Martin S.

Tried a set today at Laguna Seca, Z 214 C51 road race compound...2 sessions...on the sticker tires first run out, found out very early on, they take a few laps to get their grip...not the case with Hoosiers. Not real impressed at this point.

The Kumho 710 tires I was going to order, the rears were on back order. Took a chance on Hankook...may have been a mistake....

SG_M3

Z214 are usually up to temp in about 4 corners, if not less. I used them exclusively for a couple of years. What pressures were you running them at?

earlyapex

I raced this tire for over 2 years. They don't need more than a few corners to get grippy. At Thunderhill, they were 0.5 per lap slower than Hoosier R6 and 2 seconds per lap faster than Toyo RA-1. These times were all done on my car.

Bill Verburg

What sizes did you use?

Veloce Raptor

If it is a really cool morning & the tires are literally stickered brand new,they can be a bit greasy for most of a lap, especially on a sandy, dirty track like Laguna.

Martin S.

First some facts, my narrow body 993 weighs in at 3,200 Lbs with me in it and 1/2 a tank of gas. I have 2.5 degrees of front negative camber and about -2 in the rear

I have been spoiled by Hoosiers...perhaps I need to be a little patient with the Hankook Z 214 (C 51 compound) tires. In my experience, the Hoosiers R6 tires are the best they will ever be on their "sticker" debut.

If I can get within .5 of Hoosiers with the Z 214 (C51), I'll be a happy camper. They are about $250 a set cheaper than Hoosiers and Kumho 710 tires.

I was running 275/35/18 rear and 245/40/18 front. It was a cool day at Laguna Seca....I ran them at the cold pressure I use with Hoosiers, 29 front and 29 rear. In the pits after a run session, they were up to about 36 hot.

Any feedback suggestions? I am all ears....

SG_M3

I would bump your hot pressure up 2 psi, target 38 hot. I have found the z214 just as fast as hoosiers and to be more stable through a heat cycle.

earlyapex

My 911SC is about 1000 lbs lighter than your 993.

It has been raining and there never is much rubber on the track. I'm not surprised that you found the grip lacking.

Martin S.

I'll try 31 cold looking for 38...I'll take notes with the pyrometer. I want the Z 214s (C51 compound) to work!

Veloce Raptor

Ditto

Rich Sandor

I found the C50s on my 968 took longer to get sticky but took more abuse and didn't get greasy as fast compared to the R6s I had previously. I'd say all things being equal they are a slightly harder compound than R6s.

(softest) C91 - A6 - C71 - R6 - C51 - 710 - C31 (hardest) (in my opinion)

2002M3Drew

I have 4 track days, 16 heat cycles so far with the Z214 C51s in 245/40/18 and 275/35/18 on my 964. The very first run with them (at NJMP Thunderbolt), I would agree with the OP that they were a little greasy. After the initial scuffing and first heat cycle, though, they were extremely grippy. They come up to heat within a few corners as well. The Hoosiers, by comparison, are pretty sticky right out of the box. (If you were racing on the Hankooks, you should definitely scuff them first.)

After the four days, they look better than my previous set of Hoosier R6s did at the same point, and the rears are fairing much better than those on a prior set of R888s.

So far, I had run the Hoosier R6s with in May around 20 heat cycles at Thunderbolt, and then ran the new Hankooks one month later on the same track in June, both times in good conditions. The new Hankooks ended up 3 seconds a lap faster than the worn Hoosiers. I'm going to guess that part of that was in me as the driver, and the Hoosiers brand new would have been around equal. Also, a friend of mine that drives an '09 Cayman S had brand new Hoosiers when I had the brand new Hankooks. We usually run similarly, with him having a slight edge. Both on fresh tires, I ended up running faster by a half-second to second a lap or so at Tbolt. While these comparisons are more anecdotal than scientific, they show that the Hankook is definitely in the same ballpark as Hoosier.

John H

Let me get this straight, in my preferred sizes Hoosiers are $1386 a set - Hankooks are $936 a set. My math says that is a $450 difference for a half second? Hmmm. Makes me wonder if being on the HoHo crack pipe is worth it.

d15b7

a half a second is a lot in the class i race in; (PTE, which is very similiar to SCCA ITA in laptimes). especially if there is contingency involved, the Hoosier still sounds like a much better deal. (and i'm a cheap bastard, but i like to be on the podium and kiss d girlz!!!!).

Todd
ReidSpeed

John H

I can buy a trophy, champagne and lap dances for $450.....