My OE Potenzas need replacing . They were good in the dry , but not great in the wet or cold weather. They also did not wear well. These Potenzas were apparently specifically designed for the 8. I have been to tyre shops and have had recommendations for Michelin PS2 and Kumho Ecsta MX. The michelins seem way too expensive to buy. Can anyone tell me if they have tried the Kumho and what they were like. Is there any other tyre that ppl have tried that they are happy with?undefined

 

try tirerack.com, everyone there seems to like the avon 550 ms, good all season tire.. There's a tire section here too, take a look a around there. Plenty of diffrent opinions and reviews.

 

I have read the reviews but none are on an RX8, and tyre performance varies depending on the car the tyres are put on. What tyres are people running on their 8s. Has anyone tried Kumho Ecsta MX

 

seriously, have you checked tirerack.com
you can look at reviews of tires from JUST RX8 owners if you want.
I quick scan of recent reviews on tirerack limited to the 2004 RX8 shows that the "Avon Tech M550 A/S" seems to be one of the most popular "Ultra High Performance All-Season" Tires. It gets good reviews too.
The "Kumho ECSTA SPT" seems fairly popular, and get's good reviews as well, but it's listed as "Ultra High Performance Summer" and probably not the best choice for this time of year.
The "Kumho ECSTA MX" (didn't see too many reviewed) didn't rate as well overall with RX8 owners as either of the previous 2 that I listed, and it's listed as "Max Performance Summer", so probably also not the best choice for winter driving.
Hope that helps

I Just noticed you were from Australia. I guess that means you are coming into spring/summer. ...So maybe the Kumho's are not as bad a choice for you as I originally stated. I'm not sure if Tirerack will ship to Australia, but at least you can use their site to read reviews from RX8 owners. I didn't read every review, I just scanned the first few pages to get a feel for what people were saying before I posted. Check them out, I'm sure it's worth a little of your time.

 

Kumho MX are nice looking and long-lasting, moreso than the OEM Potenzas; however, they have some sidewall squidge and aren't all that great unless you're not cornering much. The RX-8 is lighter than the WRX that I had the pleasure of flogging around, but the Scooby felt softer around the corners (despite being Plus One over the OEM 16s) than I would have predicted 17s would have felt like. Haven't taken them back-to-back in the same tire size on the same car, though.

Keep in mind, for tires costing this much, on a car such as the RX-8, you might as well get decent tires. It's kind of like sticking Ecsta 712s on a 911 - sure, they'll last a long time, but they'll rob you of some of the fun out of the feel of the car.

 

I will second the recommendation of "Avon Tech M550 A/S" tires from Tire Rack. Just installed a set last month, replacing the Potenza 040 originals after 27K. Probably could have gotten another 5K but did not like the harsh ride, lack of grip on wet roads, and high noise level. Tire Rack's best recommendation for an "All Season" high performance tire is the Avon - by far! Read somewhere that this is the fastest growing tire type category in the U.S. To-date I have been really pleased with them but could not give a definitive evaluation until after 10-20K miles and a couple of years. The "040s" might have slightly better handling under the best of climate, road, and wear conditions but I don't think those are the real world driving conditions for most of us. I am using Bridgestone Turanzas on a Mercedes sedan I have now and really like them but have had several sets of Potenzas in the past and was never really satisfied with them - poor tread wear characteristics, terrible wet weather traction, and high noise levels after 5-10K miles. Besides, can't beat the price on the Avons.

 

I also have The Avons. With 6K miles, so far so good. Had them in 2 inches of snow yesterday and they felt fine. I also have Pirelli snows which I plan on not using this winter. I'm hoping the Avons will be OK all Buffalo winter long.

 

i have 245/40/18 kumho mx on my rx8. i am an experienced autocrosser and instructor. kevin mccormick won a national championship in a street tire class using the mx, so i wouldnt say it is not grippy. its a bit behind the new azeni rt-615 though.

to be very fast, they need to be shaved. the stock depth tread blocks are long and the slip angle very high. ive found them to be very sticky on the street once the mold release compound wore off. i wasnt so impressed in the rain. highplaning resistance is good, but the wet grip isnt extraordinary.

the mx is pretty loud. for non racers, id recommend a milder tire thats quieter and wont go hard so fast with time and heat cycles.

james

 

I put the Kumho Ecsta SPT 245-40-18 on our car.. So far they are great.

 

agree,
but 225 / 45 / 18
great,
very great in rain.

cold???? dont know, cold is bad.

beers

 

falkin azenis rt-615. sticky and awesome tiress

 

yokohama AD07
very great in dry condition

 

i just got some from discount tire, but found then on tire rack. good price, 136 per tire, z rated, all season, much better grip than potenza's. check em out.

 

check out car and driver for December, they do a good review of tires in that issue. And the Continentals seem to be the best in my view, although they pick Goodyear.

 

I read Car and Driver, but the point is that all tires were tested on a BMW 325. THis is a different car in weihgt and balance to the 8. As such you cannot extrapolate any true data for the 8 from their testing. The question I am asking is what tyres people have on their cars, and do they perform better that the OE Potenzas which were designed specifically for the 8. I am trying to find a tyre that is a bit quieter and smoother, hopefully without sacrificing the grip in the dry of the POtenza, and hopefully with slightly better wet weather grip.

 

toyo t1-s 245/40/r18's here......disclaimer : not for use in the snow

 

Just got my Toyo T1-Rs (245/40) on the stock wheels. They are NICE. I did not expect them to perform as well as they do. Cushy and quiet. It makes me want to buy the RB exhaust and intake systems so I can hear some noise. Stickier than the OE Bridgestones, and the Toyos are not even broken in yet. The T1-S's took a few hundred miles to get sticky, and I expect these to do the same...which makes me think the Car & Driver test was not exactly accurate because the tires were probably not shaved down or broken in yet.

santino

 

SymSym, I appreciate your quandary. My Potenzas will need replacing soon also and I have no idea what to get as a replacement. From posts on this forum, reviews on TireRack (by RX-8 owners) and from my own experience several things are pretty much undisputed about the RE040s:

- the tire is expensive
- tread life is generally low (though not always)
- the tire is noisy
- the tire is subject to tramlining
- traction drops off dramatically below 60 degrees
- keep the car parked when it snows

Opinions vary about wet handling. I personally have been pleased with wet handling so I am thinking this variance may be caused by whether the car is equipped with TCS/DSC and by not the rain itself but by the ambient temperature when it's raining. I may also not be driving quite so close to the edge as other drivers on this forum.

Opinions also vary on dry handling, although it seems (gut feel) that autocrossers weigh in with positive reviews about the RE040. Also in Jim Mederer's (of Racing Beat) article in RXTuner Magazine, he noted that in their testing (to the date of the article) they had found better performing tires in some areas but none that offer the combination of performance characteristics that the RE040s do.

Like you, I am leery of road tests on cars other than the RX-8 and generic Tirerack opinion polls. Also, too many people report "better" handling with brand XYZ all-season tires because of the importance of all weather handling to their driving. Not that their opinion is "wrong" but rather I am looking for some improvements in tire wear and temperature sensitivity without sacrificing the cornering power and response of the RE040s.

That said, I look forward to the answers that you get to the question you posed here.

 

RB could say a dog turd tastes like filet mignon and some of you guys would actually believe it.



.

 

At least they have run some informal comparison tests of different tires on an RX-8 which is more than anyone else I have found. Regardless, I am just passing on what little information that I have found over time FWIW. Not saying anyone has to to believe it.

BTW, I understand you disagree with me but isn't the above a rude and insulting comment? Or am I missing something?

 

You'll have to forgive TeamRX8. We are used to his remarks in the Competition forum. He can be a little blunt and crude but usually has some good input....

 

My car came with Nitto 555's i love em very predictable and have a good breakaway when you want it to and very good regain of contact o love em i will be sad when time to replace very spency

 

I have the Bridgestone S-03's on, just love them & would recommend.

 

I have the S0-3's on my FD...awesome tires. But heavy...its not a problem on the FD since there is more than enough power to push the extra weight.

The T1-Rs on the other hand are pretty light, and its noticeable when turning the steering wheel, compared to the OEM RE-040s.

 

Honestly if you can afford the Michelin PS2, go for it. I have tried so many brands as we own several RX-8's. none can match this tire including SO3. It is predictable in all conditions except snow. Temperature changes does not seem to bother it. wet performance, comfort, and grip are excellent. No tramilne after 12,000 Mi. The only draw back is price, and tread life. I am using 235-40-18 on stock wheels. Hope this helps...Mark