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4C Tire Reviews

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#1 ·
(perhaps this would make a good sticky)

4C Tire Reviews, the tires we've used on our 4Cs and what we thought about them.

Tire reviews are always helpful. Questions plentiful, answers sometime limited.

There are many good posts scattered in this wonderful forum about tires, but buried deep and hard to find. Our 4C has a unique tire size, at least the rear 19s anyway. What's available, what will actually fit, what works well or doesn't work at all?

Before I get into a review of my own, I thought I'd write (talk?) about tire basics. I know there are other people with excellent knowledge and I hope they chime in as well. But don't take our words as the only real views, there's plenty of good reading on the net and in books. Tire Rack has lots of wonderful, easy to read information about tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/research_advice.html

There are street tires and there are competition tires.

Competition tires are a subject all to their own and deserve a thread of their own. They are not street legal, seldom have tread, and have minimal traction when cold and best grip when extremely hot.

Street tires have been tested and approved by a government agency for your area. In the USA it's DOT (Department of Transportation). They have tread and work best in cool to warm temperatures. Snow tires work best in ice cold temperatures.

All tires have numbers on the side, which can be a mystery to some people. I'll try to explain.

Tire Size: ie 185/75R14
'185' is the section width. The widest part of the tire where it bulges at the sidewall. This is a metric number, 185 mm. Section width is not tread width.

'/' is more than just a separator. It's also a math operator as you'll see in the next sentence.

'75' is the aspect ratio. This is a percentage or a division. The sidewall height is 75% of the section width. In this example the sidewall is 139 mm tall.

'R' indicates it's a radial tire. Usually there is another letter leading the 'R' such as 'SR'. The 'S' is a speed rating. A 'V' tire can sustain higher speeds than an 'S' tire. There are non-radials using this system and then it would just be an 'X'. (185/75x14). A tire without a speed rating can not be used faster that 65 or 70 MPH, which is the maximum speed allowed in most of America.

'14' is the bead size as measured where the tire touches the rim. This is in inches. Don't ask why we mix Metric and American Standard cause I don't know.

Over the years, there have been many different tire size systems. I used the above example because that's the system our 4C uses.

If you read the fine print, you'll find a load rating. When buying new tires, make sure the new tires can carry the same load as the OEM tire, or more. This is very important if you want to use a different size. This is not a static load. As the car turns, brakes and goes over bumps, the tires load and unload. In some situations, a single tire may need to carry half the weight of the car. Our 4C weighs about 2500 pounds, but all four tires added together equals 5048 pounds, about twice the car.

You'll also notice the load is with a certain air pressure, maybe 50 pounds. This second number is the maximum air pressure you can safely put in the tire. As the pressure drops, so does the ability to carry a big load.

Most of us here have a scare story or two about somebody that put undersized tires on their car and didn't live to tell the tale. Don't do it!

One of the things that's important to look for is the tread wear rating. This is somewhat new, maybe ten years or less. Not all tires have this rating. They're either very old, or rock hard. In any case, you don't want them. Usually you'll find 'UTQG' followed by the tread wear rating number followed by traction grade followed by temperature grade. Our P-Zero is UTQG 220 AA A. In this example, AA & A are the best ratings possible. The 220 is arbitrary and deserves an explanation.

By location, the 'AA' is Traction Grade and the 'A' is Temperature Grade.

Tread wear rating number is a measure of how fast the tread wears out. The smaller the number, the faster it wears. I've seen number from 500 to 60. Long lasting tires have less grip, it's a harder rubber compound. Tires with lots of traction have a soft compound and wear quick. Race compound rubber actually rolls off in strings and balls hitting the following cars. It's hot and sticky leaving black streaks on the other race cars.

So, this tread wear rating is only a guide. What do you want? A tire that lasts 60,000 miles and has no traction in the canyons? Or a tire that can hug the twisties but wear out in 15,000 miles? 500 vs 220. The good news is there are tires with 300 ratings. I'm just saying that you have choices.

Staggered set is when all four tires are not the same size. It may have started in NASCAR where they use four different tire sizes. But it usually means that the rears are wider or taller. In the case of our 4Cs, the rears are wider and taller than the fronts.

As of this writing (July 2016), there isn't much of a tire selection for the 18/19 combo. I'm not sure what's available to fit the 17/18 combo. I found that going up one size offers a better selection.

205/45ZR17 --> 215/45ZR17
235/40ZR18 --> 245/40ZR18

205/40ZR18 --> 215/40VR18
235/35ZR19 --> 245/35VR19

Tires, for a given size, have a window or a minimum and maximum allowed tolerance. Some manufacturers choose to make a smaller tire so they can sell it for less money. Another may choose to build the largest allowed to claim better grip or more tread life. Yet another may just make their tire the exact size it says. This effects tire weight, life, grip, price and maybe fitment.

Tread width isn't mentioned and there is no number or marking on the tire that tells the consumer what the actual tread width is. This effects contact patch and rolling resistance.

To find all these things, and more, Tire Rack (no, I don't get paid by Tire Rack, it's just a very informative site) has almost all these specs listed. You can also go to the tire manufacturer web site. Find the tire size and model you're interested in and they will list all these numbers.

The weight of the tire matters. This is un-sprung weight. How fast the tire/wheel goes up and down as the road moves under the car effects not just the passenger comfort, but traction as well. If the tire can't stay on the ground (heavy tire), you can't have good traction. Tire weight also effects rolling resistance and reciprocating mass. This directly effects acceleration and braking as well as turning, especially tight serpentine turns. A low tire weight is a good thing.

Driver reviews usually include, but are not limited to:
Road noise: Usually a tread pattern thing. Not all tires are quiet.
Grip: Traction. Want to go fast(er) in the turns?
Stability: Tram-lining, darting. Does the car feel stable in a straight line or is it darting and wondering?
Longevity: How long did the tires last?
 
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#2 ·
Michelin Pilot Super Sport

I installed new tires yesterday. I got 21,000 miles out of the original P-Zeros. The rears were danger thin, but...

I wanted a longer lasting tire without sacrificing much grip. In the 18/19 set there just isn't any choices. So I went up one size. After reviewing the good selection of tires and juggling my compromises, I chose the Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

215/40ZR18 (205/40ZR18 OEM) front
245/35ZR19 (235/35ZR19 OEM) rear

I based my decision on many things.

- Weight: lightest in this size.
- Tread width: widest in this size.
- Tread wear rating: 300 so it will last longer than 20k without giving up much traction. Besides, as a daily driver I don't drive on that ragged edge. When I do push the canyons, I'm still not on the ragged edge.
- Price: well, uhm, actually expensive compared to the others.
- Reviews online and some people I know: it's getting good reviews.

I did my home work and found that the OEM Pirelli P-Zero are small for their size class with a tiny tread width. These Michelin's are large for their size class and I'm going up a size. I was unsure if they would fit, maybe they'll rub the springs. Will I need spacers?

At the tire shop we mounted one front and one rear and did a test fit. All seemed well. It looked and felt like plenty of room. So we mounted the other two and finished the job. With about 50 miles now, all seems good.

I measured the ride height before and after. The larger tires raised the car 3/8 inch. Probably not enough to matter. If I had coil overs, I could lower it back to stock ride height.

I was concerned about speedometer error as well. I used my smart phone GPS to check the speed before and after. With the P-Zeros, it was 2 mph under. Meaning if the speedo showed 60 mph, I was actually doing 58. With the new larger tires, I was 1 mph under. 60 showing is now 59 actual.

I need to let the tires break-in before I can offer more of a review. Part of break-in is waiting for the bead-lube to dry. I don't want to spin the tire on the wheel. I will also need to check the pressure soon as it will drop during break-in. So far I like them.
 
#4 ·
I installed new tires yesterday. I got 21,000 miles out of the original P-Zeros. The rears were danger thin, but...

I wanted a longer lasting tire without sacrificing much grip. In the 18/19 set there just isn't any choices. So I went up one size. After reviewing the good selection of tires and juggling my compromises, I chose the Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

215/40ZR18 (205/40ZR18 OEM) front
245/35ZR19 (235/35ZR19 OEM) rear

I based my decision on many things.

- Weight: lightest in this size.
- Tread width: widest in this size.
- Tread wear rating: 300 so it will last longer than 20k without giving up much traction. Besides, as a daily driver I don't drive on that ragged edge. When I do push the canyons, I'm still not on the ragged edge.
- Price: well, uhm, actually expensive compared to the others.
- Reviews online and some people I know: it's getting good reviews.

I did my home work and found that the OEM Pirelli P-Zero are small for their size class with a tiny tread width. These Michelin's are large for their size class and I'm going up a size. I was unsure if they would fit, maybe they'll rub the springs. Will I need spacers?

At the tire shop we mounted one front and one rear and did a test fit. All seemed well. It looked and felt like plenty of room. So we mounted the other two and finished the job. With about 50 miles now, all seems good.

I measured the ride height before and after. The larger tires raised the car 3/8 inch. Probably not enough to matter. If I had coil overs, I could lower it back to stock ride height.

I was concerned about speedometer error as well. I used my smart phone GPS to check the speed before and after. With the P-Zeros, it was 2 mph under. Meaning if the speedo showed 60 mph, I was actually doing 58. With the new larger tires, I was 1 mph under. 60 showing is now 59 actual.

I need to let the tires break-in before I can offer more of a review. Part of break-in is waiting for the bead-lube to dry. I don't want to spin the tire on the wheel. I will also need to check the pressure soon as it will drop during break-in. So far I like them.

You re going to absolutely love these tires. Super responsive, very predictable and they definitely inspire confidence on the track or canyons. Great wear rating too. I've used theres for years on my other car and I'd use nothing but them. They are the best all around tire offered.
 
#6 ·
I'm using 17/18 Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R's - pretty awesome for a street tire. I want to also try the Hankook RS-3's they are in the same "almost R compound" category. If Toyo made RA-1's in the sizes I want they would be on the car. Also if BFG R1's were in the sizes those as well :) I don't mind the mileage hit on real R compound tires for the street since my car is canyon duty 98% of the time.
 
#8 ·
If you read the fine print, you'll find a load rating. When buying new tires, make sure the new tires can carry the same load as the OEM tire, or more. This is very important if you want to use a different size. This is not a static load. As the car turns, brakes and goes over bumps, the tires load and unload. In some situations, a single tire may need to carry half the weight of the car. Our 4C weighs about 2500 pounds, but all four tires added together equals 5048 pounds, about twice the car.
The fine print? My P-zero's that came with the car have the sidewall rating written exactly the same size as the rest. 205/40 ZR18 86Y (530kg) for the fronts, and 235/35 ZR19 91Y (615kg) for the rear. Weights as published in the owners manual. That gives a total of 2290 kg (5048 lbs).

Still struggling to find tires here though. Maybe I should just go and look at the Michelin's
 
#15 · (Edited)
I believe the manual states the minimum load rating as 70W front and rear. So anything above this should be fine. I don't think you need anything higher rated than W, as this rated for speeds up to 270km/h at the the highest load rating weight. Given that most tires will be 84w for the front and greater than 88W for the rear this should be well within the weights and loads expected by a 4c even for track work.
 
#9 ·
The ultimate "almost R" tire these days is the Bridgestone RE71R. Very popular in my track circles. It's available in the same sizes as the Michelins. They're really noisy and a little down on wet performance but an awesome dry weather tire. I don't have them on my 4C yet but I have had them over a year on my Mazdaspeed3. Tried them on the track last weekend too and they have an immense amount of grip. I'll definitely be going this route for the 4C next.
 
#16 ·
Michelin pilot sport 3

Just fitted these in place of the Pirrelli's on my 17/18 inch set of rims in the standard size 205/45R17 84W and 235/40R18 95W.

Both tires felt slightly lighter in construction than the Pirrelli's
Definitely a wider contact patch or squarer profile than the Pirrelli
Steering feel was lighter in effort and more crisp on turn-in
Overall grip feel better than the Pirrelli's but then again this is comparing old with new tires.
Road noise and comfort are the single biggest noticeable difference, particularly at highway speeds
I bought these in Sydney for $944 for the set fitted and balanced which is very good value for such a high performance tire.
 
#427 ·
I have these after the OEM, and can second all point minus road noise (I have none, so maybe alignment?). The value is immense and track times aren't off a second or two versus "almost R's", also very good in the wet, total control... Close to dry performance when under mid-10ths driving. I recommend for daily driving in wetter climes.
 
#21 ·
I agree this would make a good sticky. Tires thus far are limited for the 4c and many of us are about due
for new shoes for our cars. Tires are often one of if not the best upgrade for sports cars...and since they are expensive it is nice to draw on others experiences so we can avoid the same mistakes.


QUOTE=Racer Z;550393](perhaps this would make a good sticky)

4C Tire Reviews, the tires we've used on our 4Cs and what we thought about them.

Tire reviews are always helpful. Questions plentiful, answers sometime limited.

There are many good posts scattered in this wonderful forum about tires, but buried deep and hard to find. Our 4C has a unique tire size, at least the rear 19s anyway. What's available, what will actually fit, what works well or doesn't work at all?

Before I get into a review of my own, I thought I'd write (talk?) about tire basics. I know there are other people with excellent knowledge and I hope they chime in as well. But don't take our words as the only real views, there's plenty of good reading on the net and in books. Tire Rack has lots of wonderful, easy to read information about tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/research_advice.html

There are street tires and there are competition tires.

Competition tires are a subject all to their own and deserve a thread of their own. They are not street legal, seldom have tread, and have minimal traction when cold and best grip when extremely hot.

Street tires have been tested and approved by a government agency for your area. In the USA it's DOT (Department of Transportation). They have tread and work best in cool to warm temperatures. Snow tires work best in ice cold temperatures.

All tires have numbers on the side, which can be a mystery to some people. I'll try to explain.

Tire Size: ie 185/75R14
'185' is the section width. The widest part of the tire where it bulges at the sidewall. This is a metric number, 185 mm. Section width is not tread width.

'/' is more than just a separator. It's also a math operator as you'll see in the next sentence.

'75' is the aspect ratio. This is a percentage or a division. The sidewall height is 75% of the section width. In this example the sidewall is 139 mm tall.

'R' indicates it's a radial tire. Usually there is another letter leading the 'R' such as 'SR'. The 'S' is a speed rating. A 'V' tire can sustain higher speeds than an 'S' tire. There are non-radials using this system and then it would just be an 'X'. (185/75x14). A tire without a speed rating can not be used faster that 65 or 70 MPH, which is the maximum speed allowed in most of America.

'14' is the bead size as measured where the tire touches the rim. This is in inches. Don't ask why we mix Metric and American Standard cause I don't know.

Over the years, there have been many different tire size systems. I used the above example because that's the system our 4C uses.

If you read the fine print, you'll find a load rating. When buying new tires, make sure the new tires can carry the same load as the OEM tire, or more. This is very important if you want to use a different size. This is not a static load. As the car turns, brakes and goes over bumps, the tires load and unload. In some situations, a single tire may need to carry half the weight of the car. Our 4C weighs about 2500 pounds, but all four tires added together equals 5048 pounds, about twice the car.

You'll also notice the load is with a certain air pressure, maybe 50 pounds. This second number is the maximum air pressure you can safely put in the tire. As the pressure drops, so does the ability to carry a big load.

Most of us here have a scare story or two about somebody that put undersized tires on their car and didn't live to tell the tale. Don't do it!

One of the things that's important to look for is the tread wear rating. This is somewhat new, maybe ten years or less. Not all tires have this rating. They're either very old, or rock hard. In any case, you don't want them. Usually you'll find 'UTQG' followed by the tread wear rating number followed by traction grade followed by temperature grade. Our P-Zero is UTQG 220 AA A. In this example, AA & A are the best ratings possible. The 220 is arbitrary and deserves an explanation.

By location, the 'AA' is Traction Grade and the 'A' is Temperature Grade.

Tread wear rating number is a measure of how fast the tread wears out. The smaller the number, the faster it wears. I've seen number from 500 to 60. Long lasting tires have less grip, it's a harder rubber compound. Tires with lots of traction have a soft compound and wear quick. Race compound rubber actually rolls off in strings and balls hitting the following cars. It's hot and sticky leaving black streaks on the other race cars.

So, this tread wear rating is only a guide. What do you want? A tire that lasts 60,000 miles and has no traction in the canyons? Or a tire that can hug the twisties but wear out in 15,000 miles? 500 vs 220. The good news is there are tires with 300 ratings. I'm just saying that you have choices.

Staggered set is when all four tires are not the same size. It may have started in NASCAR where they use four different tire sizes. But it usually means that the rears are wider or taller. In the case of our 4Cs, the rears are wider and taller than the fronts.

As of this writing (July 2016), there isn't much of a tire selection for the 18/19 combo. I'm not sure what's available to fit the 17/18 combo. I found that going up one size offers a better selection.

205/45ZR17 --> 215/45ZR17
235/40ZR18 --> 245/40ZR18

205/40ZR18 --> 215/40VR18
235/35ZR19 --> 245/35VR19

Tires, for a given size, have a window or a minimum and maximum allowed tolerance. Some manufacturers choose to make a smaller tire so they can sell it for less money. Another may choose to build the largest allowed to claim better grip or more tread life. Yet another may just make their tire the exact size it says. This effects tire weight, life, grip, price and maybe fitment.

Tread width isn't mentioned and there is no number or marking on the tire that tells the consumer what the actual tread width is. This effects contact patch and rolling resistance.

To find all these things, and more, Tire Rack (no, I don't get paid by Tire Rack, it's just a very informative site) has almost all these specs listed. You can also go to the tire manufacturer web site. Find the tire size and model you're interested in and they will list all these numbers.

The weight of the tire matters. This is un-sprung weight. How fast the tire/wheel goes up and down as the road moves under the car effects not just the passenger comfort, but traction as well. If the tire can't stay on the ground (heavy tire), you can't have good traction. Tire weight also effects rolling resistance and reciprocating mass. This directly effects acceleration and braking as well as turning, especially tight serpentine turns. A low tire weight is a good thing.

Driver reviews usually include, but are not limited to:
Road noise: Usually a tread pattern thing. Not all tires are quiet.
Grip: Traction. Want to go fast(er) in the turns?
Stability: Tram-lining, darting. Does the car feel stable in a straight line or is it darting and wondering?
Longevity: How long did the tires last?[/QUOTE]
 
#22 ·
I now have 300 miles on my new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. I had found a loose ball joint bolt that the dealer tightened for me. Monday I had the wheels aligned. Then I went for a nice test drive. Tuesday my wife and I put on 200 miles, again, another extended test drive.

Tightening the loose ball joint bolt cured the clunk I've been hearing for 18,000 miles. That's the one the dealer could never find.

Alignment shop said camber and castor were fine. Only needed to adjust the toe on both axles.

My official test drives leaves me with mixed feelings. There's been to many changes all at once to properly say, "the tires changed this".

The clunky, banging noise went away. It only happened over certain types of bumps. Clearly not a result of tire choice.

The car is not as excited when each side has a different road surface. When there's a groove where the tire needs parallel with the driving direction, this tosses the car around. Now, these two have changed. I think the loose suspension parts are at fault the most. I can one-hand her where I used to do the white knuckle thing.

Tramlining seems to be gone. Yes, I can feel her squirming around a little. But, I can comfortably one-hand her and her movements are normal. All cars and motorcycles will squirm on these rain grooves, most cars just hide the fact better. How much is a difference in tires and how much was the loose parts and how much was the toe-out I had? I think it's safe to say that all three play a part here. It actually feels a lot like when she was new, before I crashed and damaged the suspension.

Tire noise. She's certainly quite in that department.

Grip, traction in the curves. For most of my driving I can't tell a difference as compared to the P-Zeros. That's a good thing. Finding the wrong edge of traction can be a bad thing if you've got no where to go except off a cliff.

The first canyon run I made was a bit slippery. I was on a twisty road I frequent driving in a similar fashion as with the Pirelli's. I got some four-wheel-drift I wasn't expecting. Traction recovered about as fast and I continued without mishap or getting out of shape. I'm not so sure the Perreli's would have recovered as nicely. The tires barely had a 100 miles on them. They had not yet been scrubbed in. It's quite possible that the mold release was still effecting traction.

On these new Michelin's, she really feels light on her feet. The steering is extremely easy. I've double checked the air pressure and that's not an issue. She almost turns to easy. Considering this and the other idiosyncrasies, I think it's time for Jamie's Blocks. I think she needs more caster which is what Jamie's Blocks do.

Rubbing. There is no sign of rubbing. I don't feel it and I don't see it. I'm not using any spacers with the stock 18/19 wheels. This is:
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
215/40-18
245/35-19

Cosmetics are important as well. For me, if something performs well, that takes care of 90% of the cosmetics. Not everybody thinks like me. Other just want their car to look good while parked. These Michelin's will certainly do that. They look good. Much more so than the Perreli's. The tread is square and full. The sidewall is black, and bulges nicely. The P'Zero's just kind of slinked in, disappearing and the sidewall offered no protection for the rim.

To sum it all up, I'm happy with my new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. I didn't buy them for the track. I bought them for daily use. I'll post pictures in my next post.
 
#32 ·
Did you install the tires yourself or did the tire shop do it for you? If the latter, can you share where you got the tires and how much $ you had to part with? I don't plan on changing tires until I register he car in California (~6500 miles to go before then). These look like a good alternative to the P-Zeros for those that don't want to get new wheels to fit 17/18 tires.
 
#23 ·
Glad to hear you like them. I had them on my Gallardo and was happy as well, 90% happy even on track. Lots of traction, good turn in and they held up very well, the only drawback being a bit less stable under braking than the Pirellis I had on that car from the beginning.
 
#24 ·
Improved Ground Clearance with larger Advan Neova AD08 Tires Since I went to 17/18 wheels, I'm using the larger, wider Advan Neova AD08-R tire sizes-- 225/45/17 in front and 245/40/18 in rear. They are ideal for me as they improved grip and handling over the stock Pirellis. They fit well on the 4C.


No tramlining on wet or dry roads, no oversteer on the track and very quiet even my wife noticed. I can notice no drift on the road even with one hand on the steering wheel. Make sure you get proper wheel alignment with Hunter equipment if possible.


Another plus-- improved 4C ground clearance to almost 6 inches. Makes going over speed bumps effortless.
For wheel and tire pictures go to my thread in wheels, tires, suspension.
 
#25 ·
Front Tire Pictures

Here are pictures of the front tires as comparison. Both are mounted and inflated to show the best comparison. The normal outsides are facing each other so they will stand up while I take the pictures.

215/40-18 Michelin Pilot Super Sport
205/40-18 Perelli P-Zero AR



























 
#26 ·
Have you actually put a tape measure across the tread of each tyre to determine the actual width? The tread of the Michelin looks significantly wider. The profile of the Michelin isn't too much greater than your worn Pirellis. I too will probably go Michelin when it comes time to replace them. Hopefully PilotSport 4's will be available in 17/18's before too long.
 
#28 ·
Folks
I am interested in opinions on the below (street use, Launch edition 18/19 combo)

Michelin Pilot Super Sports
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...ort&frontTire=14YR8PSSXL&rearTire=435YR9PSSXL

vs
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...frontTire=14WR8RE71RXL&rearTire=435WR9RE71RXL


based on Tire Rack info (caveat emptor) , Pilots are better in wet, and weigh slightly less, an slightly wider tread width, the Potenza's are a little quieter.

Opinions or even better first hand experience of either or both ?
 
#29 ·
I have first hand experience with both on my second car. If you're looking only for a street tire get the Michelins. They'll last significantly longer, work better in the wet, and dry performance would be comparable. No way in the world are the Bridgestones quieter - that made me laugh - they're the noisiest tire I've ever run. Now if you want to mix in some track days then my recommendation flips to the Bridgestones. It's an awesome tire on the track and has stiffer sidewalls than the Michelins. The Michelins need more negative camber or they roll over and wear aggressively on the edges.
 
#31 ·
I'm going to repost this from June 8th and then provide an update at the bottom...


My amateur feedback based on my experiences:


1. OEM P Zeros, stock coilovers, stock 18/19 teledials, stock alignment from factory:
- on the road, moderate tramlining on bumps and ruts, car nose deviation and diving on hard braking
- on MidOhio track event last Fall, tramlining on rumblestrips, moderate amount of understeer and bodyroll on turns
- "deathgrip" two hands on the steering wheel at all times


2. Yokohama S.Drives 215/35/18&245/40/19 on Work Wheels 18x8&19x9, Novitec Corse+ coilovers, improved toe alignment:
- improved handling, less tramlining but still there on larger bumps & ruts and nose deviation on hard(er) braking on road and daily driving conditions.
- increased road noise
- still need 2 hands on the steering wheels at all times


3. Michelin Pilot Supersports 215/45/17&245/40/18 on Novitec N11 177.5/18x8/5", Novitec COs, improved toe alignment:
- less tramlining, nose deviation
- handled really well in mid40-mid60 degree temperatures in wet/damp and dry road conditions on Tail of the Dragon event this past April
- slightly increased road noise but not bad.
- road driving good.
- still need 2 hands on the steering wheel at all times


4. Setup
#2 now with Alfaworks ROAD spacer blocks:
- very minimal, if any, tramlining
- can drive more confidently, comfortably
- can now drive with 1 hand comfortably at bottom of steering wheel (actually recorded a video of me driving with 1 hand the other day)
- steering response still very good


5. Hankook Ventus R-S3 (version2 from TireRack) 215/45/17&245/40/18 on N11s, COs, Jamie's ROAD spacer blocks:
- drove really well to and from Gingerman Raceway (4.5hr one way) even through 4 torrential downpours with rare patches of standing water. Obviously, visibility limited speed on the road.
- on Track day of 5 sessions of about 65 total laps in 70 degree dry and sunny weather, car drove beautifully with less understeer, less body roll and tire grip was great. no tramlining hitting rumble strips or hard braking and pushing the car really hard and aggressive.


6. Toyo Proxes R888 215/45/17&245/40/18 on N11s, COs and now Jamie's RACE spacer blocks:
- I just received the additional spacers from Jaime on Monday to convert my ROAD config to a RACE config. (nothing wrong with the ROAD setup). I haven't decided whether to install these before or after AROC next week as I will have my WORK Wheel setups mounted for show.
- I have track days coming up June 27th @ MidOhio and July 3rd at Pittsburgh International Race Complex to compare this setup to the RS3s + ROAD spacers. Because I also have driven on MidOhio already as well, I can compare this track day compared to running stock setup last Fall.
- I did have the R888s briefly mounted in February/March but because of prolonged 40 degree and wet weather, I was not able to test that setup effectively.


To date, my favorite setup for performance is setup
#5 for track days as well as daily and spirited daily driving. We'll see how set #6 does later on this month. Please do realize that my Work Wheel + Yokohama setup is more for "show" than anything else and maybe my fear of curb rashing my custom 3 piece forged set of rims prevents me from hooning on them...lol.


For the record, I have not yet ventured to adjust the Novitec CO compression settings and have stuck with Andre@SS recommended settings he provides which from what I understand, is stiffer than middle of the road and definitely more than stock.


Hope this helps... :)



Update:
1. A couple people asked me why I wasn't running Toyo R888*R*s and the answer is that tire is not available in the States. :)
2. After driving on the R888s to and from MidOhio (40 minutes from my house) and to PittRace (2.5hr drive) and 5 - 20 minute track days for each day, the R888s had better grip for me over the RS3s. Significantly more noticeable? I would say yes...I had more confidence and ability taking turns at appropriately higher speeds. The side walls on the R888s are much stiffer than that on the RS3s and MPSS so you have to take that into account as well.
3. I have tracked my car on MidOhio now with both stock and R888s and obviously, no comparison. I have one more track day for the season on September 3rd at MidOhio and plan to run the piss out of the R888s.
4. But, it also depends on the situation...I mounted the RS3s for Gingerman because I do not have a trailer and wanted a compromised track/road tire to make the 5+hr drive to the track and back. For Tail of the Dragon in April when it was cooler and sometimes wet, the MPSS did extremely well where the RS3s and definitely the R888s would have given me trouble on the roads and the driving conditions.
5. To be able to run the most aggressive track tire (in my case the R888s) at all the tracks I plan on visiting next season, I am looking for an enclosed trailer this Fall to haul the car instead of drive it to the track as well as go to farther tracks.
6. I do want to try the RE-71s though as, like many other have said, are supposedly great tires and great bang for the buck. Don't get me wrong, the Hankook RS3s are still awesome tires and great bang for the buck. The R888s are really great but only last *maybe* 5 tracks days and cost $900 a set. But then again, maybe they would last longer if I hauled my car to the track instead of drive it to the track.


My wife just avoids the detached garage altogether as she said it looks like a Firestone with all the tires and wheels I have in there....lol.
At least I am down to 2 sets of wheels and 4 sets of tires for my Abarth and 3 sets of wheels and 4 sets of tires for the 4C (along with the stock sets of wheels/tires for my G35 and Dodge Ram)
 
#35 ·
Rear Tire Pictures

Pictures of the rear tires. Not much different than the fronts really. Size difference is more pronounced and the wear pattern is worse.

The alignment shop never saw the old tires. Said the camber & castor was good. Adjusted toe on both axles.

















 
#37 ·
Overall Look of the Car

Before and after pictures of the car.

Side View
P-Zero



Pilot



All the BEFORE pictures didn't work. These are different views of the new Pilots.
















Now I have a spare tire. But without an official 4C jack and tool kit, it's kind of pointless.


LMAO.
The wheel is bent. I had a P-Zero mounted for looks. I'm going to make a stand and have a glass cut to fit. An interesting table eventually.
 
#42 · (Edited)
I don't think so, always 2.0 bar as recommended. Checked with three different pressure gauges.
The right tire was actually mounted on the left side the last 1500 km. The difference L-R would have been greater otherwise.

Wheel alignment revealed that right rear camber was 1° more negative than prescribed.
 
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