I plan on taking my car to a track down here in Texas (Motor Sport Ranch). This is the first time out there in this car and just wanted some insight on tires. I'm torn between the Kumho SPT and the Falken Azenis. The car is my daily and it sees ~90 miles a day, to and from work. I know the azenis will out perform the SPT, but how long do they really last?

What would you choose?....Tires would be going on my Integra.

 

have you priced yokohama s-drives or bridgestone re01R's? awesome tires and not that expensive.

 

I would also like to know what people suggest for tires that will go on a daily driven car that will see some light track use.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by red_crx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I plan on taking my car to a track down here in Texas (Motor Sport Ranch). This is the first time out there in this car and just wanted some insight on tires. I'm torn between the Kumho SPT and the Falken Azenis. The car is my daily and it sees ~90 miles a day, to and from work. I know the azenis will out perform the SPT, but how long do they really last?

What would you choose?....Tires would be going on my Integra.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

205/50-15 RT-615 Azenis on my daily driver GSR were worn down to the 50% point in 5k miles, but that also included 3 auto-x events in that span.

What I do, is have 2 sets of wheels and tires. The street set on heavy but good looking wheels, and the track set (Azenis) on disposable slipstreams.

 

RT-615 are about the best bang for the buck you can get. their performance is top notch with the Bridgestone REO1's. (I got my 205/45/15 for 78 a tire + free tire tote)

I use them daily and have great tread left after going to Gingerman and 4 auto-x's late last year.

I highly recommend the 615's but the Hankook rs2's are amazing and the reo1's are just 2 expensive for the minute gain you get in performance. and from friends and experience with auto-x and track the best tread life is on the RS2's without track the 615's are great on tread life and the REO1's have no downside besides their price.

 

The Kumho SPT typically lasts anywhere from 25K miles to 45K miles in aggressive street use, with an occasional track event thrown in. The Falken Azenis RT-615 typically lasts 10-12K miles. Yup, you'll be replacing them 2-3 times as often as with the SPT.

If I were you, I would use whatever tire you have on the car for your first track event. I assume that's the SPT? It makes sense to use a longer-lasting tire when you use it for daily driving with a long commute. Besides, in your first few events, you won't be using the maximum capabilities of the tires anyway; you'll spend your time learning the track and learning how to drive. So stick with whatever tire you've got on the car now.

If you keep doing this, after 3-6 events you may want to step up to a stickier tire, like the Falken Azenis RT-615. At that point, it will probably make sense to get a second set of wheels, so you can use the longer-lasting tires (SPT) for your daily driving, and take the stickier tires (Azenis) to the track to throw on the car.

There are some other supersticky tires out there, like the Bridgestone RE-01R and the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, but the idea is still the same.

HTH

Wow, sounds like you haven't priced them. The S.drive is a lot more expensive than the SPT and it isn't any better. The RE-01R is a lot more expensive than the RT-615; it's a little better, but the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is better still, and it's priced like the Azenis, not super expensive like the RE-01R.

It all depends on whether you want (a) the stickiest tires that don't last all that long (Falken Azenis RT-615, Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, Bridgestone RE-01R - or, once you have some track experience, R compound track tires), or (b) longer-lasting tires that don't stick as well (Kumho SPT, Avon Tech M500, Fuzion ZRi), or (c) something in between, in grip as well as treadlife (Hankook R-S2 Z212). Your choice, depending on what you want to trade off. Or, get a second set of wheels, so you can be using the best tire for the job - long-lasting tires for the street, and the stickiest tires for the track.

That depends on how you define "best bang for the buck". They aren't the best bang for the buck for street use, since you'll replace them up to three times as often as decent summer tires like the SPT. And even for track use, the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is better, for about the same price.

The RE-01R is a bit better than the Azenis (not just my opinion, but also that of Grassroots Motorsports).

LOL! And for the track, Blizzaks have no downside besides their lack of traction.



Modified by nsxtasy at 6:55 PM 4/2/2008

 

Get 2 sets of wheels. If you are tracking, get RT-615's, which will suck for mileage on the street, especially at 90 mi/day. A set of good new wheels is under $400/set, lower than that if you want used Rota Slips or similar, which are lighter than most DD wheels anyway. Then after saving about 1 set of tires, they paid for themselves.

 

go to tire rack and check the comparison chart- RE01R's are about the best and fairly inexpensive, sorry- RT's do not come close to them.

 

When r u going to MSR? I will be there with Drivers Edge in May. Decided to go back to HPDE's for awhile.

 

nsxtasy, Thank you for the information. I will be sticking with the SPT's...driving ~90 miles a day would really kill the Azenis; it would be a waste.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davidnyc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When r u going to MSR? I will be there with Drivers Edge in May. Decided to go back to HPDE's for awhile.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was going to go in May, but its going to have to wait. I'll be in Barcelona, Spain that month; I'll more than likely make it out there in July. I think I've met you before, but not sure