16" Alpina Tire Advice Sought

[kurtd]

It's time to update the tires on my 72 coupe. I've got 16" Alpinas that came with some Yokohama Avid V4S tires that approaching 10 years old, lots of tread but getting hard. My setup is Carl Nelson Springs & camber plates along with Bilstein HD shocks.

I'm looking at Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 or Continental extreme contact DWS
Front: 205/55 16
Rear: 225/50 16

Any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[Nicad]

I bought the Contis but have Zero miles on them. I have heard they ride well and they are priced reasonably. They do appear to be narrower than the same sized Comp TA's that are being replaced. On the E36 M3 forum , some who are hard core street racer types complain that they are a little vague steering. Might be a good thing for old style suspensions, as hard side walls and larger wheels might not suit the E9. I believe HB Chris has them on his car and likes them. Hopefuly he will chime in. The Michelins would have been my other choice. Very happy with all the Michelin products I have on the other cars in the family

 

[HB Chris]

Kurt, I have the Conti Extreme DW, not the DWS. I felt the DWS tread was too aggressive looking, like it belonged on a Vette. Rides well, quiet and comfortable and affordable. I think Michelins tend to be noisier and more expensive.

 

[kurtd]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Chris I see what you mean about the tread on the Conti DWS

 

[Nicad]

I also have the DW model.

 

[Erik]

I have the DWS's on a sedan and like them for wet traction and they seem pretty quiet too. Not a bad tire and I had read that they do share similar qualities with the DW along with the ability to head to Tahoe if needed.

They replaced some Hankook Ventus V12's that I found to be a great all-around tire, - especially for dry-weather, (which one would assume would be okay for your coupe). They only lasted about 9k miles though, hence the 50K rated DWS's for all-weather sedan driving. But 9K would probably last you a while with your coupe.

Michelins are generally a safe bet, but the Hankooks are a decent deal at about $95 a corner right now plus $80 back on a set at tirerack and elsewhere. ($300 for a set) Not everyone would agree based on available reviews, so ymmv, -literally.

I sort of wish I had stuck with the V12's now given how inexpensive and fun they were...

 

[WALTER]

I've had 16" Yokahamas and Bridgestones, now I have Firestone Indy 500. Of the three, I am liking the firestones the best: quiet, decent grip, good looks, and reasonably priced. The Bridgestones and Yokahamas were too loud in my opinion which is why I switched brands in both cases. The Firestones strike the right balance of performance and quiet and they were rated the highest in their category on Tire Racks customer surveys, which led me to give them a try.