From what I have read it seems the UK RX-8 may come with Bridgestone RE040s, does anyone know for sure?

I have just had a new set of rubber on my scooby slightly earlier than anticipated due to a puncture.

I have changed from the original fitted RE040s to Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s. This tyre won the Evo tyre test earlier in the year.

After letting them scrub in for a couple of days I gave it some stick today and I am amazed at the amount of extra grip and traction I get and also less understeer on familiar roads :D

Some of this may be due to my RE040s being worn down a bit but to be honest Im not that impressed with them and Im hoping that we dont get these on the RX-8.

Everything I've read says it will be the RE040s - how much are these to replace?

Incidently - I did some web based tyre research a few years ago when I wasnt happy with my brakes in the wet. In all tests I found Bridgestones came out near the top for wet weather performance.

recently switchED the bridgestone potenza's from my MX-6 for Avons, again I was amazed by the improvement in wet weather handling, although the soft compound is supposed to be quite poor in durability terms.

I'm sure a number of other people have suggested switching the 04's for michelin pilots (a la Focus RS)

When I spoke to the guys at MotorExpo they said the UK cars would come with the same tyre as the one at the show which were Bridgestone Potenza S03's.:)

There was a tread (unintended pun) running about this in the main forum a week or two ago. The RE040s were not rated as a very good tyre there, however the S03s were described as one of the best.
Favourite international brand seems to be the Michelain Pilot Sport though.

I learnt my lesson with tyres the hard way, shortly after I purchased the MX-6, I lost the back end on a fast corner in good weather. Luckily not much damage was done but when I was checking the car over I checked the tyres and was horrified to find the previous owner had put re-moulds on the back!:eek:

Something else to add to the list of checks when looking at second hand cars!

Edit: aplogise for unintended pun due to bad spelling.;)

Originally posted by MarkW
From what I have read it seems the UK RX-8 may come with Bridgestone RE040s, does anyone know for sure?

I have just had a new set of rubber on my scooby slightly earlier than anticipated due to a puncture.

I have changed from the original fitted RE040s to Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s. This tyre won the Evo tyre test earlier in the year.

After letting them scrub in for a couple of days I gave it some stick today and I am amazed at the amount of extra grip and traction I get and also less understeer on familiar roads :D

Some of this may be due to my RE040s being worn down a bit but to be honest Im not that impressed with them and Im hoping that we dont get these on the RX-8.

I think people underestimate how important a good set of tyres are.

A mate of mine has just swapped his Bridgestone RE040's for Toyo Proxi's and is amazed by the gains.

It seems that the RE040 suffer from lack of grip as well as a lot of road noise.

I found that a good place to get tyres from is topgear (nothing to do with the TV program). They can be found at www.topgear.co.uk

After checking out the website I found that 225/40 18 Toyo's are about £120 ex VAT each. Not bad, if you ask me.

If the car does come with RE040's, then I, for one, will be looking to change them as soon as possible.

Shahpor

I'll buy your RE040s if reasonable....

I'll be swapping out my 040s for Toyo Proxes T1-S as soon as I get it. Run these tyres on all my cars, and wouldn't run anything else for road and light track-use at the moment.


-andy-

Same goes - if reasonable will buy them off you - will help towards the cost of your new ones at any rate !

:)

I'll know who to contact if I need a cheap tyre!;)

Originally posted by sixspeed
I'll be swapping out my 040s for Toyo Proxes T1-S as soon as I get it. Run these tyres on all my cars, and wouldn't run anything else for road and light track-use at the moment.


-andy-

Sixspeed,

Will the garage where you swap them buy your almost new RE040s off you in exchange?

I havent done this before, but if I thought I could change them quite cheaply then I would look to do it.

Cheers
Mark

Good thinking. I was going to keep them or sell them on ebay or something. lol.

I'll make sure I ask (although this is all a long way off and I'll probably forget by then)


Just in case people want a couple of good places to find cheap tyres, try www.mytyres.net and www.blackcircles.com.



*Edited to add that having done a quick search on the above sites it looks like I may have to go to a 245 width tyre to get the Proxes. S03s come in the 225 size though, but not 100% convinced by them after I tried them on the TVR last year.



-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
Good thinking. I was going to keep them or sell them on ebay or something. lol.

I'll make sure I ask (although this is all a long way off and I'll probably forget by then)


Just in case people want a couple of good places to find cheap tyres, try www.mytyres.net and www.blackcircles.com.



*Edited to add that having done a quick search on the above sites it looks like I may have to go to a 245 width tyre to get the Proxes. S03s come in the 225 size though, but not 100% convinced by them after I tried them on the TVR last year.




-andy-

Thanks for the links sixspeed.

Seems like some good places to get tyres.

I am also a fan of the Toyo's, but I would hesitate to put wider rubber on the car straight away as I am not sure what that would do to the handling.

After a bit of driving, to get a feel for the car, I may decide that it could use some wider tyres, but I wouldn't do it without knowing the outcome cause I wouldn't want to be stuck with a set of tyres I don't like.

Still, you never know, it may help the handling no end.

If you can't get the Toyos's, then I might be tempted by the Michelin Pilot Sports, Dunlop SP9000's or Pirelli PZero's. Also, I have heard good things about the Continental ContiSports.

Ahhhh decisions, decisions :D

Shahpor

Someone else was going on about the Continentals to me recently. I think they won a recent test run by one of the magazines.

The Michelin Pilot Sports came standard on my MX-5 when I got it. They weren't bad, but when I changed over to S-02s at the time, they were nowhere near as good. And they cost a fair whack too.



-andy-

Yeah, Michelin's aren't cheap, but I hear that they are a good all round tyre.

One magazine that I know likes the Continentals is BMWCar magazine. They seem to like them so much that they don't buy any other tyre.

The other thing that needs to be considered is what the aim for the tyre is. As recent magazine test have shown, tyre performance varies depending on the weather.

So are you looking for the best all round tyre? Or is only dry performance important to you as you don't really push it in the wet? Or is it the other way round and seeing that we get some much rain here in the UK, is wet weather performance the deciding factor?

This could get really complicated. :)

Shahpor

I'm for out and out grip. The best available in wet and dry. I'm not too concerned for road noise, wear rate, etc etc... so long as they stick!


The Toyo's seem to be good at this, the old S-02s as well. The S-03s left me feeling a bit cold with their wet weather performance (in comparison - although they were still a lot better than most).


-andy-

Forgive a tyre newbie but I didn't know you could fit a wider tyre on the standard rim - how much wider would they take?

Does adding different width tyres affect cars differently. I'm just interested to see if I can try something different to my 225/45/R17 's for the last few months.

I would say you can usually fit within about 20mm of the original size quite happily.

What width wheel are you running? I'd expect probably 7.5 or 8...?


-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
I would say you can usually fit within about 20mm of the original size quite happily.

What width wheel are you running? I'd expect probably 7.5 or 8...?


-andy-

I have no idea - I just know that the 225/45/R17 is the the standard size tyre for a C70 T5. Is there a simple way of finding out?

See if you can find out from Volvo?

Also sometimes it is stamped on the wheel... you might be able to find something, maybe under the centre-cap, with the width - 17x7, 17x7.5 etc..


Otherwise, based on the fact you have a 225 tyre on there now anyway you shouldn't have any problems going to a 215 or 235 width tyre.

Don't forget that the height of the tyre is a percentage of the width of the tyre. So if you went for something as high as a 245, you would probably want go for a 40 profile to keep the overall radius the same...


There's a good website for comparing tyre widths and sizes here (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html).


-andy-

I agree with sixspeed, most wheels can accept at least 10 or 20mm wider rubber. Although, if you go to 20mm, sometimes the tyre will 'bulge' out a bit. If this happens then you need to make sure you don't hit the kerb when you are parking as you may cut the tyre.

sixspeed, I can see why you like the Toyo's so much! If what you are after is all out performance then the Toyo's seem to be the tyre to have.

My mate has Toyo's and he leaves Bridgestone cars behind in wet or dry conditions.

Although it is good you don't care about how long they last as my mates tyres have worn out after about 6000 miles!

Shahpor

Yes. I figure i'm buying a performance car so I might as well have the best performing tyre...

It makes a big difference, and certainly adds to the driving experience when you have a good performing tyre.


Unforutunately I'll agree with you about the amount of time they last. I just fitted my 4th set of rear tyres on the Tuscan, in 18,000 miles. Although that might be partly down to my heavy right foot ;) :D


-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed

Unforutunately I'll agree with you about the amount of time they last. I just fitted my 4th set of rear tyres on the Tuscan, in 18,000 miles. Although that might be partly down to my heavy right foot ;) :D


-andy-

Bloody hell! Must cost you a lot for the tyres on the Tuscan as well. What size are the rears on the car anyway?

Also, what is the point of having a car like that if you don't have a heavy right foot? :D

Shahpor

Well the first set I wore out a bit too quickly having a bit of erm... "fun" at a car show. :D Didn't realise how soft the tyres were and forgot that a quick burnout even in 1st gear spins the wheels at around 50mph.. lol.

The rest like I say is just down to lots of spirited driving (http://www.sixspeed.nildram.co.uk/TopSpeedRuns/therun!.wmv). :D Realistically, it's probably going through tyres about the same rate as your mate - about a set of rears somewhere between 5000-6000 miles. I only just swapped the original fronts at 17k after doing the 4th rears, so that gives you a better idea.. lol


They're 245/40-18s on the TVR (at the rear - they're 235/40-18s on the front), so not far off the RX-8s.


-andy-

sixspeed, a word of warning, I think I have read somewhere that a motorcyclist was successfully prosecuted having filmed himself doing 175mph. The evidence used at his trial was the tape.

Chris

You nutter! :D

Am I correct in assuming that was 180MPH?

No wonder you shread tyres! :)

The other thing I have notice is the horrible fuel consumption that you get at high speeds.

Whenever I go for a 'run' I burn at least half a tank if not more.

In that car, you must have been in single figures! :)

Shahpor

Originally posted by c170673
sixspeed, a word of warning, I think I have read somewhere that a motorcyclist was successfully prosecuted having filmed himself doing 175mph. The evidence used at his trial was the tape.

Chris

I have to say that I agree. Don't you remember that guy who got done for filming himself in his Ferarri F40?

I would say that you would be ok if you leave the film the same except remove the very end when you can see your face.

Shahpor

True, but it wasn't in this country.. (notice the driving on the right)...


Shahpor, your guess was right. Although you'll notice that was with the roof off. Still have to try it with the roof on (sure it's more aerodynamic). Not really had the chance (or maybe the nerve!) to do it again tho... lol


-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
True, but it wasn't in this country.. (notice the driving on the right)...


-andy-

Now you mention it, I did just notice that.

In which case, never mind.

Still a nutter though! :D

Shahpor

I won't be disclosing whereabouts it was done in a hurry either. :p

There is another run, with the roof on in fact, on the same site. Camera work isn't as good though, and still didn't top 180. :( (not that I'd ever believe a TVR speedo.. lol)



-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
I won't be disclosing whereabouts it was done in a hurry either. :p

There is another run, with the roof on in fact, on the same site. Camera work isn't as good though, and still didn't top 180. :( (not that I'd ever believe a TVR speedo.. lol)



-andy-

Yeah, I have just been browsing the site.

Where did you get so much bandwidth from? :)

Some cool pictures on there as well.

Shahpor

Nildram, my old ISP. They give you 50Mb space with your ADSL account, plus they're one of the fastest rated ISPs out there, so the bandwidth you get to their hosting facilities is pretty good :)

I'm stuck with NTL now since I moved house, but for some reason Nildram haven't removed my webspace from their servers despite the fact I no longer have an account with them. Which is nice as I've lost the password to upload all my files to my NTL space at the moment.


Anyway, I think we're digressing here. Back to tyres. Oh, on the subject of wider tyres I was looking through the RX-8 book we all get and the Mazdaspeed kit (with the Mazdaspeed wheels) comes with 245/40-18s. So I guess it probably doesn't affect the handling too badly with the wider tyres if that's what they've gone for...?


-andy-

Can we fit 245's on the standard 18" rims?

If the Mazdaspeed version has 245's fitted, then maybe it isn't too bad for handling......

As for fitting 245's to the standard wheels, does anyone know what the actual size of the wheel is?

I would think that regardless 235's would fit, not sure about 245's though.

It may help in other ways as well. If, for example, you get the 8 and think it is too tail happy (unlikely, I know) then you could possibly fit 225's to the front and 245's to the rear. This is common practice on performance rear wheel drive cars and aids neutral handling. I somehow doubt that Mazda would produce the car this way though. If looks are not important than you could always fit 245's to the front and 225's to the rear! :D Doesn't do much for the handling of the car, but I bet it would be fun! :D

Shahpor

Mazdarx8.co.uk states wheele size : 18 x 8 J

If the size of the wheel is an 8x18, I see no reason not to go for a 245 tyre. It should be fine on there.

As for wider tyres to front than rear, I think that tends to happen when you're looking at a car which doesn't have 50:50 weight distribution (which our '8 does :) )

Also, although dry grip will be improved, a wider tyre will spread the weight over a bigger area (ie: less pressure on the road) which lends itself to to problems when driving in the wet and increases the chances of things like aquaplaning. All things to take into consideration...



-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
If the size of the wheel is an 8x18, I see no reason not to go for a 245 tyre. It should be fine on there.

As for wider tyres to front than rear, I think that tends to happen when you're looking at a car which doesn't have 50:50 weight distribution (which our '8 does :) )

Also, although dry grip will be improved, a wider tyre will spread the weight over a bigger area (ie: less pressure on the road) which lends itself to to problems when driving in the wet and increases the chances of things like aquaplaning. All things to take into consideration...



-andy-

You are correct, it would probably be very difficult to drive in the wet.

As to the wheel size, if it is 8 x 18, then I agree, 245's should have no problem fitting. It may look a bit funny though, but the only way to find that our is to try it and see.

i have to admit that if I was to change tyre, I would be tempted with the 245's, just to see what they were like....

Shahpor

Me too. But I was thinking of different wheels anyway, since I'm getting the Mazdaspeed kit. So I may end up with something completely different.

I was thinking of maybe fitting some 17" wheels since it would help acceleration somewhat with a smaller wheel, albeit sacrificing a little top end. It would also likely end up with a lighter wheel which is good for handling also. :)



-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed
Me too. But I was thinking of different wheels anyway, since I'm getting the Mazdaspeed kit. So I may end up with something completely different.

I was thinking of maybe fitting some 17" wheels since it would help acceleration somewhat with a smaller wheel, albeit sacrificing a little top end. It would also likely end up with a lighter wheel which is good for handling also. :)



-andy-

Different wheels do give you a good amount of control over the characteristics of the handling in terms of weight and tyre sizes.

Personally my only concern with fitting 17's is that I am not sure they would fill the arches properly.

I would gladly sacrifice the same amount of perfomance gain you are going to get from smaller wheels to aid the look of the car.

I think wheels make a hugh difference to how good a car looks.

Shahpor

Originally posted by shahpor
I would gladly sacrifice the same amount of perfomance gain you are going to get from smaller wheels to aid the look of the car.

I think wheels make a hugh difference to how good a car looks.

Shahpor

I agree - I think some manufacturers are very good at matching alloys with their cars - Audi, VW and BMW all spring to mind.

I agree completely about the look of the car...

I do like the wheels that come with the car, just think they are missing something. I've been trying to find aftermarket wheels that are similar in spoke design, but with a bit more .... purpose...


Quite like these ones. Compare them to the standard wheel and they're quite similar, just with the added dish - which I think does give a car a much more purposeful look.


http://www.arw.co.jp/wheel/z/gettinpolish.jpg

http://www.arw.co.jp/wheel/z/gettinchrome.jpg


or maybe these (but I'd try and get them in a polished finish, rather than chrome - bit too bling for my liking..)


http://www.work-wheels.co.jp/wheels/index/ls-p/view04.jpg



-andy-

Nice, I like the look of them wheels.

I have to say that I think split rim wheels would look much better on the 8 anyway.

I agree with you regarding the design. I think that it would be nice to keep the five spoke look.

The only other consideration really is whether 19 inch rims would look any good.

Not too sure myself as some cars just look too silly with hugh wheels.

Still, you never know....

Shahpor

Originally posted by sixspeed
I agree completely about the look of the car...

I do like the wheels that come with the car, just think they are missing something.

-andy-

I know what you mean about the standard RX8 alloys - they were slightly disappointing in the flesh - I think I mentioned it in my MotorExpo write up. I also find some alloys don't dirty as well as others - which again is important if like me you don't wash the car every week and you do enough mileage to get a lot of brake dust build up.

You were right before with the wheel arch clearance. I know the car we've all seen in the UK so far has had suspension that will be higher than what we expect to get on our cars, but regardless, the wheels looked nothing like 18s when I saw it in person. Because of the size and gap in the arches for wheels, the 18s looked dwarfed, and more like 16s or 17s....

I reckon an '8 would probably look quite good with 19" wheels, but I suspect it would have quite an adverse affect on the handling of the car. It would have to be done just for looks more than anything else.

Likewise, with 17" wheels as we were discussing earlier, the car would probably need some form of lowered suspension for the car to sit and look right on them. Anyone know if the Mazdaspeed suspension kit that is on their site drops the ride height of the car? Is it an adjustable ride-height kit?


-andy-

Just to add a difference of opinion... i thought the 18s at motorexpo were stunning. They looked in proportion to the car and purposeful. I also like the very clean design of 5 spokes , and the way they dish in the middle looked very good.

If you guys are looking for that individual look then best of luck - but I suspect it is the sort of car that will look terrible if you get it wrong !
Perhaps this is a similar discussion to "East Moons alloys - Great or Dreadful ?" in the main forum.

Might get you into Max Power though I suppose... ;)

M.

If Mazdaspeed don't do one, I'm sure someone else will.

Not too sure I will want to lower the 8 though, even with the arch clearance the way it is. In fact, one of the advantages of the 19 inch wheels would be a slight increase in the ride height while you move, because of less flexing in the smaller sidewall.

My current car is lowered and I have a hell of a time getting over speed bumps and pot holes. I have just found out that I have broken the down pipe on the exhaust again cause it keeps hitting the ground!

However, not lowering the car does not mean not stiffening the suspension. Now that would aid handling, well at least on smooth roads......

Shahpor

Morgan,

I don't disagree with you. I thought the wheels were perfectly proportioned. When I said they were dwarfed I meant that they didn't look as big as an 18" wheel, I guess because it was all proportioned so well, and the '8 still looks like a fairly sleek, compact car.

That's why I was saying that a 17" wheel would probably require an adjustment to the suspension to sit and look right.


I do quite like the wheels on it...that's the reason the wheels I've been looking at to replace them follow a very similar spoke design. I guess it's just the whole individuality thing that makes me want to change them, and is also the reason why I'm having the Mazdaspeed kit fitted.


-andy-

Originally posted by shahpor
If Mazdaspeed don't do one, I'm sure someone else will.

Not too sure I will want to lower the 8 though, even with the arch clearance the way it is. In fact, one of the advantages of the 19 inch wheels would be a slight increase in the ride height while you move, because of less flexing in the smaller sidewall.

My current car is lowered and I have a hell of a time getting over speed bumps and pot holes. I have just found out that I have broken the down pipe on the exhaust again cause it keeps hitting the ground!

However, not lowering the car does not mean not stiffening the suspension. Now that would aid handling, well at least on smooth roads......

Shahpor


Lol. Did you not see the pictures of my G40 on the website? :p

I must admit it's been lowered purely for looks. The ride is terrible, and I partly wish I'd never done it. It doesn't help that it's been done with some cheapish springs. A set of coilover suspension would leave the car as low as it is and give it a far smoother ride.

That doesn't help with speedbumps though. And I have the same problems you do. Luckily I have a mate that works at a custom exhaust place as I have had to have the exhaust re-worked on it twice now from catching it on the ground. Oh well, it'll be going soon in place the of the RX - which I have no intention of making as impractical as the little VW!


-andy-

Originally posted by sixspeed



Lol. Did you not see the pictures of my G40 on the website? :p

I must admit it's been lowered purely for looks. The ride is terrible, and I partly wish I'd never done it. It doesn't help that it's been done with some cheapish springs. A set of coilover suspension would leave the car as low as it is and give it a far smoother ride.

That doesn't help with speedbumps though. And I have the same problems you do. Luckily I have a mate that works at a custom exhaust place as I have had to have the exhaust re-worked on it twice now from catching it on the ground. Oh well, it'll be going soon in place the of the RX - which I have no intention of making as impractical as the little VW!


-andy-

I did see the picture of the G40 on the website. That is why I thought you would understand my problems! :)

My brother has a set of coilovers on his car and my god does it handle! On a smooth bit of tarmac very few cars can keep up with him!

Still each to his own.....

Shahpor