Olaf 3317 Report post Posted March 13, 2016 can't argue with that, Ron. The guy I'll be using is recommended by a good friend, who has more german cars than I have digits, and additional sets of rims to boot. very particular is he. It was particularly refreshing to find a tyre guy who genuinely knows his onions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herbmiester 923 Report post Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) Ron the Ohlins were purchased off this forum along with some Eibach sway bars, all for a very reasonable price. The Ohlins really work, the springs are firm, but as the shocks are adjustable I have been able to find a reasonable compromise for street use. THe E46 is my fun car so I dont care that the ride is on the firm side and as a bonus my wife doesn't even notice, probably because the big bumps get soaked up. No issues at full lock. But as mentioned the Ohlins are smaller in diameter than a stock setup. I haven't measured the gap so I am not sure if this is an issue, but the guys on the US E46 forum seem to run 245's up front without problems. The front end grip increase with the wider tyres is especially noticeable in low to mid speed corners it just points and goes. At higher speed there is a hint of oversteer as the front bites but it's closer to neutral than anything else and can be moderated by the throttle. The front is currently set up to a be fraction softer than the rear. I can use another setting on the sway bar to stiffen it up and I may try that but I have to say that at legal speeds the balance is great. I will probably look to raise the rear a fraction 10-12mm as much for looks but this may make oversteer a bit more so will do it in combination with resetting the front Anti sway bar and perhaps firm up the compression damping. The Re003's seem to work well as street tyre they were nice and predictable in the wet last week and ride quality is decent as I suspect they are not super stiff in the sidewall. Overall I am happy with the tyres, decent tyre for not too much money and with the E46 chassis just about sorted the car is a pleasure to drive in the twisties. All it needs is another 100 or so HP. (and a manual gearbox) Edited March 13, 2016 by Herbmiester Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herbmiester 923 Report post Posted March 13, 2016 Ron I dont get any bottoming out and ground clearance is ok (Just) but to be honest it looks wrong, the front is a low as I can go and the tyres are 1-1.5 cm below the guards while at the rear the tyres are below the guards. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) it's like Gordon Gekko's catchphrase has mutated. in a good way! "Rake is good" edit: for those who missed the 80's, take a look at 80's blockbuster Wall Street. Edited March 14, 2016 by Olaf 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nusse 0 Report post Posted March 21, 2016 Can anyone recommend the S001s over the RE003s? People seem to think they are soft and knowing New Zealand roads I don't expect many kms from them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lewis91 114 Report post Posted March 22, 2016 From the 30+ sets of BMW wheels that I've owned, Bridgestones came on 60% of them. My favourite for sure, better value than Continental, Michelin or Pirelli. My preference is the Potenza S001, however the RE050A features regularly & is a very competitive price second hand or new. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nusse 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2016 Guess that settles it A nice Bridgestone deal on at the moment Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herbmiester 923 Report post Posted November 8, 2017 I realise this is an old thread but having fitted a new set of RE003s on my 335i I thought I would give an updare. The old front tyres were Nitto 830s and out back were a set of RE050 run flats. First impressions are that the front end is a lot more precise, turn in is noticeably more direct and I feel like it goes were it should now. The rear has a bit more compliance but grip wise it seems to be at least as good as the 050s maybe even better. I never really felt I could trust the run flats on anything other than bowling green smooth roads, they had a lot of harshness and the ride was jittery. On a typical NZ road with a few undulations and irregularities mid corner the 003 is just so much more predictable. I was considering S001s but having had them on my 335i on the original 17s I didnt think they were appreciably better than the 003s, not a fair comparison I know as one is a 40 series and one is 35. I suspect on a track the S001 would show its advantages. To sumarise I now have much sharper and more accurate turn in, the car feels more predictable and overall grip levels in the dry are higher especially up front. Later this week I am driving another 335 with 19s and its running some Falkens, I will report back when I have given it the 48 corner test. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Navin 180 Report post Posted November 8, 2017 Good to hear, will definitely consider the re-003's for the 135i next time. Completely agree with you on the run flats. Have just ordered a set of pilot sport 4's. Cannot wait to get them on and get rid of these 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted November 8, 2017 I had some runflats on the 130i, then changed to nitto invos, then finally to re003s. what a huge step up in terms of grip, both wet and dry. the re003's inspired a lot of confidence on corners and also made the car feel lighter and more responsive in every way. easily the best i've had so far (havent tried michelin pss/ps3/ps4). Just ordered a full set from tony's with their price beat guarantee. worked out a lot cheaper than bridgestone themselves (the buy 3 get 1 free deal didnt apply at the moment for some reason). 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jom 98 Report post Posted November 8, 2017 I've currently got Re003s on the front and PS4s on the back. The PS4s feel a little more planted - but not much in it. What is noticeable is the extra road noise from the RE003s. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted November 9, 2017 RE003 are good for the money. But they are not the same catagory as PSS / PS4. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted November 11, 2017 $1200 for a staggered set of 18s 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herbmiester 923 Report post Posted November 11, 2017 (edited) On 10/11/2017 at 9:21 AM, m325i said: RE003 are good for the money. But they are not the same catagory as PSS / PS4. Probably not but they cost a lot less and when you get up to 9 or 10/10th driving it's generally well past what goes on on the highway. Edited November 11, 2017 by Herbmiester 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GorGasm 563 Report post Posted November 12, 2017 (edited) RE003 got 2nd in a recent Wheels mag, lost due to road noise but had superior track and slalom results. Competition was more mid range touring tires though, including Conti premium 5. The winner was Maxxis Premitra HP5. Edited November 12, 2017 by GorGasm 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1071 Report post Posted November 13, 2017 I found the RE003's quiet on the E39. But they're a fairly quiet car, I suppose. I don't find I get a lot of mileage out of them, but then until recently, most of our driving was on roads with no straights or flats. The school run has one long straight now, so I might get a little more I'm due two new tyres on the rear now I wish I'd rotated earlier, so I would feel happier about replacing all four when the fronts had worn a bit more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted November 13, 2017 I noticed that the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 (a re-badged RE003) has a much higher tread-wear rating than the RE003. I was on the understanding they are an identical tyre - maybe not? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eliongater 718 Report post Posted November 14, 2017 @m325i any idea how much it'd cost to import some? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 17 hours ago, eliongater said: @m325i any idea how much it'd cost to import some? At the time the dollar was a little higher. Worked out very similar to local prices to be honest. If you want to price check, Tire Rack charge about $300usd to ship 4 to NZ. You will get stung GST. But they arrive in ~5 days. (When the dollar was good, i got some 19" PSS for like $1700.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 22 hours ago, eliongater said: @m325i any idea how much it'd cost to import some? why would you bother? you're looking at around USD700 for four black circles and freight, add your GST and charges, and you're paying more than you'll pay on the street - GST included - In Niu ZIld. Given you can get a square set of RE003's in 17" here for well under a grand... why would you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 Like I mentioned earlier, it was just under $1200 for a set of staggered 18's for the RE003 from Tony's Tyres. I think that is very fair price wise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herbmiester 923 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 I did the maths about a year ago and it was cheaper to buy in NZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 1 hour ago, qube said: Like I mentioned earlier, it was just under $1200 for a set of staggered 18's for the RE003 from Tony's Tyres. I think that is very fair price wise. yep. but hey, what you putting those on, Kyu? You sold your mini already? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted November 15, 2017 12 hours ago, Olaf said: yep. but hey, what you putting those on, Kyu? You sold your mini already? Still got the mini, I got another E46 but these wheels are going on our new family wagon E91 Photos to come once they are fitted.. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
