Track tires for M5

[Shortcutsleeping]

The boss wants to track his M5, probably with NASA at MSR-C (15/16 March). I've driven it, the damn thing is incredible and I'd want to track it too!

Tires. OMFG. 19" tire availability is teh suck.

Any ideas? He is looking into another set of rims to put play-tires on. (VoMo rims in these sizes?)

255.40.19
285.35.19

He's fast and WILL push the car, so that nixes out a 'normal' street tire. He'll chunk the sides of those b!tches on lap 2.

Costas

[Shortcutsleeping]

Re: Track tires for M5

True...very true. He is all for me driving it, so it'll guilt me into letting him drive mine. heh heh.

I'm leaning towards Hoosier's R6 at the moment and flEaBay seems to have lots of wheel vendors that can fit the 19" wheel requirement.

Costas

[Hunter]

Re: Track tires for M5

He'll be just fine. I'm worried about tires, not the driver.

Costas

You are just worried he is going to run out of tire and not let you drive

[Shortcutsleeping]

Re: Track tires for M5

Hunter would be correct. 80k is...well...not like 80k to you or I. Our company (which he founded) has a corporate relationship with BMW and the dealership where the actual unit was sold so...well.....its not like we pay retail or anything.

Past track record holder in several classes at TWS, Hallet, Heartland Park, Cabannis, etc. Many time SCCA National Event winner. Fast, smooth, good judgement, and smart enough to track it at MSR-C and not TWS.

He'll be just fine. I'm worried about tires, not the driver.

Costas

[Hunter]

Re: Track tires for M5

I think the term "more money than sense" applies here.

I woudnt say that, I think its just more money then any of us.

[Redwood]

Re: Track tires for M5

I think the term "more money than sense" applies here.

[McCall]

Re: Track tires for M5

I still question the sanity of taking a $80k+ sedan out on the track and then pushing it hard.

[Shortcutsleeping]

Re: Track tires for M5

I have no specs, but the brake discs and calipers are indeed huge.

Currently I'm leaning towards hoosiers R6. They make them in sizes very close to stock and they should do well.

Costas

[John in Houston]

Re: Track tires for M5

I did a search for winter tires / wheels for a 2007 M5... no wheels available in 18"... so it must be a brake thing

TireRack Winter Tires M5

[Redwood]

Re: Track tires for M5

E60 M5 (from bmwusa.com) 14.7" front, 14.6" rear.

[Fair!]

Re: Track tires for M5

I suspect there's an 18" wheel that would fit. If the newest 5 series went back to the small 3 series hubs (yay!) we might have something... but nothing in low/no offset.

Could that car possibly have brakes so large as to need nineteen freagin inch wheels? This is mostly done for STYLING. Poseurs love 19's and 20's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M5#...005-present.29

Couldn't find specs on the E60 M5 brakes but the E90 M5 has 13.6" front discs... so I'm sure they made them bigger. "Bigger is better!"

[Shortcutsleeping]

Re: Track tires for M5

New M5 with V10 goodness...


Costas

[John in Houston]

Re: Track tires for M5

He's fast and WILL push the car, so that nixes out a 'normal' street tire. He'll chunk the sides of those b!tches on lap 2.
Costas

He'll probably chunk track tires as well as the no-front-camber-having-pig-of-a-car will totally dessimate the front tires.

What year M5? You can probably get a set of 18x9s from the E39 M5s and run them at all four corners with the 265x35 Rcomps.

If it is the newer M5, then they went back to the smaller hub bore (72.1) which is any BMW wheel... you just need a low offset.

Note: TireRack doesn't show anything smaller than a 19" wheel for the newer (2005+) M5. I'm guessing front brake size?