Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec vs. Kumho Ecsta XS [UPDATE: HANKOOK V12's ON TRACK]
09-26-2010, 11:53 AM
#16
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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Well, I made it back from the track in one piece. I did get the usual "high slip angles slow the car down" lectures from a couple of people. But I was voted "biggest dust cloud of the day", plus I think I might have inadvertently found a shortcut around the track (after the bushes and cactus were sheared off the new route) that is faster as well. James knows what I'm talking about. 
There were 3 Carrera's there running the Hankook V12's, and one Carrera 4 on the Dunlop Z1's. I didn't ride in any of them.
The Z1 driver said he really liked them. He was running 36/44 psi. He did say they can get greasy, but no more then the PS2's they replaced. He thought is was important to log 500 miles on them before tracking them to break them in. They seemed pretty quiet around the laps, while the V12's seemed noisier, but I guess you could figure that's from the different UTQG's (200 vs. 280). All 3 of the V12 drivers were novices, and none of them really had any opinion on the tires.
The Hankook's are an extremely ugly tire, IMHO, and they look like they might become noisy (no complaints about noise from the owners, though, but they weren't in 928's).
Those Z1's look absolutely MEAN! They look like an F1 rain tire.
And speaking of F1, it looks like I will get another DE out of my Goodyear F1's. They didn't shred as much as I thought they would (I probably did 50-60 laps yesterday, 1.4 miles each). I think this can probably be accredited to the repeated "slip angle" lectures (what is it with the PCA and their abhor of powerslides?).
Next month is another track day with a different group. High slip angles don't seem to bother them.
There were 3 Carrera's there running the Hankook V12's, and one Carrera 4 on the Dunlop Z1's. I didn't ride in any of them.
The Z1 driver said he really liked them. He was running 36/44 psi. He did say they can get greasy, but no more then the PS2's they replaced. He thought is was important to log 500 miles on them before tracking them to break them in. They seemed pretty quiet around the laps, while the V12's seemed noisier, but I guess you could figure that's from the different UTQG's (200 vs. 280). All 3 of the V12 drivers were novices, and none of them really had any opinion on the tires.
The Hankook's are an extremely ugly tire, IMHO, and they look like they might become noisy (no complaints about noise from the owners, though, but they weren't in 928's).
Those Z1's look absolutely MEAN! They look like an F1 rain tire.
And speaking of F1, it looks like I will get another DE out of my Goodyear F1's. They didn't shred as much as I thought they would (I probably did 50-60 laps yesterday, 1.4 miles each). I think this can probably be accredited to the repeated "slip angle" lectures (what is it with the PCA and their abhor of powerslides?).
Next month is another track day with a different group. High slip angles don't seem to bother them.
09-26-2010, 07:05 PM
#17
BC, if you are running higher pressures, even the Porsche factory 36psi, please be very careful at high speeds on those Star Specs. I found them very squirmy to the point they were almost scary at triple digits on back road highways, very floaty. Also you might want to check your tread depth across the tire. I found my first set worn much more in the middle of the tread street driving at 34 psi.
At posted speeds on the street I had zero issues with the Star Specs at factory pressures, they just felt a LOT stickier than the previous PS2s.
I like these tires a lot, especially once I found the lower pressures handled so much better. Just gotta watch for those road hazzards =)
At posted speeds on the street I had zero issues with the Star Specs at factory pressures, they just felt a LOT stickier than the previous PS2s.
I like these tires a lot, especially once I found the lower pressures handled so much better. Just gotta watch for those road hazzards =)
10-05-2010, 10:07 AM
#18
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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10-11-2010, 07:13 PM
#19
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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Ok I succumbed to the Dark Side. 
I ordered the cheapo Hankook V12's. They cost about $470 installed, after rebate.
My rationale was that I like to shred tires (C'mon- you know that's fun!) and I didn't want a "quality" set to suffer from my indiscretions. Yeah, that's it!
I've got 2 DE's within the next month... so we'll see...
I figure that since it's driver EDUCATION, then using student loans to pay for them is indicated. Right?
My thinking is that it is like driving a great car on a slippery surface, and that ain't all bad.
I ordered the cheapo Hankook V12's. They cost about $470 installed, after rebate.
My rationale was that I like to shred tires (C'mon- you know that's fun!) and I didn't want a "quality" set to suffer from my indiscretions. Yeah, that's it!
I've got 2 DE's within the next month... so we'll see...
I figure that since it's driver EDUCATION, then using student loans to pay for them is indicated. Right?
My thinking is that it is like driving a great car on a slippery surface, and that ain't all bad.
10-11-2010, 07:29 PM
#21
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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AAARRRGGGHHH!
1 reviewer on tirerack reported this. I think it was in an M3, even...
1 reviewer on tirerack reported this. I think it was in an M3, even...
10-11-2010, 07:49 PM
#23
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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^ time to flip the tires ^
I seriously didn't need to see that.
I seriously didn't need to see that.
10-11-2010, 08:57 PM
#25
Burning Brakes
I have the StarSpec's on a BMW 335. The set the car came with showed a few missing pieces on the fronts. Seller was a DE instructor. Replacement set also lost some bits when I drove at the track. Not quite as bad as this pic, but not too much better either. I was told by the former owner that I had let the pressures get too high. That seems to be the case as I did not have problems on subsequent DE's. I think that part of my problem was overdriving the car a bit as well.
Tires are really good, but they do not like getting too hot.
Tires are really good, but they do not like getting too hot.
10-11-2010, 09:17 PM
#26
Been selling Twinkies on Ebay,
have some extra cash right now.
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have some extra cash right now.
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^Thank you. You are making me feel a little better.^
I have heard and read that those Dunlops are sensitive to heat. And noisy- hate the noise!
James, thanks for appreciating the student loan thing. An Irish contractor once told me that "you have to make wheat when the sun shines"
BTW that reminds me that the local indie Porsche shop told me that he doesn't work on 928's. Why? Because they are complicated? No. Because the owners don't want to spend money.
Been there, doin' that!
Gotta make wheat when the sun shines. And my sun has set, temporarily. Still playing in the dark, though.
I have heard and read that those Dunlops are sensitive to heat. And noisy- hate the noise!
James, thanks for appreciating the student loan thing. An Irish contractor once told me that "you have to make wheat when the sun shines"
BTW that reminds me that the local indie Porsche shop told me that he doesn't work on 928's. Why? Because they are complicated? No. Because the owners don't want to spend money.
Been there, doin' that!
Gotta make wheat when the sun shines. And my sun has set, temporarily. Still playing in the dark, though.
10-12-2010, 02:43 AM
#28
Burning Brakes
I started out the season with a set of Nitto NT05.
235/40/17 Front. 275/40/17 Rear. Total cost of $700.00
These replaced a set of PS2's from last year.
So far they have done 6 autocrosses ( Eric knows how bad the pavement is at our location) and did a DE at Laguna Secca 3 weeks ago and just did another DE at Sears Point last Friday along with a lot of hwy 1 runs and street driving.
I really like these tires no chunking and still very stickey.
235/40/17 Front. 275/40/17 Rear. Total cost of $700.00
These replaced a set of PS2's from last year.
So far they have done 6 autocrosses ( Eric knows how bad the pavement is at our location) and did a DE at Laguna Secca 3 weeks ago and just did another DE at Sears Point last Friday along with a lot of hwy 1 runs and street driving.
I really like these tires no chunking and still very stickey.
10-12-2010, 01:06 PM
#29
I have about 3000 miles on the Star Specs on the street only. Still working some bugs out of the car before DE/auto x. With aggressive driving they provide great feed back and control. I too have set them to 32 psi street pressure and using an infrared thermo and pressure gauge to monitor after a spirited run. I bought these based on the car and driver test last year, was rated #1. Might be able to hunt the tire test down on their site still. I have not noticed the road noise as one poster noted. Tho priors were a worn out set of bridgestone RE's that simply roared on the road.
A local club member saved a couple hundred over the star specs and bought the hankook v12's and is reporting great results vs. yoko s drives he had. The hankooks were #2 on the test.
Hope this helps.
A local club member saved a couple hundred over the star specs and bought the hankook v12's and is reporting great results vs. yoko s drives he had. The hankooks were #2 on the test.
Hope this helps.
10-12-2010, 01:09 PM
#30
Just had some torrential downpoor last week in San Diego. The Dunlops performed flawlessly - very good in the rain with great feedback as to where the contact patch is, and whether its solid or not.