let's start an opinion list of tyres tried and true, and maybe even just a mention of some tyres to be wary of...

i don't have a sports car, so i really can't contribute (yet), but i'm wondering what sorts of options there are for the novice autox'er...
i've heard good things (from QuickLude mostly) about the Michelin S03's, but how 'bout it everyone?? what's your tyre of choice??

i've heard good things about the SO3, Yoko's AO32R, uhhhh... dammit, i knew a few others... oh, the P-Zero (Pirelli)... others?? Goodyear?? Bridgestone?? Dunlop??

From personal and others experience.
Bridgestone RE92 - "all season" rolleyes tire. Average in every season. Would never buy one again.
Yoko A520. Loud, sticky in dry, bad in the rain.
Pirelli P7000s Summer. On my car now. Great in the dry, wet. Very quiet compared to the Yoko's. Since it's sticky, it has a low treadwear rating, 160. I don't anticipate getting more than 30-40K kms or less depending on how many lapping days/auto-x events I'll be attending this year.

From others:
Toyo T1-S, very good summer tire, in wet/dry, low treadwear.
Bridgestone S02/S03 - same as above, my choice for the RX-8 225/45/18 size.

Quick_lude (or anyone else), can you please elaborate on treadwear ratings. I noticed that you give the Pirelli P7000s a treadwear rating of 160. :confused:

For autocross/track days -- Kumho Victoracers. Stickier than any street tire, DOT legal, they're easy to drive at their limits and last a long time for race tires. Oh, and they're not too pricey either.

For the street, I haven't found the 'ultimate' tire yet. Right now I'm on Yokohama AVS ES100s. For purely street use they're quite good, although the sidewalls are soft so they don't hold up to track/autox use at all, which is a shame since the compound is fairly sticky. The soft sidewalls do give a nice ride on the street though, too. They're better than what I had before - Kumho ECSTA Supra 712s. I might try Falken Azenis next, even though they will probably be short-lived.

Originally posted by ZoomZoom
Quick_lude (or anyone else), can you please elaborate on treadwear ratings. I noticed that you give the Pirelli P7000s a treadwear rating of 160. :confused:
Basically every tire has a treadwear rating. The lower the number the faster it will wear out. I've seen all season tires at 400-500 rating while some high performance summer only tires at 140-220. Keep in mind that a Pirelli 160 doesn't necessairly equal a Toyo 160 rating. It's not an exact science, more of an estimate on how long the tread will last.

The Yoko A032 R compound is a 60 I think? :eek:

I'm currently have Falken Azenis on my Civic Si. They are extremely sticky in the dry. Just a notch below race tires. The sizewall are very stiff and hold well in hard corner. I found that I could finish midpack among other drivers using race tires. On street compound brake pads, the tires will not lock-up no matter how hard I braked (in the dry). There are more tires than brake.

They are surprisingly good in the wet and much better than the OEM supposedly "all-season" tires. Unless there is a significant amount of standing water, they will not hydroplane.

They have two disadvantages. They are short lived and are only available in certain sizes. I think the stated wear rating of 200 is a little optimistic. My last set had 16k miles on them. But I have 5 track days and 3 autoX on them. They would have lasted a couple thousand more miles but a puncture cut that short. Luckily, they are relatively cheap enough ($70/tire) that replacing them won't break the bank.

As long as Falken still make these tires, they will be the only tires I own.

I've heard nothing but good things about the Yokohama AO32R. Excellent performance in dry conditions, but sub-par performance in wet conditions.
http://www.yokohamatire.com/images/carsandtires/A032r.jpg
Certainly is a mean looking mother, eh? (Heheheh, Canadian!)

This tire should be saved for track/auto-x. As much as it's marketed "for the street" the low - 60! :omg: rating and lack of safe wet performance make it unsuitable economically and from the safety perspective imo.

I'll just drive my dads Aerostar when its wet...inside?
Hey, it's got 220 lbs ft! Laugh it up. I'll smoke you!
It's actually faster than my moms 91 Maxima!:D

Who cares about tire wear, buy more. We're all made of money. Right?
Perhaps you should stop being such a pooper and think about other people than yourself Quick Lude...if that really is your real name.
I think it's about time you woke up and smelled the burnt rubber.
This tire...ahem...OwnZ j00!

Edit: And besides, who honestly keeps their "Senior member" tag.
Really. It's pitiful.
You need to clean something up.
YOUR LIFE!

Originally posted by ilovepotatos

Edit: And besides, who honestly keeps their "Senior member" tag.
Really. It's pitiful.
You need to clean something up.
YOUR LIFE!

What's that all about?

I was talking about the tag, under your name. Like mine. Set it and forget it.
You need to clean up your life too.
*Shakes head*
http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=1999_nissan_skyline_gt-r-1.jpg
Why did I put that in there? Because that car ownZ j00!

Damn west coast and their AsIaN AvENuE kids.. shakes head.. :p

There done and done. Happy Mr. Potatoe Head? :)

Easy there, Quicklude...

Potatoes, you have a PM that you should read.

---jps

Originally posted by Sputnik
Easy there, Quicklude...

Potatoes, you have a PM that you should read.

---jps

I think it is quite easy to discern that this is just 2 of the regulars having a good time. But then again, since there isn't a chat or anything transitory, its best to refrain (as much fun as it can be to joke around sometimes) so newcomers to the forum don't start somberly bashing at each other taking this example the wrong way. ;)

Just to get this thread back on topic...

Basically, you'll need to decide if you want R-tires or street tires.

Among the R-tires, most autocrossers use either the Hoosier A3S03 (autoX compound), R3S03 (roadrace compound), or the Kumho Victoracer V700 or Ecsta V700. The Hoosiers are slightly faster, but significantly more expensive. The Kumhos are probably your best bet for a grippy, affordable tire that has decent wear.

There are also a few other R-tires out there like the Yokohama A032R, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, and the Toyo RA-1. These are better suited for track driving than autoX. They tend to have harder compounds and don't seem to heat up quick enough for autoX. However, they should last much longer than a comparable Hoosier or Kumho.

For street tires, hmm, so much to choose from, but if you take a look at the results of most national level events, the Falken Azenis and BF Goodrich KD seem to stand out.

BTW, Grassroots Motorsports did a tire comparo a few issues ago. They compared both R-tires and street tires. Among the R-tires, the Hoosiers A3S03 was slightly quicker than the either Kumho V700, with the Toyo a bit further behind. BTW, this was on an asphalt surface and the Kumhos and Toyos were shaved (can't really shave a Hoosier, since you'll just get cord! :))

In their street tire comparo, they tested the BFG KD, Falken Azenis, the Kumho 712, and some Hankook which I didn't really pay attention to. The KD and Azenis were the fastest of the bunch, with the KD being a little quicker of the 2. Unfortunately, the KD's cost an arm and a leg, and the Azenis doesn't come in any 18" sizes.

I use Yokohama AVS Sports on my R1 RX-7. I love them.

http://www.yokohamatire.com/images/carsandtires/AVSSport.jpg

I'm sad. I've been warned. Maybe I should just take this knife and...
http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=1969_datsun_240z-1.jpg

I love the Falken Azenis on my 10AE. But I must resist and take them off. Save them for the track. The daily driving tires are Toyo T1-S's...pretty sweet themselves...I have two sets of wheels with each tire type...decisions decisions...lol

I'm glad I did take the Azenis off the miata today before we headed out to play in the soggy hill-country. An TexasRXs club member put together a sweet run, and we toughed it out regardless of the rain.

I am VERY impressed with the wet performance of the Toyo T1-S's!! Excellent grip on the most slippery pavement...:D The best value for the money I have found yet...if you are to have two sets of tires.

Originally posted by Mazdaspeedgirl
...I am VERY impressed with the wet performance of the Toyo T1-S's!! Same here. The T1s have shown to be an excellent combination of wet performance, dry performance, and track survivability. By "track survivability", I mean that they're consistent, and they normally won't break down under the stress of track use.

---jps

Did you guys see the post from that British mag review? The blue car had S03's on it. I wonder if North America will get the same.. hope so..

Now I have to disagree about the wet traction of the T1-S. I have the on my 99 miata as well and I have learned to drive very carefully in the rain. There is a stop sign near my house that is on an incline that I always stop and turn left at. When it is raining if I can spin the tires through 2 full gears and part of third until they catch again. It's fun don't get me wrong, but it would be nice to have a tire that performed well in the rain too.

So, just that one intersection?

---jps

yup

The Kumho Victoracer is the spec tire in my formula vee class. They last forever, and are great. Only need to buy tires every two years! (Now, the formula vee is also super light, etc. But in my opinion these are great tires)

Yeah.....my tire choice is either that Yokedog, or whatever I can find for 14.95 at Canadian tire...on a stick...

They last forever, and are great. Only need to buy tires every two years!

wel, u obviously dont drive hard out then mate, 2 years, my gosh, how thick is the rubber, tractor style ??

Well, the idea of the series is to be able to race on extremely low budget. I'm sorry if I can't buy new tires all the time, but these ones still work as long as I need them.

I guess maybe I know how to control a car on weak tires a little better than you?

That's kinda funny. Get a brand new RX-8, then put on some tractor tires. With the price of the 8 being so high, that isn't unrealistic.

ha ha ha ah.
yeah, but i bet u dont live in a country with VERY windy , mountanous roads, and rain 2 out of 3 days.
bad tyres = slide, crunch, hospital, and i dont like the latter part,
but hey, if you can get tham to last that long, good on you,

You're right.
I may live in Canada, but I live in Victoria. We get the best weather in the country. Mild summers, mild winters.

Can vouch for A032R by Yokohama for track use. Have them on the Malibu Stacey (the MX-5) and are really grippy until the track get's wet. When it's wet I just leave my road wheels on (Bridgestone RE-711 - now discontinued but a fantastic tyre in all conditions). The A032Rs take a good minute to warm up so yeah, agree with the person who said they're not ideal for auto-x.

Can also vouch for Falken Azenis... I have them on the MX-6 and the grip levels are incredible in all conditions considering they're a cross-over street/track tyre. If you can only afford one set of wheels the Azenis are a good bet.

I've tried the following road tyres:
Toyo Proxes T1S - ok... not as good as RE711
Pirelli P6000 - yuk - no grip - lots of sideways fun in auto-x tho!
Dunlop LM701 - worse than yuk - I think they're just a cheap local Aussie model.


Other track tyres I've tried include:
Dunlop D-01 - same grip but better wear than A032R - at a price


One thing that concerned me when I saw the 8 at the Melbourne International Motor Show on the weekend was that they're fitted with the very average Bridgestone RE-040... wtf??????

Would much prefer S-03....

I'm getting a second set of wheels for the RX-8 and will probably throw some A032R boots on them for track days.

Best street tire for me is the Toyo RA1s. I ran them for a long time on my MR2.

Wear very nice. Good in the wet (when they have tread( and very fast for the track AND autocross (when they don't have tread).

My only Fast Time of Day in San Diego was in a 130hp stock car on a set of RA1s. They are faster than most people think.

I wonder how fast you guys could go while eating pizza?
The race of real life...I'd call it...

If you eat too much pizza, it slows you down.

I once autocrossed in a ProSolo while answering my cell phone. I learned you can't really use a cell phone with a helmet on. Eating pizza would also be messy in a full face helmet.

i personally like Toyo TO1-S's and Falken Azenis. I've used both on RoadRacing but never tried them for Autox.

I've had Bridgestone Potenza RE-711s on the RX-7 and did well, they didnt last long though... now I have RE-730s. What the 711s did..the 730s do better. For an RX-8...choice would be S-03s or some Pirelli P-Zeros. Track use.. Hoosiers!

RE730's on the last two RX-7's I've had, very happy with them.

I'll probably try S03's next. (Still have quite a bit of tread left, even after a couple track days)

Don't ever get Falken Ziex's, they were terrible.

I'm with neofreak, Falken ZIEX's started out as great tyres on my 94 civic Si and ripped through the wet handily (Crosscountry from Southern CA to Southern CO with Rain nonstop from the AZ border...good for a mix of 70 in the wet to 125 on dry) Sticky enough in a variety of conditions. However they wear unevenly even when rotated and cambered properly due to the unorthodox footprint on em~ it makes for road noise that should be reserved for monster trucks and construction equipment (seriously thought the motor was giving out on me) so yeah...avoid those :D

And yes ricdanger, "The Malibu Stacy" is the most hilarious description of the MX-5 I've heard so far, it fits it well.

Cheers!:cool:

i want to revive the thread, and mention that somewhere (waaaay back in that jungle of OT threads) last week i read babylou say that he didnt' like the TS-1's as their sidewalls are overly pliant (a lack of steel belts or something?? some kind of support structure, i'm guessing) which is one of the main reasons they're so light...
so, apparently this soft sidewall really doesnt' do the tyre any favours in steering response, and is a big reason Lou doesnt' like it... so, any thoughts on this?? it's suppost to be a very capable tyre... what other kinds of tradeoffs are made????

I don't think steel belts involve the sidewalls. Not sure.

But you can fix sidewalls with more pressure. With the old BFG R1 tire, that sucker had very stiff sidewalls and many people raced on them at 24psi. Some even less. On the Toyo RA1s I mention above, I race on them at 48-50psi.

Originally posted by wakeech
i want to revive the thread, and mention that somewhere (waaaay back in that jungle of OT threads) last week i read babylou say that he didnt' like the TS-1's as their sidewalls are overly pliant (a lack of steel belts or something?? some kind of support structure, i'm guessing) which is one of the main reasons they're so light...'Tis true. I put a set of T1-S's on my Miata after my second set of Michelin Pilots died. While they had plenty of grip, and never caught me out, they never had the same positive feel of the Pilots. They took a tad longer to turn in, and just never felt as "connected." Nice tires, and a good price, but I'm not sure if I'd buy them again.

interesting, interesting... man, it sure sucks there's so little info on tyre manufacture and technology on the net... soooo little of everything :D

Originally posted by eccles
'Tis true. I put a set of T1-S's on my Miata after my second set of Michelin Pilots died. While they had plenty of grip, and never caught me out, they never had the same positive feel of the Pilots. They took a tad longer to turn in, and just never felt as "connected." Nice tires, and a good price, but I'm not sure if I'd buy them again.
What tire pressures were you running at? On my Pirellis p7000Z summer I run about 44-48 psi front to prevent rolling over..
The Pilot is a very good tire no doubt.. Very expensive though. :(

Originally posted by Quick_lude
What tire pressures were you running at? On my Pirellis p7000Z summer I run about 44-48 psi front to prevent rolling over..
The Pilot is a very good tire no doubt.. Very expensive though. :( I used to run 32 all 'round on the Miata. The Pilots, and later the Falken Azenis, worked great at that pressure. I could stiffen up the sidewalls of the T1-S's by pumping them up to 40+, but the ride suffered markedly.

I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of sets of Pilots for our two Miatas for under $75 per tire, but you're right, they were impossible to justify at full price.

Originally posted by eccles
I used to run 32 all 'round on the Miata. The Pilots, and later the Falken Azenis, worked great at that pressure. I could stiffen up the sidewalls of the T1-S's by pumping them up to 40+, but the ride suffered markedly.

ah HA! I was wondering what pressure you used, but forgot to ask!

I just got some new T1-S's when I was back in Austin (aggressive alignment is bad juju for highway driving, especially since I drove to Austin-1000+ miles). DJ hooked me up with them for 75 bux each! shhh...those are friend prices.
We also got to drive his Mazdaspeed Protege while waiting to get the tires/alignment. :D

So did you run 32 in the Azenis when autoXing? Did you only run 40 psi in the T1-S's when autoXing?

Originally posted by Mazdaspeedgirl
So did you run 32 in the Azenis when autoXing? Did you only run 40 psi in the T1-S's when autoXing? No, I ran both the Toyos and the Falkens between 40 and 44psi for competition.

Originally posted by eccles
No, I ran both the Toyos and the Falkens between 40 and 44psi for competition.
Wow. That's all the way up to max, right?

Okay, one more question and I shall bother you no more...:)...What did you run in both tires on the street? Are there any effects over a long period of time if I run high high pressure on the street?

Thanx! :)

Originally posted by Mazdaspeedgirl
Wow. That's all the way up to max, right?Yeah, it's pretty well up there. At those pressures, you start to sacrifice ultimate grip for sharp turn-in. With my years of competition driving on loose surfaces, I have a fairly well-developed ability to balance the car at the limits of adhesion and to catch and control a slide if I exceed them, so I find a nice sharp steering response suits my driving style and abilities best.

Okay, one more question and I shall bother you no more...:)...What did you run in both tires on the street? Are there any effects over a long period of time if I run high high pressure on the street?32 all 'round on the street. Running higher than the specified pressure will tend to cause greater wear on the center of the tread than at the edges, but the difference will be hardly noticeable unless you constantly run 'em over the mid-30's.

For my '79 RX-7, I'm sticking to the stock rims, basically because I can't afford new ones at this point. Because they're 13's I have very little to choose from for a good summer tyre. I'm giving the Sumitomo HTR 200 a try this summer. At $92 CDN a tyre, they're not particularly expensive, but they have good ratings at TireRack.

To clarify, I use those pressures at the track/auto-x only.. on the street I use about 38F/34R.