MK6 Wheel / Rim / Tyre Thread

[slam]

My MY12 Mk6 GTi was delivered with Turanza ER300 tyres for some reason (as opposed to Potenza or SportsContact, etc)

Would anyone be able to comment on the difference in 0-100 km/h acceleration times between a "Touring" tyre such as the Turanza and a "Performance" tyre such as the RE050 or SportsContact or PS3, etc?

Reason for the question - a friend of mine driving behind me in a car which does 0-100km/h in 8.1s kept up with me easily recently when I floored the throttle while doing 20km/h in 1st gear. We slowed down after hitting 60km/h. It was a rolling start from 20km/h so launch technique didn't come into play.

We were going uphill, my GTi was axle tramping and struggling for traction. My friend's car was fitted with RE001 tyres and apparently he didn't have too much problem with traction.

So my question is - would a GTi be able to achieve the claimed 6.9s for 0-100km/h if it was fitted with touring tyres, as opposed to performance tyres? What would the difference be?

[MIRSAD]

2012 EVO Max Performance Tyre Test

"2012 has started with a bang with EVO, the UKs leading high performance car magazine, publishing its 2012 summer tyre test.

Unlike some of the European tyre tests which concentrate on the data, EVO rate the driving experience equal to the out right performance, meaning subjective scoring is very detailed. This is key, as when the top 5 tyres are separated by just a few seconds over a lap, how the tyre feels is the primary difference between brands.

The Test

Also refreshing was EVOs choice of location - a mix of the UK MIRA testing circuit, and their home track Bedford Autodrome. This effectively removes any "home advantage" tyre manufacturers gain when they host the tyre tests at their development circuits.

EVO selected 10 tyres in 235/40 R18 to test on a 261bhp Audi S3. Each of the 6 premium brands were represented, with Hankook, Kumho and Vredestein from the mid range sector and Accelera from the budget end rounding out the group.

All the tests, including the road handling test were carried out on the various specialist circuits at MIRA, other than the dry lap time which was done at Bedford Autodrome.

Subjective feel

With the top 4 tyres separated by less than a second a lap in the wet, and just 0.4 seconds in the dry, subjectivity has never been more critical amongst the top runners.

Of the pack leaders Continental fared best, winning the wet test and scoring a joint first position with Hankook in the dry, who could only manage 4th place in the wet. The Continentals were particularly praised in the wet, where they felt extremely sure footed, barely registering puddles which upset its rivals and offering supreme traction.

Goodyear finished a close 2nd overall, scoring two 3rd places only let down by a fraction of under steer on the limit in the wet. It’s dry performance was also excellent on the limit, with "grainy, grippy feedback" and the highest lateral G reading.

While Bridgestone could only manage the 7th fastest wet lap, it rated very well subjectively finishing just behind the Continental. As we’ve found with Bridgestone tyres, it’s dry performance was many times better than the wet, scoring the fastest lap and finishing just behind the Goodyear subjectively.

Hankook rounded out the top 4 with the 5th fastest wet lap but an excellent subject 4th place, and the 3rd fastest dry lap with the subjective rating equalling that of Continental for the win. Another strong performer for Hankook, who are quickly edging towards premium status.

"In many respects, wet handling is the most cricial test of a tyre. Good performance in the dry is much easier to achieve."
John Barker - EVO Some what disappointingly, the online favourites Vredestein and Kumho finished 8th and 9th in the wet, with Vredestein edging out Kumho, and could only manage 8th and 10th in the dry, this time with Kumho ahead of Vredestein. Disappointing results for 2 brands often recommended online, however it demonstrates the old adage “you get what you pay for” still largely rings true in the world of tyres.

The Results

As always our coverage doesn’t do the test justice, so make sure you pick up EVO issue 166 for the full write up and the detailed results breakdown.

1st: Continental Sport Contact 3
Total: 669.9 / Dry: 197.6 / Wet: 200 / Subjective: 200 / Rolling Resistance: 72.3
Overall: The ContiSportContact 3s only weakness was a little subjective feel on the road. It dominated the wet tests and was extremely strong in the dry. EVO commented as "an impressively complete performance". The Sport Contact 3 has now been replaced by the Sport Contact 5, which should be an even more impressive tyre.

2nd: Hankook Ventus S1 evo
Total: 666.4 / Dry: 196.4 / Wet: 194.5 / Subjective: 190.4 / Rolling Resistance: 85.1
Overall: Although the Hankook S1 Evo only managed a single top place (its subjective feel on the dry track) the rest of its results were strong enough to give it a close second behind the Conti and a whisker ahead of the Goodyear.

3rd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Total: 674.8 / Dry: 199.4 / Wet: 196.2 / Subjective: 187.9 / Rolling Resistance: 91.3
Overall: Outstanding in the dry, pulling the highest lateral G and shortest dry braking. Also very good in the wet just 0.8% slower than the Conti. Highly rated subjectively, a great all round tyre.

4th: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Total: 649.1 / Dry: 193 / Wet: 194.4 / Subjective: 179.5 / Rolling Resistance: 82.2
Overall: The new Pilot Sport 3 scored well objectively in all tests. Slightly let down by its subjective feel, EVO still recommend it as a great all round tyre, having the best blend of comfort and precision on the road.

5th: Pirelli P Zero
Total: 641.8 / Dry: 195.4 / Wet: 197.7 / Subjective: 178.1 / Rolling Resistance: 70.6
Overall: Slightly ahead of the Bridgestone, the Pirelli P Zero offered a good all round performance - not the best in any test but usually in the top half in every test.

6th: Bridgestone Potenza S001
Total: 644.2 / Dry: 197.9 / Wet: 195.4 / Subjective: 180.3 / Rolling Resistance: 70.6
Overall: Unlike when we tested the S001 and found it a little numb, this version of the new Bridgestone echoes Bridgestones of old. Good dry grip with excellent feedback, average grip the wet but the excellent subjective scores make the tyre uncomfortable and bumpy on the road.

7th: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
Total: 648.4 / Dry: 197.7 / Wet: 196.4 / Subjective: 176.6 / Rolling Resistance: 77.7
Overall: Echoing our own long term test findings, while the Dunlop Sport Maxx GT offers excellent grip in the wet and dry, it's somewhat let down by the average steering feel it provides..."
.................
Full report:

2012 EVO Max Performance Tyre Test | the online tyre guide

[Diesel_vert]

2012 EVO Max Performance Tyre Test, as reported by tyrereviews.co.uk

The brief summary given for each tyre doesn't seem to make any sense if you look at the individual score, nor does the total score correlate with their given ranking.

[nat225]

goodyear is doing 4 for 3 at the moment until mid april. the assymetric 2 is around $1340 for a set of 18", fitted balanced plus insurance.

check tyrereviews.co.uk for reviews and comparisons.

[nat225]

i have potenza re050a and they are noisy on rough surfaces.

people should realise that if they want quiet tyres, they should avoid all max summer performance tyres (tirerack classification), all stock gti and r are these max summer except lately the gti 17" comes with turanza er300. if you want quiet, go with touring type of tyres instead (more mileage, quieter, but usually LESS dry grip).

[Tobes_WIR35]

I have Continental SportContact 2 225/40 R18's on my GTI. The fronts are worn out now after 27,000km and time for some new ones (just fronts).

What have you guys been buying to replace your stock tyres? I understand the Conti's are pretty good in terms of performance but longevity is a little disappointing, and they seem to get pretty ripped up due to the soft compound. If there is a tyre around that performs equal to or better than the Conti, but has better longevity and equal or lower cost, then I would consider those tyres, but cost and longevity are not my top priorities.

I guess I may be able to get away with rotating the fronts and rears and getting another, say, 10,000km out of them. Then replace all 4. I may even decide to go with a wheel & tyre package if that's the route I take.

I await your learned comments!

[nat225]

The Conti SC2/3 have soft sidewall. comfy ride but they dont withstand track abuse well, especially on QR!

Goodyear Assymetric 2 seems to be the best street tyre at the moment, it tops 1st place in many of the tyres test according tyrereviews.co.uk

[brad]

tobes
If you rotated your tyres every 10,000-15,000km then you'd get a lot more out of them. 27,000km just on the front is excellant.

michelin PS3 if you want long life & good performance. PSS if you want better performance with slightly less km.

[Tobes_WIR35]

Been looking on Tirerack.com - My pick at the moment is the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Seems to score in the top 3 in the review and has the highest tread wear rating, plus is only $160 per corner plus shipping. Based on other's experiences I should be able to get them here and fitted for around $1000 - $1100 AUD.

I got quoted $420/corner just for replacement CSC2's, which are a few rungs down the food chain from the CEC DW's.

It's a joke how much we pay for stuff here. It would work out cheaper for me to get a set of brand new 18" Enkei's fitted with CEC DW tyres, shipped to my front door, than it would be to go and get JUST replacement tyres if I went to a shop in Brisbane.

If anyone has any good/bad experiences with the Conti Extreme's - happy to hear it!

[walbjj]

Been looking on Tirerack.com - My pick at the moment is the Continental ExtremeContact DW. Seems to score in the top 3 in the review and has the highest tread wear rating, plus is only $160 per corner plus shipping. Based on other's experiences I should be able to get them here and fitted for around $1000 - $1100 AUD.

I got quoted $420/corner just for replacement CSC2's, which are a few rungs down the food chain from the CEC DW's.

It's a joke how much we pay for stuff here. It would work out cheaper for me to get a set of brand new 18" Enkei's fitted with CEC DW tyres, shipped to my front door, than it would be to go and get JUST replacement tyres if I went to a shop in Brisbane.

If anyone has any good/bad experiences with the Conti Extreme's - happy to hear it!

i actually think the continental extremecontact dw is the lowest of their max performance tyres. the cs2 and cs5 are actually more expensive for equivalent sizing and are pegged higher in the catalog. not saying the dw isnt any good, but it isnt their flagship tyre.
one tyre to look at would be the goodyear assymetirc 2, its also a max performance tyre and the assymetric 1 won most of the tyre test awards, and the assym 2 is supposed to be the next step

dont get started on the whole "we get ripped off in oz" thing, its done and dusted, just buy it overseas and move on