>While I'm sure this question has been asked before, I wanted to solicit
>advise from fellow M3ers (or anyone willing to provide their two cents)
>of the preferred all around tire of choice. Being a new BMW owner, I'm
>just trying to gather as much knowledge as I can. Thanks.

Peter -

I just bought my first set of tires after thoroughly wearing-out the original Michelins. The Michelin's served me well through various safety schools, driving schools, and autocrosses but I was never really happy with their performance in the rain. After doing some research, I decided to give Bridgestone Potenza S-02s a try. They are almost exactly the same price as the Pilots from Tire Rack (about $260), and are rated pretty highly.

I know looks don't mean a whole lot when it comes to tires... but it seems like they should channel water away much better than the Pilots. I've only had them a week and am very happy with them so far. We've had a good rain storm here (in northern CA) the last few days and they seemed to hydroplane much less than the Pilots.

As far as handling goes, my immediate impression is that they are much quieter and yield a softer ride than the Michelins. They feel like they don't have as stiff a sidewall as the Pilots, but then again I'm comparing brand new Bridgestones to almost cord-showing Michelins. They seem to "stick" just as well in the corners as did the Pilots when they were new.

Overall, I think they'll be a fine street tire. It's yet to be seen how well they do on the track or autocross course though. One other really nice thing about the Potenzas is the rim protector. The edge of the wheel sits about 1/8 to 1/4 inch inside the tire so it offers the wheels some protection against damage.

• -- Bob Vaughn '95 M3