I recently put 2 screws through one of my rear tires -- one of them punched through in such a way that I was unable to get a plug in it -- so off to the local Firestone store I went.

They did not have any S02 Potenzas in -- but they did have 1 s02 Pole Position in the right size available. I figured what the hell and had them mount it up (the other 3 tires are only 30 percent gone).

What's interesting is that the S02 Pole's are supposed to be the same as the potenzas with a slightly different rubber compound that stays sticky as it wears -- the major benefit being better wet road capability as the tire wears down.

In reality when you compare the potenza to the pole side by side the pole position has a slightly wider rain channel and a bit more tread seperation.

I guess there is no real point to this thread other than my wondering why Honda decided to go with the Potenza instead of the Pole Position -- would we have all of these cold road / wet road s2000 accident stories if Honda had taken the slightly more expensive path and gone with the Pole Positions?

 

The OEM SO2's were designed specifically for the S2000. Honda didn't decide to "Just go with them"

Here's one spin out on Pole Positions.
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&highlight=spin

 

No...the Pontenza's have been around for some time now...

 

The OEM SO2 Potenzas were indeed designed for the car, and when ordering them you need to draw a distinction between those and standard Potenzas.

 

so the OEM tires are then not pole positions?

 

No Pole Position are a different tyre, different tread pattern, optimised more towards wet driving.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cedric Tomkinson
Here's one spin out on Pole Positions.

Every time I think I might like you less you give me a belly laugh

One tire different is not safe. The conventional wisdom is don't mix brands on a car. That's just a tip. Don't mix brands (or tire types) on an axle is more. It's a rule you don't want to break. No kidding.

 

Bridgestone Potenza S-02s - These V-shaped tread patterns were developed

 

I'm here to tell you, the S03 are far superior to aftermarket 02s. The OE 02s are definately stickier in the dry than any tire I've ever owned, but I found that that level of stickiness had strange handling quirks; such as whenever I changed gears (upshift or downshift) while accelerating through a sweeping curve, my back end usually broke loose unexpectantly. I've never had a car do that to me.

However, when I changed to 03s, that strange behavior stopped completely and now my S2000 drives VERY predictably. So predictably in fact, that I find I can accelerate with abandon through the curves much better than before. The grip is not superhuman, but it's much easier to gage where the limits of adhesion are.

Now, when it comes to wet weather driving, the S03s are fantastically grippy. They not only outrate the OE 02's by a mile, buy I'd say that the 03s are the best tires I've ever owned, and I've been buying performance tires for 20 years. Sure, they don't look like they've got much rubber on the asphalt and the channels are wider than most rain tires I've ever seen, but my God, you won't believe the difference in grip when water hits the pavement.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jschmidt

Quote:

Originally posted by Cedric Tomkinson
Here's one spin out on Pole Positions.

Every time I think I might like you less you give me a belly laugh

Hey, I try to please!! And why would anyone not like me? I'm just a really loveable chap....... my Mom said so!!