Barty's Green Z4 Coupé - Not another one…

[JK0202]

And these new alloys you keep teasing us with Barty! I need to see them on!

[Barty]

And these new alloys you keep teasing us with Barty! I need to see them on!

As do I actually So much so that I’ve been discussing tyres with my local go-to guy today. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Pirelli P-Zero or perhaps Goodyear Asymmetrics… the latter seems to have quite the following on here I think?

Size-wise, I’m looking at 225/35/19 on 8.5J ET38 fronts, 265/30/19 on 9.5J ET43 rears. Any tips or pointers are always welcome, especially on the GY set. How does 275 on the rear perform on the Si: possible? Recommended? Feel free to shoot!

[JK0202]

I've got 225/35/19, 8.5J ET38 on the front with 265/30/19 on 9.5J ET45 rears so slightly different on the rear ET to what you are wanting. PS4s all round. The ride is HARD, won't lie. But not sure whether that's more the fact the car is nearly 15 years old. I want to get the suspension refreshed this year as I think that will make a big difference. Although some of the roads aren't great around here.

[dmo]

PS4's for me; they're too good on the coupe. Having said that, I have 255's rather than 265's, so can't say for sure that they're the better option on 265s. Either way you won't be unhappy with the grip levels

[JK0202]

Agree with dmo. The grip levels are the best I have experienced.

I read the autoexpress 2021 tyre of the year group test the other day and the new Hankook came top knocking the ps4s' into 2nd. Look a great all round tyre, especially if you daily the car with wet weather driving. Much cheaper as well. Worth having a read.

[Barty]

Interesting re. the tyre test, have you got a link by any chance JK0202?

255 instead of 265 is interesting; what width rim are you running? I can imagine 255 allows the back to turn slightly easier than the 265. As for the ride; I’m on coilovers so I suspect a firm -if not harsh- ride. We’ll see how we get on

[JK0202]

Link to the tyre test here:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/ ... y-now-2021

Let me know what you think.

[Barty]

Link to the tyre test here:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/features/ ... y-now-2021

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff; I’ve enjoyed the PS4 on my 159, and currently run Vredestein’s on the 118D. The Vreds are quiet, comfortable, but not quite as communicative when it comes to grip levels as the PS4’s. That said, the steering on our cars isn’t very communicative to begin with (though I’ll address that via a hydraulic conversion).

I might just try the Hankooks, a friend runs them on his 147GTA and seems to like them. The Michelin’s are always a safe choice though you do pay the price for that. I’ve got another month or two to figure this one out, so no rush.

In the mean time, I’ve taken delivery of my steering wheel! Well-used, but I’ll send it off for reupholstering first. The covers can be redone with soft touch material, so no issues with that either. Should look pretty sweet once finished! Really like the added thickness- identical to the M-wheel but with the inlay as an added touch.

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[Mau]

As far as the choice of rubber is concerned:

Throughout my last 12 years of E85s / E86s, I have used Michelins (first PS3, now PS4S), Pirelli P-Zero, Falken FK510, Hankook EVO and some very cheap brand I forgot about (one of the E85s was handed over to me on them), all on 19 inch staggered 8.5J/9.5J rims.

My experience: if you wish to push your Z every now and then, and you can / wish to afford them: always buy the Michelins. If you opt for a different brand the ride is not necessarily poor, but it will be less in terms of how much you can push the car and how much feedback the tyre will give you. Say that a situation you could corner without issues with 120 km/h on Michelins will be getting difficult on other brands above 110 km/h (given that we are both Dutch: for instance some of those "klaverblad" corners for which they advise say 70 or 80 km/h).

Then again: I am currently running PS4s on the E86 and the Falkens on the roadster (but might switch them anytime soon) and have no "real" complaints about the Falkens. They are cheaper than the Michelins and thus I do not expect the same from them. They are also a very decent ride, however their limits show a little sooner.

As for the Hankooks: those were a real disappointment to me for a very specific reason. They will suit a car being driven daily or several times a week, but they are very prone to becoming square if you park the Z for a couple of weeks every now and then. That will cure after driving a couple of kilometres, but to me is a very annoying start of a ride in a hobby car.

Last observation: one brand of tyre is way chunkier than the other brand and thus one brand's 255 will (almost) match another brand's 265. Michelins are chunky. Falken and Hankook for example are not.

[Barty]

Mau, thanks for the extensive reply! Bedankt Specifically your experience with the Hankooks is an interesting one, though I do use the car several times a week so not necessarily an issue for me. Michelins have always done well for me, so it’s why I’m leaning that way now. The Vredestein’s are also an option, though with a slight penalty to out-and-out performance. I’ve always gotten on with them well.

[Barty]

Fitted the Storm Motorwerks gear knob today. Really pleased with both the look and feel Couldn’t wait to the full interior rebuild with this one haha

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[Barty]

They’ve been requested numerous times, but winter -or rather an extremely extended autumn- was in the way. Until now.

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Got them fitted with some new rubber. 225/35/19 fronts, 255/30/19 rears. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti +, the sporty brother of the Satin’s. I treated the new wheels to a layer of ceramic coating which was left to harden for 48 hours. A long wait, ironically…

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Thursday evening, it was go-time and damn did it look good on the very first impression… Can’t imagine switching back to the winter setup frankly…

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As for the look… well I don’t have to say much other than that it’s transformed the car and I have been inundated with positive remarks since (for which I say: thanks very much, appreciate it all!).

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Not just good looking under the sun, but equally so under artificial light. I love the fitment of that rear wheel in particular. Just complements the shoulder line so well.

Up next: interior. A lot of it… soon too, as Bimmerfest Europe is just 7 weeks away!

[tiglon]

That looks spectacularly good

[Bombardino]

They look gorgeous

[True-Blue]