Pirelli Sottozero Serie II 255/35 + 265/35 on 437M's - Opinions?

[DadVibes]

I apologize in advance. I know there are a TON of snow tire threads. But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

....
Living in Colorado, snow tires are a must for a DD. I previously came from the Audi and Subaru worlds where you'd just buy a square setup of Blizzaks and call it a day. However, that's obviously not the case with the F80 M3. I began my research to find a good winter setup and I'm now looking for experienced advice before making my final purchase.

I want to preface any recommendations/comments by saying..

1) I work from home full time so I can (and do) avoid driving whenever the roads are bad. i.e. - I'll stay home whenever we get more than ~4" of snow. At least until the roads dry up a bit.

2) I will still need to drive in the snow a handful of times throughout the winter. So sticking it out with my summer performance tires simply is not an option.

3) With that said, 99% of my driving in the winter will be on dry or slightly wet roads. So, at this point, I really think Blizzaks are overkill for my needs.



Given the above, this time around I'd like to stick with a winter tire that will get the job done in lighter snow conditions, will get me home in a pinch if I find myself in 5"+ of snow on a random occasion, but won't absolutely destroy my handling/performance when the roads are dry. Based on this, my initial research has lead me to the following setup:

Pirelli Sottozero Serie II 255/35 + 265/35


I'd gladly do 275/35 in the rear but I'm unable to find that tire with the same speed rating available. Also, if the 265 will fit my 437M wheels in the rear without too much stretch, it might be good to have slightly narrower tires to help cut through excess snow when I do find myself in it.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear opinions on this particular tire as well as others that fall within the same category. I appreciate your help!

[2000gsr]

I had these tires on my e92 m3 and they are horrible even in light snow, dry and wet conditions no problems. Even though you won't be predominantly be driving in heavy snow, the one time that you get caught, you will have a rough time with these tires.

[DadVibes]

Originally Posted by 2000gsr

I had these tires on my e92 m3 and they are horrible even in light snow, dry and wet conditions no problems. Even though you won't be predominantly be driving in heavy snow, the one time that you get caught, you will have a rough time with these tires.

Thanks for the input. What are your (and others) thoughts on the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5's? Looking into those as we speak.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...omCompare1=yes

[2000gsr]

I have haven't used the PA5's, so I can't comment. I have used Dunlop winter sport 3d and Bridgestone lm32 and they were far superior to the Sottozero seris ll. For this year I'm trying out the kumho wp72.