Well I just got back from having my all season radials installed at Custom Car Car here in Yorktown, VA.

I just gotta say "Wow" They actually feel and handle better than the 040's! al lot smoother riding also.

http://images3.fotki.com/v25/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_2985-vi.jpg

http://images3.fotki.com/v25/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_2984-vi.jpg

http://images5.fotki.com/v55/photos/1/140558/518857/IMG_2981-vi.jpg

They're
Sumitomo
(http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR%2B) HTR+ Ultra High Performance All Season Radials in size 245/40WR 18.

None of the fat tire look and it looks like those tires were made for this great car!

Now I don't have to worry when the white stuff falls or the temp drops and I don't have to change tires every season.

Looks great. I ordered a set as well. I can't wait for them. Though I haven't had the privalege of driving my car in summer temps, I still don't like these Bridgestones. The trade-offs they incur aren't worth whatever miracle they perform during the summer.

Very nice. I am switching to the 245/40 also. I am going to get the Bridgestone S-03 pole positions though. So they feel that much better huh?

Rotary Nut, you took my VA license plate!!
The tires are lookin' good. Let us know what you think after you drive these Sumitomos in snow. I'm assuming they don't offer 225 width. Can you reveal where you got them and how much? I'm hoping I can make it through the winter and get some all-seasons next fall. I don't want snow tires.

I agree the 245 width is better for this car. I just ordered 19" wheels and I'm doing 245/35/19 Toyo T1-S tires front and rear. I don't drive my 8 everyday or in the winter weather, so the T1-S's were my choice based on performance.

I just had a set of 245/40/18 Toyo Proxes 4 delivered yesterday.
Looks like this (http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_lines/high_perf/proxes4_pop_up.html)

It's a new all-season W-speed rated Toyo just released. Treadepot.com in Atlanta had them at an intro price of $130 each. I think they're getting ready to phase out the Toyo FZ4.

Peakster - I had these tires on my late '02 VW Passat W8 and they were just great. They never let me down I switched from running the Pirelli P7000 S/S on my previous rides to the Sumitomo's (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR%2B) were quieter and had better grip in the snow. They also had a longer wearing tread life.

They did not come in the 225/45 WR 18 OEM size so I did a bit of calculating and found these to fit just right. I got them from the The Tire Rack (http://tirerack.com) and the total price shipped form Deleware to Newport News, VA for four tires was a whopping $510. The price per tire was $114. It cost me $72 to get the shop to M&B them for me.

Please let me know how they are in the snow . . . I need to buy tires for the snow asap and I can't find snow tires in stock so these sound like they might work out well !!

See my previous reply. They are great. I mean they are no Blizzak but they get the job done and are worth every penny. The only thing to test is how the car in itself drives in the snow. This is the first RWD car I have owned since my 1992 BMW 318i so I know the tires can hold their own I just want to see how the DSC and such can handle it. But as far as the tires are concerned I would go for it!

Originally posted by SikRedRX-8
Very nice. I am switching to the 245/40 also. I am going to get the Bridgestone S-03 pole positions though. So they feel that much better huh? Please check your PMs.

---jps

Wow,

I can't believe the 245's look that good. There really isn't any fat tire look on the 8 rims. I am quite surprised.

I will be doing that when I get my first set as replacements.

245's here I come.

-Mr. Wigggles

Someone at tirerack said they had complaints of rubbing with 245's in the front . .. do you have any rubbing at all ... I just got my RX8 and I HAVE to get all-season tires for this snowy weather

Rotary Nut...How much did those Sumitomos run? I'm also looking at those to put on the stock rims.

I have experienced NO RUBBING at all!

I stated before that the tires run $114 each. A set of four w/shipping ran me $510. Plus $72 to mount and balance when they arrived!

I'm looking to ugrade as I just had mine rotated and they said the rear ones looked pretty worn, 8,000 miles, I want to put 245/40/18's on mine too, (especially due to selection & price) also so I can keep the same size all the way around, has anyone with an 8 had any experience whatsoever with this size tire on stock rims in the front of the car.

I pulled the wheels yesterday and looked in the wheel wells and I have no evidence of rubbing at all.

Originally posted by Carguy
Someone at tirerack said they had complaints of rubbing with 245's in the front ........

Carguy,
Did you see this complaint on the web site? If so, where?

Thanks,
rx8cited

Originally posted by rx8cited
Carguy,
Did you see this complaint on the web site? If so, where?

Thanks,
rx8cited

No I didn't see anything on this board about that, this was what tirerack told me when I called up but you never know when it comes to these things because the Sumitomo HTR+ can be shaped slightly different then for example a bridgestone SO3 so a bridgestone might rub in the same size that the sumitomo won't.

Keep in mind this is just an example, I'm not saying the Bridgestone does rub since I have no idea.

Ned, how do the 245 Toyos fit?

Originally posted by Peakster
Ned, how do the 245 Toyos fit?
I'll let you know in a day or so when they're on. They're stacked in my garage at the moment for no good reason other than it's too damn cold at night to go out and fool with them. I did test-fit one the other night (before my metal hubcentric rings came) and it was fine. No clearance probs on the backside of the tire at all.

Originally posted by Rotary Nut
I pulled the wheels yesterday and looked in the wheel wells and I have no evidence of rubbing at all.

Rotary Nut,
Hi. If you get a chance to do this, try some tight figure eights or circles in an empty parking lot to put this rubbing thing to rest in my mind.

It's possible that normal driving would not bring out the rubbing, but extreme turns like tight circles, figures eights, and U-turns would.

Thanks,
rx8cited

Do it all the time backing out of my drive way. I have to do a tight right tun whhile backing out. The only sound I hear is the ABS doing it's requisite selftest!

I have also done the lock-to-lock. No rubbing. When I pulled my wheels this weekend I inspected for this and found no signs of rubbing on anything.

I checked the upper and lower sus. arms and tie rods, nadda! Nothing on the plastic fender liners either.

I'm also going to be upgrading to 245/40s on the stock wheels. Nice license plate by the way (I'm the PA guy with RENESIS :) )