Tire selection in 17"

So, I've purchased new wheels for my BMW project car, going from 16" wheels with a 205-50-16 size to 17" oem BMW wheels in an 8" width. I'm doing this for a larger overall diameter and to get more tire on the ground for traction after nearly doubling horsepower.

For tires, I know the front will be tight with strut clearance. Considering that, I'm leaning towards a 225-45-17 size. On the rear I have more room and could go with a 235 width. I use the car just for occasional trips, low mileage, potential for some infrequent autocross. Live in CA, so no snow or cold temps, and light rain mostly.

So, any recommendations for tires on the lower end of the price scale in the 225/45/17 size?(Say under 140ish per at tirerack) Should I add some extra width in the rear?

starspec/azeni K/Rival

Rivals. Hankook RS-3's. Kumho XS. All 3 should be in that price range.

I've been pricing the same size tires for my BMW. I'm probably going with the Kumhos. I've used them for the race car, wifey's SUV, and my DD in the past. hard to beat the quality/price point of them.

Luckily tirerack.com has a great site to compare and read reviews on many tires

In reply to bmwbav:

Stagger if necessary.

Federal 595 come in almost every size possible. 240 treadwear, 100 ea from my local tire guy. They like a higher pressure than you'd expect. Decent tire. Suck in snow.

I've been running BFG Comp Sport 2 tires on my E36 M3 and have been pleased. They offer good dry grip, fantastic wet traction, and they are much more quiet and longer lasting than a "near race" tire. If it's mostly a track car, the Rival is hard to beat--- if it's going to be used in a variety of conditions--- I'd consider the Comp Sport 2. I drove my car from FL to Road America in Wisconsin, participated in a track day, and drove all the way home on the same set of Comp Sport 2s. They aren't the end-all, be-all for track use, but for an all-around (Summer) tire, they have performed very well.

I run 225/45-17 in front and 245/40/17 in rear on stock M-Contour wheels.

If you're looking low cost, try Sumitomo HTR-Z. I used them a lot in 17" size...including on my FFR Cobra replica. I autox'd them and used them for HPDE. For street driving, the occassional hooning, they were awesome. They stuck well, wore well and were cheap. They did get greasy after several hot laps at HPDE, but if you're not doing that, then no concerns there.

Continental DW

I've been running Michelin Pilot SuperSports in that size, as it's a really nice summer DD tire that also works for me at an HPDE. It is more expensive, but if you watch the prices, and you buy when Tire Rack is offering the $70 rebate for a set of four, you have at least been able to get them for less than $150 each.

What I've liked best about these tires in my experience is that the noise level is pretty nice for DD duty, and they don't get any noisier until you hit the wear bars.

Shameless plug here:

Have I got a deal for you... I sold my e36 and have a set of new Sumi HTRz's with <1000 miles on them. 235/40/17 (no rubbing on the 318ti). They're mounted on breyton snowflakes. I've had them up on craigslist for a long time on the cheap with no takers. Send me a pm - it would be less for wheels & tires than buying a new set of tires.

Subscribing!
This year I ran the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's in that size. It was a great tire for driving around & great in the wet BUT it is not a track tire. By the 5th track day I was chunking the edges, plus they really fall off when you overheat them.

In the end, I'm going to go with the Kumho XS or a similar 200 treadwear DOT track tire next year that can go to and from the event. Tires make such a huge difference in having a fun day vs. fighting a poor handling car.
I'm leaning towards the Direzza ZII Star Spec for next year.

Wow, thanks for all the feedback!

I think I'll stay away from the 200TW near race tires, assuming I'll get better wet performance and quietness from a more moderate compound in the 300 range.

Narrowing it down, looking at the comp sport2's, the Continental DW, and the Sumitomo's.

Also, keeping the same size allows rotating, I'll got with 225 all around.

Another +1 for the sport comp. Got them on my wrx in 225/45/17. They didn't seem to like autocross as much as the internet had me believe but for a good DD tire that has some sportyness and grip. I wouldn't track them or use for serious autocross since the sidewall is a bit too soft for my taste (WRX is heavy and AWD though so..), but on a 3,000 mile road trip from San Diego to Canada and back they were plenty nice. Plently of tread left after almost 10K miles.

In reply to oldtin:

How cheap is cheap?

In reply to oldtin: Thanks for the offer, I've already bought the wheels. I also don't think the offset is going to work for me if these are on a 3 series.

No worries - is this the m62 bav? I've got an itch for one - i'd like to see an S38 in it though.

yamaha - pm sent.

I'll give a +1 on the Continental Extreme Contact DW. I have them on my 91 Camaro, and it handles very well on the street. They are the best tire in the rain, and they are really good for auto-x, but not the best. They are also very affordable.

In reply to oldtin: Yes, it's the Bavaria with the M62, needs moar grip. ;) I ended up ordering the sport comp 2's, I'll try to update once I get them mounted.

I've had my continental DWs for about 6 months now, and have been very happy. They seem very happy in canyon driving, very quiet and undramatic as they approach their adhesion limits; don't know how they would fare in any timed application, though. I have them in 215-45-17's for my SVT focus.

Edit: just see that you purchased something else. Whereabouts are you in CA? I'm in LA.

bmwbav wrote: Wow, thanks for all the feedback! I think I'll stay away from the 200TW near race tires, assuming I'll get better wet performance and quietness from a more moderate compound in the 300 range. Narrowing it down, looking at the comp sport2's, the Continental DW, and the Sumitomo's. Also, keeping the same size allows rotating, I'll got with 225 all around.

Of those 3 tires only the DW have better wet performance than the 200TW tires.