I need new tires now that my Azenis's are almost shot. The car will be driven on the local road course here mainly which is probably a little higher than typical autocross speeds (70-80mph). I don't care for wet traction, road noise, treadwear or any of that crap, only dry grip. The cars got tokicos/eibachs/GC's, alignments probably somewhere near -3*C F and -2*C R. Toe and caster will likely be kept stock. I am not looking to spend anymore than $105 per tire and have the two options (feel free to add):

225-50-16
Hankook RS-2
Kumho Esta MX

I'm spoiled by how little noise the Falkens make near the adhesion limit and don't want tires that squeal a lot. I was happy with the Falkens but the car is a little bit faster now with the turbo so I'd like to keep the same grip level at the least.

I would like some opinions from people who have run either of the tires and the Falkens as well.

 

how is your tire wear? that seems like a bit too much camber for street tire compound.
get Kumho XS. its the new top dog, and its just a hair over your 105 limit (well worth the extra few bucks). much faster than azenis, rs2, and mx

 

I'd say the MX, and probably the RS-2 as well, are a downgrade from the Azenis. I second the vote for the XS.

 

dunlop z1 star spec

 

get the kumho XS. i got them and the grip is simply amazing. wow.

 

I have a new set of 245f/275r Kumho XS mounted on some brand new Fikse FM5s and I can't wait to try them out

 

check out the latest car and driver. They have a great tire comparo that might be of interest.

 

That was good for a lol. "wow, the freaking star specs and XS's creamed our product-placement super overpriced PS2s."

 

I can't view that article when I find it on google, anyone have the link?

I'm actually considering the dunlops since discounttiredirect has them for $124/ea. but free shipping so its equal. I found a link with an autox/skidpad test on both tires:

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/wheels...g-dog-ps2.html

It looks like the Dunlops do far better in the wet but the Kumhos are a hair faster in the dry. Hmm..

 

I will reiterate the choice of Kumho XS. They have the added bonus of being fully rotatable (forgive the pun) if you don't run stagger.

Though, at 4/32, mine have begun to howl at me. This is the height where the outer treadblocks join with the outer rib, making a much larger solid expanse of rubber on the outside of the tire. yay for more grip, but at the cost of some noise.

 

sounds like you found your tire

 

+ eleventy


got my Star Specs today actually, i have been using Azenis forever! (RT-215, and RT-615) it was time for something new, so the Star Specs looked to be a good choice since i like Azenis so much.

i have read alot of good reviews on the Dunlop star specs, alot of people that have used azenis in the past seem to like them alot.

 

Thing is, a lot of people got into the Star specs because they were the first of the "new" generation of tires that is releasing now. they were so early that early adopters didn't have the option of the NT-05, RS-3, AD08, XS, R1R, or RE-11.

Grassroots Motorsports magazine comparison testing had the Star Specs at the back of the field when put up against the rest of the new crop . That's not to say they aren't a good tire, but I don't think they are the go-to recommendation they were 8 months ago.

 

That grassroots article used a Z1 that was narrower than the other tires. I don't think it was a very fair test.

 

But then again they did it with a wider R1R and it didn't help it much.

You can look here for a tire rack test. Seems like the XS only "loses" because of it's wet traction, but they say it is the choice for ultimate dry traction.

But this test, too, highlights that there is no wrong choice with these tires. They just each have a character their own, and each driver will really need to try them to find what they like best.

...or they need to be very specific about the characteristics they want out of a tire; something more than just "what's the best" or "what has the highest grip." That's part of the reason why most of these threads are pointless.

 

here is the test:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...csta_xs_page_9

this just confirms what i already knew. get these tires! i am shocked at the traction.

 

I'm having a hard time deciding b/w the Dunlops and the Kumho's so I'll probably get either. It would be nice to be more confident driving in the rain but then again with no AC/heat its not the best car to even drive in the rain lol...

So not only did I not ask either of those questions, I stated exactly what I wanted out of the tire. I haven't kept up with the tire market lately after taking a break from autocrossing to boost the car and this thread helped me decide after getting opinions from RX-7 owners.

 

If you're concerned about wet traction I think the Dunlops will be better. My dad's got XS on his Miata and was complaining about the wet grip and he's run Azenis in the past, so worse than that.

 

Ya, notice I said "most" and not "this thread?" It was more a comment on the "opinions" in this thread, rather than your question asking. Your question was actually very thorough.

And I think with all the third party tests, you have your answer about "dry grip."