Autox / Track Tires FYI

[Eye of the Tiger]

FYI for those who are interested, Grassroots Motorsports has an excellent article in PDF form. I have it saved on my computer for future reference.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/samples/august_100_115_tiretest.pdf

For the best bang for the buck in autox and street use, it sounds like the Falken Azenis RT-615 comes out on top. Still, do not overlook the Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 or Kumho ECSTA MX. For those who want even more, there are the DOT-legal R-compounds, but then it starts getting expensive.

[280Z Turbo]

I think I'll be getting some 225/50/16 Azensis' once I get 8" wide rims.

[Champ]

Either of these two will be my next choice of summer tire, which will also see a good amount of track and autox this summer.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareTires.jsp?sortValue=1&displayResults=7&compare=true&compareList=2%2C3&RunFlat=All&goWhere=%252Ftires%252FCompare1.jsp&sortCode=&width=225%2F&ratio=45&diameter=17&performance=EP&startIndex=0

The Dunlop is new this year and looks to be the performance bargain of these sets of tires.  $121 each and they are getting awesome reviews.

Here is how it did in the last test:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/TireTestServlet?partnum=245WR7Z1&tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Direzza+Sport+Z1&fromCompare1=yes

[r0tor]

their testing always show the RT-615's are the best and they are a great tire (especially when the price is considered)... but the best teams as nationals are always running Advans

[Eye of the Tiger]

their testing always show the RT-615's are the best and they are a great tire (especially when the price is considered)... but the best teams as nationals are always running Advans

What kind of Advans? R-compounds?

[r0tor]

the hot ticket in the stock auto-x catagories (which require a street tire with a certain minimal tread wear rating) is usually the yoko Advan AD07.

Other classes where you can use a R-Compound which then is usually the Kumho V710 DOT-R.

The RT-615's work well for the stock classes and will probably outlast the yokos, but if your trying for every last tenth then the yokos are perferred.

[Eye of the Tiger]

the hot ticket in the stock auto-x catagories (which require a street tire with a certain minimal tread wear rating) is usually the yoko Advan AD07.

Other classes where you can use a R-Compound which then is usually the Kumho V710 DOT-R.

The RT-615's work well for the stock classes and will probably outlast the yokos, but if your trying for every last tenth then the yokos are perferred.

Ah, I see. I don't recall hearing much about those, or seeing anyone using them. The Azenis are very popular, and compared to the AD07's, the RT-615's are half the price and come in twice as many sizes.

[Champ]

What do you guys think of those Dunlops I posted?

How much are the Azenis?

I think the Advans are $250+ yea?

[Champ]

So the Dunlop Direzza's I was talking about were pulled from the tirerack with no new date for getting more in.

So I was looking for an alternative...

I really liked the Bridgestone Potenza re-01r but from what I was reading on the local autox forum is that there is waaay too much tread and they are best if you shaved them down.  So $159 a tire + $15 each for shaving, +$50 shipping it got to be pretty pricey.  And at that point I'd rather just go for the Yokohama Advans, but at that point I'd rather just go for some R compounds - since I'm not running any class limits, just for fun tracking.

So that was looking to be a lot of money.  So I started looking at what else was available, and I found the Falken Azeni RT-615's for $117 each with free shipping.

$468 for 4 tires you can't go wrong!  Was looking to be almost $800 for the Potenza's and more than that for the Advans.

They are scheduled to be here Wednesday so I'll get them mounted on Thursday and hopefully get some first impressions this weekend if it gets nice out (snowing today).

[r0tor]

cool!  Let us know what you think of them, I've only heard positive experiences based on performance.

[Champ]

cool!  Let us know what you think of them, I've only heard positive experiences based on performance.

Yea I'm excited, the price is really the best part.  I don't mind taking a performance hit if it means saving almost 50%...

[TheIntrepid]

Probably a stupid question, but is Champ's Viggen RWD or FWD?

[CJ]

FWD.

[Champ]

In fact they all are

[Eye of the Tiger]

So the Dunlop Direzza's I was talking about were pulled from the tirerack with no new date for getting more in.

So I was looking for an alternative...

I really liked the Bridgestone Potenza re-01r but from what I was reading on the local autox forum is that there is waaay too much tread and they are best if you shaved them down.  So $159 a tire + $15 each for shaving, +$50 shipping it got to be pretty pricey.  And at that point I'd rather just go for the Yokohama Advans, but at that point I'd rather just go for some R compounds - since I'm not running any class limits, just for fun tracking.

So that was looking to be a lot of money.  So I started looking at what else was available, and I found the Falken Azeni RT-615's for $117 each with free shipping.

$468 for 4 tires you can't go wrong!  Was looking to be almost $800 for the Potenza's and more than that for the Advans.

They are scheduled to be here Wednesday so I'll get them mounted on Thursday and hopefully get some first impressions this weekend if it gets nice out (snowing today).

What are your old track tiers? I predict that you will be amazed by the Azeni RT-615's.

[Champ]

What are your old track tiers? I predict that you will be amazed by the Azeni RT-615's.

I had just used the old summer tires I had on there at the time, Bridgestone Potenza RE750.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE750&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=245WR7RE750&fromCompare1=yes&place=9

While they are a nice tire, they just couldn't hang with these more aggresive tires.  I will give them credit though because they actually made it through 2 summers and did really well in standing water.

I think with the addition of the motorcycle, I will be able to get 2 summers out of these as well - just because I will be driving the car much less.

[r0tor]

Yea I'm excited, the price is really the best part.  I don't mind taking a performance hit if it means saving almost 50%...

yea, if i get a set of wheels/tires for the track - this is the way i'd go as well.  The only complaints i ever heard were from people wearing them out after 10-15k miles... which should be a no brainer with this type of tire and driving them hard.

[Raza]

I didn't read the PDF yet; Adobe's been crashing my computer lately, I really need to look into that. 

But could I realistically use a set of these higher scoring tires to replace the ContiSportContract2s on my Boxster?  The car does only about 5,000 miles a year.

[Champ]

I didn't read the PDF yet; Adobe's been crashing my computer lately, I really need to look into that. 

But could I realistically use a set of these higher scoring tires to replace the ContiSportContract2s on my Boxster?  The car does only about 5,000 miles a year.

Yes.

[280Z Turbo]

What do you guys think about the Kumho Ecsta MX?

[Champ]

What do you guys think about the Kumho Ecsta MX?

It's an OK tire for the money, but I think it's not quite in the same league as some of these other ones.

I think I'd (and I did) splurge the extra $10 a tire for the Falken 615s.

*The report isn't opening for me, but I want to say the Kumho's came in last for the time on track?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I didn't read the PDF yet; Adobe's been crashing my computer lately, I really need to look into that. 

But could I realistically use a set of these higher scoring tires to replace the ContiSportContract2s on my Boxster?  The car does only about 5,000 miles a year.

If you put Azenis RT-615's on the Boxter, you will be lifting the inside front wheel in turns without losing grip - or can you already do that? Anyway, Boxters are amazing to watch on autox courses. z0mg.

[Champ]

Got my Azeni's and dropped them off at the shop today for mounting.

EASILY fit eight 17" tires in my classic 900.  coupe.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I have personally raced in a well setup Boxster with better tires. The car does whatever you say and it destroyed all comers.

Raza, I'd suggest you replace the Conti's with with anything other than Conti's. Can't believe Porsche is still using those shitty tires. The most important thing you should do is adjust camber, toe, and offset. Porsche's come setup conservatively and I know the Boxsters, atleast used to be, setup for understeer. Fix those settings first and go from there. Changing those settings make the car completely different. I'm dead serious. Good settings, plus better tires, and the right tire pressure and that car will own. Serious, factory Porsche settings are crap so fags don't wreck them on the street trying to impress people.

Do you recall the numbers? 
If not, I'm sure there are lots of ideas a Boxster forums as to exactly what alignment settings work best. Raza should find these numbers and hand them to the guys at the alignment shop while he's getting his RT-615's mounted.

[Middle_Path]

Do you recall the numbers? 
If not, I'm sure there are lots of ideas a Boxster forums as to exactly what alignment settings work best. Raza should find these numbers and hand them to the guys at the alignment shop while he's getting his RT-615's mounted.

Shit, I just deleted my thread on accident. Problem is his generation is different from the one I used. I don't think that's a problem though. Specifically, I don't recall, but I can find out by this weekend and give him the exact digits of PSI, camber, and toe. I remember camber being around -1.8 and PSI around 31. Toe I think was pretty meutral.

The numbers were from a track setup, but it was easily street driveable. He should check the forums, but really that's nothing compared to the local Porsche club racing group. Like $200 a year, pffft. Sign up and go Raza.

[Eye of the Tiger]

zero toe up front, a hair of toe in in back. set your front camber to -0.5 and your rear camber to -1.7
http://www.986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12780

sounds good, but i don't know how it compares to stock

[Champ]

Falken's are mounted up and in my possession!

Looking forward to it warming up a bit so I can really test them out.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Falken's are mounted up and in my possession!

Looking forward to it warming up a bit so I can really test them out.

Good for you, sadly i don't think the weather will get above 60 for the next 2 months.

[Champ]

Good for you, sadly i don't think the weather will get above 60 for the next 2 months.

No doubts there.

I'm going an auto-x school on April 26/27 so hopefully it gets reasonably warm for that.

[the Teuton]

I think I'll be getting some 225/50/16 Azensis' once I get 8" wide rims.

They will fit on 7s.  My WRX wheels have 225/50/16 tires on them.