Road/track tyres

[ga41]

ColiNThEZ4, i was also intrigued by the R1R's but couldn't find them in the M's stock sizes. Plus i then read in several reviews how soft the whole carcass is, i don't think they'd be suited to a heavy car like our M's.

Actually the R1R's are a very good tyre. I ran them all year last year on my M3 and thought they were very good!

They are also sensible money.

Dug deep this year and brought a set of cups. So it will be good to see what these are like.

I know they're good value for money, i was just going by what i read in online reviews. Have not tried them personally. Glad you liked them though, 1 more option out there for people to try. What did you like/did not like about them? Held up good? Read that they become greasy relatively quick.

 

[carl]

Can you get Yokohama AD08s in that size? They're the stickiest List 1A tyres you can get (if List 1A/1B matters to you -- won't if you do trackdays but will if you compete).

If you mean to our stock M sizes, then yes you can. I've got them on right now, 225/45/18 and 255/40/18. Have to order them direct from the Cypriot Yokohama importer though.

They're good tyres, we're running them on our production-class competition Saxo but we had to go from 205/45R15 to 205/50R15 to get them.

 

[ChawenHalo]

Michelins Super Sports it is then

Are they progressive enough how they break tracktion for a dummy like me though? :|

 

[Franzino]

even top road tyres heat up too much after a few laps on a circuit I find.

Even racing tyres heat up too much on track if you abuse them, but they give less warning when they throw you off

Ouhh that's not good for clumsy me then...

I'm still on my original Michelin Pilot Sports and after 16000 km and 4/5 trackdays they're pretty good; Was pleased how they gripped in flooding rain too. Tryckier for breaking in thiose conditions though.

Same experience I have with my Michelin tyres. I used to have the Pilot Sports... Now I have the Supersports and they are even better. Great road-track tyre.

 

[ChawenHalo]

Since I fitted them they've done 3 days at the 'Ring (about 40-50 laps in total), 1 UK trackday at Oulton Park (150 miles) and 10,000 road miles, and they still have over half the usable tread left (about 5mm at the lowest point on the rears). If they keep wearing at the rate they have done then I'll get 20,000 miles out of a set of rears - that's about double the normal lifespan of my rears

I assume that the fact they're not 'slipping' as much means they're not burning away their rubber as quickly. So the 30-50% initial cost premium over other tyres may work out to balance out over the life of the tyre

On Michelin PS2 I don't mind the "slipping" bit but its more the "melting bit that bothers me. Once too hot it makes the car handle like a sausage even though I did let enough air our to abour 2/2.2 bars. Other than that they've been great on the road but I would definately prefer a more consiostent and enduring track tyre. Worried that a track tyre would just grip too herd and then let go suddenly, which is not what I need.

Any other advice other than MSS?

 

[Jembo]

Never tried them but heard good things about Toyo R888's

 

[tomscott]

If you want the best and have the budget the Mich SS XL are the only ones worth looking at. As I dont track mine (yet and I have some 18s with PS) I went with vreds, but if I had the extra cash lying around i would have gone mich SS xl

 

[ga41]

Since I fitted them they've done 3 days at the 'Ring (about 40-50 laps in total), 1 UK trackday at Oulton Park (150 miles) and 10,000 road miles, and they still have over half the usable tread left (about 5mm at the lowest point on the rears). If they keep wearing at the rate they have done then I'll get 20,000 miles out of a set of rears - that's about double the normal lifespan of my rears

I assume that the fact they're not 'slipping' as much means they're not burning away their rubber as quickly. So the 30-50% initial cost premium over other tyres may work out to balance out over the life of the tyre

On Michelin PS2 I don't mind the "slipping" bit but its more the "melting bit that bothers me. Once too hot it makes the car handle like a sausage even though I did let enough air our to abour 2/2.2 bars. Other than that they've been great on the road but I would definately prefer a more consiostent and enduring track tyre. Worried that a track tyre would just grip too herd and then let go suddenly, which is not what I need.

Any other advice other than MSS?

If you find that tires get greasy on you fairly quickly on track then your only other option is to get an R-Comp tire like the Pilot Sport Cup or a semi-slick like the Toyo R888 that Jembo mentioned... There is NO ideal tire that does everything. That has both long life, treads for water dispersion AND provide excellent track performance. Everything is a series of compromises.

That said the closest street tire to R-Comps that you can get is probably the Yokohama AD08. I have them and they really are excellent for a dual purpose tire. Very grippy and progressive to their breakaway. More progressive than my previous Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's for example. They are s**t with standing water though and my rears have barely lasted 9 months...

 

[ChawenHalo]

it seems that the R componds grip like chewing gum and to be honest the MPS had all the grip I need (I'm n improving technique rather than lap times).

Might have a look to see what the CSL boys run.

Need something that is as progressive as the MPS but resist heat better. Don't mind poor wet handling.

 

[ga41]

I don't know mate. You say you want more heat resistance but don't need more grip, well tires that will offer more heat resistance will have more grip... I can personally vouch for the AD08's that they grip very well and for very long. Other similar choices would be Bridgestone RE-11, Dunlop Direzza Star Spec, Kumho Ecsta XS, Pirelli Corsa, maybe Toyo R1R although i've heard that they don't last very long.

 

[kappa88]

I've been using bridgestone re55s in medium compound for a couple of years. Actually fitted a new set on the //M today, 235s front and 285s rear (no rubbing yet). I find them awesome track tires, loads of grip, deal well with the temperature and very progressive and intuitive. The downside is that being quite a soft compound they wear quite quickly. They are also a bit noisy on the road and don't deal too well with standing water.
But all in all, if performance is your priority, this is a very good choice.

 

[mmm-five]

That said the closest street tire to R-Comps that you can get is probably the Yokohama AD08. I have them and they really are excellent for a dual purpose tire. Very grippy and progressive to their breakaway. More progressive than my previous Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's for example. They are s**t with standing water though and my rears have barely lasted 9 months...

That's why I mentioned/bought the SuperSports.

They're better than any track tyre on the road, and better than any road tyre on the track - IYSWIM

The rears have now done about 15k miles, 50-60 'Ring laps, and are still at about 5mm - fronts were put on about 2,000 miles earlier and have about 6mm.

The only way you'll get a better tyre is to have dedicated road/wet/track tyres.

 

[ChawenHalo]

That said the closest street tire to R-Comps that you can get is probably the Yokohama AD08. I have them and they really are excellent for a dual purpose tire. Very grippy and progressive to their breakaway. More progressive than my previous Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's for example. They are s**t with standing water though and my rears have barely lasted 9 months...

That's why I mentioned/bought the SuperSports.

They're better than any track tyre on the road, and better than any road tyre on the track - IYSWIM

The rears have now done about 15k miles, 50-60 'Ring laps, and are still at about 5mm - fronts were put on about 2,000 miles earlier and have about 6mm.

sod it sounds good to me. I'll have a go. :roll:

The only way you'll get a better tyre is to have dedicated road/wet/track tyres.

 

[Franzino]

That said the closest street tire to R-Comps that you can get is probably the Yokohama AD08. I have them and they really are excellent for a dual purpose tire. Very grippy and progressive to their breakaway. More progressive than my previous Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's for example. They are s**t with standing water though and my rears have barely lasted 9 months...

That's why I mentioned/bought the SuperSports.

They're better than any track tyre on the road, and better than any road tyre on the track - IYSWIM

The rears have now done about 15k miles, 50-60 'Ring laps, and are still at about 5mm - fronts were put on about 2,000 miles earlier and have about 6mm.

The only way you'll get a better tyre is to have dedicated road/wet/track tyres.

100% correct! In my opinion; if you have a dual purpose car (street and track) and want the best compromise in street-track tyre that performs good in the rain, then the Michelin Supersports are the one. The reasons above are why I also fitted them last year when my PS2 tyres needed replacement. Ok; on a track the Michelin Cup, Yokohama AD08, Bridgestone RE-11, RE55, Dunlop Direzza Star Spec, Kumho Ecsta XS, Pirelli Corsa, Toyo R1R ore other semi slick tyre are still a little better when the heat gets really high. Some of these tyres; like the Dunlop and Toyo are not available in 19". IMO these semi slick tyres are really good if you have a dedicated track car or an extra set of wheels with track day tyres... I only have two sets of alloy wheels (18" winter tyres and 19" with summer tyres). If I had a dedicated track day car then I would probably fit the Michelin Cup or Yokohama AD08 and not drive the car in heavy rain or on colder days. When comparing the Supersports with the Cup; my tyre dealer (and also track day driver) says that the gain on track with the cups is small, but the downsides you have with them on the road (in rain) are bigger then the gains on track... They are also a little more expensive then the Supersports.

Review Supersports: http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Michelin-Pilot-Performance-from-track-to-street.htm
599GTO delivered on Supersports: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ferrari-599-gto-to-have-michelin-tires-20341.html