I've got an '08 535i RWD. It's got the stock rims and the goodyear all-season tires. (I believe they were the OEM tires, but I'm not sure since I purchased as a CPO). In any case, the rear end is very quick to break loose in just about any driving conditions. I fully understand that I have a 300bhp car and lead foot But that not withstanding, I would much prefer some better grip.

I'm going to put a set of dedicated summer performance tires on (and bump up to 18" rims), and that should help... but here is the real question... should I stagger and get the wider tires in the rear? Will that really make a big difference in grip and reduce wheel spin? Or is that mainly just an appearance thing? I noticed that the stock 535i with sports package does come with the staggered configuration as well.

Is there any downside to having a staggered configuration other than you can't rotate your tires?

Thanks!

 

I run staggered on all vehicles regardless if it came with it or not. But when we say staggered we're not just referring to hub spacers but the actual width and offset of the wheel.
Staggered handles better because it covers more ground.
Downside is you cant rotate wheels and also the camber when going wider eats the inside of the tire up quicker.
But performance and handling is the key here. If you just have a daily driver which is more economical and you're not into modding I would just look at different compound on your rubber and also look at the camber settings. At any rate you shouldn't be sliding at all

 

Check your tread depth and tread wear even-ness. Even with the all-season run flat tires, some aggressive drivers can chew through rear tires in less than 10k miles. Proper rear-wheel alignment can still cause BMWs to have higher inner tread wear that might not be readily visible ... get down and look at your tires to confirm you've still got some rummer there! And, confirm that your inflation pressures are as recommended on the dirver-side door jamb - over inflation can cause poor ride and affect how the tire lays down on the road. Summer UHP tires can improve grip because their compound is softer. That's the good news ... but, they also wear faster!

 

Tread depth and inflation pressure are all good. These are not run-flats... which should actually be better. To be fair, they don't spin ALL the time, but any time I get slighlty aggressive. I don't mind burning a little rubber, especially since I'll be replacing the tires soon, but there are two concerns:
1) I don't want to be that "that guy" squeeking tires every time I take a turn. Even when I'm not trying to drive aggressive
2) Once I do spend the money on some new tires... I don't want to burn through the tread overly quick...

So I guess I'm trying to figure out if a slightly larger investement in say a 18x9 (vs. an 18x8) rear end will actually be better long term vs. just putting better rubber on the rear

 

I'd shoot for a square set-up - so if you wanted to rotate tires front to rear to even out any wear patterns you could. And for the recommended 18" tire size 245x40 you'll have lots of options. You could even use a 245x45 but you're throwing your speedometer off a bit ... both would handle an 18" rim in 9 or 9 inch widths.:

 

what tires are those that have a 540AA rating @ 18" ??

 

I have a 550i manual sport. I drive in DTC mode most of the time. It will slide but I don't think it breaks loose easily. My car came with the staggered set up, 275/35/18 on the rear. They grip pretty well I think. I drive aggressively and usually have to do something to induce a power slide. I'd try the staggered set up if I were you.

 

I was shopping on tirerack last night and it looks like the Continental extreme contacts all-season have a 540AA rating at 18" - the summer performance still had something like 500AA at 18"

 

I have the staggered setup on the same car. I've been running Potenza RE760 Sports in the summer for a few sets now, and have zero complaints. Right now I'm getting a little sliding around in the rain due to the rears being worn down pretty well across the middle, which is weird. I usually get the inside edge feathered out before all else. And I don't try to burn out. I do drive pretty aggressively at times, which will wear your tires without squealing. If you don't mind spending the upfront on new rear rims and a set of winter rims and tires, you'll be fine without rotating. I do rotate the winters.