Honda-Tech Highlight: Cooper Tires Cooper Zeon RS3-G1

Meet the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 Ultra-high Performance All-season Tire

Cooper Tires has launched their new Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 tire, an ultra-high performance all-season tire capable of holding over 1G of lateral grip around a skidpad. That’s not just marketing conjecture, Cooper is ready to put their money where their mouth is: they have sent a set of the RS3-G1 to us, and I will be putting them to the test. The subject will be my daily driver, and SCCA H-Street autocrosser, Civic Si. The plan is to see how the RS3-G1 stack up against the competition. Beyond the driving impression, I’m really very curious to see how close to that 1G skidpad figure we can get. A Honda-tech video testing the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 tires is on the way.

Cooper Tires’ Director of Product Management, Scott Jamieson, is quoted as saying “Innovations in the tire’s tread compound and design help it deliver incredible grip, allowing the tire to hold the road at up to 1g in tight corners—a marvel of cutting edge technology for an all-season tire,” and he’s not wrong about that. But how is tire with a 50,000 mile warranty capable of hitting that handling milestone? For that, we have to look to the not so distant past. The RS3-G1 is the successor to the RS3-A tire. Compared to the old compound, the new G1 features a lot more silica in it’s construction. “Enhanced silica content” is a phrase usually reserved for track day tires that masquerade as 200 treadwear “street” tires. To keep it simple, the chemical cocktail used in the new tire allows Cooper to produce a tire with greater adhesion without compromising wear characteristics.

Check Out: Forum members talking shop about wheels and tires

Cooper tire is serious about the sporting credentials of the RS3-G1. As an autocross and track day enthusiast, checking out Cooper Tire’s social media was pretty cool. They held a launch event for the RS3-G1 and really pushed the tires to their limits,  which is encouraging.

Check back in the coming weeks for the full Honda-tech review of the Cooper Tires Cooper Zeon RS3-G1.

Jacob Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, who has operated as the content editor for Internet Brands Automotive since 2015. He runs Corvette Forum, 6SpeedOnline, Honda-tech, and LS1tech, among other Internet Brands Automotive websites. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon. You can check out what he's up to on his YouTube channel, as well as his Jake Stumph Racing Instagram account. He can be reached via email at stumph.jake@gmail.com