Not sure on this issue. Sold my 2007 Lexus SC430 and purchased a 2009 C2, black on black .powder coated the Carrera S 19" wheels black and added Suncoast black chrome quad exhaust tips.looks great............one question- I always felt comfortable in my Lexus with the run flats-knowing I had an option to make it home if I picked up a nail or had a flat with the run flat tires............My friend has a Nissan GTR and I saw it comes standard with 285 rear and 230 front run flats...............

Has anyone on the forum put run flats on a Carrera? I know that there is some compromise in ride quality but the roads by me in south Florida are pretty good and the low profile Pirelli P Zero tires offer in my opinion, similar harsh ride over bumps..........................
Just curious, sounds like a good idea .......................

 

If you post this on a BMW forum (e.g. e90post.com), I am sure you will get a lot of responses (getting flamed!!)... people are doing everything they can to get rid of runflats that come stock with last model BMWs (non-M only).

 

I have a 335i and I hate the runflats due to the harshness of the ride. The assurance of getting home on a flat is nice, but I sometimes wonder if more carefule (slower) driving can do the same thing. I commute on some pretty bad roads so after a while they get annoying.

If the roads are smooth, then go for it. Performance-wise, most people don't even get 60-70% out of any tire.

 

I had a 1987 Toyota MR2 (loved that car) and had my first experiences with low profile tires, albeit on the harsh roads of NYC.................Once you have loss of air, especially a drastic loss, there is no such thing as "taking it slow" to make it home, a flat is a flat, the only way to drive on it is to sacrifice the wheels which will be destroyed. Once you experience drastic or total loss of air in any tire, especially low profile ones, your only option is to pull over-stop, try the fix a flat and or tire inflator routine, and call for Porshce flatbed svc................

 

My 550i had run-flats. I never figured out what was wrong with that car - tires never were worn enough while I had it to risk switching them out and still have problems. It just drove strangely - felt like it was floating sometimes especially in curves; the most disconnected and disconcerting feeling. It also had active steering but that was only supposed to make the car steer more easily at very low speed (parking lots), so maybe it was the run-flats or just something not quite sorted with the steering feel in general - worst driving BMW I ever had. So much so that, now, here I am.

I did like the idea of something backing me up in case of a flat (although it also had a donut - perfect). Runflats for that car were expensive - but not more than N Porsche approved PS2s. I had ocasion to use the can of goop with my M5 - worthless. So I have no faith in that.

I'd probably try RFs if the sizes were available, but I don't think they are. If it ruined the feel of the car, I'd just ebay them to someone else.

 

anyone know if there are available donut tires for the Carrera 2? I have the 19S wheels ............I would be willing to make the sacrifice and find a way to carry the small lightweight donut which could really be a lfe saver in a pinch...........................

 

hate run flats, ride horribly and have no soul.

 

A setup can be pieced together, but it takes some work:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ighlight=spare

 

Yeah...you probably don't want to do that. The first generation of BMW's to come with them rode very harshly as a result.

I had a first year Z4 3.0 for about a year and switched from the run flats to PS2's after 6 months and the improvement in ride was very noticeable (though that car was always a choppy beast which lead to a hasty trade in for an '05 Boxster S).

Later BMW's had the suspension re-tuned to better deal with the stiff side walls of runflats which improved their ride, but on a car that already has a stiff suspension and whose suspension isn't design around RFT's you'd probably ruin the ride/handling balance.

I will say that the stiff side walls do make for quick turn in response, but that's the only good thing I can offer about them.

 

I looked at the 3 series but the fact that you have to have run flats was a deal breaker for me. I ended up getting a stripped 535 with all seasons ( no sport suspension) and I am happy with this combination for my daily driver. BMW also had to soften the sport suspension in the 5 series because the run flat tires that came with it were too harsh. People also complain about tire noise and quick wear with these tires. Also, they are less likely to be repairable. One of my co-workers spent close to $2000 in tires during the first year of ownershipp of a 3 series BMW.

Now, I know that run flats have improved over the last few years but I will NOT consider purchasing ANY car that has them.

 

Another former 3-Series owner (2007 335i Cabrio) who absolutely hated the run-flats and traded the car after 4000 miles due to the uncomfortable ride (and some electronic glitches). I swapped out the run-flats on my X5 with some regular tires, which were also less expensive as a nice bonus, and could not be happier. I would strongly advise not putting them on the Porsche.

 

Have had run-flats on my mini, 3 series and Z4 and have not been impressed, even as the technology has evolved. pretty much swapped them out immediately after confirming than things haven't improved over the 5 year span covering these cars for me...

my solution? carry a can of puncture sealant in the boot and use it as last resort incase i get a flat... and thus far (touch wood), haven't needed to use it. roads are pretty crappy here (and my other cars have had punctures) but in every instance either a roadside service, or the puncture sealant has gotten me home/tire store...

this way you get the enjoyment/performance AND a piece of mind...

 

my solution? carry a can of puncture sealant in the boot and use it as last resort incase i get a flat... and thus far (touch wood), haven't needed to use it. roads are pretty crappy here (and my other cars have had punctures) but in every instance either a roadside service, or the puncture sealant has gotten me home/tire store...

this way you get the enjoyment/performance AND a piece of mind...

+1......This is the right solution if no spare

 

Last month I had 2 flats with my 997.2 C4 cab and, considering the advice to stick with sealant vs. run flats (I agree BTW), I thought I'd share a bit of my experience.

Porsche's tire sealant does not appear to work quite the way that the over the counter (Fix-a-flat, etc.) stuff does.

First, it isn't under pressure (as I'm sure most of you realize) so you have to use it with the compressor - which is a great (although unbelievably loud) little device for keeping your tires properly inflated (I've even used it to fill up bike tires).

Second, it does not seal quickly AT ALL . . . to the point where it may seem like it's not working. That's what happened to me with the first flat and I ended up giving up after about 20 - 30 minutes of trying to get the tire to inflate. With the second flat, the flatbed was going to take 3 - 4 hours to get to me so I kept trying to get the tire to inflate over the course of 2 - 3 hours.

During the first hour it seemed like the sealant was not going to work at all - the hole was tiny, a bit larger than the width of a sewing needle. Sealant was leaking out of the tire and spraying all over the wheel well when I tried to inflate it. As time went on, I saw that the sealant was slowly forming a scab (latex consistency) near the puncture . . . and a skin all over the inside of my wheel well (think back to peeling dried Elmer's glue off your fingers when you were a kid and you'll picture it perfectly).

So, I waited for another couple of hours, intermittently trying to put air in the tire and driving a few feet to move the sealant around. After 3ish hours of this, the seal finally held and I drove the 70 miles I needed to to get home (strictly 60mph or less . . . I had zero faith in that seal!). The moral to the story: Don't give up on the Porsche Sealant too quickly if you want to avoid having to flatbed the car to the nearest dealer. It may end up working but it's not an instant solution.

Third, apparently Porsche sealant is specifically formulated to avoid damaging TPMS systems. I don't know for sure if that is true but I've heard it both from tire techs as well as seen it a few places online.

Hope this helps!
Shawn

 

Thanks for the info. I have not checked but are there detailed intructions (or advice on what to expect from the process) included with the sealant?