Just noticed that on RX8 6-speed, we will be getting Z rated tires.
I know that Z rated tires are already very good tires, but looking at other cars, eg. 350z, S2000, they actually have W tires (even for the base 350z).

From tirerack.com
Z=149 MPH, 240km/h and over, Sports Cars
W=168 MPH, 270km/h, Exotic Sport Cars

Well, I guess our only benefit with Z rated is that they will last longer and are cheaper than the Ws....

Wow... i just typed a whole spiel and didnt realize that Ws were higher rated than Zs :)

I didn’t even know that W rated tires even existed. :confused:

And I would say given the fact that not too many of us will have our 8's in the 140 MPH range, I doubt it will be much of an issue.

My race tires are "only" V-rated, but they have more grip than any W-rated street tire.

I'm not concerned with those letter ratings, but that's probably because I don't do extended top speed runs. The speed ratings are for how fast a speed a given tire can handle for an extended period of time. They have nothing to do with how well the tire might grip, although in general tires with higher speed ratings will be more sporty and thus grippier.

Z is "149+"
W is "up to 168"

The ratings are inconsistent. If you go strictly by the meaning of the ratings, you can go faster on Z rated tires than W rated tires. Of course, that's silly, and W rated tires are generally higher performance than Z rated tires.

I thought I read that the RX-8 was supposed to come with the same tires that came on the IS300 that were much maligned by the owners of those cars. The pics I have seen of the RX-8 have Bridgestone S-03 tires. Those are great tires, and I would be extremely pleased if that is how they arrive.

-Max

The 'Z' rating is from days long past. Now a days, H 210 kph rated tires come on the VW Jetta Tdi.

What about the Y rated tires 300 kph

XXX kph / 1.609345 = mph

Originally posted by Hercules
Wow... i just typed a whole spiel and didnt realize that Ws were higher rated than Zs :)

Tyres with a W rating are still "Z Rated" since Z was originally supposed to be the top... LOL.

IF Z is 149+ then that covers all the higher ratings too... most tyres I've seen have Z printed on them and W in the smaller print.

That said, if the top speed is 151 and the tyres are rated 149+ then why pay more for tyres rated for higher speed when the money might go towards somthing you'll actually use?

Because those 168 mph tires will make the car faster. Then all you need is to put in a 168mph speedo, and it'll be really fast!;)

Nigel: "All the numbers go to 11..."

Marty Dibergi: "I see, and most amps go up to 10. Does that mean it's louder?"

Nigel: "Well, it's one louder, isn't it? You see, most blokes will be playing at 10...you're on 10 on your guitar. Where can you go from there?...Nowhere, exactly. So when we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?"

Marty: "Put it to 11."

Nigel: "Exactly. One louder."

Marty: "Why don't just make 10 louder and make 10 the top number and make that a little louder?"

Nigel (chewing gum, pauses while he considers the question, then states confidently): "These go to 11."

You simply have to love Spinal Tap :D
BTW, did anyone notice how similar Bruce Dickinson and Nigel Tuffnel sound - when speaking obviously :cool:

Cheers

Eske