E89 rear tyres recommendations please.

[Bluebottle]

Sorry, I know it is familiar question.
BMW dealership has found cut in rear tyre revealing canvas. Both rears are two years old, have 3mm tread remaining and edges of all four Bridgestone Turanza tyres have ragged/worn edges so previous owner must have been driving very hard.
Personally I enjoy my Z4 every day, (only 5000 miles annually) driving enthusiastically weekends but am not in market for semi slicks, if you know what I mean.
Options from ProTyre are
Bridgestone Turanza 6 or ER33 or Potenza Sport £160 ish
Continental SportContact 5 are same price but am I right assuming old?
Hankook, Falken, Toyo and Dunlop Sportmaxx are a little cheaper at £140ish
CONTINENTAL SC7 and Goodyear are £190 each but members seem to rate them.

Any suggestions please?

 

[sars]

Either Continental SC7 or the Goodyear F1 A6 and the decider is whether you prioritise grip over comfort respectively. For me it was comfort and I've been very happy with the Goodyears.

 

[Bluebottle]

Thanks sars :wink:

 

[jenniferlouise]

SC7s for me, but not tried the latest Goodyear's to be fair. I came off Bridgestone RFTs, so anything was going to be better. Given our low mileage, I probably should have gone for a midrange, but you only live once! SC7 changed the car.

 

[Bluebottle]

Thanks JenniferLouise.

Watching John on tyrereviews YouTube made me realise just how much a set of tyres can change the characteristics of a car, particularly a firmly suspended sportscar for experienced and spirited drivers, and yet so many people buy the cheapest budget rubber. It makes me wonder why they spend thousands and then scrimp on the item that affects safety and car control so much.

Right, down from my soapbox. Shortlist is SC7, Premium contact 7, Bridgestone Potenza, Falken FK520 or if I can get excellent price, Goodyear F1.

 

[B21]

Thanks JenniferLouise.

Watching John on tyrereviews YouTube made me realise just how much a set of tyres can change the characteristics of a car, particularly a firmly suspended sportscar for experienced and spirited drivers, and yet so many people buy the cheapest budget rubber. It makes me wonder why they spend thousands and then scrimp on the item that affects safety and car control so much.

Right, down from my soapbox. Shortlist is SC7, Premium contact 7, Bridgestone Potenza, Falken FK520 or if I can get excellent price, Goodyear F1.

The context is always important…certain tyres seem to suit certain chassis designs or implementations..and to complicate it the impact of different wheel sizes / aspect ratios has an impact..not to mention power…some chassis eg E89 get more out of shape with more weight and power..

Enjoy your decision..

 

[Bombur]

There were recently new Goodyear F1's on mine when I bought it. Very happy with them

 

[Bluebottle]

The context is always important…certain tyres seem to suit certain chassis designs or implementations..and to complicate it the impact of different wheel sizes / aspect ratios has an impact..not to mention power…some chassis eg E89 get more out of shape with more weight and power..

Enjoy your decision..



Absolutely, that is why I value the opinion of fellow Z4 drivers on this forum, rather than drivers of Golfs or Volvos.

 

[Reamesy]

I can’t offer technical advice but I’m on my second set of CCS7

Great tyres in wet and dry. Ware rate seams very reasonable and they drive well on 19” wheels. NOT RF

 

[RAYK47]

Thanks JenniferLouise.

Watching John on tyrereviews YouTube made me realise just how much a set of tyres can change the characteristics of a car, particularly a firmly suspended sportscar for experienced and spirited drivers, and yet so many people buy the cheapest budget rubber. It makes me wonder why they spend thousands and then scrimp on the item that affects safety and car control so much.

Right, down from my soapbox. Shortlist is SC7, Premium contact 7, Bridgestone Potenza, Falken FK520 or if I can get excellent price, Goodyear F1.

totally agree, its the main thing keeping you on the road so for me, the most important. Especially on my motorcycle with the small contact patch and so much power to a single rear wheel. Hey just realised, 2 of my vehicles are rear wheel drive

 

[Bluebottle]

Thanks for your advice.

I telephoned ProTyre (Micheldever Group) in Plymouth today. After 15 mins and them hanging up on me once, I was finally answered.

Hello, I am after some tyres for the rear of my Z4, good quality ones please.

They are all the same to the man in the street in an ordinary car, it doesn't matter.

Well, like I say, i have a sports car that I drive enthusiastically so want a sporty tyre. Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental....

They all do the same mileage.

Hmmm. Well can you please give me a price for Goodyear Eagle F1 Ass 6, I have been quoted £150 fitted by three other garages.

Well they are owned by Goodyear, I cannot go that low, I have to make money.

What price can you do?

Tap tap tap £165.

Okay thank you. How about Continental?

You don't want them, just for driving up and down the motorway.

They have a reputation amongst many tyre testers of being a very good high performance tyre.

Well you better stick to Goodyear.

Can you please give me price for Conti Sportcontact 7 and Premium Contact 7?

Cant get Sportcontact at all but have Premium contact 5

Thats sound old, my fellow Z4 drivers recommended the 7 not 5

The PC5 is still new.

But its two iterations behind the new 7

Well I can't get that....... Click....

Thank.........

I went to small independent who were very helpful, courteous and knowledgeable and ordered GY F1 Ass6 for £165. Conti Sport 7 was £175, but is too new so couldn't get them yet.

Be fitted tomorrow

 

[Bluebottle]

Too soon to judge differences but excellent rim protection.

However I have got confused by tyre pressures. The mechanic asked what pressure for the tyres and I referred to door plate: 3.0 bar, and when I checked today he had set to 2.5!!

But 3.0 bar is 44psi, this seems very high for a (relatively) light sports car. Reading this forum, B21 suggests the BMW spec is for original runflats, which I no longer have.

I have run this car at 2.5 front, 3.0 rear for past five months since buying it and find the ride very harsh, but have put that down to the Z4 being a sports car not a 5 series saloon.

Help.

 

[B21]

Too soon to judge differences but excellent rim protection.

However I have got confused by tyre pressures. The mechanic asked what pressure for the tyres and I referred to door plate: 3.0 bar, and when I checked today he had set to 2.5!!

But 3.0 bar is 44psi, this seems very high for a (relatively) light sports car. Reading this forum, B21 suggests the BMW spec is for original runflats, which I no longer have.

I have run this car at 2.5 front, 3.0 rear for past five months since buying it and find the ride very harsh, but have put that down to the Z4 being a sports car not a 5 series saloon.

Help.

Most folks go with something like 32/34 to start with and play around …having had 12 sets of tyres on 8 sets of alloys it’s not a bad starting point..IMHO..if you are cruising at over a sustained 100mph for long periods maybe 34/36…some folks go square..latterly BMW on the G29 have been using anywhere between 32/32 and 32/38..go figure

 

[Bluebottle]

Thanks for swift and concise response B21.

Well, 32- 38 is significantly lower than 36 - 44.

I'll reduce pressures to 32 - 38 and evaluate handling and comfort from there.

 

[AlexZ4Man]

really useful info on these posts !

 

[B21]

Thanks for swift and concise response B21.

Well, 32- 38 is significantly lower than 36 - 44.

I'll reduce pressures to 32 - 38 and evaluate handling and comfort from there.

Humbly suggest 32/34..with nearly 50/50 weight distribution it’s illogical to have too high a pressure differential

 

[vanessafisk]

Given your driving style—daily enjoyment with enthusiastic weekend runs—but not wanting semi-slicks, I'd lean toward premium UHP (Ultra High Performance) road tyres that offer strong grip, comfort, and durability.

Top Recommendations:

Continental SportContact 7 – Yes, they’re pricey (~£190), but the performance justifies it. Superb dry and wet grip, progressive handling, and excellent braking. A great match for the E89’s chassis balance.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 – Also excellent and slightly more comfortable than the SC7s. They strike a beautiful balance between sporty handling and daily usability. Very quiet and refined.

Both are newer-generation tyres with impressive test results and high user satisfaction—either would be a noticeable upgrade over your Turanza ER33s.

Mid-Range Options:

Falken Azenis FK510 – Great value for money, surprisingly capable in dry and wet. Slightly less sharp than Conti or Goodyear but very respectable.

Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 – Another strong mid-tier performer. Good grip and refinement, just not as sporty in feedback.

What to Avoid:

Bridgestone Turanza ER33 – Very old tech. Skip these. Even the Turanza 6 is comfort-focused and might not satisfy your spirited weekend driving.

Continental SC5 – You're right; it's outdated now. SC7 is miles ahead.

Final Tip:

Since your current tyres are worn on the edges, get your alignment checked when fitting the new set. It'll improve tyre life and handling feel.

If budget allows, go for Goodyear Asymmetric 6 or Continental SC7—they really bring out the best in the E89 Z4.

If you're based near Milton Keynes, check out RB Tyres for competitive prices on premium performance tyres. We’ve got a wide range in stock and expert fitting too.