Winter Tires/Wheels

[RDSChicago]

I decided I want to purchase dedicated winter tires and wheels for an '08 R8. Tire Rack is out of them. Anyone have any suggestions? The Audi dealer has them for around $6,000, but I don't want to spend this much. Would you all recommend 18" over 19" for more traction? Many dealers don't have the rears in stock in winter tires for the 19".

Any leads would be appreciated. Used in good condition would also be an option. Thanks again.

[Palmharbordogg]

Please keep the car in the garage. I owned an '87 Porsche 911 and tried to drive it in the snow with disastorous results. The R8 is a thing of beauty and deserves to be kept snow free.

[toecutter]

Respectfully disagree. The R8 is very capable in the snow. I have at least 10K miles in winter conditions. Drove through the snow and ice this morning. You just need the right equipment.

RDSChicago: The set up I PMed you about was $5.5K from my dealer last winter. Well worth it if you want to do it right.

[hmp10]

I, too, have driven my '08 through two Chicago winters. With all-season tires (not even true snow tires), it goes and stops just fine. The only problem is that the low ground clearance turns it into a snow plow during a heavy snowfall. But even that has never left me stranded.

I bought a set of OZ wheels to use in winter and had them put on the car before I picked it up (in January). At the time, there was a debate about whether the R8 wheels were forged or not. Not even AudiUSA could answer the question. So I bought a forged OZ model.

When I pulled off the OZ wheels that first spring, I was surprised to find the factory wheels were noticeably lighter. Of course, it's now clear that the factory R8 wheels are forged light-weights. And the factory wheels, even at dealer pricing, were no more expensive than the OZ's.

My advice is just to get a set of factory R8 wheels off ebay or from a seller on this forum who is putting after-market wheels on his car. They look great, and you won't do any better with aftermarket wheels for winter use.

[mmaturo]

I decided I want to purchase dedicated winter tires and wheels for an '08 R8. Tire Rack is out of them. Anyone have any suggestions? The Audi dealer has them for around $6,000, but I don't want to spend this much. Would you all recommend 18" over 19" for more traction? Many dealers don't have the rears in stock in winter tires for the 19".

Any leads would be appreciated. Used in good condition would also be an option. Thanks again.

The Audi club here in Chicago has an excellent relationship with Discount Tire in Naperville...call and make sure you get Matt the store manager at 1117 East Ogden Avenue, Naperville - (630) 428-0178. He can probably get whatever you need very fast and cheaper than elsewhere...tell him Mark Maturo sent you (to make sure you get a kick back on the price at club discount)...my RS6 has eaten many a tire from him.

There are replicas available that will save you $$ but may take a beating from potholes. Hartmann wheels for instance.

And my 2 cents you are doing the right thing by getting dedicated snows...way better than all-seasons (plenty of tests to confirm that published out there) and a better security blanket for your car...wouldn't think twice on my RS6 or once i get my R8 it will have a set.

[mngolfer]

I purchased a set of OEM wheels with stock summer tires and TPMS off of eBay for $2300. The tires had 200 miles on them. When my current tires need replacing I will switch to the eBay wheels and tires and put snow tires on my current wheels. I would check Craig's list and eBay frequently for OEM wheels. IMHO you need to make sure the wheels are OEM or higher quality. On the track I have had my car over 154 MPH. It could be very scary at any speed if you had a bad wheel.

[MikeB]

Anyone managed to find a set of M/S tyres for the 305/30 R19s?

Worst winter in decades up in Scotland - it hasn't rained for nearly 3 months - snowed not rained - which is unheard of, and our 6 tonne excavator now uses a rock pecker to break up the ground!

[KfabR8]

I'm running the Pirelli snow tires. Wonderful units!

Here's the thread on it.

[R8_V8_driver]

Running OEM Winter Wheel Package 18" identical widths front and back. Great results. Not Snows but Winter Performance. I've got Snows (Nokian Hakkepelita R) on my M3 DD.

[vwbjones]

Does anyone know of a 19" snow tire that will fit the factory rims for the R8?