Road/track tyres

E

exdos

Veteran
Here goes, will I find that I've found yet another taboo subject, besides Z4MC prices and brake ducts/air/intakes to add to necrophilia, bestiality and incest etc.? :wink:

I've just pulled the trigger on a Z4 MC and collect it next week. I intend to fit coilover suspension, and modify the air intake/exhaust systems :fuelfire: and do a few other mods. However, first things first, I want to put some road going/track-day tyres on it straight away. I've had Falken 451 and 452s on my Z3 MC and done 10 full days around The Ring with them and found they've been excellent for a road tyre around there in the dry and good as a road tyre in the wet. Personally, I think they are superb value for money and I prefer to drive on new rubber and therefore I ditch them when they've got 4-5mm tread on them, rather than drive them down to the legal limit like I might be tempted to do with an expensive tyre. In the same vein, it appears that Federal rsR tyres might represent excellent value for money, has anyone tried them, and if so, what are your thoughts?

Unfortunately, these tyres don't come in an exact size match 225/45/18 Front 255/40/18 Rear but by using 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 rears they are less than 2.5% smaller diameter, which I don't see as too much of a problem, can anyone enlighten me otherwise? Would these slightly larger tyres fit inside the arches without rubbing? What is the largest wheel/tyre combo that will fit under the Z4MC arches?

Any other suggestions of road/trackday tyres or should I just stick a set of Falken 452s on it?
 
Bridgestone RE-11 or Michelin Pilot Supersport XL. I ran the Bridgestones on my Mini track car; unfortunately I can't find the correct size for the M Coupe rear wheels here in the US. The Michelins were a HUGE improvement over the OEM Continentals.
 
A set of CSL's with cups on. The only way on track, especially for a lively one like the Z4MC.

Mind you i did use the new Toyo R1R's on my M3 last year and found them to be a preety good cheaper alturnative.
 
All of those options are twice the price of Falken 452s, vredstein ultrac sessantas are good! little more than the falkens.
 
I've put 452 Falkens on my M. Just modify the size a little (there are good tips on the forum). They have been great, round the Ring, a tour of Skye and will be off to Stelvio and the Alps this May although that will be the last of the rears.
 
I run r888's and they do me just fine - good damp (not V wet) grip and seem to last a year with a combo of ring and UK TD's

BTW if you're after a spare set for track/summer i have a used (in very good shape) you could take off me for a fraction of the price....
 
exdos said:
Unfortunately, these tyres don't come in an exact size match 225/45/18 Front 255/40/18 Rear but by using 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 rears they are less than 2.5% smaller diameter, which I don't see as too much of a problem, can anyone enlighten me otherwise? Would these slightly larger tyres fit inside the arches without rubbing? What is the largest wheel/tyre combo that will fit under the Z4MC arches?
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Concerning the tires...
Tires sized for the M roadster and coupe are the same which is 225/45-18 front and 255/40-18 rear. I run as my standard tire 235/45-18 front and 265/40-18 rear with no issue at all and it correct the speedometer error as well. You can run the sizes you mentioned as well without any issues.
 
exdos, you should be fine with 235/40/18 and 265/35/18. I've read of people with 245/40/18 and 275/35/18 on stock Z4M wheels with no rubbing.
 
ChawenHalo said:
even top road tyres heat up too much after a few laps on a circuit I find.
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Even racing tyres heat up too much on track if you abuse them, but they give less warning when they throw you off :oops:
 
mmm-five said:
ChawenHalo said:
even top road tyres heat up too much after a few laps on a circuit I find.
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Even racing tyres heat up too much on track if you abuse them, but they give less warning when they throw you off :oops:
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Ouhh that's not good for clumsy me then... :driving: :headbang:

I'm still on my original Michelin Pilot Sports and after 16000 km and 4/5 trackdays they're pretty good; Was pleased how they gripped in flooding rain too. Tryckier for breaking in thiose conditions though.
 
flatout said:
I run r888's and they do me just fine - good damp (not V wet) grip and seem to last a year with a combo of ring and UK TD's
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+1 to that i run my 306gti on R888 simply amazing set of rubber they really opened my eyes to the difference tyres can make they just stick simple as that :!: only downside very soft so high ware rates sub 4000 miles for me and a bit pricey think for 18's its £190 ish a corner the 306 is only 15" so cheaper :driving:

the Toyo R1R's are really good as well not in the same league as the r888 but not as expensive and also still classed as a fast road track tyre they would get my vote but not to be confused with with T1r toyo that's not a track tyre at all !

(finally found a thread i can add an opinion to :D )
 
ColiNThEZ4, i was also intrigued by the R1R's but couldn't find them in the M's stock sizes. Plus i then read in several reviews how soft the whole carcass is, i don't think they'd be suited to a heavy car like our M's.
 
When I was doing a lot more events than I do now - i.e. 1-2 a month - including the winter months - I used to take a spare set of wheels/tyres with me.

If it was really cold/wet/icy/snowy then I'd stay on my road tyres (Bridgestone S02, then Michelin PS2) until the track became suitable for my track tyres, which were originally ex-Porsche Cup Pirelli P-Zero Corsa/C tyres and once they ran out I went to Silverstone S585 tarmac rally tyres.

The Pirellis were closer to the current Michelin PSS than tot he Silverstones though - although the Silverstones only cost £100 in 18" sizes back then.

Now I can't fit a whole set of spare wheels/tyres in the car I have to have a tyre that does everything, and the PSS seems to do that so far.

Since I fitted them they've done 3 days at the 'Ring (about 40-50 laps in total), 1 UK trackday at Oulton Park (150 miles) and 10,000 road miles, and they still have over half the usable tread left (about 5mm at the lowest point on the rears). If they keep wearing at the rate they have done then I'll get 20,000 miles out of a set of rears - that's about double the normal lifespan of my rears :oops:

I assume that the fact they're not 'slipping' as much means they're not burning away their rubber as quickly. So the 30-50% initial cost premium over other tyres may work out to balance out over the life of the tyre :thumbsup:
 
ga41 said:
ColiNThEZ4, i was also intrigued by the R1R's but couldn't find them in the M's stock sizes. Plus i then read in several reviews how soft the whole carcass is, i don't think they'd be suited to a heavy car like our M's.
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ahh ok cheers for the info

does that promote the side wall to "fold under" during cornering ?
 
Can you get Yokohama AD08s in that size? They're the stickiest List 1A tyres you can get (if List 1A/1B matters to you -- won't if you do trackdays but will if you compete).
 
carl said:
Can you get Yokohama AD08s in that size? They're the stickiest List 1A tyres you can get (if List 1A/1B matters to you -- won't if you do trackdays but will if you compete).
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If you mean to our stock M sizes, then yes you can. I've got them on right now, 225/45/18 and 255/40/18. Have to order them direct from the Cypriot Yokohama importer though.
 
ga41 said:
ColiNThEZ4, i was also intrigued by the R1R's but couldn't find them in the M's stock sizes. Plus i then read in several reviews how soft the whole carcass is, i don't think they'd be suited to a heavy car like our M's.
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Actually the R1R's are a very good tyre. I ran them all year last year on my M3 and thought they were very good!

They are also sensible money.

Dug deep this year and brought a set of cups. So it will be good to see what these are like.
 
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