so, here's the problem.....

i have been looking for a tire that will perform well under autocross, HPDE and occasional street conditions. it must be 14" diameter, it must fit on an OEM 5.5" width rim. i want the best value and the best performance.

i've narrowed it down to azenis and dunlop sp8000s.

here's the important factors:

height:
azenis = 60 series, sp8000 = 55 series. the overall diameter of the sp8000 is 22.4 versus 23.2 for the azenis. smaller tires = shorter final drive. +1 for the sp8000.

width:
azenis tread width on 6" wheel is 6.6". sp8000 tread width on 5.5" wheel is 6.9". that means that on a 5.5" wheel, the sp8000 tread is at least .3" wider. seeing as the azenis are measured on a .5" wider wheel, the sp8000 is the hands down winner. +1 sp8000.

price:
a set of four azenis shipped to me in MI is $206 from vulcantire.com. amazing price. a set of four sp8000 shipped to me in MI is $311 from tirerack.com. over $100 more. +1 azenis. i could pick up the tires from tirerack to save me $27, but i'd probably spend $15 in gas getting there/back.

treadwear:
both have a 200 treadwear rating


so, my question for you all that have first hand experience....

is there a noticeable performance difference, and is it really worth it for the extra $100 for the sp8000???

 

azenis > sp8000

 

i run 14 inch falkens... and thats my vote. i havent had an issue on track, autox'n (other then my own fault), or on the street.

 

Get the Azenis, especially if this is for mainly autocross and HPDE, and your street use is "occasional."

The additional sidewall stiffness of the Azenis will more than make up for the shorter sidewall height of the SP8000s.

 

Azenis >>> sp8000

 

You can't compare two different tire sizes and be fair regarding outside diameter and contact patch. I would go with the azenis, you get a lot of tire for the price.

 

do a search, is there really any "debate" or "problem"? just join the rest of us and get azenis.

 

Your only choice is where to purchase the Azenis from... My way wider 225/50-16 'sticky' Kumho MX's are not even equal to 205/55-16 Azenis, though they are close (but not close enough).

The Falken Azenis is THE best bang/buck performance tire ever made in my opinion - they are awesome!

 

thanks for the input guys

 

I had 205/50/15 sp8000's. Burned through them real quick, soft too the touch, but the grip was not much better than all season SPA2's Just like driving a honda, there's a reason that most everyone is doing it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX-RX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just like driving a honda, there's a reason that most everyone is doing it </TD></TR></TABLE>

Because they're affraid of torque?

:ducks:

 

There may be a "sleeper" tire somewhere in 14" that will work better than the Azenis, but it won't be a 15 year old design if there is.

 

I have both the 55 series 14s and the 14" azenis for my car. The gearing advantage is really nice, but its probably not worth giving up the grip for. Ecspecially not for HPDE. You'll just have to live with the fat tires. Or you could always pony up for some R compounds and have the best of both and then some.

 

I have had both the sp8000 and the Azenis 14" on my CRX. I can say for certain, the Azenis are the best performance tire of the two. There is a slight difference in acceleration response of the azenis due to being taller, but the handling more than makes up for it. The sp's have a very soft sidewall and are prone to rolling over on their edge, even with high pressures. I really did not like the wear characteristics on the SP's either.

As for daily driving, the Azenis are louder, but not too bad. Neither are good for any kind of snow driving. The azenis are better in the rain.

And lastly, as you have noted, the Azenis are much cheaper. End of story.

 

had good experience with the Azenis, also I used to work at a tire shop that had alot of racers for customers. Almost all I dealt with went with the Azenis'