After some of the worst winter weather in decades over the last two years, BMW has decided to pre-empt fears of more extreme weather this year by rolling out a new winter wheel and tyre programme.
The last two years in the UK have seen some extreme winter weather, with the country seeming to grind to a halt when the roads fill up with ice and snow. This year, however, BMW is hoping that its customers will be able to stay on the road thanks to its new, revised, specialist winter wheel and tyre programme.
The UK has been slow to adopt the idea of changing tyres to suit different seasons, a practice which is very common across most of continental Europe, but the firm is hoping that with a selection of packages being made available, and an offer to store your summer wheels and tyres for you until spring for just £30, it will be able to tempt UK customers to make the change this winter.
The summer tyres which come as standard when you buy a car can only operate at their best in temperatures over 7 degrees centigrade. When the temperature drops below this they tend to lose flexibility and cannot perform as effectively. They are also not designed to be able to perform well on snow and ice.
The new winter tyres from BMW are made from a different mix of silica / rubber compound, which is able to stay flexible when the temperature drops below 7 degrees centigrade. They also feature a larger number of blocks, channels and sipes, which are better able to dissipate water, therefore reducing the risk of aquaplaning. Braking distance on ice is improved by as much as 20% when they are fitted, and they also suffer from less wear than normal summer tyres when the weather is cold.
A wide range of different wheel styles and sizes are available, including alloys and steel rims. Prices vary depending on which model you own, but start at £700 for a complete set of wheels and tyres to fit a BMW 1 series car.
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