FLYT993

IMHO...i'm in the same boat...any of those tires you listed should suffice, because they are all excellent for what you want to accomplish. i'm running the 08R's and am not on the ragged edge of their limits, which is what i want...the car more capable than me because there is a cushion/margin of safety in that. as a beginner i'm learning and progressing not trying to burn up the track. by all accounts the 71R is a great tire/value. but a "lesser" tire isn't going to impede your progress. conversely, you may learn things with the 71R. my day at big willow taught me two things...the most important elements in DE are common sense and a good instructor in the right seat.

trophy

The favorite size i run on my car is a 245-35r18 f and 285-30r18 on the rear, the balance is just perfect. I run these sizes in Hoosiers only as they are the only ones that do a decent tire.

i have run as wide as a 255/35r 18 on the front on my car with no rubbing, the 245 will fit just fine.

The Federal RS-RR Have these sizes and ard intriguing to me, they seem to get good reviews in Europe and Australia where they have been available for a while.

trophy

Just checked, they dont do the 285/30r18 in the RS-RR

Kika

FLYT, how is the noise on the AD-08s? I was considering those for my next tire, as a big Yokohama fan (had the A008s years ago on a Turbo Supra) but this thread has me thinking about RE-71. any comments would be great.

BTW, if you are going to the Pelican meet tomorrow, I'll be the one with the black lab, with a blue collar. I've seen your car several times, (Pelican, and at PEC opening) but never had the chance to meet you.

FLYT993

kika, the 08s are just as quiet as the PS2's i had previously. they've been great. however, i plan to move to the 71s when my yokos are worn because the 08s are heavier and more $$$, and i want to sample different tires so i have personal experience for comparisons.

i will be at pelican and will look for you!!

_snowbird_

anyone have any experience with the new Hankook R-S4's yet?

_snowbird_

I just wanted to close the loop on this topic

I chose to go with the RE-71R's in 235/40 and 275/35 on my 996 Turbo hollow-spokes for DE duty. A little extra width up front, and a little less in the rear to better balance the car as per Bill V and Trophy. Perfect sizing advice.

As I mentioned, my street setup is Conti Extreme Contact DW in 225/40 and 285/30 (stock sizing for my C4S). When using these for a DE last Aug, I experienced howling noise, lots of under-steer and generally poor overall grip on the track. I spun once, had to use the run-off another time, and routinely had to track the car straight after turns to settle it before setting up for the next turn. While the poor grip DID create an incredible learning experience (becoming extremely sensitive to weight transfer, throttle steering, and slide control), I felt like this was an overly risky and hair-raising way to learn these concepts on such a challenging home track (Mosport).

This weekend I returned to Mosport on my new RE-71R's, and I was absolutely blown away by the difference. I was extremely cautious at first, but I kept adding speed throughout the weekend and I never ONCE broke the car loose. The car felt balanced and inspired confidence - and it allowed me practice other skills: experimenting with driving lines, shortening braking zones, shifting & heel-toe technique (still a WIP).

The tire tech is clearly helping me, and I had so much more fun over the weekend while feeling safer and more in control when traveling at speed. I couldn't be happier with this change to my car's setup.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

trophy

The RE71r really is an amazing tire.... So happy your happy

Andy Hodapp

Thought I would chime in on the Federal 595 RS-RR's. I went with 225/45R17 and 255/40R17. I've had them for about three months now and have done one autocross event on them. I have to say I've been pretty happy with them. One of the rear tires started to delaminate but after sending three photos of the tire, they warranted it, no questions asked. I had autocrossed on them at that point and I didn't think I was going to get them to send me another one so I was pretty happy with that. If it happens again I'll worry but with such a small sample size it's hard to make judgements on quality.

As for driving, I have found that they really appreciate low pressure and high temps. They did not get at all greasy throughout the autocross, in fact they got better as the day progressed. While not the same sizes as the Pilot Super Sports I had on last year, they definitely feel grippier once they are up to temp. They feel pretty progressive in losing grip, they will talk to you before they give out.

As for road comfort, these tires are noisy, not as bad as big truck tires but once you lift off throttle or have the revs low you can hear them. They do seem to soak up bumps better than the PSS's but that might just be because they have a taller sidewall.

I'll update more on them next week after a two day autocross event.

e9stibi

Another feedback for Federal RSR RR. I had 1 track day in May with them installed on the front (235/45/18) while using up the NT01s (275/35/18) on the rear. I came within 0.5 secs of my PB in an early morning session when we hat around 70 degree (2.01.9 on TWS). This was very impressive considering the cost of this tire. I now installed the 275/35/18 on the rears but cannot expect to get close to PB in Texas heat during summer. I will try this setup in mid August to drive TWS the last time in full configuration.

And yes, the RSR RR in 235/45/18 runs as wide as NT01 245/45/18. I have slide rubbing when new with both. The 245/40/18 might be worth a try ...

I am sure that both NT01 and R71 are more sticky in dry conditions but the Federal is significantly less expensive and may last longer (TBD).

_snowbird_

Sitting parked with a couple of other air-cooled's

trophy

Very nice.... The next time i am in Toronto I need to try and spend a couple of extra days and get out to one of these events to watch.