The time is soon coming when my s2k will come in and I'm all revved up to get it. However, I picked up the latest car and driver (where they compare vehicles in the same company i.e. s2k vs. nsx) and they said that the s2k was the most difficult out of all the cars the tested in the wet. I'm not sure if they are talking "normal" street conditions or under high speed track conditions. Other than driving at a safe speed for the conditions, have any of you guys had any bad experiences with the s2k in the wet?

 

Oh yeah, the OEM Bridgestone S02's really suck in the rain. Aviod highways.

I don't think it's the car's fault, just the tires. They grip like hell when it's dry tho.

 

Doesn't the NSX also come with Bridgestone SO2s?

 

No, Bridgestone RE010s are OEM for the NSX.

 

I don't find that new S02's are that bad in the rain, but when they're worn a bit watch out.

[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited January 07, 2001).]

 

IMHO the problem is the contrast between how good the car and tires are in dry conditions and the more normal speeds you have to go in the wet. You quickly get use to high cornering speeds and then forget that it doesn't carry over to wet conditions - in any car. Plus the SO2s need to be warm to grip. They absolutely suck when the temperature drops anywhere near freezing (which can happen in an autumn rain). I still find myself going faster than the average guy in the wet though.

 

S02s suck in the rain? How's that? What tyre is there that is actually better in the rain? I have used a fair few tyres over the last 7 years (new set every year) and S02s are head and shoulders above any tyre that I've had before ... especially in the rain.

I admit that there are tyres that I haven't driven on, but so far there's nothing that I'd rather on my car than S02s (in particular in the rain).

There is such thing as some 'good' tyres do not really work on some cars ... I've had that experience before, but not with S02s ... I've driven with the S02s on 5 different cars now (2 of them did not have S02s in the 1st place) and they all feel very grippy as well as progressive.

ps. S02s come standard on all performance Porsches (like GT3 and BoxterS). I'm sure that alone speaks volumes.

pps. S02 in the rain have a very noticable 'more' grip in the wet than S01s or RE010. It's incredible how much difference there is.

 

OK, my careless comment just proved even i myself reason incorrectly (being fooled by the dry grip). What i should say is that wet cold SO2s suck compared to how they behave warm and dry, not compared to other tires in the wet. Which should be self-evident, really. Sorry.

 

Hi, be glad you don't live in the UK at the moment.It seems to have been cold and wet since I bought my S2 a couple of months ago.This car is seriously tail happy in our wet winter! However, it does slide progressively under power and is quite predictable.I was thinking of changing the rear tyres, perhaps to Yoko's, but having read about the S02's performance in the dry will wait for some dry warm roads before making a decision.

 

Maybe I wasn't describing my issue well enough...

It's called hydroplaning. The tires don't move enough water at highway speeds. I slip and slide all over the place.

The tires only have 4K of easy miles on them. Tons of tread left.