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Tire technology has already developed to almost perfection, creating an outrageous set of modern performance cars. There are tire manufacturers like the brand Michelin that can especially tailor a tire to suit specific driving characteristics. This bespoke tire allows the car to behave exactly as the carmaker wanted it to.
More frequently now than before, automakers of performance cars and tire manufacturers work hand in hand on tire development. Exchanging sports car tires with the standard aftermarket versions of the same tire can affect the car’s performance negatively due to its bespoke nature.
This video feature from Tyre Reviews dives deep into the difference between the bespoke tire for the G80 BMW M4 Competition and its standard version. We’re talking about the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tire against the PS4 that can be bought aftermarket.
Starting off, the standard tire has only two rubber compounds. Meanwhile, the G80 BMW M3’s bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has a total of four different rubber compounds. As stated in the video, the G80 M3’s PS4 has a more similar compound to the more extreme Michelin Cup 2 tire. It only has some added wet performance compounds.
However, the actual construction of the tire inside greatly differs for the M3 version. In certain areas, you get a tighter steel belting while the grooves in it help enhance lateral rigidity under load.
It took two and a half years for BMW and Michelin to finally identify the M3’s Pilot Sport 4 S. Imagine the amount of work put into this to deliver a seamlessly perfect bespoke tire. This collaboration project began in 2017. It wasn’t until 2020 that its first production-ready tire for the car was made.
The G80 BMW M3’s Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is notably different from the standard PS4. So much so that you can mistake them as two completely different tires. With that said, if you’re an M3 owner, you might as well have your tires checked. This is to get the perfect bespoke tire fit for your car. This is the same if you’re planning to get a performance car. Otherwise, off-the-shelf PS4 tires might give you undesirable driving characteristics.
