Tires, user input wanted

[Drax240z]

I want incredible dry grip and at least above average wet grip with somewhat good light snow traction.

 

You are never going to get incredible dry grip with good light snow traction. Maybe my impression of incredible is different than yours, but if you aren't running DOT slicks or stickier, you aren't getting incredible traction in my books.

 

The whole idea of max perf/traction and snow/ice use is nonsense. It sounds like 2 different sets of tires are called for here.

 

Spoken for truth.

 

If you want grip then sort your choices by the lowest UTQG rating possible. A good set of DOT-legal, sticky tires will have a UTQG rating less than 150 and as low as 40. The lower the number the stickier the tire and the shorter it's life.

 

Good rule of thumb for sure.

 

I miss my A032's for their combination of DOT slick excellent dry traction, awesome wet weather performance (at full or nearly full tread depth), and reasonable wear characteristics... if anyone knows of something that meets or exceeds on all 3 points, I'm all ears.

[260DET]

There are some really good dual purpose track day tyres around now ie tyres that are reasonably OK for everyday use but which will perform well on a race track without getting shredded. Providing the pressure is upped to ~40psi.

 

There is a Dunlop Direzza of some sort, Kumho KU36, Federal 595RSR to name a few. Fairly sure Tirerack list the first two.

[Nigel]

There are some really good dual purpose track day tyres around now ie tyres that are reasonably OK for everyday use but which will perform well on a race track without getting shredded. Providing the pressure is upped to ~40psi.

 

There is a Dunlop Direzza of some sort, Kumho KU36, Federal 595RSR to name a few. Fairly sure Tirerack list the first two.

 

The Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 and the Kumho Ecsta XS (KU36) were both listed in that Car and Driver article that I linked to earlier. The Dunlop was 1st, and the Kumho was third.

 

Nigel

[Zmanco]

I've just now finishing up a set of the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec and they're the best for warm/dry and track use I've used so far. Others I've tried include the Kumho MX and Yokohama ES100. Pricewise they are on the low end of ultra high performance summer tires. Compared to the Kumho and Yokohama's, they don't lose as much grip when hot towards the end of 20 minute summer track sessions.

 

But, despite what the reviews say, I find them a handful in the wet. They hydroplaned easily, even when new. And when the pavement temps are below 40F, they really lose a lot of grip. So unless you live in a very moderate climate, I wouldn't recommend them for a daily driver. For that, it looks like the Bridgestone RE050 is a better choice, albeit at a higher price.

[Drax240z]

I've been looking at the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 closely, but haven't taken the plunge yet. What sizes did you run Zmanco? And what was the life of them?

[Zmanco]

I'm running 225/50-16. Looks like I'll get close to 13k miles including 3 track days. TireRack has a $50 off deal for Dunlops right now and I'll probably go with them again. This will be the first performance tire that I've ever bought a second time.

[Drax240z]

$50 off? OK, might be time for me to bite.

 

Edit: Refund not available outside of the US. Bummer.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Drax240z

[Zmanco]

Too bad about the discount not being honored outside the US, but you might still want to try them. In their price range I think right now they're the best choice for a dry weather extreme performance tire.