Michelins on a set of BBS Wheels...match made in automotive heaven

Disclaimer: Michelin provided a discount on a set of Pilot Sport 4S tires for our build. Did it affect our review on the tires? Frack no. I would’ve bought these anyway!

Tire wise, it’s the easiest choice throughout this entire ordeal. I went with another set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. This would be my 5th of PS4S tires and you can pry these tires from my cold dead hands! There is nothing on the market that combines the handling, confidence, braking, traction and civility of the Pilot Sport 4S!

Michelin has been making the Pilot Sport line for decades and have been trusted by automakers for their OE tire of choice in vehicles ranging from the Bugatti Veyron down to a lowly Yaris GR. Heck I remember when I first fell in love with the Pilot Sport series of tire.

It was back in 2010 on my MKV GTI. I was running a set of Pirelli PZero Nero that were louder than an infant with colic. Finally sick of the noise, found a set of Pilot Sport PS2 for a killer deal at Discount Tire. I vividly remember almost tearing up because my beloved GTI rode like an absolute dream but also gripped to the point it physically hurt. It was wonderful and it made me a Michelin fanboy ever since!

Since I went down to 20s, the sidewall went up to a 40 series, which means all the cushion! Making an already smooth riding tire, luxury car smooth!

So after the turmoil with the OZ wheels, I went with what I should have gotten in the first place…BBS. Oh I know BBS wheels on a German car is like slapping on a set of TE37s on a Silvia…but you can’t argue with what works!

Also, you CANNOT beat the quality and engineering of BBS wheels. Everything is made in house, in Germany and passes the uber strict TUV safety standards of the German Government. Do you know a sign of quality on a product? Look at the packaging.

BBS wheels are shipped with such care and attention to detail it looks like something a human organ would be shipped in for transplant!

So, why did I chose the CHR and why did I go down to 20 inches? Well, I have first hand experience with the CHR line, since they were on my old S4. They looked spectacular, strong as concrete and light. Figured if it worked on the S4, let’s see what happens on the S8!

Now, why did I step down to 20s? Well because the ‘norm’ is a +1 on any aftermarket wheel. So going a size up is pretty much muscle memory…but as vehicles come factory with narrower and narrower sidewalls, going a +1 requires a rubber band like sidewall…which leads to a multitude of issues:

  • Wheel Damage

    • A skinny sidewall means that instead of the tire taking the impact…you’re precious wheels is taking the impact

  • Ride Quality

    • A skinny sidewall means that instead of the tire absorbing the road…your spine is absorbing the road

  • Road Noise

    • I don’t know the physics but the larger the wheel…the more road noise gets into the cabin

But here is the major reason for me:


I HAVE to do the opposite of everyone else. It’s a neurosis.

If a crowd goes one way…I go another. If everyone buys one thing…I buy another. It’s just who I am. In the world of big body modded cars, bigger the wheels the better. Everything from 22s on up. So naturally, I went a step down to 20s.

After consulting Ben over at Nemesis Autosport for size options, he found out that the CHR wheel can be had in a beautifully concave design. Which is rare, looks spectacular and on a meaty tire….looks mean! I was sold and ordered the wheels immediately.

Welp, the results speak for themselves: