Choice of tires (archive)

really depend on the road conditions. They should also enhance the handling characteristics of the veheicle. The M5 is not a nimble canyon thrashing rocket like an Mcoupe. It is more of a high speed cruiser that has nimble characteristics. As you know from having owned an E38, the M5 dances at your touch, much lighter and crisper. The younger cousin M3 is even tighter. What you own is a supremely balanced car that has no weaknesses, able to fly at high speeds or power slide through corners.
Now to choose the footwear for this sleeping beast. The most important criteria, above all, is the type of road surface most often encountered. Let that dictate your choices more than just some guy who loves his setup.

General knowledge on tires:
Construction of tires(steel or poly/rayon belted) = structural rigidity
Compound = contact strength/feel, wear
Grooves = water displacement/wet control
Profile = cornering/braking, lateral control

Having said all that, my personal exp. leads me to choose Yokos for the summer and Pilots for rest of the year. If you dislike the swapping of tires, then Pilots all the way. Dunlops are fairly good all around, but I do not like their fade/slide characteristic of the compound. Plus, they really are terrible in wet when worn beyond 50%. Bridgestones are great at first, but really fade fast.
One last comment, even the best tire in the world will under perform if the presure is not tuned to the driving style. Fine tuning the psi setup takes more time than ordering a new set at a shop, but will allow you to achieve a unique "feel" to your ride that will make you a more confident and skillful driver.

Regards
///M

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