gizmos. I used to commute in S. Florida downpours in a slightly built up Sunbeam Tiger which had a higher power:weight than the M2, along with some intriguing handling characteristics. I knew enough not to mash down on the fun pedal in those conditions.

Check back in once you have a car totaled by some idiot driving in the winter with summer rubber. Then we can talk.

The other thing no one here wants to address is this: ok you leave in the morning, temp is below 0C, pavement is dry. It snows while you're at work...now what?

But I digress. This thread has me worked up because people don't take this stuff seriously enough until they get hurt, so I'm bowing out of the discussion.

[jiaming927]

What winter tires are you guys running? I am in Seattle area and I never realized that I need winter tires until I read this..

[SGL]

I'm a little in both camps, I think snow tires are essential to winter driving, my M2 has been parked since we started getting snow here in Minneapolis, but I've driven the PSS at near freezing and if you know that you can't go full gas, the car has been fine. I think the people that say to park your car below 45F are overly cautious. I tracked my car in April when the morning temps were around 34F and had no issues at all even on my out lap.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by jiaming927

What winter tires are you guys running? I am in Seattle area and I never realized that I need winter tires until I read this..

You most likely dont, unless you plan on going over the pass or you are not comfortable/confident driving in adverse conditions in a RWD car. You'll be fine in Seattle 360 days of the year. On the rare occasion where we get an inch of snow (it's been 3 years since we had that), you'll want to work from home or take the bus. If it's icy out, same thing, take the bus or work from home. On day's like today where it was 28 degrees and sunny in the AM you'll be totally fine. My 370Z with considerably more tire than an M2 does just fine in weather like this. I actually lived in Nashua NH (where the OP is from) and drove my Z on cold, clear, days when it was in the low teens. It did fine. I wouldn't go rallying around corners, but for Point A to Point B, it was just fine.

I would recommend you get winter tires for you M if any of the following apply to you:

1) You plan to drive it over the pass in winter
2) You live at the top of a really steep hill with no option to go around
3) Despite your signature saying "Seattle" you actually live in an outlying area that's up in the foothills of the Cascades and prone to more snow.
4) You are not entirely confident with a high HP RWD car on slippery roads and you do not have the option to ditch the car for a couple days when it gets bad and take alternate transportation.

Bottom line, if you cant avoid the weather by taking alternate transportation or staying home and you aren't confident behind the wheel, get the tires.

[Tag]

[quikM2]

Originally Posted by jiaming927

What winter tires are you guys running? I am in Seattle area and I never realized that I need winter tires until I read this..

why you have people still trying to express how it's fine when its cold IF it's dry or IF this or IF that is ridiculous. Will the car start when its -6c... yes. Will it drive on the MPSS in -6c... yes. It will drive on the road in -30c as it won't explode. it's not the point that it's "fine" to you. It's not the point that you can "manage" in those conditions. the point is the safety of if not yours because you don't care about your own the safety of others and if that means stopping in -6c 5 feet sooner on xice or alpin4's then you would on MPSS and that means you don't rear end the mother driving with her 3 year old son in the back seat than I would say thats pretty important. Do you need them? No you don't need them. Is it smart and a small amount of money to have the best performance available to your absolute beauty of a car? Yes. Is it smart to give the best chance of manoeuvring or stopping to avoid hurting somebody else? Yes.

So end of the day is there a bunch of variable like do you drive up a hill or do you get snow or this and that all the other nonsense questions above that dictate whether you should buy them? in my opinion the answer is No. the only question of whether you buy them or not is does your temperature where you live get below 5 degrees celsius or around 34-38F. if so then yes you should buy them. you should be obligated by your conscience to buy them if not for your sake and the factory finish paint of your M2 but for that one moment down the road where it will matter in that split second.

Honestly the only question should be in your scenrario does snow and ice tires make most sense (xice3, blizzak ws80, nokian hakka etc.) or should I get something more performance oriented in a snow tire (alpin 4, vredestein wintrac etc.)

[Artemis]

1M of forum fellow mattm (2014):

[quikM2]

Originally Posted by Artemis

1M of forum fellow mattm (2014):

Thats awesome! Looks like the dump we got the last two days here. 35cm in total of snow and it just stopped now. I made it to work in my car on tuesday and I was impressed how she did. Then I go to park in my spot and I got stuck 3/4 of the way in as it was just a bit too deep. I spent 30 minutes shoveling out and still needed a bucket of sand and salt under the tires to finally get free. I went straight home and put her back in the garage and worked from home. Stayed home today too for precautionary measures

[doug_999]

Originally Posted by Tag

Where did you get the winter set if you don't mind me asking? I've seen it on getbmwparts for a reasonable price.

I got mine at Elmhurst BMW. Bob Saboe (rsaboe@eagmbmwjag.com) gave me a pretty good price (I think $2,350 for the set?). Unfortunately I passed on my car when it arrived and now have them sitting in my garage. Probably won't pass on my 2nd chance coming up

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

EDIT: here is a photo from this morning. It's outfitted with the M2 specific winter set with Michelin Pilot Alpin4s.

So that's what those tires in my garage will look like on my M2...

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by quikM2

the only question of whether you buy them or not is does your temperature where you live get below 5 degrees celsius or around 34-38F. if so then yes you should buy them.

For the poster from Seattle asking about whether he should buy winter tires: The average Low temp in Seattle in December, January, and February, is 37 degrees. Average High temps for those months is 43. Should he buy them? I contend "no", so long as he has alternate means of transport when things dip below "average" or when it snows or gets icy.

[Jackie Chiles]

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

Check back in once you have a car totaled by some idiot driving in the winter with summer rubber. Then we can talk.

The other thing no one here wants to address is this: ok you leave in the morning, temp is below 0C, pavement is dry. It snows while you're at work...now what?

But I digress. This thread has me worked up because people don't take this stuff seriously enough until they get hurt, so I'm bowing out of the discussion.

Or until someone else gets hurt.

And the "back in the day" stores don't pass muster unless the driver was on virtual slicks back then.

[Tralfaz]

I've been following this thread and am now curious. I had a 135i in Texas for 5 years before picking up the M2, so I had it during the icepocalypse of 2013 and the snowpocalypse the following year in 2014. I also drove in a number of sub-30 dry days with the little "snowflake" warning popping up in the morning. It had the stock run-flat performance tires. I did the same in an RX-8 for 7 years on go-flat performance tires.

I will not say I drove much past 20 or so on the snow or ice (which is OK since my drive to work was 10 miles). However, aside from not being able to get up my driveway on the ice I was never in a situation where I had "no traction". With careful driving I was always OK.

Will the M2 on the PSS tires be "that" different? For the generally limited number of "cold" days here and very limited number of snow/ice days it's generally not worth a set of all-weather tires.

[kezm2]

I thought one of the main benefits was braking distance? Absolute no brainer on Snow / Ice in the event of needing to brake quickly.
https://tyres.theaa.com/seasonal-tyres/winter-tyres/

[jiaming927]

Originally Posted by quikM2

why you have people still trying to express how it's fine when its cold IF it's dry or IF this or IF that is ridiculous. Will the car start when its -6c... yes. Will it drive on the MPSS in -6c... yes. It will drive on the road in -30c as it won't explode. it's not the point that it's "fine" to you. It's not the point that you can "manage" in those conditions. the point is the safety of if not yours because you don't care about your own the safety of others and if that means stopping in -6c 5 feet sooner on xice or alpin4's then you would on MPSS and that means you don't rear end the mother driving with her 3 year old son in the back seat than I would say thats pretty important. Do you need them? No you don't need them. Is it smart and a small amount of money to have the best performance available to your absolute beauty of a car? Yes. Is it smart to give the best chance of manoeuvring or stopping to avoid hurting somebody else? Yes.

So end of the day is there a bunch of variable like do you drive up a hill or do you get snow or this and that all the other nonsense questions above that dictate whether you should buy them? in my opinion the answer is No. the only question of whether you buy them or not is does your temperature where you live get below 5 degrees celsius or around 34-38F. if so then yes you should buy them. you should be obligated by your conscience to buy them if not for your sake and the factory finish paint of your M2 but for that one moment down the road where it will matter in that split second.

Honestly the only question should be in your scenrario does snow and ice tires make most sense (xice3, blizzak ws80, nokian hakka etc.) or should I get something more performance oriented in a snow tire (alpin 4, vredestein wintrac etc.)

This is really long and TBH I didn't finish that.. I am not arguing whether winter tire is needed or not. All my question is what are you guys putting on your M2 as winter tires for my reference and that's it, not asking should I or should anyone else LOL. But in my opinion, I feel it's okay these few days (~35F and sunny) driving the car with PSS on. I do agree that it's not worth it to risk my brand new car for $2000. But in my case I will just work from home when it gets more serious. if I am in a situation where it has or might have rain or snow on the road at this temperature and I have to drive, I will definitely put winter tires on.

[quikM2]

Originally Posted by jiaming927

This is really long and TBH I didn't finish that.. I am not arguing whether winter tire is needed or not. All my question is what are you guys putting on your M2 as winter tires for my reference and that's it, not asking should I or should anyone else LOL. But in my opinion, I feel it's okay these few days (~35F and sunny) driving the car with PSS on. I do agree that it's not worth it to risk my brand new car for $2000. But in my case I will just work from home when it gets more serious. if I am in a situation where it has or might have rain or snow on the road at this temperature and I have to drive, I will definitely put winter tires on.

That makes sense and sounds like a plan for the very rare situation where in your case would need winter tires. I personally am running the Apex ec-7 rim in black for bsm M2 with xice3 in 245/40/18.

For you or others where you don't get a ton of snow and ice and your winter season is mild if anything I would be all over the alpin4's as they are all about handling in the dry cold and slushy weather with a higher speed rating. For me with 4 months of average 5 - 10 degrees F or colder and a lot of snow and ice I'm forced to make the practical choice of xice or blizzak ws80.