Initial Impression of Style 405M Matched With Evo2

It has been a few days since the change of 18" shoes for my missus' baby SUV, and I have been en-tasked with stretching the rubber up and trying out the setup. So this would be a general initial impression of how it has held up over miles and miles of M roads and B roads.

First off, from the looks department, missus remarked that the 20" Style 433 filled up the wheel arches better and generally made her ride looked far more aggressive than the current 18" Style 405M set-up. Can't argue with her there. However, given that the objective of the change was to make the ride looked less prominent to unsavoury eyes out there, I would said that the objective has been met then. Box ticked. Cheerio, next then.

At the full steering turn, the ride responded faster due to the smaller tire size, which made U-turns an easier affair to navigate. The previous ones were more stable on the highway due to the larger contact patch with ground and corresponding weight though.

(NB : I am writing this from a Beemer SC as am waiting for the ride undergoing a change of front brake pads (warning light for change in 500km; but since I am available today, might as well get this over and done with. The service chap whom had been assisting me with our ride remarked that the car did feel lighter with the change, and that the Evo2 are very grippy tires around corners. They have a souped-out 328i M-Sport with Evo1 tires for sale here. Pictures at the end of the page.)

From the rear and the sides, the 405M looked pretty attractive. The 5-spokes transformed to 10-spokes at closer look, and I liked how the light played with it as per the picture in the parking lot.

The grip from the Evo2 was quite something given its relatively lower price compared to the Pilot Sport 4, but I'll need to test 'em out in the rain for a more unbiased review. Anyway, this would be a long-term review so do keep your eyes posted hereabouts.

Any in case you are in the market for a souped-out 328i, this could be yours for circa RM200k.

New Shoes : 18" BMW Style 405M M-Sport Rims & Hankook Evo2 Rubbers

Readers might remember that the X1 was fitted with 20" BMW Style 433 M-Sport rims back in March as per the entry @ https://bmwx1sdrive.blogspot.my/2017/03/new-shoes-20-bmw-m-sport-with-goodyear.html, and it has been 5 months down the road. During this time, we have added circa 3,000 km to the 20" shoes, which added stability to the ride especially during more aggressive cornering.

Truth be told, the rims looked really huge on the X1 and it seemed to be attracting too much attention at times. My missus confided that she had found strangers looking at her car when parked at road sides; and while she does not use the X1 much, it was still disconcerting. The last straw was when she found 2 chaps squatting next to the rims after her girls' night out at Bangsar, and they only moved away after she sounded the alarm.

Much as she liked the 20" Style 433 M-Sport rims, they would have to go for something that was less of a show-off.

Readers might also remember about the entry about a fellow X1 owner in Belgium with 20" BMW Style 405M M-Sport rims @ https://bmwx1sdrive.blogspot.my/2017/03/belgiums-bmw-x1-with-20-m-sport-sports.html. I showed her the rims and asked if she could accommodate the design, albeit in a smaller 17" - 19" form factor.

She was okay with the design, and we decided on the 18" wheels as they would look more in-tune with the ride's general size as a baby SUV.

"Not too big, not too small, just nice!", as Goldilocks exclaimed in the Three Bears story.

So the dice was casted; and the tire shop further recommended that we try out Hankook Evo2 (in lieu of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 that I initially wanted), as these were tires that were reportedly 80% as capable as PS4, but at 60% of its price. I Googled some reviews on the Evo2 and noted the positive reviews from its users.

Since we were getting non-RFT tires this time around, I have further ordered the 135/80R17 space saver tire that would be residing in the X1's boot.

So when the tire shop called to say that the stocks had arrived after the initial order, it was my job to drive over and ensure that a good fit would follow-suit thereafter.

This time around, I chose this tire shop as I find the owner to be knowledgeable and willing to spend time to share on his recommendations. I have no qualms to recommend this place to any of my fellow readers needing tire services around the PJ area. PM me for the contact if necessary.

The 18" shoes were obviously lighter than the 20" ones; and I could feel the agility of the ride after the balancing was done. The set-up was at 8Jx18 ET30.

However, in the looks department, the 20" ones were obviously the real head-turners. The 20" Style 433 M-Sport rims are currently up for sale, if they tickle your fancy. Read up on the advert @ https://bmwx1sdrive.blogspot.my/2017/08/wts-bmw-style-433-20-m-sport-genuine.html. You could grab a bargain for the package at RM10k, instead of the original prices of RM22k (rims) + RM10k (tires). 

Since we hardly utilise the X1, we would have to have it in more of the daily run in order to test the new shoes and rubber over time. Look out for the up-coming reviews in due course!

WTS : BMW Style 433 20" M-Sport Genuine Rims & Goodyear RFT Tires

BMW Style 433 20" M-Sport rims as per the following :

• Genuine M-Sport rims, not Taiwanese replica rims
• Shoe-horned from X6 to X1 (yes, really!)
• Front (20x8.5J), Rear (20x9.5J), 5x120 PCD
• Suitable for BMW and Land Rover models
• Used for 3k km only since new
• Reason for sale : Changed to 18" rims for the X1 (the 20" attracts too much attention!)
• Make me an OFFER for the rims, and I'll include FREE 4 pieces of made-in-Germany 245/40R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Run-Flat Tires (95% thread).
• These tires are Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 run-flat tires, known for ultra high performance and sporty handling as per motoring reviews.

RRP : RM32k