Official Tire review thread
09-11-2007, 05:59 PM
#16
I really liked the Dunlop Super Sport Maxx Race tires I put on the BSA wheels I bought for the 86. They look to want to last about 10k miles or less on normal driving, way less if you track them, as they are a 120 tread wear I believe, Possibly less. But great, sticky tire.
One caveat - not alot of audible communication at the limit. Its more in the feel. Which the 928 may or may not do depending on your maintenance with shocks, bushings, tie rods, etc.
Kumho - I would never run anything but thier DOT track tires. Thier street tires, IMHO, are useless and I melted a set at non-obscense pressures, AT NIGHT, at an autocross. Horrible tire the 712 and 711s.
One caveat - not alot of audible communication at the limit. Its more in the feel. Which the 928 may or may not do depending on your maintenance with shocks, bushings, tie rods, etc.
Kumho - I would never run anything but thier DOT track tires. Thier street tires, IMHO, are useless and I melted a set at non-obscense pressures, AT NIGHT, at an autocross. Horrible tire the 712 and 711s.
09-11-2007, 06:18 PM
#17
Under the Lift
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BFG g-Force KDW- 2 (aka KDW-NT)
- Too soon to tell wear, but 300 rating and other reports say they wear well.
- all weather
- Y-rated (186)
- phenomenal grip in the twisties
The snakeskin tread pattern throws some people, but I think these tires are The Bomb. As grippy as the $200+ tires.
- Too soon to tell wear, but 300 rating and other reports say they wear well.
- all weather
- Y-rated (186)
- phenomenal grip in the twisties
The snakeskin tread pattern throws some people, but I think these tires are The Bomb. As grippy as the $200+ tires.
09-11-2007, 06:32 PM
#18
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Below is info/opinions on the tires I've run on the various 928s as well as the approximate year(s) I ran them. Front wear has never been an issue for me. It's the rears that I run through.
Dunlop SP8000 (stock '91 GT OE) (1997 - 2001)
1. size: 225/50-16, 245/45-16
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 10k rear (two sets of rears, one front)
3. road noise: acceptable
4. handling: no grip at all when cold, not great when warm, poor wet
5. summer only
Pirelli P6000 SuperSport All-Season (2002-2004) (NLA)
1. size: 225/50-16, 245/45-16
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 25k+ rear
3. road noise: acceptable to 50% depth, very noisy past 50%
4. handling: uniform grip wet or dry, better grip all-around than SP8000s
5. all season
Bridgestone S0-2 Pole Position (2000 - 2003 (GT), 2005-present (GTS))
1. size: 255/40-17, 265/40-17 (GT)
1. size: 245/45-17, 275/40-17 (GTS - note, front is wrong aspect ratio, should be 245/40)
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 20k rear (includes 20+ track days on GT)
3. road noise: low to 50% depth, very noisy past 50%
4. handling: super warm and wet grip
5. summer only
Bridgestone S0-3 Pole Position (2003-present (GT))
1. size: 255/40-17, 265/40-17
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 20k+ rear (includes 2 track days)
3. road noise: low
4. handling: super warm grip, wet grip not as good as the S0-2s
5. summer only
Dunlop SP8000 (stock '91 GT OE) (1997 - 2001)
1. size: 225/50-16, 245/45-16
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 10k rear (two sets of rears, one front)
3. road noise: acceptable
4. handling: no grip at all when cold, not great when warm, poor wet
5. summer only
Pirelli P6000 SuperSport All-Season (2002-2004) (NLA)
1. size: 225/50-16, 245/45-16
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 25k+ rear
3. road noise: acceptable to 50% depth, very noisy past 50%
4. handling: uniform grip wet or dry, better grip all-around than SP8000s
5. all season
Bridgestone S0-2 Pole Position (2000 - 2003 (GT), 2005-present (GTS))
1. size: 255/40-17, 265/40-17 (GT)
1. size: 245/45-17, 275/40-17 (GTS - note, front is wrong aspect ratio, should be 245/40)
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 20k rear (includes 20+ track days on GT)
3. road noise: low to 50% depth, very noisy past 50%
4. handling: super warm and wet grip
5. summer only
Bridgestone S0-3 Pole Position (2003-present (GT))
1. size: 255/40-17, 265/40-17
2. tread life-mileage: ? front, 20k+ rear (includes 2 track days)
3. road noise: low
4. handling: super warm grip, wet grip not as good as the S0-2s
5. summer only
09-11-2007, 07:04 PM
#19
Instructor
Dunlop SP Sport 01, new now (juli).
Front 235/40-18,
Rear 275/35-18.
1. tread life-mileage: Unknown. (Or > 2000 km..)
2. time until tread death: Unknown.
3. road noise: Not applicable. Ok, might even be less noisy than old tires, really a non-issue..
4. handling:
Dry:
Sticks very well, in fact I was surprised because the old ones did not stick at all, and I accepted that this is as good as it gets with a stock Shark.
Handling is reasonably good, but I could like some nicer behavour close to the limit, as the tail is harder to power steer and may break loose more sudden than before.
This is especially noticeable in tighter hairpins; is sticks, sticks, sticks.. and then breaks loose, no harm really, because the speed is very low in such turns.
In higher speed turns the power-steer effect is reduced, no longer so easy to steer the car using the throttle, thought this effect was intended by design (Weissach), and not so dependent on tyre grip and distortion, but it seems that grip is a significant factor.
Don't get me wrong, the car is still fun to drive, but it has lost some of the relic character and behaves more like a modern car.
As usual with the Shark you can still enter a curve at close to limit speed and slam the brakes mid-turn only to observe that the car slows down and behaves like it is on rails.
How it behaves when you really try to loose it I have not tried and hopefully never will, also I have not tried any really wide powerslides at high speeds, such experiments I believe belong only on a race track, which we do not have up here in the rain.
Wet:
Sticks very well, nice handling, good stability in heavy rain, but perhaps a bit sudden when it breaks loose, but, most tyres are like this in the rain.
5. all season? summer only? My answer is summer only. Ask Dunlop to get the rating as I do not care to check, would be necessary to go out and visit the Shark now resting in its house, waiting for the promised trip to the Schnellbahn (As in home, Germany).
Old tyres, some old Firestone of some sorts, 17", 225 and 255, can not understand DOT date markings, thus unknown production date, compared to new Dunlops the old ones were:
- Very low grip in the wet, reasonable handling characteristics but tail breaks loose very easy, probably due to old rubber
- Funny and entertaining dry handling with predictable behaviour and moderate grip, easy to power steer through the hairpins, new Dunlop is harder to break loose in a nice way
- Light wheels, perhaps mostly due to the excellent 17" Porsche C3 wheels (7.5 ET65 F, 9 ET 54 R), new expensive RH 2-piece wheels are much heavier
Front 235/40-18,
Rear 275/35-18.
1. tread life-mileage: Unknown. (Or > 2000 km..)
2. time until tread death: Unknown.
3. road noise: Not applicable. Ok, might even be less noisy than old tires, really a non-issue..
4. handling:
Dry:
Sticks very well, in fact I was surprised because the old ones did not stick at all, and I accepted that this is as good as it gets with a stock Shark.
Handling is reasonably good, but I could like some nicer behavour close to the limit, as the tail is harder to power steer and may break loose more sudden than before.
This is especially noticeable in tighter hairpins; is sticks, sticks, sticks.. and then breaks loose, no harm really, because the speed is very low in such turns.
In higher speed turns the power-steer effect is reduced, no longer so easy to steer the car using the throttle, thought this effect was intended by design (Weissach), and not so dependent on tyre grip and distortion, but it seems that grip is a significant factor.
Don't get me wrong, the car is still fun to drive, but it has lost some of the relic character and behaves more like a modern car.
As usual with the Shark you can still enter a curve at close to limit speed and slam the brakes mid-turn only to observe that the car slows down and behaves like it is on rails.
How it behaves when you really try to loose it I have not tried and hopefully never will, also I have not tried any really wide powerslides at high speeds, such experiments I believe belong only on a race track, which we do not have up here in the rain.
Wet:
Sticks very well, nice handling, good stability in heavy rain, but perhaps a bit sudden when it breaks loose, but, most tyres are like this in the rain.
5. all season? summer only? My answer is summer only. Ask Dunlop to get the rating as I do not care to check, would be necessary to go out and visit the Shark now resting in its house, waiting for the promised trip to the Schnellbahn (As in home, Germany).
Old tyres, some old Firestone of some sorts, 17", 225 and 255, can not understand DOT date markings, thus unknown production date, compared to new Dunlops the old ones were:
- Very low grip in the wet, reasonable handling characteristics but tail breaks loose very easy, probably due to old rubber
- Funny and entertaining dry handling with predictable behaviour and moderate grip, easy to power steer through the hairpins, new Dunlop is harder to break loose in a nice way
- Light wheels, perhaps mostly due to the excellent 17" Porsche C3 wheels (7.5 ET65 F, 9 ET 54 R), new expensive RH 2-piece wheels are much heavier
09-11-2007, 07:24 PM
#20
Drifting
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Michelin pilot sport on 16inch wheels on my 928s; standard size - too lazy to check exactly what
Never tried anything else.
Work great wet & dry about & about 12,000 miles for a set of 4; less if I track them.
In the winter I have Yokos, do not track them; worried about my over enthusiasm exceeding the speed rating & causing violent reactions...
Marton
Never tried anything else.
Work great wet & dry about & about 12,000 miles for a set of 4; less if I track them.
In the winter I have Yokos, do not track them; worried about my over enthusiasm exceeding the speed rating & causing violent reactions...
Marton
09-11-2007, 10:31 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
I'd agree on the GY F1s - very good dry/wet grip and quiet. Bridgestone summer tires are soft and don't last as long.
I currently have Falken 452s. Can't really tell the difference with these and the F1s except I hear them squeal a little at the limits. And can't really beat the price at $115/tire and they come in 265/40-17.
I currently have Falken 452s. Can't really tell the difference with these and the F1s except I hear them squeal a little at the limits. And can't really beat the price at $115/tire and they come in 265/40-17.
09-11-2007, 11:07 PM
#23
Race Director
Continental Sport Contact II's (OE rims tires from 2006 997), 235/40-(Y) 18 front and 265/40-(Y) 18 rear... Never driven in rain, barely over a damp puddle so I have no idea about wet performance...
In the dry they are VERY good....100% better than the crappy off brand all season 16" junk tires I had before...excellent turn in and steering response....they are getting a touch louder as they wear & do seem to be loosing a touch of grip in the rear..or maybe I'm just pushing the car harder as I learn to drive better too? Had them 1.5 years for about 6K miles....I would say the fronts are 75% or better....rears are about 50% and fading fast!
In the dry they are VERY good....100% better than the crappy off brand all season 16" junk tires I had before...excellent turn in and steering response....they are getting a touch louder as they wear & do seem to be loosing a touch of grip in the rear..or maybe I'm just pushing the car harder as I learn to drive better too? Had them 1.5 years for about 6K miles....I would say the fronts are 75% or better....rears are about 50% and fading fast!
09-11-2007, 11:10 PM
#24
Race Director
Kumho Ecsta MX, two sets, recommended by TireRack for ORR application.
Front: 225-45/17
Rear: 255-40/17
Fairly quiet, satisfied with noise level on street.
Very good at track DE, dry conditions.
Very good at Open Road Racing dry conditions at 155mph, stable in wet at 120mph.
Rich
Front: 225-45/17
Rear: 255-40/17
Fairly quiet, satisfied with noise level on street.
Very good at track DE, dry conditions.
Very good at Open Road Racing dry conditions at 155mph, stable in wet at 120mph.
Rich
(only when driving Rich's car)
09-24-2007, 12:53 PM
#25
The Lady's Man
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Hey guys..Lets try and keep this thread for the tire questions and reviews. If we don't there becomes to may to keep up on and all the valuable info gets lost!
09-24-2007, 01:07 PM
#26
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On that note...
I've been running Sumitomo HTR+ on the front, 225/40/18 and Goodyear's offbrand, "Fierce", 285/35/18 on the rear. VERY happy with the Fierce tires, much more so than the Sumitomos. I liked the Sumis so much on my Saab 9-5 Aero that I've bought them twice. Not so good ont he 928, though. Not sure why they'd differ so much between cars. On the 928, they tend to slide at the extreme more than I'd like; leads to scary pushing at times. They're otherwise very good and sticky, and pretty quiet, though I can't hear tire noise over my exhaust noise.
I don't drive it in the rain, so can't say whether either is good/bad in the wet.
The Fierces are quiet, strong and sticky so far (3 season, 480 treadwear, AA temp, A traction) and very cheap to boot. $135/tire. Can't find a dealer who carries the 225/40/18s I need for the front, but I know they make them.
I've been running Sumitomo HTR+ on the front, 225/40/18 and Goodyear's offbrand, "Fierce", 285/35/18 on the rear. VERY happy with the Fierce tires, much more so than the Sumitomos. I liked the Sumis so much on my Saab 9-5 Aero that I've bought them twice. Not so good ont he 928, though. Not sure why they'd differ so much between cars. On the 928, they tend to slide at the extreme more than I'd like; leads to scary pushing at times. They're otherwise very good and sticky, and pretty quiet, though I can't hear tire noise over my exhaust noise.
I don't drive it in the rain, so can't say whether either is good/bad in the wet.
The Fierces are quiet, strong and sticky so far (3 season, 480 treadwear, AA temp, A traction) and very cheap to boot. $135/tire. Can't find a dealer who carries the 225/40/18s I need for the front, but I know they make them.
09-24-2007, 01:45 PM
#27
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I am currently running on my S-4:
Bridgestone SO2s
. 225x40x18 fronts, and 285x30x18 rears. I've put about 2000 miles, and I love them. Minimal road noise, and good solid grip both wet and dry. I do admit that I don't drive it much in the rain.
The previous set were Dunlop FM901s, same measurements, a very good tire for the price, but they are no Bridgestone SO2s.
On my 1982 928, I had run both Yokohamas AVS ES100s, on 17" wheels. A good performance tire for the price but a little noisey after the first 5K miles of wear. Previous to the Yokos, I had Dunlop SP Sport 9000s. A great tire and good wear. Minimal road noise.
Bridgestone SO2s
. 225x40x18 fronts, and 285x30x18 rears. I've put about 2000 miles, and I love them. Minimal road noise, and good solid grip both wet and dry. I do admit that I don't drive it much in the rain.The previous set were Dunlop FM901s, same measurements, a very good tire for the price, but they are no Bridgestone SO2s.
On my 1982 928, I had run both Yokohamas AVS ES100s, on 17" wheels. A good performance tire for the price but a little noisey after the first 5K miles of wear. Previous to the Yokos, I had Dunlop SP Sport 9000s. A great tire and good wear. Minimal road noise.
09-24-2007, 02:05 PM
#28
Rennlist Member
BFG g-Force KDW- 2 (aka KDW-NT)
- Too soon to tell wear, but 300 rating and other reports say they wear well.
- all weather
- Y-rated (186)
- phenomenal grip in the twisties
The snakeskin tread pattern throws some people, but I think these tires are The Bomb. As grippy as the $200+ tires.
- Too soon to tell wear, but 300 rating and other reports say they wear well.
- all weather
- Y-rated (186)
- phenomenal grip in the twisties
The snakeskin tread pattern throws some people, but I think these tires are The Bomb. As grippy as the $200+ tires.
09-24-2007, 02:23 PM
#29
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FALKEN 225/40/18 and 285/35/18 These Falken tires are very quiet. But ive only had them on for a few miles so we will see. The price was right and they look very sharp.
09-24-2007, 07:44 PM
#30
Burning Brakes
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Kuhmo ASX
front 225/50R16
rear 245/50R16
I couldn't get any one in town to replace the Goodyear's That were on there when I bought it. How do I like them, what are they like? I don't know. Never owned a pair long enough to tell(been through 4 sets in 2 yrs on the front). Think I got that problem fixed though. I'll try and keep you posted.
front 225/50R16
rear 245/50R16
I couldn't get any one in town to replace the Goodyear's That were on there when I bought it. How do I like them, what are they like? I don't know. Never owned a pair long enough to tell(been through 4 sets in 2 yrs on the front). Think I got that problem fixed though. I'll try and keep you posted.