Hi,

I have a MY04, whose OEM RE050 tires are not going to last much past my next track day. I've gotten 8600 miles out of them so far, including two track days and about 900 miles of glorious, very hard driving on some spectacular back roads in Oregon. I expect to drive on the track regularly when the Seattle weather is not too bad.

I think that the RE050 tires have been great, and seem to do very well on the track. However, it rains a lot around here, so I am thinking of getting S-03 tires as my next set.

I was wondering if anyone can tell me if I will give up a noticeable amount of grip and/or tire longevity if I get S-03 instead of another set of RE050, and, conversely, whether the S-03 really is significantly better on wet roads than the RE050.

As a related question, I am wondering about the advisability/cost of getting a set of wheels/tires specifically for track days, and whether, if I did that, I should look at some other tire altogether for that (remembering that it likely will be wet with some frequency when I go to the track).

Thanks.

--Mark

 

I'm sorry, I can't answer your S-03 vs RE050 question, but I can offer my views on the track tyres.

All I can say abou the S-03 is that I've driven with them on my E36 M3 for a long time before replacement and felt they were spectacular on the street.

How much track experience do you have? Are you already chunking or otherwise overdriving your street tyres on the track? If so, you may be ready for some R-tyres mounted on another set of stock or lightweight wheels. You can then swap out to S-03s for when the track gets wet.

Just keep in mind that your brake consumption will increase dramatically when driving on R-tyres (i.e. lap cost), and with common treadwear ratings of 60, R-tyres shouldn't be used on the street for longevity reasons.

///Robin

 

Robin,

I have very little track experience. I've taken a full day DPDE course, and spent another entire day on the track. I expect that I will do the track 10-15 times a year, weather and schedule permitting. I'm doing pretty well, but still have a lot to learn.

I haven't chunked my tires, but I have worn them down. The reason for my second question was that it occurs to me that I may be better off on the track with better track tires, and I may be better off on the street with tires I'm not always beating up on the track.

Could I swap out tires at home and drive (an hour) to the track on the R-tires you mentioned (meaning, are they street-legal and safe)?

Thanks.

--Mark