csmithiii

Will traditional Radial tires be made available for the2018 LS500?

comotiger

The tire sizes are standard. I suppose no one could stop you from installing a popular tire like the Pirelli P7s. The question is whether you are willing to tolerate the risk of being stranded with a flat.

joeyb

I had an SC430. Took the runflats off after 1,000 miles, and put them back on when I sold the car 150,000 miles later. Never had a problem.
Flats are not very common, TPMS gives you warning of a problem, you always have a cell phone.

SW17LS

If I were getting an LS500, replacing the Runflats would be the first thing I did

Htony

Run flats give some hard riding due to stiffer side walls. In my family MB and BMW came with them. When I bought I wanted regular tires but suspension system is designed for Runflat
according to dealer(sounded fishy to me) and won't switch tires. Now I got rid of them all. Switched to regular radial tires. (Pirelli and Michelin)

tfischer

Like Joey, above, I had an early SC430; these all came with runflats. A spare tire kit was an option, but it used up all the top-down trunk space and few people wanted them. When my runflats needed replacement, I learned from the Lexus dealership that almost all owners were replacing the runflats with conventional tires, perhaps supplemented with an AAA membership (or Lexus Roadside Assistance). I did that and the ride quality improved markedly. Of course the SC430 and the LS500 are quite different cars, and a lot of larger cars today come with runflats (I think some of the 5 and 7 BMW cars do, but I'm not sure), so perhaps the ride is not so harsh as it was when the SC came out (2001). We shall see when we drive it, but I'm not a fan of the runflat tire.

SW17LS

If you look in BMW forums, they replace the runflats too and talk about the huge improvement in ride.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I've driven the LS500 and the car still rides very smooth despite having run flat tires. I think it would be even smoother without them but they moved the battery to the rear. A spare would fit in the trunk but would have to sit on top of the battery.

If I were to buy one I would put different wheels with regular tires on the car anyway. Those factory wheels look so ugly.

tfischer

Runflat tires run when they are flat because they have extremely stiff sidewalls - stiff enough to support the weight of the car. Regardless of the sophistication or effectiveness of the suspension, replacing them with conventional sidewall tires will always improve (soften) the ride.

tfischer

I had a car once with a battery under the back seat (Audi 100), and that was a big pain to get to. Of course, with newer battery technology, and, I presume, a bigger battery than would fit under the hood, we won't need to get to it very often. As long as there is a nice big positive bolt under the hood for jump starting, battery testing and battery tender connections, I guess I can live with a concealed battery.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

That seems like a terrible place to put a battery. My Chrysler 300m had the battery in the fender or something weird like that.

It looked like a large battery. It was in the middle of the trunk and easy to reach.

tfischer

On a video I watched (I have not seen the car yet), I recall the battery being under the floor mat, which, as usual, lifts up easily enough, and it did look fairly large. I don't know why it won't fit under the hood since this is now a 6 cly engine instead of an 8, and is a pretty big car. I don't think it's a "terrible place," but under the hood remains my favorite. We shall see how it works out in a few years.If I get one myself, I'll let you know. Right now I'm having a lot of fun with my zippy RC350, so I don't think I'll be an early purchaser of this model (I had the twelfth SC430 sold in Cincinnati, and the first RC350).

SW17LS

Its not that it won't fit under the hood, its in the trunk to help balance weight better,

tfischer

Well, that's a pretty good idea, and makes me feel better about my fat ***.

Dave144239

I read years ago that insurance companies liked having the battery in the trunk because it reduced claim amounts from front-end impacts. Back in the days when batteries were mounted close to the front of the engine compartment, battery acid would cause a lot of damage if the battery broke open on impact.