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The Potenza RE050A II RFT (Run-Flat Tire) is Bridgestone’s Max Performance Summer run-flat tire developed exclusively for selected BMW 3 Series cabriolets, coupes and sedans equipped with BMW’s optional sport packages. The Potenza RE050A II RFT is designed to provide temporary extended mobility for a distance of 50 miles at up to 50 mph even after a puncture has allowed complete air pressure loss. The Potenza RE050A II RFT is also designed to combine responsive and predictable handling with good traction on dry and wet roads. It is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.
The Potenza RE050A II RFT features a high-grip tread compound molded into an asymmetric tread design. Stable outboard shoulder elements, intermediate tread blocks and a continuous center rib provide responsive handling, high-speed stability and traction on dry roads, while circumferential and lateral tread grooves pump water out from under the tire’s footprint to minimize hydroplaning and aid wet traction. A continuous rib adjacent to the inboard shoulder promotes even wear and resists inside wear generated by suspensions that specify negative camber alignment settings.
The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by spiral-wrapped nylon to stabilize the tread area and enhance handling, high-speed capability and ride quality. The structure of the Potenza RE050A II RFT also features Bridgestone Side Support Run-Flat technology reinforced sidewalls to support the vehicle after a puncture causes a loss of air pressure.
| SIZE | UTQG | MAX. LOAD | Max. Inflation Pressure | Tread Depth | Tire Weight | Rim Width Range | Meas. Rim Width | Sect. Width | Tread Width | Overall Diam. | Revs. Per Mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225/45R17 91V | 140 A A | 1,356 lbs | 51 psi | 11/32" | 28 lbs | 7-8.5" | 7.5" | 9.3" | 8.3" | 25.1" | 830 |
| 255/40R17 94V | 140 A A | 1,477 lbs | 51 psi | 11/32" | 30 lbs | 8.5-10" | 9" | 10.1" | 8.8" | 25.2" | 827 |
Founder at Tiresout. Used to be working as an engineer at Bridgestone Tires Akron Technical Center. The responsibilities included but were not limited to technical computing, indoor & outdoor testing of new tires.
Had this tire put on my 330i, I was pleased with the traction these tires offered, they had pretty good grip both wet and dry, so long as it was warm. Around 40 degrees these tires become hard as rock and have very little grip at all, also attempted driving in about 1/2in of snow, definitely don’t recommend that at all. I could only get up to about 15mph before they lost grip and wouldn’t go any faster. Now to the elephant in the room. These tires ride and noise is TERRIBLE. Never had more tire noise or stiffness from a tire before. Extremely uncomfortable and loud, they also wore un-evenly (had them aligned tree times to try to solve the problem). As a result I neglected to have new tires put on for too long, the right rear tire lost pressure from some debris on the road. However i was able to limp the car about 30 miles where I could have new tires put on. I don’t recommend these tires, not worth the price. Spend a little more and get Super Sports.
The RFT rating was an afterthought to prevent damage to my new wheels, but an amazing revelation in real life…wow! I could not even feel that the rear tire was flat … doing 4-wheel drifts…but the bumps were too harsh…zero tire pressure??? Next revelation: higher tire pressures were also not detectable..and using the human senses to do scientific measurements was my specialty. Also, the feeling of control is amazing. The ride is harsh over bumps..but that is the tradeoff….one more summer left on the tires with careful driving..if the leaky one can be repaired
These are the original tires that came on my 2006 BMW 325i with sport package. They are good on smooth roads. They grip really well and have good traction when it is wet. They have excellent turn in response. They wore at a rate consistent with them being high performance summer tires (I got about 25k out of my set). The ride quality is not good–even compared to other tires in this class. You feel every bump and pothole. I’m guessing that is at least in part due to the fact that they are RFT. They also got quite noisy towards the middle to end of their life.
I feel confident driving these tires with my 2011 BMW xDrive staggered sports package sedan. I love it most on dry conditions. I drove approx… 220 kph on a full trunk load and with 3 adult passengers. I could have gone faster but the road caught up soon. The ride felt stable and balanced. The grip on the road was outstanding. As for wet conditions, I feel the traction to be pretty good. Also, driving in low minus conditions seemed to be fine. Overall, I am happy with this tires.
I replaced the OEM Goodyear Eagle’s. Their tread life was 15,400 yet 11,000 got me to the wear indicators. Immediately the REO 50A’s showed their superiority across the board. They seem silent, more responsive and ride better. But the MAJOR difference is in handling. Driving the same trouble some road where the Eagle’s squirmed like there were ruts, The REO’s tracted straight and smooth. Zero steering wheel wiggle. The REO’s have 30% more tread life and a set of 4 was $14 CHEAPER than the Eagles! A huge thanks to Tire Rack for the testing and 11 comparison catagorys they provide.
I used two sets of the same tires because I believe that any car must use OEM tires. However, tires are very noisy and expensive. Going to try non run-flat summer tires