M3 in a wintery location?

majman · 04-06-2008, 09:40 PM

Just had a quick question for you lads.

I will be moving up to Evanston, Illinois for university next year and will be picking up a car (probably will have it for about 8-10 years) so I want to get something truly special. However, I'm afraid that some of the inclement weather found in that area might not be particularly suiting to the M3. I will have the 18" wheels, which are still high performance.

Things working in its favor:
It is an urban setting, so the roads would probably never get truly bad.
I wont be driving it everyday

Against:
I doubt I will have any money to change the tires to suit snow, so I'll still have 18" high performance.

What do you guys think?

rvacha · 04-06-2008, 09:44 PM

Forget about it! The PS2 tires SUCK in the snow, more like sleds than tires. I think the M3 would be a great winter car if you get heated seats. The auto climate control works really well.... BUT... you have to spring for snow tires!

majman · 04-06-2008, 09:47 PM

Alright, so say I get snow tires, how much would they run me? And what would you recommend, having them put over the rims of the stock? or just get something the entire rim/tyre set?

ideliver · 04-06-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majman

Just had a quick question for you lads.

I will be moving up to Evanston, Illinois for university next year and will be picking up a car (probably will have it for about 8-10 years) so I want to get something truly special. However, I'm afraid that some of the inclement weather found in that area might not be particularly suiting to the M3. I will have the 18" wheels, which are still high performance.

Things working in its favor:
It is an urban setting, so the roads would probably never get truly bad.
I wont be driving it everyday

Against:
I doubt I will have any money to change the tires to suit snow, so I'll still have 18" high performance.

What do you guys think?

If you have never driven in a norther urban center...you will see some MONSTER pot holes. Rim bending variety. That is just the way it goes.

The car will be paralyzed with summer tires. You will absolutely need winter tires. If you get from a Bridgestone/Firestone retail store...they will swap off/on for three seasons free of charge. Many other local retailers will do the same.

Get the winter tires. You will just have to skimp on the beer

majman · 04-06-2008, 09:49 PM

Cheers guys, I wish I had done this a while ago.

Epacy · 04-06-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majman

Alright, so say I get snow tires, how much would they run me? And what would you recommend, having them put over the rims of the stock? or just get something the entire rim/tyre set?

If you get new rims and winter tires, you can change the combo yourself, having to swap tires on the same rims requires professional help.

rvacha · 04-06-2008, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epacy

If you get new rims and winter tires, you can change the combo yourself, having to swap tires on the same rims requires professional help.

...and I still wouldn't trust them to do it several times (i.e several winters) without messing up the finish on the 18s

ideliver · 04-06-2008, 10:01 PM

My plan is to order with the 18's....put the snows on those rims...and go aftermarket 19's for the summer...

Another options is to keep your OEM 18s...but a rim/tire package from tirerack.com..do the swaps yourself...or just mount/unmount the summer/winter on your 18's

check tirerack for prices

SpencerM3 · 04-06-2008, 10:45 PM

No need to have a car at Northwestern.

ideliver · 04-06-2008, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpencerM3

No need to have a car at Northwestern.

Sure there is...getting out of Northwestern...

montreal red · 04-06-2008, 11:06 PM

you can always get cheap steel rims and put it on the m3 for winter... i've even seen a CL merc on the road with steel rims during winter... that would be a lot cheaper than getting a new set of alloy rims and tires... also, you wont have to worry so much about the rock chips or salt that might get on your nice stock rims.

Davinhci · 04-06-2008, 11:25 PM

must be nice going to school and driving this car and the others you own.

skierman64 · 04-07-2008, 12:54 AM

Go to Tirerack.com, they sell winter wheel/tire combos that will work well for the M3. If you can afford an M3 you can afford winter tires.

Shade · 04-07-2008, 01:39 AM

Winter Tire is a must. I drove my E46 M3 around in Winter, just take it slow when u are starting off.

rmmcdaniel · 04-07-2008, 05:54 AM

I have been living in Chicago for the last 7 years and Northwestern is my current client (have been working in Evanston for the last 15 months). I can honestly tell you that Evanston is one of the worst suburbs in Chicago when it comes to snow removal (much, much worse than the city of Chicago itself). I wouldn't even consider driving your M3 without snow tires. Pot holes are also bad throughout Chicago (and every winter climate city) which is another reason to not keep the standard rims/tires on.

The good news is that there really isn't a need to drive in Evanston as the downtown area on the edge of campus has most everything you would need on days when the streets are bad and you don't want to drive (it really has almost everything you would need on any day, regardless of weather) and there is easy transportation (two types of trains) to get to downtown Chicago if need be.

Bastet · 04-07-2008, 12:33 PM

You should definitively invest some money in winter tyres ! We have snow here (this morning actually very surprisingly !) and without winter tyres I wouldn't have left the garage. It's not so much the snow, but the ice... and the ice hiding UNDER the snow - that is the real problem. Also, in my humble opinion, get the winter tyres with rims.

SpencerM3 · 04-07-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ideliver

Sure there is...getting out of Northwestern...

L?

04-06-2008, 09:40 PM	#1
majman Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 530i/760Li Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	M3 in a wintery location? Just had a quick question for you lads. I will be moving up to Evanston, Illinois for university next year and will be picking up a car (probably will have it for about 8-10 years) so I want to get something truly special. However, I'm afraid that some of the inclement weather found in that area might not be particularly suiting to the M3. I will have the 18" wheels, which are still high performance. Things working in its favor: It is an urban setting, so the roads would probably never get truly bad. I wont be driving it everyday Against: I doubt I will have any money to change the tires to suit snow, so I'll still have 18" high performance. What do you guys think?
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04-06-2008, 09:44 PM	#2
rvacha Captain 62 Rep 800 Posts Drives: '08 E92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 E92 M3 [0.00]	Forget about it! The PS2 tires SUCK in the snow, more like sleds than tires. I think the M3 would be a great winter car if you get heated seats. The auto climate control works really well.... BUT... you have to spring for snow tires! __________________ '16 F30 340i xDrive 6MT Melbourne/Black '08 E92 M3 6MT Jerez/Speed Cloth '18 F80 M3 6MT SO/CSAT
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04-06-2008, 09:47 PM	#3
majman Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 530i/760Li Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	Alright, so say I get snow tires, how much would they run me? And what would you recommend, having them put over the rims of the stock? or just get something the entire rim/tyre set?
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04-06-2008, 09:49 PM	#5
majman Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 530i/760Li Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (0)	Cheers guys, I wish I had done this a while ago.
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04-06-2008, 10:01 PM	#8
ideliver Major 240 Rep 1,247 Posts Drives: E60 M5, E71 X6M, E46 M3 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: At the gas station iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 BMW E46 M3 'vert [0.00] 2008 BMW M5 [0.00] 2011 BMW E92 [0.00] 2012 BMW X6M [0.00] 2003 E46 M3 [0.00]	My plan is to order with the 18's....put the snows on those rims...and go aftermarket 19's for the summer... Another options is to keep your OEM 18s...but a rim/tire package from tirerack.com..do the swaps yourself...or just mount/unmount the summer/winter on your 18's check tirerack for prices __________________ Current: 2006 E46 M3 'vert 6-sp 2008 E60 M5, 2011 E92 328 6-sp, 2011 E70 N55, 2012 E71 X6M
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04-06-2008, 10:45 PM	#9
SpencerM3 Sauce 75 Rep 2,023 Posts Drives: 2009 SSII E90 M3 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (1)	No need to have a car at Northwestern. __________________ 2009 E90 M3 \| Silverstone II \| Black Novillo \| HRE P40's \| Akrapovic Exhaust \| Eibach Pro Kit \| Jet Black Kidney Grilles \| SSII Side Reflectors \| SSII Side Gills \| LUX H8 Angel Eyes \| Macht Schnell Filter \| Tecnocraft Envy Charge Pipe "M3 drivers have no friends." - Jeremy Clarkson
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04-06-2008, 11:06 PM	#11
montreal red chris 278 Rep 12,144 Posts Drives: White Boat Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toronto iTrader: (31)	you can always get cheap steel rims and put it on the m3 for winter... i've even seen a CL merc on the road with steel rims during winter... that would be a lot cheaper than getting a new set of alloy rims and tires... also, you wont have to worry so much about the rock chips or salt that might get on your nice stock rims. __________________ Current: 2013 F10 M5 & 2016 Mini JCW 2013 GLK350 (gone), 997.1 GT3RS (gone), 2009 WRX STI (gone), e92 M3 (gone)
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04-06-2008, 11:25 PM	#12
Davinhci Colonel 55 Rep 2,484 Posts Drives: 08 M3 E92 & 08 E70 X5 4.8 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (6) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00]	must be nice going to school and driving this car and the others you own. __________________ 08 E92 AW M3 \| HRE P40 19" \| APE Air Filter \| BMW Performance Grills \| White Side Gills \| CF Mirror Covers \| BMW Performance Pedals \| F1 Pinnacle Tint \| V1 Hardwire \| Dinan Performance Software \| Gintani Exhaust \| H&R Sports Springs \| RPI Scoops \| BMW CF Spoiler \| Challenge Diffuser \| Lux H8 V3 \| LCI Tail Lights \|
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04-07-2008, 12:54 AM	#13
skierman64 Brigadier General 127 Rep 3,071 Posts Drives: E92M3-E46M3-E46Wagon-E89Z4-E36 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Greater St Louis Metro area iTrader: (1) Garage List 1994 325is Race Car [0.00] 2011 BMW Z4 [0.00] 1998 M3 Coupe [0.00] 2008 M3 Coupe [0.00]	Go to Tirerack.com, they sell winter wheel/tire combos that will work well for the M3. If you can afford an M3 you can afford winter tires. __________________ Invest Wisely...The best mod for your money?? BMWCCA high performance driver's school. The mod that lasts a lifetime and improves the performance of any car you drive[/LEFT]
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04-07-2008, 01:39 AM	#14
Shade Captain 46 Rep 902 Posts Drives: 12 AW F10 M5 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chicago / Hong Kong iTrader: (1)	Winter Tire is a must. I drove my E46 M3 around in Winter, just take it slow when u are starting off. __________________ 08 E92 M3 AW M-DCT 09 INDxRENN-SPEC Project GT-R
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04-07-2008, 05:54 AM	#15
rmmcdaniel Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 247 Posts Drives: '09 E90 M3 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago & SF iTrader: (0)	I have been living in Chicago for the last 7 years and Northwestern is my current client (have been working in Evanston for the last 15 months). I can honestly tell you that Evanston is one of the worst suburbs in Chicago when it comes to snow removal (much, much worse than the city of Chicago itself). I wouldn't even consider driving your M3 without snow tires. Pot holes are also bad throughout Chicago (and every winter climate city) which is another reason to not keep the standard rims/tires on. The good news is that there really isn't a need to drive in Evanston as the downtown area on the edge of campus has most everything you would need on days when the streets are bad and you don't want to drive (it really has almost everything you would need on any day, regardless of weather) and there is easy transportation (two types of trains) to get to downtown Chicago if need be. __________________ 2009 E90 M3 - Silverstone/Fox Red - M-DCT, CW, PP, TP, 19", Moonroof, Sunshades, PDC, Enhanced Prem Sound, HD Radio, Sat, iPod, Smartphone Integration Last edited by rmmcdaniel; 04-07-2008 at 02:52 PM..
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04-07-2008, 12:33 PM	#16
Bastet Second Lieutenant 18 Rep 230 Posts Drives: M3 E92 aka 'Batmobile' Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Belgium iTrader: (0)	You should definitively invest some money in winter tyres ! We have snow here (this morning actually very surprisingly !) and without winter tyres I wouldn't have left the garage. It's not so much the snow, but the ice... and the ice hiding UNDER the snow - that is the real problem. Also, in my humble opinion, get the winter tyres with rims. __________________ * “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West *
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