Z4 year-round in the Northeast US?

[Rac10000]

How many of you put snow wheels/tires on your E89 and continue using it through the winter?

I'm considering getting rid of my X6 and was wondering if I could survive with the Z4 as my only car for a little while ...

[ChuckB]

Sure you can run it all Winter long, as long as you have snow tires, and don't encounter anything deep. the "belly Pan" under the Z4 turns it into a Toboggan if it bottoms out, but otherwise no issues. Lots of folks [me included] have our beloved Z4 as our only transportation all year round.

[Torn]

I DD mine! I mounted some blizzaks! Away we go

[tranquility]

I live in Toronto, so I suppose similar climates? It's my only car and it has been great all-year-round. Recently, I encountered my first skid hitting black ice and it was VERY predictable and easy to recover.

[ZheHbKa]

i use stock tires in NYC and i havent seen a problem yet, it has been warmer than usual though

[Rac10000]

Thanks for the input guys! I would defiantly run a dedicated set of 18" snow wheels and tires.

[cdeslandes]

I drive mine year round. 35i with MT. Fairfield County, CT, next to Westchester. Just came back from Vermont tonight, drove on 2" of fresh powder this morning. No sweat.

Blizzak LM-25 tires on 17" in winter, Pilot Super Sport on 18" in summer.

[Rac10000]

Originally Posted by cdeslandes

I drive mine year round. 35i with MT. Fairfield County, CT, next to Westchester. Just came back from Vermont tonight, drove on 2" of fresh powder this morning. No sweat.

Blizzak LM-25 tires on 17" in winter, Pilot Super Sport on 18" in summer.

Good to know!

I'll have to get 18" winter wheels I think ... I don't know if 17's will fit on the 35is ...

[az34]

i live in Montreal and so far all we had is about 5" of snow i guess its even warmer i NY

[mstevens]

I got my E89 last winter and drove an E85 for several years prior to that as my only car in rural New Hampshire.

You must have good snow tires, and I'd recommend 18" rather than 19" wheels for winter use.

I just drove back from Montreal last weekend, where it snowed (albeit lightly) for several days running. The last time I drove back from there in October it was into 2 1/2 feet of heavy wet snow in New Hampshire. Each time it handled fine. A Z4 makes a perfectly good year-round car.

The only caveat was given above: deep snow needs to be plowed first. I do have access to my wife's X3 for really deep days, but since I've had this car that hasn't been necessary. With the E85 there were a few days each winter when I'd take her car because mine had such low clearance.

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by Rac10000

Good to know!

I'll have to get 18" winter wheels I think ... I don't know if 17's will fit on the 35is ...

Unfortunately, hardly any 17's will fit. I do have an old set that do fit, but they're on the E85 being driven by my son. They clear the caliper on the 35iS by only a few millimeters.

[DavidJS]

mstevens, what tires are you using for winter?

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by DavidJS

mstevens, what tires are you using for winter?

I have Blizzak LM-60 on the E89 since the smallest wheels I could find that fit were 18". They're OK. I much prefer Nokian Hakkapeliitta R's. According to the distributor, they don't sell the right size for 18" wheels in the US. If you can find 17" wheels that fit, you can get Hakkas.

Given the roads around here, I stick with runflat winter tires, which siginificantly limits the range of choices.

[Rac10000]

Okay, getting ready for winter! What are your thoughts on this setup? ...

18" Sparco Assetto Gara - Matte Graphite wheels with either Pirelli Winter Sottozero Serie II Run Flat's or Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 RFT's



Wheel Specs:
Size: 18x8
Offset: 40mm
Backspacing: 6.06"
Bolt Pattern: 5-120
Rec. Tire Size: 225/40-18
Weight: 20.6lbs.
Finish: Matte Graphite Silver
Construction: 1 Pc. Gravity Cast
Finish Warranty: 1 Year
Manufactured in China

Pirelli Tires:


Bridgestone Tires:



On the car:

[Rac10000]

bump ... any thoughts? What winter setups are you guys running?

[nicknaz]

I've used the Blizzak RFT in the past on my 3 series (LM22 or LM25 can't remember) in Chicago and they were fine.

[realroadrage]

Originally Posted by Rac10000

bump ... any thoughts? What winter setups are you guys running?

I ordered the Moda EB1s with Pirelli Sotto Zero (standard, not RFT) and BMW center caps (and TPMS) from TireRack. Mounted, balanced, center caps installed, TPMS installed. First class! I'll be putting these on around Thanksgiving in the Mid-Atlantic.