MarkDFW

2012 GS that is my daily driver and will be used probably 6 times a year for HPDE events. Just finished another HPDE at a good road racing course and the tires were by far the biggest limiting factor to improving my speed. Still on the stock Goodyear run flats that we love to hate.

An instructor suggested I can find a better value than the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and told me to also look at going with 18" all the way around.

Some of you may flame me, but I don't want to drop the cash for a set of dedicated track tires and wheels. The instructor mentioned Hankook RS3 as 1 possible choice for a good street/track compromise.

Can anyone on here that does regular HPDE on road courses on a good street tire give feedback on the RS3 or any other tire at a lower price point than the Pilot Super Sports? I'm not married to any one brand so if you have Nitto, Kumho, Toyo, or other suggestions I'm open.

Also curious about going with 18" all the way around and exactly how much added work is involved, as I'm guessing there is a height adjustment?

Thanks

CDN_Wolf_eh

All of my track days have been on PS2's and now PS2 - ZP's ... good grip and life, on and off the track.

crease-guard

I did a lot of reading on this topic and a big chunk of folks that are running HPDE's on street tires use the RS3s. I bought a set and have run them on the track and they are pretty damn good. Many others have said they are as close to an R compound as you will get without being an R compound. Ran them wet and dry and they did pretty good on both surfaces.

I run a square 18" setup. You can pick up a set of TSW's for a little over 1k and then add in the RS3s and you got a very nice set of track wheels that you could drive to and from the track. I got the whole setup, wheels, tires, stems, racing lugs, mounting and balancing for 2367 for a forum vendor here. Best money I've spent on the car up to that point.

See we are from the same area, did you do the Drivers Edge out at MSR a couple weeks ago?

Jay

MarkDFW

I'm not as sure about a square set up. I've heard mixed reviews and some people don't seem to care for it. What would you say are the pros and cons?

Are you running 285s all the way around? Did you have to get new wheels or will they fit on the stock ones?

At a higher price point there are Nitto NT01 and NT555RII tires. These look really nice and I'd be curious to hear is anyone running them, do they fit stock GS wheels, and how many miles are they good for on the street, assuming you don't driver them hard?

No I actually went to Apex on the 1.3 CCW at MSR the other weekend and I was at Eagles Canyon Raceway yesterday. I actually liked Eagles Canyon better than the 1.3 at MSR. ECR is a faster track and more suited to our cars, like the 1.7 at MSR.

justkickin

I run RS3s on my C5 at autox and on track. As long as you get some heat in them they are great. I have driven and raced many different tires, including R's. These are the stickiest streets I have ever used. Definitely worth the money and nice not to have to swap tires at the track.

TKOGTO

I can recommend the Kumho XS tires for HPDE. 140 wear rating, confidence booting levels of grip, they howl like the wind (I have come to depend on this feature) and they don't overheat easily. However you would have to be deaf not to be annoyed by them on the street. road noise like no other tire I have ever had. I live with it as my car sees more miles to, at and from the track than anywhere else.

pntrackman

One thing is not like the other on your post/question- new 2012 GS and you don't want to spend the money on a separate set of wheels and track tires?
As an HPDE instructor for PCA my answer would be to tell you that if you are serious about doing 5 or 6 HPDE's per year there is no good substitute for an R-compound tire on the track.
Suggest you hone your driving skills first on good street tires and then move to a second set of wheels and dedicated track tires.
I just purchased a 2005 C6 as a track car and picked up a set of nearly new (100 miles on them) OEM wheels for $700 on eBay and a set of Hoosier R6 will run $1,550 for this car and should last through 4 or 5 HPDE's. As your skill level as a driver starts to increase to toward what your 2012 GS is capable of you'll want a second set of wheels and track tires.

ipuig

I also have of Kuhmo XSs, they are nearly worn out. I agree with your assessment of them, however the UTQG wear rating on them is 180.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Model=Ecsta+XS

topmover

I have a C6 Grand Sport and ZR1, I have driven the GS on the track twice with the stock tires, I drove GS's and Z06's at Spring Mountain with PS2's and my ZR1 with PS2's. I dont think there is a better all around tire for these cars than the PS2's. Unless you're trying to get the absolute max out of your car which if you only plan to do 6 days a year that is not likely, your best bet is to run the PS2's and just have fun and have a great street tire when not at the track.

TKOGTO

You are correct.
I need a new editor.

Toilets

Does your gs have the mr suspension? I ask because a square set up I hear is not a good idea.

I'm in the same boat you are and will be doing 5 hpde events this year. Now, if I'm not mistaken, the ps2 grip levels are actually lower or the same as the gen 2 good years so why switch to that tire? Unless your talking about the actual cup tire.

Am I blind because I don't see hankooks made in the GS sizes. I see the fronts but not the rears.

boltvette

I run about the same number of track days, 6-8 per year. I've bought two sets of C6 wheels - one for my "everyday" Firestones and one for my "track day" Bridgestone RE-11s. I've just finished my seventh track day with the Bridgestones and they're still holding up well, with good grip and consistency.

MarkDFW

I wound up buying the Michelin Pilot Super Sports based on other reviews I have read. I drove it hard on the way home. Noticeably more grip and quieter. I will take it for autoX or road course soon and post an update.

I have limited choices based on the stock wheels. Hankooks and Toyo don't fit my rims. About the only choice I had was Hoosier r6, but several instructors have said it would learn more from a tire that is not an R slick. The other choice was Nitto, but their street tires don't last nearly as long.

I think the Michelin Pilot Super Sport will be a good compromise. If I continue track and autoX days, I am sure I will eventually wind up with dedicated wheels and tires for HPDE.

Several people have suggested eventually going with 18" wheels all the way around. I can't help but wonder how that would affect the geometry and handling of the car. I will have to research that more before going down that path.

Shifter6

As stated above you might want to hone your skills on the GYs an wait until you are ready to get a dedicated tire/rim for track use.

If you are deadset on staying with stock rims and want a very sticky street tire you can use on the track and street, I would go with Bridgestone RE-11s. Technically they are a street tire, not a track tire, but they are about as stick as you are going to get. Plus I hear you can get 10k out of a set. Also they wont cost you an arm and a leg!

MarkDFW

Tire Rack shows the RE-11s won't fit on my 12" rear rims. Rim width range is 10.5 to 11.5. Even if they did fit, the price difference between them and the Pilot Super Sport is small, and the RE-11 has a 180 tread wear rating vs. 300 for the Pilot SS. I know those ratings aren't uniform across tire manufacturere, but I hear most of them are still a reasonably close gauge.

Shifter6

I forgot about your WB rim...

You are screwed

Actually if you are looking for a stickier tire, you want a lower TW rating. A rating of 300 means its rock hard.

MarkDFW

Agreed but so far I've heard it is actually a decent street tire for the track. Look at how Michelin rated the performance of the tire compared to their other tires, including the Pilot Sport Cup. Not very far behind the Pilot Sport Cup:

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...formance-sport

383

Did you get any auto-x runs on them yet?
What do you think?

MarkDFW

Not yet. Just signed a contract on a house and about to drop serious money. I may squeeze in an autoX in the next month or two but HPDE will probably have to wait for the fall.

theVcar

Another vote for RE-11's