evo Tyre Test

[Kirium]

For anyone nearing the time for new tyres, evo magazine have a big tyre test in the latest issue (110, with all the BMW M cars on the cover).

The good news is that we no longer have to interpret the results of the Motor tyre test where they use a commonwhore with fully sik 20's and $1000 a corner rubber.. evo took 9 different types of rubber from the biggest selling size of performance tyres, 225/45 R17 and whacked them on Golf GTI's for the testing... Hurrah!!!

I'm yet to read the results of all the tests (dry/wet/braking/aqua-planning/road route), but here's the summary from the winner...

1. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric

A decisive win for the new Goodyear, with more table-topping performances than any other tyre. Better still, those wins came in both the wet and the dry objective tests, and subjectively, it was voted best tyre on the dry handling course. "The steering feels clean, direct, positive" said Bovingdon, "and there's plenty of adjustability and agility." He praised its wet handling abilities, too: "Very neutral- not a single correction required". On the read it was a little noisy but Barker said it had 'direct steering and a softly predictive feel". And it comes in at a good price, too.

2. Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta
3. Continental CSC3
4. Bridgestone Potenza RE050-A
5. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
6. Pirelli PZero Nero
7. Kumho Ecsta STP KU3I
8. Dunlop Sport Maxx
9. Yokohama S.Drive

Pick it up at a newsagent that has airmail magazines for the full test... 10 pages worth... :thumbsup:

I'm coming up for new tyres soon. Still got a few mm to go. Hopefully Goodyear will have one of those "buy 3 and get the 4th free" promotions soon... evo say it's only a new tyre tho, and it doesn't appear on the goodyear AU website yet..

This is the new one: http://eu.goodyear.com/uk_en/tires/repository/Eagle_F1AS/index.jsp

 

[funny]

Gotta get me that mag.... Not up for tyres yet tho.

Any idea about comparative aussie prices for say the top 5?
I'm liking the Contis and Michelins - always heard good QC about these 2. Not sure about the Bridgestones...

 

[WhiteJames]

Kirium,
Excellent info - going to copy & put on wheels & tyres group buy thread for interested parties.

Excellent timing.

Youse Canberra guys interested in coming along to the Sydney GTG.
20th October 2007 proposed date.
Venue yet to be confirmed.

Cheers
James

 

[Kirium]

Well the goodyear isn't here yet and I've never heard of the Vredestein. They're dutch according to the mag. Contis have been quoted anywhere between $400 and $600. The goodyears should be cheaper than the CSC3. Contis are so overpriced here..

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 won this years Wheels tyre test for a 245/45 R18 size... Goodyear seem to be doing good things..

 

[funny]

Yeah a friend of mine got quoted about $450 (non-fitted) for stock Contis. Man, I thought forking out close to $300ea for Pilot Precedas for my previous Astra was rich, but that takes the cake!

 

[zz2]

thats quite an interesting review. however they didnt test the two tyres i was most interested in... the Yokohama Advan Sport V103s and the Pirelli P-zero Rossos

 

[vwgtimkv]

thats quite an interesting review. however they didnt test the two tyres i was most interested in... the Yokohama Advan Sport V103s and the Pirelli P-zero Rossos

Despite the hype, Pirellis tend to get panned in pretty much every review as being a way-overrated tyre that is overpriced. I've heard that the Yokohamas are completely the opposite - quite an underrated tyre that is great value.

Cheers

 

[gmc]

I had the CSC3s fitted around 3 weeks ago. They were $450 each fitted.

 

[Kirium]

thats quite an interesting review. however they didnt test the two tyres i was most interested in... the Yokohama Advan Sport V103s and the Pirelli P-zero Rossos

I've heard good things about the Advans too, but although they're a different model, the Yokohamas they tested in this issue didn't cover themselves in glory... For eample, in the wet breaking, which was a 55mph-5mph straight line Car flicked to neutral just before hitting the stoppers, the Yokohama took 51.78m compared to the Goodyear, which stopped in the shortest distance, in 39.26m... That's almost 12m more... That's more than the difference between stopping in time and ploughing into a cow/roo or other road obstacle

Also, in the wet handling...

Even less impressive was the Yokohama S.Drive, which was a woeful 7.5sec a lap slower than the Good year (which posted a 58.06 second wet lap). "No turn-in, poor mid-corner grip and hopeless traction," said Bovingdon, adding "chassis feels unsettled; balance shifts between understeer and overseer. Without ESP it'd be a liability."

On another note, there was a sidebar about the 18in v 17in handling debate...

The GTI has always felt pretty good on 18in wheels and slightly lower profile tyres (225/40 R18s), so day one of the test provided a big surprise. For familiarisation laps of the wet circuit, Bovingdon used the GTI Anniversary on it's standard 18in rims, to which Bridgestone had fitted RE050-As. On the fractionally higher profiled 17in tyres, Bovingdon noted significantly more turn-in bite and the Golf was around 2.5sec a lap faster...

:iono:

 

[prodigue]

I'd really wanted to see them test the Potenza RE-01R. Most likely get this tyre when my CSC2 runs out.

 

[funny]

On another note, there was a sidebar about the 18in v 17in handling debate...

Maybe that might have something to do with the way the car was setup rather than size. But :iono: I'm no race expert!

Love the fact that stock 17's do better though!
On that theory wonder if 16" will go faster still...

 

[zz2]

im counting down the days till my Tyerpower calls me up to say my Yoko V103s have arrived :thumbup:

 

[Kirium]

Maybe that might have something to do with the way the car was setup rather than size. But :iono: I'm no race expert!

Setup??? What's to set up on a stock GTI edition 30??

 

[funny]

Setup??? What's to set up on a stock GTI edition 30??

I guess most people would assume that 18" will give you a better contact patch than 17", so you would get better lap times if all else is the same. Maybe putting 18"s on changed the suspension setup enough to make a negative difference? I don't think it could just come down to weight could it?

 

[Hong Chau]

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 won this years Wheels tyre test for a 245/45 R18 size... Goodyear seem to be doing good things..

I got a set of these when they had that promotion for buy 3 get 1 free.
i was also up for new tyres too:biggrin:

haven't put them on yet. but soon.