I'm pretty well determined that I would have been smarter not to run the Hankook 225/45-15 this year, and to switch to the 195/50-15 RE01R instead.

I've run against them on 2,000 pound Civics and that seems a lay down hand - I'm just not entirely sure on the 2,500 pound 200hp JCW.

Would anyone advise against the Bridgestone at this point?

 

http://www.good-win-racing.com/mazda...opic.php?t=882

 

HAHA Kumho's tread pattern looks just like the rt615.
-1 on originality

 

I have them. 195/50-15.

I do wish they were 140 treadwear like most of the 16s & 17s.

Not sure why the 15s have to be 180.

They let go on on a cold twisty road yesterday morning with little notice.

Maybe I'm expecting too much.

 

Summer tires like the RE01R aren't going to do well when the ambient temps get below about 50F. You're outside the range of conditions they were made for.

This weekend I took my 615 Azenis off and replaced them with the Artic Alpins I first installed in 2002 when prepping the car for its first winter. The snow tires feel almost like drag slicks compared to the traction that the once-sticky Azenis had in 40 degree weather. Prior to taking the summer tires off, I went for one last drive and a quick blast through 1st and 2nd on a back road. Rolled on in 1st at about 25mph, and immediately lost traction despite the Quaife. A touch of wheel hop, then shifted to second and spun again. Drove past the same area on the way home and you could see the wavey marks on the pavement where the wheels were hopping, a gap, and then 30ft of rubber from second gear.

Rolling on in 1st today with the winter tires, the tires hooked up well and just went.

That isn't intended to brag on the massive amounts of power (that I don't have), but rather to compare the impact of temperature on a summer street tire that has good grip in warm weather.

Give the 'stones another try when it warms up.

Scott
90SM

 

I have 215/45/17 RE01R's with about 500 miles on them. Did an auto-x yesterday with temps between 50F and 40F. I was fighting on throttle traction the whole day, mostly due to tire pressures too high until my last runs. My best time was 44.1 - the best of the day were Cobra's on Hoosiers and an Impreza set up for auto-x - in the 38 sec range. Given it was my first time, 6 sec off the pro's with dedicated race rubber and RWD...I was quite impressed with the RE01R's....very predictable and tons of grip, even in the cold temps

 

One note about Treadwear Ratings. As I understand it, treadwear ratings are not an industry or governmental standard, but rather a manufacturer's interpretation of treadwear based on their own in-house tests and evaluations. So, in a nutshell, one manufacturer's 140 rating may be the same as anothers 180 rating (or vise versa).

For example, I remember the old Yokohamma A008s w/ a treadwear rating of 60 would wear significantly better than a Hoosier of the same rating. However, it was not as fast of a tire as the Hoosier by anymeans.

Message: Use treadwear ratings as a guide, but not a rule. It is possible for a 180 rated tire to be faster than a 140 rated tire.