300k-Mile S2000 Feels Like Brand New Thanks to Fresh Rubber

Fresh Rubber

Over the last several months, we've followed the story of Brian Silvestro of Road & Track's 300k mile Honda S2000 with great interest, for obvious reasons. Silvestro has taken the car to the track and sought to keep it going by tackling the car's weaknesses, and now, he's finally sourced a new set of tires for the well-worn roadster, too.

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

Deferred Maintenance

Silvestro has thus far neglected to replace his car's aging rubber in favor of fixing its VTEC system, installing new KW V3 coilovers, and redoing the brakes. But after the car's most recent track session, it became immediately clear that a proper set of tires was required to really make the S2000 shine on the track.

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mileage S2000 right here in the S2Ki forum. 

Sticky Upgrade

After doing a bit of research, Silvestro eventually settled on the Yokohama Advan A052, a tire that is specifically designed for track days and autocross events thanks to its stickier compound. His goal here is to shave seconds off his lap times, so this seems like a solid choice.

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mileage S2000 right here in the S2Ki forum. 

Night and Day

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Silvestro immediately felt a difference on the street after swapping out his tires. "My S2000 really does drive like a different car with the Advans," he said. "The vagueness from the front end has been eliminated and overall cornering speeds have doubled (or at least it feels like they have). The brakes no longer feel like they’re about to lock up when I go for a firm press, and there’s a lot less roll through quick transitions. It’s night and day levels of change."

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mileage S2000 right here in the S2Ki forum. 

Rougher Ride

The downside to running a more track-focused tire is, of course, the fact that ride quality is bound to suffer. And that was the case here as well. "They’ve made my S2K, already a notoriously stiff vehicle, borderline unbearable on bumpy roads," Silvestro said. "But I expected that. In fact, it’s exactly what I’m looking for. The stiff sidewalls on these tires mean less deflection through turns and higher levels of grip."

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mileage S2000 right here in the S2Ki forum. 

Muffler Fix

Aside from the fresh tires, Silvestro also had to address his S2000's right side muffler, which decided to remove itself from the exhaust system recently. Luckily, he's got a friend with welding skills, who was able to fix it for the excellent price of free.

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mileage S2000 right here in the S2Ki forum. 

Upcoming Event

Now that he's finally got some new tires on this well-worn Honda, Silvestro is headed out to his first real, full-day track event soon. And you can bet we'll be tuning in to see how that goes, as well as what the future holds for this high-mile S2000.

Photos: Brian Silvestro for Road & Track