rx8s are now coming with dunlop tires also. they have twice the treadwear as the bridgestones. the treadwear on the dunlops are 280.

 

Wish I had them as OEMs but at least it's nice to know we'll have more options when it comes time to replace tires at about 15K miles. I don't see that as a replacement tire for the 8 on tirerack.com so it must be pretty new. Do you know if it is a 225/45 tire?

 

Tread wear isn't a high priority with me. Do the Dunlops offer more turning, stopping performance, and/or are they quieter than the Bridgestones?

 

Treadwear, not performance, will be my main consideration. Thanks for the tip. Any idea what they will cost as replacements?

 

How are you going to keep up on our next SD RX-8 run??? :p

 

It will be a 20K mile non-stop run and you'll be out of tires at 15K miles :p

 

WHICH Dunlop tire? Specific model number required, please!

Regards,
Gordon

 

LMAO! :D

 

iam not sure about the price yet, i will check with the service department tommorow. we just got this rx8 in today

 

by the way, it is the exact tire size

 

i just went out and checked and it is a dunlop sp sport 8090

 

225/45/18? I looked at Dunlop's website and that tire isn't listed in that size. Must be an OEM only tire right now. This wouldn't be a AT 17-inch tire that you are referring to?

 

no i just went and looked again and it is an 18 inch

 

k thanks, hopefully that tire is available at retail in the near future and gives us another option for replacement tires. Many 8 owners will be hitting the tire replacement cycle in a few months.

 

........why not take it to the next level and go Dunlop SP9000's which are apparently the cutting edge in technology and grip. Even come in MFS (Maximum Flange Shield) to protect the rims!
Vast amount of sizes available.

 

The 9000 currently does not come in a 225/45/18. The Dunlop website shows a 225/40/18. For that matter, there is no "SP8090" model tire...only the SP8000 and SP9000. The SP8090 must be an OEM tire only right now. Maybe we can get it through Mazda dealers.

 

I dont know if any other dealers did this but my deal (at least when i got my RX) the have a program called Tires for Life which means they will replace my tires at no cost to me when needed as long as my scheduled maintenance is done there.

 

To be honest, I'm not that keen on Dunlop tires. The SP9000 rides better than most other max performance tires, but it's grip and responsiveness are lower than others like the Yokohama AVS Sport and Bridgestone S-02 according to this head-to-head Tire Rack test (sorry, nowhere near the cutting edge in maximum performance tires).

I'd far sooner stick with a known great tire like the S-03 for a replacement than bother paying more for an inferior tire, even if it is OEM from Mazda.

Regards,
Gordon

 

I concur with Gord... I'm not a Dunlop fan. Had a few different sets of them in the past and haven't been fond of them.

Hopefully other manufacturers will start producing the 225/45/18s so 8 owners will have more choices. Right now it's pretty limited.

 

The SP9000s are a good example of understanding what a tire is designed for, and how you judge a company, and how you choose tires. The SP9000s are actually built very well. They have a very hard compound, designed for longer tread life, and higher resistance to chunking when the tire is run hot. The trade off is that the dry-grip is lousy, and the wet-grip is even worse. The wet grip is not poor due to tread design, but simply because the harder the compound, the worse a tire is in the wet.

I put a set on the car I took to track all the time, and I didn't realize how they were designed, until it was too late. The grip was ****-poor, and the wet handling was dicey, especially compared to my Pirelli P7000s. So, I basically had to wear them out before I could change them. But, the SP9000s held up to rough surfaces flawlessly (where the P7000, one of my favorite tires, would have a few chunks), they were consistent and predictable, and they lasted more than twice as long on track as the Pirellis. So while they weren't designed the way I wanted, they were a high-quality tire. If you want a hard compound tire with very good tread life, good heat handling, and you don't often drive in the wet or cold, this would be an excellent tire choice.

I've had other Dunflops... I mean Dunlops previously (which is why I tried a set of SP9ks in the first place) which were designed more for grip, and those tires had very good dry and wet grip, without wearing out quickly when run hard, like the stock RX8 tires. Although I didn't have a chance to try them, I talked to several guys on track with SP8000s, and those tires appear to be more along the lines of good grip and heat handling capacity, so they should be a decent choice.

---jps

P.S. By "track", I mean those of us who took our street cars to road courses, and ran the cars and tires much harder than on any dragstrip, autocross, or twisty mountain road run.

 

do you guys know if the SP 8090s are run flats??? I can't find them ANYwhere even on dunlop's website... does the "M" at the end of 8090 means extended mobility (runflats)?

 

i have no idea but i can tell you that they handle like ****