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The Spare Tire Saga continues
Some additional info on this subject: I contacted Tirerack (Gill) yesterday re: the space saver spare. They have nothing. I also emailed and phoned Bimmerzone (thanks Tom303 for the link to the M3 site!) and talked to Vincent who was very helpful. BZ has an 18" space saver wheel/tire that fits late model M3s so he figures it should work for the 1M. There is a nifty video clip on the site showing the SS spare being installed on the front of an M3 sedan. It works well there. Vincent says that it will work as a temporary spare on the rear as well. BZ also has a very compact screw jack (featured in the video) that extends into the plastic jacking site of the M3. These items are not inexpensive but considering the peace-of-mind they would provide...well? Ideally, Vincent would like to hear from any 1M owner that gets the SS spare to make sure that it truly fits on our 1Ms (take pictures).
I’m a new participant on this site but I have been following all of the chatter since we decided to commit to a 1M purchase this past August (car should be at the dealer within the next 2 weeks).
The spare tire string of discussion is very practical and is of considerable concern to me (I did go into the 1M purchase knowing the pros and cons including the no spare and lack of run-flats).
Every vehicle that we have ever had has contained a spare of some sort and a jack etc. Our last BMW (’99 E36 M3) had these and 4 very accessible jacking sites on the rocker panels. The jack was a very light and very effective tool.
Long road trips, in a fast and awesome handling car, are what we live for and the 1M should fill this need admirably. We try to stay away from the freeways and take the secondary roads that are scenic and supremely fun to drive. In the past our BMW road trips have been throughout BC and the western US. The thought of a flat or ruined tire on some byway in rural BC or outback Montana, without an emergency spare tire solution, conjures up all sorts of difficulties (despite BMW Assist/AAA and the inflator/goo “mobility” kit). I wouldn’t carry an emergency spare (and associated equipment) in everyday driving but for long road trips it would provide considerably more mental comfort in a car with perhaps more fragile tires than we are used to.
I certainly appreciate all of the information that I have gleaned from this site (invaluable!!). Thanks to all!
pete
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