I really like the BFG Drag radials but they are not available for a 16". I was looking at the new Azenis but I dont think they are as sticky as the BFG's. Looking for a tire comparable to the Bfg"s. The vehicle is a 94 Civic coupe with a boosted H22. So, obviously nothing streetable will hold. I just want something descent for the street....
Thanks!

 

You basically have three different kinds of very sticky tires:

1. Top-of-the-line, general-application street tires - the best of which are the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, Goodyear F1 GS-D3, Yokohama Advan Neova AD07, Bridgestone Potenza S-03, etc. These are tires that are designed to grip very well on dry pavement and wet pavement, and to last a while - not as long as tires on a family sedan, but 15-20K miles. These are very, very good tires indeed.

2. (let me get back to this in a moment)

3. R compound track tires. These include tires made specifically for drag racing, such as the BFG Drag Radial you mentioned, as well as tires made for road racing, and tires for autocross. You didn't mention the dragstrip, only the street, so I am going to assume that you are NOT looking for a drag tire, which has performance characteristics intended ONLY for acceleration and not much else, and NOT looking for an autocross tire, which is designed to heat up quickly. So we'll concentrate on road racing tires. Race tires have several downsides: they wear VERY rapidly (they might get less than 1K miles on the track, and if they're only used on the street, you'd be lucky to get 3-5K miles to a set), they grip poorly on wet pavement (some better than others, but pretty much all are worse than street tires), they give very little warning before losing traction, etc. Now, if you're willing to live with those downsides, it IS possible to drive most of them on the street. I wouldn't, just because you never need that kind of grip on the street, and who wants to replace tires every two months, but hey - it's your money, your car, your choice. There are a lot of very, very good track tires out there - a few of the top names are Toyo RA-1, Hoosier R3S04, Avon Tech R, Yokohama A032R and A048, Kumho Ecsta V700, Hankook Z211 and Z214, etc.

Now, let's go back to 2...

2. Specialty tires. There are a couple of manufacturers who make tires that are in between R compound track tires and top-of-the-line street tires. I'm referring specifically to the Falken Azenis RT-615 and the Hankook R-S2 Z212. These tires are very sticky, not quite as sticky as a track tire but close, stickier than a street tire. They are okay on wet pavement, not as good as street tires, not as bad as track tires. Their treadlife is in between street tires and track tires as well; you should be able to plan on maybe 8-12K miles to a set.

So which category of tire you should get depends on how much grip you think you want, and how much of those downsides you're willing to live with. What have you tried so far? If you've tried a top-of-the-line street tire like the S-03, and that's not good enough for you, then go to a stickier category... but if you've only used budget tires like a Yokohama ES100 or a Kumho Ecsta 712, then you really don't know whether a top-of-the-line street tire will be good enough for you or not. Also, I mentioned the downsides. How many miles do you drive a year? Are you willing to live with a tire that wears out after 3K or 10K miles? Will you be driving on wet pavement? The answers to those questions will determine which of these categories to consider.

Once you decide on which of these three categories to get, then you will need to check on whether there is a tire in the proper size for your car. 205/40-16 would be the best match; none of the top-of-the-line tires or track tires on the Tire Rack website come in that size, but the Azenis RT-615 does. 205/45-16 is slightly larger and might rub but might be okay; in that size, you can choose from the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 top-of-the-line tire, track tires including the Hoosier R3S04 and Kumho Ecsta V700, and the Hankook Z212 specialty tire comes in that size too.

 

Wow, thanks for the great info. I drive it on the street and drag race at the track, but I have slicks for that. Choice 2 seems to be the best bet for me. I only drive the car about 8-10k a year. I have tried the old Azenis(ones with agreesive tread pattern) and the Bfg Drag radials. The Bfg's were great for my 15's. Just looking for something reasonably sticky, when boost hits its over for the basic tire. Currently I am running a 205/40-16 Ventus, not a great tire but that is what the wheels came with. I know that based off of the power my car makes that there isnt a street tire that will stick, just looking for a descent tire.

\Thanks for the info...

 

Falken Azenis or BFDrag Radials.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BigBlock &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have tried the old Azenis(ones with agreesive tread pattern) and the Bfg Drag radials.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you liked the old Azenis RT-215, then I would suggest going with the new Azenis RT-615. If you want something stickier than that, then go with R compound track tires.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chinese acrobat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Falken Azenis or BFDrag Radials.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sign up for that remedial class in reading comprehension, and start practicing using the first sentence in the first post in this topic...