Best track tyre

[fredrickr26]

I fitted a set of r888 on my car for Mallory park race meeting this week end and they did not go off, I was very impressed with them, 2 x15 mins race, hot weather and my times were within half a second every lap for 14 laps bar one, so I disagree they go off and are average.

Some people like r888's but you won't see many using them especially on heavier cars after using ps cups, v70's and dz03g's.

If your car is race weight I guess the r888's will be fine as all my findings with track tyres are on a heavier megane car.

 

[Gez]

Well, 2 of my Syrons turned up this morning waiting for the courier to deliver the other 2 now.

 

[JamesS]

Mini gp has kumho's std fit and it beat the R on track and kumho's are also the std fit on the bac mono.

I always quote the above as people see kumho's as budget tyres but in Motorsport they are very very good hence car brands like BMW mini and Bac have selected them.

I can't see your justification for saying that because the Bac Mono has Kumho tyres fitted, Kumho tyres are very very good.

Bac are unlikely to have had much success if they approached Goodyear for a custom tyre, as the company had no heritage and wouldn't be able to afford for someone like Goodyear to develop a custom tyre. Kumho on the other hand are more likely to see a potential opportunity for good publicity (see their press release after the Bac Mono set the Top Gear lap time) with someone like Bac and are likely to charge less for developing the tyre, hence Bac going with them.

If money was no object, I can't see why someone like Bac wouldn't go with Goodyear, Continental or Michelin and make use of the vast R&D resources and test tracks which I would hazard a guess are significantly more advanced than those of Kumho to develop a tyre.

As for the Mini being faster on track, it would be interesting to see what times it set with tyres from other manufacturers, as that is the only true way to get a comparison and say just how good they are.

Personally I would still say Kumho is a budget brand, and that perception won't change until they start becoming a standard fit tyre with more car manufacturers.

 

[Jonesy]

Abit of a snobby reply that aint it? Personally I think its ******** lol

 

[N0ddie]

Personally I would still say Kumho is a budget brand, and that perception won't change until they start becoming a standard fit tyre with more car manufacturers.

Snobbery or not, I kinda agree with you James.

 

[Fernandez]

Kuhmo may be seen as a budget brand but fact is they make better tyres than Continental.

And being std OEM fitment on a car doesn't mean you have the best tyres

 

[MikeH]

Personally I would still say Kumho is a budget brand, and that perception won't change until they start becoming a standard fit tyre with more car manufacturers.

So being a budget brand is based on who has a tyre as a standard fitment rather than the quality of the product???

 

[MikeH]

I fitted a set of r888 on my car for Mallory park race meeting this week end and they did not go off, I was very impressed with them, 2 x15 mins race, hot weather and my times were within half a second every lap for 14 laps bar one, so I disagree they go off and are average.

What others have you tried on the car as basis for comparison?

Weve ran federals, 888s and ps cups since our 182 has been stripped, the 888s were definitely the middle road of the bunch, the ps cups were doing 30min sessions with no fade the 888s after 15mins were really going squidgy

 

[Jonesy]

the tyre snobbery is awesome, it is utter bo - locks, just cos they are standard fit meant means sweet FA

 

[JamesS]

Kuhmo may be seen as a budget brand but fact is they make better tyres than Continental.

Can we please have some evidence of this "fact"?

And being std OEM fitment on a car doesn't mean you have the best tyres

It does to an extent I'm afraid. The manufacturer will look at all sorts of items when spec'ing a standard fit tyre, only one of which is how "well" the tyre performs. Other items will include ppm failure rate, cost, and the list goes on. If Kumho were as good as the other tyre manufacturers, why would the manufacturers not use them?

So being a budget brand is based on who has a tyre as a standard fitment rather than the quality of the product???

The perception of the tyre is to an extent yes. As I said above, if the tyres from Kumho were really that good, why wouldn't the manufacturers spec the tyre as original equipment?


Just for further reading, below are the results from two recent EVO tyre tests. They make for interesting reading!


2013 EVO FWD Tyre Test


1st Continental ContiSportContact 5P 97.8%
2nd Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 95.5%
3rd Pirelli P Zero K1 95.4%
4th Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 92.9%
5th Toyo Proxes Sport T1 91.3%
6th Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 90.8%
7th Bridgestone Potenza S001 90.6%
8th Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 88.9%
9th Kumho Ecsta SPT KU31 87.5%




2012 EVO Summer Tyre Test


1st: Pirelli P Zero 95.5%
2nd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 94.6%
3rd: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 94.1%
4th: Continental Sport Contact 5 93.8%
5th: Bridgestone Potenza S001 91.9%
6th: Dunlop SportMaxx RT 91.6%
7th: Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 90.9%
8th: Vredestein Ultrac Vorti 89.6%
9th: Kumho Ecsta KU39 88.2%

 

[nutnutwelshman]

I must admit iam a Vredestine fan

 

[Gez]

I've never heard of Syron until purchasing these tyres, they've had good reviews, so I will give them a go. Maybe an up and coming brand, I'm not into brand snobbery. I'm willing to try new things

 

[Fernandez]

I actually think it could be successfully argued that the so called top brands are actually ripping consumers off with overpriced tyres.. The so called budget brands are actually pricing tyres realistically according to manufacturing costs.

Within there industry its well known that Continential, Michelin, Yokohama and Goodyear all hold shares within each other. This further extends to the partnerships they have together in controlling stakes in tyre fitting companies such as quik fit, hi q, etc etc. Doesn't take a genius to work out that prices are kept high..

 

[Jonesy]

Can we please have some evidence of this "fact"?





It does to an extent I'm afraid. The manufacturer will look at all sorts of items when spec'ing a standard fit tyre, only one of which is how "well" the tyre performs. Other items will include ppm failure rate, cost, and the list goes on. If Kumho were as good as the other tyre manufacturers, why would the manufacturers not use them?





The perception of the tyre is to an extent yes. As I said above, if the tyres from Kumho were really that good, why wouldn't the manufacturers spec the tyre as original equipment?


Just for further reading, below are the results from two recent EVO tyre tests. They make for interesting reading!


2013 EVO FWD Tyre Test


1st Continental ContiSportContact 5P 97.8%
2nd Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 95.5%
3rd Pirelli P Zero K1 95.4%
4th Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 92.9%
5th Toyo Proxes Sport T1 91.3%
6th Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 90.8%
7th Bridgestone Potenza S001 90.6%
8th Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 88.9%
9th Kumho Ecsta SPT KU31 87.5%




2012 EVO Summer Tyre Test


1st: Pirelli P Zero 95.5%
2nd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 94.6%
3rd: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 94.1%
4th: Continental Sport Contact 5 93.8%
5th: Bridgestone Potenza S001 91.9%
6th: Dunlop SportMaxx RT 91.6%
7th: Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 90.9%
8th: Vredestein Ultrac Vorti 89.6%
9th: Kumho Ecsta KU39 88.2%

are kumho, mainly a motor sport tyre manufacturer? i think you will find the answer to that is a yes. 90% of their effort into the motorsport side and 10% into the road! not on a comparable level tbh

 

[MikeH]

Thats some pretty cutting and pasting James, but its doesnt actually help out with the OP, those are not track tyre tests whereas the debate was over the track variant of the manufacturers tyres



[h=1]Autobild Trackday Tyre Review[/h]

1) Kumho Ecsta V70a
2) Michelin Pilot Cup Sport
3) Toyo Proxes R888
4) Yokohama Advan A048
5) Pirelli P Zero Corsa

 

[JamesS]

Mike,

Glad you liked the copying and pasting!

If we want to help the OP, we best copy and paste the results from the 2013 Auto Bild Track Day Semi Slick Tyre Test, not the 2005 results, so he has the most up to date information.

Here's the 2013 results (taken from http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Bild-Track-Day-Semi-Slick-Tyre-Test.htm).

1st: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup
2nd: Dunlop Direzza 03G
3rd: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo
4th: Continental ContiForceContact
5th: Kumho V70a
6th: Toyo R888

 

[Gez]

I'm actually quite shocked by these results. r888 6th and in the autobild the yoko came out under the 888

 

[MikeH]

A genuine thanks for that James, I had actually been trying to find the more up to date one, knew they had started it but couldnt find it on the tyre review site!

 

[JamesS]

No worries Mike.

Hope the info is useful for anyone who asks about trackday tyre recommendations in the future.

 

[MikeH]

Stickied for good measure.....