stickiest street tire: Michelin Pilot Cup Sport vs. Toyo RA-1
 

What would be a stickier street tire assuming both are shaved for optimal results for an FD with rolled fenders and coilovers and M2 trailing arms out back?

I need a DOT legal tire... no Hoosiers. I've run the RA-1's and loved them....

Sizes would be either RA-1 245/40/18 up front and 275/35/18, 335/30/18 out back (Toyo doesn't make the dam 285/30/18)

or

Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 285/30/18 up front and same out back or a 335/30/18.

I have either 18x9 and 18x10 rims.... or a set of 18x10.5's (that are 3 piece and can be made into 12" wide very easily).

Trying to determine this before the car goes in for paint. I believe the RA-1's are stickier... but the contact patch the Pilot Cup tires offer up front is more desirable. It doesn't matter which will last longer.

One can't fit a 275/35/18 up front because it is too tall right?

Input would be appreciated. I should have around 450rwhp/410rwtq. I want this car to handle great. Are 285's out back enuf tire when fully heated to put the power down as in for a road course?

Thanks,

Mark

I believe Toyo RA1 is better. you want to know what tire to choose. look what every one is using on Race track. Most of fast guy either use hoosier, kumho or TOYO. So for best performace choose TOYO. for other choose else..

New to the market (at least to me) is the Yokohoma A048, which only used to be available in Japan. If you try these out, let me know. At 300 a pop for a 265/35/18, its a little too expensive for me right now. So if you use em, let us know :) I started a thread a few lines down asking the same, with links to tire rack, as well as yokohoma's site about them. DOT legal as well.

I heard those A048's are an awesome track tire, but the new "best " street tyre I'm told is the new Yokohama Advan Neova AD07's... The rack said there better than any street tyre to date... I was then going to order, but for some reason the USA didn't get some of the wider sizes yet... but there coming...

I just bought the Falken RT 615's... there suppose to be really great as well and my 275-40-17 were only 153.00... We'll see. I can't afford to stick 250.00 tires on back 2-3 times a year anymore, ya know? :)

both the michelins and the toyos are streetlegal R compound tires. They are street legal because they meet the min tread depth. When you shave them, they are no longer street legal (depending on how much yuo take off), but to shave an R compound such that you get max performance out of them you need to take it down to where it is no longer street legal. Both these tires will heat cycle and that is a bad thing for repeated street driving.

thats kinda true, not en"tire"ly :)

I'm installing my Falken RT 615's tomorrow...These are also as good as they get and are SCCA street tyre class legal. Check them out! I'm not into the latest tyre fashions, but there different...

I have heard time and time again the RA-1's wear really well. I also have noticed that most of the One Lap competitors run the Michelin Pilot Cup tires......

Decisions..... expensive decisions

I'm going 305-35-18 (26.3dia)/275-35-18 (25.5 dia) on my 18x11/18x9.5 Forgeline RS3 wheels. Of course that is on the MKIV;)

Cheap tires but are not RACE dot's. Summitomo HRTZ. tread wear is 160. Draging or street they get sticky !After a burn out rocks are stuck in the soft rubber...however this is a normal street tires that performs like a racing DOT and is a good price.

What? One Lap doesn't allow R compound tires: http://www.onelapofamerica.com/Forms/tirePolicy.htm. They haven't in the recent past either. Pilot Sports were a popular tire last year (or year before).

Anyhow, the RA-1s do wear extremely well- I run these on my Spec Miata for a full season and drive the damn car to work at least two or three times per week (minus the race exhaust). There is the sizing issue, but the RA-1s will be superior to the Pilot Cups in the rain- unless you shave them.

Folks I know that run the Pilot Cups really like them too, but caution against pushing them when cold.

I'd probably vote for the cheaper Toyos (not from 1010tires.com!)and get a dedicated set of race wheels/tires for track work.

Gene

Mark I just realized we may be on the track together this summer, get the michelins for sure...

Don't know if it's still true but in years past Michelin sponsored One Lap. All cars HAD to run Michelin tires.

Carl- I have Hoosiers for the track

I assume you will be running RA-1's on your Poopra? :)

Nitto's coming out with a new tire called the NT-01. You might want to check that out.