I drive an Alpina B3S Allrad which is based upon the E92 BMW 335ix.
I bought the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S* tires from my local BMW Alpina dealer; 235/35/19 on the front and 265/35/19 on the rear.
The difference between the star * designated version of the tires and the regular Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is quite noticeable on my car and it’s clear that BMW really worked hard with Michelin to optimise the tires’ capabilities when paired with their vehicles.
I am not a person to exaggerate and I will not embellish the difference that the tires made by saying that they transformed my car and I will stick to differences I felt between how the tires felt as new on my car, compared to how previous tires felt new on my car.
The first thing I noticed with the star* tires fitted was that it made my car feel like it had a tighter steering rack. The new tires, at any speed, felt like they were mind-reading where I wanted to go, steady, progressive and immediate but also reassuring.
The comfort levels felt to be slightly improved and the road noise seemed to be dampened. I recently drove 5000 motorway miles through continental Europe on them and I was really impressed by just how comforting and quiet the car became after I fitted these tires.
The grip is fabulous for accelerating, braking, turn in and progression. The tires have to my mind, given me a tighter rein on my car and it feels as though a dial or a knob has been turned up a notch, even though I know it’s an analogue change.
Wet handling is fine and the tires don’t give me any cause for concern during any downpours or when there’s any standing surface water to drive through.
I would definitely buy them again and in future stick to any tire that’s specifically designated for any particular brand or model. So until a Michelin Pilot Sport 5S* is brought to market, I will stick with these 4S* tires for as long as I drive my Alpina.