Wintry roads

MarkFT · 11-27-2014, 09:18 PM

Well, after years of being spoiled driving through Canadian winters with the help of Audi Quattro in a S4 and RS4 (wife still drives an A4), I had my first wintery day in the M5...and I'm missing the quattro!

I've got winter tires on the M5 but I barely made it up a slight hill and I was slipping in first and second gears with just a light touch on the gas. Maybe it's the Pirelli winter tires (had them on another car and wasn't impressed), but I guess it's just hard to beat all wheel drive.

Any thoughts, suggestions? A couple of bags of sand in the trunk?

darkz · 11-28-2014, 10:09 AM

get a winter car

thebishman · 11-28-2014, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkFT

Well, after years of being spoiled driving through Canadian winters with the help of Audi Quattro in a S4 and RS4 (wife still drives an A4), I had my first wintery day in the M5...and I'm missing the quattro!

I've got winter tires on the M5 but I barely made it up a slight hill and I was slipping in first and second gears with just a light touch on the gas. Maybe it's the Pirelli winter tires (had them on another car and wasn't impressed), but I guess it's just hard to beat all wheel drive.

Any thoughts, suggestions? A couple of bags of sand in the trunk?

Do you have the Sottozgeros? They are fine for light to medium snow conditions, but given where you live, I think a set of Blizzacks will transform the car.
Bish

JPMD · 11-28-2014, 10:20 AM

Can't even imagine driving the beast in a snowy climate even with "snow tires"

Had an E36 M3 when I was living in NYC and that was a handful

MarkFT · 11-28-2014, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebishman

Do you have the Sottozgeros? They are fine for light to medium snow conditions, but given where you live, I think a set of Blizzacks will transform the car.
Bish

Yeah, the sottozeros. I think they're probably fine for moderate conditions and are good dry weather winter "performance" tires, but they really fall down with anything worse.

stealth.pilot · 11-28-2014, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkFT

Yeah, the sottozeros. I think they're probably fine for moderate conditions and are good dry weather winter "performance" tires, but they really fall down with anything worse.

Yes so either switch to the Blizzacks or maybe trade it for an RS7 or E63S

///M5ForWin · 11-28-2014, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkz

get a winter car

I find the X5 35d compliments the M5 quite well in multi-seasonal climates.

WCH · 11-28-2014, 07:18 PM

In some slushy/freezing conditions on Wednesday, the Blizzaks I have on my M5 were pretty good. My driveway is a pretty steep incline and I got up by turning off the traction control. I'm interested to see how the rest of the winter goes.

bronch · 11-28-2014, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

... My driveway is a pretty steep incline and I got up by turning off the traction control...

Interesting, why is that? TC is supposed to prevent wheel slippage...

WCH · 11-28-2014, 07:39 PM

That is true but under conditions where you don't have much traction, traction control just applies the brakes to both rear wheels and you don't move. With traction control off, you can modulate the accelerator and get the car moving.

bronch · 11-28-2014, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

That is true but under conditions where you don't have much traction, traction control just applies the brakes to both rear wheels and you don't move. With traction control off, you can modulate the accelerator and get the car moving.

Hmm, I thought that was what torque vectoring did and TC cut power. Thanks.

WCH · 11-28-2014, 09:48 PM

Could be that you are correct. I just found that without traction control, I could creep up the hill (though with some wheel spin).

dw89 · 11-29-2014, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

In some slushy/freezing conditions on Wednesday, the Blizzaks I have on my M5 were pretty good. My driveway is a pretty steep incline and I got up by turning off the traction control. I'm interested to see how the rest of the winter goes.

What size Blizzaks are you running?

darkz · 11-29-2014, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///M5ForWin

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkz

get a winter car

I find the X5 35d compliments the M5 quite well in multi-seasonal climates.

yep! they are beast in winter! had my 4.8 for 5 years and it beat through all the Canadian winter, too bad mine had lots of warranty related issues, eventually I gave up on the X5 from that point forward....

WCH · 11-29-2014, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dw89

What size Blizzaks are you running?

I have CCB so I have to run 20" wheels. I am running the OEM 343M fronts all around with 255/35/20 at each corner. It was difficult to find a winter set for cars with the CCB as 19s" won't fit and I wanted to have narrower rubber if possible.

Volum · 11-29-2014, 12:49 PM

With CCB, 19" doesn't fit?

WCH · 11-29-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volum

With CCB, 19" doesn't fit?

Nope. Need 20" wheels to clear brakes and not all 20" wheels are able to clear the brakes.

bobblehead · 11-29-2014, 03:58 PM

If you are diving in area of lots of incline, then those performance winter can only have so much traction before losing it.

WCH · 11-29-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobblehead

If you are diving in area of lots of incline, then those performance winter can only have so much traction before losing it.

Yup.

dw89 · 11-29-2014, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

I have CCB so I have to run 20" wheels. I am running the OEM 343M fronts all around with 255/35/20 at each corner. It was difficult to find a winter set for cars with the CCB as 19s" won't fit and I wanted to have narrower rubber if possible.

How is the sidewall height? I'm thinking about doing the same with my 20's, but fear that there's not enough sidewall on a 255/35/20 and could potentially damage the rim.

WCH · 11-29-2014, 04:48 PM

It's better than the summer tires (35 vs 30). I don't think it will be an issue.

I also have the BMW tire and wheel warranty that covers all OEM wheels just in case there is something beneath the snow. In my past experience, the potholes that come in the spring are the real problem.

dw89 · 11-29-2014, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WCH

It's better than the summer tires (35 vs 30). I don't think it will be an issue.

I also have the BMW tire and wheel warranty that covers all OEM wheels just in case there is something beneath the snow. In my past experience, the potholes that come in the spring are the real problem.

That's good to know. I should also look into wheel+tire package warranty as well since the roads are horrible by where I'm at even before spring comes. Thanks for the input.

11-27-2014, 09:18 PM	#1
MarkFT Second Lieutenant 128 Rep 266 Posts Drives: BMW M3 (G80) Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Ontario iTrader: (5)	Wintry roads - missing my Audi! Well, after years of being spoiled driving through Canadian winters with the help of Audi Quattro in a S4 and RS4 (wife still drives an A4), I had my first wintery day in the M5...and I'm missing the quattro! I've got winter tires on the M5 but I barely made it up a slight hill and I was slipping in first and second gears with just a light touch on the gas. Maybe it's the Pirelli winter tires (had them on another car and wasn't impressed), but I guess it's just hard to beat all wheel drive. Any thoughts, suggestions? A couple of bags of sand in the trunk? __________________ BMW M3 (G80) Gone: 911 GTS, BMW 1M, E46 M3, X7 M50i, Porsche Cayenne GTS, X5M, M2CS, Cayman GT4 (981), Alfa Giulia QV, Carrera T, F80 M3 CS, Focus RS, M2 (OG), 14 E63S AMG wagon, M3 & M4 (F8X), X5 (F15 & E70), 335IS, VW Golf R (MK7), Audi SQ5, Cayman (987), M3 (E90), M5 MT (F10), A4 Avant (B8), S4 (B8), RS4 (B7), VW GTIs (MK2 to MK6)
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11-28-2014, 10:09 AM	#2
darkz Private 14 Rep 91 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada, AB iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW X5M [0.00] 2013 BMW M5 [9.00] 2012 BMW X3 [9.00] 2013 Ford F150 FX4 [10.00]	get a winter car
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11-28-2014, 10:20 AM	#4
JPMD First Lieutenant 171 Rep 375 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW M5 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	Can't even imagine driving the beast in a snowy climate even with "snow tires" Had an E36 M3 when I was living in NYC and that was a handful
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11-28-2014, 07:18 PM	#8
WCH Lieutenant Colonel 347 Rep 1,844 Posts Drives: '20 M8C convertible Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (8) Garage List 2022 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2020 BMW M8C [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [0.00]	In some slushy/freezing conditions on Wednesday, the Blizzaks I have on my M5 were pretty good. My driveway is a pretty steep incline and I got up by turning off the traction control. I'm interested to see how the rest of the winter goes. Last edited by WCH; 11-28-2014 at 07:40 PM..
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11-28-2014, 07:39 PM	#10
WCH Lieutenant Colonel 347 Rep 1,844 Posts Drives: '20 M8C convertible Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (8) Garage List 2022 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2020 BMW M8C [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [0.00]	That is true but under conditions where you don't have much traction, traction control just applies the brakes to both rear wheels and you don't move. With traction control off, you can modulate the accelerator and get the car moving.
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11-28-2014, 09:48 PM	#12
WCH Lieutenant Colonel 347 Rep 1,844 Posts Drives: '20 M8C convertible Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (8) Garage List 2022 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2020 BMW M8C [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [0.00]	Could be that you are correct. I just found that without traction control, I could creep up the hill (though with some wheel spin).
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11-29-2014, 12:49 PM	#16
Volum Banned 2 Rep 43 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Estonia iTrader: (0)	With CCB, 19" doesn't fit?
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11-29-2014, 03:58 PM	#18
bobblehead Brigadier General 256 Rep 4,721 Posts Drives: warp speed Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, On iTrader: (0)	If you are diving in area of lots of incline, then those performance winter can only have so much traction before losing it.
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11-29-2014, 04:48 PM	#21
WCH Lieutenant Colonel 347 Rep 1,844 Posts Drives: '20 M8C convertible Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (8) Garage List 2022 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2020 BMW M8C [0.00] 2017 Porsche Macan GTS [0.00]	It's better than the summer tires (35 vs 30). I don't think it will be an issue. I also have the BMW tire and wheel warranty that covers all OEM wheels just in case there is something beneath the snow. In my past experience, the potholes that come in the spring are the real problem.
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