GT3DE

What tires do you use on track for a 997S with 19" lobster claws?

I have a 2010 GT3 in Florida and use Hoosiers. But I am in the market for a used 997S for local DE's in the Mid-Atlantic area (SP, WG, NJMP. VIR).

I want to drive the car to and from the track and have a sticky set of street tires that work well and last on the track (and then drive home on them).

I can't seem to find RA1's in 235/35/19 & 295/30/19 - had hoped I could find them as I thought these would be best. Anyone know if these are available anywhere?

What are recommendations for street legal tires that are good on track (stock 19" lobster rims)?

Alan C.

I used the MPSS on my 09 CS2. They are pretty good on track and if it rains they are one of the better choices. All in all a pretty good dual purpose tire.

GT3DE

used to have a '05 997S and did some DE's with the stock Pilot Cups that came with it. The rears would get small chunks out of them. Tire guy told me to not stand on the gas so hard. Fauk that. I need a track tire that can stand up to hard track driving.

SBPORSCHE

+1 mpss

zanwar

You could try the Hankook Ventus RS-3. They hold up well on the track (no chunking). I haven't driven them on the street though.

GT3DE

Seems the best options I have found are either Bridgestone RE-11 and Hankook R-S3.
Comments, please?

Spiffyjiff

whats up clarke. check with carson - he had RE-11s until going to 888's and i think liked them.

hey, why dont you buy my car? i'll even put on a set for you?

utkinpol

re11 are used more as rain tires. r-s3 are OK as track tires, they get in heat well.
here are some reviews: http://www.autocross.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=5084
while new toyo R888 may be better than r-s3. as of rest choices - 19" does not have many options for r-comps. if you are used to r-comps - use R888, just do not wait for them to cord, change them until they get to inner rubber layer when it looses a lot of grip. R-S3 are also fine but a bit less grippy.

PS. and i looked for R-S3 on tirerack - they have 245/305 tires at $335 and $430 per tire - it is crazy expensive IMHO. you better shop for discounted R888 somewhere, it should be easier to find.

Alan C.

With proper alignment and setup the MPSS will hold up to hard track driving. I ran -2.8 front and -2.0 rear with no chunking at the Glen with NNJR last year. The MPSS is a lot better that the PS2. I ran the RE-11s on a Cayman S with good results as well. Again with a proper setup.

zanwar

Another data point. I tried running R888s as street/track tires a couple of seasons ago and I found them to be incredibly loud on the highway. I would not use them as a street tire again.

The best tires I've ever used are Michelin Cups, by quite a wide margin.

GT3DE

what car? details, man, details!

acao

I'll offer my track experience. Keep in mind it's not objective. First, every NEW tire is a step up from every OLD tire (my #1 pet peeve about internet tire reviews). Second, these tires aren't driven by the same driver. I got better every time out, so a great tire 3 years ago isn't likely to be enough tire now. Chronologically:

Michelin (sport rib & ps2): fantastic dual purpose tire. Expensive, and if I'm replacing tires every 3-5 weekends, I'm not spending this kind of coin. I'd rather spend less and experiment more. They're so expensive I never replaced a full set. (I'd replace the rears when ready, but when F&R were ready, I went to something else)
Goodyear F1 Asymmetric: another great tire. A bit too sensitive to heat, and v-tread prone to chunking. Good dual tire for beginners and people who haven't fully committed to the slippery slope. I liked these so much I ran 2 complete sets (2x rear, 1x front).
Sumitomo HTR ZIII: Just as good as the above two when new. Dirt cheap. Wears like granite. Dirt cheap. Still forgiving. Dirt cheap. Lots of more advanced drivers use them. Dirt cheap. I have chunked the shoulders in circumstances when I probably would not as a less experienced driver. Dirt cheap. On my 2nd complete set (2x rear, 1x front) and will be moving on. Did I mention they were cheap?
Yoko AD08 & Hankook RS-3: One of these will be my next set. Price difference between these two is inconsequential. But I'll be making a stop here before going to Nitto NT-01 or NT-05.

PJorgen

Interesting observations. I had a set of the Sumi ZIII on my 996 C4S and did not like them - not much grip IMHO.

Am now running Pirelli Corsa, fabulous combination of street and track performance, but way expensive >$2k for a set of 4.

utkinpol

any track tires = $1k or less for set of 4. that means 18" max and search for sales on all available tire discount sites. if you find a good sale R888 can be a great tire. sometimes NT01 can be a great tire, but rarely. etc. my best buy so far were 3 sets of fresh RA1 tires in 335R18 for $260 per pair, $130 per tire. i am still riding on them.
some brands have their own dedicated discount sellers, some can be found from racing shops. shopping for tires is as difficult as driving them later. anyway, for what is hot now you can look at frisby
http://www.frisbyracetire.com/index.php

MagnusB

RE11s