European Car magazine for August 2004 has Part 3 of their tire guide, which is on R-compound tires. They define R compounds as commercially available tires that are D.O.T. certified and are considered driveable on the street. Here are highlights of the article:

R-compound tires still use radial construction techhnology, but feature strengthened sidewalls and super sticky rubber. Maximum tread grip starts at 8/32 in. and can be ordered shaved down to 3/32 in. But worry not, those grooves won't stay there long. UTQG is the industry standard for rating a tire's performance. The number represents the wear rating, followed by a letter traction rating and then a letter temperature rating. The lower the number, the faster the tire will wear out. For reference, the tires on a Chevy Impala have a UTQG wear rating of 560. Some race-governing bodies consider anything that has a UTQG of less than 140 not to be a street tire. The list below have a wear rating of less than 100, but can still be driven on the street. To check regulations on your autocross class, see their website at http://www.europeancarweb.com/. These tires are for die-hard at-speed junkies.

Dunlop SP Super Sport Race. 60/A/A UTQG. 17 and 18 in.

Hankook Ventus Z211. 50/A/A UTQG. 13 to 17 in.

Kumho Victoracer V700. 50/A/A UTQG. 13 to 17 in.

Kumho Ecsta V70A. 50/A/A UTQG. 13 to 18 in.

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup. 80/A/A UTQG. 15 to 18 in.

Nitto NT 555RII Extreme R. 100/A/A UTQG. 17 and 18 in.

Pirelli PZero Corsa. 60/A/A UTQG. 60/A/A UTQG. 17 and 18 in.

Toyo RA-1. 40/A/A UTQG. 13 to 18 in.

Yokohama A032R H/S. 60/A/A UTQG. 13 to 17 in.

 

I have been searching for prices/dealer for the Ventus Z211 tire. Anyone have info? 225/50/15? or 205/50/15?

 

For a bit of reference Toyo ra-1's in 205/40 series will get you 5 to 7 thousand spirited street miles with a couple of track days thrown in when fitted on a Cooper S.

Randy
Team M7