Ineffableturbo

Hey y'all, so I've been running Dunlop Direzza's (Z1 Star Specs up front and Z2's in the back) Tires are pretty much gone, just flipped them to drive while I order new tires. I was looking at getting Z2's all around but wanted to know if anyone has been using Bridgestone Potenza's RE-11. Kind of inclined to try them, because some people said they are a little more comfortable tire with bumps and stuff and they are not as loud as the Direzza's.

I still want to keep it with an extreme high performance summer because I tend to drive pretty hard on the street and head up mountain roads whenever I have free time.

Has anyone used both tires that can chime in or have recommendations for other tires?

Size of wheels & tires
Front - 17x8.5 on 235/40/17's
Rear - 17x9 on 245/40/17
+45 all around

Thanks!

rip_ej1

I've only had experience with the Z1 SS and RE-11A (discontinued). The Z1's had better overall grip but they did get louder and louder towards the end of its life. Since I track a few times out of the year I would choose the ZII's (assuming equal or better performance than Z1) but go with RE-11 for DD if I had to choose between the two. I did get a chance to auto-x with the RE-11A once and they held up just fine. Another thing to note is that the RE-11s have an asymmetric tread design which will limit your tire rotation patterns (can't flip inside/out).

Other extreme performance tires to consider would be Hankook R-S3 and Bridgestone RE-71R.

Cheers

EricJT7

I haven't driven on Bridgestones yet, but the Dunlop ZII Starspecs are indeed very grippy. There will be some noise and even vibration at times, but on my already somewhat raw AP1 that is not a main concern. If you'd like a tire that has awesome grip, but doesn't wear tooooooo fast (perhaps a little better wear than the RE71R?--my own speculation based on the available reviews) -- the ZII * is a good choice. Like you I like to enjoy the backroads and mountain roads on grippy tires with an occasional autocross in the summer, and the ZII * certainly fit the bill for that and give me the confidence to go in a little harder than usual around the corners.

Since it appears you live in a warmer environment (at least compared to Seattle) I'd also consider the AD08R and Hankook R-S3 V2 that both hold up really well in the heat, gripping the best when it is 85-95+ degrees F. Of course if you aren't running on the big track you are a lot less likely to overheat tires, but much less so with either of those two sets with the correct air pressure.

Chuck S

My (used) S2000 came with the Dunlap Z2 Star Specs all around. Couldn't wait to get the harsh riding, noisy things off the car.

Since last summer I've had Bridgestone RE-11A tires on the car. No lap time data but these tired are much nicer all around than the Dunlaps. RE-11A is out of production so I'll probably put RE-71Rs on the car when it's time. (I'm running an AP2 with standard wheel/tire stagger.)

-- Chuck

DavidNJ

The RE71r is pretty smooth riding, but I'm not sure how much of the performance would be obvious on the street.

Why not a Michelin Pilot Super Sport?

Note on those with rims you could go 245/30 square...just they don't have the positive offset of the stock rims which may cause clearance problems.

Ineffableturbo

Tirerack doesn't have a lot of tires for 235/40/17
I'm running -1.7 camber front and -2.9 in the rear

Would I notice a big difference if I go down to Yokohama S.Drives?

EricJT7

Probably yes. If it were me, I'd just run 245/40/17 on all four corners. That way you have tons of options, better pricing (the 235/40/17 is significantly more expensive for extreme performance tires), and gives you the potential to rotate tires.
My concern would be the fitment of the 245/40/17 up front--might be close to rubbing your fenders.

Another option would be to increase the stagger to 225/40/17 front, and 255/40/17 rear.
Edit: 225/45/17 front, 255/40/17 rear

DavidNJ

The trouble is those offsets. Stock is +55/+65. In STR cars run 255/40 square on 9x17" rims with +60 to +63 and around -3° camber (requires offset upper ball joints). Lowering also affects clearance. They also use aftermarket springs, anti-roll bars and shocks to tune the handling.

+45s move the tires over 1/2" further out.

The 235/40 may have been chosen just because its low height (.3" lower than stock) gave extra clearance. A 225/45 would be .3" taller than stock.

Also note that an 8.5" rim is too wide for the stock 215/45.

225/45-255/40 is a common size combination, available in nearly all brands, and will fit those rims. If the front has -1.5° or so camber they may work. You'd need to measure to see if a 245/40 would work in the front. It would be both wider and taller than the current 235/40.

Note that Tire Rack specifically sells 3 low cost sets of 17x9+62 wheels which are popular in autocross. Their own TR Motorsports brand are $169/wheel, the Kosei wheels, available in two styles, are $199 each. If you order them with tires from Tire Rack, the mounting and balancing is included reducing the effective cost further. These wheels will let you run 255/40 square or 245/40 square with a little camber (something between -2° and -3° should be enough.

EricJT7

What David said is very true, and I meant to say 225/45/17 up front if doing the 225/255 stagger so that the diameters match, then 255/40/17 in the rear.
A 225/45/17 extreme performance tire will be much grippier than a 235/40/17 EDIT: all season UHP summer tire like the S Drive.

That being said, it isn't impossible to fit a 245/40/17 on 17x8.5+45 RPF1's up front on stock fenders, it just requires a fender roll and front fender tab relocation at the very least, and depends on ride height as far as how much fender work is required. My guess is you already must have rolled fenders to make your current setup work, but I'm not sure about tab relocation.

DavidNJ

If this is the goal, the 255/40 or 245/40 square on new 17x9+62 rims would be the way to go. I'm not sure the difference between the extreme 200 tread wear tires and the Michelin PSS are going to be that noticeable on the street. A TireRack quotes on the PSS:

[quote name="Tire Rack"]"If handling were measured by time, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport would always show up early. This tire is the most direct and responsive of the group, with instant response as soon as you begin to turn the steering wheel"

"When asking these tires to drive at their limit, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport leads the group. It feels almost unflappable with impressive lateral grip and responsive steering that build driver confidence."[/quote]

Note that the PSS does not come in 255/40-17 so a 245/40-17 square setup would be used. The difference shouldn't be noticeable on the street. Mounted and balanced wheels and tires are around $1350 plus shipping at Tire Rack.