How about us?

I don't think we will get the P0 M+S (well there is no snow here unless 1000m up in winter)

P0 Nero is never heard of - and any P0 here is A$600 each!

omicron,

how close is the gearing, have you compared the speedo to gps???

to go from treadwear 140 to 400 without suffering preformance lose would be a win win situation.

i have the dunlops the speedo is off by 1.6mph at 60 to 75.

just wandering.

beers

I agree with all you statements here, including the fact that for me too, it seems the ideal compromise.
I rate the snow traction of the original Potenza somwhere between 0 and 1...

I'll keep on searching for an alternative.

According to the fixed radar "Your speed is" stations around town, the speedo is high by about 2 MPH at 60 MPH. Have not had a chance to check it with my GPS yet.

In reply to the earlier weight question-my 4 p-zero nero m+s (245/40 R18) all weighed 25.6 lb on a calibrated scale-my OEM potenzas with 7000K on them weighed 25.0-25.1lb. With a couple hundred miles on them I concur with Omicron's review-especially noticeable was the "softer feel" over the rough roads here in MI, while increasing the "lateral" grip (power drift is an effort now). I can't wait to see how they handle after they break-in a bit more. Wet traction has also improved quite a bit. My first post-thanks to all of you (except the people that argue??) for all the great info on a car I'm loving more each time I drive.

I just replaced my tires on my M3 (Yokohama AVS Intermediates) with a set of 18" Speedline rims and P-Zero M+S. My initial impression was that the tires are much quieter, and ride better. But they definately give up a bit of feel. They aren't as confidence inspiring because of the initial squish in the sidewall.

I haven't had a chance to really get 'em heated up, but I don't think they're all that. I just don't like that little bit of squish and roll when you first yank the wheel.

In my experience, brand new tires initially have that 'full tread feel' ("squish and roll") until they break-in a bit. I noticed that too. However, I can maintain higher rates of speed during high speed cornering before starting to lose traction (especially in cold/rain), even though it feels slightly less connected than the OEM tires. Even if the slight squish in the sidewall doesn't diminish as they break in, it would be an acceptable compromise for the more comfortable ride.

FYI and Update:

I just noticed on the sidewall of these tires that they are rated ZR and not WR as was stated in the Tirerack's info. Even better. :D

Also, some light snow is expected here within a week, so hopefully I'll get to try them out on that soon. I did have an opportunity to drive in some heavy rain the other day, and they handle perfectly. Definitely better than the Potenzas.

omicron,

thanks for all the info. i hope you get some snow to test in. glad to hear about the rain. i hit some very heavy rain on the way home from daytona doing a ride alone with the petty people.

i like the idea of a great handling tire with a 400 treadwear rating. does good in rain is just a bonus.

dont miss the snow.

beers

Ok, finally got to drive on some snow today. It actually snowed all night last night, and come this morning, we had enough that it had stuck on the roads.

So here goes Omi, out at 8AM to drive his car on the snowy roads, all in the interest of science. :D

In brief, the tires did great! While I could "feel" that the roads were slick (just as you can in ANY car, 4x4, or whatever) it was not at all scary as it was on the Potenzas. Standing hard on the brake at 30MPH give me a little bit of ABS action, but only briefly. And going around corners slightly faster than I would have - specifically trying to see how badly the rear end would swing out - caused the DSC to kick in, but again, only briefly. I had actually forgotten it was on, so I repeated the manuever with it turned off, and while the rear end did slide a bit, it was controllable and not terrifying.

Finally, I was able to get up my concrete driveway (~5 percent grade) without drama, while the Potenzas made it virtually impossible, spinning the whole way. the Pirellis let me drive right up into my garage with no wheelspin at all.

For the sake of comparison, I next took our front wheel drive Mazda 6S out on the same route. Traction Felt about the same as the 8... you could tell the roads were slick, but it was no better than the 8 on these Pirellis.

Now granted, the roads were not snow packed on top of a sheet of solid ice, but they were slick enough to give me confidence that these tires are good on the slick stuff. I'll still take my Grand Cherokee out if the roads get really bad, but I no longer have to worry about being stuck at work with the car shod in PZero Nero M+S tires. :D

OK, we'll let you have Spring now. Glad they felt good.

Maybe come Fall I'll get some, and see if folks with REAL winter want to buy my runflat M3/17-in. wheel package ....

Do the tires have a shape which protects the rim from hitting the curb? From the photo it looks like it does not, but it is hard to tell.

In this width, the tire has a tiny bit of sidewall "bulge" so yes, the rim has some protection.

How many inches did it snow?
About the driveway, thats awesome because i have so much trouble with the stock tires. and it prevents me from driving in the winter

There was about 2 inches of slushy snow on the ground when I took it out. Enough that I could tell the roads were sorta slick, but not as bad as snowpack on top of a layer of ice. Guess that'll have to wait for next winter.

hi OMICRON
thanks for the great info about your tires.
i was wondering what would be your second choice for your 8?
i'm asking cuz i tryed to get them from local discount tire but they said they are on back order for 1 and half month.
i like to buy tires from the store cuz they come with free road hazard program and free rotation and balance and i can get replacement warranty for little money. i was thinking about BF GOODRICH g force T/A KDW-2 or Michelin Pilot Sport A/S for my second choice. the guy at the store recomended set of cooper tires but i have no information on them. maybe he recomended those cuz they have them in stock.
so what would you get if there is no NERO MS avalable? it doen't have to be limited on what i mentioned. anybody have an idea please let me know too.
thank you.....!!!

Hi bkulleo -

Keep in mind that I wanted Ultra High Performance all-season tires, so that's all I looked at. But my second choice would have been the Toyo Proxes 4 tires. In fact, I almost got them instead because I like the tread pattern better and they cost about the same, but the Tirerack customer reviews of these Pirellis is what finally convinced me. I would also seriously consider the Continental ExtremeContact. Hope this helps!

Omicron: Good tires, good choice... You guys should also check out Hankook Ventus K104s (Rated as good as S03s for much less $...

Couple questions - Omicron: I believe you have been riding the new Neros for a bit now. First question is how they affected the low pressure monitoring system, if at all. I was told that the 40s, being a bit wider than the stock 45s for which the system was intended, will also tend to be slightly lower and the low pressure system was described to me as actually a height measuring device. Any difference that you have noticed with the new rubber? Second question: how's the carzoomer upgrade working out for you now that it's gotten warm a bit? Third (and last): are there any really good alternatives in the original 225.45.13 size? (I know CostCo has none but does carry the Michelin Pilots ... for about $220 or so a tire (but that does include mounting and road hazard ins. I believe to be fair about it). Thanks for the feedback - hope to see your setup at the Denver meet.

Hi Barry -

The TPMS works flawlessly with the new tires. And they are true pressure sensors regardless of what you were told, so I would have been surprised if they hadn't.

The CanZoomer stage 1.1 I have is not working as well as the original unit. I bought the full tuning kit and know what I need to fix (back the ignition advance off a couple of degrees) so this is no big deal. I may do it this weekend.

And as for good tire alternatives in the stock size, it all depends on what type of tire you want: pure summer performance, or like me, UHP all-seasons.

OK.....after spending some time on the web, I am down with 2 tires ContiExtremeContact and Toyo Froxes 4. They both have good ratings and most of people like them. I wish Tire Rack has Toyo tires so I can compare little better in same aspect. Well what you guys think? Anybody has had any of these tires wants to help me decide? I live in Houston so I don't have to worry about snow and I'm looking at 245/40/18 in size.
Thnk you.

Start a new thread here in the Wheel and Tire forum with your question - it's more apt to get noticed.

Personally, I'd go for the Toyos, as the Contis are reputed to ride harshly.

What made you decide against the PZeros I got? Just curious.

Thanks for the feedback, Omi. As predicted (in posts on warranty), the service manager at the Mazda dealer really doesn't know and takes the "omygawddon'tdoanythingnotstock-because-itmightvoidthewarranty" approach. Glad to know she's wrong about the pressure sensor. (She also insisted the car CAME with all season radials -- as they SHOULD here in mountain country! -- until she just couldn't find the letters "m&s" on the tires....) I'm sold on the Pirellis and will order a set forthwith.

About the carzoomer conversion, I'm NOT a mechanic or tinkerer. Suppose I could FIND a mechanic to do it for me, but stuff like adjusting the ignition advance a couple degrees is not my thing. If I had it put in (or stumbled to do it myself), what about the shut off when you take it to the dealer, perhaps for warranty work? Does the change in the spark advance affect performance if the unit is off or turned off? (In fact, DOES it "turn off" or must it be removed and the original replaced if you need to keep Mazda uninformed of its existence??) Thanks for all you've reported!

Hell Barry, if you decide to buy one we can put it in during the meet. Takes about 15 minutes. In fact, I'm sure there will be others there who'd like to see it. Once you see it you'll have confidence to deinstall and or disable it. Turning it off is as simple as removing the plastic PCM cover (three 10mm bolts and 2 clips) and throwing the switch on the side of the unit.

Thanks; I may just do that. But contemplating tires, the muffler, the carzoomer conversion, I may need to get another loan! Is it true those nice looking little wheel hub badges go for $120 a set? (Can't see what good ONE of the things would be....)