I'd look into buying a set of AP2 17" wheels. You can usually find them for relatively cheap...and it opens you up to an endless selection of tires becauze of the sizing.

 

I strongly disagree with the above comment about extreme performance tires being a waste/mismatch for the S2000, in fact with good extreme performance tires in 16" ap1 sizing the car will handle better than with a set of AP2 size max performance tires.

If you truly want the best steering feel/response, I'd go with the ZII *, if you want a more civilized tire that is going to be closer to the OEM max performance tires the car came with (but with a bit of added grip) and as smooth of a ride, go with the RE-11.

The AD08R's are great tires too, having the three tires almost the same exact price makes it even tougher of a decision. But if you want the tires with the best steering feel, go with the ZII *. I've put over 5,000 miles on them, and yes there will be some road noise and even vibration at times, but the steering feel, response, and overall grip more than make up for it.

 

Lol what are you planning on doing with all that grip on the street? You'll never realize the potential of the tire unless you do something extremely dangerous.

 

Maybe drive it.. with the occasional autocross.
For winter I run UHP all seasons, the difference in steering feel alone between the two is worth the upgrade to me. After this summer, I'll have gotten two summer seasons out of the ZII Star Specs and they still currently have well over 50% tread.

Sure if you plan on driving on the freeway most all of the time in a straight line it may not be worth the upgrade, but a lot of the miles I put on the car in the summer are places to enjoy the car as it was built for, like windy backroads, to the mountains, etc. I was assuming in my posting the OP likes the occasional windy road as well, the S2000 was built to be more of a driver's car with corners in mind.

Btw, you don't have to dangerously push the car to its limits to enjoy the difference of the two tires in steering feel. Would you rather have a tire that you are pushing 60%, 70%, or 80% to do the same speed another can do at 50% or less? I prefer not pushing the tires to the limit on the street, the only time I really have pushed them near their potential is at the autocross. In that respect, the way I see it is extreme performance tires actually make the car safer because the further you are from the tire's limits the less likely you are to lose control and crash it. You are right that you have to be doing something stupid on the street to even come close to reaching the full limit of the extreme performance tires. It won't take as much to reach the limit of a uhp all season, or even max summer performance tire, and as I said I'd rather not be at or even near the full limit of that on the street.

And nothing against those that decide to run max performance tires, but there is a definite advantage the extreme performance tires have over max performance tires, even outside of the track. The biggest advantage the max performance tires have over the extreme performance tires is that they generally offer better treadwear and last an extra season or two. But at the sacrifice of lesser steering feel and overall performance. The original tires that came with the car were actually more expensive than most of the extreme performance tires today, so the cost difference in negligible in the end. You can get a lesser expensive set of max performance tires, but they simply won't be as good as the budget brands generally don't perform as well, don't offer as stiff a sidewall, etc. The RE760 isn't a budget tire, but it won't offer as good of steering response as the RE-11, AD08R, or especially ZII*.

 

Eric, B serious! All that logic is going to hurt someones feelings

Tires are the most important part of the car for safety and performance period.

Ive experimented with some lessor category summer tires in the past, and many of them were down right dangerous in how they handled on the s2000 due to how sharp its handling is, it really exacerbates bad handling behavior in a lessor soft or single ply sidewall tire, never mind the grip aspect which was secondary to that detriment. When the car is swaying back and forth feeling the like the rear could come around just from making lane changes at freeway speeds, then clearly the tires are not a good fit for the car.

Extreme summers should generally be a standard equipment option for a car like the S2k stock, or with modified suspension, the construction and grip the tires generate are the best compliment to the chassis, running anything less in my book is diluting the experience of owning the car for how it was intended and how well its built to work with such a tire, or at worst being dangerous depending on the particular tire chosen from its inferior class.

If its unfortunately a year round car, then your going to have to consider making compromises in a tire that works all year around, but dont be diluted into thinking these tires are setting any favorable benchmarks over a more focused tire for such a focused car.

My car never sees anything less then extreme summers after 12 years of ownership. Maximizing tire mileage is least on the list for a performance toy, and for many owners that is moot, because the tires run into age issues before mileage anyway. If it was my only car, then I would have two sets of wheels so I could at least enjoy the car with proper performing tires in the fair weather months.

 

My S2000 isn't my DD. It kind of is. Not really. I track it very often as well as street driving it. So I have always used extreme summers. I have 71R's on the car now.

If it was my daily....I would have something like Pilot SS or RE760 or S04's. The car is not unsafe with those tires. YOU are unsafe if you are pushing those tires on the street enough to "lose grip". There is virtually no difference in steering feel on the street between a Z2 SS and a RE760 or Kumho SPT, MPSS, etc. There are max performance tires that emphasize steering feel.

I considered buying a set of wheels to throw Michelin PSS's on to daily the car during summer...and then just throw my 71R's on for track days. I'm wasting the tire away by DD'ing it.

My actual daily has pilot SS's (for summer) and I couldn't be happier. I use Conti EW's for winter.

Pilot SS's do the things an actual street tire should. They STFU, they ride well, they last a long time, and they grip MORE than enough even for light track use.

When my GF had a S2000 she dailied, it was on Kumho SPT's. I tracked that car for a session and it was still very effing quick.

You may think you need EP tires for the street...but you're lying to yourself and/or you've never tried a good max performance tire and seen all the benefits of daily use. Its your money and your car...so I'm not offended by your choice.

In my long long long time of ownership of S2000(s), and after trying many tires on S2000's and other cars...I'd definitely recommend a max performance tire rather than a EP tire for street and daily use.

OP is gone, though. We're just talking amongst ourselves.

 

^this guy has the right idea.

If you are reaching "70%" of a good max performance tire's grip on the street...you are doing something dumb AF. Its very difficult to do this.

If you're one of these people that like to "take it to the extreme", then the switch to a EP tire would result in more grip...but it would also eventually result in a higher speed of crashing. At that point, you're just a person that is going to over-drive any tire that you get put on.

 

B serious,

I'm on the same page as you. My S is on Rivals now, and has been on Extreme Performance Summer tires since I bought it, but the only reason for this is because it's not my DD. If I didn't have a Mazda 3 to commute to work in, the S would be on S04s or MPSS. The Mazda is still fun enough on backroads with some decent A/S Kumhos.

The reason the S is on Extreme Performance tires is for autocross and track - I need the heat capacity. Max Performance Summers do 90% of extreme with double the life, good wet weather manners, and low noise. The only trade-off is longevity at track temperatures, but that's a fine trade-off to make if you have to live with the tire every day.

 

RE-71R and RE-11, despite being in the same category are not even close to each other other than sharing the same first two letters and name brand. The RE-71R is almost seen as an R-Comp and the tread life is very low as a result. The RE-11 is somewhere in the middle of a higher-end max performance tire like the S-04 /Super Sport and a more aggressive tire like the ZII* (the RE-71R is almost over the top again..like an R-Comp). I would not recommend the RE-71R for the OP (despite having excellent response, at too much of a sacrifice for the street for even perhaps my liking, though I'm yet to try them).

In AP1 sizing, I'm not sure if the S-04 is offered? Nor is the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. So I guess the top two tires in the max-performance category for ap1 size are out..

So since that's the case and we're still recommending a more civilized tire, go with the RE-11. They're known as some of the most daily driveable friendly tires for the S2000 in their category, and probably as close to the original tires that came with the car as you can get in the price range. In AP2 sizing, I'd have thought about recommending the S-04, but that is only an option for the OP if he were to decide to move up to 17" ap2 sizing. In 205-55-16 / 225-50-16 sizing, I'd highly recommend RE-11 or perhaps ZII *. Being a thicker profile tire, they will end up being that much more civil than in AP2 sizing (another consideration I thought about when posting my recommendations).

So, my recommendations:
For a more aggressive tire with laser sharp steering response: ZII * (or maybe) AD08R on rebate.
For a more civilized tire, but good performer and still pretty good steering response: RE-11
If you put on over 10,000 miles/summer: RE-760

 

I'm probably being too serious, with all these different views, the op will never ask for tire advice again on here.