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Need new tires (some interesting specials going on!)...

Osiris_x11

Gold Member, Moderator: Marketplace
Joined
12 August 2003
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Austin, Republic of Texas
Well, it's time for another set of tires for my '91 NSX w/ Zanardi suspension and after-market wheels (F:17x7, R: 17x9). I had the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 and overall have been quite satisfied! I got approx. 7.5k miles on the fronts/rears and possibly can get another 1.5k - 2k miles (I had an unnoticed alignment issue which was only diagnosed/remedied recently, hence why my front tires wore-out a bit prematurely).

I am leaning towards another set of the F1 GS-D3. There is a $50 rebate available w/ the purchase of (4) such tires. Also the front-tires (215/40/R17) are priced as a special @ Tire Rack for $153/each!


However, I'm curious of some other offerings... possibly some of you kind folks can offer some insight!

Anyone have experience on their NSX w/ Continental's ContiSportContact 3 (215/40/R17 for $179/each & 255/40/R17 for $179/each)? It's a 'max-performance' tire w/ a 280 tread-wear rating. Also, how is it differentiated from the ContiSportContact 2? Continental is offering a free Magellan 1200 GPS/Nav. thingie (~$150'ish) w/ the purchase of (4) tires from the two aforementioned series, something I can give my mom/dad as it's gotten great reviews for it's simplicity/functionality.

Another one I'm considering is Bridgestone's RE050A Pole Position. A $100 rebate from Bridgestone towards (4) RE050-series tires will be effective in a week or so (not advertised, as of yet). However, looking at Tire Rack's site has me somewhat confused. Under sizes/pricing for RE050A Pole Position, 215/40/R17 is apparently not offered but 255/40/R17 ($174) is available. However for RE050A, 255/40/R17 is not offered but 215/40/R17 ($170/each) is available! What's the practical difference between 'RE050A' and 'RE050A Pole Position'? An odd situation, I must say...

Does Kumho make a 'max-performance' tire relatively comparable to the F1 GS-D3?

I appreciate any information anyone can provide! Thanks, in-advance... :cool:
 
Funny- this was my exact dilemna last week. Since I needed ultra-hi performance tires to drive to/from track events, I ordered Potenza RE050A (not available in 17/18 combo @ TireRack), then ordered Goodyear F1 GS-D3 (fronts on backorder @ TireRack), so out of desperation I bought a set of Conti-contactsports2 (which are also on my 996 Turbo).

To my surprise, the ContactSport2s were very trackable tires. With a TempAA rating, I could see the sticky rubber compound doing its thing after only 15 mins of track time.

So you will be fine....
 
205/45/R17 for 17"x7" wheel?

Okie... I am keen towards the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position tires!

However, they don't apparently come in a 215/40/R17 size for my front 17"x7" wheel. They do come in a 205/45/R17. Would such a size be too narrow for my front-wheels?

Here's how the ride-height would be affected:

215/40/R17
215mm x .40 = 86.0mm
86.0mm x 2 = 172.0mm
172.0mm + 431.8mm (17") = 603.8mm

vs.

205/45/R17
205mm x .45 = 92.25mm
92.25mm x 2 = 184.50mm
184.50mm + 431.8mm (17") = 616.3mm


(I plan on going w/ 255/40/R17 for my rear 17"x9" wheels; an outer rolling diameter of 635.8mm)
 
I'd stick with the Goodyear.

If you would like to see a comparison test of the Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Continental, click here.

Does Kumho make a 'max-performance' tire relatively comparable to the F1 GS-D3?
No. Kumho's top tire is the Ecsta MX, which puts more emphasis on dry traction and less on wet traction or treadlife, which is why the Tire Rack puts the MX in their "Extreme Performance" category. I believe Kumho is in the process of phasing out the MX for its replacement, the Ecsta XS. They also sell the Ecsta SPT, which is a budget performance tire, similar to the Yokohama S.drive and ES100, Bridgestone RE750, etc.
 
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