• Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.

Which tire? Star Spec, AD08 R, Ecsta LE, or s.Drive?

Joined
18 October 2015
Messages
1,202
Location
Cleveland area, OH
I just bought a 17X8 +45, 18X9 +45 wheel setup. Now I'm trying to figure out which tires are best. Appropriate tire sizes for these wheels to a) maintain same circumference as stock for traction control and b) appropriate tire tread width for wheel width appears to be 215/40/17 and 255/35/18.

Tire Rack says there are four tires I can obtain matching fronts/rears in those sizes:

Dunlop Durezza ZII Star Spec
Yoko Advan AD08 R
Kumho Ecsta LE
Yoko S.Drive.

My intent with the car is to drive it mainly in dry weather, but the tires I choose must also be able to handle the wet occasionally. I drive "spiritedly" on the highway and plan to take my NSX for an occasional track day/HPDE.

The tires at the top of my list so far are the Star Specs and the AD08 Rs. The Ecsta LE is a "max performance summer" tire as opposed to the other two, which are "extreme performance". The S.Drives are also "max performance" but are far less expensive than the other tires outside of the Kumhos. I keep seeing reports, though the the AD08 Rs are really no good in the rain, but the Star Specs had better hydroplaning resistance, really important to me for that occasional downpour.

Last, how much do I really have to worry about storing my car in a cold (enclosed) space with these Star Specs and AD08 Rs? Will cold really damage these tires in storage? That's another factor to consider as my NSX will be stored for five months of the year.

Which tire would you pick?

There is such little choice in this size that I'm actively considering just remaining on my beautiful stockers!

TIA
 
I can vouch for the AD08R's they are worth their reputation. I'm also going for spirited drives, but on mountain roads also with occasional track. They are fantastic tires on all of these, 200km/h fast curves at Spa Francorchamps or small hairpins on mountains roads alike. They are not so catastrophic on the wet, there's still something, so you can drive around if needed, happened to me quite a few times and even at highway speeds i had decent grip (but obviously i am careful in these conditions...)
 
I've had both AD08R and ZII* and liked them both. Both are good in the rain. If you want good grip then those are your choices. I can't speak to storing them in the cold (I store mine inside during the winter) but I would try to have no load on them if you do.

I've driven on some old Nitto 555 and they were no fun. The lack of grip was frustrating. I'm sure you could get used to tires that are not in the highest tier but it changes the experience considerably.
 
Last edited:
Z2* is better than AD08R's. When you start to wear any of these extreme summer performance tires down around 4/32's you'll struggle to find grip in the rain and run into hydroplane issues on the highway. I think if your storing the tires in an area that won't see temps below freezing, they will be okay. When they see temps below freezing, they get hard and could lose some of their grip when going through heat cycles. Like jwmelvin said, better to store them stacked without weight on them to prevent them from getting flat spots in the cold.
 
Thank you for the opinions so far, they are much appreciated, keep them coming!

As for storage: In Cleveland we spend pretty much from late November to early March below freezing. :) This winter will be super-easy, they'll be in my basement, on the incoming wheels, awaiting install on my car in the spring. Once on the car, though, they're staying there, so next winter when it's in storage, I'll just put the car on jack stands and inflate high. The car will be stored in an unheated, completely enclosed storage area, and so will get pretty darned cold. Or I can just put the stockers back on in late fall and not worry about it.
 
A lot of people say it's bad for shocks to be in the unloaded position for storage. I would think it'd be a lot better to put a set of storage wheels-tires on.
 
I wish I could find the PSS in both my sizes. I found them in the 18" size but not the 17". I have PSS on my CTS-V wagon and they are great in both dry and wet.
 
Adding to the list of feedback here. Unfortunately, I don't have experience with the Z2 or the AD08R.

I've used the Nitto NT-05 and Continental ExtremeContact DW which are both great in wet, the later being better. I've also tried the DWs on the track and they are surprisingly decent. Not as much outright grip but they communicated decently - better than I expected from a tire with a soft sidewall. They are great on the street (better than the Z1s and the NT-05s in purely street performance which includes comfort, road noise, cold/wet)

I really wish the PSS or PSC2's were available in 17s. I'd kill for those. At this rate I might just try the new Bridgestone REs or the Hankook RS3s.

EDIT: Looks like the Hankook RS3 aren't available in our sizes either.
 
Last edited:
Bridgestone re71r and BFG RivalS are the 2 top street tires. If you want grip out of a street tire, get one of those. More people lean towards the re71r's but the differences come down to preference and setup.
 
Looks like the RE-11 is available if you want to go with a 235 front

- - - Updated - - -

Bridgestone re71r and BFG RivalS are the 2 top street tires. If you want grip out of a street tire, get one of those. More people lean towards the re71r's but the differences come down to preference and setup.
btw... I didn't see the RE71R nor the Rivals in our sizes. Do you?

Can we keep this thread to tires that actually fit our cars please? There are a ton of good tires that don't fit the NSX.

- - - Updated - - -

Also to OP.. the Z2 is a pretty loud tire. Might get obnoxious on a daily or on long trips.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't have a problem saying 215 Z2* > 235 re11.

I've made the 225/45r17 RE71r fit my NSX. Just removed fender liners and used a spacer. Also zero issue with TCS. So it does fit and it is relevant to the discussion if performance is what the OP wants to maximize. Just because everyone else runs a 215/255, doesn't mean it's the best or it's impossible to do something else :smile:

Also, if you have an aftermarket exhaust, I can't imagine tire noise will be very noticeable or annoying over it. I've never noticed tire noise to be an issue on any Street Stock or ST* car I've driven. Besides, just part of what you get what you want a fast tire. Something will have to give.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't run a 45 series tire up front but that's just me (and probably a lot of other NSX owners :))

This is interesting feedback for the Z2 vs. AD08Rs. See post #49 & #50
http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/1012304-yokohama-advan-ad08r/page__st__25


Take S2ki.com feedback with a grain of salt but generally the track guys there track a hell of a lot more than we do.

For me personally, since I have a set of dedicated DOT R-Comps for track days i'd lean towards the AD08Rs because it seems more forgiving all around with better road manners than the Z2 which seems incrementally faster.

If the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2's were available then this would be my one and done go-to set for all conditions including track days. Damn you Michelin!!

- - - Updated - - -

Also, since I had some time today here are my findings in terms of tire sizes from Tirerack.com only.

215/40-17 & 265/35-18 are available in the following brands
Dunlop ZII Star Spec
Yokohama Advan AD08R
Kumho Ecsta LE Sport (my least favorite of the bunch)

235/40-17 & 265/35-18
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
Dunlop ZII Star Spec
Yokohama Advan AD08R

235/40-17 & 275/35-18
Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
Dunlop ZII Star Spec
Toyo Proxes RA1 (DOT R-comps that have decent tread grooves)

Ideally, i'd like the 235/275 combo but AD08Rs are not available in a 275. Not a deal breaker but this forces me to consider the RE-11 which I thought was replaced by the RE-11A?
 
Re11a replaced the re11, though there was no significant difference when they changed it. Which is now all old news since the re71r is way better in every aspect. Re71r and rivalS are as close to an r-comp you can get and still get away with good tire life and wet performance.
 
I'm on the S2KI forums quite a bit as I was (until I picked up my NSX earlier this month) an owner. Ckit is well-regarded over there and is very experienced on the track. The S2000 is a different, and much lighter, car with different handling characteristics from the NSX, but the tire comparison is appropriate.

I don't plan to live my life on the track, and need a reliable tire for driving to and from NSX events, which I'm finding often requires intermediate or long-distance driving. Do the Star Spec and AD08Rs handle that type of driving? If so, one of those two is my choice. I suspect that the S.drives, though, are probably the best in that regard even though they are not the ultimate track tire.
 
I'm on the S2KI forums quite a bit as I was (until I picked up my NSX earlier this month) an owner. Ckit is well-regarded over there and is very experienced on the track. The S2000 is a different, and much lighter, car with different handling characteristics from the NSX, but the tire comparison is appropriate.

I don't plan to live my life on the track, and need a reliable tire for driving to and from NSX events, which I'm finding often requires intermediate or long-distance driving. Do the Star Spec and AD08Rs handle that type of driving? If so, one of those two is my choice. I suspect that the S.drives, though, are probably the best in that regard even though they are not the ultimate track tire.

They are still true street tires so you can drive them on the street just like any other tire. Their only drawbacks are you shouldn't drive on them at or below freezing temps and when they get to and below 4/32's, you begin to have hydroplane issues and far less grip in heavy rain. If you don't drive your car through cold temps and don't expect tens of thousands of miles out of your tires, there's no reason why not to get these types of tires if you want performance and they're within your budget. They'll ultimately make for a safer drive on the street due to the extra grip and great dual purpose(street/track) tire so no need for an extra set of dedicated wheels/tires.
 
Last edited:
They are still true street tires so you can drive them on the street just like any other tire. Their only drawbacks are you shouldn't drive on them at or below freezing temps and when they get to and below 4/32's, you begin to have hydroplane issues and far less grip in heavy rain. If you don't drive your car through cold temps and don't expect tens of thousands of miles out of your tires, there's no reason why not to get these types of tires if you want performance and they're within your budget. They'll ultimately make for a safer drive on the street due to the extra grip and great dual purpose(street/track) tire so no need for an extra set of dedicated wheels/tires.

Well, that gives me my answer, then.

I have a CTS-V wagon. I'm lucky to get 18k miles out of a set of tires, and the PSS I use on that car are far, far more expensive than either the Star Specs or the AD08Rs. I.E. I'm no stranger to tires wearing fast, and I fully understand it's more so on the NSX. :)

I'll probably start with the AD08Rs, then will try the Star Specs when it's time to renew, just to give me experience with both. I'll just store them off the car in the winter, put stockers back on for car storage, and not worry about temperature swings. Now to wait and see whether I can get any tire deals for Black Friday, hehehehe.

I have Pirelli P Zero Nero GT on my car and I really like them. More than enough grip for me on the street, great feed back, and great wear.

I can't get a full set in the sizes I want, so this is off the list.

I so appreciate the advice in this thread!
 
I'm on the S2KI forums quite a bit as I was (until I picked up my NSX earlier this month) an owner. Ckit is well-regarded over there and is very experienced on the track. The S2000 is a different, and much lighter, car with different handling characteristics from the NSX, but the tire comparison is appropriate.

I don't plan to live my life on the track, and need a reliable tire for driving to and from NSX events, which I'm finding often requires intermediate or long-distance driving. Do the Star Spec and AD08Rs handle that type of driving? If so, one of those two is my choice. I suspect that the S.drives, though, are probably the best in that regard even though they are not the ultimate track tire.
I would choose the AD09R over the Z2 in this case. It use to be a bit of a no-brainer for the Z2 since it was much cheaper than the AD08R last year. Now they are only about $130 difference in price for a set of 4.
 
I have Pirelli P Zero Nero GT on my car and I really like them. More than enough grip for me on the street, great feed back, and great wear.

I was mistaken in my previous post. Tire Rack and Sam's Club offer this tire in the sizes I'm looking for, at a reasonable price. For some reason, those tires didn't come up on Tire Rack's search for my requested sizes. Thanks again for the additional suggestion. Been looking for Black Friday tire specials, so revisiting my choices.
 
I was mistaken in my previous post. Tire Rack and Sam's Club offer this tire in the sizes I'm looking for, at a reasonable price. For some reason, those tires didn't come up on Tire Rack's search for my requested sizes. Thanks again for the additional suggestion. Been looking for Black Friday tire specials, so revisiting my choices.

at tire rack,look for the fronts and rears separately.sometimes they have different speed ratings for the different sizes,and don't show up at all if you search for all four at once,for some reason.
this is a helpful tip I picked up on here from nsxtasy
 
Last edited:
I ended up ordering the Zero Nero GTs based on good reviews from other owners here, and potentially longer treadwear. I expect to go through the other tires mentioned in this thread during my ownership of the NSX given that this car reportedly eats tires like my CTS-V.

When I ordered from the Tire Rack, I was called within minutes of making my online order, asking whether I realized the fronts and rears were different speed ratings. Of course, the difference between driving 168 mph (Y-rated) and 186 mph (W-rated) is not much, top speed is 160's, and the car will likely never see those speeds during my ownership anyway. :)
 
Just getting caught up here. The two "extreme performance" tires available in 17"/18" sizes - the Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec and Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R - both offer outstanding grip and performance; the Dunlop is slightly better on wet pavement and the Yokohama on dry pavement, but those differences are minor. If you're willing to give up a slight amount of performance in exchange for longer treadlife (and, in the case of the Kumho, better price), then you ought to consider one of the two "maximum performance summer tires" available in these sizes - the Kumho Ecsta LE Sport and Pirelli PZero Nero GT. Both are still excellent performers, so don't rule them out. I see you're getting the PZero Nero GT, which should be fine for your needs.

I have never seen any warnings from any reliable source (e.g. Tire Rack, or the manufacturers) about storing any of these tires in cold winter temperatures. I've seen such warnings about R-compound track tires, but we're talking about street tires here, not track tires. I have the earlier version of the ZII Star Spec on my Integra Type R in my unheated garage all winter, and haven't had any such problems with them. Of course, it's best not to drive on any of these summer tires in extreme cold, since they won't grip very well on dry pavement, let alone snow or ice. But leaving them on all winter shouldn't be a problem.

The S.Drives are also "max performance" but are far less expensive than the other tires outside of the Kumhos.
No, the S.drive is not a "max performance" tire; it is in the "ultra high performance" category, a significant step down from the max performance tires. I would not recommend them for an NSX.
 
Back
Top