I am using the stock M-parallel wheels on my 2000 740i Sport (245/45 tires on 8.0 x 18 wheels in front and 275/40 tires on 9.5 x 18 wheels in the rear). I did not have to roll the fenders since the 2000 740i comes with fender already factory rolled. They must make it standard on all 740s now since my wifes 2000 740iL also has rolled fenders. Makes sense since the M-parallel wheels were offered as an option on her car, but I did not get it. As far as I can tell, there is no rubbing and we checked it out very carefully when the tires were put on. The mechanics at NTB thought I had plenty of clearance.

The new Pilot Sports are interesting. As I said before, the slighly softer sidewalls absorb a lot more road noise and bumps. My car now is almost as quiet and smooth as my wifes 740iL on standard roads. I believe traction is actually improved - especially noticable in the rain yesterday here in Baltimore (this is backed-up with TireRack articles). The only handling change from the standpoint of the driver is slighly less communication with the road in terms of slightly less feedback of cornering forces. However, I do not know about you guys, but my 740i Sport could be a little "twitchy" up front with those big tires on bumpy or grooved roads, especially when applying the brakes. The steering wheel tends to respond to every groove in the road when braking. This twitcheness has been significantly reduced (even though the front tires have increased from 235/50 to 245/45) so I like the trade-off of less slighly less cornering force feel for much less effort in fighting the steering.

I still have to get the front end aligned. I have an appointment at the BMW dealership on Wednesday. The alignment of BMWs is a fairly time consumming procedure where they load up the car at different points, so I recommend that you only have this done by a dealer. The guys at NTB did not feel comfortable doing a BMW but rouitinely align Mercedes and Corvettes.

I will be glad to post soem pictures of my new tires and exhausts if someone can tell me how. I already have digital images from my digital camera, but need to know what to do next. How do I put them in a submittal?

Scott