BMW original equipment (OE) tyres

A star "*" on the tyre sidewall means the specific model has been approved by BMW itself. The tyre manufacturer developed and tuned it together with the factory: a different rubber compound recipe and a stiffer casing, while the tread pattern stays the same as on the version without the star. In practice, the difference is most noticeable on M models, xDrive and heavy SUVs (X5, X6, X7), where precise steering and a predictable braking distance matter.

If you're after the exact factory character, pay attention to a few things.

• First work out whether you actually need the star at all. The most reliable source is the sticker on the door pillar or the owner's manual - it shows the factory size and marking.
• The star is not the same as RunFlat. These are two separate things: "*" marks BMW approval, while RunFlat (RSC) means driving on with a puncture. Many BMWs come without a spare wheel, so RunFlat is a common solution in our catalogue.
• Check the load index and speed rating. On powerful and heavy models the OE version often has XL or HL reinforcement; most of our BMW OE models are available with the XL marking.
• Don't mix up different makers' OE codes. The star fits BMW only. Mercedes uses MO/MOE, Audi AO/AOE, Porsche N0-N6; another car's code isn't meant for your BMW.
• Fit star-marked tyres in pairs. Ideally on all four wheels, but at least matching on the same axle - that keeps handling balanced.

This isn't a segment to buy at any cost. If the factory character isn't a priority for you, the same model without the star feels similar at everyday speeds and usually costs less.

BMW winter tyres with the star

BMW puts the star on winter tyres too, and in our catalogue that range covers sizes from R15 to R23. At its core are the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3, Continental WinterContact TS860 S, Bridgestone Blizzak LM001, Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 and the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance series - the Alpine, or Central European, class, built for wet and salted asphalt rather than permanent ice.

All of them carry the mountain and snowflake marking. The Latvian road safety directorate CSDD states that only tyres marked this way may be used in winter traffic and that the M+S marking on its own is no longer enough; for vehicles with a gross weight up to 3.5 t, winter tyres are mandatory from 1 December to 1 March.

The star-marked winter range in the catalogue is almost entirely non-studded. Where ice is a daily fact of the route, studded tyres have to be looked for outside the star range - they have a section of their own, studded winter tyres.

The second thing worth checking before ordering is RunFlat. Roughly one star-marked winter size in six is available only in RunFlat form, and many BMWs have no spare wheel, so the real choice tends to be narrower than the number of models suggests. Pirelli states that after a loss of pressure a RunFlat tyre can be driven for up to 80 km at a speed no higher than 80 km/h, and that it needs a compatible vehicle setup - a TPMS pressure monitoring system and suitable rims.

A wider winter range without the star restriction is in the winter tyres section, and there is a separate article on when to change them - when to fit winter tyres.

BMW summer tyres with the star

The star-marked summer range is roughly twice the size of the winter one and covers the same span of sizes, R15 to R23. Three groups stand out in it: the sporting one - Pirelli P Zero and P Zero PZ4, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric; the efficiency one - Continental EcoContact 6 Q, Michelin E-Primacy, Bridgestone Turanza 6; and the SUV group - Pirelli Scorpion Zero, Bridgestone Alenza 001, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV.

Manufacturers advise replacing a star-marked version with one carrying the same marking. Michelin says so directly: an OE-marked tyre should be replaced with a tyre carrying the same approved marking, because another version may alter how the vehicle performs and feels. Continental, for its part, states that a star-marked tyre is tailored to the specific safety and handling requirements of the BMW and to working with xDrive and the DSC stability system.

On the summer side too, about two fifths of star-marked stock is RunFlat, so for a BMW without a spare wheel that is the filter to start from. The factory size and marking are on the tyre sidewall, on the door-pillar sticker, in the owner's manual and on the fuel filler cap; if none of those is to hand, the article on how to find your tyre size helps.

The star is a BMW Group code, so it is not for BMW alone: BMW Group writes that tyres bearing the star are developed and tested specifically for BMW and MINI cars.