What tires do you have?

[vh_bu98]

What tires do you have on now?

Anyone running All Seasons or Summer only?

[flyinmedic]

Michellin Pilot Sport Cups

[RAC3ME]

I've got Michellin Pilots Sport A/S on the V. They are still quite sticky when warm and very good in the wet. Best all season tire I've ever had. Although when these are gone I'm going to the Dunlop star specs.

[Vandit]

Dunlop Star Specs

[jragan]

Dunlop Direzza Star Specs on my daily and track wheels.

[snowball]

Michelin PS2s.

;)

[calintexas]

PS2's - BMW OEM spec for M3.

I'm getting Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas for the 19" RAC wheels that I'm buying.

Both are summer only. The PS2's are reported to be awful(dangerous) in snow and ice. We have an Accord with Yokohama Avid H4s's that is our all weather car.

[Piloti]

Michellin Pilot Sport PS2's for the street and Michellin Pilot Sport Cups for the track.

[Qikhawk]

BFG G Force Sports

[Mr. Hollywood]

Wide Pirelli's

[DallasM5]

michelin ps2

[Fubar]

BFGoodrich Scuderia ... I'm cheap.

[BlackSheep]

Nitto Invos... I'm cheaper, but like to hook!

[RAC3ME]

Nitto Invos... I'm cheaper, but like to hook!

How do you like the invos? What would you compare them to in terms of how sticky they are?

[mordor110]

Nitto Invos... I'm cheaper, but like to hook!

Are they the ones with the interlocking tread? When pressure is applied from weight transfer in the corners the tread molds together to make it like a race slick?

[mordor110]

Falken FK452's right now as they were available in the size I needed. Seem OK. Think I'll switch back to the Mich PS 2 A/S though next time.

[RAC3ME]

Falken FK452's right now as they were available in the size I needed. Seem OK. Think I'll switch back to the Mich PS 2 A/S though next time.

The Falkens are what I have on the M5... I'm not a fan. Not good dry or wet imo.

[mordor110]

The Falkens are what I have on the M5... I'm not a fan. Not good dry or wet imo.

Yeah I need to try some others to be able to give a good opinion. It had Mich PS2 A/S on when I bought it but they were bald so only drove it about 600 miles before I got the Falkens. I was on a tight schedule to get tires and discount at Ohio & 121 had the Falkens in the size for the M5 and they were "only" $200 so I took them. Everything else they had to order. The Falken 512 (I think that's what they were) worked really good on my CL so figured the these Falkens wouldn't be so bad? They seemed slippery when I first got them but seem to grip pretty well now? I've only driven the M5 once in the wet and I was surprised it gripped as well as it did. Never went fast though and wasn't heavy rain. I usually drive my wet weather vehicle in the rain.

[Mike CLK Black]

Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas for the street and Pirelli Corsa's for the track.

[vh_bu98]

Any Toyo owners?

[Qship5]

Any Toyo owners?

I've run T1-Rs, but recently switched to the Vreds for the street. Thinking of R888s for track use.

[mbowdo20]

I have Toyo TR-1's still on the front, and now have Bridgestone Potenza RE11's on the back, hella sticky.

[UBR32]

Nitto NT555... they have been great tires so far. Great dry traction. Decent wet traction.

[ad2330]

Hankook Ventus V12 evo's.

[MisterTwo]

Nitto NT555 here too

[citylightva]

Nitto NT05's....

[JohnMartyn]

I have factory fitted Michelin Pilot SX GT tires which I have replaced by Toyo Proxes T1-S's before two months.The T1-S's is very soft, more of a track day tire.These tires are top of the range ultra-high performance tires.

[rhino-x]

Originally ADVAN Sports all around. Right now the Yoko's are still on the front, but the rears had to be replaced and I went with Pilot Sport PS2s.

I prefer the Michelins. They ride a little better, have a slightly better feel on the track, and make a LOT less noise in every day driving. They are more expensive though.

[goofygrin]

Hankook Ventus V12 evo's.

This.

I've got 9k miles on them and they're likely 40-50% done. Decent summer (but not track) traction. Fine in low rain, but hydroplaned at 70 in a sudden heavy downpour (surprise). Haven't been on the snow/ice.

They were cheap (~$750 for the set + installation).

[QDOG]

On the GT3, I took the Pilot Sport Cups off to save them for the track and replaced them recently with new Nitto Invos. I am impressed with the Nittos performance in both wet and dry conditions. Great tires for the cost.

[Karter01]

On the GT3, I took the Pilot Sport Cups off to save them for the track and replaced them recently with new Nitto Invos. I am impressed with the Nittos performance in both wet and dry conditions. Great tires for the cost.

What do you think of the ride quality?

[nash]

I didn't even know there was another option for those RS 19's... the PSCs are so ludicrously expensive (over $700 a rear now). I was hoping the Super Sports would come out in the RS fitment.

Still I rock the PSCs (and blow through them in 2-3 weekends) and swallow the cost because I don't have track wheels yet :(

[QDOG]

Ride quality and noise level is better than the Cups. I got all 4 for under $1,400 installed Alex. Not a bad tire for everyday driving.

[FrgMstr]

Been doing a lot of talking and listening on tires lately. Kumho is having issues with stocking some Viper sizes so the Ecsta XS has been taken off the table for me. I would SURELY however go back to the XS if I could easily get those. GREAT TIRE. Worth checking out.

Settled on NT05 tires here recently for my next purchase. (I hate the Pilot Sports that are stock on the 08 Viper. Dry traction is poor, and I NEVER drive it in the rain so...) The NT05 however does not come in a 345 rear width, so after talking to some of the guys at the recent True Street dyno day and some of the guys in our car forum, I have decided to go 295 NT05 in the front and use the 345 NT05R drag radial in back.

A lot of the Viper drivers have complained about the Invo sidewall being too soft for solid technical driving.

Any thoughts or opinions are welcomed. Thanks!

[goofygrin]

The NT05 has a stiff sidewall, but is narrow IMO. If they make a 355 wide NT05 it might work for you.

You might also look at the new darling... the Hankook RS3.

[ken o]

I have the following:
Hankook RS3 - great dry, good wet, ranked fastest street tire by Grassroots Magazine
Dunlop Star Specs - great dry, very good wet
Pirelli P-Zero - (OEM on the M3) - ok dry, good wet - will replace with something else
Hoosier R6, A6 - it a Hoosier enough said, don't try it in the wet.

Owned:
Kumho XS - Very good dry, fair wet
Yoko AD08 - Very good dry, good wet

I have (4) free Bridgestones to try. Waiting to see if they release the rumored RE11 in a 285/30/18.

[trentor]

This.

I've got 9k miles on them and they're likely 40-50% done. Decent summer (but not track) traction. Fine in low rain, but hydroplaned at 70 in a sudden heavy downpour (surprise). Haven't been on the snow/ice.

They were cheap (~$750 for the set + installation).Hankook Ventus V12 Evos here too.

I wouldn't fault them for hydroplaning at 70 in a sudden heavy downpour. I doubt many (if any) wide, performance tires could handle that. I've had mine at 70-80 in a moderate rain and they did great. I haven't actually tried these on the track yet, but I've heard they hold up quite well on most cars (<3500lbs or so) for novice to intermediate level driving. Once they get pushed at more of an advanced level, they can get a bit greasy. So far, I love them and will likely stick with them for the next round. It's a great all-round tire for a daily/fun car.

They DO NOT, however, hold up well to rocks the size of softballs at 45mph.

http://landrethphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z6dSM2J/0/M/i-Z6dSM2J-M.jpg

http://landrethphotography.smugmug.com/photos/i-LLN5H9H/0/M/i-LLN5H9H-M.jpg

[TXS2000]

A lot of the Viper drivers have complained about the Invo sidewall being too soft for solid technical driving.


I have been very disappointed with the Nitto Invo. You really have to way over pressure them to keep them from rolling the sidewall. For spirited driving use, I've always liked the Dunlop Star Specs. For everyday driving, I am currently using Dunlop DZ101.

[Qship5]

Recently put on Michelin Pilot Super Sports and they are awesome! Turn in is excellent, grip is phenomenal for a street tire, very smooth and progressive breakaway at the limit and noise is very good. They transmit a bit more of the road imperfections to you and your passengers, but for the increased performance I'm OK with that. We'll see how long they last, but with a 15K mile warranty with a staggered setup I'm sure they will last a while.

[BLKFIN]

Recently put on Michelin Pilot Super Sports and they are awesome! Turn in is excellent, grip is phenomenal for a street tire, very smooth and progressive breakaway at the limit and noise is very good. They transmit a bit more of the road imperfections to you and your passengers, but for the increased performance I'm OK with that. We'll see how long they last, but with a 15K mile warranty with a staggered setup I'm sure they will last a while.

Agreed, I have had them since they were first out and love them!

[vh_bu98]

I got a good deal on some Michelin PS2s so I bought a set. Lost traction twice within a minute of leaving Discount Tire yesterday, but that was expected. Day 2 has been better. The car feels more smooth and nubile with the PS2s.

[Weenus]

Nitto Invos... I'm cheaper, but like to hook!

what he said ^^^^^^^

[nash]

...The car feels more smooth and nubile with the PS2s.

Now those are some good tires :bandit:

[Kumar]

I have been very disappointed with the Nitto Invo. You really have to way over pressure them to keep them from rolling the sidewall.

I agree.

Recently put on Michelin Pilot Super Sports and they are awesome! Turn in is excellent, grip is phenomenal for a street tire, very smooth and progressive breakaway at the limit and noise is very good. They transmit a bit more of the road imperfections to you and your passengers, but for the increased performance I'm OK with that. We'll see how long they last, but with a 15K mile warranty with a staggered setup I'm sure they will last a while.

Probably going to try these next for the street.

[Qship5]

I got a good deal on some Michelin PS2s so I bought a set. Lost traction twice within a minute of leaving Discount Tire yesterday, but that was expected. Day 2 has been better. The car feels more smooth and nubile with the PS2s.

Now those are some good tires :bandit:

Anything with nubile and rubber in the same sentence peeks my interest!:eek:

[bluejae]

i also have the michelin pilot super sports... only been a couple hundred miles and they're great

[RioGrandeValley]

Continental Extreme Contact DWS Tuned. Let me stay at 70+ mph no matter the rain. After the snow and ice we got up here this past Feb Super Bowl week I learned my lesson. Can't wait for Jan and Feb of next year. Bring on the slush!!

Tomato

[TomBoy]

I got a good deal on some Michelin PS2s so I bought a set. Lost traction twice within a minute of leaving Discount Tire yesterday, but that was expected. Day 2 has been better. The car feels more smooth and nubile with the PS2s.

You did not spin them on the rims by chance? Hopefully, the road was just wet. With the soap or stuff the use to get the bead over the rim & then seat the beads (grease), that can happen. Not a big deal, except they will be out of balance.

I just got some OE spec ContiSport Contact 3's on Tuesday this week to replace some crappy potenza's that were on the car when I bought it. Man, they were crap!

These are much smoother and what I ran on my E55. (Well, them and the prior model, the ContiSport Contact 2's).

I wanted the ContiSport Contact 5's, but they were not available in the size I needed. They have extremenly stiff sidewalls for the 5K pounds of the E63 beast. The Potenza's were not the same rating, hence the 'slippery' feeling. Will give them 500-1000 miles to break in (heat cycle) and give the bead time to dry/seat before I put any power to them...

[Vandit]

The tread on my Dunlop Star Specs has been missing for several months now, driving on what are effectively slicks. I think i'll order some Hankook RS3s in the next couple of weeks.

[Mr. Hollywood]

For mostly street driving, these new Invos should "do work" just fine. I'm curious to see how they stack up to the Pirelli's I've always had.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc226/Kllymartin/5a4824d6.jpg

[Millenium Z06]

I've got PS2's, they are good when its warm outside but the last couple days since its cooled down, I've been able to spin them at will in 1st from a 15-25mph and again into 2nd and got a good bit loose going into 3rd today.
Tires have about 1000 miles on them and about 7/32" left. Other than that they turn in well and have much more grip than the GY Supercars that they replaced.
Im trying Invos next or Continental's.

[FrgMstr]

From Luke@TireRack via the Viper Club forums....

Great News! Michelin is expanding the Pilot Super Sport size offerings
Michelin will be expanding their Pilot Super Sport size lineup in the middle of the first quarter of 2012.

I will provide more details on availability and pricing as they become available.

here's the new sizes for 2012

205/45ZR17 (88Y) XL
245/45ZR17 (99Y) XL

205/40ZR18 (86Y) XL
215/40ZR18 (89Y) XL
235/50ZR18 (101Y) XL
245/35ZR18 (92Y) XL

255/30ZR19 (91Y) XL
255/40ZR19 (100Y) XL
255/45ZR19 (104Y) XL
275/40ZR19 (105Y) XL
285/40ZR19 (107Y) XL
325/30ZR19 (105Y) XL
345/30ZR19 (109Y) XL

245/45ZR20 (103Y) XL
255/40ZR20 (101Y) XL
255/45ZR20 (105Y) XL
265/30ZR20 (94Y) XL
285/35ZR20 (104Y) XL
335/30ZR20 (108Y) XL

[vh_bu98]

You did not spin them on the rims by chance? Hopefully, the road was just wet. With the soap or stuff the use to get the bead over the rim & then seat the beads (grease), that can happen. Not a big deal, except they will be out of balance.

I just got some OE spec ContiSport Contact 3's on Tuesday this week to replace some crappy potenza's that were on the car when I bought it. Man, they were crap!

These are much smoother and what I ran on my E55. (Well, them and the prior model, the ContiSport Contact 2's).

I wanted the ContiSport Contact 5's, but they were not available in the size I needed. They have extremenly stiff sidewalls for the 5K pounds of the E63 beast. The Potenza's were not the same rating, hence the 'slippery' feeling. Will give them 500-1000 miles to break in (heat cycle) and give the bead time to dry/seat before I put any power to them...

The road was dry, but a friend told me that PS2s are slippery the first 100 miles due to the oil they put on them to prevent them from drying out.

The funny thing is that I found out that they put on 3 run flats and one regular tire. I didn't even noticed until the guy at Classic told me when he was putting nitrogen in. The sad part was that they had to order 4 regular PS2s the first time around because they had 3 run flats and 1 regular even though the computer system said they had 4 regulars.

[ShaneM]

any of you guys have experience on higher power cars running the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires? ive nearly worn out the pirellie p-zeros on my 12 boss 302 and have been trying to find something that offered better grip without moving to an r-comp. i don't care for changing wheels and tires at the track. the tire rack dude recommended these but i haven't come across a single review of them for road racing. i worry at 1400 for the set they may not grip as well as the factory tires. any input? very hard to find 255/40-19 and 285/35-19 tires. no desire to move to the $600 each pirellis the laguna seca uses, they don't appear to be just a whole heck of a lot better than the normal boss 302 pirellis from the track times ive seen.

[Vandit]

any of you guys have experience on higher power cars running the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position tires? ive nearly worn out the pirellie p-zeros on my 12 boss 302 and have been trying to find something that offered better grip without moving to an r-comp. i don't care for changing wheels and tires at the track. the tire rack dude recommended these but i haven't come across a single review of them for road racing. i worry at 1400 for the set they may not grip as well as the factory tires. any input? very hard to find 255/40-19 and 285/35-19 tires. no desire to move to the $600 each pirellis the laguna seca uses, they don't appear to be just a whole heck of a lot better than the normal boss 302 pirellis from the track times ive seen. Read ken o's post on the previous page. Are the street tires he mentions available in the sizes you need?



I'm waiting for my Hankook RS3s to show up at Discount Tire. I didn't expect to wait a whole week to get them, but apparently they do not carry "race tires" and are having to bring them in from a California distribution center. I planned on getting them installed this weekend, but now that will have to wait till next weekend.

Driving to work in the rain on slicks (16k mile Dunlop Star Specs, non-existent tread depth) should be interesting tomorrow.

[bioderek]

Yoko Advans on the c63, wear very quickly and pretty noisy. Getting Mich PSS's on tomorrow.

[ShaneM]

i had the bridgestone potenza s-o4's installed on my car last night. Obviously i haven't put much time on them yet, but they are surprisingly quiet and it poured on my last night and they did very well in the wet at speeds i wouldn't have driven on the factory p zeros. i hope to hit an ecr members day on the second or third Saturday next month and give them a workout.

[Vandit]

Gearing up for those harsh Texas winters!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/PumpXRS/IMG_0131s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/PumpXRS/StarSpecvRS3.jpg
Replaced my 17k mile 200TW Dunlop Star Spec extreme performance summer tires with 140TW Hankook RS3 extreme performance winter tires!

[trentor]

Gearing up for those harsh Texas winters!

[IMG]
[IMG]

Replaced my 17k mile 200TW Dunlop Star Spec extreme performance summer tires with 140TW Hankook RS3 extreme performance winter tires!haha! that's kinda funny. I'm surprised you'd run those on a daily. My Hankook V12s don't like it when the temps near freezing and they get quite slippery. I would imagine the RS3s are worse.

[pmptx]

haha! that's kinda funny. I'm surprised you'd run those on a daily. My Hankook V12s don't like it when the temps near freezing and they get quite slippery. I would imagine the RS3s are worse.

Spot on!

The RS3's are like rolling rocks when really cold.

It took multiple laps to get them up to any sort of temp and the track temps were mid 30's.

I love the RS3, but be careful when it is really cold, they like to lose traction quickly.

[Vandit]

Well, the car has 180hp and no torque, so it shouldn't be too demanding on the tires. I've been living in DFW since '04 and during that time I've run RS2s, Star Specs, and now RS3s, year round. I stay home whenever there is ice/snow accumulation on the road.

[Malu59RT]

Settled on NT05 tires here recently for my next purchase. (I hate the Pilot Sports that are stock on the 08 Viper. Dry traction is poor, and I NEVER drive it in the rain so...) The NT05 however does not come in a 345 rear width, so after talking to some of the guys at the recent True Street dyno day and some of the guys in our car forum, I have decided to go 295 NT05 in the front and use the 345 NT05R drag radial in back.


If you thought the Invo sidewall was too soft, I'm curious to see what you think about the NT05R's. Drove a friend's Viper that is very similar to mine, and the NT05R's made the car feel very unstable. From what I understand, the sidewall is soft also, and let's the car "walk" on the highway at mid triple digits (I involuntarily changed lanes at 160 mph with the NT05R's) and have heard this from other people as well. A few friends have them on their 1000whp cars, and they do hook, but curious what you think of them for cornering.

[Arch_horn]

On my third go-round with the Hankook Ventus V12 evo's. Still have original fronts (13k miles). The first set of rears lasted 10k miles. Second set of rears lasted all of two months and 3k miles. Just had third set installed this morning at Discount Tires. Kinda pissed me off. After the last set, I had fcabs, rtabs replaced and alignment done at Autoscope...so really surprised they only lasted 3k miles.

Car hasn't been tracked...and normal "spirited" driving...just like normal. Anyway, Discount Tires gave me back $53 per tire to replace...but jacked up the price per tire to full retail and not what they sold them to me (matching Tire Rack price...about $170 each). Said to get the discounted price would void the $53 "rebate". So, in effect no discount. If I needed fronts too, I would have tried something else.

So other than bad tread wear (hopefully an anomaly), the Kooks have been good tires...decent traction for my driving style...better cost vs Michelin and much quieter than the Nittos I had on before.

[Vandit]

What are the alignment specs on the rear and what kind of car? What did the wear look like? Even across the tire or only on inner shoulder?

Sometimes the best handling, safest alignment specs aren't always the most wear friendly.

Minimizing toe and cross-toe is key to extended wear, however, toe and cross-toe are also important for stability.

[dukenukem]

Hankook Ventus R-S3 for summer in 225/45/17

Michellin Pilot Sport A/S Plus for Winter

[Arch_horn]

It's an '03 M3 coupe...with stock suspension. I've been lazy and need to look at my camber and toe numbers for the rear axle. So don't know how it compares to spec...but Carson always steers me the right way.

[Vandit]

A 280 TW tire shouldn't die in 3k miles unless you're doing Ken Block impersonations or your alignment is fuxored.

[Arch_horn]

I think the tire gremlins switched 'em out before Christmas:)

[FrgMstr]

If you thought the Invo sidewall was too soft, I'm curious to see what you think about the NT05R's. Drove a friend's Viper that is very similar to mine, and the NT05R's made the car feel very unstable. From what I understand, the sidewall is soft also, and let's the car "walk" on the highway at mid triple digits (I involuntarily changed lanes at 160 mph with the NT05R's) and have heard this from other people as well. A few friends have them on their 1000whp cars, and they do hook, but curious what you think of them for cornering.

Will, let you know. Reading up on information from Nitto, the NT05R sidewall is supposed to be stiffer than the Invo. Will find out soon. Got my wheels back from the powder coater last week. Discount gave me two weeks delivery.

[Arch_horn]

Turns out my new RTABs failed and this caused the poor wear on my rears. Carson's taking care of this soon...so I guess Hankooks not to blame:)

[FrgMstr]

Multiple places with negative feedback about the NT05R about a "driving tire" pushed me to go 335/30/19 on the rears with the NT05. Talking to the techs in the bay at Discount really gave me thought as to how the NT05R wears very quickly.

Have not had the NT05s out when it was a good temperature yet, but they feel a ton better than the Michelin Pilot Sports that were still on the car.

http://kylebennett.com/files/kyle/viper/Green/Viper-Grn-BlackWheels.jpg

[UBR32]

Competition
- NT05R's are meant for straight line drag racing. NT01's are road course tires.

Street
- NT05's are outstanding

[Arch_horn]

RTABs replaced and car feels new again...we'll see how well this third set of 'kooks does

[FrgMstr]

Heading down to Kerrville to run Three Sisters this Saturday, will surely find out how the NT05s handle down there. Suckage though, a couple weeks after I bought the Nittos, Michelin finally released the Super Sports in Viper sizes. $1500 a set shipped. Argh. Hearing really good things about the new Pilot SS...

[goofygrin]

Evo V12's corded today (well likely corded earlier, noticed this morning). 12k miles.

Went with what Discount had in stock. Pilot Sport all seasons (with a treadwear warranty lol). I drive like grandma most of the time anyway, so it likely wont make a difference.

[RAC3ME]

Just had a set of Michelin Super Sports put on the S4 yesterday because of all the great reviews from you guys and everyone else online... Pick the car up tomorrow so we'll see how they stack up.

It had Hankook V12's on it before. I like the way the V12's rode and how quiet they were even with the rears almost to their wear bars.

Oh and thanks once again to Autoscope and Steve!

[Qship5]

Just had a set of Michelin Super Sports put on the S4 yesterday because of all the great reviews from you guys and everyone else online... Pick the car up tomorrow so we'll see how they stack up.

It had Hankook V12's on it before. I like the way the V12's rode and how quiet they were even with the rears almost to their wear bars.

Oh and thanks once again to Autoscope and Steve!

I think you'll really like the PSS's. Did you also put the PSS9s on the car? I don't recall that being in your sig the other day...

[RAC3ME]

I think you'll really like the PSS's. Did you also put the PSS9s on the car? I don't recall that being in your sig the other day...

Ya! PSS9's, Michelin PSS's, alignment and some AWE aluminum pedals for this round of mods... :thumbsup2:

[Karter01]

Just had a set of Michelin Super Sports put on the S4 yesterday because of all the great reviews from you guys and everyone else online... Pick the car up tomorrow so we'll see how they stack up.

It had Hankook V12's on it before. I like the way the V12's rode and how quiet they were even with the rears almost to their wear bars.

Oh and thanks once again to Autoscope and Steve!

Let me know what you think about the ride/noise level compared to the V12's. I was looking into these for my next set.