M135 => M166 - Big improvement all round
10-11-2006, 02:53 AM
#1
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My Ride: Jan 2006 E63 650i Sport
.
Options:
Sport version (includes: sport-seats, sport-suspension, M-Sport steering wheel, Anthracite headliner, Shaddow Line), Saphire Black, Black Dakota Leather, Anthracite Maple Wood trim, Steptronic Auto, Xenons, NAV-Professional with Voice Control, TV, CD-Changer, Bluetooth, Logic7, Head-up Display, Comfort Access, Seat Heating front, Auto Dimming & Folding Mirrors, Extended Auto Air Conditioning, PDC.
.
Mods:
Spacers 5mm front & 15mm rear
.
Wheels:
20" Alpina Softline (Classic) with Dunlop Sport Maxx non-RFT (255/35/20 & 285/30/20)
I have always been a huge fan of the M135 18" rims and with the M166 rims effectively being the 19" equivalent, I decided to go for the following set-up:
- Winter: 18" M135 with non-RFTs (possibly "Dunlop SP Wintersport" ??)
- Summer: 19" M166 non-RFT Michalin PS2, Front 245/35/R19, Rear 275/30/R19.
With the value added tax (MwSt) increase coming next year in Germany, that was a good enough excuse for me to fit the M166s already this year and drive them for a month or so, before swapping over to the M135s for winter.
I'm totally over the moon with the new set-up and here's some first impressions after my 1000km with the new set-up:
THE LOOKS:
Love the multi-spoke look. The M135s look great, but the 19" M166s just fill the arches perfectly. Already received a number of positive comments from people who normally wouldn't even know the difference between a 318 and a 760!
COMFORT & NOISE:
Although I had read in the Forum that there would be an improvement between RFT and non-RFT, I was still surprised to notice the improvement even with going from an 18 to a 19. Going over bumps is far less harsh now, which according to the dealer is also down to the Michalins and not just the difference between RFT and non-RFT.
The HUGE improvement is in tyre noise reduction, especially on the motorways. I do 1000+KM per week mostly on the Autobahn, so this makes the swap to the new rims and Michalin PS2s almost worth it alone. It makes for more comfortable cruising, especially if you want to talk with passangers. Maybe something worth considering for those of you questioning whether to swap from RFT to non-RFT.
THE DRIVE:
With my M135s with RFTs, I found the car did not hold the line ("Spur") very well. On some surfaces it moved around a fair bit within the lane because of the grooves left in the road by traffic over time and meant I had to keep a strong grip on the wheel at high speed just in case. With the new tyre set-up, it drives A LOT more steadier and does not suffer from unexpectidly "jumping around". Not sure exactly what brought the most improvement, 19" / non-RFT / Michalin PS2, but the combination certainly works!!
With now having 275s on the back instead of 240s, the steering feels a little heavier, but also a little more precise. Needless to say, from a standing start there is a natural improvement in grip, which is useful for pulling out at junctions etc. (My 520d was not designed for 1/4mile races - I'll leave that to the V8 and Bi-Turbo boys & girls!)
THE DEALER:
I purchased my rims & tyres from "Lissy-Car-Tuning-Parts" www.lissy-car-tuning-parts.de (Recklinghausen, Germany), the owner of which also turned out to be an E60 M-Sport driver. The price was very competitive and they were most accomodating with my business travel & schedule limitations - they actually organised my rims to be shipped to and fitted at a garage on my particular route back from a business trip. Sorted!
AND FINALLY, THE PICTURES:
Unfortunately it started bl**dy raining when I went out to take some photos, so did not really get the chance to take many photos or experiment with what looked best. Not particularly happy with the outcome, because I parked on an uneven surface which made the rear left side higher. Ah well, there's always next summer! Because of the bad weather, I ended up taking some interior shots as well!...
Cheers
Chrome Grills:
- Winter: 18" M135 with non-RFTs (possibly "Dunlop SP Wintersport" ??)
- Summer: 19" M166 non-RFT Michalin PS2, Front 245/35/R19, Rear 275/30/R19.
With the value added tax (MwSt) increase coming next year in Germany, that was a good enough excuse for me to fit the M166s already this year and drive them for a month or so, before swapping over to the M135s for winter.
I'm totally over the moon with the new set-up and here's some first impressions after my 1000km with the new set-up:
THE LOOKS:
Love the multi-spoke look. The M135s look great, but the 19" M166s just fill the arches perfectly. Already received a number of positive comments from people who normally wouldn't even know the difference between a 318 and a 760!
COMFORT & NOISE:
Although I had read in the Forum that there would be an improvement between RFT and non-RFT, I was still surprised to notice the improvement even with going from an 18 to a 19. Going over bumps is far less harsh now, which according to the dealer is also down to the Michalins and not just the difference between RFT and non-RFT.
The HUGE improvement is in tyre noise reduction, especially on the motorways. I do 1000+KM per week mostly on the Autobahn, so this makes the swap to the new rims and Michalin PS2s almost worth it alone. It makes for more comfortable cruising, especially if you want to talk with passangers. Maybe something worth considering for those of you questioning whether to swap from RFT to non-RFT.
THE DRIVE:
With my M135s with RFTs, I found the car did not hold the line ("Spur") very well. On some surfaces it moved around a fair bit within the lane because of the grooves left in the road by traffic over time and meant I had to keep a strong grip on the wheel at high speed just in case. With the new tyre set-up, it drives A LOT more steadier and does not suffer from unexpectidly "jumping around". Not sure exactly what brought the most improvement, 19" / non-RFT / Michalin PS2, but the combination certainly works!!
With now having 275s on the back instead of 240s, the steering feels a little heavier, but also a little more precise. Needless to say, from a standing start there is a natural improvement in grip, which is useful for pulling out at junctions etc. (My 520d was not designed for 1/4mile races - I'll leave that to the V8 and Bi-Turbo boys & girls!)
THE DEALER:
I purchased my rims & tyres from "Lissy-Car-Tuning-Parts" www.lissy-car-tuning-parts.de (Recklinghausen, Germany), the owner of which also turned out to be an E60 M-Sport driver. The price was very competitive and they were most accomodating with my business travel & schedule limitations - they actually organised my rims to be shipped to and fitted at a garage on my particular route back from a business trip. Sorted!
AND FINALLY, THE PICTURES:
Unfortunately it started bl**dy raining when I went out to take some photos, so did not really get the chance to take many photos or experiment with what looked best. Not particularly happy with the outcome, because I parked on an uneven surface which made the rear left side higher. Ah well, there's always next summer! Because of the bad weather, I ended up taking some interior shots as well!...
Cheers
Chrome Grills:
10-11-2006, 04:04 AM
#2
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My Ride: 530 2006
msport package, steptronic, pdc, mystik blue, grey dakota leather, sunroof, Bi-Xenon, heated rear seats, Hi-FI system, velour carpets
The 166 looks gorgeous!! Great choice of new rims!
I'm glad you're satisfied with them!
I'm glad you're satisfied with them!
10-11-2006, 04:08 AM
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Originally Posted by xBMWx' post='343718' date='Oct 11 2006, 11:53 AM
Not sure exactly what brought the most improvement, 19" / non-RFT / Michalin PS2, but the combination
10-11-2006, 05:03 AM
#4
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My Ride: Jan 2006 E63 650i Sport
.
Options:
Sport version (includes: sport-seats, sport-suspension, M-Sport steering wheel, Anthracite headliner, Shaddow Line), Saphire Black, Black Dakota Leather, Anthracite Maple Wood trim, Steptronic Auto, Xenons, NAV-Professional with Voice Control, TV, CD-Changer, Bluetooth, Logic7, Head-up Display, Comfort Access, Seat Heating front, Auto Dimming & Folding Mirrors, Extended Auto Air Conditioning, PDC.
.
Mods:
Spacers 5mm front & 15mm rear
.
Wheels:
20" Alpina Softline (Classic) with Dunlop Sport Maxx non-RFT (255/35/20 & 285/30/20)
AND FINALLY, MORE PICTURES:
[attachment=31604:attachment]
[attachment=31605:attachment]
[attachment=31604:attachment]
[attachment=31605:attachment]
10-11-2006, 05:34 AM
#5
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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My Ride: Jan 2006 E63 650i Sport
.
Options:
Sport version (includes: sport-seats, sport-suspension, M-Sport steering wheel, Anthracite headliner, Shaddow Line), Saphire Black, Black Dakota Leather, Anthracite Maple Wood trim, Steptronic Auto, Xenons, NAV-Professional with Voice Control, TV, CD-Changer, Bluetooth, Logic7, Head-up Display, Comfort Access, Seat Heating front, Auto Dimming & Folding Mirrors, Extended Auto Air Conditioning, PDC.
.
Mods:
Spacers 5mm front & 15mm rear
.
Wheels:
20" Alpina Softline (Classic) with Dunlop Sport Maxx non-RFT (255/35/20 & 285/30/20)
Originally Posted by colejl' post='343725' date='Oct 11 2006, 02:08 PM
Trust me, it's just the runflat element that makes the difference... But the PS2's are a great tyre and mine are wearing well so far...!
@colejl
Thanks again for your recent help with regards to which tyre I should go for
10-11-2006, 06:12 AM
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My Ride: carbon black/black dakota, M package with M aero kit, M suspension and 18" 135 M style wheels -
steptronic, adaptive bi-xenon, active steering, moonroof, comfort seats, comfort access, nav pro, logic7, CD, HUD, PDC and some ...
Thank You for Your report!
I was planning to do just the same thing, i.e. using my 135?s for the upcoming winter in Germany and buying the 19" rims in spring, at least if I?m not selling the E60 beforehand (right now, I?m just not sure how long I will keep it, I?m still a "two-door guy", I think).
So Your experience just confirmed my thoughts.
I was planning to do just the same thing, i.e. using my 135?s for the upcoming winter in Germany and buying the 19" rims in spring, at least if I?m not selling the E60 beforehand (right now, I?m just not sure how long I will keep it, I?m still a "two-door guy", I think).
So Your experience just confirmed my thoughts.
10-11-2006, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by xBMWx' post='343752' date='Oct 11 2006, 02:34 PM
@colejl
Thanks again for your recent help with regards to which tyre I should go for
Thanks again for your recent help with regards to which tyre I should go for
(You now know why Porsche OEM them!)
10-11-2006, 01:32 PM
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My Ride: BMW ///M 525xi Carbon Black - Dakota Black Leather - Riegel Ahorn Anthrazit trim - Alloy wheels 135 8Jx18" - Sport Seats - Bi-Xenon Headlights - Nav. System Professional - Bluetooth phone prep. - Auto-Dim. Int + Folding exterior mirrors - Rear Blind (electric) and side blinds - PDC - Foldable rear seats - Trailer Clutch
--
1980 - E21 320
1984 - E21 323i - White
1988 - E34 520i - Light Blue
1995 - E39 528i - Dark Blue -- Momo 17" wheels
2001 - E39 530d - Stahblau -- ///M-kit
2002 - Mini Cooper S - Dark Silver -- wifes car
2006 - E60 525xi - Carbon black -- ///M-kit
Mods: Anti carjacking system CJ-1
Very nice improvement. Clean and not over the top.
Congrats, it looks very nice on a carbon black one
Congrats, it looks very nice on a carbon black one