I bought my RX-8 with 15,000 miles on it. The dealer slapped 2 new tires on the back. They are the cheap $98 dollar Kumho Exsta tires that are on Tirerack.com. I left the stock potenza's on the front until I hit 23,000 miles. I just replaced them with 2 new Exstas in the front. I immediately noticed an amazing difference. The ride is quieter, smoother and the car handles 100% better. The difference is night and day. I was down to about 3/10's on one potenza and 4/10's on the other. The car grips much better in the corners and it doesn't feel at all jumpy when I come off the gas (don't know quite how to explain that effect). The car is now wisper quiet on the highway. Alot of the friction and noise I heard in my car must have been from the potenzas. I highly recommend these tires. They are vastly superior to potenzas and a great buy, regardless of the price. Hope this helps someone.

You mean, ecstas?

I bought my RX-8 with 15,000 miles on it. The dealer slapped 2 new tires on the back. They are the cheap $98 dollar Kumho Exsta tires that are on Tirerack.com. I left the stock potenza's on the front until I hit 23,000 miles. I just replaced them with 2 new Exstas in the front. I immediately noticed an amazing difference. The ride is quieter, smoother and the car handles 100% better. The difference is night and day. I was down to about 3/10's on one potenza and 4/10's on the other. The car grips much better in the corners and it doesn't feel at all jumpy when I come off the gas (don't know quite how to explain that effect). The car is now wisper quiet on the highway. Alot of the friction and noise I heard in my car must have been from the potenzas. I highly recommend these tires. They are vastly superior to potenzas and a great buy, regardless of the price. Hope this helps someone.

4 of the same tire will ride/handle better than 2 pair of different tires.

i always like kumhos and I always felt that they were the best tires per $

I like the ecstas better for wet roads and highway cruising, but the potenzas are by far the better tire for cornering and aggressive driving. Granted, mine wore out in 12k ;-)

Stock Potenzas?

I've got Kumho Ecsta MX's and they're amazing tires! Granted, they're not really intended for daily driving as they're more of a track tire but the noise, grip, and feel is much better then the Potenzas.

Potenzas get very loud once they start wearing down.

I bought my RX-8 with 15,000 miles on it. The dealer slapped 2 new tires on the back. They are the cheap $98 dollar Kumho Exsta tires that are on Tirerack.com. I left the stock potenza's on the front until I hit 23,000 miles. I just replaced them with 2 new Exstas in the front. I immediately noticed an amazing difference. The ride is quieter, smoother and the car handles 100% better. The difference is night and day. I was down to about 3/10's on one potenza and 4/10's on the other. The car grips much better in the corners and it doesn't feel at all jumpy when I come off the gas (don't know quite how to explain that effect). The car is now wisper quiet on the highway. Alot of the friction and noise I heard in my car must have been from the potenzas. I highly recommend these tires. They are vastly superior to potenzas and a great buy, regardless of the price. Hope this helps someone.

what model? Without that this review is useless.

I would use the ECSTA SP's for the street not the MX's

I would use the ECSTA SP's for the street not the MX's

I know several people that use the MX's on a daily basis. They have nothing but good things to say about them. Why do you say that?

what model? Without that this review is useless.

Kumho Ecsta SPT

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+SPT&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&partnum=245YR8KU31#Survey

I had the stock potenzas on before and they absolutely suck in comparison to my new ones. Given they were fairly worn when I got them, but hands down I am sold on the SPTs.

yup, alot of the forum user love the SPT, but they wear FAST.....

I run the MX's and love them. They are a little soft in the sidewall compared to the potenzas but they have good grip and, my favorite part, they break away smooooth after crossing the tire's limits.

I use them for track and street with no problems. I do go through two sets of rears and one set of fronts (remounted mid-season) a year. -But that probably has more to do with the 12-17 events a year + my annual pilgrimage to the Tail of the Dragon.

yup, alot of the forum user love the SPT, but they wear FAST.....

no,

they really dont..


beers :beer:

I know several people that use the MX's on a daily basis. They have nothing but good things to say about them. Why do you say that?

Because they are made for the street and get much better wear.

The MX is a track tire. It will wear out like a motorcycle tire.

my MX's have 15,000 miles on them since last November :eek: and they're holding up. They might need to be replaced by the New Year but that's okay with me.

Because they are made for the street and get much better wear.

The MX is a track tire. It will wear out like a motorcycle tire.

The MX is not a track tire.... The Kumho V710 and V700 are track tires.

The MX is not a track tire.... The Kumho V710 and V700 are track tires.

+1.

The MX's are street tires that do well on the track...for street tires.

+1.

The MX's are street tires that do well on the track...for street tires.

They don't even do that, they are well of the pace of the Falken 615, Advan and RE01-R. :icon_no2: They were great when they came out, but time has moved on the that tire has not been updated.

They don't even do that, they are well of the pace of the Falken 615, Advan and RE01-R. :icon_no2: They were great when they came out, but time has moved on the that tire has not been updated.

I have tried the 615's and still prefer the MX's ( I don't think the MX's are well off pace of the 615's), and the Advans are too expensive. I would like to try the RE01's but they don't come in 275/40 -17.

I have tried the 615's and still prefer the MX's ( I don't think the MX's are well off pace of the 615's), and the Advans are too expensive. I would like to try the RE01's but they don't come in 275/40 -17.

The results do not agree with you. The Kumho is not at the top of any ST race classes. It is all Yokohama and Bridgestone, a few fast guys are still on Falkens but they are not as fast as the Yok and BS. The good news is a replacement for the MX will be at SEMA, Kumho is calling it the 615 killer, hope they did not aim to low. :)

Kevin McCormick finished 2nd in STS at Nats using MX front and SPT rear, watch out if he gets real ST tires

Kevin McCormick finished 2nd in STS at Nats using MX front and SPT rear, watch out if he gets real ST tires

Yes he did, and he was well off the pace. He would crush them on any of the other three. That is why Motonish left STS after winning twice, Kumho contract driver that wants to run a tire and class where he can win, the current crop of other ST tires are way better than when the MX was new.

ehh, SPTs are great...when it's hot! they absolutely suck in the rain.

I'd recommend SPT (or MX?) for beginner racing tyres. no need to rush to r-compound or slicks.

ehh, SPTs are great...when it's hot! they absolutely suck in the rain.

I'd recommend SPT (or MX?) for beginner racing tyres. no need to rush to r-compound or slicks.

Strange how people can have such a different impression of the same tire. Many of the Kumho factory drivers use the SPT as a rain for racing. This year Scott McWho ran his AS Corvette on the SPT at the Atwater natl tour in the rain and beat the SS guys who were on Hooiser wets. :Eyecrazy:

Just fitted two new Adrenalins Re001 upfront, took the front stock Potenzas Re040 to the back. Less noise, softer ride. But, I have a feeling it may be just because they are new. I've always found worn tyres quite noisy, even when I replace them with the exact same brand and model, the ride is suddenly refined. Perhaps this is the source of different impression, the new tyre "appears" better unless it really, really sucks.

I like my SPT's so far. Its getting toward the rainy season so we'll see how they go. I mostly drive my car around town and on freeways and the SPT have one of the best ride/noise/comfort in our weird stock size.

From all the reviews, I have read that the SPTs are pretty good in the wet as well.

Stock Potenzas?

Mine had stock Dunlops. ??!!

some had potenzas some had dunlops. I THINK most 05's had Potenzas though...

I've had these for about 15k miles now. I dunno, I don't think I will get them again. They like to track everything and at the same time have sluggish turn-in. They seem to lose grip alot too (esp comes on during the most mundane manuevers) I guess if you live in a place with good roads, it might a be a better choice..

I've had these for about 15k miles now. I dunno, I don't think I will get them again. They like to track everything and at the same time have sluggish turn-in. They seem to lose grip alot too (esp comes on during the most mundane manuevers) I guess if you live in a place with good roads, it might a be a better choice..

or you could learn about air pressure and how it works in a tire..

beers :beer:

WOW... I feel like Im evolving... I have my cart all ready for checkout on tirerack.com and thought, maybe I should look into what other people are wearing on there 8's.. I have the SPT's in my checkout.... Now Im concerned about them... Overall it looks like they will be a good tire but I dont need anything that wears fast.. Im already on my 3rd set of tires in 2 years, just dosent seem like I replaced tires that often on other cars. I thinkIm gonna go for it and order them.. Will see what happens!

Actually.. I have a question.... I have the Dunlop Direzza DZ101's on my car right now. It says they are ultra high performance summer tires.... Do I really need to be concerned about that in the winter time in NC? I live at the beach, not exactly a winter wonderland here.

I don't think you will have a problem, except when it rains. Drive slower and be safer.

I like the ecstas better for wet roads and highway cruising, but the potenzas are by far the better tire for cornering and aggressive driving. Granted, mine wore out in 12k ;-) Not the OEM 040 Potenzas; they suck. I now run S03 Pole Positions Potenzas, and they are fine, high-performance tires that grip well under hard cornering. But after the OEMs ran their course, I put on a new set of Ecsta SPTs. The SPTs were stickier, quieter, gripped better in dry and wet--better in every way. :Eyecrazy:

I've been sporting the SPT's for about 15,000 miles now and they are a great tire! For sure the best value for the performance you get. I am, however, going to be upgrading to a larger MX tire next time. I went through the stock Potenza's in a little over 20,000 miles.

Not the OEM 040 Potenzas; they suck. I now run S03 Pole Positions Potenzas...

I guess everyone's experience differs. My Kumho's have always had grip problems that I never had with the stock tires. I'll give you ride comfort and noise- the stocks were loud! I'm in the market for some new tires- how do you like those Pole Positions?

Just Picked had my Ecstas mounted after going through my second set of Potenzas WOW night and day diffence so much more quiet doesn't even sound like the same car.

Granted I'm not an aggressive driver the RX8 is just my daily driver to and from work (and the occasional strip club).

the OEM 040 Potenzas; they suck truer words have never been spoken

I'm not crazy about the SPTs. I bought them for their wet performance and hoping to run them in the cold dry, but definitely less overall grip in the dry and poorer turn-in than the OEM Bridgestones. Comfortable and quiet, yes, but not aggressive enough for the capabilities of the RX-8 IMHO, too much of a compromise for this car. Not sure what I'll try next. My wife will kill me if I get a 4th set of wheels (2 sets already for the Miata) but I'm beginning to think I need 3 sets of wheels for each car just for street use.

I'm not crazy about the SPTs. I bought them for their wet performance and hoping to run them in the cold dry, but definitely less overall grip in the dry and poorer turn-in than the OEM Bridgestones. Comfortable and quiet, yes, but not aggressive enough for the capabilities of the RX-8 IMHO, too much of a compromise for this car. Not sure what I'll try next. My wife will kill me if I get a 4th set of wheels (2 sets already for the Miata) but I'm beginning to think I need 3 sets of wheels for each car just for street use.

i hate the tire, bumpy/bad traction

anyone tried the General Tire Exclaim UHP? has the highest rating and cheap price... any faults on this not mentioned?

Bump