[dsc888]

I had recently installed Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs and Bilstein B8 struts and while the handling was great on glass smooth roads, the ride took a turn for the worse on almost all roads. I felt that the suspension couldn't be fully enjoyed unless I were on a track. So I decided to get new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires to kill 2 birds with one stone...1) Get a supple, compliant ride that even the OEM setup never had and 2) Gain markedly improved handling that a BMW should have always had.

So I finally had my MSP4s mounted early today and can definitely say that they are one gem of a tire! To recap, I got the 245/40 18 size and had them mounted onto my OEM 400M wheels because I didn't want to spend money on new ones and kinda actually like the OEM look. It gave me 20mm or tread width vs OEM and the overall diameter was about 1% less at 25.7 inches vs 26.0 OEM. Weight of the OEM tires were 25.2 lbs and the Michelins were 23.3 lbs per my bathroom scale. So there was almost 2 lbs of unsprung mass savings per corner.

The Continental RFTs that came from the factory still had a decent amount of meat on them but they felt hard as a rock especially after I had my Eibach Pro Kit suspension installed. They felt great in terms of turn in immediacy but that was about all they are good for. The ride was unnecessarily stiff. They got noisier and noisier after about 10k miles and traction limits were on the low side.

PROS:

1) They grip like superglue! In 60 degree F ambient air temps today, I could not break traction with moderately aggressive acceleration or cornering. The car just takes a set line and goes where it is pointed. No muss.No fuss. I was able to take on of my local expressway onramps with a 90 degree turn right before merging with the flow of traffic at 50 MPH (with room to go even faster) where as the day before I was maxed out at 43 MPH with tires starting to protest. Not scientific but it's a turn I take daily that I am very familiar with. I have not yet tried them in the wet but I heard they are pretty amazing in the rain.

2) The ride is markedly better. These tires are firm vs your run of the mill all season non-RFT but they are downright comfy vs the Continentals RFTs that were on my car for the last 2 years. I "glide" over road imperfections now vs taking them though my seat. You hear the bumps lightly "thump thump" as the sidewalls absorb the pavement vs telegraphing it to the seat without filter. The ride is remarkably close to my OEM factory setup! So now I have BETTER handling and grip with much improved ride. Gone is the crashy and fragile ride that seems to be the Achilles heel of the F30 suspension (especially for those like myself who lowered their cars with a stiffer setup).

3) The car's interior is quieter. I didn't have a sound meter with me but the drive is quieter on all surfaces. It's most noticeable on smooth pavements. The F30 isn't known for being quiet so noise reduction was limited. Highway speed road noise levels seem slightly reduced.

4) Better dynamics! By choosing a slightly shorter tire, I effectively shorted my gear ratios and with the 2 lb reducing in unsprung mass, acceleration, braking and corning had improved a noticeable amount. I wasn't expection to feel the improved braking or acceleration gains but was shocked at how much more of the engine's power and brake pads clamping force I was able to achieve even on normal daily commuter driving.

5) Going from 225 to 245 width tread not only gained traction laterally but it gave my wheels a slightly wider stance. The tire now hangs about 1cm outside of the wheel. It's almost as though I added a 10mm spacer to the hub. It's a nice little bonus in the looks department.

Cons:

1) They are only for 3 seasons! With a tire this good, I wish there was a 4 season PS4S.

2) These things pick up everything on the road and will sandblast your car unless you add mudguards (uh...no) or at least a clear bra like solution to your fenders and rear bumps.

3) Steering sharpness at turn in is reduced. I expected this when transitioning from RFT but I gladly trade it for improved ride, noise and handling anyway.

4) There seems to be slightly decrease steering effort. I might have to revisit this one after a few hundred miles as new tires are a bit slippery due to the mould release agents on the surfaces of the tire. I read folks not liking the Michelin Pilot AS3+ tires due to much decreased steering effort, which I would not like.

So all in all, get good tires if you want to love your car all over again. BMW obviously wanted to save $$$ and weight when they defaulted most of their cars to be delivered with RFT and marketed it was "added safety and convenience" which is true to some level. But you pay the price of expensive replacement tires, rock hard ride and diminished handling capability. The Michelin PS4S is not the only option but it is one of the best ones on the market. You owe it to yourself to consider them if you want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your car with comfort to boot.

[wdeerfield]

Nice write up. I've had them for two summers now and love them. Im on 235/265 f/r (26.3".) I have since clocked around 15kmi on them and they still have plenty of tread left. They do grip very well and road noise is much lower than with the Conti RFTs i had (sport contact 5)

I know exactly what you mean about everything sticking to them. I only notice this in the spring and fall (warm temps in the day while driving, cold in the morning and it sounds like i am driving down a gravel road as it ejects everything)

I notice my steering feels lighter which i actually do not mind. I can turn and the car does exactly what it should. i dont really see the "decreased steering effort" to be an issue. The tires track exactly where i want them to go and i dont need to muscle it to do so. While the F30 has "numb" steering, the steering with these tires feeling lighter to me gives improved handling feel to me.

[dsc888]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

Nice write up. I've had them for two summers now and love them. Im on 235/265 f/r (26.3".) I have since clocked around 15kmi on them and they still have plenty of tread left. They do grip very well and road noise is much lower than with the Conti RFTs i had (sport contact 5)

I know exactly what you mean about everything sticking to them. I only notice this in the spring and fall (warm temps in the day while driving, cold in the morning and it sounds like i am driving down a gravel road as it ejects everything)

I notice my steering feels lighter which i actually do not mind. I can turn and the car does exactly what it should. i dont really see the "decreased steering effort" to be an issue. The tires track exactly where i want them to go and i dont need to muscle it to do so. While the F30 has "numb" steering, the steering with these tires feeling lighter to me gives improved handling feel to me.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the review!

Indeed. I agree with your long term assessment as my was more of an "initial" review. I can agree with you on how well they track compared to my Conti All Season RFTs. I was very shocked at how well they hold the intended line where as my old tires would require correction on turns.

It's great to hear that they are lasting well despite some spirited driving. It seems like Michelin really created a unicorn of a tire!

I was somewhat hoping the tires would address some of the issues of the lifeless steering in the F30. It was improved when I upgraded the suspension but it seems the electronic nature of the design has its limitations. But now I can look forward to a car that is truly fun and can be called a sports sedan for the first time.

[exE36M3]

FWIW - the steering feel isn't the electronic nature of the PS system. In my old BRZ, the e-steering was razor sharp. I swapped out the old control arm bushing from my 435i with the Turner monoball... which basically takes you from about 4 inches of rubber around the a cock-eyed control arm mount to a more preciseluy, angledd one-inch monoball bearing inside a 1.5 rubber mount.

The difference is a stupidly crazy crisp turn in and communication.
But I think the reason why BMW didn't go this route is that it's definitely a noisier/harsher steering feel. Turner, KMAC, Dinan, SPC all make variants for our cars. And my readings show that the M3/M4 use a similar design.

[Polo08816]

The outer edge of the tread on the PS4S is very soft. Great for grip, but you'll chunk the outer edge of the tires if you do any serious driving (track). You'll need a bit of negative camber in the front to combat that issue. I'm at -2.3 degrees in the front and I think you'll need -2.75 to -3.0 to make the tread wear more evenly.

Otherwise, the PS4S is the best wet/rain tire on the track out there.

[dsc888]

Originally Posted by percychow

FWIW - the steering feel isn't the electronic nature of the PS system. In my old BRZ, the e-steering was razor sharp. I swapped out the old control arm bushing from my 435i with the Turner monoball... which basically takes you from about 4 inches of rubber around the a cock-eyed control arm mount to a more preciseluy, angledd one-inch monoball bearing inside a 1.5 rubber mount.

The difference is a stupidly crazy crisp turn in and communication.
But I think the reason why BMW didn't go this route is that it's definitely a noisier/harsher steering feel. Turner, KMAC, Dinan, SPC all make variants for our cars. And my readings show that the M3/M4 use a similar design.

Thank you for the input. I’ve read about theses upgraded bushings and may consider them but am a little nervous about the increase in NVH in the cabin. But I totally get how they can help improve communication through the steering wheel. I will definitely consider it down the line when the times comes to replace my worn out bushings in the front.

[dsc888]

Originally Posted by Polo08816

The outer edge of the tread on the PS4S is very soft. Great for grip, but you'll chunk the outer edge of the tires if you do any serious driving (track). You'll need a bit of negative camber in the front to combat that issue. I'm at -2.3 degrees in the front and I think you'll need -2.75 to -3.0 to make the tread wear more evenly.

Otherwise, the PS4S is the best wet/rain tire on the track out there.

Wow! That is some serious camber but I’m guessing my OEM settings are OK as I don’t track my car. Does the aggressive negative camber wear the inside shoulders of your tires badly with normal driving?

[MacklinUSOB]

Originally Posted by dsc888

Wow! That is some serious camber but I'm guessing ORM settings are OK as I don't track my car. Does the aggressive negative camber wear the inside shoulders of your tires badly with normal driving?

FWIW I didn't have this issue with mine and I did 6 track and many more auto x days before switching to an actual track tire. They still have an even 4/32 across the tread and I had around -1.8 camber all around. Nobody could keep up in wet sessions but as they heat up in the dry they fall off very hard.

To get even wear with that much camber you need to drive more aggressively. It is possible, but if you do primarily highway miles you may have issue.