[prei1978]

Not wanting to pile on the winter tires thing but adding my 2¢ anyways:

We’re all driving heavy cars with lots of power on public roads that we share with pedestrians, children, other drivers, etc. Handled incorrectly our cars are lethal. It’s our responsibility as drivers to minimize the risks to ourselves and others.

You just need to read the specs Michelin publishes for PS4S’: they are not recommended when temperatures are below 45F and they can be damaged if driven under 35F. Their compound is designed for higher grip and durability at higher temperatures. Below such temperatures winter or all-season tires are required and ignoring that is neglect.

In Scandinavian countries winter tires are mandatory for a reason. It’s not “drive your car the way you want to drive”. The only thing connecting you to the road are those 4 patches of rubber. Please be responsible.

[BoilerM]

Black ice aside, I think many will agree that folks should consider all-season tires for AWD and winter tires for RWD vehicles in climates where snow and freezing temps are a common occurrence. Some folks don’t take into consideration a second set of tires in the total cost of ownership and just run the same factory-shipped summer tires year round. This is fine in Nor and SoCal, but probably not the best idea in the Midwest. First thing I did when I took ownership of my M240i XD was purchase a set of A/S tires to replace the summers at the appropriate time. Sucked that I had to drop another $1.6k but I live in Chicago so this was a must, IMHO, not only for my family’s safety but for other drivers around me as well.
Glad the OP is fine and hopefully there’s a silver lining in all of this.

[curtdragon]

Glad you're ok. I had a scare like that once. Well not really. I drove my turbo BRZ from TN to MA in October or November. Checked the weather before and it was supposed to be nice. It ends up lightly snowing. Luckily I was able to get around because it was light and they salted.

On the way home the temps were low and it started to snow lightly. The whole time I was on edge as I hadn't switched to winter wheels yet. Sure enough did so when I got home.

For me it's a rule to change tires from summer to winter unless I live below GA or somewhere that never gets snow. Or I don't have to go into work or have an alternative vehicle like I do now.

Also people saying fucked up shit like hope you don't get insurance are dicks. You were stupid but for them seems only throwing the book at you is the best punishment. Now if you've done this before like this one dude on here last year who totaled three BMW in like a year then you should know better.

[Timothy J]

Originally Posted by BimmerNewbie66

Can’t understand those out there who want to make you out to be the a$$hole for driving YOUR car they way YOU want to.

I think we all share the same sentiment that OP is okay, but this is a terrible take. All seasons at a minimum in winter, preferably winter tires. There’s no excuse.

Edit: only read first page, looks like plenty with the same take. Sorry to add on.

[Alan l.]

I had a F80 with excellent snow tires and when I went over black ice I almost shat my pants. Even going <10mph my car did a 360 spin. Someone was watching over my family that day but someone else 30secs infront of me wasn’t as lucky and lost her life when she collided into a tractor trailer. That being said I was still able to get home safe during my 12 hour drive back in full blown snow/ice storm because of my snow tires.

[maverick618]

Post title should be 'beware of winter driving with summer tires'. Glad OP walked away, but this was completely preventable. Cannot understand driving a car like this and not having the appropriate tires.

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by Custom Install

Your right, I just made it up sorry about that …
I could go a drive right now and film it it that makes you happy, then you’d believe.
Not a single car I know has winter tyres on it, not one. I never see local cars with wheels swapped in winter.
Do you think I just waste my time posting lies on forums?

We fail to see the relevance. You live in a place that doesn’t require winter tires. Lots of places in the world (including in the US) do not require them because of their climate.

Obviously OP’s climate is different and the proof is in the pudding. Arguing otherwise is foolish, just refer back to post #1. Maybe it doesn’t apply to you where you live, but if you’re ever in NY, be sure to learn a lesson from others, it’ll be cheaper for you.

[BlownLSX]

Piss poor planning = piss poor results.

You are lucky that yourself and other were not harmed by your ignorance.

I live in Buffalo NY. The snow capital. All of my vehicles have winter tires to prevent situations like yours. Not sure what was going on when you thought it was good idea to take the car out or you’re just uneducated in how tires work in different situations.

Either way, this was 100% preventable accident.

[SwankPeRFection]

I don’t think it’s just the tire thing. I’d be interested to know if the OP was is anything BUT Comfort mode for the car. I drive in 40° weather sometimes too at night on summers (not Michelin bs though) and have no issues and generally don’t drive slow at all, but traction and stability is all On and I’m not in asshole mode… guess what? No problems. Maybe some of you just can’t “feel” what the car is telling you though the seat of your pants… I dunno. If it’s squirmy back the fuck off. I’ve hit black ice too years ago at highway speeds on both my WRX back then and my S4, didn’t spin out. 🤷*♂️

Hell, one guy in this thread already said he was driving and slipped around and was in MDM. I think this is part of the issue and even more so when it’s just a RWD M…. Stay out of Sport and DEFINITELY out of Sport+ when it’s cold or raining or anything else out. Hell, unless you’re really good at control, maybe even consider staying out of Sport+ even in the dry if you tend to drive like an asshole… which I’m not faulting anyone for cuz I drive like an asshole too.

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by ////\/\4

Well end of the day glad you’re ok. You’ll bounce back. I had a mR2 with a 3sgte swap and spun out and rolled into ditch. A reason I’ll never go back to a rwd. That’s my ptsd talking lol.

Just spent several days driving in the Arctic Circle in a RWD Polestar 2 with appropriate tyres, zero issues.

AWD means jack if you don’t have any grip to begin with.

[FoxberryJam]

Guys - don’t mean to derail this thread, but I have a quick question: winter tires in the NY/NJ area in the winter? Or just roll with summer performance tires all year round?

[Dgjo2022X5MC]

Originally Posted by Chitown_vroom

For the positive, very happy OP is ok. It’s a testament to BMW’s safety and great peace of mind as an owner.

A one car accident is, by definition, the driver’s fault. With the amount of damage present they were certainly driving too fast for conditions and the driver is also responsible for ensuring the equipment on their car. Not having proper tires in winter conditions is also the driver’s fault. Frankly it’s fortunate it was only a one car accident and OP didn’t take out someone else’s vehicle too.

Insurance may pay for this but I would fully expect them to immediately drop coverage afterward.

Keeping it real, this is for sure driver error. Wrong equipment and too aggressive for conditions. When I saw the post, I immediately zoomed in on tires as it’s hard to get these things off the road unless in MDM or traction control off.

Yes, insurance will be very difficult going forward. The Sumer tire should not void cover, unless the policy says something to that effect. I have never seen one like that in US.

[Quadruple VANOS]

I’m curious to know what tires OP will be running in the winter on the replacement vehicle.

[jnj2455]

Guys - don’t mean to derail this thread, but I have a quick question: winter tires in the NY/NJ area in the winter? Or just roll with summer performance tires all year round?

Gah I've struggled with this too since our winters are not nearly what they used to be w/ climate change.

Reading the reactions of everyone here and thinking to myself that how I've also driven in sub 30 degree temps on summers a few times out of laziness/ill timing.

Not an M4 but even my RWD F32 w/ the B58 without an LSD, the rear gets squirrely so easily when its remotely wet. I still have a dedicated Conti Extreme Contact DW for summers and Pirelli Sottozeros for winter but I think once the Contis wear out I'm gonna switch to HP all-seasons and slap on the winters only when the first snowfall hits.

[Jeremy V]

How in the world would winter tires have helped in this scenario 🙄

[hooked]

Originally Posted by G82Anxious

Brand new set of PS4S were placed on them in July, Never swap them out for winter tires as I drive <50MPH on my way to work. This is the first time I ever spun out on black and it's forever etched into me.

Glad you are ok as this could have been much worse. As others have said though, those tires feel more and more like driving on plastic as the temp drops below 40. Winter tires might have prevented the complete loss of traction. The road appears clear in the area the car stopped.

If you get another M4 with summer tires, invest in a winter set. A lot of people sell their 825/826 takeoffs for ~$2K. Add some winter performance tires and you have a yearlong daily driver solution for <$4K and a backup set of summer tires for when they wear out.

[Rafichicago]

Originally Posted by Aalfred

Im sorry you had to go through this but glad you are ok. Dont pay any attention to those negative comments. Some people r just out here to pass judgement and make themselve feel better. Its black ice people, your winter tires rnt gonna save you. Its just sucks that you hit a black ice patch. And for the dude who thinks you are raising everyone else premiums, you might need to rethink your priorities. This would be the worst way to total your car. Its like blaming the person whose car got stolen for raising their premiums coz they didnt “protect” their car well. Gosh some people can be so insensitive !!!

Glad u r ok and cant to see you in ur G82 again !!!

I wonder if your response would be as cheering if someone got injured if other vehicle was involved. Send OP flowers and Get Well post card.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Schn3ll

Lived in PA and had a freak early season snow and low temps. I was at college class and they let us out early, didn’t matter. I crashed 2x on the way home, first time just kissed the guardrail and got a push from a friend back to the road, the second time was into a ditch. Summer tires were the issue, there’s no excuse, they are incompatible with winter driving.

Yup, learned this lesson over 30 years ago before people had any clue about summer tires. Going 20 in 1/8" of fresh snow. Zip, around I went into a light pole. Nothing you can do. Just can't run those tires in cold temps. Any kind of precipitation and you're done.

OP glad you're ok.

[maverick618]

Originally Posted by FoxberryJam

Guys - don’t mean to derail this thread, but I have a quick question: winter tires in the NY/NJ area in the winter? Or just roll with summer performance tires all year round?

The temp drops below 40F often there, and summer tires are useless at that temperature. You actually run the risk of damaging the tire if the temp falls lower.

It's just not worth the risk, even in borderline conditions.

[T0RM3NT]

I'm glad you are okay. The car can be replaced, you can't.

Live and learn, move on, be good!

[maverick618]

Originally Posted by Jeremy V

How in the world would winter tires have helped in this scenario 🙄

They actually provide traction in low temp conditions, and are engineered with treads and compounds that can handle ice.

It's 2024 and this is a high performance car forum.... How do people still not understand what winter tires do and why they are necessary in winter?!!

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by Jeremy V

How in the world would winter tires have helped in this scenario 🙄

Winter tires have significantly better traction and stopping distances on ice than all seasons. Not sure if a PS4S will ever stop on ice.

More importantly, once you're off the black ice the winter tires will regain traction much faster than a rock hard summer tire.