Now I, Too, Am In Winter Mode

"BKRM3" (BKRM3)
11/20/2013 at 10:53 • Filed to: Winter Mode, Snows, Puncture wound

Had to put on the Pirelli Sottozeros. I think one of the fronts has a defect because they make an awful lot of noise. Ugh. I normally don't switch over until mid December, but this year I had to do it early because I got screwed. Well, technically my right rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport got screwed. Bummer.

DISCUSSION (30)

Hindered23 > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:00

dang! nice car! I love performance sedans. had an s4, but I've always wanted that model m3 right there

Deputy Kovacs > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:07

How is the car in snow? Used to drive an E90 Cabrio but stored in winter. Drove B8 S4 prior with all seasons and that did well.

BKRM3 > Hindered23
11/20/2013 at 11:07

Thanks! It's wonderfully practical in everyday life and amazingly capable on the track. It's the perfect fit for me at the moment (and the M has been my dream car since I was a little kid). I'm very lucky to have it.

BKRM3 > Deputy Kovacs
11/20/2013 at 11:10

I don't know actually. I bought the car in March right when it was time to put the summer set on. My previous car was a 335i coupe and I had Bridgestone Blizzaks on it - thing went like the dickens, even without a limited slip differential. The difference here is that, although the M has an LSD, the tires are also way fatter than the ones I used before. Fronts are 245 and rears are 265. That's not ideal for the winter, when thinner tires provide better grip in the snow. On the 335i I ran 225s all around. I can't wait to test it when it snows! Hopefully I'll get some video =)

philipilihp > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:15

Thats my perfect car, right there. Currently have an E90 335i, hope to get M3 sedan one day too... Sigh...

BKRM3 > philipilihp
11/20/2013 at 11:22

I made the switch from an E92 335i. I almost wish I had held off and just bought this one the first time around, but when I bought the 335 I really couldn't wait 4 more years for the M to depreciate enough to be able to afford it. I'm just thankful my 335 was under warranty. I would've cost me an arm and a leg otherwise. Although the 335 was a great car, this one is really special. For me, it's a keeper. I hope you are able to get one!

philipilihp > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:23

By the way, since we're on the subject, what do you (or anyone else who would care to jump in) think are the best all season tires I can put on my E90? I'm not quite in the financial position to have a seperate set of winter rubber, but I would like to be not-useless in the snow.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:23

So how do you like the Sottozeros anyway? I have to say I'm underwhelemed with the Michelin xIce xI3s after years of running Dunlop Wintersport 3Ds, but DAMNIT, dunlop just DOES NOT make any of the Wintersport line in a size that I can cram under the Fiesta ST successfully :p

BKRM3 > philipilihp
11/20/2013 at 11:27

Ahh, you'll have to hope someone else jumps in. I've never used a set of all seasons in my life. I've always switched between summers and winters. I've heard good things about the Conti DWS from my friend who owns an Acura, but I'm not sure how that would translate to an E90. Have you searched on E90post.com? I'd be surprised if there weren't multiple threads on this.

Also, there's an E46 M3 cabrio that parks in my office lot that runs all seasons. I'll take a look at what he has if I see it outside today.

BKRM3 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
11/20/2013 at 11:31

Lol I've never tried the Dunlop myself. I had Blizzaks previously on my 335 and they were excellent. Heavy as hell compared to my summers, but great traction nonetheless.

I am getting a ton of noise and vibration from the Sottozeros at the moment - so much so that I think one of the fronts might have a runout issue and I'm debating about whether it's worth having it looked at. I haven't had a chance to use them on snow or ice yet, but on cold/wet roads the traction seems pretty solid. Of course it would, since the set that came with the car has 265s in the rear. God help me when it snows. Will make sure I have the GoPro rolling. =P

Deputy Kovacs > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:40

What part of the snow belt are you in?

Hindered23 > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:51

I lived in Michigan and definitely couldn't have afforded one of those beauts, but awd and v8 was a good fit for me, plus all of the livability of sedans.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 11:56

Yeah, the magic thing about the Dunlops is that they were good on dry pavement too and had excellent braking traction in the wet, which is something many snow tires (including the xI3s) lack :P I'm surprised how little sidewall flex the Michelins exhibbit, they have pretty predictible side-loading performance, and they are quiet and smooth at speed, but the straight-line braking performance on dry and wet (not snowy) pavement is abysmal :/

BKRM3 > Deputy Kovacs
11/20/2013 at 11:58

I grew up in western PA where we had lake-effect snow from Lake Erie. We actually used studded snow tires there! I live outside Philly now and the winters are a lot milder in general. We still get our share of snowstorms though and the snow management here is pretty poor. Because the M is my daily driver, it has to be set up to handle our weather and whatever I encounter on trips to western PA and upstate NY to visit family.

BKRM3 > Hindered23
11/20/2013 at 12:01

Yeah the Audi S cars definitely have their strengths. A good friend of mine recently had an S8 (V10) with an aftermarket (catless) exhaust. Talk about a livable beast!

BKRM3 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
11/20/2013 at 12:12

Well that's good to know about the xI3s - I've never known anyone who used those. I have a couple friends who have used the Michelin Alpin (not sure which) and swore by it, but at least one of them is a die-hard Michelin devotee (and therefore biased).

I haven't had the chance to test the performance of the Pirellis in anything other than straight line acceleration so far, but will definitely get that opportunity in the next week or so because we're taking my car up to north Jersey for Thanksgiving. Will be sure to report back if they surprise me at all. I'm used to pushing PSSes and AD08s on track in the summer months, so I don't usually get too inspired to explore the full range of handling of my winters! Maybe I should?

Hindered23 > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 12:19

i had an exhaust package and it sounded amazing. i literally take pictures of those S8's when i see them!

Stupidru > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 13:31

Kinja'd!!!

Sorry this had to happen :( These are probably the best tires known to man kind. From the looks of it, you're getting down on your tread depth, so getting a shaved replacement from tire rack might be expensive to only get another 5k miles out of them

BKRM3 > Stupidru
11/20/2013 at 13:38

Thanks for the sympathy. Those tires were new in the spring and only have about 5k miles on them...and 2 track days =)

As far as PSSes go, I'd say they have quite a bit of tread left - although you are absolutely right about "only another 5k" haha...they don't last long! I now have a dedicated track set (Apex arc-8s, 18x10 with 265/35 Yokohama AD08s) so the Michelins are street-only unless it absolutely pours at the track (they're way better in the wet than the AD08s). Therefore, I think I'm going to have it patched/plugged and run it till it's truly dead. My consumables budget is getting out of hand as it is!

Stupidru > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 13:42

Mine were supposed to be for AutoX duty, but then my AutoX car died so I decided to use them as DD tires... which they're great for- I just never get to test their performance limts

BKRM3 > Stupidru
11/20/2013 at 13:56

They're very capable on track. Probably even better on a car a bit lighter than mine (3700lbs). That said, they don't do well when they're overworked. They get reallllly greasy when they're hot and I've seen pictures of some chunked pretty badly. In autox they probably don't have to deal with that sort of heat though, so they'd probably be pretty good. For DD tires they're truly exceptional.

I'm sorry to hear about your autox car...time to go craigslist miata shopping? =)

Stupidru > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 14:11

Just got married so all of my money is no longer tied up in that money pit. Time to find a new one!

I'm actually looking for either a Miata, or I'm going to try and AutoX my current car (03 Impreza Outback) in hopes that it accelerates the wear on the car so I can dump it and get a "dad" car like a WRX/STI hatch. (My current car just got an oil analysis back that it's got a lot of miles left on it, but it's anemically slow and I can't stand it anymore) Now I just have to convince my personal CFO (read: wife) that it's money well-spent. It can fit our dog, bags for the weekend, kids (in a few years), and us. AWD for when it snows a lot here in Wisconsin, it's got nice suspension for avoiding accidents, and large brakes to stop faster than the guy in front of me who slams on his brakes. All of these are "accident avoidance" features for when we have kids... Am I doing it right?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 14:22

Soon...

I've been out of town but the low here Saturday night will be 22, so I know what I'll be doing Friday afternoon! Sucks about your PSS.

I've got the OEM 18s for my winter set, too, but with Conti DWS. Worked well last winter for me, and I leave her in the garage and take my wife's AWD CX-9 if it ever gets truly nasty out.

BKRM3 > Stupidru
11/20/2013 at 14:32

Yes, yes you are. Although you forgot LOTS of horsepower for safely accelerating out of the way of danger! (And I would also add a V8 so that you can someday hand it down to your kids in a time when all engines are small displacement and have 20 electric turbo strapped to them - don't forget about the history lesson!)

BKRM3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/20/2013 at 14:36

Ahh, I thought you'd gone missing...

Well you live in the south (right?) so the DWS should handle cold/wet roads just fine. I imagine you don't get much actual snow? Am I totally wrong? Lol.

Does suck about the PSS...now I have to find somewhere local that I trust to repair it. Bah, humbug.

Stupidru > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 14:43

Right-o! That'll teach them what real torque feels like! Not to mention I'll be keeping the art of wrenching alive. Methinks that true shadetree mechanics will be hard to find once electrical motors takeover. No more oil changes, and everything will be covered up to prevent varmints from chewing up wires. Opening up the hood on your car in 20 years will reveal a plastic wonderland

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 14:44

Yeah, been a while. Nice long trip to central valley California to visit family and busy at work before that.

I'm in Tulsa (eastern southwest, southern midwest, or western southeast, not sure) and our winter was really mild last year. We'll see what this year brings. We can get really bad ice and big snows, but it's only a few times a winter, if that.

I think you have to sign a waiver to get them to plug a Z-rated tire; I'd call around to see if you can find a place to do it at all. At least it's away from the sidewall. GLWP

BKRM3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/20/2013 at 14:51

Google informs me that you are 1,262 miles southwest of my location. Neat!

Glad you got a vacation in. I'm due for one myself.

If this screw were anywhere near the sidewall I wouldn't bother, but I'm pretty comfortable with having it repaired given the location of the puncture. I know of at least one place that'll do it. It'll be fine on the street for all the longer it's going to last and the only track duty it might possibly see is very low speed on a wet track. With TPMS, I'd know pretty immediately if there was any loss in pressure. I think a "catastrophic" failure from this sort of thing is pretty impossible.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > BKRM3
11/20/2013 at 15:13

I grew up in central Missouri, where the winters are a little harsher, but I'm not sure if I could manage living in the north or northeast.

I think you're right about the tire - some places are just looking to cover their asses (and sell you a brand new one).

BKRM3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/20/2013 at 15:29

Winter is a real bitch sometimes, but the drifting mostly makes up for it. Mostly. =)