S5 Sportback Black Optics - winter tire/wheel solutions?
 

Hi there, we're taking delivery of our S5 Sportback in Quantum Gray with Black Optics package this week! Just starting to research, and discovering how incredibly difficult it is to find 265/30/R20 winter tires for the OEM wheels (which come with stock 20" Summer tires). Anyone here aware of a source for 265/30/R20 winter tires online? I've called Tire Rack, Discount Tire, local shops, etc...NONE in stock for the season!

I'd like to avoid going the route of getting new wheels AND tires for winter, but open to suggestions there as well. Ultimately, I wish Audi would have just stuck with the 19" 5-spoke cavo design on the Black Optics package...tons of winter and all-season options there.

Any help would be appreciated!

Honestly I think your best bet is to go with new winter wheels/tires combo. Generally winter tires/wheels are gonna be smaller than your summers.

Will 275/30/R20s work ? a little bigger than your 265s, but the Michelin Alpin PA4s are readily available on tire rack in this size

+ 1 to Nikon1. I have had two sets of wheels/tires for my last three Audi's ('13 RS5, '18 S5 and '18 RS5) and find it is the best way to go.

It's not worth the hassle to switch on tires, besides 20" snow tires are rare and expensive. I run summer with 19" Cavos and 18" for my winter set up. I didn't want to stick with 19" for snow and price wise it wasn't worth to get them.

Anyone seen these 19" A5/S5 wheels on a car? (With or without Black Optic).. seems Euro spec, but it also seems US dealers have them in their parts library (for a cool $500 each)

8W0071499BAX1


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...5325d14996.png

I think they want too much money for these, your best bet is to find a used set of A5 wheels.

gummetal finish works well on my Manhattan grey with black optic package. they were 'dirty' cheap and no quality issue so far.
https://pmctire.com/en/wheels/replika-wheels/r199.tire

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...64f3b74363.jpg

$500/wheel is actually a steal for OEM wheels...

Yes, they were the first official factory option wheel for the A5/S5, meaning to order as second set of wheels to be provided with the car. Not as a primary wheel. They are Ramus design, and available in silver or black (black more expensive), and are also a winter spec wheel (means several paint layers to prevent corrosion in winter). Good looking wheel. Don't know who makes them for Audi. The 20" wheel the OP has are made by BBS. Of course you can buy a cheaper wheel, but as ArvX noted, a $500 wheel from Audi is actually cheap, and will be a high quality European made wheel. Not something made from recycled bicycle frames in a factory far, far away from Germany. Get the parts counter to price out the production wheel on an S5, and you will find they range from $750 to $950, each. A BBS CH-R 19 x 8.5 is currently $609 from TireRack.

I almost ordered these as winter wheels, but decided to just change tyres on the current wheels. Never had a wheel damaged in the process.

Ramus design specs:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...6f3080878a.png
Source: Audi.de

Unfortunately the German performance cars have such low market shares in the US it seems there isn't much inventory being held for winter tyres. It is very different in Europe, where they have much higher market shares and it is mandatory to change to winter tyres in many European countries. I'm always surprised the Audi dealers cannot access stocks of suitable tyres for the cars they sell.

Just looking at a local tyre reseller here, they list 4 suitable winter tyres for the S5, which I have shown below. Not too sure about Toyo, but the other 3 are good - I have Michelin PA4 on one S5, and Pirelli SottoZero II on the other, and they are both good (19" though). I would contact both Michelin and Pirelli and tell them you are trying to buy the respective model of winter tyre but can't find anyone that is stocking it. They should be able to help. The Continental on that list is an Audi homologated tyre, for the RS4/RS5, hence RO1 which is RS homologation.

As for Yasha's reasonable suggestion to buy a 275/30R20 from TireRack, they will fit okay but I think you will find these have a higher load rating, which means they may ride a bit stiff. The Michelin PA4 they are selling are Porsche spec, so likely for the 2 tonne Panamera, but you will find most 275/30R20 have a load rating of 97 rather than 94. Still, it is a viable option. Their price is pretty good for that tyre.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...0783b6e308.png
Source: 123pneus.ch

Yes, Audi AG like to use a 255 on an 8.5" wheel, 265 or 275 on a 9" wheel. They tend to be pretty strict on what constitutes a straight sidewall, but then in Germany the cars are potentially driven at sustained high speeds, and sidewall stress creates high temperatures which can cause a blow out. Undesirable at 150mph. But there is obviously some tolerance, given they fit both 245mm and 255mm width tyres on 8.5" wheels. But never 265 - not a a big deal, as stretching the tyre is more an issue than a bit too wide, which tends to cause more of a potential wear issue through crowning the contact patch and a slight loss of steering precision.

The Ramus design is sold as both an individual wheel, a set of 4 wheels, and also as a set of 4 mounted with winter tyres. They seemed to be fitted with Continental WinterContact 830P at the moment. When I was looking a couple of years back, pretty sure they were Pirelli SottoZero 3 (AO spec and V rated, TireRack seem to be selling an H rated SottoZero 3 which seems very strange). They are charging around $280 per tyre, so probably not worth exploring with Audi parts whether they bring in these as a set. But part number is Z8W0073229 AX1 for the set mounted with tyres.

I see the Continentals are 96V rated tyres, so the OP should ignore my comment on the NO (Porsche spec) PA4 in 275/30R20 that TireRack are selling as potentially having too stiff a sidewall for an S5. Still, TireRack seem to stock an unusual range of tyres. In the 255/35R20 that could go on an Audi 8.5J x 19" wheel, the Michelin PA4 they have are BMW homologated tyres, the SottoZero 3 have a strangely low speed rating, as does the SottoZero II generic version, whilst the high speed SottoZero II they are selling is homologated for Lamborghini. Their view on what fits doesn't always mean fit for purpose, so I'd have a careful look at the various codes before pressing the buy button. I'd also be asking for the manufacturing date of the tyre, too, as some of these more esoteric versions may have been hanging around for some time. Particularly important with Pirelli IMO.

By the way, in the original Euro prices, approximate parts costs for some of these wheels are:
Ramus design 8.5Jx19 - €385 each
Cavo 8.5Jx19 - €750
Rotor (BBS) 9Jx20 - €940

You can effectively do a straight conversion to US dollars, as whilst the Euro is worth more than the USD, the Euro price includes 20% tax. But the US prices are higher, as Audi AG do not subsidise parts / accessory costs to Audi of America, who in turn seem to mark these up to cover freight and handling costs. Yes, the Ramus design is good value for an (Audi) OEM quality wheel. Audi have a history of odd wheel pricing, which I suspect often bears little relationship to their cost pricing.

As a complete aside, when I was looking on the German site to see what tyres they were fitting to the Ramus option wheels, I noticed that Audi have also released a 9Jx20" option wheel for the B9 A5 series, meaning as per the Ramus, not a production fitted wheel but an accessory wheel bought at the time of purchase as a second set, or as a later purchase (these wheels do not have to go through the new certification testing process). These wheel, which are called Falx design, are about a third or so more than the Ramus design. But what may be interesting to some is the limitations that Audi specifies for the wheel. Specifically that a steering limiter needs to be applied (presume these mounted with a 265/30R20 will contact something on full steering lock, and they are not available for sale in bad road countries. Which gets abbreviated to "bad countries" further on, which I found most amusing. No idea where the official Audi list of bad road countries resides.

These details were listed under the A5 SB configuration section, as the S5 is still not able to be ordered in Germany, or many other markets. So whether the same need for a steering modification exists, I don't know. It may be that the S5 already has a restricted range / larger turning circle than an A5, but am too lazy to try and look this up. I would assume that if there is no difference, when ordered with the 9Jx20" "black optics" wheel with 265/30R20 tyres as per the OP, the factory must adjust the steering limits during the production process. Never knew this before.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...06452b2b37.png
Source: Audi.de 2019 A5 SB accessory section, page 1 of 2


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...d8ef206d6a.png
Source: Audi.de 2019 A5 SB accessory section, page 2 of 2

Oh wow. Did you get 19x8.5 ET 35, is that the exact same as the OEM cavo wheels? Would you mind posting some pics of your car with them, like one of the entire side of the car and a couple of angled ones showing how they fit in the wells? This is my top pick so far for next winter...

By the way, I had a set of Replika wheels before (replicas of Audi 19" rotor wheels) and they didn't come in exactly the same fitment as OEM. After a few years the polished metal parts looked noticeably worn out (from salt maybe). I hope the gunmetal finish holds up better.

Sorry to bring back up this thread, I have just ordered a S5 Sportback and am looking ahead for next years winters. These look just the ticket.

Could someone confirm which of these 3 18" wheels are the best fit (offset and bore)
https://pmctire.com/en/wheels/replik...l-diam/18.tire

Thanks!

@BlakeV replied to my PM. Thank you!

My top choice right now is the 19" version, but the offset is 35 vs. 32. I hope that's barely noticeable but I expect them to look slightly more recessed.

I'd personally prefer 18" for winters. The tires are cheaper and a little bit better for winter driving?
Have you considered spacers?

Yea, but I'm afraid of having issues with spacers and I want the car to look its best for those 4-5 months of the year, we have a long winter season. Also since most of the winter driving is done on pavement I prefer wider winter performance tires.

Correct me if I am wrong, but these mount 3mm NARROWER per wheel not wider?
This is all new stuff to me today, so forgive my newbieness but I believe offset is measured from the center of the rim to the mounting surface. A larger offset to OEM means a more recessed wheel.
The Cavos' are 32 offset.

If I understand correctly, 35mm instead of 32 would mean that the wheels are 3mm (1/8") more inside the well.

There is an illustrated calculator here
https://www.willtheyfit.com/

+1

So to get back to exact, these would work well and are high quality:

Yes, 35 is a narrower stance, thus wheels that are more sunken/recessed into the wells. I have the same difference in offset between my summer A4 wheels and the winter ones (winter is stock OEM 19" and summer is S4 OEM) and I can tell the difference.

I resorted to buying Conti. DWS 06 175/30/20. I live in NYC and haven’t ever had an issue with those tires and winter weather. Obviously winters would be ideal but for me it was a great compromise.

I'm excited to have just purchased the first part of my S5 kit and got some single season use Michelin XI3 245/40R18's for much less than half retail. 85-90% of tread left 2017 DOT. Those and the Replika wheels means a nice winter setup for $1100 CAD all-in. I'm okay with that, as I've gone overboard with options for this damn car....



https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...6bd784fba6.jpg

Well, i finally installed the wheels that i had picked up back in Feb. i am not that excited about the look (inset and filling the wheel well). But, since they are winter tires, and I’ll be driving around with a bunch of snow on the tires, and kicking up gravel... so I’ll probably just make do.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...3542f894d.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...8878580da.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...a178dfc35.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...0e2ce456a.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...69c3b650e.jpeg

I think they look great. Sorry to hear you aren't excited about them

Ok, I should say that I like the wheels (apart from perhaps the offset needs adjusting, if I would care to fix)... but the tire isn't as big. I just went for a drive and noticed that they are smaller. I just ran the numbers when I got home.

Size 1 = RS5 BOP 20"
Size 2 = standard S5 19"

Basically a 2mph difference at 75mph...

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...e5bd923176.png
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...38f0b58aaf.png

What is this screenshot from?

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

well, using the calculator....turns out 40 profile on 19” rim would be 1.9% more in the larger direction... So equally not good...

It just seems S5’s and RS5’s must have their speedometers calibrated differently.

Well...trying to decide that to do with my winter wheel set (pics above). Probably should just leave them as-is... but now I'll explore options for spacers.

The OEM RS5 SB 5-arm Flag wheels (8W0-601-025-DT) seem to be ET22... and the new wheels are 0.5" narrower and ET32. Using the wheel-size calculator.. it seems the winter tires are 20mm more sunken into the wheel well. So, some serious amount of spacer could get us back to more flush.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...3b29d91d58.png

So, If I went for 20mm... I see on Achtuning:

H&R 4055668 5X112 DR 66MM CB 20MM WHEEL SPACER PAIR AUDI

Before I push the button, any issues with my logic?

Also, anyone happen to know the original length of the M14x1.5 Lug Bolts? [Edit: I think I am seeing 27mm thread]

They look very nice.

So are those wheels posted above? Audi # 8W0071499BAX1 19x8.5, ET32

Yep, that’s them.. as posted above, at $500 for OEM Wheels they were a pretty good deal last March. They work on the BOP RS5... but i am trying to figure out the fitment.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...401cc3bf2.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...0f4b3c9ed.jpeg

Just circling back to this post... i finally got my H&R 20mm spacers on the RS5 today on those Ramus wheels. A huge improvement! Just in time to take them back off and switch back to summer. At least I’ll be happy next winter.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...1957edbf4.jpeg

I have matte black Ace Alloy AFF02 19x8.5, ET20 wheels, with 245/40/19 tires on my 2019 RS5 SB & it fits perfect. They are just enough inside the fender well to keep fender from getting mud kicked on them.

I called Discount Tire and they said you can put A/S tires 20 inch on S5 2 options 245/35 or 255/35

Has anyone tried these options?

I'm starting to think about a winter setup for my Black Optic S5 Sportback. I'm not going to try to do 20s for the winter, but I'd like to find some 19s that look alright with Quantum Gray. So I'd be grateful for thoughts, pictures, etc. I'd say that @BlackOptic has it dialed in nicely on his RS5 from what I've seen in this thread. I'm not looking for maximum snow handling, nor maximum winter performance. Chicago winters are fairly mild in terms of snowfall, and with the way things are going, I'm not sure when I'll be doing much driving again anyway. So, I think 19s will be fine rather than 18s. Just need something defensible. I think I'd be lucky to find OEMs at a price I can swallow, so what are the respected replica houses?

Incidentally, does Tire Rack ever offer broad sales? I know you see discounts here and there on certain wheels and tires, but I've never noticed a seasonal push.

sorry to bring back an old topic. I like the rims, was it worth the purchase? Thinking about upgrading my 2019 A5 SB to these rims

Snow Tires for large rims....
 

Had the same issue with my 20" Low Profile Summer Tires on my Camaro RS. I bought and loved my Pirelli Scorpion Winter Tires. Kept me from having to buy wheels. Plus I was told that changing the wheels tampers with the internal computer programming. Not sure about all that, but Scorpions are actually truck tires so they did very well battling Michigan winters!!!