Snow tires for those beautiful wheels?

[Jim]

The dealer said the PZero is not a suitable winter tire in Wisconsin and that I won't find a winter tire 255/40R18 to fit on the RS6 rims. So, do you run around half the year with different tires and rims in place?

[Alex K]

Hi Jim,

Been worrying about the same thing as of late and have checked the availability of winter tires for my RS6 (I´ve got the 19´rims).
Came up with only one option (in Germany) so far:

Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3: 255/35 R19 96 V
lowest price: 328 € per piece

Not sure about your dimensions though as yoou seem to have the standard wheels.

In terms of 18´alternatives, my German papers do mention a second federalized tire option - 225/45 R18 winter tires - so these must be available but probably require different rims.
Hope this helps......

[Alex K]

Jim,

Have checked some more into the availability of 255/40 R18 winter tires and came up with 5 options:

Dunlop SP Winter SPort M3 (95 V MFS)
Dunlop SP Winter SPort M3 (95 V MFS NO)
Continental WinterContact TS 790 (99 V XL)
Continental WinterContact TS 790 (99 V XL FR)
Pirelli W 240 Snowsport (95 V)

Do not know whether all of the above are in fact available in the US too......

[nene]

You can also choose an all-season type of tire such as the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. I've had them on the S4 for almost a year. The thread wear is not that bad. I think I've had these tires on the S4 for about 30K miles, and still have about 40% of thread left. Incredible.

They come in 255/40ZR18. Finding them, that's another issue.

[gjg]

I believe the proper WINTER tire size for RS6 is 225/45/18 (would be interesting to drive 255 in 4 inches of snow) - this is from our dealer here and he offered that as an option (second set of wheels).

it is the same outside diameter of tire as 255/40/18. I am sure that you will find this size in US, at least H rated. Tirerack or the others should have it. It was about $220/tire when we looked for it couple months ago.

gg

[taipan]

I've used two sets of high-performance winter tires from Michelin (model : Michelin Pilot Alpin) for 5 years in the French Alps on a V6 4motion, doing both high-speed driving on the highway (up to 220km/h) and on snowy/icy curvy moutain roads, including a final uncleared 300m track to reach the chalet which is somehow isolated above the village (the road crew only clears it after a serious snowfall, like once every two weeks).

Superb handling/braking and very good durability, wouldn't consider trying another brand at this point.

Here's the product page from Michelin USA, with a link for the different sizes available.
http://michelinman.com/catalog/tires/MichelinPilotAlpin.html

It seems the 255/40/18 isn't available but 235/40, 245/40 and 255/35 are listed in V speed rating.
I'd assume the 245 would be best (even 235 ?) if you're exposed to serious daily winter conditions since a narrower tire offer better grip under wet/icy conditions and is less exposed to aqua-planning.
Maybe something to check with Audi US or any serious tire dealer in your area ?

Eric

[gjg]

I've checked Tirerack, this is the one available in US:

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 (Winter)
Size:225/45-18
VR Speed Rated Price: $211
Estimated Availability: In Stock

I've used the same tire on another car, performed very well.

gg
(no affiliation to any of the above companies)

[gjg]

I've checked Tirerack, this is the one available in US:

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 (Winter)
Size:225/45-18
VR Speed Rated Price: $211
Estimated Availability: In Stock

I've used the same tire on another car, performed very well.

gg
(no affiliation to any of the above companies)

[john hulbrock]

Any possibility of using 17" rims for the snows? I have a set of Audi 17" rims from my A8 that I can use if the brakes clear.
JH

[jconley]

Nope, 18s needed to clear the fronts.

[rsjoe]

I'm going with the conti all seasons and I'm in northern New England. The conti 245 - 18's all season touring worked great for me last winter on a MB with rear wheel drive. I'm going with their direct oem replacement tires (ultra high performance all seasons) for my RS6 which I anticipate will work even better with the awd. These are less than .5 inches wider than the conti's which I know worked well.

[eph94]

Originally posted by rsjoe
I'm going with the conti all seasons and I'm in northern New England. The conti 245 - 18's all season touring worked great for me last winter on a MB with rear wheel drive. I'm going with their direct oem replacement tires (ultra high performance all seasons) for my RS6 which I anticipate will work even better with the awd. These are less than .5 inches wider than the conti's which I know worked well.

Wow, that's amazing! I may have to try those out. I am in the Boston area and commute to southern NH. I had Michelin Pilot Alpin snow shoes on my 5-series in the winter and hated the snow traction. Maybe I have higher expectations? I also swap the all-seasons out of the X5 with dedicated snows, as I thought the braking performance of the all-seasons on the X5 in the snow was unacceptable. Sure, getting going was no problem with the A/S tires and the X5 AWD, but stopping was another issue...

[rsjoe]

They worked fine in the snow, but were lousy when cornering on dry (plowed) roads, exit ramps, etc. My first all season were on a 745 and then an E500 and no problems. I wouldn't want to use them in over 5" of snow and yes stopping on ice won't be as good as a dedicated winter tire, but their grip on ice was very satisfactory for me and you get much better performance on dry roads. By the way, I'll tell you your wait will be worth it. This RS6 is much more entertaining than either the M5 or E55. No one gives me a second look (Ebony Pearl) including the cops. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of cars and I love it!!!!

[eph94]

rsjoe, thanks for the response. Now do you swap out the perf. tires for a/s tires in lieu of snow tires? Or do you keep the a/s shoes on all year long? I may not do the dedicated snow tire thing this year. As with your observations with the Blizzaks, I HATED the Pilots Alpins on dry pavement. I would prefer to sacrifice some snow performance in order for better handling in the dry, especially since I would usually wait until the plows are out in full force anyway. As long the the all-seasons can get me home during those freak storms that catch the plows by surprise, then I will be happy.

[rsjoe]

On the M5 I would swap out the tires and wheels. On the E500 just stayed with the conti a/s and the handling has been excellent. They are very predictable and they must have a softer sidewall than a performace tire yet I get no noticeable squirming, squeal or tire roll up on hard cornering. It doesn't make sense since the E500 is no lightweight, but those are my perceptions. I'm going to mount the conti a/s on the RS6 before winter and if they're satisfactory without giving up much performance I'll keep them on year round. I've got dunlop on now and I'm not overly impressed. I've only got 800 miles on them, but they have got squirmy on hard cornering and they will begin to squeal when you just look at a corner which tends to attract unwanted attention. They are set at recommended inflation, but I suspect an extra 3-5 psi wouldn't hurt.