Wheels for BRZ

[MrH]

That guy is running on too tall of tires (235/45 when it should have been 235/40).  Something else is off about them though too.  Can't quite put my finger on it.  They're the heaviest, and most difficult to order too.  I'd prefer buying from Tire Rack, and having them delivered mounted and balanced already.

So I'm down to RPF1s and Ultraleggeras.  RPF1s come in black, silver, and gold.  Ultraleggeras come in white, bright silver, black, gold, and matte graphite silver (probably my favorite for the Ultraleggeras)

[hotrodalex]

Graphite would be cool with the blue paint.

[Cookie Monster]

What size tires are you getting?

[MrH]

What size tires are you getting?

If I'm getting the ultraleggeras: probably 235/40 or 225/40

On the RPF1s: 245/40

Looking at Bridgestone RE-11As.  Thoughts?

Also considering Bridgestone S-04 Pole Position, Continental Extreme Contact DW.  Any opinions on those?

[Cookie Monster]

OK, I choose RPF1 if you're going with 245's.

I don't think I'd get the RE11A's. They are expensive and their treadwear is low. S-04's are pricey but have high treadwear and were rated pretty well by C&D. Michelin PSS's are even more expensive but they are supposed to be amazing.

DW's are cheap as hell and are pretty much the best you can get for wet weather but aren't amazing in dry weather and have softer sidewalls so you give up some handling feel. I have them and they were actually nice for auto-x. When they did break away they did so very slowly and predictably and it was easy to recover from slides. I haven't been able to slide them in the rain on the streets. Plus they have a really high treadwear rating too so they should last a while. I'm taking mine to the track on Tuesday so I'm curious to see how they'll perform.

[Cookie Monster]

Oh and if you're considering the RE11A which is essentially a light track/autox tire you might as well throw the Direzza ZII, BFGoodrich Rival and Hankook RS3 in as well.

[MrH]

Looks like the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the best bet for wet vs dry and overall performance.  C&D blow their load over them.

[Cookie Monster]

Looks like the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the best bet for wet vs dry and overall performance.  C&D blow their load over them.

It's also $205 per tire which is ridiculous. It depends on what you'll mostly end up using the car for. If it's a DD that you might auto-x for fun (not competitively, although you'd be pretty competitive in the wet) then you could probably get by on the DW's and save $75/tire.

[MrH]

True.  $300 more to go with the Super Sports over the DWs.  Those are cheap tires.

[Raza]

These. 

[Raza]

True.  $300 more to go with the Super Sports over the DWs.  Those are cheap tires.

I never had good experiences with Michelins.  I don't even consider them for tires anymore.  Tired of burning through a set of tires in 15K miles and 20K if I take it easy (for me).

EDIT:  I once made a set illegal in 12K miles.

[Cookie Monster]

I never had good experiences with Michelins.  I don't even consider them for tires anymore.  Tired of burning through a set of tires in 15K miles and 20K if I take it easy (for me).

EDIT:  I once made a set illegal in 12K miles.

Except these aren't your standard Michelin Primacy Flaccid Penis tires you find on a family sedan. They're excellent in wet or dry conditions and do everything well. They come close to true auto-x tires in dry conditions while far outperforming them in wet conditions and lasting a lot longer as well. People use them on all sorts of high performance cars.

Only problem is you've got to pay a ton for that kind of performance.

[Raza]

Except these aren't your standard Michelin Primacy Flaccid Penis tires you find on a family sedan. They're excellent in wet or dry conditions and do everything well. They come close to true auto-x tires in dry conditions while far outperforming them in wet conditions and lasting a lot longer as well. People use them on all sorts of high performance cars.

Only problem is you've got to pay a ton for that kind of performance.

I'm just saying that I've found better price/performance compromises in Bridgestone and Continental.  I wouldn't put Michelins on my Z4.  I might not stick with what I have now (RE050s, I think), but I won't be going Michelin.  Pay more to get less, in my experience.  I've gotten better grip and better wear out of comparable Michelins across multiple sizes, price ranges, and performance classes.  I don't know about this specific tire, I'm just sharing my experience with the company's products.

[SVT666]

These.

Those second wheels are hideous.

[r0tor]

My Conti DW tires are crap... all they do is slide and squirm.

[MrH]

My Conti DW tires are crap... all they do is slide and squirm.

Did you give them a go in the RX-8?

I'm thinking I'm just going to bite the bullet and get the Pilot Super Sports.

[r0tor]

Got them on right now... my experience has been...
-  bridgestone RE040 had little grip, little treadlife, annoyingly loud, but responsive
- bridgestone RE050A had much more grip, same bad treadlife, quiet, and very responsive
- Continental DW are greasy, sloppy, squirmy, a little loud... dont know about treadwear yet

[Raza]

Are DWs winter tires? 

My DWSs were great, but they were on my Jetta, so it was a huge improvement over my MXM4s and my Sumitomo Crapbuckets (I think that's the model name). 

[MrH]

Went with the rpf1s with 245 width pilot super sports all around. For reference, Ferrari 458 Italias have 235 width super sports up front

[Raza]

The RPF1s are the ugly ones, right?  Boo. 

[MrH]

5 lbs lighter per wheel than stock, 2" wider and can fit these monster tires. Going to melt faces.

[Raza]

5 lbs lighter per wheel than stock, 2" wider and can fit these monster tires. Going to melt faces.

Yes, but only of the people who see the wheels while you're standing still. 

Innocent bystanders:

[Cookie Monster]

Went with the rpf1s with 245 width pilot super sports all around. For reference, Ferrari 458 Italias have 235 width super sports up front

Fuck yeah dude, you made the right choice.

[hotrodalex]

Too bad they're uglier than the ultraleggeras.

[Cookie Monster]

Too bad they're uglier than the ultraleggeras.

I think the RPF1's look nicer. Plus an inch wider AND lighter. It's a win-win.

[MrH]

Didn't spend the $100 for center caps though. Way over priced and ugly. Apparently you can make your own with hardware from home Depot. Gotta decide what to put the middle though.

[hotrodalex]

Can you get a few Subie logos that are small enough to fit in the middle?

[Cookie Monster]

Didn't spend the $100 for center caps though. Way over priced and ugly. Apparently you can make your own with hardware from home Depot. Gotta decide what to put the middle though.

wat


My Koseis came with center caps. I can't believe Enkei charges you money for center caps.

[LonghornTX]

I'm just saying that I've found better price/performance compromises in Bridgestone and Continental.  I wouldn't put Michelins on my Z4.  I might not stick with what I have now (RE050s, I think), but I won't be going Michelin.  Pay more to get less, in my experience.  I've gotten better grip and better wear out of comparable Michelins across multiple sizes, price ranges, and performance classes.  I don't know about this specific tire, I'm just sharing my experience with the company's products.

That is the opposite of my experience with Michelin, especially the Pilot Sport Line. They are more expensive than competitors but generally worth the money in my opinion.

[MrH]

wat


My Koseis came with center caps. I can't believe Enkei charges you money for center caps.

Yeah, Google search it. Most just run them without center caps. They look pretty awful.

Probably just going to make black ones with a red or pink sti logo.